1.   MILITARY INVOLVEMENT

WILLIAM F. BOPP
57 WEST GRADWELL AVENUE
MAPLE SHADE, NJ 08052
July 1990

Subject: This is a personal account of my experiences and involvement during the period of World War II. I will also include some background information for the period preceding and following the war.

FAMILY BACKGROUND

I was born into a family in Philadelphia (May 16, 1918), of which I was the younger of two sons. We were of the 'Blue Collar' working class, but we were of rich American Heritage. My dad, who endured a small lifetime physical handicap, made it a point to instill a strong patriotic spirit within my brother and I, and I am quick to add that he was very successful in his effort. Perhaps this was because he was descended from many generations within his family tree who were active participants in just about every major conflict in which our great country was involved, even back to, and including the American Revolution.

As the formative years passed, and the trials and tribulations of the Depression had long been endured, our hopes were raised with the election of our new leader, Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt. Within a short time, our Nation appeared well on its road to prosperity, but there was one dark cloud that was making its appearance; it was the story of what was taking place in Europe. Not much was spoken about it openly, but within the hearts of all Americans, there was a somber spirit as we considered the consequences, globally speaking. History books tell us quite plainly of the things that soon took place as a direct result of the massive rebuilding of the German military machine that was to reach out with its destructive tenacious forces.

The handwriting on the wall was becoming more clearly with each passing day, and a program of military conscription was about to be put into effect. I had recently become engaged to my prospective wife, and I wisely set an earlier date for our marriage than had been originally planned. We were married August 30, 1940, and three months later, those who were not married found themselves conscripted. I really felt relieved at the time since I saw no reason for our country to become a part of an active war in Europe. Nonetheless, American Defense Industries began to make their appearance, and in a sense, this all helped us to shed completely, our cloak of the Depression.

MILITARY INVOLVEMENT

I started on a new job with the P.T.C. (Philadelphia Transportation Company) on the date of Nov. 12, 1941, as a trolley car operator. In those days, the majority of the large city populations were very dependent on public transportation, so with the sudden advent of a tremendous growth of the defense industry, public transportation was about to play a major role. I now had a good steady job at .65 cents an hour, and I was glad to be a part of helping in the effort to supply wartime material to the people of Europe . . . .of course I was giving absolutely no thought of what was about to happen 25 days after I started on my new job. It was a beautifully quiet Sunday morning when my trolley car pulled into the intersection of Front St. & Girard Ave. on December 7, 1941, and a gentleman came running up to my motorman and I, and loudly proclaimed that Pearl Harbor had just been attacked by the Japanese!!!

The news of this unprovoked attack by the Japanese spread like wildfire throughout our Nation, and the 'Fireside Chat' that evening on the radio by our beloved President had a very special meaning to all of us. I fully believe that every single radio in the entire country was tuned in to what our President was about to tell us, and who can ever forget those most eloquent words of his..." and for all of us Americans, this day will go down in Infamy." He reminded all of us that we were faced with a future of great sacrifice and hard work, and at the same time, he assured us that victory would ultimately be ours.

Monday, Dec. 8^th found many of our men missing from our Trolley Depot. They had gone downtown to the various recruiting centers - Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. Our Depot Superintendent was concerned that he wouldn't have enough men to man the trolley runs. Personally, I waited a couple of days in order to give the matter some further thought, then I tried to enlist first in the Navy branch of the service, but they refused me on two counts; I was too light in weight (128 lbs.) and I wore glasses. The Coast Guard, my second choice, turned me down for the same reasons. I was then resolved to be drafted into the service at some later date, taking my chances of being taken either by the Army or the Navy.

Job classifications became a reality now, being rated as to your job's importance to the national defense program. My transportation job was in the mediocre category, and my 3-B classification put me into a precarious position. I am now married three years, no children, and now wondering if I should think of impregnating my wife while hoping at the same time that my number will not surface. My wife, a twin herself, was also found to be expecting twin babies during a five months check-up. She was due at about Christmastime 1943, but because of an emergency, was taken into the hospital the second week of November.

