"I had some interesting times in Karachi because in my usual way I was more interested in interacting with Indians than with other soldiers." (Video Interview, Part 2, 25:30)

John Carson Rather

John Rather, India [5/3/1944] War: World War, 1939-1945 Branch: Army Air Forces/Corps Unit: Army Airways Communication System (AACS) Service Location: Atlantic City, New Jersey (basic training); Chanute Field, Illinois; Allahabad, Gaya, Karachi and Bangalore, India Rank: Staff Sergeant Place of Birth: Brooklyn, NY

Fresh out of Amherst College in June 1942, John Rather joined the Army and parlayed a course he had taken in school to become a specialist in cryptography and cryptanalysis. (His interview explains the difference.) His first duty station would be Allahabad, India, best known as the hometown of that country's emerging political leader, Jawaharlal Nehru. The four men in his group sent and received coded transmissions regarding the movements of the Air Transport Command, the American planes flying "over the hump" to and from Burma. Rather used his free time to make friends with the locals and immerse himself in the culture. He contracted polio but did not suffer grievously and remained in India until he was pronounced cured.