Mr. McGinn was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on November 10, 1914. He lived in his family's home in Hartford until he married, and moved to Windsor Locks where, he lived with his wife's family. He attended local schools in Hartford and graduated from Hartford High School in 1932. Mr. McGinn said that he enjoyed school and particularly liked History, English, and baseball. He said that those two teachers, Mr. Young, and Mr. Shide were two of his most admired men growing up, and said that to this day he still thinks of. He wanted to attend college after High School, but could not due to his parents not being able to afford it.
             He said as a boy he wore knickers and long socks most of the time and he remembered his first pair of pants his mother bought him when he started high school. He reminded me that when he was a youth, attending high school was not taken for granted. He said that most of his friends went immediately into the trades or became laborers, if they could find a job.
             Mr. McGinn said that his life as a child was good. Though the country was going through a depression, his father worker and if they suffered he did not realize it. He said that he had a lot of friends in the neighborhood and that he would go to the movies and watch two shows, cartoons and a newsreel, all for about a nickel.
             On July 15, 1940, he married Ann-Marie Kennedy, after first meeting her three years earlier at a dance in Granby CT. He said he was quite a dancer and enjoyed Jimmy Dorsey, the other "Big Bands". After his marriage to her he moved to Windsor Locks and worked at Dexter Coffin, a paper mill, as a machine operator.
             On December 7th 1941, he was having dinner over his in-laws when his brother in-law rushed in screaming that Pearl Harbor was being attacked. He said that at that moment he realized his life was never going to be the same. He said he enlisted the next week and spent the rest of th...