Oral History Interview with Oliver Massey, May 6, 2014 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Oliver Massey, May 6, 2014

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Oliver Massey. Massey joined the Marine Corps at the age of sixteen. After boot camp, Massey was assigned to Fighter Squadron 2 (VF-2) where he began training as an aircraft mechanic at North Island Naval Air Station. In January of 1940 he was assigned to Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 231 (VMSB-231) Ewa, Hawaii and he describes the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In early 1942, the squadron flew the SB2U-3 Scout Bomber in the Battle of Midway and Massey briefly describes the battle and noted limitations of the aircraft. After returning to the US, he went aboard an escort carrier that took planes to Guadalcanal. He was later stationed at various bases and tells of working on various types of planes including the Grumman F6F fighter and the Douglas C-54 transport. He continued serving in the Korean War, flying with several generals as the crew chief. Massey retired as a Master Sergeant in 1959.
Date: May 6, 2014
Creator: Massey, Oliver
System: The Portal to Texas History