Page 90 - The CRAIG family
P. 90
Jeffersonville Evening News Saturday, October 11, 1941
Daddy graduated from Silver Creek High School in June 1942 and in August, 1942 he joined the Marine Corps. He and Uncle Ed joined the same and I’ve included news articles about them both that are in the part where I wrote about Uncle Ed.
In daddy’s words: In 1942, I joined the Army Air Force, then it would be 6 months until I was to go for training. In the meantime, a couple of guys and my brother Ed decided to join the Marine Corp, so I agreed to take them to the recruiting office in Louisville because I had a car. While waiting outside for them to sign up, this old sergeant came by and asked what I was waiting for. When I told him that I was already enlisted in the Air Force, he said “Get in there and sign up in a “Fighting Man’s Army”!! So, I joined with Ed and the other 2 guys. As a side note: Daddy also told the story that he told the old sergeant that there was no way he was going to Paris Island and the sergeant told him if he signed up that day, he would guarantee that he wouldn’t go to Paris Island. Daddy never saw Paris Island.
Because Daddy had his orders to show up for camp with Army Air Force, Papa was worried that the military was going to show up looking for Daddy. Celia said she only saw Papa tear up twice and the first time was when Daddy and Uncle Ed left for the Marines and he said good-by to them. He feared that they might not return home.
From Daddy’s Journal: On August 22, 1942, Daddy and Uncle Ed left Louisville on a train to Chicago and from there traveled on the El Capitan train to San Diego, CA to Marine Corp Boot Camp. They traveled with a Platoon from Louisville. Serial Numbers were assigned on the train.
085