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 A. K. Sheffield, May 20, 2016 transcript

Oral History Interview with A. K. Sheffield, May 20, 2016

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with A K Sheffield. Sheffield joined the Navy in late 1943. He completed Armed Guard School in San Diego. He served with the Navy Armed Guard aboard a transport ship, and traveled to the Philippine Islands. In May of 1944, Sheffield was aboard the SS Henry Bergh when it ran aground on the Farallon Islands, and shares details of those events. He traveled through the Pacific Islands, to Japan and throughout the Atlantic. Sheffield does not speak of participating in any battles or combat. He returned home aboard USS Iowa (BB-61) after the war ended in late 1945.
Date: May 20, 2016
Creator: Sheffield, A. K.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Aaron Mendoza, September 7, 2012 transcript

Oral History Interview with Aaron Mendoza, September 7, 2012

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Aaron Mendoza. Mendoza joined the Navy in 1943 and received basic training in San Diego. He attended torpedo school and was assigned to an aircraft torpedo lab at Kaneohe Naval Air Station. There he filled warheads with air so the torpedo could be retrieved after test fires. Torpedoes that passed quality control would then be filled with explosive warheads and loaded into underground silos. After 14 months, his unit was dispersed. Mendoza was in Great Lakes awaiting further orders when the war ended. He was discharged in December 1945 and worked as a civilian employee at Kelly Air Force Base, retiring with a GS-12 ranking. He then worked as a salesman for Control Data, selling supercomputers to the likes of NASA and Texaco. He emphasizes the importance of staying active in retirement, and at the age of 88 he ranked number one nationally in Wii bowling.
Date: September 7, 2012
Creator: Mendoza, Aaron
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Jack Hunt Parks, January 14, 2015 transcript

Oral History Interview with Jack Hunt Parks, January 14, 2015

Interview with Jack Hunt Parks, the owner of the Hunt Store, from Houston, Texas. Parks speaks about his experiences as owner of the Hunt Store, his experiences as a member of the Hunt Preservation Society, and about his grandfathers (one of which was a Texas Special Ranger, the other of which was a cowboy on the Matador Ranch north of Abilene).
Date: January 14, 2015
Creator: Collins, Francelle Robison; Holder, Bonnie Pipes Flory & Parks, Jack Hunt
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Cynthie Jane Ragsdale, December 14, 2015 transcript

Oral History Interview with Cynthie Jane Ragsdale, December 14, 2015

Interview with Cynthie Jane Ragsdale, the director of Heart O' the Hills Camp, from Houston, Texas. Ragsdale recalls her time going to summer camps during her childhood, her time studying journalism at Texas Woman's University, and her time working at Heart O' the Hills Camp. Photos relating to the interview follow the transcript.
Date: December 14, 2015
Creator: Collins, Francelle Robison; Flory, Bonnie Pipes & Ragsdale, Cynthie Jane
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with A. B. Bell and R. A. Bell, October 18, 2016 transcript

Oral History Interview with A. B. Bell and R. A. Bell, October 18, 2016

Interview with Arthur Baker Bell and Robert Alan Bell, alumni of Tivy High School, from Kerrville, Texas. The Bell brothers recount their memories of the public Cascade Swimming Pool, Robert's time as a university swimmer, Arthur's hitchhiking trip to Alaska, and their community activities that have occurred since their retirement.
Date: October 18, 2016
Creator: Collins, Francelle Robison; Flory, Bonnie Pipes; Bell, Arthur Baker & Bell, Robert Alan
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Gretchen Broun Stacy, January 19, 2016 transcript

Oral History Interview with Gretchen Broun Stacy, January 19, 2016

Interview with Gretchen Broun Stacy, the daughter of the owners of Camp Rio Vista, from Houston, Texas. Stacy gives a brief history of her life, including her time living in Houston before moving to Kerrville as a freshman in high school, setting up a cooking school at Camp Waldemar, and running a catering business.
Date: January 19, 2016
Creator: Collins, Francelle Robison; Flory, Bonnie Pipes & Stacy, Gretchen Broun
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Tommy Daniels, November 22, 2018 transcript

Oral History Interview with Tommy Daniels, November 22, 2018

Interview with Tommy Daniels discussing his childhood in Kerrville, going to Rice University on a football scholarship, his career in banking, and his family.
Date: November 22, 2018
Creator: Collins, Francelle Robison; Flory, Bonnie Pipes & Daniels, Thomas Earl
System: The Portal to Texas History