ANSWERING THE CALL

As news report after news report filtered in from Hawaii  on December 7th, our nation  was stunned by the loss of our big gunned, prestige laden battleships as they settled into the mud of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

The Imperial Japanese Navy had accomplished in one swift blow what  their diplomats could not in months of negotiation-the immobilization of the US Pacific Fleet and the ability to run the table and eventually control over 20 million square miles of planet Earth.

As my DAD learned the fate of the USS Arizona, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Nevada, and California(all sunk) shock turned to anger and rage. 

The US was finally dragged into World War II and DAD, like hundreds of thousands  of other Americans, had to do something about it!

Dad went early the following morning on Monday, December 8th(70 years ago today) to join the US Navy and to avenge Pearl Harbor.

He thought if he got to the US Navy recruiting office in Cleveland by 7 A.M. he wouldn't have to wait long to join the NAVY.

WRONG!!!  The line was already SIX and a HALF blocks long.  Dad waited all day in line and he still didn't get in!

All my still-a-civilian dad reaped for his efforts was a set of tired legs, and his brother Robert earned an eventual punch to the head from my grandfather when he learned that Uncle Bob wasn't going to serve in the US Marines like my grandfather had in the GREAT WAR over in Europe in 1918, and give up his promising future baseball career. 

IN THE NAVY AND SORTING THINGS OUT!

Dad did join the NAVY but he wasn't inducted into the service until late February, 1942.

WHY so late?

Our military forces were so swamped with enlistments they did not have adequate training facilities to handle the avalanche of volunteers who wanted to avenge Pearl Harbor.

GREAT LAKES NAVAL TRAINING STATION, just north of Chicago, became DAD's destination and he earned the HONOR MAN distinction for being the best recruit in his company.(over 100 men). 

Where would DAD serve his country after his training at GREAT LAKES?  Would he be sent to the dangerous and icy waters of the North Atlantic on convoy duty, or the murderous and confined waters of the South Pacific trying to stop the invincible IMPERIAL JAPANESE NAVY?

DAD was a very strong swimmer and he and mom would spend all their free time in the stone quarries around Cleveland swimming hours upon hours during spring, summer, and fall. 

Dad also had great talents as a diesel mechanic so the NAVY decided he would stay put at the GREAT LAKES training facility and use his lifeguarding and swimming skills in the freezing waters of LAKE MICHIGAN.

How could DAD help win the war by by being a lifeguard for sailors playing in LAKE MICHIGAN???  He wanted to fight the enemy and help win the war!!! 

TO BE CONTINUED . . . . . . .