WWII Selective Service

[RGK20m3]

Does anyone have any information regarding the Selective Service locations for mobilization of the armed forces in 1941? My father lived on the near west side [[Euclid) and was drafted into the US Army in June, 1941- his discharge papers indicate Selective Service #31, Wayne County, Michigan. From what I have read, there was an office within the city for every 30,000 [[population? draft eligible?). I am guessing there would be at least 10 offices....maybe more.
Also, does anyone know if Fort Wayne was an Army induction center at that time? I know that it was for WWI, Korea, and Vietnam; also a POW camp for Italian prisoners later during the war, and a weapons depot. I also have learned that a lot of Michigan draftees were inducted at Fort Sheridan, north of Chicago.
Trying to figure out where my dad went early in his military service.

[MikeM]

I think there were 50 offices in the Detroit area, but several - including #31 - were in the Cadillac Square building [[since demolished). I believe draftees were inducted at the Light Guard Armory on Brush [[burned down before the war ended) and sent by train to Ft Custer for initial training.

[RGK20m3]

Very helpful, thanks!

[Hermod]

Does anyone have any information regarding the Selective Service locations for mobilization of the armed forces in 1941? My father lived on the near west side [[Euclid) and was drafted into the US Army in June, 1941- his discharge papers indicate Selective Service #31, Wayne County, Michigan. From what I have read, there was an office within the city for every 30,000 [[population? draft eligible?). I am guessing there would be at least 10 offices....maybe more.
Also, does anyone know if Fort Wayne was an Army induction center at that time? I know that it was for WWI, Korea, and Vietnam; also a POW camp for Italian prisoners later during the war, and a weapons depot. I also have learned that a lot of Michigan draftees were inducted at Fort Sheridan, north of Chicago.
Trying to figure out where my dad went early in his military service.

My father wasn't inducted. He got an ROTC commission from Michigan State in 1935. In 1941, he was called to active duty and processed through Ft Wayne before being shipped to Camp Wolters, TX for refresher training. After Refresher training, he went to Camp Shelby, MS to fill out the CT-RI-VT Natl Guard Div and went to the Pacific with them in 1942.

[RGK20m3]

My father was drafted and reported for duty the day after his 26th birthday; went through advanced AA artillery training at Camp Stewart in GA. He left NY 1/23/41 for Australia, was an AA gunner at Koli Point, Guadalcanal, then Segii , New Britain. Was on Green Island, then Lingayen, Luzon, Philippines before rotated home in 5/45

[MikeM]

A little follow up...

The draft was signed into law in September 1940, and October 16, 1940 was the first day men had to register for it by going to their local voting precincts. When they were eventually ordered to report, they would go to their assigned draft board office. From there, if they were not rejected, they were sent to the induction center, which in the beginning was the Light Guard Armory. This article explains the process:

[MikeM]

This article lists the initial draft board offices. I think some were relocated during the course of the year. I assume Selective Service #31 is the same thing as draft board #31, which was in the Cadillac Square Building mentioned earlier:

October 19, 1940 Free Press:

[MikeM]

After the draft board it was on to the induction center at the armory and then if you were lucky enough, off to Fort Custer. At some point later, some of the tasks of the draft board , such as the initial physical, were moved to the induction center. Also, Fort Wayne was used briefly, at least before the war, as an induction center.

October 14, 1940 Free Press:

[MikeM]

Fort Custer was referred to as a "reception center". It seems most draftees were sent there, but some were also sent to Fort Sheridan near Chicago, and also Camp Grant in Rockford, Illinois.

October 15, 1940 Free Press:

[MikeM]

From the article, it sounds like your stay at the reception center was brief before you got sent on to an initial training base. My father was drafted in July of '41 and said Fort Custer is the first place he ever heard a swear word. It's also where he took up smoking two packs a day of Camels. From there he was sent to Chanute Field for basic training and then assigned a job as a clerk in the personnel office. By the following June he was sent to Lincoln, then applied to officer candidate school. Sent to Miami Beach in September '41 for 90 days of officer training. The army leased over 330 hotels in south Florida to use essentially as barracks. He had fond memories of guard patrol at the Fontainebleau. Sent to Harrisburg, PA for eight weeks of intelligence school, then to Geiger Field in Spokane to be paired with a B-17 bomb group. They moved to Ephrata, Washington in April '43, then to Brooksville, Florida in June, then back up north to Cut Bank, Montana a few weeks later. In November '43 they got ordered to Deenethorpe, England by way of Camp Kilmer, New Jersey [[to board the Queen Mary to Greenock, Scotland). Remained there until June of '45 when they were sent back to the States to Sioux Falls where they switched to the B-29. His group was sent on to Albuquerque in August but my father was on leave at home in Detroit when the war ended. Discharged in October at Patterson Field [[Wright-Patterson), Ohio.

[MikeM]

Back to the induction center. The Michigan State Troops, which apparently was a sort of home guard, separate from the National guard, was formed and took over the Light Guard Armory. The Army initially tried to get the Broadhead Armory for use as the induction center, but I think negotiations fell through. They eventually moved the induction process in February of 1941 to the second floor of the American Lady Corset factory on West Fort Street. It remained there until January 1943 when it moved to East Jefferson, so that is probably where your father went through the induction process.

