2. Jim Phelps Enlisted During WWII at Age 15
As 1944 drew to a close, Jim Phelps had a dilemma. Many of the young Oklahoman’s friends were going off to fight in WWII, and he wanted to go too, but at age 15, he was just too young. So he got some of his friends to forge a letter purporting to be from his parents, giving their approval for his joining the Army. In 1945, a recruiter accepted the letter at face value, and Phelps was off to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, for training.
After training, he was sent to the Philippines as a tank driver, but saw far less action than he’d hoped for. By the time he got there, the main Japanese resistance had been broken, and all that was left were mopping up operations. Phelps did not even get to experience that much mopping up, as Japan surrendered shortly after his arrival. He was then sent to Japan as part of the occupation force, and stayed there until 1947, when he was discharged. He would be back in uniform soon enough.