Destination Unknown

"Destination Unknown," could well be the title of this whole experience as Ralph often did not know when or where he would be moved next. Much preparation was needed before the Allies would be ready to launch their assault on Europe along the beaches of Normandy.

After reporting for duty on February 5, 1943 in Columbus, Ralph was transported by train on February 12 to Cincinnati and then on bus to Fort Thomas, Kentucky. He arrived at the post at 6:20p.m., just in time for liver and onions. The food wasn't bad, "but you sure have to eat fast" (AI #118). While at Fort Thomas, Ralph was issued his first uniforms and other supplies.

Late on February 20th troops boarded a train for points unknown. Always interested in geography, Ralph watched for clues as the train sped through the night. They stopped in Indianapolis first to pick up more cars of troops, then turned south, then south-west through Kentucky, Tennessee, and Arkansas. Ralph comments that "There are some of the darnedest looking shacks down in here, and people actually live in 'em. I'm getting gladder all the time that I'm from Ohio." As the men awoke during the night and in the morning, many tried to guess where they were and where they were going. Florida? Colorado? From Arkansas they crossed into Oklahoma before turning south into Texas. By February 22 Ralph was writing from Camp Swift near Austin, Texas describing his first day of basic training.

That first day consisted of drilling, building tank traps, and lots of exercises and running. He comments that 5 more minutes of exercises and running and he would have dropped. He is surprised to find he has been assigned to a combat engineers regiment.