SEMPER FI (Always Faithful) was not for me
After finishing high school in 1942 I knew one of two things would shape my future. I had to go to work in the oilfields or get some type of training that would convince someone to hire me. But, I also realized in the very near future I would volunteer or be drafted into the service. As far as education was concerned I knew I was not going to college. There was no money for college and the effort I put forth in high school proved I was a long way from being able to do college work.
As a hobby I had always been fascinated with radio. Through this hobby I learned the government had a program to teach radio theory through the NYA (National Youth Administration). The course required you to attend classes 6 hours each day and participate in two hours of PT a day, five days a week for three months at a government provided facility. The facility turned out to be an abandoned grade school that the city of Cushing, Oklahoma had given the Federal government. The government made it into a dorm and installed army surplus kitchen facilities. The beds turned out to be cots that had been left over from World War I and taken out of storage. The people preparing the food were NYA students learning how to be cooks. The only saving grace for this disaster was the instructors. They actually new radio theory and did an excellent job of presenting the material.
Information about what was offered by the NYA was very limited at best. I was having second thoughts about enrolling since information about what was offered was poor. I asked several friends to attend the school with me. They all declined and would throw cold water on the idea.
I had to make a choice. Start to NYA school or go to work as a roustabout for the oil company my father worked for. About this time one of my friends said he would enroll with me. As things turned out, he realized more out of the course than I did.
Robert Williams and I had been friends all through high school. I was into sports, football, wrestling and baseball. Robert was into acting in plays and singing in a school chorus. When it came to class work we both did what it took to get by. Neither one us had anyone pressing us to improve the grades we were receiving. It never occurred to us that good grades were achieved by hard work.
Robert and I finished our 3 months and received our diplomas for having finished the course. We managed to survive the accommodations and bad food. As we were preparing to leave one of the instructors said he would recommend us for advanced radio theory if we were interested. It did not take us long to decide we were leaving Cushing. Wherever, we went the accommodations and food would not be as bad as what we had experienced the last thee months.
All of our worldly possessions were stuffed in one duffle bag. So, it didn’t take us long to pack. It was never a question of how we would travel it was always walking to the edge of town and stick out your thumb. There were two reasons for this method of travel. We did not have money for a bus ticket and we could beat the bus to Oklahoma City.
As we walked down Main Street in Oklahoma City it was a typical August day in Oklahoma. The temperature was above 100 degrees in the shade and not a cloud in sight. As usual someone was demonstrating you could fry an egg on the sidewalk. As we walked by the crowd a guy in a spick and span uniform asked us to go inside. Get out of the heat and have a cold drink he said. He looked and acted the part of being a marine’s marine. He had the Marine hymn playing in the office. It was loud enough to make an impression but not so loud it was overpowering. I had never had anyone pay as much attention to what I had been doing and what I was interested in. Robert and I were impressed to the extent that when we walked out of that office we had filled out forms to join the Marine Corps. All we needed was the signature of one of our parents. After completing boot camp we would be marines. It was going to be exciting to be a marine. As we walked away the sergeant in a very loud and impressive voice said when you men get back with those papers signed I will have your train tickets ready for your trip to California and your traveling money. He had already sold us on becoming marines and this only lifted our spirits higher.
It was about five miles to Robert’s house from downtown Oklahoma City. We stuck out our thumb and waited for a ride. We were lucky enough to get a ride almost to his front door. As we walked in the house Robert’s younger brother wanted know what the papers were he had in his hand. Robert told him it was papers mom or dad needed to sign so he could join the marines. About, this time Mrs. Williams walked into the room and before Robert could say anything Oscar said Robert and L. D. plan to join the marines. It was obvious Mrs. Williams thought it was a bad idea. Supper was ready and Robert’s father was going to be late. She insisted we go ahead and eat. As we were finishing the meal a car drove up the drive. Oscar knew who it was and bolted out the door to tell his father. Robert was going to join the marines. As Mr. Williams walked in the house you could see by the expression on his face he would be reluctant to sign any papers that gave Robert permission to join the marines. Robert immediately started pressing him to sign the papers. He told Robert to back off and wait till he had finished his meal and had a chance to talk to his mother. While he was eating Robert and I walked outside to try to access what they would do. We both agreed it would be difficult to get one of them to sign the papers.
Mr. Williams came to the door and asked Robert to come inside. The table had been cleared and we all sat down. Mr. Williams started off by telling Robert they would not sign the papers. But, let me tell you a few things the sergeant did not say today. This war will take years to win. You have evidence what war is like from what has happened to two of your acquaintances. One is buried in the battleship Arizona sitting at the bottom of Pearl Harbor. Another is a prisoner of the Japanese in the Philippines and you know how they are being treated. What you saw today was the good side of the Marines. What you were not told was what it takes to be a Marine and what your job will be after boot camp.
Mr. Williams continued. One purpose of war is to kill people and destroy things. Let me mention a few things you will be doing. You will be up before the sun comes up and will not get back to the barracks until after dark. You will learn how to use a bayonet to kill a person. You will crawl through mud and barb wire with live ammunition being fired a foot above you. You will learn how to take care of a wounded marine or maybe watch a friend die. There is no doubt in my mind that both of you will be in the service before this is over. But, let it be on your terms and based on what is best for you and not on the hype you saw today. After you have taken the time to put some real thought into what you want to do I think we will be able to work something out as long as you won’t be carrying a rifle.
I decided it was time for me to head for home. Robert asked what I planned to do with the papers. If you can’t go I am not going I replied. As I left the yard I tore the papers up and threw them way.
Robert joined the Navy a few week
s later and spent the entire war in Moscow. Moscow, Idaho. As an instructor teaching navy recruits radio theory. I joined the Army Air Force and learned to fly an airplane. One of the assignments was to learn Morse code and how to use a key pad. This was one thing we spent time learning at NYA School. The instructor assigned to teach the class did not know the first thing about Morse code or how to operate a key pad. I wound up teaching the instructor Morse code and how to operate the key pad.
I did not learn until the war was over Mr. that Williams knew what he was talking about. He had been in the infantry in World War I and had spent several months in the trenches in France.
Naturally we will never know what the outcome would have been if we had been allowed to join the Marines. I do know the way things turned out Robert and I never regretted the decision made for us.
- L.D. Todd
