Resource Type

Oral History Interview with Ornell H. Balzer, September 4, 2003 transcript

Oral History Interview with Ornell H. Balzer, September 4, 2003

Interview with Ornell Balzer, beginning with the evolution of her career at M.D. Anderson. She recounts how she moved to Houston after graduating from nursing school and her return to M.D. Anderson. Ms. Balzer then details her memories of time spent working at Baker Estate and her interactions with colleagues and patients.
Date: September 4, 2003
Creator: Balzer, Ornell H. & Brunet, Lesley Williams
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Thomas S. Matney, September 27, 2007 transcript

Oral History Interview with Thomas S. Matney, September 27, 2007

Interview tith Dr. Thomas S. Matney discussing his youth, family, education, and career at MD Anderson. He begins the interview by talking about growing up in Texas and attending Trinity University of his bachelor's and master's degrees. He discusses his early career at MD Anderson and his research into bacteria and genetics.
Date: September 26, 2007
Creator: Matney, Thomas S. & Brunet, Lesley Williams
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Jack Kleiss, September 29, 2000 transcript

Oral History Interview with Jack Kleiss, September 29, 2000

Interview with Jack Kleiss, a pilot during World War II. He discusses training for carrier landings on USS Enterprise; the arrival of VMF-211 aboard Enterprise and their delivery to Wake Island; and the attack on Pealr Harbor on 7 December 1941. Kleiss was in a dive bomber and attacked Japanese carriers at the Battle of Midway, where he earned the Navy Cross.
Date: September 29, 2000
Creator: Nichols, Chuck & Kleiss, Jack
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Norman Apelt, September 23, 2001 transcript

Oral History Interview with Norman Apelt, September 23, 2001

Interview with with Norman Apelt, an airplane mechanic during World War II. He discusses his service in the US Army Air Corps as an airplane mechanic in Pampa, Texas. After the war ended, Apelt was assigned duty in occupied Japan.
Date: September 23, 2001
Creator: Bryk, Clarence & Apelt, Norman
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with David Braden, September 30, 2000 transcript

Oral History Interview with David Braden, September 30, 2000

Interview with David Braden, a member of the U.S. Air Force during World War II. He discusses his training in the U.S. to become a navigator; his deployment to Saipan with the 870th Squadron, 497th Bomb Group, 73rd Wing; initial attacks on Tokyo in a B-29 bomber at high altitude (during which the jet stream interfered with the bombing raids); a low-altitude fire-bombing mission over Tokyo in March, 1945; living conditions on base at Saipan; a mission in which the B-29 he was on ditched in the ocean and his subsequent rescue; Victory in Europe (V-E) Day on Saipan; completing 35 missions; and going home.
Date: September 30, 2000
Creator: Johnson, Kep & Braden, David
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Willie Higgs, September 21, 2001 transcript

Oral History Interview with Willie Higgs, September 21, 2001

Interview with Willie Higgs, a U. S. Marine during World War II. He joined the Marines in 1944 and trained at Camp Pendleton before being assigned to the 4th Marine Division. Higgs discusses arriving at Iwo Jima, making a grenade attack on a cave there, and subsequently breaking his leg. He then spent time aboard the hospital ship, USS Solace (AH-5). Upon returning home, Higgs finished his degree at Southwest Texas State in San Marcos, where he majored in music.
Date: September 21, 2001
Creator: Pickard, Kevin & Higgs, Willie
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with David Lee Hill, September 20, 2003 transcript

Oral History Interview with David Lee Hill, September 20, 2003

Interview with David Lee "Tex" Hill of San Antonio, Texas, a veteran from the United States Navy during World War II in the China-Burma-India Theater. The interview includes Hill's personal experiences while in the Navy, including memories of pre-war flight training in Florida, the Flying Tigers, and the Salween River Gorge attack.
Date: September 20, 2003
Creator: Cox, William G. & Hill, David Lee
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with O. H. King, September 28, 2002 transcript

Oral History Interview with O. H. King, September 28, 2002

Interview with O. H. "Karl" King of Fort Worth, Texas, who is a World War Two veteran of the United States Marine Corps. In the interview, Mr. King recalls memories of his travels, the Japanese attack on Clark Field, the Battle for Bataan, and when he was a Japanese prisoner-of-war. He also talks about other experiences he had while serving in the Marines and his life before and after the war.
Date: September 28, 2002
Creator: Graham, Eddie & King, O. H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with W. A. Henderson, September 20, 2003 transcript

Oral History Interview with W. A. Henderson, September 20, 2003

Interview with W. A. (Bill) Henderson, a pilot during World War II. He discusses his time as a bombardier and navigator on a B-24 in the China-Burma-India Theater. His crew hit the bridge over River Kwai (Mae Klong) while making bombing runs along the Burma Railway and also flew runs to supply gasoline to various bases in China, India and Burma. He relates anecdotes about the food and living quarters on the bases and the time he saved his co-pilot's life. He helped his co-pilot land the plane after a bullet tore through the plane's nose wheel and injured the man's leg.
Date: September 20, 2003
Creator: Johnson, Kep & Henderson, W. A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Floyd Deacon, September 15, 1982 transcript

Oral History Interview with Floyd Deacon, September 15, 1982

Interview with Floyd Deacon about the history of Grapevine, Texas.
Date: September 15, 1982
Creator: Deacon, Floyd
System: The Portal to Texas History
Baytown-La Porte Tunnel Opening transcript

Baytown-La Porte Tunnel Opening

Interviews with area citizens and speeches of prominent guest speakers, including Allen Shivers, governor, and Tommy Cook, president of Texas Junior Chamber of Commerce. Also, a recording of Edward R. Murrow's radio broadcast of "I can hear it now", recorded July 4, 1953 from station KREL, Baytown, TX.
Date: September 22, 1953
Creator: Murrow, Edward R.; Cook, Tommy & Shivers, Allen
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Norman Brooks Culver, September 19, 1979 transcript

Oral History Interview with Norman Brooks Culver, September 19, 1979

Interview with Norman Brooks Culver, a hospital worker for Humble Oil Refining Company in Baytown, Texas. Culver tells of his experiences working for Humble and the medical are given for the company, as well as a few anecdotes concerning the history of Baytown such as Humble Day celebrations.
Date: September 19, 1979
Creator: Swofford, Sarah & Culver, Norman Brooks (Doc)
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with L. Karl Grimes, September 25, 1979 transcript

Oral History Interview with L. Karl Grimes, September 25, 1979

Interview with L. Karl Grimes, born in Ellis County in 1895 and moved to Baytown, Texas in 1925. Grimes answers a few questions about his experiences and tells lengthy stories concerning his early life in Ellis County as well as his move to Baytown. Grimes covers his employment at Humble Oil and Refining Co. as well as issues concerning Mexican American children being allowed to go to school in Baytown.
Date: September 25, 1979
Creator: Swofford, Sarah & Grimes, L. Karl
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with David Straus, September 17, 2001 transcript

Oral History Interview with David Straus, September 17, 2001

Interview with David Straus of San Antonio, Texas, a veteran from the United States Marine Corps during World War Two in the Pacific Theater as well as the Korean War. The interview includes some of Straus' background before the war and his personal experiences while in the Marines, including memories of Okinawa, various weapons, what happened at the end of World War Two, and his assignment in Korea.
Date: September 17, 2001
Creator: Cox, Floyd & Straus, David
System: The Portal to Texas History