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Document Details
| Title: | Richard Jenke |
| Document type: | Oral history |
| Accessibility: | Free Only |
| Repository: | Rice University. Center for Technology in Teaching and Learning |
| Collection: | Heights Remembers World War II Oral History Project |
| Description: | When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Richard Jenke was only fourteen years old, but he was more than ready to play his part in the conflict. This was the biggest shock our nation had had in a long time, remembers his wife, Irma. Richard clearly recalls the day after the bombing. (It was) the first time I skipped school in my entire life . . . to try and join the Marines, he laughs. Guys were there by the hundreds to enlist, and there I was, fourteen years old. The guy said, Son, you go on home and grow up and come back to see us. Determined to serve his country, Richard contrived a story to fool the Navy recruiters into thinking he was old enough to enlist. To his surprise, the recruiters believed his tall tale, and by 1942, Richard was serving aboard a Navy submarine in the Pacific. |
| Original Language: | English |
| Audio: | [Audio available] |
| Speaker: | Jenke, Richard, 1927(?)- |
| Speaker gender: | Male |
| Speaker date of birth: | 1927 |
| Speaker race: | White |
| Speaker occupation: | Military personnel |
| Document date: | Undated |
| Historical events discussed: | World War II, 1939-1945 |
| Locations discussed: | Asia; Europe; Japan; North America; United States |
| Topics discussed - ASP terms: | Asia; Europe; History; Japan; Local history; North America; Oral history; Soldiers; United States; Veterans; World War II, 1939-1945; World War, 1939-1945--War work; World War, 1939-1945--Women |
| ASP release: | 2005-06 |
| Document code: | OHI0029664-32906 |