February 21, 1945 (Wednesday)

HANK CLASSIFIED 2C UNTIL AUGUST 1946

---

Nasty chilly day.

Raining this P.M.

Hank and Ed

playing poker most

of day and this

evening.

Henry went to Grand

Rapids again to-day

attending a special

meeting of Road Comm.

I finished ironing

and did some mending

this evening.

Ed came back with

Hank again last night.

Hank rec'd his new

Army classification to day.

2C until next Aug.

---

Nasty is an adjective Edna uses to describe the day. Surely, she is only using it in reference to the weather. The day itself must have been brightened by the news that Hank officially received word of his 2C classification (see February 19, 1945 post).

Hank's 2C classification had me curious about other classifications. A post on lisalouise.com, featured a helpful post entitled: Deciphering Draft Registration Cards for Genealogy: World War II with just the information I was looking for (and more).

"World War II, draft classifications were listed using first a “Roman Numeral and then a Letter” giving the status of each registrant.  Some of the more common Classifications included:  

• I-A: Fit for military service (could be inducted into service)

• II-B: Deferred necessary to National Defense

• III-A: Service deferred to hardship/dependents

• III-B: Occupation vital to War Effort

• IV-D: Minister of religion

• IV-E: Conscientious Objector

• IV-F: Rejected for Military Service

President Roosevelt signed the Selective Training and Service Act on September 16, 1940, which required that all men between 21 and 35 register. It was the first ever peacetime conscription in the United States.

It's relatively easy to find copies of your ancestors' draft cards on genealogy websites like ancestry.com. My grandfather, James L. Johnson (Hank's brother) registered with the selective service on October 16, 1940, just a month after President Roosevelt instituted the draft.

At the time of his registration my grandfather was 35 years old. He was also a single father and sole caregiver for two boys.

My grandfather died in 1992 at the age of 87. I was in my early twenties when he passed, but I recognized the boxy-style handwriting in which his name was written on his draft card, recalling it from birthday and Christmas cards I received from him.