Fort Knox

When Dennis joined the Army, he was assigned to the 50th Armored Infantry Battalion at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He rose to the rank of Sergeant, working as a clerk and section leader in the Personnel office.

Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941, tensions in the world escalated to new heights. In the months that followed, thousands of men enlisted in the military; thousands more were drafted. The nation stepped up its efforts to build additional planes, ships, tanks and guns, and the Army commissioned additional field force units, among them the 741st Tank Battalion. This new battalion was staffed with personnel who had received their basic training at Fort Knox.

Eager to get in on the action and do his part overseas, Dennis requested a transfer to the 741st, even though it would mean a reduction in rank. He would become one of the original members of the unit when it was officially commissioned on March 18, 1942.