Oral History Interview with Alfred P. Birdwell, August 28, 2004 transcript

Oral History Interview with Alfred P. Birdwell, August 28, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Alfred P Birdwell. Birdwell joined the Army around 1943. He served as a tank driver with the 3rd Armored Division. He deployed to La Havre, France. Birdwell participated in the Battle of the Bulge, traveling through Germany along the Siegfried Line into Berlin. He returned to the US and received his discharge in late 1945.
Date: August 28, 2004
Creator: Birdwell, Alfred P
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Thomas Alt, August 24, 2004 transcript

Oral History Interview with Thomas Alt, August 24, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Thomas Alt. Alt joined the Aviation Cadet Corps in June of 1942 at the age of 17. By January of 1943, once he turned 18, he was called up for training. In mid-1943 he traveled to Pearl Harbor, and completed Fire Fighting School with the Navy while on the island. In mid-1944 Alt was assigned to the USS Sea Cat (SS-399). He worked as Military Police on night shifts and guard duty in the brig. They traveled to Saipan and the South China Sea where the Sea Cat operated in a wolf pack. He landed on Saipan 7 July 7, as the battle was coming to an end. He served with a firefighting crew on the beach for pilots making emergency or crash landings. Alt remained on Saipan through early 1945. He was stationed on Tinian in July, and recalls when the Enola Gay landed. He returned to the US and was discharged in March of 1945.
Date: August 24, 2004
Creator: Alt, Thomas
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with George Gibbons, August 26, 2004 transcript

Oral History Interview with George Gibbons, August 26, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with George Gibbons. Gibbons completed infantry training in the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M his freshman and sophomore years of college. In January of 1943 he gave up his exemption for college and volunteered for the Army. He completed the Army Special Training Program, and volunteered for the paratroopers. Gibbons completed jump school at Fort Benning, Georgia. He also completed Demolition School. He traveled with replacement paratroopers to England in April of 1944, and joined the 82nd Airborne Division. He participated in the Normandy landings in June, Operation Market Garden in August and the Battle of the Bulge in December. He shares details of his combat experiences. After the war ended, he remained in Germany on guard duty, and completed college courses in England and France. He returned home and was discharged in December of 1945.
Date: August 26, 2004
Creator: Gibbons, George
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Walter Buczek, August 9, 2004 transcript

Oral History Interview with Walter Buczek, August 9, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Walter Buczek. Buczek joined the Army in 1943 and was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington. He completed Automotive Transport School, repairing trucks. During his schooling he was assigned as a mechanical instructor. In June of 1945 he traveled to Hawaii, then landed on Ie Shima, Okinawa in July. Buczek served with the 1631st Engineer Construction Battalion. He worked with heavy equipment on road construction and building airfields through the spring of 1946. He returned to the US and was discharged in March of 1946.
Date: August 9, 2004
Creator: Buczek, Walter
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Fred Chupp, August 4, 2004 transcript

Oral History Interview with Fred Chupp, August 4, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Fred Chupp. Chupp joined the Army in November of 1942. He served with the 197th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion, A Battery. He provides details of his military training, including amphibious training in Virginia. In January of 1944, Chupp traveled to Camp Upton Lovell in Codford, England, where they prepared for the invasion of Normandy. They landed on Omaha Beach the afternoon of 6 June 1944. They also participated in Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge. His outfit guarded ammunition and fuel dumps, as well as ammunition and fuel convoys. Chupp was discharged in December of 1945.
Date: August 4, 2004
Creator: Chupp, Fred
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Ralph Miller, August 27, 2004 transcript

Oral History Interview with Ralph Miller, August 27, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ralph Miller. Miller was born on 11 June 1916 in Pulaski, Indiana. After graduating from high school in 1933, he worked at the family store until he was inducted into the Army in May 1941. Assigned to the 35th Tank Battalion, Headquarters Company, 4th Armored Division, he participated in training and maneuvers in Tennessee, California and Texas. In 1944, the unit boarded the USS General J.C. Breckenridge (AP-176) and landed in England. He describes landing on Omaha Beach seven days after the initial invasion and being subjected to German mortar fire. He was at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge and recalls meeting the Russians in Czechoslovakia. He returned to the United States in September 1945 and was discharged soon thereafter.
Date: August 27, 2004
Creator: Miller, Ralph
System: The Portal to Texas History