Joe and WWII

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Subject: Joseph Frank Forrai.

Date: Spring 1942.

Location: Camp Lee, Virginia (located near Petersburg, Virginia).

Occasion: Stateside training.

Photographer: Unknown.

Relationship to me: Father.

Once my mother retired, she went through the boxes of photographs and created historical photo albums. She made one for myself and one for my brother. This is a photograph from the album made for me.

In the next few weeks I will be posting photographs of my father and taken by my father during WWII. My father was trained in the United States and was a Quartermaster. The Quartermasters are the supply line, and while you would think it was safer than being on the line, think again. You affect more, if you knock out the supply line. My father was stationed in the Pacific and had the chance to be based in Australia, New Zealand, and of course the Pacific islands with the exact location: South Pacific (Nouméa, New Caledonia).

Here is the text on the sign, line by line from top to bottom:

COMPETITIVE

AWARD

FOR

EXCELLENCE

MESS HALL

BY ORDER OF

Regimental Commander

3RD. Q.M.T.R. Reg.

The 3RD. Q.M.T.R. Reg. stands for 3rd Quartermaster Training Regiment.

During World War II, Quartermaster Training Regiments were responsible for training personnel in military logistics, supply management, food service (mess halls), and transportation—making this a fantastic photo from Joseph’s early stateside training days before going overseas!

You may also want to check out my other blog, where I have been posting letters that my Uncle Paul wrote to my father. Paul was in Europe and my dad in the Pacific. The link to the Shoebox of Letters can be found to your right of this column.