One day, they were just three gangly teenagers, trying to earn diplomas and make their mark at Kern County Union High School, the historic mid-city campus whose name would later be changed to Bakersfield High.

Then — it seemed like it was overnight — high school was over and they were on their way to basic training like millions of other young Americans who served in the armed forces during World War II.

Reporter Steven Mayer can be reached at 661-395-7353. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter: @semayerTBC.