Oral History Interview with Karl F. Eichhorn, June 2, 2009 transcript

Oral History Interview with Karl F. Eichhorn, June 2, 2009

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Karl F. Eichhorn. Eichhorn joined the Army Air Forces in February of 1943. He completed armament school, learning how to troubleshoot and repair machine guns, cannons, airplane bomb racks and gun turrets. He was assigned to the 726th Bomb Squadron, 451st Bomb Group, 15th Air Force. He served as a ground crewman. In December of 1943 he traveled to North Africa. He describes in detail his trip over and accommodations aboard a liberty ship. They landed in Oran, and Eichhorn elaborates on his experiences traveling through and staying in the city. In January 1944 he traveled to an airfield in Gioia del Colle, Italy. They unloaded planes coming in, loaded live bombs onto them and refilled machine gun ammunition boxes. Eichhorn describes in great detail his living and working experiences in Italy. They moved to another field in Castelluccio de Sauri. From there, they bombed northern Italy, Austria, Germany and generally southeast Europe. The group he worked with flew a total of 245 missions from January of 1945 to April of 1945. He was discharged in September of 1945.
Date: June 2, 2009
Creator: Eichhorn, Karl F.
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Placido Lozano, June 2, 2010 transcript

Oral History Interview with Placido Lozano, June 2, 2010

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Placido Lozano. Lozano joined the Navy in October of 1943. He completed Radio School. He was assigned to a Landing Craft Infantry participating in the Battle of Saipan in June of 1944. He was later stationed aboard a carrier in the Pacific. Lozano was assigned as a radioman to a Douglas SBD Dauntless divebomber. The pilot taught Lozano how to fly and they flew cover for the carrier in the Philippine Sea. He also participated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
Date: June 2, 2010
Creator: Lozano, Placido
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with George Franke, June 2, 2006 transcript

Oral History Interview with George Franke, June 2, 2006

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with George Franke. Franke joined the Navy in December of 1942. He completed radio, radar and gunnery school. He first trained in an ABX with hand-crank antennas. He later traveled to Florida to train in the Grumman TBF Avengers. In February of 1944 he volunteered for night flying in Quonset Point, Rhode Island. His unit practiced night flying to and from the USS Independence (CVL-22). They also completed anti-submarine patrol missions. In 1944 they participated in the Palau and Philippine operations, supporting landings at Angaur Island, Mindanao and Luzon. Franke shares his experiences over Formosa of a battle between the night fighters and some Japanese bombers. They also covered landings at Lingayen and Leyte gulfs. After their outfit was broken up, he started a training group in Vero Beach, Florida.
Date: June 2, 2006
Creator: Franke, George
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Kenneth Alberding, June 2, 2004 transcript

Oral History Interview with Kenneth Alberding, June 2, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Kenneth Alberding. Alberding joined the Army Air Forces in January of 1943. He completed navigation training, and also worked in the photo lab printing publicity photos of cadets. He completed radio school in April of 1944 in Traux Field, Madison, Wisconsin. He worked in the Headquarters unit, 456th Squadron, as a radio mechanic on B-29s. He remained in the US throughout the war and was discharged in January of 1946.
Date: June 2, 2004
Creator: Alberding, Kenneth
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Bob Campaign, June 2, 2006 transcript

Oral History Interview with Bob Campaign, June 2, 2006

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bob Campaign. Campaign joined the Navy in March 1943 and attended the University of Iowa for pre-flight training. He describes a training device consisting of a mock cockpit that would be flipped over and lowered into a swimming pool, giving pilots a chance to practice releasing their harnesses while hanging upside down, submerged in water. He finished his training at Corpus Christi and Fort Lauderdale, transitioning into combat airplanes. He was then assigned to VT-15 aboard the USS Hornet (CV-12). After the shakedown cruise, Campaign was transferred to VF-79 as a night fighter pilot aboard the USS Independence (CVL-22).
Date: June 2, 2006
Creator: Campaign, Bob
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Rubin Peterson, June 2, 2006 transcript

