Training for Battle

Dennis joined the Army with aspirations of seeing the world, of serving his country, and doing whatever needed to be done to help and protect people in need. His combat training with the 741st, which was conducted from coast to coast for eighteen months, went from one extreme to the next.

In the scorching, arid heat of the Mojave Dessert, he prepared for war on the African continent. When that conflict came to an end, Dennis and the rest of the battalion were sent to Louisiana, where maneuvers were conducted in the suffocating humidity of the swamps. It seemed likely while in Louisiana that they were all about to be shipped overseas, but then they were sent to Virginia instead to practice amphibious maneuvers.

Dennis found true love and was married while stationed at Camp Polk, which made the move to England more difficult for him than he had anticipated. Once he was across the Pond, he was homesick, love sick, sick with a cold, and, for the first few months, just plain miserable. Eventually he adjusted, made friends with some local farmers, and enjoyed the camaraderie of his friends. As a Sergeant in Service Company, he continued to lead the men under his command, tackle his day-to-day duties, and periodically travel across England for additional training.

He thought he was ready for anything. There are some things, however, no amount of training can prepare you for.