Korean War veteran of Girard was destined to join Marines

Although joining the Marine Corps was not his first choice, Arquilla was destined to join the Marines and fight in Korea.

“They had a draft on when the Korean War was going on. So, four or five of us buddies from high school, we graduated together and we went to join the Army. We went to the Army and they refused us because they were booked. They said, ‘Go around the corner.’ So we went around the corner to the Navy,” Arquilla said. “They said the same thing. They said, ‘We have so many draftees, you’ll have to wait.’ So we went around the corner again to the Marine Corps, and they grabbed us and pulled us in. They were shorthanded. We didn’t pick the Marines, it just happened to fall that way.”