I have a question about WWII Training

[tbirdismypride]

I have a hypothetical question that hopefully, someone could answer for me. During the first few months or so AFTER the attack on Pearl Harbor, many, many people were enlisting into the military. Well, Suppose there was a young man from North Carolina that enlisted into the army. This same soldier was sent to Fort Jackson in South Carolina for basic training. After finishing basic training, the soldier finds out he would next be going to Ft. Benning in Ga. Would the soldier, or COULD the soldier be given a day or so to return home for a brief visit before going to Benning to complete training or would he simply go straight to Ft Benning from Ft. Jackson?

 

Thank You in advance!!

[JasonT]

I think it depended on how far the soldier was from home. I believe they often gave weekend passes or leave even during training - at least from what I read from one soldiers memoir who trained at Fort Jackson as part of the early 100th division. In your scenario, I believe the soldier would have been able to hop on a bus or train to visit home for a short time. Some chose not to because travel being what it was back then, by time they got home they had to turn around again. Others may not have had the money for train or bus tickets, or would rather have spent it in the nearby town or city near where their camp was, especially if you weren't married or had children.

[tbirdismypride]

Thanks for the input!!

[patches]

If your using a hypothetical by saying Ft Jackson (Jackson back then was still designated as a camp, Camp Jackson) for Basic then normally by December 7th, draftees or enlistees were given basic training at a branch replacement training center, which was was not based regionally to any great degree. The Infantry having the most posts, so in theory a guy from say Nevada was going into the infantry might be sent to Camp Roberts California or he might be sent as far away as Arkansas at Ft Joseph T. Robinson . The other branches didn't have many scattered around like the Infantry, so a guy from South Carolina who was selected for Cavalry, goes to Ft Riley, Kansas, a guy from Texas selected for Military Police goes to Ft Custer Michigan etc, during the war I believe some non combat branch destined draftees got their basic at what was called Army Service Forces Replacement Centers , among them, Camp Ellis Illinois, Camp Gordon Jackson Florida, before going to a support branch specific replacement training center.

[Armed 2 tha Teeth]

If your using a hypothetical by saying Ft Jackson (Jackson back then was still designated as a camp, Camp Jackson) . . .

 

"In 1922, after the end of the Great War, Camp Jackson was shut down. It was reactivated in 1940 as Fort Jackson for World War II. Expanding the fort became one of the largest construction projects ever undertaken in the Southeast."

 

https://www.thestate.com/news/special-reports/state-125/article60699011.html

[patches]

 

"In 1922, after the end of the Great War, Camp Jackson was shut down. It was reactivated in 1940 as Fort Jackson for World War II. Expanding the fort became one of the largest construction projects ever undertaken in the Southeast."

 

https://www.thestate.com/news/special-reports/state-125/article60699011.html

Right, was thinking about Campbell.