Narrative:

Enclosed are all the copies of the paperwork I have regarding my time in service, May 25, 1953 to May 5, 1955.  I was discharged from the Reserves in 1961.   Am also enclosing copies of pictures taken while I was on active duty. 

I was drafted and took my oath in Chicago and then with the rest of my group, we took a train ride up to Fort Sheridan, just north of Chicago.  I spent a month up there while they accumulated enough men for a training company on an eight week training cycle.  None of us were intended for combat training.

When we had enough, we took the train down to Kentucky and Camp Breckinridge.  We were told the camp would be shutting down soon.  They had us march on a black-top parade field while waiting to being the training cycle.  At the time, I was a chubby 240-pounder.  Marching on black-top in July down in Breckinridge caused me to get heat stroke.  After a short stay in the hospital, I was returned to active duty with the proviso that if, at any time, I felt dizzy I was to advise whoever was in charge and drop out.  I found out later that they had at least one recruit die during Basic the year before and they didn’t want any more such incidents.  This saved my butt and allowed to finish my training on time.

We were one of the last training units and had the pleasure of tearing down the barracks of a training unit ahead of us.  We pulled the stoves to make hot water and barracks heating out.  A week later we had to do that to our own barrack five days before we graduated.  This meant cold showers for five days.

After graduation I went home on leave and then off to my first station, Arlington Hall Station, VA, home of the Army Security Agency.  Before WWII it had been the site of a girl’s school.  When I got there, they had a double barbed wire fence system around, armed MP’s and photo I.D.’s.  They wanted me to get Top Secret clearance and I told them NO WAY.  I explained that most of my mother’s family were in the Russian Occupied portion of Austria.  This led to my assignment in the company supply room.  As a result of a phone call to my mother concerning my lack of work within my field.  I already had my BSEE from IIT, Class of June 1951.  She mentioned this to a customer of my family’s grocery store.  The customer called our representative, Tom O’Brien from Illinois 6^th district.  His office called the Pentagon, and they in turn, called my company’s orderly room.  The 1^st Sgt asked who I knew at the Pentagon, and I told him, “No one.”  Shortly, thereafter, I was transferred to Fort Benning, GA. 

Arriving at Fort Benning, I was assigned to Co F, Infantry School detachment.  Co. F included people who worked Post Headquarters.  I went to the Combat Development Office.  Right across the hall was the Post Personnel Office, also staffed by the people of Co. F, my roommates.  As you can see, the office was top heavy in brass.  But they were all nice guys.  All were veterans of WWII and several had served in Korea.  I heard some real interesting stories.

Co F was housed in a quadrangle complex with three four-story buildings and a headquarters building.  The first floor housed offices, a barbershop, a dry cleaners and I believe, a PX.  The only similar complex is Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.  I came as PVT-E1 and left a PFC.  Because Fort Benning had a jump school for airborne troops, we had three 250’ jump towers across the street from us.  These were free fall towers 250’ high.  They would haul them up with the parachutes opened and the drop them into free fall.  They had a number of guys injured while hitting the ground wrong.  This is why Fort Benning had an outstanding orthopedic group at the base hospital.  I was worried about my feet when a guy in our company who had washed out of jump school suggested I go on sick call.  I did and their first solution was for me to go to therapy several times a week.  After a few sessions, I informed a nurse that it wasn’t going to work because I had pes cavus (abnormally high arches).  She sent me to an orthopedic doctor who issued a light duty slip and the comment about why was I even drafted.  My company 1^st Sgt was a real bastard and said it didn’t count KP or guard duty.  I went to sick call, had it changed again, he still didn’t like it, so back I went.  This time the doctor wrote out “No KP or Guard Duty.”  My sgt. wasn’t happy.  While I liked the people I worked with, I wasn’t working as an electrical engineer.  I did work with a major to develop an airborne battalion of infantry.  I created a table of Organization and Equipment (TOE) with the unit broken down into companies, platoons and squads.  I even came up with new weapons for them.  Later I took a small tank body and created multiple uses for it; 1.) armored personnel carrier, 2.) a mobile mortar unit, 3.) a rocket launcher, 4.) a light duty ONSTOS with only two 106mm recoilless guns.  These were redrawn by a good artist and sent to Washington.  I finally asked about transferring out.  The officers and staff helped draft a letter to the IG and told me to send one copy directly to the IG in Washington.  It worked and I was reassigned to Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD.  Before I left, I had a date with one of the secretaries in the office, Miss Dotty Dosset.  I had started clearing post but my date was on the Friday I was going to ship out.  I went to my officers and had it delayed the following Monday.  While on my date, Dot told me the officers held a meeting to find out if any of them knew someone at Aberdeen.  A Lt. Col. did, and he wrote the letter of introduction to the head of the group.  I was assigned to the 9301 TU (ORD), Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD.

