Resource Type

Oral History Interview with Albert Barton, November 6, 2010 transcript

Oral History Interview with Albert Barton, November 6, 2010

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Albert Barton. Barton joined the Navy and was trained as a radioman. He became a crewman on an Avenger torpedo bomber in October 1943. Barton flew off of the USS Mission Bay (CVE-59) and the USS Tripoli (CVE-64) and performed anti-submarine patrols in the North Atlantic. He describes how depth charges were dropped, the armament of the plane, and how they were trained to skip-bomb. Barton was then sent to the Pacific where he flew off of the USS Anzio (CVE-57) for the remainder of the war. He describes an incident where his plane had a failed landing and ended upside-down in the water. Barton had to break some glass in the cockpit to escape. He flew ground support missions over Okinawa. Barton discusses how the radio and radar functioned on his plane. He was discharged several months after the surrender.
Date: November 6, 2010
Creator: Barton, Albert
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Adolph Krchnak, May 23, 2015 transcript

Oral History Interview with Adolph Krchnak, May 23, 2015

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Adolph Krchnak. Krchnak joined the Army in December of 1944. He completed parachute school. In late 1944, early 1945 he was stationed in the Philippines with the 11th Airborne Division. They served in a traditional infantry role in the Philippines. His division participated in the Liberation of Manila in the spring of 1945. In August of 1945 they traveled into southern Japan as part of the occupation force. He was honorably discharged in 1946.
Date: May 23, 2015
Creator: Krchnak, Adolph
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Interview with Zoe, Grace, and Kai Purtell] transcript

[Interview with Zoe, Grace, and Kai Purtell]

Interview with Grace, Zoe, and Kai Purtell regarding their adoptions from Guangdong Province (Grace and Zoe) and Yunnan Province (Kai), China. At the time of the interview, Grace and Zoe (twins) were nine years old and Kai was five years old. Kai shares his adoption story and the surgeries he's had to correct his cleft palate. Zoe speaks about her desire to visit China when she's older and Grace speaks about her skill with drawing.
Date: 2015~
Creator: Purtell, Zoe; Purtell, Grace & Purtell, Kai
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Oral History With Vonna Purtell] transcript

[Oral History With Vonna Purtell]

Oral History with Vonna Purtell regarding the adoptions of Grace, Zoe, and Kai from Guangdong Province (Grace and Zoe) and Yunnan Province (Kai), China. She speaks about her and her husband's decision to adopt from China, the decision to adopt twice, and the adoption process for all their children. She also discusses Kai's cleft palate surgeries and the cultural differences between the United States and China regarding physical differences.
Date: 2015~
Creator: Purtell, Vonna
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Louis Romero Jr., November 22, 2016 transcript

Oral History Interview with Louis Romero Jr., November 22, 2016

Interview with Louis Romero Jr., who carried on the Mexican food business and Tortilla Factory started by his grandmother, Delphina Torres, in Kerrville. The interview discusses his family history, upbringing, the development of Torres, a Mexican restaurant, his grandmother's sending canned tamales to World War II troops, military service, and family. Photographs and documents relating to the interview follow the transcript text.
Date: November 22, 2016
Creator: Collins, Francelle Robison; Flory, Bonnie Pipes & Romero, Louis, Jr.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Karen and Clark Klein, November 16, 2016 transcript

Oral History Interview with Karen and Clark Klein, November 16, 2016

Interview with Karen and Clark Klein. Karen attended Notre Dame Catholic School in Kerrville and graduated from Tivy High School before completed a course at Durham Business College. She worked at Wool and Mohair Warehouse in Ingram before marrying Clark in 1962. Clark also attended Notre Dame School and Tivy where the couple met. He served in the Army for three years, worked briefly the postal services, and enlisted again in the National Guard. He served until 1982 and achieved the rank of Command Sergeant Major. The couple had three children and lived in San Antonio, Austin for ten years, before moving back to Kerrville.
Date: November 16, 2016
Creator: Collins, Francelle Robison; Flory, Bonnie Pipes; Klein, Karen Margaret Herzog & Klein, Clark Dennis
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Sam Adams and Al Bishop, November 15, 2018 transcript

Oral History Interview with Sam Adams and Al Bishop, November 15, 2018

Interview with cousins Sam Adams and Al Bishop who discuss growing up in Center Point, Sam's time serving the marines (including Vietnam), Al's teaching and coaching high school students before working in insurance, and their families.
Date: November 15, 2018
Creator: Collins, Francelle Robison; Flory, Bonnie Pipes; Webb, Jeanie Archer; Leonard, Julie Mosty; Bishop, Charles Alfred & Adams, James Sam
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Bob Schmerbeck, December 4, 2018 transcript

Oral History Interview with Bob Schmerbeck, December 4, 2018

Interview with Bob Schmerbeck discussing his childhood, and talking primarily about family members who were significant to the history of Kerrville, particularly his relative Earl Garrett who died during World War I.
Date: December 4, 2018
Creator: Collins, Francelle Robison; Flory, Bonnie Pipes & Schmerbeck, Robert L., III
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Charles H. Tucker, April 18, 2017 transcript

Oral History Interview with Charles H. Tucker, April 18, 2017

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles H. Tucker from Orange, California. He discusses volunteering for the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943 and going to basic training in Miami Beach, Florida, then going to Aircraft Armament School in Buckley Field, Colorado, and finally air gunnery school in Fort Myers, Florida. In air gunnery school, Mr. Tucker learned to shoot in B-17 by shooting into the Gulf of Mexico. After gunnery school he was sent to the B-25 crew training at Columbia, South Carolina for 5 months. After Mr. Tucker completed his training, he was transferred to Dacca to a B-25 base and joined the 10th Air Force, the 12th Bomb Group. When he arrived his crew pilots were reassigned, and Mr. Tucker was not able to fly much until he was assigned to a regular crew again. Mr. Tucker was put in the 729th bomb squadron tasked with supporting the British 14th Army against the Japanese forces in Burma. The campaign he was involved in ended in May 1945 with the capture of Rangoon, the main city of Burma and Mr. tucker was in one of the squadron planes that flew over the …
Date: April 18, 2017
Creator: Tucker, Charles H.
System: The Portal to Texas History