Leigh Freeman was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1950 and was the son of a World War Two veteran. He was drafted in 1969 and trained at Fort Ord, California. When he arrived in Vietnam (April 1970), he was placed in Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th…

John Frens is a World War II veteran who served out of the 792nd Bomb Squadron of the U.S. Army Air Corps from December, 1942 to 1945, and remained in the reserves until 1958. He served in the Army Air Corps as a B-29 navigator. His unit was based…

Tom Friar was born in December of 1948 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Friar attended Basic Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and then AIT at Fort Dix, New Jersey, where he learned to become a truck driver. Friar was then deployed to Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam,…

Robert Fry was born in 1970 and enlisted in the Army shortly after graduating high school in 1988. He spent his time training in Kentucky and enjoyed boot camp. Robert earned many medals and ribbons during his time serving in Germany and in the…

Rex Funnell was born in Whitehall, Michigan and was drafted into the Army during World War II. He was trained initially to work with mules for mountain pack hauling, but his unit's function was changed so they didn't end up working with mules in…

Joseph Gabrosek Jr.was born in 1924 in Barberton, Ohio. He grew up there and graduated from high school there. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in December 1942 and went through the multiple stages of flight training at different bases, and finished…

Fred Gallert was born in Winnipeg, Canada on July 17, 1921. When he was two years old his family moved to Saint Joseph, Michigan and he grew up there. After the U.S. was dragged into WWII in 1941 he was drafted into the Army in June 1942 and received…

Leonard Galloway was born on August 3, 1925 in Huron, South Dakota. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps when he was 17 years old because he did not want to be drafted and because he had always wanted to fly. Leonard went through basic training in…

Rosadell Galmish Wolf, wife of 2nd Lieutenant Elvin Jay Galmish, tells the story of her husband during World War II from her perspective. Elvin Jay Galmish enlisted in the Army Air Corps at the age of 21 and trained to be a pilot. His wife traveled…

George B. Gane is a WW II veteran who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps with the 92nd Bomber Wing from 1944 to 1945. In this account he discusses his pre-enlistment years, enlistment and training in the U.S., and bombing missions in Europe.

Fred Garcia was born in 1948 and served in the Army during the Vietnam War. Fred was drafted into the Army in 1968, and was trained as an infantryman. He spent his time on active duty as a desk clerk, training troops, and in the Demilitarized Zones…

Lawrence Gardner was born in Illinois near the Mississippi River and enlisted in the Marine Corps during WWII. He was pulled out of basic training to take courses in aerial photography. He served in the Pacific and helped to plan the invasions of…

Dudley Hoare Garland served as an artillery officer in the Ninth Infantry Division during World War II. Assigned to Battery A, 26th Field Artillery Regiment, which normally supported the 39th Infantry Regiment, Garland eventually became its…

Curly Garner enlisted in the Coast Guard shortly after graduating from high school. He trained on Government Island in California and was sent to the Aleutian Islands during WWII. Their job was to try and rescue pilots that went down near the top…

Gerald Garner was born in West Branch, Michigan, on May 25, 1927. During the Great Depression, his family's jewelry shop was diversified as his father agreed to share the space with an energy company so he could pay the rent. Garner signed onto a…

Donald Gary is a Korean War era veteran who served with the U.S. Air Force from December 1950 to December 1954. In this account, Gary discusses his pre-enlistment, enlistment and basic training. He worked in the accounting department and kept Air…

Lawrence M. Gary is a WW II Veteran who served in the United States Army in both the European and Pacific Theaters. He was assigned to F Co 341st Infantry Regiment (86th "Blackhawk" Div.), spending the majority of his military service time in the…

Raymond Gautreau was born on January 12, 1948 in Whitinsville, Massachusetts, and graduated high school in New Hampshire in 1965. Since his family lacked empathy, Gautreau decided to join the Marine Corps after high school despite news about the war…

John Gellert was born on October 20, 1988, in Würzburg, Germany, into a military family which constantly moved around. Gellert graduated high school in Virginia in 2006 and attended some college before deciding he wanted a more challenging career. He…

Jerome Gennrich was born in 1923 in Detroit, Michigan. Prior to serving in the Army he worked for Chrysler at the Jefferson Plant. He was drafted in early 1942 and trained at Camp Kearns outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. Later that year he was sent…

Alfred George was born in Muskegon Heights, Michigan, on August 9, 1925 and moved to Grand Rapids in 1954. After graduating high school, George briefly attended Michigan State University before being drafted into the Navy. George was then sent to…

William Gerber was born in 1921 in Menominee, Michigan. He grew up there and attended high school there until he graduated in 1939. In the summer of 1938 he trained with the U.S. Citizens Training Corps in Fort Brady, Michigan for four weeks which…

Gaetan Gerville-Reache was born on October 8, 1976 and served in the United States Navy from 1998-2002. He was deployed to the Persian Gulf as a part of Operation Southern Watch and served as the main propulsion officer on the USS Benfold. The…

Byron Gibbs was born in Clare, Michigan on December 7, 1916. He graduated from college in 1938 and was drafted into the Army in 1941. Byron trained in Louisiana with Company C of the 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd (Red Arrow) Division, and was sent…