Orville Kern, b.1927

I interviewed one of my closest friends, my almost grandpa, Orville Kern. He was not really in World War Two, but lived through it. He told me lots of information.

Orville and his neighbor, who happened to be the head of the draft department for his city (outside of Springfield, Illinois), were in Kansas City buying cattle when he received news that he was to be drafted. He was 18. But because his neighbor was the head of the department, and he had also received news that his brother, who was a Seargant in the infantry, was killed in the Battle of Luxembourg by a sniper, he gave him a delay. This lasted until the Korean War (1950).

Back at home, Kilroy was everywhere! If you think that he was only on the ships or in other countries, you are very wrong! People drew him on chairs, reports, windows, walls, clothing, and posters. Also, the posters that said "Uncle Sam Wants YOU!" was a huge motto. It persuaded many men to enlist instead of getting drafted.

They had to ration gas, tires, sugar, and coffee. There were rationing coupons that you had to use. They gave you a book a week and you could only buy as much of the item as the coupons let you. Because he lived on a farm, the item that affected them the most was tires. They depended on them for their tractors and many other items. This meant that if a tire popped, they had to tape up all of the holes, but air was also limited, so they ran on a flat.

Orville also told me how they tested the atomic bomb. What they would do, after they moved them to above ground, is that they would set up fake towns with real cattle and sheep. They would have these located far away from the towns in states like Nevada and Arizona, where it is primarily desert and has plenty of space.

We thank you very much, Orville, for all of your help. We also would like to thank Mary, too.