When I showed up Monday morning, I found out all my papers of transfer were gone.  A guy had shipped to Korea on Sunday and they had wrapped my papers with his. My 1^st sgt. was so mad, he filled out new papers and signed off on them himself.  He wanted me gone.  He even had a sgt. going off duty drive me to the airport to be sure I left.

After a leave back home with my family, I drove my car to Aberdeen Proving Grounds.  I got off the Pennsylvania turnpike too soon and drove through the back roads of West Virginia before again reaching civilization.  At Aberdeen, I was temporarily assigned to a casual company.  I immediately went on sick call to verify my light duty slip.  The sgt. assured me it was valid everywhere.  The next day the casual company sgt. put me on KP.  I didn’t argue.  I went on KP at the officer mess and asked to see the person in charge.  I showed him my light duty slip.  He asked if I could help out until I was relieved.  I said sure and poured coffee until my relief showed up.  I went back to the casual company and when I walked, the sgt.  said “Send him on sick call.” I say the same sgt. I had seen the first time when I told him what had happened, he went and told a doctor (Major) what the casual co. sgt. had done.  I was called into his office and questioned.  The major had the sgt. call the casual co.  The major reamed the casual co. sgt. royally.  About all he had time to say was “Yes Sir” and “No Sir.”  I went back to the Co. and the sgt. didn’t say a word.  The next day he asked me to be night barracks NCO and make sure the KPs were up on time.  I said sure, even though I was a PFC. I got the boys to bed and lights out and the KPs up in the morning, and when the sgt. came in, I went to bed.  Next thing I knew there was a battalion inspection.  The officer came through and I pretended to be asleep.  When the officer saw me in my bunk, the sgt. explained I had pulled night watch.  Fortunately, my locker was closed and the officer didn’t see I was only a PFC.  Next day I was officially part of the 9301.  Awhile later, a sgt. told me that I was lucky.  He said he had seen my form 20 and that it had the initial PI in the upper right hand corner.  When I asked what that meant, he said “Political Influence.”  That call from Congressman Tom O’Brien’s office. 

My company was loaded with college graduates.  Electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, chemical engineers, etc.  In fact, on the barracks sgt. and two SFC were the only ones without a degree.  It was almost like a frat house.  We had homemade HiFi on each floor, technical manuals in our locker and a library in the NCO quarters.  I was assigned to a unit dealing with the T38 sky sweeper.  It was the first attempt to mount a radar unit with computer on an anti-aircraft gun. At first I was given jobs, like reattaching two cable connections to their cables.  There were 128 wires to be reattached to their corresponding connection.  Two connections were required because, in 1954, there weren’t any connectors capable of over 64 connections.  We used an ONCO’s vehicle parked inside to tie the cable by color code and then match it up to the pin connection on the right connection plus a supervisor.  It took a week to finish it.  The cable was used to test electronics in a cold building (below freezing).  Later I was promoted to corporal and put in charge of a program called Octopus.  The Sky Sweeper was built by two different companies and over a period of time, eight modifications had been at various times.  Our job was to put all eight modifications into one unit.  I had four G.I. (all with degrees) and six civilian engineers and techs under me.  I was discharged before the project was over.

My off post life was more interesting.  Our group found out about the strip joints on East Baltimore Street and a seaman’s bar down by the waterfront.  We also found a group of entertainers who produced stage shows in a barn.  We would go the shows as a group and would buy the cheap seats in the balcony.  During a farce called “The Face on the Barn Floor”, they moved us downstairs so we could make noise.  One time after a show, we went to a bar and 10 of us walked into the place.  It was a local bar and we were strangers and obviously, G.I.’s.  They were very leery of us until we started requesting college fight songs.

At the waterfront bar, I met a ship’s cook from Lancaster, England.  We talked for two hours and I learned more about English country life than ever could from a book.

