Oral History Interview with John V. Hilliard, Jr., February 28, 2002 (open access)

Oral History Interview with John V. Hilliard, Jr., February 28, 2002

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Hilliard. Hlliard went into the Army right after he graduated from high school in August 1943 and was accepted into pilot training. After going through basic training in Wichita Falls, Texas he went to Henderson State College in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. He was there five months taking college courses and 10 hours of flight training. From there, he went to a base near San Antonio where they put everyone through all kinds of tests, for classification; he was classified as a pilot. Then they were marched across the street and he started more training. He finished that and was sent to Ballinger, Texas for primary flight training and then to San Angelo to fly Vultee BT-13s. Hilliard didn't enjoy flying the Vultee and had a 'personality conflict' with the instructor so he left the aviation cadet program and ended up at Truax Field in Madison, Wisconsin as a private where he studied to be a radio mechanic. After graduation, they sent him to Rantoul, Illinois for electronics training and then on to Boca Raton, Florida where he was moved to radar. Hilliard was there when the war ended. …
Date: February 28, 2002
Creator: Hilliard, John V.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with John V. Hilliard, Jr., February 28, 2002 transcript

Oral History Interview with John V. Hilliard, Jr., February 28, 2002

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Hilliard. Hlliard went into the Army right after he graduated from high school in August 1943 and was accepted into pilot training. After going through basic training in Wichita Falls, Texas he went to Henderson State College in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. He was there five months taking college courses and 10 hours of flight training. From there, he went to a base near San Antonio where they put everyone through all kinds of tests, for classification; he was classified as a pilot. Then they were marched across the street and he started more training. He finished that and was sent to Ballinger, Texas for primary flight training and then to San Angelo to fly Vultee BT-13s. Hilliard didn't enjoy flying the Vultee and had a 'personality conflict' with the instructor so he left the aviation cadet program and ended up at Truax Field in Madison, Wisconsin as a private where he studied to be a radio mechanic. After graduation, they sent him to Rantoul, Illinois for electronics training and then on to Boca Raton, Florida where he was moved to radar. Hilliard was there when the war ended. …
Date: February 28, 2002
Creator: Hilliard, John V.
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Oran D. Evans, August 28, 2014 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Oran D. Evans, August 28, 2014

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Oran Evans. Evans joined the Army Air Forces in May 1942 and received basic training at Sheppard Field. He washed out of flight training in Santa Ana and transferred to gunnery school in Las Vegas. Upon completion, he was assigned to the 95th Bombardment Group as a ball turret gunner. Evans flew 25 missions, the most dangerous of which was over Munich. He credits the Tuskegee Airmen with his safety on those missions. Evans returned home and was discharged after the war. He became a commercial pilot and joined the Texas National Guard.
Date: August 28, 2014
Creator: Evans, Oran D
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with G. K. Guennel, May 28, 2009 (open access)

Oral History Interview with G. K. Guennel, May 28, 2009

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with G. K. Guennel. Guennel moved to the United States from Germany in 1934. From January of 1933 to September of 1934, prior to moving to the States, he lived under the Hitler regime and provides some details of this experience. While attending Butler University in Indiana Guennel enlisted in the Army Reserve in the summer of 1942. He was called to active duty in June of 1943 after his graduation. He was invited to take Army Intelligence training at Camp Ritchie in Maryland and graduated in July of 1944. He learned all communication systems, Morse Code, semaphore, map reading, learned Italian and more. He was assigned to the Interrogation, Prisoners of War (I.P.W.) Team 124 as a POW Interrogator. In late 1944 he traveled to Scotland and France where he was attached to the 44th Infantry Division. He provides details of his experiences overseas, including surviving the cold winter and interrogating prisoners of war. At the Rhine River crossing they joined the 3rd Infantry Division and arrived in Berchtesgaden, Germany by April of 1945. They posted Eisenhower???s proclamations in every town and village. Upon his discharge in January of …
Date: May 28, 2009
Creator: Guennel, G. K.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Oran D. Evans, August 28, 2014 transcript

Oral History Interview with Oran D. Evans, August 28, 2014

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Oran Evans. Evans joined the Army Air Forces in May 1942 and received basic training at Sheppard Field. He washed out of flight training in Santa Ana and transferred to gunnery school in Las Vegas. Upon completion, he was assigned to the 95th Bombardment Group as a ball turret gunner. Evans flew 25 missions, the most dangerous of which was over Munich. He credits the Tuskegee Airmen with his safety on those missions. Evans returned home and was discharged after the war. He became a commercial pilot and joined the Texas National Guard.
Date: August 28, 2014
Creator: Evans, Oran D
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Robert Phillips, December 28, 2016 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Robert Phillips, December 28, 2016

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Phillips. Phillips joined the Army Air Forces in December of 1942. He served as a B-24 pilot, and shares details of his flight training. Beginning December of 1944, Phillips and his crew flew over the Gulf of Mexico, identifying potential enemy U-boats. He later transferred to Hondo, Texas to train B-29 engineers, where he was stationed when the war ended. Phillips received his discharge in late 1945.
Date: December 28, 2016
Creator: Phillips, Robert
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with G. K. Guennel, May 28, 2009 transcript

Oral History Interview with G. K. Guennel, May 28, 2009

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with G. K. Guennel. Guennel moved to the United States from Germany in 1934. From January of 1933 to September of 1934, prior to moving to the States, he lived under the Hitler regime and provides some details of this experience. While attending Butler University in Indiana Guennel enlisted in the Army Reserve in the summer of 1942. He was called to active duty in June of 1943 after his graduation. He was invited to take Army Intelligence training at Camp Ritchie in Maryland and graduated in July of 1944. He learned all communication systems, Morse Code, semaphore, map reading, learned Italian and more. He was assigned to the Interrogation, Prisoners of War (I.P.W.) Team 124 as a POW Interrogator. In late 1944 he traveled to Scotland and France where he was attached to the 44th Infantry Division. He provides details of his experiences overseas, including surviving the cold winter and interrogating prisoners of war. At the Rhine River crossing they joined the 3rd Infantry Division and arrived in Berchtesgaden, Germany by April of 1945. They posted Eisenhower???s proclamations in every town and village. Upon his discharge in January of …
Date: May 28, 2009
Creator: Guennel, G. K.
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Robert Phillips, December 28, 2016 transcript

Oral History Interview with Robert Phillips, December 28, 2016

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Phillips. Phillips joined the Army Air Forces in December of 1942. He served as a B-24 pilot, and shares details of his flight training. Beginning December of 1944, Phillips and his crew flew over the Gulf of Mexico, identifying potential enemy U-boats. He later transferred to Hondo, Texas to train B-29 engineers, where he was stationed when the war ended. Phillips received his discharge in late 1945.
Date: December 28, 2016
Creator: Phillips, Robert
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History