Papa to Magdy (via Oma) January 3, 2003:

Darling Magdy ,

I am happy to be of some use to you and will answer your questions in

the same numerical sequence.

1. Army of the USA.

2. I spent a total of 26 years in various types     of military

service which I had voluntarily             selected.

Initially I joined the Army  under provisions of the draft law in 1940.

All male        individuals living in the USA had to register

as potential draftees, were assigned a number and called up for Army

service through a lottery. The other military services did not take

draftees, only volunteers who had to enlist for acertain length of time.

3. I entered the Army on February 25, 1941 and was discharged on January

15,1945. However

I remained in the Reserve  until  June 1951 when  I was  put on active

duty as a physician.

4.  I served as an enlisted man from Feb.'41

to  March '45. as an officer (2nd Lt.) from March'45 to  June '51

(largely in the Reserve), then from July '51 to Sept.'65 as a medical

officer rising to the rank of Lt.Col.

5. I was 26 years old  when I entered the Army.

6. I had to be in the Armed Forces - but it was also my wish, knowing

what the Nazis in Germany had done..I was convinced that 

only a military defeat could  save Europe from

their horrors.

7. essentially covered in 6.

8. I had Basic Training in AntiAircraft Artillery and  as Telephone

lineman, then I was transferred to the  Medical  Department as a

surgical technician . Later I attended  X-ray  

school. Eventually I was sent to Cornell U. (Ithaca,NY.) for  Milittary

Government training and from thereI was shipped to Manchester,

England,where the Military Gov.Division was formed. I was assigned to a

small detachment  which was to lend support to a Division. I had

various jobs in the detachment. My rank was initially Staff Sergeant,

later I was given a battle field promotion to 2nd Lt.

10. I was stationed in various places,such as Ft.Eustis,Va., Pensacola,

Fl., Ithaca,N.Y. , Manchester,England and various places in Belgium.

>From Belgium I went to Germany and was stationed in Altenkirchen

(Rhineland) and Heidelberg.

Papa to Magdy (via Oma) January 6, 2003:

OK, Let's continue:

First a correction: Re 3)  : I was discharged January 1946 (not '45);

Re 10: sorry, I forgot to mention Berlin , where I served with the

four-power government the last months before my discharge.

11. Oma talked to you  on the phone about all the various uniforms that

were in use at the time; summer uniforms (khaki), not in use in Europe

where I was; winter (Class A = dress) uniforms in olive drab wool; also

just pants and heavy wool shirts;  fatigues; overcoats, really too many

to remember. And all somewhat different for enlisted men and officers.

12. I received several promotions: from private to technician 5th grade

(T5), then to technician 4th grade (T4),; from there to Staff sergeant.

After that I got my commission as 2nd lieutenant inthe field (Medical

Administrative Corps). And then there were awards for things like good

conduct, service before Pearl Harbor, Invasion, Northern France etc.

13) My first stint was during all of WWII; after I went back on active

service wars happened, but I was not involved in them; I was stationed

at hospitals, including Bad Cannstatt, near  Stuttgart, Germany; my last

assignment was Walter Reed General Hospital in Washington, DC.

14. Conditions varied enormously from one place to another, from tents

to residential private homes, food was served in mess halls, sometimes

better sometimes worse.  (This also answers #2 on your second request)

1. Commanding officers: also varied. over the periods, Spitler was one

of them (he was a captain). In Berlin it was a general (Stayer)

 2. See above. Also K rations (individual emergency rations,) and C

rations (cans for several people) in the field.

3. I still have my ribbons and patches, insignia, buttons, and some

records and diplomas.

4. Hundreds of people, some became friends, none of them are alive any

more. (We still have friends from my later army years) And of course: my

future wife!!!

5.  I had not been together with my family for years anyway. As a matter

of fact, my parents crossed the Atlantic from England on their way to

New York at the same time as I was transferred to England.

6. Communication with my family was all by mail.

7. This question is covered under awards, #12 above. (Last rank at

retirement after 26 years was Lt.Colonel)