World War II began for the United States on Dec. 7, 1941, with the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Young men and women readily volunteered to serve but many men had been drafted into the military prior to Dec. 
World War II began for the United States on Dec. 7, 1941, with the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Young men and women readily volunteered to serve but many men had been drafted into the military prior to Dec. 7. The population of Dickinson County in 1940 was 12,185. Before WWII was over, 1,000 men and women served in the military from this county.
The honor roll for each community in the county was proudly displayed on its Main Street. I recall the honor board in Milford was located a bit north of the local drug store, which is there today. A local sign painter made a small metal plaque with the name when they entered the military. After that fellow was drafted, my father, Ray LaFoy, took the responsibility for adding the names. Dad volunteered my services and I painted the names until July of 1943 when I entered the military. I am not sure who continued to paint the names. Milford had 321 on its honor roll, Arnolds Park had 83 names on a honor roll board on the northwest corner at the stoplight, Terril had 106, Lake Park had 110 and Spirit Lake had over 400. This adds up to over 1,000 men and women serving in the military from Dickinson County in the military in WWII. Wow!
Many of the individuals volunteered for service and many were drafted. The conscription or draft was passed by Congress and signed by President Roosevelt on Sept. 16, 1940. All men between the ages of 21 to 45 years old were compelled to register. It was later that the age was changed to 18 years old. When you became 18 you were required to go to the Dickinson County Courthouse and register. Soon after that, you were given a physical examination and presented with a card. Many men waited to be called and while many others volunteered for the draft. We were at war and were eager to do our part. I became 18 in June 1943 and volunteered for the draft because I could choose where I went. I enlisted in the Aviation Engineers — Army Air Corps, March Field, Riverside, California.
Wayne Christenson and his mother, Alice, compiled a scrapbook with articles from the Milford Mail during the war. Wayne was the printer's devil that took my job over in the summer of 1942. The editor of the Milford Mail was Art Schuneman during WWII and sent the paper to each service person. There was nothing more valuable than to get the Milford Mail at mail call when you were on the other side of the earth, India-Burma-China. A letter or mail from home was wonderful! During the past month or so I had the opportunity to stroll through that great scrapbook.
Strolling through the scrapbook, it was a history book of the men and women from Milford in the war. We were all over the globe and oceans fighting the Germans and Japanese. Each person who served in the military has a story. There