Could You Get Through Boot Camp in WWII?

HISTORY

By: Teresa McGlothlin

6 Min Quiz

Image: Wiki Commons by National Archives

About This Quiz

During WWII, you either volunteered to serve your country, or you were pulled in the draft. Throughout this quiz, we're going to see how well you would have fared as a member of the service back then. Basic training was a little tougher than it is now, and enlistees were sent straight to the front lines. Are you as tough as those how managed to make it all the way to graduation? 

From the moment new soldiers, sailors and airmen stepped off the train and into their assigned boot camp, they were subjected to strict military life. After starting with having their heads shaved, enlistees went on to be prepared for the most intense war-time circumstances that any of their enemies could dole out. Consisting of grueling physical fitness training, hand-to-hand combat training, marksmanship and heavy artillery drills, WWII boot camp required a lot of grit to survive. 

Put yourself in the boots of a WWII service person and try your best to make it through one of the most difficult challenges of your life. Do you have what it takes to stand next to the veterans we admire and thank for our freedoms? Or will you have to send a letter home admitting your failure? Scroll down to see how well you'll do! 


Did you voluntarily enlist, or was your number drawn in the draft?

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Are you nervous or excited now that you're at the train depot to be shipped out?

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Which branch of the military runs the WWII boot camp you'll attend?

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Fresh off the bus, a drill sergeant screams, "Blow it out your barracks bag!" What do you think that means?

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You're led to your bunk and told to make hospital corners — can you do it?

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How well are going to handle having your hair completely shaved off?

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It's time for a physical fitness test; how many push-ups can you crank out?

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When you're handed your standard issue M1, what part do you grab first?

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How are your "get-alongs" feeling after all of those running drills?

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You've been told to belly crawl for 300 yards. How far will you make it?

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Which one of the WWII tanks do you hope they teach you to drive?

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What MOS (Military Occupational Speciality) do you hope they teach you?

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The misery pipe wakes you up for combat training at 4 a.m. What drill sounds the hardest?

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What will you do when the instructor yells, "Get that blister foot"?

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When you send your "behavior report" home, what will your letter say?

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Which of these bayonet moves are you learning to master?

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Oh no! You've been caught practicing the blanket drill. What punishment will you take?

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Are you a better shot with your FP-.45 Liberator or your Browning Auto-5?

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Would you rather be sent off to a cast-iron bathtub or the chair-borne infantry?

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As you head toward The Crucible, is there any part of it that concerns you?

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Your instructor orders your platoon across a swift-moving river. How will you keep your balance?

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Would any of your fellow soldiers say that you've been a "mitt flopper" during basic training?

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Did your heart nearly stop the first time you threw a MK2 grenade?

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How long is going to take you to run three miles with 40-lbs of gear?

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You're put in charge of radio communications for the day. How do you fire up the Gibson Girl?

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Now that you've been in boot camp for a while, can you pull off 50 sit-ups?

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What rating would you give your accuracy with the Howitzer?

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What's your favorite part of the rations they serve you at the mess hall?

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Which one of your boot camp medals will you cherish more?

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Once basic training has ended, where are you hoping to be sent?

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