Reflections of My Life by JL Byars – page 6

In early September we began to help form more Divisions.  The 7th, 8th and 11th Armored Tank Destroyers were just a few that were formed out of the 3rd Armored Division and more units were formed later.

On October 14, 1941 I was sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky Mechanic School for three months schooling on medium tank motors and general tank repairs.  Other men of our unit were sent to study small tank repair and other vehicles used in our Division.  Promotions came very fast.  I went to Fort Knox as T-5, promoted to Corporal just after I got there and a month later I made T-4.

After three months I went back to Camp Polk, Louisiana to help train more recruits. I spent lots of time going to First Aid classes.  I thought they were trying to make a doctor out of me!!  This training really paid off later when we were in battle.  If I wasn’t in school, I was in battlefield training, and keeping in good condition for the future.

I had been in the army about six months when I was promoted to Buck Sergeant, then shortly I made Staff Sergeant, which was as high as I could go without going to Officers Candidates School, and becoming 2nd Lieutenant – I wanted no part of that!!

On November 1, 1941 Company “I” of 32nd Regent of 3rd Armored Division was sent to McDill Field, Florida for more training.  While we were en route there, we were in parades in Port Arthur, Texas; New Iberia and Lake Charles, Louisiana.