More specifically, let's say I was just some average guy and I was drafted. What would be the chain of events that led to me fighting in Europe? How would I be contacted by the military and informed that I was drafted? Where would I be sent for training? How would I be transported to Europe?
I'm working on an oral history I collected in the 1980s from a gifted storyteller. His draft notice was dated June 6, 1944. He was trained in infantry tactics in Texas, with some advanced training on the East coast. Then, the following is an excerpt from what he had to say about transport:
I crossed the Atlantic in a troop transport ship in December of ’44. It was cold and wet, and I caught pneumonia. We disembarked at La Havre and I went straight to the hospital. Well, the Bulge was going on and everyone was panicked. After a few days the doctor came in and said “I’m discharging you.”
I said, “Hey, I’m still sick. My lungs are burning up.”
“It doesn’t matter one bit.” He said, “You’re going to be dead in twelve hours anyway.”