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This is Obama's maternal grandfather's service information. Stanley Armour Dunham enlisted in the Army on June 18th, 1942 not December 8, 1941. The two entries are explained by his enlisting at a recruiting station in his home town of Augusta (about 15 miles east of Wichita), and then being examined and departing from an AFEES station in Wichita for active duty.

http://www.kshs.org/genealogists/military/wwiiveteransresults.php?surname=DUNHAM&givenname=Stanley&county=&branch=A&servicenumber=&year=&submit=SEARCH

Name	Service	Service #	Registration	Place	Comments
Dunham, Stanley A.	Enlisted , Army	17056069	Unregistered	Wichita, Sedgwick Co. (Board # 3)
Dunham, Stanley A.	Enlisted 18 June 1942, Army	17056069	Unregistered	Augusta, Butler Co. (Board # 2)

Not to be defending Obama in any way, but half of America joined the armed forces on December 8th, 1941, or very soon thereafter. There is no way that the US military was ready to accept such a flood of recruits at their basic training facilities as they existed in 1941.

Barack’s grandfather very well could have enlisted on December 8th, 1941, and subsequently called to report for basic military training on June 18th.

I myself enlisted in the United States Air Force on December 19, 1976, but didn’t report for basic training until September 26, 1977. Therefore, my four year enlistment for active service began on 26 Sept, and that was the basis of my time in service and since my promotions were all at the minimum time possible, it also was the date for my time in grade. The December 19 date did count towards my inactive reserve obligation, however.

I wouldn’t beat this enlisted on December 8th thing too much.