Resource Type

Oral History Interview with Ruth Simons (Kerr) Ray, December 6, 1996 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Ruth Simons (Kerr) Ray, December 6, 1996

Interview with Ruth Simons (Kerr) Ray, the great-great granddaughter of James Kerr, from Canyon Lake, Texas. Mrs. Ray discusses her ancestor's life and his history in the Hill Country, as well as the Historical Marker Dedication Ceremony at the Kerr County Courthouse.
Date: October 6, 2000
Creator: Bethel, Ann; Snodgrass, Clarabelle & Ray, Ruth Simons
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Alan Pilot, August 10, 2010 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Alan Pilot, August 10, 2010

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Alan Pilot. Pilot joined the Army in January 1943 and received basic training at Camp Howze. He received further training in Louisiana for the European Theater and then in California for the Pacific Theater. In January he left for Camp Old Gold at La Havre, where he served as a combat medic, supporting Companies E, G, and H of the 343rd Infantry, 86th Division. His unit relieved the 8th Division and fought in Cologne, where he was stationed at the top of the cathedral while it was being shelled. In the Ruhr Pocket a defective shell landed 10 feet away from him. He recalls seeing 100,000 Germans surrender there. He describes the Bavarian people as friendly as he passed through Austria on VE Day. He was then sent to the Pacific as part of Operation Coronet. VJ Day came while he was still crossing the Pacific. He spent the last five months of his service in the Philippines at a quiet outpost while the rest of his unit prepared the Philippines for independence. Pilot returned home and was discharged in January 1946.
Date: August 10, 2010
Creator: Pilot, Alan
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Clarabelle Barton Snodgrass, August 25, 1999 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Clarabelle Barton Snodgrass, August 25, 1999

Interview with Clarabelle Barton Snodgrass, vice-chair of the Kerr County Historical Commission from Kerrville, Texas. Mrs. Snodgrass talks about growing up on a primitive ranch, struggling to survive during the Depression, meeting and marrying her husband, their family, their involvement with music, and her efforts to preserve the history of Kerr County. She also briefly discusses the honors and awards her volunteer work has earned her. Pages 2-13 include a written statement by Miles Abernathy Lowrence, Clarabelle's maternal great-uncle.
Date: September 25, 1999
Creator: Bethel, Ann & Snodgrass, Clarabelle
System: The Portal to Texas History