This audio is an oral history interview conducted by The Army Heritage Center Foundation to preserve the memories of Soldiers’ and their Families, honor their service, and help educate the American public about the Army’s and its Soldiers’ contributions to the Nation.
“I got two Purple Hearts in 89 days. After that nobody would come near me because I was such bad luck.”
Jack Kranchick – Army, signals
Jack Kranchick, sitting on the crate, takes time out with his team with their radio Jeep in the field. (Image courtesy of U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center)
From an early age John “Jack” Kranchick had a “love-hate relationship with the Army.”
He loved the Army and his father was military, and he wanted to join with two friends. He didn’t, however, like where he ended up.
“They stuck me in the Signal Corps. Apparently the three of us were some of the only high school graduates with good grades, and they must have had a quota, so they sent us to be radio teletype operators. We fought like heck to get out of there and basically were told ‘Hey kid, shut up. Nobody asked you what you wanted to do.’ We couldn’t get out of it.”
(Read more stories from this veteran and others at: Voices of Service )