Army, Navy, Merchant Marine

Mort Franklin left home at 15 to join the Merchant Marine, the least picky branch when it came to age. He finished the war in Korea with the Army, and went on to a military career with the Navy.

When he went to enlist in the Army, he had to get rid of a tattoo with his name on it.

"The recruiter said you can't have your name on there. In case you get captured, the enemy shouldn't know your name. You can't enlist until you take it off."

He had the dagger and scroll containing his name filled in. Three days later he went back to enlist.

"The next thing you know, they give me a set of dog tags with my name on it.

"I said 'What the hell?' I went through this?

"Military."

Read their stories

Robert Burns
Clara Ferguson
Lee Flessor
Mort Franklin
Arthur Fulte
Alfred Grossenbacher
Emmitt Hays
Joseph Holoubek
Norm Lasman
Bill Mancke
James McElroy
Richard McGathey
John Merlini
Takanori Mizuta
Walter O'Keefe
Joan Schechner
Robert Schuld
John Swick
Louis Venditti
Bill Woodrow