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1007 Regina Avenue |
Roy and Catherine tried to settle into their new lives living with Roy's parents, Joseph and Lillian (Hungler) Kubler following their 17 January 1942 wedding. While Roy's older sister Ethel was married and living elsewhere at the time, his younger sisters Jane and Gloria were still living at home. But a new reality came crashing in on 30 January when Roy received his Notice of Classification from the government. Listed as a Class I-A, he was certified as available and fit for general military service. Things moved quickly after that.
Roy was ordered to report for his physical at 7:00 a.m. on 6 February 1942 at Carson School on Glenway Avenue. Upon passing the test and the physical, he knew it was now only a question of time before he would be ordered to report for duty. He was willing to serve his country, and he elected to go into the U.S. Army Air Forces, the predecessor of the U.S. Air Force. He then awaited orders to proceed to a Reception Center, where he would complete records, be issued individual equipment, be given immunizations for smallpox and typhoid, and then be forwarded to a tactical unit or other installation. In the meantime, he received a Notice of Continuation of Classification.
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Fort Thomas |
Two months into their marriage, Roy received orders to report to nearby Fort Thomas, Kentucky, leaving his new bride behind in the household of her in-laws at 1007 Regina Avenue. Located about 6 miles south of Cincinnati, Fort Thomas was established as a military base in 1890, and was reactivated in 1941 as an Army reception and induction center for WWII. Following a short stay at Fort Thomas, Roy was sent by train to Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis to begin his military training. It was here that he learned how to march, shoot, pitch a tent, make a bed (military-style), offer basic first aid, read a map, and defend himself against chemical attacks. He also learned that he was to become a father!
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the cook |
Beginning as a private with an occupation of Basic Infantry, Roy was promoted after two months to private first class. On September 19, 1942 Captain George Weber, the commanding officer, promoted Roy to corporal. During this time period Roy was a cook at Jefferson Barracks. His mother's cooking instructions paid off for him. With a baby on the way, for extra money he would operate the movie projector at the base on the weekends.
In late September, Roy received a Western Union telegram from his mother notifying him of the birth of his son. LeRoy Charles Kubler was born prematurely on 29 September, weighing just 4 pounds, 4 ounces.
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Western Union telegram |
1 comment:
Wow! This is good stuff!
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