East Baltimore Street and North Charles Street were the nightlife for G.I.’s at the time.  They had strippers, dancers and ladies of the night.  New Year’s Eve 1954 I was invited to stay after closing for a private party of the entertainers.   Unfortunately, I had pulled charge of the quarters that night and had to be back on base by midnight.  When I got back to the post, the sgt. I was working with told me he would have covered for me!  While at Aberdeen I got in touch with a distant cousin from California, who was also stationed in D.C.  I drove down and he and his buddy took me to meet some young ladies.  We went out to a beach, had dinner and took them home.  During our travels I found out the young ladies were daughters of senior officers.  Thank God we were gentlemen.

About a month before I was getting for an early (19 days) discharge, I was ordered to come before a promotion board.  I was up for Sgt. E5.  I came into the building where the board met and there were two groups.  One was the RA guys coaching one another and the other were the draftees who were talking about how soon they were getting out.  I passed the board and a SFC told me I was out of uniform, so I went to post supply and got my sgt.’s stripes.  For some reason, they eliminated the three stripes for E-5 and were issuing three stripes and a rocker.  While processing for discharge, I was informed that because my feet and eyesight, I never should have been drafted.  Thank You Very Much!!

I saved my stripes on my shirt and fatigue jackets but not my field jacket.  When my buddies came back for lunch, they were kidding me about my promotion.  We went to the mess hall and I had my field jacket on.  When we were going through the line, a mess cook saw where I had cut off my cpl. Stripes.  He asked if I had been busted.  Before I could answer, my three buddies said, “Yeah, he got busted.”  They then had to take off my field jacket and show him my sgt. stripes.  I was embarrassed.  10 days later, I was discharged from the Army.  I had earned a Good Conduct Medal, and an American Service Medal (which I never got).  I served for one year, 11 months and 11 days, and most of the time, I had a very good time.  I met some fantastic people and saw some great things.  They used to test fire the 280mm atomic cannons about 200 yards from our station.  They were loud.  I lived through a tornado down in Fort Benning and a hurricane at Aberdeen.  All in all, I enjoyed my time in the Army.

Tom Karones

Documents and photos:

Page 3: CHICAGO ARMED FORCES EXAMINING INDUCTION & RECRUITING MAIN STATION

Pages 4 and 5: HEADQUARTERS 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION AND CAMP BRECKINRIDGE

Page 6: 5-8

Karones, Thomas J.

Page 8: COMPANY F, INFANTRY SCHOOL DETACHMENT, FORT BENNING, GEORGIA

Page 9: ISD, SECOND FLOOR II SECTION

Dwaine F. Montzel, Ovalee Barefoot, Walter Schenk, Sam Starks, George Mychajluk, Jim Steel, Stan Kolo, Lyle Schmidt, Loring Eutemey, Tom Karones, Bill Butler, Bob Valandingham, Dave Currier, Lou Gordes, Hardesty, Wallace, Jack Ochi, Jim Ochi, Luis, Rippen, John O’Reilly, Dick Lubey, Dan Overly, Vic Shroyer, Stephens, Carl Seamon, O’Connor, Jud Hetrick, Melendez, Tieado, Rodrigerz, Harry Milligan, Tom Weiland, Jim Adams, Bill Burke, Fred Bennett, Al Fess, Bakley, Vincent Frasca, Clem Zawodniak, Dan Davis, John Walby, Sheeley, Perez, Leon, Shaver, Willie Beaver, Edsel Yost, Ron Jurasek, Frank Norwick, Fred Feaver, Larry Graves, Phil Juopperi, Figueroa, Rosado, Rillan, Goodling, Tuifoil

Page 10: U.S. ARMY HOSPITAL FORT BENNING, GEORGIA

Thomas Karones, Capt. Henry D. Mitman, Capt. M.C. Waugh, 1st Lt. J.W. Williamson

Page 11: HEADQUARTERS 101ST ARIBORNE DIVISION CAMP BRECKINRIDGE, KENTUCKY

Capt. V.T. Hoke

Page 12: DRIVER QUALIFICATION RECORD

Karones, Thomas J.

Page 13: HEADQUARTERS ARLINGTON HILL STATION ARLINGTON VIRGINIA

Thomas J. Karones, Allen G. Pope, Murray F. Smith, CWO Leland D. Bahr, Capt. Roscoe R. Conklin

Page 14: CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES

Mrs. Edward J. McCabe, Thomas J. O’Brien, M.C.

Page 15: CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES

Thomas J. Karones, Thomas J. O’Brien, M.C.

