Jim-Bob's Birthdate

[JeriJet]

This has been discussed recently on another thread ..... it had been bothering me that in The Valediction (s8/e23), Jim-Bob was graduating high school in 1944 when it appeared he was 20 years old (from s3/e4 The Runaway, he was born 6/13/1924) ......

Now, today, I watched The Secret (s4/e16) and it states he was born 1/13/1923..... which would make him 21 when he graduated...... Yikes.

I'll calm down now and try to forget about it....

[dfnmeows44]

While Jimbob was the valedictorian of his class we have to recall an earlier part of the same episode. Had not a girl moved away and one of the boys joined the Army, it would have been a very different story. Jimbob had difficulty in school--remember The Tailspin? If it had not been for Corabeth's tutoring, he would have been left back that year. He could have had more difficulty before this and afterwards, As I said earlier he got a good report card at the beginning of The Unthinkable, but Elizabeth put him to shamre with her knowledge of History plus English literature/cf.her quote from Alfred Lord Tennyson.

[maxwalton]

If that latter date from The Secret is accurate (one would think so as it is written in the court records), then Jim Bob would have been plenty old enough to sign up after December 7, 1941.

[childfree23]

That's right, MaxWalton. When Jim-Bob tried to enlist after Pearl Harbor, he was turned away ... several times, in fact, until he finally did enlist in "The Valedictorian."

On the off chance, does anyone know what the enlistment age was for World War II? I know at one point it was 21 and was lowered to 18, but I don't know what year that took place.

Debby

[JeriJet]

I believe you could enlist, with parents' approval, at 17; otherwise, 18......

This is just another example of "poetical license" the writers took, too often! We have to just forget about the three additional years !!!

[childfree23]

Thanks, JeriJet. That's what I thought.

Did you see The Today Show interview this morning?

Debby