World War II Central Illinois Stories

Interview Excerpt: Joseph Smith of Champaign

 
                                    

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Transcript for file: josephsmith.mp3

00:00:00

at one point we’re all in the huddle
I know room full of guys
guys mostly quiet
I think maybe one or two black guy sister
yeah but most of all icons from you all in a wheelchair
changing region are skivvies and standing around

00:00:30

and after all someone called my name Joseph Smith
I love trailer Wii U Haul
will you follow me please Fullerton summary
summary I don’t remember now that he was caught offsides
starching old dress blue uniform Asahi
what he said I called you out because I
your liver special already I didn’t know about

00:01:05

routing and they did that because I was called out for me
Mr 3000 would you like to be a
how to be a marine first wife don’t know much about the Marines accept that it’s
that is part of the Navy and I don’t want any part of the Navy because all I could do this
Bill Cook I said I already know how to do that so I
Robert go someplace where I can learn something else like drive a truck for
look for example how to drive a car Isis the weather be some Advance

00:01:40

can swing my sword book Cookeville think you still looking over the Marines
are part of the Navy pot
they give you the steam train that they give all the
all the others is no different you go to boot camp train
bad bitch if you become a law of sines
set fire warrior something you said no its
its it’s all the same psychoanalyst racing with the rest of my

00:02:15

bi new buddies n
there’s just a few men on the train like man
reading newspapers and Clary
ariad uncomfortable
ignored it and we just talk together anticipating what we’re going
we’re going to get into an R
Marine induction

00:02:50

the camp
well we went on and on and on until
I heard
the conductors say I think was Rocky Mount
North Carolina I have papers for said I was supposed to turn
transfer in Rocky Mount but I didn’t know I thought they had
they had papers to ISO well this where we go

00:03:25

we got off and I start getting ready I said no no no
we’re going to LA Leon get off here
well I’m supposed to get out of here how does the fat
how’s that took my papers so I don’t understand this
are sideline is it worth going to Parris Island
price of a lying to you about Parris Island yeah but that’s where we’re going out for the Marine Corps campus
Memphis boot camp then the other guy said yes they all through

00:04:00

is there going to Parris Island I said well I’m supposed to get off here
we roll in a quandary girls f*** what’s going on
this still having stroke me proxy server going to
leatherworker Cyrus going to receive the same training I told you going to be in the same camp
so
I took leave of my
follower in this season

00:04:35

cut off the train B end seal lonely
isolated so I got off the train in
walk back and forth right crank on off back
back and forth back and forth and I song Opie
no people in this illustration iris voice
okay well there aren’t many people who were on the train
anyway so I thought this was just an isolated station

00:05:10

not like South Station in Boston people is a small place
so I waited and waited after while the Train cake
and lots of coaches
coaches summer actually empty just wanted to people than others
and so I started hurting too
2 get on Borden
conductor where you going and I said I’m going to

00:05:45

Jacksonville thats where it is
that was the next stop Jacksonville you said I mean you
you you c*** shut up here you have to go down that you see those people then
if you follow then and I look down there
the meanig of black people who
who are apparently in the back of the station because I didn’t see
insanity body at the time and I haven’t gone to the back I just walk back and forth along the track

00:06:20

Amtrak live streaming out to the train
train n
the world going to one coach nicety
Isis take on a hoe getting at coach
you going if you if you if you’re going to ride in this is that’s where you go
Google porn so I went
I went on down we’re follow them and it was the most

00:06:55

wretched experiences their women with babies and fungal
Lowes boxes is it anyways in August
hot North Carolina is hot hot hot
hot in August end
we caught in their crammed in as you can imagine
Madison hall it was in human

Joseph Smith enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on June 11, 1943.  Smith selected the Marine Corps after a USMC recruiter convinced him that he would be treated just the same as white recruits and could expect a job other than cook.  While Smith would eventually serve in the Okinawa Campaign as a truck driver, he quickly learned during his trip to boot camp that institutional racism was alive and well in the Armed Forces.

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