National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection - 22 Matching Results

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Oral History Interview with Bill Dingfelder, November 11, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Bill Dingfelder. Dingfelder joined the Army Air Forces in July of 1943. He completed Armament School in early 1944, and served as an armorer-gunner aboard a B-17. He was assigned to the 15th Air Force, 97th Bomb Group, 341st Bomb Squadron. By April of 1945, Dingfelder had completed 35 missions over Italy, France, Czechoslovakia, Austria and Yugoslavia attacking oil refineries, marshalling yards and aircraft factories. He continue… more

Date: November 11, 2005

Creator: Dingfelder, Bill

Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Bill Freeman, November 10, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Freeman. Freeman was born in Chapman, Kansas on 5 September 1922. Upon enlisting in the Army Air Corps in 1942, he was sent to Maxwell Air Force Base, Georgia for basic training. He tells the various training planes he flew prior to receiving his commission. Upon graduation he was sent to Ephrata Army Air Base, Washington where he began on the job training as the co-pilot of a B-17 bomber. Freeman recalls his various… more

Date: November 10, 2005

Creator: Freeman, Bill

Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Bill Hardin, November 9, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bill Hardin. He was born in Brock, Texas 25 December 1921. His three other brothers served in the military during World War II. Two were killed in action. After graduating from Howard Payne College at Brownwood, Texas, Hardin entered the Naval Officer’s Candidate School program and was sent to Columbia University for sixteen weeks of training. Upon being commissioned, he was sent to San Diego for small boat training. While t… more

Date: November 9, 2005

Creator: Hardin, Bill

Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Carl Braddock, November 20, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Carl Braddock. Braddock was born 1 February 1919 in Big Spring, Texas. Joining the Navy during May 1942, he took boot training in San Diego. He was assigned to range finding school and describes the training he received. Upon graduation he was assigned to the USS Saufley (DD-465), which went to Guadalcanal in December, 1942. He describes the bombardment of the island. In May 1943 he was sent to several schools for additional… more

Date: November 20, 2005

Creator: Braddock, Carl

Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Cleon Conwell, November 19, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Cleon Conwell. Conwell joined the Army Air Force in December of 1943. His unit was the 487th Bomb Group. He served as a tail gunner and flew five missions total. In September of 1944 he traveled to England in a B-17. He describes his time in England and life at the base. He shares one mission where his plane was shot down, which he received a purple heart. In October of 1944 Conwell was captured and became a prisoner of war in Ge… more

Date: November 19, 2005

Creator: Conwell, Cleon

Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Dave Hollis, November 12, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Dave Hollis. Hollis joined the Army Air Forces in December 1942. He had prepared for his aviation cadet examination by taking a class at the Douglas Aircraft Company, where he worked. He received basic training and pre-flight training in Santa Ana. From there he went to Meadows Field for basic flying in the Vultee BT-13 then to Luke Field with the AT-6. Upon completion he was assigned to a B-29 crew but was rotated out due t… more

Date: November 12, 2005

Creator: Hollis, Dave

Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Donald Good, November 10, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Donald Good. Mrs. Good assists with the interview. Good went into the Army in October 1941. He landed at Normandy with the 178th Signal Repair Company. He relates a few anecdotes about his time in Europe during the Normandy campaign and the Battle of the Bulge; he also saw some friends from home at random in Europe. He also recalls working closely with a unit of Moroccan soldiers. When the war ended, Good returned to the US and w… more

Date: November 10, 2005

Creator: Good, Donald

Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Frank Lepinski, November 21, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Frank Lepinski. Lepinski joined the Army Air Forces in February of 1943. He completed pilot training and graduated in April of 1944. He continued training in a B-26, and traveled to Birmingham, Britain to serve with a replacement crew. They completed several bombing missions. In the summer of 1945 Lepinski was assigned to a B-26 stationed under the Eiffel Tower in Paris during an exposition, demonstrating how they won the war for… more

Date: November 21, 2005

Creator: Lepinski, Frank

Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Fred E. Lincoln, November 11, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Fred Lincoln. Lincoln joined the Army Air Forces in February of 1941. He was assigned to the 82nd Bomb Squadron, 12th Bomb Group. He completed training in military correspondence and typing, and served as the Operations Officer for his squadron. In December, they were transferred to Sacramento, California to assist with war games aboard B-18 bombers. In the spring of 1942, they were transferred to Esler Field in Louisiana. During… more

Date: November 11, 2005

Creator: Lincoln, Fred E

Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Frederick Leiby, November 10, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Frederick Leiby. Leiby was born in Pennsylvania in 1923 and worked in a defense plant after finishing high school in 1941. in 1942, he passed the aviation cadet exam and was called up for active duty in January, 1943. He trained as a navigator at Selman Field, Louisiana for eight months before flying a new B-17 to North Africa. From there, Leiby went to Forge, Italy to join the 99th Bomb Group. He was shot down on his 39th m… more

Date: November 10, 2005

Creator: Leiby, Frederick

Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Irma Riddle, November 18, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Irma Riddle. Riddle describes life growing up in Peoria, Illinois, in 1913-1922. At the time of this interview she was 100 years old. She talks about their move to Hamlet to live on a farm, and then a later move to Rochester where her father owned a hardware store. Riddle speaks on her marriage and family. She discusses briefly her activities during World War 1 and World War 2. Her son Charles Lee joined the service in 1945. Ridd… more

