The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Michael J. Bauman. Bauman was born 14 September 1919 in Star City, Indiana. Joining the Army Air Corps in 1940, he went to Patterson Field in Dayton, Ohio. He was then sent to Langley Field, Virginia where he volunteered for the bombardier program. Bauman and seven others began the training with no written instructions and very little equipment. In January 1941 he began practice bombing missions in a Douglas B-18 bomber. By May, Bauman was training in B-26s. He discusses the various attributes of each type of plane. Remembering 7 December 1941 he tells of being ordered back to the air field where they immediately began mounting machine guns and bomb racks on all the bombers. On 8 December they flew the planes to Muroc, California where he was assigned to the 22nd Bomb Group (Medium), 33rd Squadron. He relates several flying escapades that occurred prior to boarding the USS U.S. Grant (AP-29) for Hawaii. In March 1942 they flew to Townsville, Australia. On 10 April he flew his first bombing mission over Rabaul. He comments on the lack of success of the mission. Bauman flew sixteen combat …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Michael J. Bauman. Bauman was born 14 September 1919 in Star City, Indiana. Joining the Army Air Corps in 1940, he went to Patterson Field in Dayton, Ohio. He was then sent to Langley Field, Virginia where he volunteered for the bombardier program. Bauman and seven others began the training with no written instructions and very little equipment. In January 1941 he began practice bombing missions in a Douglas B-18 bomber. By May, Bauman was training in B-26s. He discusses the various attributes of each type of plane. Remembering 7 December 1941 he tells of being ordered back to the air field where they immediately began mounting machine guns and bomb racks on all the bombers. On 8 December they flew the planes to Muroc, California where he was assigned to the 22nd Bomb Group (Medium), 33rd Squadron. He relates several flying escapades that occurred prior to boarding the USS U.S. Grant (AP-29) for Hawaii. In March 1942 they flew to Townsville, Australia. On 10 April he flew his first bombing mission over Rabaul. He comments on the lack of success of the mission. Bauman flew sixteen combat …