July 25 – September 1, 1943
Sunday, July 25
I received a letter from the draft board this date: “You have been chosen to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States of America.”1
Thursday, July 29
I am to report to Fort Bragg [NC] for examination and induction into the United States Army. Our neighbors, Frank and Edith Kivett, drove Nettie and me [from Ramseur] to Asheboro where I joined a group from Randolph County leaving on busses for Fort Bragg. Most of those leaving had their wives and family members present. Most wives were crying. I had told Nettie not to cry as I would be back. Nettie was nervous, but she held up well. I was proud of her and hated to leave her as she was about seven months pregnant with our first child that we named Terry.
There were two bus loads. It was a long and tiresome bus ride lasting about two hours, and we arrived at Fort Bragg about 10 am. After standing around most of the rest of the morning in the hot sun, we were marched to the mess hall for lunch. After lunch, we were told to go into a building and take our clothes off so we could be examined by the doctor. There were about 20 naked men in the room waiting to be examined, none very happy, and all somewhat embarrassed. And there was quite a bit of joking.
After about an hour, the doctor called me in. The examination consisted of the doctor looking at my both ends and taking my blood pressure. They told me to stay overnight, and they will decide in the morning whether to keep me or turn me down. I was tall (6’2*) and weighed about 135 pounds.
After the examination, we marched around for about two hours with a sergeant yelling and chewing out anyone who missed a step. Most of us didn’t know anything about army marching, and we got chewed out often. After the marching, we were told to go out into the field near the barracks and police the area. Policing the area meant picking up cigarette butts and other trash. It was hot.
In the late afternoon, they again marched us to the mess hall, but we had to line up and wait first. This was the beginning of the “hurry up and wait” that I came to know so well while in the army. The chow was pretty good, probably because I was hungry by the time we got to eat. Also, late in the afternoon, they assigned us to a barrack. And you guessed it, we had to line up and wait before we marched there. We had to line up and march everywhere we went. The barrack was a large room with 25 or 30 cots, and all of them were filled. I was awakened during the night by one fellow yelling for his mother. I felt like joining him, but I didn’t. Several of the men cried out during the night. But I was tired and slept well.
Friday, July 30
I was awakened this morning by a sergeant yelling for us to get up and fall out. “Fall out” meant for us to form a line outside the barrack. The sergeant kept telling us that we were a sorry-looking lot, and we probably did not look like soldiers as we still had on our civilian clothes. We marched to chow. Later this morning I was informed that I had been accepted for “limited service.” Limited service was probably given because I was so skinny.2
I was sworn into the army this afternoon along with about 30 others. I am to get a 21-day furlough before I start my army service for the purpose of getting my business affairs in order. I called Nettie with the news and asked her to get someone to come for me.
There is no free time. We were either marching with the sergeant telling us to shape up, or we were policing the area.
Saturday, July 31
This morning I got my leave slip and waited for my brother Howard to arrive. He was soon here, and we headed back to Ramseur.
Saturday, August 1 – Friday, August 20
These three weeks were both a happy and sad time for Nettie and me as she was about 7 1⁄2 months pregnant with our first child Terry. We were happy to be together again but dreaded the long time we would be separated. I was very concerned as to how my leaving for the army would affect Nettie and the baby. We visited many of my relatives during this time. I had many visits and long talks with my father and mother, Walter and Dora Cox, who lived on a farm on Route 2, Ramseur. I learned that my father had received his draft notice in 1918, but World War I ended before he was called up.
We had supper with Uncle Tally and Aunt Nova Cox, and Uncle Rufus and Aunt Lucille Cox, and visited my Granny Cox. Granny Cox was very concerned that she would not see me again.3
Saturday, August 21
I reported back to Fort Bragg this morning. My brother Howard, and his wife Blanche, brought Nettie and me back. I was very concerned for Nettie to make the trip, but she insisted that she go along. We didn’t have much time before they had to start back. I hated for Nettie to leave. I felt like crying, but then soldiers don’t cry (or do they?). I was a soldier now, and I kept telling myself that soldiers don’t cry.
