Oral History Interview with Colonel John. E. Olson, March 15, 1998

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Interview with Colonel John E. Olson, a Army WWII veteran and POW from Leavenworth, Kansas. Olson discusses his family background, commissioning in the Army from West Point, assignment to the Philippines in 1939 as an infantry officer, the start of the war, withdrawal to Bataan and the ensuing battle and surrender, the Bataan Death March, internment at Cabanatuan, transfer to Osaka, experiences there in internment at a factory labor camp, liberation, organizing the evacuation of POWs, returning to the US, and his postwar career.
Date: March 15, 1998
Creator: Alexander, Bill & Olson, John E.
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with John B. Brush, February 3, 1998

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Interview with John Brush, a businessman and WWII POW from White Plains, New York. Brush discusses his family history, school, work for Procter & Gamble Company, marriage, moving to Manila in 1941, the lead up to war, the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, internment by the Japanese army at Santo Tomas Prison Camp, survival with his family, censorship and propaganda, shanties and villages, fake identities to help US servicemen survive, move to Los Baños camp, liberation, and return to the US.
Date: February 3, 1998
Creator: Alexander, William J. & Brush, John B.
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with John J. Clemens, May 13, 2003

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Interview with John J. Clemens. The interview includes Clemens' personal experiences about childhood and early adulthood in Houston, Texas, World War II-era service in the U.S. Navy, serving aboard USS Wren in the Pacific Theater, and piloting a ship into Tokyo Bay immediately following the Japanese surrender. Clemens speaks about convoy missions across the Atlantic Ocean, the January 4, 1944 sinking of the USS Turner while moored in New York Harbor and the court of inquiry regarding the sinking, actions in the Aleutian Islands, Attu, Okinawa, and Philippine campaigns and anti-kamikaze warfare while aboard the USS Wren, and the effects that Allied bombing had on Tokyo.
Date: May 13, 2003
Creator: Alexander, William J. & Clemens, John J., 1921-
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Robert Hoe, September 20, 2003

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Interview with Robert Hoe, a Navy WWII veteran of the China-Burma-India theater from Le Roy, New York. Hoe discusses growing up, the reaction to Pearl Harbor, attending college, enlisting in the Navy, training and becoming an officer, joining the Navy Scouts and Raiders, deployment to China and assignment to the Sino-American Cooperative Organization, supplying their forces, operations with guerilla fighters against the Japanese occupation, intelligence gathering, his reaction to the atomic bomb, the end of the war, service in China and discharge, and life as a civilian.
Date: September 20, 2003
Creator: Alexander, William J. & Hoe, Robert
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Robert Hutchins Roser, January 7, 1995

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Interview with 1st Lieutenant Robert Roser, an Army veteran, concerning his experiences with the 29th Division during the invasion of Normandy in World War II.
Date: January 6, 1995
Creator: Alexander, William J. & Roser, Robert Hutchins
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Earl E. Ambrose, October 6, 2007

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Interview with Earl E. Ambrose, Korean War veteran, as part of the Tarrant County War Veterans Oral History Project. The interview includes Ambrose's personal experiences of childhood, basic training, volunteering for service in Korea, and attending Arlington State College using GI Bill benefits. Additionally, Ambrose discusses family experiences in military service, the decision to join the Marines, assignments to Quantico and Yorktown, Virginia, his brief combat experience and assignment to the Main Line of Resistance near the Imjin River, his discharge from the Marines, and his career with Bell Helicopter.
Date: October 6, 2007
Creator: Ball, Gregory & Ambrose, Earl E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with Thomas Roth, October 15, 1977 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Thomas Roth, October 15, 1977

Interview with Thomas Roth regarding his experiences while stationed at Kaneohe Naval Air Station during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and other installations on the island on December 7th, 1941.
Date: October 15, 1977
Creator: Bowman, Larry & Roth, Thomas
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Benjamin B. Luong, March 15, 2021

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Interview with Benjamin Bình-Thiên Phạm Lương, a chef from Dallas, Texas who studied at the Culinary Institute of America. Benjamin discusses the background of his Vietnamese parents, the Vietnam War, politics, his father's education in the United States, and his own personal journey to becoming a chef.
Date: March 15, 2021
Creator: Bridges-Jacobsen, Lauren & Luong, Benjamin Bình-Thiên Phạm
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Edmund T. Thomassen, May 4, 1993

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Transcript of an interview with Commander Edmund Thomassen, a Navy veteran, concerning his experiences as a naval officer in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Thomassen discusses the New York State Merchant Marine Academy in 1941, his assignment to the USS Sheridan (APA 51), Tarawa landing, Marshall Island landings, Saipan landing, his assignment to Newport, Rhode Island, his assignment to the USS Dutchess for amphibious landings, and his Korean War experiences.
Date: May 4, 1993
Creator: Byrd, R. W. (Richard W.) & Thomassen, Edmund T., 1924-
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Mary Franklin, October 18, 2013

