Military Paper Work - REASOR

Edgar Webster REAOSR (1885-1953) registered for both WWI and WWII drafts.

Edgar Webster REASOR

World War I Draft Registration Card - 1917-1918 Record
"In 1918 when World War I was ended, Dad blew in a conk shell, people rang dinner bells, shot guns, hollered and made loud noises all through the country side, in the evening. We lived near Eckerty then. I guess I was 9 years old." (Memories of Gladys REASOR LINTON first child of Edgar and Lillie, Written 26 Sep 1976 )

Edgar Webster REASOR

World War II Draft Registration Card - 1942 Record

Garland Lee REASOR (1917-2004) began his U.S. Air force career in the army.

U.S.World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 Record

pictured: Garland Lee REAOSR (twin) and Gordon Lloyd REASOR (twin) in front of tent at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis, Indiana

Name: Garland L Reasor [Lee became an career Air Force Navigator]
Birth Year: 1917
Race: White, Citizen (White)
Nativity State or Country: Indiana
State of Residence: Indiana
County or City: Crawford
Enlistment Date: 21 Sep 1940
Enlistment State: Indiana
Enlistment City: Fort Benjamin Harrison

Branch: Signal Corps
Branch Code: Signal Corps
Grade: Private
Grade Code: Private
Term of Enlistment: Enlistment for the Philippine Department
Component: Regular Army (including Officers, Nurses, Warrant Officers, and Enlisted Men)
Source: Civil Life
Education: 4 years of high school
Civil Occupation: Farm hands, general farms
Marital Status: Single, without dependents
Height: 68
Weight: 149

Name: Gordon L Reasor [twin brother of Garland Lee REASOR] [Lloyd became a WWII Air Force Pilot]
Birth Year: 1917
Race: White, Citizen (White)
Nativity State or Country: Indiana
State of Residence: Indiana
County or City: Crawford
Enlistment Date: 21 Sep 1940
Enlistment State: Indiana
Enlistment City: Fort Benjamin Harrison
Branch: Signal Corps
Branch Code: Signal
Corps Grade: Private
Grade Code: Private
Term of Enlistment: Enlistment for the Panama Canal Department
Component: Regular Army (including Officers, Nurses, Warrant Officers, and Enlisted Men)
Source: Civil Life
Education: 4 years of high school
Civil Occupation: Farm hands, general farms
Marital Status: Single, without dependents
Height: 65
Weight: 133

The First Sixty Years Regarding Garland (Lee) Reasor
Military Service Pg 1-5

“…In September of 1940 I was 23 years old. I had worked as a farm hand most of the time since high school graduation and had been away from home most of that time also. I had worked three years in East Central Illinois on a large grain and cattle farm. Two years I had worked for the State Hospital at North Madison, Indiana as a farm tractor driver. This job was only possible because Reasor’s were dedicated Democrats and the Democrats were in office. Mchutt was governor. Lloyd and I drove our Model A ford to see the head democrat in Crawford County to get his endorsement for work. He lived on a mud road and it was winter time. While we were interviewing, the water on our 6 Brake line froze. We had to heat them with a wood torch before we could move the car.”

“Lloyd and I had both been hired at the hospital. Lloyd had quit and returned to Illinois to work. France had fallen to the Germans earlier in the year. I wrote to Lloyd suggesting that the U.S. would get involved and we should get in the Army and get Prepared.”

“The recruiter had promised that he would enlist us in the Army Air Corps. Lloyd immediately quit his job and came to Madison. The recruiter said he couldn’t get us in the Air Corps but could get the Signal Corp witch was the next best. We left Lloyd’s car parked on the street in Madison, took my car and went to Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis, Indiana to be inducted.”

“Mom and Dad were living on the farm but it did not occur to either of us to talk this action over with them. We did write them a letter after we were privates in the army earning $21.00 per month. After deductions were made for laundry, etc. the net was $15. To $18 per month.”

“We were accustomed to working from sun-up to sun-down. That changed immediately. We were housed in tents and the sergeant, after a few minutes drill, would say, “Go to your tents and wait.” we nearly went crazy with nothing to do.”

“We had [not] formed habit of using neither tobacco nor alcohol and that made us strange. Also, we actually volunteered for work assignments.”

“We did get time off several days later to go get Lloyd’s car off the street and take it home.
After some basic training we, with the 5th Infantry Division (the Red Diamond Division) were transferred to Fort Custer, Battle Creek, Michigan in December of 1940. Fort Custer was under construction. The buildings were incomplete and the mud was everywhere and deep.”

“Most of the personnel were much older than we. Many were the kind who got promoted, got into trouble, got busted back to private again and again.”

“Lloyd was promoted to corporal in a short time and I soon followed. Most of the corporals had 8-10 years of service.”

“Standard procedure of the times for most soldiers was to be broke the night of payday. Many owned their entire pay many times to Lloyds or I. They would pay their debts and start borrowing again. It was not usual to be offered $10 on pay day for $5 tonight. Even at $15. Per month we had nore money than we could spend.”

“Mostly what money that I spent was driving back and forth to the Louisville, New Albany area to see a girl I had been dating before I enlisted. Wanda Roberson had a great attraction for me. Many times I returned from a visit with her just in the nick of time reveille.”

“Lloyd’s initials were G.L. My initials were G.L. His first name was Gordon , mine Garland. In calling the roll, they first called Reasor G. We’d say which one. Then they tried G. L. Again we would question. For a while they used AS and GO but changed to Big Reasor and Little Reasor. Since we never missed a roll call, they finally just called Reasor and didn’t wait for a response. One morning I was ten minutes late and they didn’t miss me.”

“Battle Creek was a Seventh-day Adventist town. The Church provided many activities for the soldiers. We attended many of the activities and became very close friend[s] with the Langworthy family. Which included three lovely girls. We were at their home when Pearl harbor was bombed.”

“There was also a unit of the Church of Jesus Christ fo Latter-day Saints. I don’t recall how we found them but we did and became active in the Church. It was the first time we had been able to attend an organized branch. We received the Aaronic Priesthood and many blessings through the Church. We never went to the Seventh-Day Adventist meetings.”

‘The draft made a great change in the type of men in the Army. The new officers were ROTC college graduates and Many of the enlisted men were leaders in business and industry.”

“The Signal Corps job was to establish and maintain communications. The equipment was telephone and telegraph. Both had to be physically commect6ed by wire. The field pone was the kind you see on the TW show MASH. My assignment was installation The officer who used the phone always had the same pair of colored wires to his phone. Lloyd was a telegraph operator….”