Oral History Interview with Rubin Peterson, June 2, 2006

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Rubin Peterson. Peterson joined the Navy in June 1942 and received training at Iowa State College and the University of Georgia. He received training in instrument flying at Whiting Field and formation flying at Barron Field. Upon completion of dive bomber training in DeLand, he was assigned to a night fighter squadron aboard the USS Independence (CVL-22). On his first mission, he shot down a Betty bomber at Palau. He then bombed freighters near Leyte amidst antiaircraft fire. On his night missions, he used the 40-mile range of his radar to close in on planes until he had a visual on them. At the end of his tour, he witnessed a destroyer sunk by a typhoon. Peterson returned to the States in February 1945 and instructed pilots on using radar until he was discharged at the end of the war.
Date: June 2, 2006
Creator: Peterson, Rubin
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Jim Scanlon, June 2, 2006 transcript

Oral History Interview with Jim Scanlon, June 2, 2006

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Jim Scanlon. Scanlon joined the Navy in November of 1942. He served as an aviation radio technician with the VF-41 Night Fighter Squadron. Scanlon provides vivid details of his training, and how he was involved with his missions. Scanlon was one of eleven radio technicians. They oversaw 25 airplanes in their squadron. He then served aboard the USS Hancock (CV-19) beginning November of 1944. Upon returning to the United States in October of 1945, he was assigned to the Naval Air Station in Klamath Falls, Oregon. His discharge date is not noted.
Date: June 2, 2006
Creator: Scanlon, Jim
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Bob Campaign, June 2, 2006 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Bob Campaign, June 2, 2006

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bob Campaign. Campaign joined the Navy in March 1943 and attended the University of Iowa for pre-flight training. He describes a training device consisting of a mock cockpit that would be flipped over and lowered into a swimming pool, giving pilots a chance to practice releasing their harnesses while hanging upside down, submerged in water. He finished his training at Corpus Christi and Fort Lauderdale, transitioning into combat airplanes. He was then assigned to VT-15 aboard the USS Hornet (CV-12). After the shakedown cruise, Campaign was transferred to VF-79 as a night fighter pilot aboard the USS Independence (CVL-22).
Date: June 2, 2006
Creator: Campaign, Bob
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Placido Lozano, June 2, 2010 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Placido Lozano, June 2, 2010

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Placido Lozano. Lozano joined the Navy in October of 1943. He completed Radio School. He was assigned to a Landing Craft Infantry participating in the Battle of Saipan in June of 1944. He was later stationed aboard a carrier in the Pacific. Lozano was assigned as a radioman to a Douglas SBD Dauntless divebomber. The pilot taught Lozano how to fly and they flew cover for the carrier in the Philippine Sea. He also participated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
Date: June 2, 2010
Creator: Lozano, Placido
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Joseph Quick, June 2, 2004 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Joseph Quick, June 2, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Joseph Quick. Quick joined the Marine Corps in August, 1943. He trained as an airplane mechanic and went overseas in November, 1944. His overseas diary is transcribed into the record (November 1944 through October 1945). Quick served at the Philippines and at Okinawa.
Date: June 2, 2004
Creator: Quick, Joseph
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Kenneth Alberding, June 2, 2004 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Kenneth Alberding, June 2, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Kenneth Alberding. Alberding joined the Army Air Forces in January of 1943. He completed navigation training, and also worked in the photo lab printing publicity photos of cadets. He completed radio school in April of 1944 in Traux Field, Madison, Wisconsin. He worked in the Headquarters unit, 456th Squadron, as a radio mechanic on B-29s. He remained in the US throughout the war and was discharged in January of 1946.
Date: June 2, 2004
Creator: Alberding, Kenneth
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Karl F. Eichhorn, June 2, 2009 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Karl F. Eichhorn, June 2, 2009

