Veteran's History Project - Lloyd Kermit Nelson

Lloyd Kermit Nelson

Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Corp (ret.)

February 1942 to December 1945

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story is one of many American Veteran accounts published in The Sidney Sun-Telegraph. The writer, who is from Potter, is conducting the interviews as part of the Library of Congress' Veterans History Project.

Kermit Nelson was raised on a farm southwest of Potter, born into a large family.

From ages 10 to 24, he was a worker on the farm too. His primary summer job was doing the work involving horses. He operated the horse-drawn, one-row cultivator daily, covering seven acres at a time.

Kermit's father passed away at an early age, leaving the children to take care of their mother and the farm. Kermit's older brother was going to be drafted into the service. Rather than diminish the care for their mother and six other children, Kermit enlisted so that his brother wouldn't have to and could stay home running things.

At 24, Kermit went to Cheyenne, Wyo., for his physical and testing. He was hoping to go in to truck repair and mechanical training. In the vocational test batteries, Kermit made the maximum score in the communication equipment test. He was going to radio operator's school.

He went to his first training station at North Little Rock, Ark., via train from Cheyenne. The train was full of soldiers and dependents. He stood most of the long ride.

Upon arrival, he obtained the usual look-alike haircut, got new clothes and rooms full of new friends. The pay was $21 a month, less life insurance, bonds, Red Cross etc. In the end, he had $3 for "walking around" money.

The training was tough including 30-mile road marches. Kermit developed leg problems, but persisted with the training so he wouldn't be recycled. He said that he tried to look good whenever any superiors were watching.

The basic training lasted about eight weeks. On weekends, he and others would hitchhike to Little Rock, where they would go to the U.S.O.

After basic training, he was sent to radio school at Baton Rouge, La., and then to radar school in Atlanta. This was a civilian-based school, but the soldiers attended in uniform.

He was finally sent to a radar station west of Orlando, Fla. This was also an intelligence gathering effort, checking for radio signals along the southeast coast of the U.S. Here they also trained personnel to become radar operators.

His job was as a radar mechanic, keeping the radar at 100 percent efficiency. There was also night time air activity in the area, so the radio intercepts had to be precise and complete. After his shift, he studied at night, trying to learn everything he could about this field from available books.

The officer in charge of the station and a tech sergeant had an equipment problem they couldn't solve. When they turned the voltage up, the radar would not work properly. Since he was in the area, they asked Kermit his advice. Kermit's answer was that the meter reading was incorrect. He was right and things worked as they should have. Because he worked hard at night studying, he knew more.

For this answer, he was recommended to go with the higher level team as a lead mechanic. The group went to Louisiana to train pilots to intercept bombers at night by knowing how to read their radar screens. He also was a radar station inspector and trainer, covering the entire state.

There were three superstations and six standard radar stations. He drove a jeep from station to station (sometimes, even exceeding the speed limit).

Their homes were a combination of canvas and wood. The structure was pine boards on the lower third, then canvas material reaching a coned-shaped top. The pay had increased to about $80 less the usual deductions. He lived on the bases where food was good. Compared to farm life, he considered this a vacation!

While away from home, he wrote letters when he could. He received a letter every day from his girlfriend, Marjorie. The soldiers were entertained by U.S.O. groups sometimes. There were occasional card games. The game winners had to go to the PX for coffee for the rest of the men. The coffee usually cost more than the winnings.

His service ended in December 1945. He out-processed at an air station in Pratt, Kan. He hitchhiked on a pickup truck to Grand Island, where he obtained a bus ticket to Potter.

Soon he was back in the farming business. He received a stipend through the G.I. Bill. With some of his military savings, he and his brother bought an International Farmall tractor.

Kermit joined the American Legion and was a member of the Potter and Dalton groups for more than 65 years. The Legion meetings were the same nights as square dancing so, for a while, not so many Legion events were attended.

He had some close friendships with the people he trained and lived with and outlived many of them. His military service taught him to appreciate his family, communicate better and to deal with people of different nationalities.

Kermit died on Tuesday of this week after a long illness. He and Marjorie had lived in Dalton and were very active in their community and family.

Good job, Sgt. Kermit Nelson! Thank you for your service.