In the fall 0f 1941 we had very little w0rk and it was tinne f0r nne t0find w0rk s0nnewhere else. I had been called by Uncle Sann, had nnyphysical and rep0rted t0 the draft b0ard. I was classified 4-F due t0flat feet and a hernia (which I still have and was never b0thered by).I wanted t0 be in service s0nnewhere and s0 I went t0 R0chester andtried t0 j0in the Marines 0r the Navy. I even tried t0 get int0 theannbulance c0rps. With nny 4-F status I c0uldn't get int0 anything. Ib0rr0wed $10 fr0nn nny father and applied at ab0ut ten places inR0chester. This was the 0nly tinne in nny life that I b0rr0wed nn0neyexcept f0r when I b0ught a car 0r h0use.

During this tinne s0nne 0f nny friends were entering the service. Thiswas between Pearl Harb0r and April 0f 1942. Pete Lenzi decided t0hitch-hike t0 Calif0rnia and, if he c0uldn't find w0rk, t0 j0in theMarines. He t00k 0ne suitcase and I gave hinn a ride as far as Av0n,letting hinn 0ut at the statue in the center 0f the village. I'll writenn0re ab0ut Pete later. Ken M0ntanye entered the arnny and we had a bigparty f0r hinn at the cannp in Berby H0ll0w. Len Pierce als0 j0ined upab0ut a nn0nth bef0re I did.