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Karl F. Eichhorn. Eichhorn joined the Army Air Forces in February of 1943. He completed armament school, learning how to troubleshoot and repair machine guns, cannons, airplane bomb racks and gun turrets. He was assigned to the 726th Bomb Squadron, 451st Bomb Group, 15th Air Force. He served as a ground crewman. In December of 1943 he traveled to North Africa. He describes in detail his trip over and accommodations aboard a liberty ship. They landed in Oran, and Eichhorn elaborates on his experiences traveling through and staying in the city. In January 1944 he traveled to an airfield in Gioia del Colle, Italy. They unloaded planes coming in, loaded live bombs onto them and refilled machine gun ammunition boxes. Eichhorn describes in great detail his living and working experiences in Italy. They moved to another field in Castelluccio de Sauri. From there, they bombed northern Italy, Austria, Germany and generally southeast Europe. The group he worked with flew a total of 245 missions from January of 1945 to April of 1945. He was discharged in September of 1945.
Date: June 2, 2009
Creator: Eichhorn, Karl F.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with George Franke, June 2, 2006 (open access)

Oral History Interview with George Franke, June 2, 2006

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with George Franke. Franke joined the Navy in December of 1942. He completed radio, radar and gunnery school. He first trained in an ABX with hand-crank antennas. He later traveled to Florida to train in the Grumman TBF Avengers. In February of 1944 he volunteered for night flying in Quonset Point, Rhode Island. His unit practiced night flying to and from the USS Independence (CVL-22). They also completed anti-submarine patrol missions. In 1944 they participated in the Palau and Philippine operations, supporting landings at Angaur Island, Mindanao and Luzon. Franke shares his experiences over Formosa of a battle between the night fighters and some Japanese bombers. They also covered landings at Lingayen and Leyte gulfs. After their outfit was broken up, he started a training group in Vero Beach, Florida.
Date: June 2, 2006
Creator: Franke, George
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Rubin Peterson, June 2, 2006 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Rubin Peterson, June 2, 2006

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Rubin Peterson. Peterson joined the Navy in June 1942 and received training at Iowa State College and the University of Georgia. He received training in instrument flying at Whiting Field and formation flying at Barron Field. Upon completion of dive bomber training in DeLand, he was assigned to a night fighter squadron aboard the USS Independence (CVL-22). On his first mission, he shot down a Betty bomber at Palau. He then bombed freighters near Leyte amidst antiaircraft fire. On his night missions, he used the 40-mile range of his radar to close in on planes until he had a visual on them. At the end of his tour, he witnessed a destroyer sunk by a typhoon. Peterson returned to the States in February 1945 and instructed pilots on using radar until he was discharged at the end of the war.
Date: June 2, 2006
Creator: Peterson, Rubin
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Jim Scanlon, June 2, 2006 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Jim Scanlon, June 2, 2006

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Jim Scanlon. Scanlon joined the Navy in November of 1942. He served as an aviation radio technician with the VF-41 Night Fighter Squadron. Scanlon provides vivid details of his training, and how he was involved with his missions. Scanlon was one of eleven radio technicians. They oversaw 25 airplanes in their squadron. He then served aboard the USS Hancock (CV-19) beginning November of 1944. Upon returning to the United States in October of 1945, he was assigned to the Naval Air Station in Klamath Falls, Oregon. His discharge date is not noted.
Date: June 2, 2006
Creator: Scanlon, Jim
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Joe Davis to Catherine Davis - June 2, 1944] (open access)

[Letter from Joe Davis to Catherine Davis - June 2, 1944]

Letter from Joe to his wife Catherine discussing visiting Honolulu with Graves the day before, being grateful that he brought his shorts and cigarette lighter overseas, the cheapness of cigarettes, and requesting that Catherine send his friends' addresses.
Date: June 2, 1944
Creator: Davis, Joseph Emmett
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Catherine Davis to Joe Davis - June 2, 1944] (open access)

[Letter from Catherine Davis to Joe Davis - June 2, 1944]

Letter from Catherine to her husband Joe discussing news from home, including hearing from Rita who saw Joe in California, doing some yardwork, and that Lorraine is pregnant.
Date: June 2, 1944
Creator: Davis, Catherine Dawe
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History