[13606Cedargrove]

This thread is very interesting to me. My Father, at age 30, volunteered for the Army on December 8, 1941 and was inducted at Fort Custer on March 17, 1942. After 3 years in the South Pacific, he entered the Reserves and retired in 1971.

[MikeM]

This thread is very interesting to me. My Father, at age 30, volunteered for the Army on December 8, 1941 and was inducted at Fort Custer on March 17, 1942. After 3 years in the South Pacific, he entered the Reserves and retired in 1971.

Reading articles from the time, it seems the number of volunteers from the area - even before Pearl Harbor - were sufficiently high that the draft quotas for Detroit were set relatively low.

First draftees from Detroit got inducted November 22, 1940:

[MikeM]

On the other hand, the Army wasn't finding a high number of fit individuals, which was blamed on either the health effects of the depression or mollycoddling:

[Jimaz]

On the other hand, the Army wasn't finding a high number of fit individuals, which was blamed on either the health effects of the depression or mollycoddling:...

After suppressing a snicker I just had to find the etymology of that word. From etymonline.com: mollycoddle.

[jiminnm]

After reading this thread, I dug out the papers I have from my dad. He dropped out of Cass Tech and wanted to enlist as soon as he turned 18. I have two pieces of mail from the SSS, Board No. 13 at 12436 Vandyke. In Sept 1944, he was ordered to report to 2985 East Jefferson for his preinduction physical. He received a letter dated Nov 1944 from Board 13 informing him that he amblyopia in his right eye and that he failed to meet nonmedical standards for limited service. By then, he was building tank motors in the plant where my mother to be was an inspector.

[RGK20m3]

That is a tremendous amount of information and insight into the process. My father reported on 6/9/41, so it appears that it would have been to the Cadillac Square Selective Service office, and then on to the 1040 W Fort location. I found that the induction center occupied the 2nd floor of the 7 story, Albert Kahn designed building. I can only imagine what the inductees thought when the arrived at the American Lady Corset Co.

[jcole]

These "models" would have seriously scarred any young man who hadn't had the pleasure of seeing a young lady yet: There are about 8 more just like herhttps://digitalcollections.detroitpu...ndora%3A224477

[Ray1936]

At Mackenzie High School, I opted for ROTC in the 10th grade. Did that for the next three years; absolutely loved it. Went to WSU [[Only it was WU then) and took AFROTC and loved it for a year. Alas, I ran out of money and had to go to work in 1955 full time. By the time my draft number came up, I was married with children, so deferred. My only regret in my [[otherwise) superb life was not serving my nation. But I did do 29 years in the Detroit PD. For what that's worth.

[jcole]

Don't forget, the PD is/was considered a standing militia in times of war, so you served.

At Mackenzie High School, I opted for ROTC in the 10th grade. Did that for the next three years; absolutely loved it. Went to WSU [[Only it was WU then) and took AFROTC and loved it for a year. Alas, I ran out of money and had to go to work in 1955 full time. By the time my draft number came up, I was married with children, so deferred. My only regret in my [[otherwise) superb life was not serving my nation. But I did do 29 years in the Detroit PD. For what that's worth.

[RGK20m3]

At Mackenzie High School, I opted for ROTC in the 10th grade. Did that for the next three years; absolutely loved it. Went to WSU [[Only it was WU then) and took AFROTC and loved it for a year. Alas, I ran out of money and had to go to work in 1955 full time. By the time my draft number came up, I was married with children, so deferred. My only regret in my [[otherwise) superb life was not serving my nation. But I did do 29 years in the Detroit PD. For what that's worth.

My hat is off to you, anyone with 29 years with the DPD served their time. I also sometimes regret not going into the military; I turned 18 in 1973 and my random sequence number was 35. But I was classified 1H as draft was suspended at that point in time.

[Ray1936]

Thanks guys, for the above two responses. Deeply appreciated with a smile!

[RGK20m3]

I came across my father’s letters from the Selective Service; the first was dated early in May, 1941 advising him that he was expected to be ordered to report about 6/20/1941; the return address was Selective Service #31, 1214 Dime Building, Detroit. The actual order to report, dated late May, said to report to Selective Service#31, 2nd Floor, Cadillac Square Building, Detroit, on 6/9/1941.

[canuck]

These "models" would have seriously scarred any young man who hadn't had the pleasure of seeing a young lady yet: There are about 8 more just like herhttps://digitalcollections.detroitpu...ndora%3A224477

Very shapely, like a nice brook trout.

[Jimaz]

I reported to the draft board, as required by law, but no one there seemed to care. Baffled, I wondered why something made to appear so important was so easily disregarded. The answer turned out to be that by then the Viet Nam war had wound down so the Selective Service was indifferent.

On the drive there and back I was humming the theme from

Alice's Restaurant / 1969

And my hair is now longer than it was then.

The video freezes at 7:38 but resumes at 10:11.