“I registered for the draft upon turning 18, and persuaded the draft board to take me early on. I was considered a volunteer. I was afraid the war would be over before I got into it. To me, it was the great adventure. I was very naïve and innocent at the time. I chose the Army because my father had been a soldier during World War I. Two of my friends went into the Army at the same time and we took basic training together. My parents were very upset because I went into the service before I had to. They wanted me to finish high school first. I was sworn in the 20th of May 1944 at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. My basic training was done at Camp Croft, Spartanburg, South Carolina. This was an Infantry Replacement Training Center. Almost all the traveling from home to Army camps was done by train.

   Upon arrival at the basic training center, all of us were given an orientation lecture by a captain who would be our company commanding officer. This lecture covered the "do’s and don’ts" of Army life. This was 1944 and my platoon sergeant (Bailey was his name) was a veteran of the fighting in the Aleutian Islands. His assistant, a Corporal Johnson, really did most of the training work. Both men were tough, no nonsense soldiers, but very fair in their treatment of everyone.

   Basic training lasted seventeen weeks. Everything was well organized, and in those twelve-hour days we were taught everything that a soldier had to know to fight as an infantryman. Discipline was strict, but because we were mostly young men and full of it, a certain amount of humor was always present. Each weekday started with one hour of calisthenics, rain or shine, then breakfast at the mess hall, family-style. Everyone would sit quietly at the tables, food was brought to the tables, and then the mess sergeant would give permission to eat. In my opinion, the food was excellent, wide variety at mealtimes, and I believe our mess sergeant took pride in his job. Everyone took turns doing K-P duty, so I know the kitchen area and eating area were kept spotless.

   After breakfast, we returned to our barracks, cleaned everything up and got ready for the day’s training sessions. All training was conducted outside and we marched or walked to whatever area of the camp was involved. Camp Croft was in the middle of vast peach orchards, yet the training areas were dry, dusty, and the heat was brutal. There were bugs and insects around, but they never were a major nuisance. We learned how to use all the weapons that are prominent in the infantry. I earned badges and bars for proficiency in carbines, rifles, BAR and machine guns, and was familiar with mortars and anti-tank guns.

   I do not remember any discipline problems and the minor screw-ups were handled on an individual basis. Saturday mornings were spent cleaning the barracks and latrine, cleaning individual's equipment, putting footlockers in order, and getting everything ready for the weekly inspection. Bunks had to be made up a certain way, clothing hung in a specific order, and equipment lay out neatly. These Saturday morning inspections were serious business because everything (and I emphasize that) was checked thoroughly. If the barracks area was not cleaned properly, everyone had to turn to and work until the inspecting officer was satisfied. If an individual's rifle was not clean or his clothes not buttoned properly, this had to be corrected before he was excused for the rest of the weekend. Many of the men I trained with lived in the immediate area and worked hard to pass inspection so they could go home for the weekend. Church services were available on Sunday for those who wished to go.

Chase later served with the 89th and 83rd Infantry Divisions in Europe during World War II after joining the regular Army in October of 1945. He was discharged October 1948, but re-enlisted in the Army in December of 1950. He first arrived in Korea in January or February of 1951 and served with B Company, 19th Infantry Regiment, and 24th Infantry Division. He was wounded in March of 1951. He was injured a second time in June or July of 1951. He returned to Korea in November of 1952, and was assigned to I Company, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division in the Chorwon, Kumwah area. He was wounded a third time in Korea on July 26, 1953, the day before the war ended. He was discharged October 13, 1953.

Returning from Korea, Chase married Carole L. Bater on the 19th of June 1955. The couple have three children: Stephen, Peter, and Ellen. Don's work has always been in the construction industry; he was a carpenter by trade, as well as job foreman and built houses, hospitals, office buildings, steel plants, highway bridges, etc. He retired in 1990, but still does odds and ends of carpenter work. Don also enjoys playing golf, taking part in the local DAV chapter, assists other veterans in getting to their hospital appointments, and he write poems.