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Interview with Mary Franklin, an activist in the Dallas LGBT community from Riverhead, New York. Franklin discusses her family background, the neighborhood she grew up in in, dyslexia and struggles in school, her sexuality and coming out, the LGBT scene on Long Island, "gay" as a term, her first girlfriend, Anita Bryant, applying for a marriage license on National Coming Out Day, feminism and activism, moving to Dallas, the decriminalization of homosexuality in Texas, the HIV-AIDS epidemic, threats, involvement with the Unitarian Church, working at the Food Pantry, and changes in societal attitudes towards LGBT.
Date: October 18, 2013
Creator: Castillo, Vogel Vladimir & Franklin, Mary
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with David Taffet, November 12, 2013

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Interview with David Taffet, a Dallas-area LGBT activist from Yonkers, New York. Taffet discusses his education, coming out, anti-war activism at State University of New York at Albany, the SUNY Gay Alliance, moving to Dallas, the AIDS epidemic, police harassment and entrapment, working for the Custom Shop and the Dallas Voice, the "AIDS cocktail" and advancements in treatment of the illness, and grassroots politics.
Date: November 12, 2013
Creator: Graham, Celeste & Taffet, David
System: The UNT Digital Library

Third Reich Finale: as Witnessed by John L. Hancock, 259th Field Artillery Battalion

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Army WWII veteran John L. Hancock's autobiographical accounts of his service with the 259th Field Artillery Battalion in the final months of the European Theater. The book features five separate accounts on the Battle of the Bulge, Remagen, liberating Buchenwald, occupation duty in Germany, and returning to the US.
Date: August 11, 2003
Creator: Hancock, John L.
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Wiliam Wayne Kitts, May 13, 2009

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Transcript of an interview with William Wayne Kitts, U.S. Navy anti-submarine warfare veteran of World War II. Kitts shares concerning his childhood and family history in Sulphur Springs, Texas; college at the University of Texas during the Depression; musical background; enlistment in the U.S. Navy shortly after the attack at Pearl Harbor; midshipman school in New York City and selection for sonar school in Key West, Florida; assignment to USS Mason, the first ship in the navy with an integrated crew; post-war duty as commanding officer of USS Hollis and USS Tollberg; role in establishing Naval Reserve Training Center in Lubbock, Texas; reactivation to active duty during Korean War; and his post-military career at Vought Aeronautics.
Date: May 13, 2009
Creator: Hegi, Benjamin & Kitts, William Wayne, 1921-
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Robert A. Lawyer, August 31, 1997

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Interview with Robert A. Lawyer, an anesthetist and Army veteran of the Vietnam War. In the interview, Lawyer recalls memories from when he served as an Army nurse in Vietnam. He discusses what it was like working in the field, and includes details concerning living accommodations, operating room experiences, battle casualties, American relations with Vietnamese civilians, the treatment of prisoners-of-war, entertainment, and recreational activities. Lawyer also recollects memories of Nurse training at the Bellevue Hospital in New York City, Tet Offensive, and his assignment to the 3rd Field Hospital in Saigon, South Vietnam. He explains what it was like adjusting after the war was over.
Date: August 31, 1997
Creator: Houser-Hess, Lucinda & Lawyer, Robert A.
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with William W. Pearsall, June 18, 1997

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Transcript of an interview with William W. Pearsall concerning his experiences on the homefront as a teenager in Elgin, Illinois, during World War II. Pearsall discusses his education and childhood in Elgin; local reaction to the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941; air raid drills and blackouts; attempts to make people war conscious; spy hysteria; censorship of mail; harassment of German Americans; gasoline rationing; scrap drives; war bond drives; Victory Gardens; rationing of tires; scarcity of automobile parts; black market activities; clothing shortages; Boy Scout activities; effects of having a brother and sister in the military; wartime entertainment for teenagers; high school war bond dances; V-E Day celebrations; V-J Day celebrations; attitudes toward Japanese; and the adjustment of his brother and sister to civilian life. Includes appendix with photographs [3 pages].
Date: June 18, 1997
Creator: Jackson, Sarah C. & Pearsall, William W.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with Bertha Rosenzweig, November 15, 1979 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Bertha Rosenzweig, November 15, 1979

Interview with Bertha Rosenzweig, co-founder of Tex-Glass, Inc. in Decatur, Texas. The interview includes Rosenzweig's personal experiences about her education in New York, and having a teaching career. Rosenzweig talks about her family background, her knowledge of her husband's family background and his life in Europe during the Hitler era, his technical training, work in glass factories, starting his own glass factory in Vienna, fleeing Nazis and migrating to Greece, the Jewish underground in Central Europe, fleeing to Egypt, Palestine, and his migration to the U.S. Additionally, Rosenzweig talks about their meeting and marriage, work in Canada and Mexico, opening a glass factory in Athens, Texas, moving to Decatur, employee relations, products and the production process, the distribution system, financing methods, her managing the business, sale of the business, and reparations from the Austrian government.
Date: November 15, 1979
Creator: Jenkins, Floyd & Rosenzweig, Bertha
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with Bertha Rosenzweig, November 15, 1979 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Bertha Rosenzweig, November 15, 1979

