"It was May 1942, and I was in my second month of Basic training at Camp Pershing in Wisconsin. One night, the drill sergeant told me and a ten other men in the company to report to the auditorium at 1900 for a 'special briefing'. I was a little pissed about giving up my limited free time, but we were promised a beer so I wasn't too upset. So we get there at a few minutes early and find the auditorium packed with about 100 other men. This corporal hands me a beer and tells me to find a seat. A few minutes after 1900, this major walks up on stage and starts speaking. Tells us that we're among the fittest in the training battalion. He asks if any of us want to volunteer for a new assignment. One soldier asked him what the new assignment entailed? After about 30 seconds of silence, he answers that it would involve us jumping out of airplanes. The mass of laughter and hooping in that auditorium had to be the loudest thing I've ever heard.......outside of combat that is. Anyway, once the NCO's finally got us back to a bearable manner, the major mentioned that every volunteer who made it through 'paratrooper' training would get a special allowance of $30 a month. Not only was there no laughing at this point, but almost 80 hands went up. I was surprised and dumbfounded that mine was one of them."
U.S. Major General (Retired) Alex "All the Way" Bevins speaking as part of GWII series in 1985