navy finding his lifes mission

What we need to convey: Growing sense of mission.

Mood: The mood of the navy years section is one of inquisitiveness and a sense of a young man looking for something worthwhile

Background: We follow Doug to the Navy during the Second World War and his experience in the Philippines, where he came to be shaped intellectually and early signs of his course in life would emerge.

Setting his studies aside, he joined the Navy during World War II, serving for two years as an electronic/radar technician in the Phillipines. He heard about a 'cool new unit which got to work on secret stuff'.

Doug read a self help book on how to focus his life by William James called 'Making the most of your life'.

He also read a book about computers (Giant Brains, or Machines That Think by Edmund C Berkeley). This gave him some understanding of computers.

He reads the article by Vannevar Bush which inspired him and may have given him specific ideas, but he is not sure about this as he didn't remember reading it until years after his epiphany.

As We May Think' was published by Vannevar Bush in the July 1945 issue of The Atlantic Monthly. The editor introduces the article: "As Director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, Dr. Vannevar Bush has coordinated the activities of some six thousand leading American scientists in the application of science to warfare. In this significant article he proposes a direction for scientists when the fighting has ceased. He urges that men of science should then turn to the massive task of making more accessible our bewildering store of knowledge. For many years inventions have extended man's physical powers rather than the powers of his mind... Now, says Dr. Bush, instruments are at hand which, if properly developed, will give man access to and command over the inherited knowledge of the ages."

After the navy years and completed his B.S. in electrical engineering in 1948, he settled contentedly on the San Francisco peninsula as an electrical engineer at NACA Ames Laboratory (forerunner of NASA).

Interviewee's: Cannot think of any.

Visuals: War footage? If we can get it without spending a fortune. If we get cheap tickets maybe we should go to the Philippines...

Also, the sea around San Francisco, which is where Doug shipped off.

: The war started when he was 16. He started college and was defered from the draft as he was studying engineering.

The campus at electrical engineering at Oregon State University very small.

Doug decided to sign up as a radar engineer in the navy. It was top secret stuff, and that excited him - they locked up the training manuals between classes he was told.

The day he sailed off from Treasure Island in California the war ended.

Stationed in the Philiphines his job then was to repair and maintain radars.

Nevver directly involved in combat, Doug nevertheles saw the reality and the horror of war.

Much of the time it was uneventful. He turned a teletype into a local system so that he could practice typing, mostly so that he would stay awake.

There was a Red Cross library which few made use off. Doug however, did.

He read a book about computers, 'Giant Brains, or Machines That Think'.

Doug came across Vannevar Bush's article in Time magazine where he urges that men of science should then turn to the massive task of making more accessible our bewildering store of knowledge. For many years inventions have extended man's physical powers rather than the powers of his mind Vannevar asserted.

Vannevar discussed making trails through information, illustrated with the technology of the day, microfiche. There were many seminal thoughts presented in the article.

He also read a self help book called 'Making the most of your life' which really affected him. It pointed out that planning what you wanted to do would be worthwile and it encouraged questioning how valuable your contribution to the world would be.

From the book: "If you would like to see something done? What's the first step? Is is a big deal? just take it!"

The book affected him profoundly. So he stole it.

In so many ways his war years would solidify the direction of the naive young farm boy from Oregon.