Back at camp, I learned that we had been assigned to our barracks. Most of the Asheboro group and I are in the same barrack. Much of the day was spent marching or policing the area with a sergeant telling us that we are a sorry-looking lot and to shape up as we are in the army now. “I am going to make soldiers out of you guys,” the sergeant would say.
Sunday, August 22
Each morning we would be awakened by a bugler blowing revelry and a sergeant or corporal coming through the barrack yelling for us to get up. “Off and on,” he would say. “Fall out in five minutes.” And we would scramble to be out and in line by then. He would tell us to “dress right.” This meant for us to stretch out our right arm to touch the man on our right. The names of each of the group would be called, and if they didn’t answer the sergeant would find out why and they would probably be in trouble.
We didn’t do much today it being Sunday. A lieutenant gave us a talk about army rules and saluting. Apparently saluting is very important because if you met or came near an officer and didn’t salute properly, he would make you practice saluting him. The lieutenant says that we can have visitors today, and leave camp for a few hours if we have visitors.
We had an IQ test today. My score was 109 which was very good. I was informed today that the War Department has done away with limited service and I am now in general service, which means that I will now have general army duties. I went to chow this morning, wrote two letters in the day room, and played a little softball this afternoon. It was good not to have to march today.
Monday, August 23
We got our uniforms today. The only size they asked for was what size of shoes we wore. The other clothes were just handed to us off a stack of clothes. The supply sergeant said, “If the clothes don’t fit, trade with someone.” Some of the clothes I got were slightly too large, but I didn’t trade with anyone.
I got two shots today, one for tetanus and one for typhus. I also got a blood test. I am told that we will be done processing in a day or two. I also took out a $10,000 life insurance policy today.
We did some of the usual marching and policing the area today. Graham Scott and I went to a movie tonight.4
Tuesday, August 24
Some processing continues today, and they kept us out much of the day marching and policing the grounds. I worry about Nettie a lot. She writes to me every day and tells me she is OK, but I still worry. Also, I remember that it was one month ago, July 25, 1943, that I received my draft notice. Wow! What a month it has been!
Thursday, August 26
We have finished our processing and are ready to be shipped out. It is raining here today.5 It will help settle the dust, I hope. This is the first rain we have had since I have been here, and the dust on the marching field was one or two inches deep. We did some drilling in the drizzling rain, and later we had to dress for a dress inspection.
Sunday, August 29
My brother Howard and [his wife] Blanche came down today, but Nettie didn’t come with them as it is getting uncomfortable for her to ride very far. I got a pass and went back with them. I had to be back in camp at 9 pm, but it was good to be home for a few hours.
Monday-Wednesday, August 30-September 1
Not much doing here, except our picking up paper and “ducks” in the parking lot and field in front of our barracks. I worked some in the flowers on the lawn. There wasn’t anyone around so we just took our time, sat around, and talked most of the time.
I was on KP Tuesday from 5:30 am to 7:30 pm.6 It was a hard day. And most of the boys in my barrack were shipped out Tuesday. I mailed my civilian clothes home Wednesday.
Next: Training at Fort McClellan >>
Footnotes:
- The letter actually said “you have been selected.” ↩︎
- Inductees with physical limitations were classified as “limited service” and unsuited for combat duty. This included accepted measurements for weight and chest circumference. It would soon be abandoned to increase the size of the army. ↩︎
- Granny Cox was Mary Frances York Cox, widow of Stephen Clark Cox who died in 1938. She still resided on the family farm in 1943. ↩︎
- Graham Scott was from the Ramseur area, and served in the 802 Tank Destroyer Battalion in the European theater. He survived the war. ↩︎
- Weather records for nearby Pope AFB indicate thunderstorms and light rain in the afternoon of August 26, 1943, with more precipitation the next few days. Between June 17 and August 26, there had only been one other period of light drizzle. ↩︎
- “KP,” or Kitchen Patrol, was one of the most dreaded parts of being a new recruit. Every soldier eventually found himself on KP peeling onions and potatoes, and scouring pots and pans. ↩︎
Diary of an Infantryman 