Paul Noll Joins the US Army

Private Paul Noll at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey

Basic training is over and I have been transferred to the Signal School at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. I learned that you could apply for TPA (Travel by Private Auto). I did and received $400 and 30 days to get to Fort Monmouth. I drove there in my 1936 Chevrolet and had a wonderful trip seeing the country. I slept by the car at night. I ate sandwiches that I made from supplies bought from grocery stores. Before I started I had the valves ground on my car, and had money left over. I was assigned to the Radio Repair School. It goes for 8 hours a day for 56 weeks. My MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) is 3648 Radio Repair Specialist. I was initially assigned to Company Z of the 5400 STR (Signal Training Regiment). Later I was transferred to Company W of the 5400 STR. Fort Monmouth is near Red Bank, New Jersey and not far from Asbury Park, a seaside resort. I often went to Asbury Park to meet girls and to swim. The first time I went to the Asbury Park, I wore my bathing suit. I parked my car and started to walk to the beach. A policeman stopped me and asked where I was going. "To the beach." I replied. "Not that way," says he. "You must get dressed and pay a beach concession for a bathhouse and access to the beach." A lesson for a California boy. I was one of very few soldiers with a car. Asbury Park has a very nice boardwalk and lots of young girls come there on vacation.