Must Finish High School

My parents were against my enlisting in the military until I had finished high school. A talk with the principal of my high school produced the same results. I was a Junior and was seventeen. Many of my friends were faced with the same problem and we envied those who had taken advanced courses and could graduate early, but still in the future. Disappointment was etched on all of our faces since we were all intensly patriotic. Our country and flag meant everything to us. School didn't seem to be that important to me now. WE WERE AT WAR! Even Germany had declared war on us! That was two mistakes Japan and Germany had made! We would beat them. Our President kept us informed with his radio addresses. The Movie Industry put out pictures showing the Japanese with buckteeth and speaking horrible English. We laughed at the German "dunces." The propaganda war was "on," and we were very receptive; dumb some people said. The American people responded; afterall, we were ALL in the war, in one way or another. Even if you were 4F you were helping with the war effort. Everything was rationed and we all grew Victory Gardens. Even the Isolationist-anti-war crowd was silenced because we had been attacked. We followed the initial set backs with determination.