Beneath the Wings of Every Flyboy
John E. Harper, Sr. died on September 15, 2005. In the years prior to his death he became interested in researching his immediate ancestors, looking for answers to questions they left behind when they died or disappeared. Determined not to leave the same legacy for his progeny, he sat down and began to write his own story, including his reasons for enlisting in the armed forces at the beginning of WWII. This is the story of one man, as he best remembers it; it is also a story of an entire generation of men and women who, although they were never celebrated as heroes, provided the support and the power for those who were. No hero would ever have left the ground without the dozens of support personnel who lifted his wings.
John's Story:
a WWII personal memoir
S/Sgt. John E Harper
1941-1942
USA-ENGLAND
On Sunday, December 7th of 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. Sitting in my brother’s living room listening to the radio, I knew without question that I would be enlisting ASAP. Harold Brown was at the time my best friend, and after talking to him we both decided to enlist in the Army Air Force. That decision was what probably got us both through the war alive. We enlisted on December 12th in Syracuse, N.Y. My basic training started at Fort Niagara, N.Y. Inoculations began the day after we arrived. Ouch! Our training consisted of marching, exercising, policing up the grounds—picking up cig. butts—shoveling coal, cleaning the barracks, taking a few aptitude tests, doing a little KP and so went the war for six weeks. We were issued uniforms, mess gear, carbines (with no ammunition), overcoats, and footwear. I was then assigned to The Air Corps Technical School at Sheppard Field, Texas. They expected to make airplane mechanics out of us in four months time. Well, it took them five and a half because I spent six weeks in the hospital with scarlet fever. No antibiotics in those days you know. At the end of a week to ten days we were deemed well enough to care for the new arrivals. Check their blood pressure, take their temperature, and distribute food trays and so forth. There were over 600 cases before it was all over. At the end of June we were to leave the only place in the world where you can stand in mud up to your ass and have the wind blow sand in your eyes. Aircraft maintenance school was well set up and I enjoyed it.
