Lenny's father Myron Schneider during WWII

By 1940 Myron had been divorced from Sally for seven years but was still living at their family home at 710 Hughes Street, Bellmore with Lenny and his new wife Dorothy.  Myron's brother Marc lived in nearby Freeport.

The house on Hughes Street, photographed by Jim Nightingale.

Before being drafted Myron was working in sales for Siegel & Fried at the Port Authority Building on Eighth Avenue, New York.  The shoe company owned 66 retail outlets under the name National Shoe Stores.  Dorothy was a stenographer.

1941 ad for National Shoe Stores

The Port Authority building on Eighth Avenue

Myron filled out his draft card in 1940:

Myron began his service in the US Army on 10 June 1942, serving at the POW camp in Fort Meade, Maryland.  It was used as a temporary detention centre for German, Italian and Japanese POWs before they were shipped off to other locations. 

The POWs could earn these coupons to spend on site.  A multinational system used widely in the earlier Great War to prevent prisoners from having cash to bribe guards or escape with. 

While still serving at Fort Meade, Myron formally became a US Citizen on the 27th March 1944 and was discharged from service on the 23rd December that year.