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
Oral History Interview with W. G. (Bill) Campbell, April 21, 2000 (open access)

Oral History Interview with W. G. (Bill) Campbell, April 21, 2000

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with W. G. (Bill) Campbell. Campbell grew up in Texas, attended Texas A&M, and married in 1939 before joining the Army in 1943. After training, he went to Australia, Dutch New Guinea, Palu, Leyte, and Mindanao. He describes riding in amphibious vehicles and interacting with the natives. He discusses various illnesses he had during the war and his interactions with his brother, an engineer. He also describes surveying work in some detail. After the war, Campbell eventually became a public school teacher.
Date: April 21, 2000
Creator: Campbell, W. G. (Bill)
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Iola Magruder to Rigdon Edwards, May 15, 1994] (open access)

[Letter from Iola Magruder to Rigdon Edwards, May 15, 1994]

Letter from Iola Magruder to Rigdon Edwards discussing articles from different news sources, a recent contribution to Texas Women's University, moving into a new house, past involvement with the American Cross and US military, and other events in her life.
Date: May 15, 1994
Creator: Magruder, Iola V.
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interviews with Charles W. Burris, 1984-1985 (open access)

Oral History Interviews with Charles W. Burris, 1984-1985

Interview with Charles Burris, Army Air Corps veteran from Tulsa, Oklahoma, concerning his experiences as a prisoner-of-war of the Japanese during World War II and as a survivor of the Bataan Death March. Burris discusses his training, the fall of Bataan, Camp O'Donnell, Fukuoka, Kyushu, and being set free.
Date: {1984-04-05,1985-02..1985-05}
Creator: Cruz, Richard & Burris, Charles W.
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library