Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
The Selective Service System reached out to a number of young men around the Country. This activity affected lots and lots of young Nebraska men as well. A group was contacted and assembled in the Seward area. Their number was enough that they traveled from Seward to the military induction station in Omaha by bus.
Usually draftees were sent to the Army. When the bus arrived at the Omaha site, Vernon Hermann was given a choice. There were two slots available in the Navy, some available in the Marine Corps, and the rest...Army/Army Air Force. Vernon and a buddy from Seward chose the Navy.
At the physical examination, Vernon weighed 113 pounds. Vernon and his buddy were kept in Omaha for a couple of days. Vernon was too lean and the buddy had eyesight that should have kept him from joining. The solution to these problems: Vernon was told to eat as much as he could and the other young man was told to get the biggest can of carrot juice he could fine. He was then told to drink it just before you come back here. They both passed the second try!
When they left from Omaha, the mode of transportation was a troop train. The destination for boot camp was at the Navy Training Facility in Farragut, Idaho. Along the way the train stopped at various places including the famous one at North Platte. Camp Farragut was the third site of the Navy's training activities. It was little known. Many Sailors graduated from this northern Idaho base. There is little doubt it was a political selection for the name of this location. But there is a large, deep lake there, Lake Pend Oreille.
On arrival, the greeting committee met the bus that brought the men to the actual training base. The recruits were presented a lot of information real fast. Where you'll live; where you'll eat; what we're going to do tomorrow. We'll organize you into what is called a formation. Then you'll be marched to a place where you'll get some clothes.
Vernon said some of the clothes fit. Some were too big or too small. Vernon didn't fuss about it too much. But he did have a condition with his feet. It was "hammer toes". Many shoes have a seam where the toe part is connected to the rest of the shoe. With "Hammer Toes", his toes rubbed that seam ... fairly painful for about 8 weeks.
The trainees got into the routine of becoming what they weren't before. They learned the new terms only available in the Navy: head, bulkhead, galley, blues, whites, and dungarees.
They found out what and where the grinder is. This is a flat, asphalt-surfaced area (parking lot). On this place, new people learned to conduct physical exercises, worked on drill and ceremonies, played sports, and had to share it with many others who were in the same situation as them. Vernon had much difficulty with performing more than 5 pushups. (This is Exercise four, Conditioning drill one in Field Manual 22-5.) Although this very exercise is part of the physical fitness test, Vernon learned of mercy and some grace when they pulled him out of the formation. Although remedial training was in order, it didn't seem to help.
Vernon was picked for the medical field just before graduating from boot camp. He remained at Camp Farragut for advanced training. He learned the basics and focused on becoming a dental assistant. He was also selected to go on a multi-state recruiting effort with a woman who was in the WAVES, a Doctor, and a Petty Officer First Class.
Some of Vernon's service days were spent at the Bremerton (Washington) Navy Base. The remainder was at the Seattle Naval Air Station. He was a sailor the medical section could depend on to do jobs correctly and capable of doing many tasks. He became a Pharmacists Mate 3rd class.
Every few weeks, he would take the proper equipment and travel from the base to subordinate units. He carried along the equipment to produce identification tags – dog tags. Having the correct information on the small rust-proof rectangles was essential. He obtained the information in-person from incoming sailors and made the tags then and there.
On August 15th, 1945, big news came across the wires that the Japanese had surrendered. Vernon remembered that all the 12 Dentists on this base received small bottles of brandy from the commander. In that there were 13 bottles, Vernon and a buddy got to split a bottle.
Vernon would leave the US Navy seven months later. Boatswain's Mate Vernon Hermann, you responded when the Nation needed you! Thanks for your service!
