JACKSON, Tenn. (AP) - After seeing his uncle’s $21 check from the National Guard, 17-year-old Raymond Osborne wanted to leave his job as a farmer on his family’s farm in Jackson and join the Army National Guard in 1940.
The only problem was, Osborne could not legally join the Guard until he was 18. Instead of waiting, Osborne’s uncle told him he could probably tell them he was 18 and they would let him join.nAnd that’s exactly what happened.
“I lied about my age and went off into the war,” Osborne said.
The United States had not entered World War II at the time, but President Franklin Roosevelt had begun mobilizing five Army divisions in the Mid-South because he knew entering the war was inevitable - and the United States was not prepared, Osborne said.
Osborne went with his Army division to Fort Bennett, Georgia, to begin training for two weeks, and then to Louisiana for another week.
When they returned in July 1940, trains were waiting for them as Osborne’s Army division traveled to Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Training for the war took his division about three years, and living conditions were far from ideal.
“When we got there we were sleeping in tents,” Osborne said. “There were no facilities for us to sleep in, so we were sleeping in tents and then the carpenters came out and built a platform and put the tent on top of it. A little better flooring and a few months later when another group came in - they built 14 barracks (to sleep on).”
The only problem was, Osborne could not legally join the Guard until he was 18. Instead of waiting, Osborne’s uncle told him he could probably tell them he was 18 and they would let him join.nAnd that’s exactly what happened.
“I lied about my age and went off into the war,” Osborne said.
The United States had not entered World War II at the time, but President Franklin Roosevelt had begun mobilizing five Army divisions in the Mid-South because he knew entering the war was inevitable - and the United States was not prepared, Osborne said.
Osborne went with his Army division to Fort Bennett, Georgia, to begin training for two weeks, and then to Louisiana for another week.
When they returned in July 1940, trains were waiting for them as Osborne’s Army division traveled to Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Training for the war took his division about three years, and living conditions were far from ideal.
“When we got there we were sleeping in tents,” Osborne said. “There were no facilities for us to sleep in, so we were sleeping in tents and then the carpenters came out and built a platform and put the tent on top of it. A little better flooring and a few months later when another group came in - they built 14 barracks (to sleep on).”
