WWII Induction Question

[Helo412]

My father was drafted into the Army in July 1941. He was born, raised, and living/working in Indiana prior to his service, and his local draft board was in Indiana. Yet he transferred to the Los Angeles Local Board for induction. I have his D.S.S. Form 156 which is entitled, "ORDER FOR TRANFERRED MAN TO REPORT FOR INDUCTION." The first sentence reads, " Having heretofore been ordered to report for induction by your own Local Board and having been, upon your own request, transferred to this Local Board for delivery to an induction station, you will report to the Local Board named above at California National Guard Armory, 145 North Raymond Avenue at 7:40 a.m. on the 9th day of July, 1941".

 

I don't understand why he would have requested to be transferred to another Local Board, let alone out of state. Did he know something beforehand that would make the situation more advantageous for himself? Would the transfer allow him some kind of choice, such as which branch of service he would join, or which theater he would likely be fighting in, e.g. Pacific vs. European? After the war he returned to Indiana and was discharged at Camp Atterbury, so I don't think he ever had intentions to live in California.

 

Can anyone help me understand some possible reasons why a person would request a transfer to a different Local Board, and more specifically, why Los Angeles? My dad ended up being assigned to the 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division.

[268th C.A.]

As far as I know, the draft was not in effect at that time, as the US was not in the War until Dec. 7th. When My father enlisted in May of 1940. He was asked where he would like to go to basic training? Fort Belvor or Fort Monroe ? I guess that was the difference between Infantry or Coast Artillary. He chose Monroe. So I guess in a pre war situation, maybe you had some kind of choice. I know he tried to get into the Marines first, they told him he was too skinny to be a Marine? Thank that recruiter! So my thinking is they were trying to fill the ranks of a Regiment in California. My Dad was from Harlan, Kentucky, But the closest recruiter was in Norton, Virginia. Just my opinion.

[atb]

The WW2 draft was instituted on 16 Sep 1940 and actual operation of the draft began on Oct 29th of 1940. Men were drafted for one year.

[patches]

Curious for sure, don't think I ever heard of this, not even if the prospective draftee was planing to relocate at the time he received his Greeting, it would be like, you're drafted, you move after and when you get out. As far as requesting to be sent to Los Angeles?

 

Induction means to be taken in, given physical, fill paper work on you, have paper work filled out on you, sworn in etc etc, this might take a day or more, then after a bit, maybe a day or so, maybe more (Don't think they shipped out that day, affairs to be put in order at home etc etc). Then leave from the place on the government's dime with a group of fellow draftees to where ever basic was given for their particular branch, and by the summer of 1941, with the Army already expanding, that could be a few places now with the newly established Branch Replacement Training Centers.

 

Here's the Branch Replacement Centers that were already up and running by the summer of 1941, a lot more where to follow.

 

https://militaryyearbookproject.com/references/general-references/army-replacement-training-centers-1940-41

 

 

But having said all that, Why LA Calif? Unfortunately I believe this is something only your Father could answer.

[Helo412]

Here's the actual order dated 30 June 1941. He was required to report just a short 9 days later on the 9th of July. If he was in Indiana when he received the order, I would think it would be nearly impossible to get affairs in order and travel to California in time to report on the morning of the 9th. Also, factor into this period the time for the order to reach him, I'm guessing 2-4 days for mail delivery. On the back of his Honorable Discharge document, it states that his address at the time of entry into service was Pasadena, CA. All of this leads me to believe that he was already in California at the time he received the order. So, the mystery of "why" continues.

 

 

 

 

 

[Helo412]

On the evening of induction, my dad wrote a postcard to his girlfriend who he married after the war, my mother. The postcard provides a little insight into the first day for the new soldiers. The postcard was mailed from San Pedro on 10 July. One cent postage. It reads as follows:

 

July 9, 1941, 6PM

Fort MacArthur, San Pedro, California

 

Dear Miss (name omitted),

We are right on the beach. I like it.

Forty-one of us are here in our barracks tonite - All of us lying & wisecracking here on our springs waiting to be requisitioned our bedding - We will be here two days to recuperate from shots and vaccinations that we received at 3 PM today - Food was good - Turkey, dressing, potatoes, gravy, asparagus, cherry pie, and buttermilk for dinner - Tonite we had beef, spaghetti, rolls, jello, cocoa, coleslaw - Induction Center in L.A. a madhouse but interesting - Interview and I.Q today - more details later - Yours, R---

[patches]

"On the back of his Honorable Discharge document, it states that his address at the time of entry into service was Pasadena, CA. All of this leads me to believe that he was already in California at the time he received the order."

 

This now makes sense, having got caught in that pre war draft, he received orders to report for the draft from his local draft board in Indiana, but he wasn't home at the time, with they not knowing it, rather than travel home, he contacts them, probably via telegram and he just was sent at his own request to a draft board where he was staying in LA and the Indiana folks had no problems there and said yes.

 

Why was he there? Maybe looking for work? Hey Maybe Hollywood

[Helo412]

Yeah, maybe Hollywood! LOL