9781422271032

The story behind the car theft has also lost its specificity since it occurred. One version goes that his motive was to impress a girl he liked. Another version said he had just broken up with a girl he really liked and had gone wild on the night of the breakup. Either way, he stole the vehicle, then abandoned it in the city. Police found Dillinger wandering the streets of Indianapolis disoriented and unable to adequately explain what he was doing. He admitted that he’d driven a car to the city and parked it a few blocks away. Police suspected something awry and arrested him after checking the vehicle. By some accounts, his father interceded, and police released him the following day. The theft hurt his relationship with his father and contributed to his momentous decision to join the military. John somehow made it to a U.S. Navy enlisting office and joined. He completed his basic training and found that his machine shop experience came in handy. He received an assignment as a petty officer third-class machinery repairman to the battleship USS Utah. Unfortunately, in practice, his job amounted to shoveling coal. Dillinger joined the U.S. Navy. He worked as machinery repair man on the battleship USS Utah.

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