I enlisted in April 1949 and was sent to Lockland AFB, Texas, for 13 weeks' basic training. Our flight #4082 sergeant picked me as acting corporal – why, I never found out. But it kept me out of all K.P. and all guard duty all those weeks. Our Air Force training I thought was easy. How about one night we were to march with full backpack 5 miles and back over to Kelly Field and back probably. But it rained that night and the march was cancelled. We never did do it.
Then, because I didn’t pass the swimming test, we jumped in the pool to swim from deep end to other end. I wish a few others went to swimming lessons for many days, while others did calisthenics on terribly hot days. The pool was cool and I did seem to like the water.
Oh, my worst time was after a year in Chanute AFB, Kan. I would then enlist into mechanic school where I was sent to California, Fairfield Susan AFB in June 1950, which now is Travis AFB. The 1st week they put me on guard duty. Along with a rifle, they put me in front of a B-29 the first night. I saw a jeep come up with a 2nd lieutenant and O.D. on his arm. I never challenged him. WOW! He almost court martialed me! He was so mad, I never remembered having to do guard duty the rest of my four years. One month I did do lots of K.P. while in school only six hours a day, training as a B036 engine mechanic.
All B-36’s were also gone from California bases for factory fabrication. So I ended up an B-29’s all four years, with eight months in Japan and six months in Guam. Hence my loved ones' 85-year-old trip of a lifetime back to Japan Yokuta AFB etc., after over 60 years have passed.