Ed & Ray Hersman in WWII - Robert Marks.org

3.2. PEARL HARBOR Ed & Ray Hersman in WWII3.2 Pearl HarborI was in a movie December 7, 1941 when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harborand didn’t hear about it until the movie was over. I walked through theheart of the Negro district going back and forth to work and carried a .32revolver in my lunch pail. I never had any trouble from Negroes.3.3 EnlistmentSpring 1942 was a restless period with a war going on. I left Cleveland Tooland went to Charleston, West Virginia to enlist in the Army Air Force. Ipassed everything except the eye tests. My eyes eliminated any chance I everhad at being a pilot, bombardier or navigator.John Hamilton was working for Dupont at Belle, West Virginia and Istayed with him for a few days. We spent most of our time looking forexcitement, preferably feminine.I went to Canton, Ohio with two other men and obtained work at theTimken Roller Boaring Company in the steel mill. This work was terriblyhard. We removed red hot brick from open hearth furnaces. We would squirta stream of water on the brick, cool it down a little bit, rush in and throwout bricks using asbestos gloves for about five minutes, then come out andcool off for fifteen. We ate salt tablets like candy and I lost a pound of weighta day. After two weeks we all quit and went on to Cleveland.I obtained work at the Aircraft Fitting Company. My work was operatinga turret lath making various fittings for airplanes.I stayed for a few days in a room on East 77th street, but later moved tothe Y.M.C.A. on Prospect Avenue, not far from downtown Cleveland. Mybrother Ray came up from West Virginia and obtained a job at a storagebattery firm. He later obtained work at Thompson Products. He later movedfrom a room on 77th St. to the Y.M.C.A. as well.I ran on the indoor track, swam in the swimming pool and took steam23