Video recording from the Black Tie Dinner Collection recorded during an interview with individuals with involvements in Dallas and Fort Worth gay and lesbian communities, about what America means to them.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles Scheffel. Scheffel grew up in Oklahoma and enlisted in the Army ROTC in 1940. He was called up in 1941 after Pearl Harbor. He was allowed to finish out his senior year of college and was married in March 1942. He embarked on the Queen Elizabeth from New Jersey in September 1942. As leader of 200 men, he landed in Scotland and drove with them to Whittington Barracks where they joined with the British 51st Highlanders. He lists the three main survival lessons he learned from the seasoned English soldiers: having a batman to back you up, digging a two-man foxhole, and waiting for the ""crack and thump."" Scheffel how the ""crack and thump"" lesson would later save his life when he was seriously wounded when attacking the Siegfried Line. From England he went to Algeria with the British troops on the Scythia. The ship is torpedoed off the coast limps into Algiers. Scheffel made the decision to leave the British Highlanders and join up with American 9th Division in February 1943. The division went into Tunisia. Then he was sent to spend another month with the …

Transcript of an interview with William Hatcher, a World War II Army veteran (29th Bomb Group, 20th Air Force). Hatcher discusses concerning his his childhood and education; family's experiences in the Great Depression; decision to attend University of Tennessee-Knoxville and major in mechanical engineering; memories of Pearl Harbor attack; decision to join U.S. Army Enlisted Reserve Corps in 1942; 1943 call-up; basic training at Ft. Belvoir, Va.; instruction in engineering, communications, and radar repair at City College of New York and Chanute Field, Ill.; assignments to Truax Field, Wis., and Boca Raton, Fla.; meeting future wife, Jean E. Sheppard, at USO Club in West Palm Beach, Fla.; transfer to B-29 unit and bases in Neb. And Kan.; deployment to Guam with 29th Bomb Group, 20th Air Force, March 1945; details of high-altitude radar repair work; aspects of daily life for American soldiers stationed in Guam; descriptions of devastation of Japan, including Hiroshima; transfer to base on Tinian; return to U.S. in February 1946; wedding; return to UT-Knoxville using GI Bill benefits; work at Oak Ridge; decision to transfer to University of New Mexico for Mrs. Hatcher's health; career with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Convair Corp. of Fort Worth; …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Edward Nielsen from Medaryville, Indiana. He discusses undergoing Amry training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, before being assigned as B Company of the 69th Army Regiment at Fort Knox as a private. Afterwards he got lucky and was assigned to drive a truck from Louisiana to North Carolina, Mr. Nielsen describes this as the best job he ever had in the Army. After Pearl Harbor he is transferred to the 1st Armored Division and Regiment, 2nd Battalion. He was then transported from fort Knox to Ireland then to England for a short time before being shipped out to Oran in North Africa. On the way to Oran, the ship he was on was almost hit by a missile shot by a German U-boat, but it instead hit another ship that was nearby. By the time Mr. Nielsen reached Oran he was a segreant Tank Commander. He also relays a time he warned his Company Commander about German Tiger Tanks being in their area and being ignored only for them to show up a few days later resulting in one captain deserting and being captured by German soldiers. Mr. Nielsen …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Edward Nielsen from Medaryville, Indiana. He discusses undergoing Amry training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, before being assigned as B Company of the 69th Army Regiment at Fort Knox as a private. Afterwards he got lucky and was assigned to drive a truck from Louisiana to North Carolina, Mr. Nielsen describes this as the best job he ever had in the Army. After Pearl Harbor he is transferred to the 1st Armored Division and Regiment, 2nd Battalion. He was then transported from fort Knox to Ireland then to England for a short time before being shipped out to Oran in North Africa. On the way to Oran, the ship he was on was almost hit by a missile shot by a German U-boat, but it instead hit another ship that was nearby. By the time Mr. Nielsen reached Oran he was a segreant Tank Commander. He also relays a time he warned his Company Commander about German Tiger Tanks being in their area and being ignored only for them to show up a few days later resulting in one captain deserting and being captured by German soldiers. Mr. Nielsen …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Albert Donaldson. Donaldson talks about how the Great Depression affected his family. He joined the Navy in 1944 and provides details of his training. He traveled aboard the USS Buckingham (APA-141). They traveled to Pearl Harbor, which he describes along with his responsibilities with work parties unloading and reloading ships. He assisted with trading out old ammunition for new ammunition. He was transferred to the John Rodgers Naval Air Station in Hawaii. He worked on the Martin Mars seaplanes, repairing and test flying them. He also flew C-54s and the J-3 Piper Cub and shares his experiences. He spent the remainder of his Navy career in Hawaii and was discharged in August of 1946 and joined the reserves. While in the service he made storekeeper 3rd class. In the 1950s he was commissioned into the Air Force.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Albert Donaldson. Donaldson talks about how the Great Depression affected his family. He joined the Navy in 1944 and provides details of his training. He traveled aboard the USS Buckingham (APA-141). They traveled to Pearl Harbor, which he describes along with his responsibilities with work parties unloading and reloading ships. He assisted with trading out old ammunition for new ammunition. He was transferred to the John Rodgers Naval Air Station in Hawaii. He worked on the Martin Mars seaplanes, repairing and test flying them. He also flew C-54s and the J-3 Piper Cub and shares his experiences. He spent the remainder of his Navy career in Hawaii and was discharged in August of 1946 and joined the reserves. While in the service he made storekeeper 3rd class. In the 1950s he was commissioned into the Air Force.