The twins were born prematurely on Nov. 17^th, and I was called for my army examination on Nov. 22^nd. I passed the test and was sworn into the U. S. Army just five days after the birth of the twins. My wife was unaware that I had been called, because she was in very serious condition in the Hahnemann Hospital in Phila. and the doctor advised me very strongly to hold off telling her for a couple of days. An appeal for more time was sent to Baltimore, so that I could get my wife out of the hospital, and with her parents in New Jersey where we had recently set up our residence because of her pregnancy. I was given ten extra days, and this did allow me time to get her to her parent's home plus both of the children. I then experienced the sadness of leaving my family a couple of days after Christmas (12/27/43).

A CHANGE OF UNIFORM

I reported back to the U. S. Armory in Philadelphia at 32^nd St. and Market St., from which point we took the Pennsylvania Railroad Army Train to New Cumberland, Penna. You see, I was actually drafted out of Phil., because I had been registered with Local Board #53 at 22^nd St. and Hunting Park Ave., near to where we had lived in an apartment for the first three years of our married life. The available manpower in that particular neighborhood wasn't exactly abundant, so it was just a matter of a few days when after they placed me in the 1-A classification that I was called.

I wish to make it plain, that at this point in my life, I was certainly not bitter in any way. Many people thought I was a hardship case that should be excused from the service, but I did not make any such appeals, and I was ready and willing to make the best of a tough situation. Yes, it was a very difficult time for my wife and I, but on the other hand, I was glad to accept the challenge of being one of the new generation to serve his country may sound corny, but true nonetheless.

New Cumberland was a Reception Center for all Penna. Army Inductees, and it was here that we received our initial indoctrination of the countless things that would be happening during our time in the service. We received our full allotment of clothing, which strangely enough seemed to fit me quite well. I was also introduced to the humiliation of a 'short arm inspection', shots in the arm, and the humbling experience of picking up cigarette butts around the area. The very young, snot-nosed Corporal didn't seem to consider the dignity of this old 26 year old father of twins, when he shouted at our detail group 'Pick 'em all up, and I don't want to see anything but ass-holes and elbows!'

Oh well, at least the food was good here, and in another few days after we had taken the "I.Q." Aptitude Test, we'd be shipped out to the various Camps around the country that were deemed appropriate for our individual abilities. I was a bit concerned with the Aptitude Test since I was a high school dropout, but I followed the advice of the one giving the test. He said, "do not spend too much time on any one question, and try to answer the ones you know quickly, then you can return to the ones that were problematic." At the time of the results, I really did not pay too much attention to my mark, but that will come up later.

A group of us were put on a Pullman Train, but we were not told where we would be going. There were stories circulating throughout our group of cars which made me realize I was now hearing my first army rumors. Our group was made up of married men and young men who had just about graduated from high school; there seemed to be no in-between ages. One of the young fellows was a Bill N.M.I. (No middle initial) Care explanation: We had been told that during morning roll call, you yelled your name as William F. Bopp; however, in Carew's case, he had to say: William no middle initial Carew (all of it if you please). Bill was from Easton, Penna and his rumor turned out to be authentic as to our destination. He said we were headed for Fort Riley, Kansas, and he was correct.

We arrived at Fort Riley the next afternoon and we received a fine supper, which included a very fine home (camp) baked pie for dessert. I was assigned to Troop E of the First Training Regiment, Barracks #2074. T/St Mike Kaelin was the Platoon Sgt., and Sgt. Jack Jones was our training Sergeant. Kaelin was from Kansas and Jones was from Philadelphia. Fort Riley was basically a Horse Cavalry Army Camp, so you were part of a Troop as opposed to a Company in the Infantry; Regiments as opposed to Battalions.

Our group was a Special Training group, and our particular barracks was broken into the following training segments. Messengers, who would be trained to ride motorcycles over very rough terrain and there was a small class of those who would learn to blow a bugle. I should have gone into this class explanation later. There was a class of men to be trained in demolitions and high explosions. Many men in this group were coal miners from West Virginia. The larger group, of which I was a member, was to be trained as Armorers.