Page 16: DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

Thomas O’Brien, Thomas J. Karones, Lt. Col. Tench Tilghman

Page 17: HOSPITAL GEORGIA

Thomas Karones, 1st Lt. J. W. Williamson

Pages 18-27: FAMILY, CAMP BRECKINRIDGE, KY, FORT BENNING, GA, SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, HI, ABERDEEN PROVING GROUNDS, MD

Page 28: FT. BENNING, GA, 4 MAR 54

Sawyers, Clayton, Hammonds, Lewis F., Hatchell, Robert Jr., Linne, Charles D., Dale, Frank C., Whitehead, Oscar B., Stay, John F., King, Carl V., Weaver, Woodrow L., Johnson, Hastings F., Davis, Bob, Simms, Woodrow W., McCoy, Claud H. Hudgins, Charles A., Arnold, Luther P., Flavin, Charles W., Barefoot, Ovalee E., Mentzel, Dwaine F., Sherman, Albert D., Wilson, Robert M., Sharp, Hilliard E., Hurst, David, Kreiter, Raymond, Short, William P., Strahorn, Dale G., Wait, Robert K., Karones, Thomas J., Gibson, James R., Valentini, William A., Harville, Donald W., Foote, Oscar J., Macauley, Theodore F., Snyder, Andrew J., Green, Benton H. CWO,

Page 29: MY GENERAL ORDERS

Page 30: COMBAT DEVELOPMEST OFFICE

Col. Orrin C. Krueger, Col. James Y. Adams, Lt. Col. Donald R. Ward, Lt. Col. Eugene Cook, Lt. Col. Benjamin F. Keist, Lt. Col. Earl T. Wiley, Lt. Col. Charles Askins, Maj. Francis S. Conaty, Maj. Horace B. Chrissinger, Maj. Robert A. Stuart, Maj. Eustis L. Poland, Maj. Roderick A. Stamey, Capt. Harry L. Rogers, CWO Robert R. Lehman, M/Sgt. Donald B. Humphrey, Sgt. James E. Steel, Sgt. Charles W. Ferguson, Cpl. Stanley Kolodziejczak, PFC Thomas J. Karones, Pvt. Frederic Sandborn, Pvt. Vincent M. Frasca, Pvt. Clement Zawodniak, Pvt. John Brendla, Miss Dorthey Z. Dossett, Mrs, Eva Frith, Mrs. Beryle Nathan, Mrs. Linda Morgan, Mrs. Sybal Lehn, Mrs. June Hammond, Mr. Clarence Sherrick and Cpl. Kolodziejczak, PFC Karones, Pvt. Rippen, Pvt. Valandingham, Pvt. Currier, Pvt. Hardesty, Pvt. Jack Ochi, Pvt. Jim Ochi, Pvt, Rivera, Pvt. Katz

Page 31: ACADMIC DEPARTMENT, THE INFANTRY SCHOOL, FORT BENNING, GA

Thomas J. Karones, Lt. Col. Eugene Cook

Page 32: HEADQUARTERS THE INFANTRY SCHOOL, FORT BENNING, GEORGIA

Thomas J. Karones, Lt. Col. Earl T. Wiley

Pages 33-36: ORDNANCE CORPS

Frank G. Adamo, Sgt. Turner L. Thompson, PFC Reuben L. Martin, Lt. Col. Edmund L. Klint, Lt. Col. Joseph M. Heiser Jr., Lt. Col. Harry J. Marker, WOJG Harley L. Hayes, PFC Thomas J. Karones, Sgt. Ronald G. Weaver, PVT-2 Eugene C. Williamson

Albert Duchaine, James V. Dunn, Jules R.C. Gadoury, Joseph Daniel Hart, Linnie Lynn, Charles E. Hood, James R. Pfafflin, John V. Schauer, Thomas J. Karones, Nicholas R. Repke, Walter L. Lassa Jr., PFC Benjamin F. Rassatt, David Fransman, Laverne G. Beckus, Alexander Hatton, Raymond Heifrich

Sgt. Thomas J. Karones, Cpl. Richard L. McFarland, PVT-2 Alan R. Tye, Cpl. Jess P. Gangwer, Pvt-2 Clarence Jones, Pfc Kenneth K. Killheffer, Lt. Col. George F. Leist

Page 37: LETTER OF TRANSFER OR RETURN TO RESERVE COMPONENT

Thomas J. Karones

Page 38: REPORT OF SEPARATION

Thomas James Karones, Capt. Charles C. Dunn

Page 39: HONORABLE DISCHARGE

Sgt. Karones, Thomas J., Capt. L.A. Geromanos Jr.