Rifleman (745) assigned to Field Artillery

Did his enlistment record show his recorded civilian occupation?

The way I read the Army use of personnel is that everyone was liable for conversion to Infantry. Once a "trained" infantrymen entered into the replacement stream, it would take an urgent need and a review of his record to divert him away from an infantry regiment.

A civilian occupation that conferred a useful skill (truck driver, mechanic, etc.), previous military training or, maybe, just a high score on the aptitude testing could bring an individual to the attention of a Personnel Officer looking to fill a particular need.

 

On his reenlistment in june 10 1946 civilan occupation 499 skilled occupations in manufacture of electrical machinery and accessories,n.e.c.

 

So his factory work might have been skilled or he likely scored high on the aptitude testing I suspect.

Early in the war, many infantrymen were either day laborers or accountants. That is, either they had no skills or skills that the Army had a low demand for. The early war draftee infantry was an eclectic band of ditch-diggers, hillbillies, actors and sales clerks. If an arm or service other than the Infantry needed men, the last place they would look was among a batch of minted infantrymen.

But late war everybody went to the Infantry so there were plenty of college grads, Service Forces re-treads and excess war workers.

I am generalizing and glossing over other interesting details but its only a forum post, not a thesis.

 

my understanding of his civilian work class he could have been electrician, mechanic, telephone repair,radio repair, but he was only 18 when he went over seas so he couldnt have had much experiance at anything, I do know he was raised on a farm, I read somewhere online that Field Arty only took the best qualified into there ranks but then again the Army put you where they needed you, and the 32nd was well below there authorized strength.