Alton L Orlomoski

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Alton L. Orlomoski

At the age of 17, I enlisted in the Regular Army for 3 years.  It was December 1946.  After basic training, I went to Japan for two years, and was assigned to the First Cavalry Division stationed at Camp Drake.  There, I was trained as a machine gunner and mortar gunner.  In October 1947, I was selected to be a member of the “Honor Guard Co.”  I lived in the Finance Building and pulled guard at the Dai Ichi Building.  There, I met a lot of good men, especially George Miller of Kansas.  While on duty, I talked to members of the 11th Airborne Division and finally decided I’d like to a paratrooper.  In March 1948, I received my transfer and was assigned to the 187th Glider Infantry Regiment.  After graduating from jump school, I was stationed at Camp Crawford near Sapporo on the island of Hokkaido, and served as a 81mm mortar gunner in a heavy weapons company.  I returned to the States in 1949 and finished my enlistment.  Although I served a relatively short time with the Honor Guard, I have always been proud of being a member of the sharpest outfit in the Far East Command.

Alton L. Orlomoski
Canterbury, CT