Dad (right) and his friend Gigi (John) Gori standing outside the beer garden run by Gigi's sister Toni in downtown Wilson, PA. I believe this photograph was taken in 1939 shortly before they joined the Marine Corps in January 1940. If so, they would have been 18 years old. In the fall of 1939, Gigi and Dad decided that they would join the Army. So they made it down to the recruiting station in Pittsburgh. For some reason Gigi was not allowed in. So much for that plan until they saw a recruiting poster for the Marines. The poster showed a Marine in dress blues sitting on a horse. Both signed up.