Resource Type

Oral History Interview with Thomas Loftin, December 14, 2004 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Thomas Loftin, December 14, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Thomas Loftin. Loftin joined the Army Air Corps in early 1941. He had flight training at various bases all over Texas and earned his wings and commission in August, 1942. His first assignment was at New Orleans where he flew anti-submarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico with the 124th Observation Squadron. IN 1944, he became a flight instructor in Florida. In April, 1945, Loftin went overseas to England and was assigned to the 95th Bomb Group with whom he flew on one bomb mission before moving to operations. He returned home in July, 1945 and was training in B-29s when the war ended. Loftin stayed in the Reserves until 1972.
Date: December 14, 2004
Creator: Loftin, Thomas W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with John Schiller, January 13, 2004 (open access)

Oral History Interview with John Schiller, January 13, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Schiller. Schiller joined the Navy in February of 1941. He entered Navy Flight School at Pensacola and upon commissioning was assigned as a pilot of a scout plane on USS Astoria (CA-34). When Pearl Harbor was attacked, the Astoria was at sea escorting USS Lexington (CV-2). The Astoria engaged in the battles of the Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal where it was sunk off Savo Island in August of 1942. Subsequently, Schiller was assigned to USS Halford (DD-480) and later, became a Fighter Squadron Leader aboard USS Saginaw Bay (CVE-82), which covered the invasions in the Palau Islands, Leyte and Luzon. He served with a Composite Squadron VC-78. Schiller was discharged in October of 1945, though remained in the Naval Reserve and retired as a Commander.
Date: January 13, 2004
Creator: Schiller, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Robert Gayle, December 10, 2004 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Robert Gayle, December 10, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert H. Gayle. Gayle joined the Army in 1943 and had basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Not wishing to be a tanker, Gayle applied for the Army Air Force and was accepted. He trained as gunner and was assigned to a B-17 crew. He was assigned to the 2nd Bomb Group in the 15th Air Force at Foggia, Italy in September, 1944. He describes some of his early missions where the crew had to ditch in the Adriatic and were rescued; a mid-air collision in which he was involved; being shot up by antiaircraft fire and having to bail out over Austria. After parachuting into a snowfield, Gayle was captured by Hungarian troops and made a prisoner of war in February, 1945. The Hungarians turned him over to the Germans in Vienna. The Germans eventually moved him to Moosberg. He was liberated by elements of Patton's Third Army in late April. Upon being transported back to France, General Eisenhower visited the former POWs. He returned home and was reunited with family.
Date: December 10, 2004
Creator: Gayle, Robert H.
System: The Portal to Texas History