Charles E. BurrellBurrellCharles E.OHWorld War, 1939-1945NavyCompany 921, Camp Robert SmallMusician First ClassChicago, IllinoisNoVeteran"If it hadn’t of been for the GI Bill, I couldn’t have made it." (Audio interview, 32:21)Though he was a musician prior to his entrance into the Navy during World War II—he attended Detroit’s Cass Tech High School, well known for its arts curriculum—Charles E. Burrell’s career in music is inextricably connected to his time in the service. As a band member at Camp Robert Smalls, a segregated training facility within Naval Station Great Lakes, his proximity to Chicago offered him the chance to meet and play with some of the era’s most legendary jazz musicians. After the war, he attended Wayne State University using the GI Bill, and later, became the first African American to play with the San Francisco symphony.The GI Bill: 75 Years of OpportunityGetting his start in the ship’s company band; playing tuba; previous experiences in the marching band.Experiences in Chicago; studying with bass with notable musician Rudolph Fassbender; going to big jazz clubs.Playing “happy hour” concerts for the whole camp; encountering famous musicians; meeting Billie Holiday; extreme reaction when she winked at him.Going to Wayne State University on the GI Bill; gratitude for GI Bill.Becoming the first African American to play with the San Francisco Symphony.Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congresshttps://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.21086/DLC-AFC2022-04-26loc.natlib.afc2001001.21086