“I joined the Navy when I was 17 years old. Since I was underage, my mom and my dad had to sign for me. I went in as what they call a “Kiddie Cruiser”. I was supposed to get out the day before I was 21.

I got extended briefly for Vietnam, but I never had to go because our ship was in the Naval Shipyard. My Navy career was an adventure for a young man seventeen years old. I had just gotten out of high school. My parents wanted to send me to college, and I said, no I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want to get drafted; I think I’ll just join the Navy. 

Sam Poole

Please contact the St. Charles County Veterans Museum Oral History project at sccvetsmuseum@gmail.com or call 636-294-2657 for more information and lets’ talk. We want to hear from you because we know…Every Veteran has a story.