Editor's note: This is the first in a series about Jonathan Chamberlain, of Orem, who served in the U.S. Air Force during the period of the Korean "War." He used his skills as a journeyman carpenter on his LDS mission and worked as a career counselor in his military service in England. This is his story in his own words.

At age 17, both my brother and I were considered journeyman carpenters by the local carpenter's union, because we had built, or helped build, barns, sheds, a chicken coop, and a house on our farm. After our first year of college, we worked building houses in Mesa, Ariz., and then later in the Los Angeles area.

In February 1948, I was attacked by our Jersey bull and spent weeks in the hospital. Two days after I returned from the clinic, I was interviewed for an LDS mission call at our stake conference, even though I was still very thin and looked as emaciated and weak as I felt. After more recuperation, I reported in December 1948 to the North Central States Mission

I spent much of my mission building a "house chapel" and remodeling many members' homes that had been damaged by a flood. I also met my future wife on my mission.

Immediately upon returning home in December 1950, I was informed by the draft board that I must either be drafted into the U.S. Army or enlist in a branch of the service of my choice. I was told by a recruiter in Kanab that if I enlisted at Fort Douglas in January, I could return home and wait two or three months to be called up. But contrary to that promise, about 50 of us spent the night at Fort Douglas, and early the next morning, instead of returning home, we were shipped to Denver by train. After an hour's wait there, we and many more enlistees were sent to Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas.

A serious mistake had been made. The base was definitely not ready to receive us.

After a few days, a fellow enlistee from Glendale, Utah, contracted pneumonia from overexposure and the poor housing conditions. He was diagnosed with spinal meningitis and was paralyzed for two weeks, not expected to live. He was sent home and honorably discharged.

We were still wearing only the clothes we had been wearing when we enlisted. We slept in them, wrapping our blankets around us. For 17 days, our flight group were sworn at, marched, and drilled, and we served KP duty in our civilian shoes and clothes. We were forbidden to use established latrines to wash or to use the toilets, so we were all cold, hungry, and dirty. I was fortunate to have my Sunday wool suit and overcoat, having just arrived from Winnipeg, Canada. Still, after the ordeal, I was greasy and filthy.

Finally because so many enlistees had died and dozens more were seriously ill from the adverse conditions in the January cold and wind, a congressional investigation got underway. Our tents were stricken down and we were ordered into warm barracks with wooden floors, heaters, and cots with mattresses. On Jan. 19, we were issued regulation shoes and Air Force uniforms, and for the first time, changes in underwear and the privilege to wash our civilian clothes.

A day or two later, we were awakened from sleep in the middle of the night, told to gather our gear, and were taken to the airport, where we boarded an airliner and were flown to Stott Field, Ill. -- all this before our basic training was complete. Might we have been shipped out before the congressional investigation began?

After training (and much church activity) at Scott Field and Lowry AFB in Denver, Jonathan is assigned to Germany -- but he ends up in England.

Some veterans may wish, on their own, to tape or digital record their memories of military service. These will be transcribed and archived. For instructions on how to do this, e-mail Don Norton, at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it