By the time the United States was propelled into World War II in December 1941, Europe had been torn by war for over two years. In America, the small, professional armed forces that began the war were quickly replaced by massive establishments made up almost entirely of draftees - civilians thrown 'into the breach' - most after barely three months of training. Somehow, these young men achieved the transformation from fresh-faced conscripts into battle-hardened warriors. This episode of The Colour of War explores that transformation, and the gut-wrenching consequences it inflicted on the fighting men of World War II.