Wednesday morning, March 24, 1943, saw these young men waiting for a bus to take them to Fort George Meade for training as they joined the United States Army. Before they boarded the bus for the 8:00 am trip they managed to get a photo of themselves and those there to see them off on their journey. Several of these guys were Thurmont boys.
These young men were headed off to a war that at that time was still being fought on many fronts with no end in sight. Major fighting at this time was being waged in North Africa in an effort to break the German hold on vast coastlines in the Mediterranean. It would be Sept. 1943 before allied forces invaded Italy and a full year until the D-Day Invasion of June 6, 1944.
This photo was taken on Wednesday, March 24, 1943, on 3rd Street in Frederick City in front of the U.S. Draft Board Office.
L-R Back Row Franklin Rhodes, Herbert Brice (George Brice's brother), Harry J. Martin, Mary Rhodes (mother of Clinton Rhodes), Clinton Rhodes, Kismer Kunhiertch (sp?), Margaret Kiser ( mother of Jack Kiser), Doris Ecker (Jack Kiser's future wife).
L-R Middle Row: Richard Messner, Nellie Riffle (mother of Elwood Riffle)
L-R Front Row: Edward Martin, George Brice, Paul Toms, Elwood Riffle, Jack Kiser, Richard Green