Fort Riley was an elite camp, and during the time I was there, I learned there were many popular people from Sports, Hollywood, the music world, etc. Mickey Rooney was stationed there then, along with Joe Louis, Oleg Cassini and his actress wife Jean Tierney and a host of others. The country's foremost horsemen (Bostwick, etc.) had their own horses in the stables, all being cared for by the army personnel and the taxpayer's expense. However, I believe this Fort, being one of the oldest in the country, is probably still the best preserved and maintained. I was glad to have received my basic training here.

To combat homesickness, I became a prolific letter writer during my free time, and I made it a point to keep as busy as possible; Sgt. Jones was a big help in keeping me busy. But first, let me assure you that physically speaking, I was in very poor shape. My first attempt to circumvent the camp area by double-timing (trotting) came close to ending with a heart attack. However, each new day, with a renewed effort, found me improving, and with many hours of calisthenics, plus exceptionally good food, I soon was able to run a continuous five miles, and at the same time, my once weight of 129 lbs. became a robust 160 lbs.

Armorer School was a strange place for me since I had never owned nor fired anything other than a B.B. Gun. I really hadn't had any serious interest in guns in my civilian life. Now, I was being trained to be an expert in the complete functioning, repairing and detail stripping of each and every small arms used in our ground forces. These included the 45 Colt Semi-automatic pistol, the 30 Caliber Carbine Rifle, the 30 Caliber M1Garand Rifle, WW I Enfield Rifle, 30 Cal. Air Cooled /Water Cooled Machine Guns, 50 Cal. Machine Gun and the 37 mm. Small Cannon. I learned to memorize the complete cycle of functioning of each weapon from the time the trigger was pressed until the missile was fired. I surprised myself in learning all of this, and upon my graduation from the school, I was the first to receive a 'superior grade' along with my buddy Bill Carew. I'd like to mention that the Armorer School at Fort Riley was rated as the best in the country, and this included Fort Knox. We had very large working models showing the cycle of functioning of each weapon's trigger mechanism. These were the results of great detailing, and workmanship of one of General Motors very fine designing engineers; he had Tech/Sgt. rating.

Every army camp usually subjects its recruits to either Guard Duty detail or to K.P. (Kitchen Police). At Fort Riley, I was subjected to a third detail Stable Duty! Fort Riley had 1700 head of horses at the time of my residency, and I think I must have shoveled manure for at least 16892 of them. In the early morning, they were released from their stalls into their assigned corrals, at which time I shoveled the night's gatherings into the central walkway of the large stable. There were about 30 stalls on each side of the central walkway of the large stable.

After the entire stable was cleaned of its gatherings, the stalls were hosed down, then inspected for splintered boards on the walls of each stable. If a single splintered board was found, the entire wall of that particular stable was completely replaced with a new one. Fresh straw was put into the cleaned stalls, after which the horses were returned to their stalls for a feeding and given much water. This was a very tiring detail, and to say nothing of how you smelled for the next couple of days. No amount of washing, shampooing and cleaning of boots would rid you of the sweet aroma of H..S..t. There was no point in going to a U.S.O. Dance for the next few nights as the hostesses were well aware of what you had been doing for a detail. You might get the first dance in if you were lucky, but you'd never get the second dance. Come to think of it, we could have made very good use of a spray deodorant in those days.

Graduation from Basic Training followed a two weeks Bivouac Camp during which it poured rain each and every day. We were now being assigned to a Line Outfit, and this is where our group separated. Numerous Army Divisions around the country would receive a handful of the men who had just completed their basic training, so I was very anxious to learn where I would have to report after the completion of first furlough. Word finally came that I would be going to South Camp Polk, Louisiana, where I would become a member of the 8^th Armored Division.

FURLOUGH

First, I must mention that I was at Fort Riley for 13 weeks of basic training, and during that time, I was privileged to have my wife make a trip out to see me. Her parents were able to manage the children during her week of visiting, and it gave her a well-deserved rest despite the long train ride she endured. I hadn't seen my son and daughter for these many months, so my feelings of anticipation were running quite high. The train trip back home went okay, but I had wishes that the speed of the train could have been increased. The furlough went by much too swiftly, and I was again faced with a sad farewell, and with the certainty of an unknown future. I was to report at Camp Polk on June 1, 1944.