A Social History Of The World War II Era, 1943-1945, As Seen Through The Eyes Of U.S. Soldier William A. Reynolds

Abstract

World War II raged into its fourth year in 1944. In upstate New York, a common cab driver in Rochester received his draft notice from the U.S. Army. William Reynolds, the driver of a 1942 Plymouth taxi, enlisted on April 7 of 1944, thrusting this common American into the global conflict, and changing his life forever. Historians have often retraced the history of World War II on a global scale, examining the war through the perspectives of entire nations as they clashed. As the best oral histories have illustrated, the most personal stories of World War II can be illuminated in very human ways through the eyes of everyday Americans and their personal experiences. One person who lived through the era and 9 provides a valuable look at being an American and a soldier was William Reynolds, who suddenly became a soldier during the height of World War II.