YOUTHS JOIN ARMY AIR CORPS--Here is the first contingent of Sioux City's contribution to Uncle Sam's program of raising the United States air corps by 18,000 men in view of the present European conflict. The Journal's photographer snapped their pictures just before they scrambled aboard a bus Monday morning on the first lap of a journey to the Pacific coast where they will undergo training. These seven of 12 youths who have enlisted here in the last two weeks at the army recruiting office in the federal building, will make their first stop in Omaha. From there they will continue to Moffet field, Sunnyvale, Cal., for intensive aeronautic training before they are assigned to posts.
Reading from left to right in the front row are Ray V. Hensman, Neal E. Erickson, Dean M. Warwick and William E. Low, all of Sioux City. In the back row, left to right, are Robert J. Kelly of Remsen, Dwight H. Goff of Sioux City, Leo A. Mack of South Sioux City and Recruiting Sergeant Abbate.
Source: The Sioux City Journal, (latter half of year) 1939 (photograph included)
IN UNIFORM.
T. Sgt. Neal E. Erickson, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. Erickson, 1922 W. Horne street, is spending a 30-day furlough here, for the last 28 months, Sgt. Erickson has served in India, Africa and China.
Source: The Sioux City Journal, January 27, 1945
Neal Eugene Erickson was born Sept. 16, 1920 to Adolf and Alice Peterson Erickson. He died Nov. 16, 1989 and is buried in Riverside National Cemetery, Riverside, CA.
CMSgt. Erickson served with the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II.
Source: ancestry.com
