On December 8, 1941 I traveled to Little Rock, Arkansas from my home with my Uncle in Griffithville, Arkansas by Trailways bus.  The purpose of this trip was to enlist in the navy and win the war which just started.  When I arrived in North Little Rock, Arkansas, I walked from the station there to the Navy Recruiting station in Little Rock.  I was accustomed to walking where I wanted to go so the distance didn't bother me.

When I arrived at the recruiting station I joined a MOB of others with the same thought in mind and was ushered in to the area for a physical examination.  The doctor, or corpsman, took my temperature and found my temperature was above normal and I was rejected at that time.

Needless to say, I was disappointed and made my way back home.  After about 3 months, I decided to do my part by going to the Civilian Conservation Corps and doing my bit there.  There were several "veterans" of the C. C. C. camps in my circle of acquantences and that seemed to way to go.  I was not aware at that time that the camps were going to be dropped so soon, but looking back on it the countries resources had to be given to other more important purposes.

I want to a forest service camp in Lowell, Idaho and spent my full time there in fighting forest fires and maintaining woodmen's tools in the tool shop.  This was quite a learning experience and even though I learned how to keep 2 man cross cut saws and other like tools in top shape, this experience has never been utilized since then.

The following is the discharge certificate I was issued when they closed the C. C. C. camps in late July, 1942. My brother and I did enlist in the navy in September, 1942 and I got my dream fulfilled of "winning" the war.