MY ENLISTMENT INTO THE CORPS...by F.E.(Jim)DeVine

	On or about February 16, 1943, George Nuss, Charley Seyler, and I 
impulsively decided to go to the post office and join the Navy.  When we 
got there, the Navy office was closed, but Marine Sgt. Matthew Ryan  was
standing outside the Marine recruiting office dressed in his 'blues'. 
"HEY, GUYS, COME IN HERE', he shouted.  We did, and thus began our Marine 
Corps enlistment.

        I was still 16 years old, but would be 17 on March 10, so I 
needed my parents' signature. The oldman wouldn't sign "because I would 
get  killed in the Marines". Mom felt the same way, but I finally 
convinvced her to sign.

       On March 12, 1943, I joined about 75 other guys at the Customs 
House in Philadelphia, PA and was sworn in. We were told we had 2 weeks 
to get things in order before leaving for boot camp. I had NOTHING, 
having survived the depression, and I had only to quit high school. I 
would receive my diploma because we were in the second semester of the 
senior year and I had high grades. Weeks went by, and I was not called to
boot camp so I went back to school, retrieved my books, made up the 6 
weeks lost work, and graduated with my class in June, '43.

	I was ordered to boot camp on June 16, 1943.

        Jim DeVine, Reading, PA