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Oral History Interview with Paul R. Nixon (open access)

Oral History Interview with Paul R. Nixon

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Paul R. Nixon. Nixon grew up in Kenya. After reporting for duty in Nairobi, he enlisted in the Army at 20 in Eritrea. He was assigned as an engineer near Cairo, Egypt. While on guard duty, he saw Faruk I, King of Egypt. His work involved mostly civil engineering. He won a trip to Palestine. After visiting, he then traveled through Iran and Iraq by plane to assist in building an airport in Dhahran, Arabia. Although VJ Day occurred while the work was still being laid out, the team still went forward with the work. The surveying team had to move out of the ARAMCO facilities when ships brought the construction team to the future airport. Then the surveying team went to a location halfway between Cairo and Dhahran, Duwaid, to built another emergency airport. He is sent by land back to Dhahran so that he can be a guide for the return trip. Then Nixon returned to Cairo. From Cairo he traveled to Alexandria, then to France and Belgium. He was assigned to Bad Neuheim and became a chaplain's assistant. He was discharged at Fort Dix, New …
Date: unknown
Creator: Nixon, Paul R.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Al D'Agostino, April 19, 2012 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Al D'Agostino, April 19, 2012

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Al D’Agostino. D’Agostino joined the Merchant Marine in 1945 and received training in Brooklyn. Upon completion, he was assigned to the SS Monterey where he worked as a butcher. His first trip to the Pacific was transporting European troops, who were unhappy about the looming invasion of Japan. The war ended while the Monterey was in transit, and the soldiers returning home were a much happier bunch. Even more joyful was the reunion of families when the Monterey picked up war brides and their babies from all over the Pacific and brought them back to the States. He transferred to a Liberty ship that brought German war criminals back to the States from South America, although he believes that the majority of the passengers were actually concentration camp survivors. D’Agostino was discharged but was drafted again during the Korean War and served as a radio relay operator atop a mountain in dangerous and harsh winter conditions. When he was discharged a second time, he applied his kitchen experience and attended Cornell’s hotel school. D’Agostino became the director of food service for Trans World Airlines. Before retiring, he moved …
Date: April 19, 2012
Creator: D'Agostino, Al
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Al D'Agostino, April 19, 2012 transcript

Oral History Interview with Al D'Agostino, April 19, 2012

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Al D’Agostino. D’Agostino joined the Merchant Marine in 1945 and received training in Brooklyn. Upon completion, he was assigned to the SS Monterey where he worked as a butcher. His first trip to the Pacific was transporting European troops, who were unhappy about the looming invasion of Japan. The war ended while the Monterey was in transit, and the soldiers returning home were a much happier bunch. Even more joyful was the reunion of families when the Monterey picked up war brides and their babies from all over the Pacific and brought them back to the States. He transferred to a Liberty ship that brought German war criminals back to the States from South America, although he believes that the majority of the passengers were actually concentration camp survivors. D’Agostino was discharged but was drafted again during the Korean War and served as a radio relay operator atop a mountain in dangerous and harsh winter conditions. When he was discharged a second time, he applied his kitchen experience and attended Cornell’s hotel school. D’Agostino became the director of food service for Trans World Airlines. Before retiring, he moved …
Date: April 19, 2012
Creator: D'Agostino, Al
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History