Date: November 18, 2005

Creator: Riddle, Irma

Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Jack Schaefer, November 10, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Jack Schaefer. Schaefer was 11 years old when Pearl Harbor was attacked. While in high school, Schaefer worked part-time and contributed the entirety of his wages to the household. He accumulated war savings stamps, participated in bond drives, and collected scrap metal to support the war effort. His family supplemented their meat rations by raising rabbits. In 1950, he joined the Air Force, with a professional background in… more

Date: November 10, 2005

Creator: Schaefer, Jack

Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Jesse Copeland, November 28, 2005

The National Museum of the pacific War presents an interview with Jesse Copeland. Copeland joined the Navy in June, 1943. In September, Copeland was assigned to USS Haskell (APA-117) as a radio operator. Copeland made the invasion of Luzon in January, 1945 and provided shore to ship radio communication. He did the same at Okinawa. He remained with the Haskell throughout the war and upon returning to the US, was discharged in December, 1945.

Date: November 28, 2005

Creator: Copeland, Jesse O.

Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Lawrence Barrett, November 11, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Lawrence Barrett. Barrett joined the Marine Corps in December of 1943. He served as an aerial gunner, combat cameraman and ground and motion picture photographer. Barrett worked as a combat aircrewman with Marine Air Group 32 in the Pacific and the Philippines, completing 25 combat missions by 1945. After the war ended, he served with the occupation forces in Tsingtao, North China. He returned to the US and was discharged in May … more

Date: November 11, 2005

Creator: Barrett, Lawrence

Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Les Skelton, November 14, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Les Skelton. Skelton joined the military in July 1942 after being persuaded by his Polish-American college roommate to fight Nazi Germany. Being of Jewish decent and growing up in a small town with some Nazi sympathizers, Skelton was itching to fight. His training was intense, his instructors harassing him midflight to induce combat-level stress. Hoping to become a P-38 pilot, after flight training he was instead assigned to… more

Date: November 14, 2005

Creator: Skelton, Les

Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Mildred Bauman, November 18, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Mildred Bauman. Bauman’s family immigrated to the U.S. from Germany in 1923. She was born in Brooklyn, New York in November of 1926. Her family sent her back to Germany to live with her grandparents in Berlin in 1928. Bauman grew up in Germany during the Nazi reign and was 13 years old when World War II began. Being an American citizen, Bauman endured relentless harassment from neighbors and classmates. She vividly describes her … more

Date: November 18, 2005

Creator: Bauman, Mildred

Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Ralph Darrow, November 12, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ralph Darrow. Darrow joined the Army Air Forces in December of 1942. He completed Electrical Specialist School and B-29 Armament School by 1943. Darrow served with the 73rd Bombardment Wing, 500th Bombardment Group, 883rd Bombardment Squadron as a side gunner aboard a B-29. Beginning in mid-1944, they traveled to Hawaii, Kwajalein, Truk, Iwo Jima and Saipan. They completed their first combat mission against a submarine base at Tr… more

Date: November 12, 2005

Creator: Darrow, Ralph

Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Richard Hanna, November 12, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard Hanna. Hanna was born in Pennsylvania and joined the Marine Corps before his 18th birthday. He had basic training in California and shares a few anecdotes from that time. After he completed training, he was shipped to Pavuvu where he joined the Seventh Marines, First Marine Division. He landed on Okinawa in the eleventh wave ashore and shares many stories about combat. Hanna was eventually wounded by a Japanese hand … more

Date: November 12, 2005

Creator: Hanna, Richard

Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Vernon Grim, November 11, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Vernon Grim. Grim joined the Army Air Forces in June of 1942. He volunteered as a glider pilot, and trained for one year in Pittsburgh, Kansas. He was then selected to train as an aviation cadet, and served as a B-17 pilot. In March of 1944 he deployed to England. He joined the 92nd Bombardment Group, 407th Bombardment Squadron. He completed 32 missions, including support operations for the Normandy invasion, the Battle of Saint-… more

Date: November 11, 2005

Creator: Grim, Vernon

Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Voris C. Riley, November 1, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Voris C. Riley of Kingland, Texas. He discusses enlisting in the military while living in Abilene, Texas and getting sent to civil service for the Army before being offered to join the Navy. In the Navy he went through basic training in San Diego, California, then to St. Louis Electrical School and finally through firefighting training in Rhode Island. After he completed his training Mr. Riley was assigned to the U.S.S. Lake… more

Date: November 1, 2005

Creator: Riley, Voris C.

Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Wesley Visel, November 3, 2005

Transcript of an oral interview with Wesley Visel. Visel joined the Army shortly after war's outbreak and was sent to Texas for training. He ended up as an LVT (Landing Vehicle, Tracked) driver and describes the operation of the amphibious vehicle. Visel describes loading up onto LSTs (Landing Ship. Tank) and invading Luzon, Philippines. He describes dropping infantrymen off, then returning to the side of a liberty ship where cargo was craned over the side into his LVT. Visel then headed back t… more

Date: November 3, 2005

Creator: Visel, Wesley Dale

Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with William H. Armentrout, November 2, 2005

Transcript of an oral interview with Bill Armentrout. He begins by describing making a living in south Texas during the Great Depression. He was married and had three children by 1941 and was finally drafted into the Navy in 1944 at 33 years old. When he finished boot camp in San Diego, he wa sassigend to the Amphibious Force and trained at Camp Bradford, Virginia. When Armentrout reached Pearl Harbor, he was assigned to LCT 1221 (Landing Craft, Tank). Armentrout describes always being seasick … more

Date: November 2, 2005

Creator: Armentrout, Bill

Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

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