Interview with Bertha (Mrs. Herman) Rosenzweig concerning her experiences as co-founder (with her husband, Herman, deceased) of Tex Glass, Inc. in Decatur, Texas. Rosenzweig discusses her family background, her education in Brooklyn, N.Y., and her teaching career. She also speaks of her husband's family background and his life in Europe during the Hitler era, her husband's technical training and his work in glass factories, starting his own glass factory in Vienna, fleeing the Nazis and migrating to Greece, working for the underground getting Jews out of Central Europe, fleeing to Egypt and Palestine, and migrating to the United States. Rosenzweig also talks of meeting her husband and their marriage, working in Canada and Mexico, opening a glass factory in Athens, Texas, their move to Decatur, as well as their employee relations, products and the production process, the distribution system, financing methods, her managing the business, the sale of the business, and reparations from the Austrian government.
Date: November 15, 1979
Creator: Jenkins, Floyd Harold & Rosenzweig, Bertha
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Allen H. Benton, November 24, 2004

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Interview with Allen H. Benton, World War II-era veteran of the 112th Cavalry, Texas National Guard. The interview includes Benton's personal experiences about childhood in upstate New York and the Depression-era economy, education at Cornell University, drafting into the U.S. Army Infantry and service at several stateside bases, transferring to Cavalry and combat in the Pacific Theater, and having a career as an author of biological field guides. The interview also includes Benton's memories of the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay as well as his opinions on war in general.
Date: November 24, 2004
Creator: Johnston, Glenn T.; Benton, Allen H. & Johnston, Craig F.
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Janet Blair, June 25, 2001

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Interview with homemaker Janet Blair. The interview includes Blair's personal experiences about being a Red Cross volunteer in the European Theater during World War II, education in Europe, working with "Bundles for Britain," various assignments, rationing and air raids in England, D-Day, and serving troops during the Battle of the Bulge. Additionally, Blair talks about her patriotic motivation, her decision to join the Red Cross, her selection as a clubmobiler, the formation of a lifelong friendship with Diana Marvin and Peggy Bell, the use of Greenliners, relationships between Red Cross women and U.S. military personnel, leave time in Paris, living conditions of France, looting, and the end of the war and her return to the States.
Date: June 25, 2001
Creator: Marcello, Ronald E. & Blair, Janet
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with William Coughlin, September 17, 1988 (open access)

Oral History Interview with William Coughlin, September 17, 1988

Interview with William Coughlin, a Army WWII veteran who was present at Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, from Auburn, New York. Coughlin discusses joining the Army in 1937, transfer to Hawaii in 1940, duties as a grunt in coastal artillery on Sand Island, becoming a guard, engaging Japanese planes on the morning of December 7th, digging in for the evening, and later service. Included is a screenshot of Coughlin's online obituary.
Date: September 17, 1988
Creator: Marcello, Ronald E. & Coughlin, William H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with Frederick W. Dittus, September 13, 1985 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Frederick W. Dittus, September 13, 1985

Interview with Frederick Dittus, an executive at Caltex Petroleum Corporation. He discusses his educational background, his early job experience with Standard Oil Company of California, the Dittus-Boelter equation, his pre-World War II experiences in Nazi Germany, construction of the Bahrain refinery for Bapco, the formation of Caltex in 1936, his transfer to Caltex, his activities during World War II, the postwar refinery expansion, and the evolution of the Technical Services Division.
Date: September 13, 1985
Creator: Marcello, Ronald E. & Dittus, Frederick W., 1897-
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with John D. Fosque, August 2, 1985 (open access)

Oral History Interview with John D. Fosque, August 2, 1985

Interview with John Fosque, an executive at Caltex Petroleum Corporation, concerning his experiences as a long-time employee of Caltex (1936-1967).
Date: August 2, 1985
Creator: Marcello, Ronald E. & Fosque, John D., 1911-
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with Leigh D. Josephson, May 27, 1986 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Leigh D. Josephson, May 27, 1986

Interview with executive of Caltex Petroluem Corporation, Leigh D. Josephson, including his personal experiences related to employment with Standard Oil of California, his assignment to Bahrain and transfer to Caltex, the construction of Ras Tanura refinery in Saudi Arabia, and the bombing of the Bapco refinery in Bahrain. Josephson also talks about refinery operations in Bahrain during and after World War II, his various positions and responsibilities with Caltex and Bapco, work in Bahrain and the Philippines, his personal relationship with the Bahraini royal family, and the OPEC and Arab oil embargoes in 1967.
Date: May 27, 1989
Creator: Marcello, Ronald E. & Josephson, Leigh D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with Robert J. Kirchhofer, January 17, 1986 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Robert J. Kirchhofer, January 17, 1986

Interview with Robert Kirchhofer, an executive at Caltex Petroleum Corporation, concerning his experiences and reminiscences of his long-time career with the Caltex Corporation.
Date: January 17, 1986
Creator: Marcello, Ronald E. & Kirchhofer, Robert J., 1911-
System: The UNT Digital Library