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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 Alan Pilot, August 10, 2010 transcript

Oral History Interview with Alan Pilot, August 10, 2010

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Alan Pilot. Pilot joined the Army in January 1943 and received basic training at Camp Howze. He received further training in Louisiana for the European Theater and then in California for the Pacific Theater. In January he left for Camp Old Gold at La Havre, where he served as a combat medic, supporting Companies E, G, and H of the 343rd Infantry, 86th Division. His unit relieved the 8th Division and fought in Cologne, where he was stationed at the top of the cathedral while it was being shelled. In the Ruhr Pocket a defective shell landed 10 feet away from him. He recalls seeing 100,000 Germans surrender there. He describes the Bavarian people as friendly as he passed through Austria on VE Day. He was then sent to the Pacific as part of Operation Coronet. VJ Day came while he was still crossing the Pacific. He spent the last five months of his service in the Philippines at a quiet outpost while the rest of his unit prepared the Philippines for independence. Pilot returned home and was discharged in January 1946.
Date: August 10, 2010
Creator: Pilot, Alan
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Alan Pilot, August 10, 2010 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Alan Pilot, August 10, 2010

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Alan Pilot. Pilot joined the Army in January 1943 and received basic training at Camp Howze. He received further training in Louisiana for the European Theater and then in California for the Pacific Theater. In January he left for Camp Old Gold at La Havre, where he served as a combat medic, supporting Companies E, G, and H of the 343rd Infantry, 86th Division. His unit relieved the 8th Division and fought in Cologne, where he was stationed at the top of the cathedral while it was being shelled. In the Ruhr Pocket a defective shell landed 10 feet away from him. He recalls seeing 100,000 Germans surrender there. He describes the Bavarian people as friendly as he passed through Austria on VE Day. He was then sent to the Pacific as part of Operation Coronet. VJ Day came while he was still crossing the Pacific. He spent the last five months of his service in the Philippines at a quiet outpost while the rest of his unit prepared the Philippines for independence. Pilot returned home and was discharged in January 1946.
Date: August 10, 2010
Creator: Pilot, Alan
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Rex D. Pearce to Daniel W. Kempner, December 18, 1951] (open access)

[Letter from Rex D. Pearce to Daniel W. Kempner, December 18, 1951]

Letter from Rex D. Pearce to Daniel W. Kempner discussing the release of their plant catalog where Mr. Kempner may find the Phloxes and Geraniums he has been searching for and informing him that he would be entitled to their 25% wholesale discount.
Date: December 18, 1951
Creator: Pearce, Rex D.
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Dreer's to Daniel W. Kempner, May 14, 1951] (open access)

[Letter from Dreer's to Daniel W. Kempner, May 14, 1951]

Letter from Dreer's to Daniel W. Kempner discussing that they are unable to fulfill Mr. Kempner's order for Wild Phlox or Geranium seeds in bulk and referring him to Rex Pearce.
Date: May 14, 1951
Creator: Henery A. Dreer, Incorporated
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Aircraft Delivery Orders #3] (open access)

[Aircraft Delivery Orders #3]

Orders for an Air Force pilot and two WASP to ferry planes from the Beech Aircraft Corporation in Wichita, Kansas to San Angelo, Texas and Fort Dix, New Jersey.
Date: February 9, 1944
Creator: 555th Army Air Forces Base Unit - 5th Ferrying Group
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Memorandum Receipt #3] (open access)

[Memorandum Receipt #3]

Army delivery receipt certifying that a UC-45 model aircraft was delivered to Fort Dix, New Jersey to be installed with radio and bomsight equipment.
Date: February 9, 1944
Creator: Army Air Forces War Department
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Memorandum Receipt #4] (open access)

[Memorandum Receipt #4]

Army delivery receipt certifying that WASP Gayle D. Ewing ferried a PT-13 D model aircraft to an air base in Fort Dix, New Jersey to be installed with a radio and bombsight equipment.
Date: January 31, 1944
Creator: Army Air Forces War Department
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History