Oral History Interview with Edward J. Drake, 2002

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Interview with attorney and Army Air Forces veteran Edward J. Drake. The interview includes Drake's personal experiences about being a B-17 pilot in the European Theater during World War II, youth and education in Dallas, Texas, enlistment in the Aviation Cadet Program, various training programs, bombing transportation facilities during and after the Ardennes Offensive, crash-landing in Belgium after his plane was hit, and linking up with American troops. Additionally, Drake talks about his assignment to the 91st Bomb Group, the routine for a typical mission, formation flying, flying through enemy flak, rest and relaxation on-base and in London, recuperating from a collapsed lung, his return to combat for three more missions, and his return to the crash site of his plane 57 years later. The interview includes an appendix with "The Last Flight of 'Jezebel,'" written by Drake.
Date: October 16, 2002
Creator: Marcello, Ronald E. & Drake, Edward J.
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Evelyn Brown, October 30, 2007

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Interview with Evelyn Brown, Vietnam War-era veteran of the US Navy, as part of the Tarrant County War Veterans Oral History Project. The interview includes Brown's personal experiences of childhood and education in Pennsylvania, attending nursing school, enlisting in the Navy Nurse Corps, and being involved with veterans organizations. Additionally, Brown discusses her coming out experience, her assignment to facilities in Florida, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Camp Lejeune, N.C., and Quantico, Virginia, her decision to leave service upon assignment to USS Sanctuary, a hospital ship stationed off the coast of Vietnam, and her opinions regarding the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
Date: October 30, 2007
Creator: Mims, Dennis Michael & Brown, Evelyn
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with James F. Sansom, October 8, 2004 transcript

Oral History Interview with James F. Sansom, October 8, 2004

Interview with James F. Sansom, an officer in the U. S. Army during World War II. Sansom joined the Army in 1940 and began training on anti-aircraft guns in Florida. He was selected for Officer Candidate School (OCS) and was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1942. He was assigned to the 843rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Air Warning Battalion, which made its way to India via the Panama Canal and Australia. Shortly after reaching Calcutta, the unit moved to Myitkyina, Burma. After the war, Sansom was assigned to Sagumo Prison outside Tokyo where Japanese war criminals were being held while on trial for war crimes. He describes some of the routines and residents in the prison. Sansom taught Hideki Tojo how to play card games like gin rummy. Sansom also describes the process of executing convicted prisoners as he carried out some sentences. In all, he executed nine convicted war criminals.
Date: October 8, 2004
Creator: Cox, Floyd & Sansom, James F.
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History