Ch 7, He's In The Army Now

Initially, the recruiter wanted Freeland to be part of the 7th Cavalry Troup but Freeland had his fill of horses also, and wanted nothing more to do with them. He opted for the 82nd Field Artillery, 1st Cavalry Division only to discover, to his dismay, that it was a "horse drawn" unit and he now had two horses to tend to instead of one. He eventually ended up at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas for his military training.

William Freeland (on far horse) and Sgt. Brown

After the first year, William decided that the "horse army" was not the exciting life he expected and discovered that he could buy his way out for $110. Out of his $21/month stipend he managed to save the required fee in only 1 year, but by that time he had changed his mind and decided to complete his enlistment. William graduated quickly through the ranks and became a Corporal and then a "Buck Sergeant" by the time he was 22 years old in 1940.

William Freeland Johnson, 1938 at Fort Bliss, Texas

As a Corporal, William was initially responsible for training new recruits and breaking re-mounts (new horses) for service as draft horses or riding horses. Before long he was acting as Gunnery Sergeant with the "C" Battery of the 82nd Field Artillery where he was assigned to the "instrument" section and was responsible for locating and positioning his Battery’s "line of fire." He was also assigned to the "wire" section, and was responsible for laying communication wire between HQ and the Gun Batteries.

As part of his unofficial training, Freeland learned how to "cook the books" and helped the mess sergeant to improve his output by taking an accurate count of the "available" diners at the mess hall. By counting all "available" heads instead of actual diners, Freeland increased the allotment given to the mess sergeant each month. The extra allotment allowed them to purchase better and fresher supplies at local distributors than were normally provided by the commissary.

It was also at Fort Bliss that Freeland ended up in the hospital with a severe case of pneumonia that nearly ended this story right here. His family back in Muscogee had been notified that "the end was near" and that if they wanted to seem him they had better hurry to El Paso. Freeland was in and out of consciousness for three or four days and relates an interesting experience he had during that time. He remembers feeling as if he was being buried under a pile of military duffle bags and all the while struggling to get out because he couldn’t breathe. Each time he gave up, someone or something urged him to "try one more time" until he finally succeeded in casting the bags aside and reaching the surface. Freeland eventually recovered and completed his three year enlistment.

By now it was July 27th, 1941 and the winds of war were looming on the horizon. Freeland was faced with the option of being drafted back into the "Horse Army" at his old rank, or re-enlisting into the newly formed Army/Air Force as a private. He chose the latter, having had his fill of the horse drawn artillery unit he had trained with. He was soon re-assigned to Ellington Field, South of Houston, Texas where his prior training as a drill sergeant was much in demand. At his new commander’s request, and even though he was only a private, he took up duties as a drill sergeant and was rewarded with the special privilege of a private room and the freedom to come and go as he pleased. He was further promised that the commander would take him along to the squadron after six weeks.

 William Freeland in the new Army/Air Force, 1941

When his six weeks were completed, Freeland was sent to Randolph Field in San Antonio, Texas to attend all the schools necessary for the complete maintenance of aircraft. He studied aircraft engines, air frames, hydraulics, and electrical for six months before he was transferred to a flight training squadron at Odessa/Midland Air Force Base near the towns of the same names.

 William Freeland, on the flightline, 1943

It was here that Freeland’s orders and promotions finally caught up with him, and he discovered that he had been promoted from private to PFC, then to Corporal, to Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, and then to Technical Sergeant during the previous nine months! He assumed the duties of a "flight chief" with direct responsibility for over 25 aircraft.