Veterans History Project

The Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.

Ernest Kahrs graduated from high school in Lodgepole, Nebraska in 1949. By this time, there were several branches of the military he could have joined. The US Air Force had become an entity of its own; the US Navy was hiring young folks; the Marines were always interested. Ernest just waited for the draft to come get him. The government did just that...