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FROM PERCHERONS TO HOWITZERS - 1943

By: Harry Davis

I was drafted into the Army of the United States in 1943. Having reached the age of eighteen in July, registration was mandatory in our county seat of Lisbon, Ohio. I was most happy to register, I was tired of school. The Army would be an adventure.

At the time of Pearl Harbor I was living with my Aunt Esther and Uncle Howard Hildebrand on a farm south of Lisbon. Granddad Keely, the Hildebrand children - Elinore, Bob, and Francis - plus my brother Roland and I comprised the household. The size of the farm was about 120 acres, on rolling to hilly terrain. It was a self sufficient farm, with a commercial size orchard of apples, plums, and a vineyard of grapes. We sold milk to the local creamery. It provided plenty of work to keep us all busy.

To provide the power we had a team of gray Percherons, who pulled the plow, the mowing machine, the rake and the wagon. Granddad, Uncle Howard and we four boys provided the muscle for the many tasks on a farm. It was a great life, there was a lot of competition amongst us boys to see who could get to the barn, get their chores done, and get back to the house first in the morning.

During the school year, we went to David Anderson High School in Lisbon. The most exciting thing about school was playing ping-pong at lunch time, (there was no cafeteria, everyone carried a bag lunch). We also participated in dismounted drill taught by a veteran of The World War, by the name of Brownie. He was a member of the American Legion. We got to handle the Springfield '03's, that the Legion had. In shop we made wooden rifles that we practiced the manual of arms with. I became very proficient at dismounted drill and the manual of arms. I am sorry to say that the rest of the school work did not appeal to me. This was reflected in my grades. I will say that our teachers were dedicated and very serious about education. One of things that I remember from my Aeronautics class was the coefficient of drag or cd. In my later years the term had more meaning, as it applied to the automobile. In automobile advertisement of the last decade the cd of vehicles is touted.

In any event, I registered for the draft on July 19th, and received my notice some time in the fall of 1943. I went to Cleveland in early November for the physical, and processing. A Navy Yeoman asked me what branch of service I wanted to go into, I said Army and he stamped my papers Army .

We were sworn in and sent home for three weeks to put our affairs in order. You must remember that the draft at this time included all males from eighteen to thirty-eight years old.

The three weeks at home was spent in school, my Aunt and Uncle insisted on this. I did get one day off to visit old friends in East Liverpool, Ohio. This staying in school may have paid off. A High School Diploma was awarded to me at the end of the school year. Which, in reflection, was an entree to higher education. Over time, during and after a career in the U. S. Army. I pursued an undergraduate and a graduate degree in education. Completing the graduate degree at 61.

In looking back over the elementary and high school years, I was not a sterling pupil. Reading came easy in the first grade, so, that was about all I ever wanted to do in school. In High School I always carried two books to class, the novel that I was currently reading and the textbook that I was supposed to be reading. The text book was opened, up on the desk, and the novel was opened in my lap . I was able to keep track of where the class was in the text and read the novel at the same time. It might have been one of Pearl Buck s works on China, or, The Saint, in one of his escapades. I was also reading P.G. Wodehouse at the time.

Two classes in high school that I valued were, Industrial Arts and Typing. Now here was "hands on" education. They have held up well over time. Typing launched my career in the Army, after I reenlisted in May of 1947.

After three weeks at home, the draftees from Columbiana County gathered at the square in Lisbon and boarded a bus for Salem, Ohio. Here we transferred to a train that took us to Fort Hayes in Columbus, Ohio. Paper Doll was the hit tune at that time, and the new recruits were singing it on the bus. Also popular was "I want a girl, just like the girl, that married dear old dad". It was sung a number of times.

We arrived at Fort Hayes about 7 p.m. They fed us a meal in the Consolidated Mess. Outside of the coffee, which was luke warm, it was a good meal. Before I was drafted, I had heard soldiers complain about Army chow. After I had my first meal I wondered what they had been complaining about. In any event, my entry weight was: 116 pounds, 5' 8" , my discharge figures on January 4, 1946, were: 155 pounds, 6' tall.

Fort Hayes was six days of processing which included shots for every disease known to man, aptitude tests, and the issue of uniforms. After getting into our uniforms, a favorite pastime, was to go out and salute officers, either on Post or on the streets of Columbus.

There were not enough beds at the Post for all of the new recruits, so they would have to march a contingent of us down town and put us up in a hotel. There was a dance in the ballroom the night we were down-town, so it was a change of pace from the barracks.

Aunt Esther kept the correspondence I sent her. It is illuminating to quote from this penny post card, dated Sunday morning, December 5, 1943.

"Dear Aunt Esther,
"Did you get my other card? I was out last nite till 1:00 A.M. this morning. I could have stayed out til 5:00 A.M. this morning... They feed you good here. Well it is about time for mess so I will have to quit.

"Your nephew
"Harry"

So - what was I doing - bragging about my new found freedom.

And a quote from another ancient card. This one dated, Dec., 9, 1943.

"Dear Aunt Esther,
"I shipped out of Fort Hayes Mon. noon arrived in Fort Sill about 7:30 Tues. eve. We came in on Pullmans. I am now in the Field Artillery Replacement Training Center. I am having a wonderful time. Well, so long until tomorrow

Pvt H.G.D."

Copywrite: Harry Davis, 1999, used with permission

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Revised: October 6, 2006