Adolescence
I graduated high school early. We had a four room school with classes held together and I had skipped a couple of grades. I graduated when I was 16, which was too young, and I’m sorry I did. Once out of high school there were no jobs because the Depression was still winding down. However, I did get a job in 1940 or 1941, when they were starting to build up the defense effort before the war. I got a job in an aircraft factory, which was eventually run by Henry Kiser. I worked in the tool and die shop. I had a job that I could have kept out of the service, but they were giving me deferments at only six months at a time, and back then I said I couldn’t live my life six months at a time. I wanted to be in or out, and that was the best that they would do. So in 1942, I said forget it, threw my job aside, and answered the call. I wanted to be in or out, and if my job was important to the war effort and you needed me here to help I will help, but if months from now I would have to go through the whole thing again, no way. So in 1944, I ended up in Fort Riley, Kansas, to enter basic training.
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