Oral History Interview with Ernest Kelley, February 20, 2003

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Interview with Ernest Kelley, a Texas National Guard WWII veteran from Antioch, Texas (now the Red River Army Depot), who served with the 112th Cavalry. Kelley discusses growing up in the Depression, joining the Guard, mobilization and training, horses, the Louisiana Maneuvers, deployment to New Caledonia, landing on Woodlark island and action there, the Battle of Arawe, redeployment to Australia, the Battle of Driniumor River in New Guinea, the Battles of Leyte and Luzon, returning to the United States, and reflections on his time in the Army. In appendix is a list of people and places named in the interview with lat/long coordinates, descriptions of military equipment, and the 112th's WWII service chronicle.
Date: February 20, 2003
Creator: Johnston, Glenn & Kelley, Ernest L.
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Nick Sanchez, February 16, 1999

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Interview with Nick Sanchez, a Army Air Force WWII veteran from Laredo, Texas. Sanchez discusses working in radio when the war began, becoming a radio technician in the Army Air Force, deployment to India and operations there, going missing in China after surviving a plane crash, and the end of the war. In appendix are an autobiographical sketch of Sanchez's service, a copy of a diary recording his experience "bailing-out," and his official military statement of the event.
Date: February 16, 1999
Creator: Alexander, William J. & Sanchez, Nick
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Dave C. Sanford, February 25, 1999

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Interview with Dave C. Sanford, a Army WWII veteran from Carter, South Dakota, who served as a mortarman in the 37th Infantry Division. Sanford discusses growing up, his experiences in the Great Depression, being drafted and training, the New Georgia, Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and Philippine campaigns, being wounded and discharged, and life afterwards.
Date: February 25, 1999
Creator: Alexander, William J. & Sanford, Dave C.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with Marshall E. Fields, February 13, 1972 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Marshall E. Fields, February 13, 1972

Interview with Marshall Fields, a Marine WWII veteran from Arkansas. Fields discusses his deployment to Wake Island shortly before the war, the Battle of Wake Island, his capture, and his experiences in internment at Woosung, China, and Sapporo, Japan.
Date: February 13, 1972
Creator: Marcello, Ronald E. & Fields, Marshall E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with Eugene R. Cronin, February 1, 1972 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Eugene R. Cronin, February 1, 1972

Interview with Eugene Cronin, a US Army Air Corps WWII veteran and POW from Kansas City, Missouri. Cronin discusses his time as a B-24 crewmember stationed at Cerignola, Italy, the kinds of missions flown, his being shot down over Hungary and captured by the German Army, and his experiences in captivity at Vienna, Frankfurt, and Stalag Luft #1 near Barth in Western Pommerania.
Date: February 1, 1972
Creator: Marcello, Ronald E. & Cronin, Eugene R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with Phillip L. Daffron, February 9, 1977 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Phillip L. Daffron, February 9, 1977

Interview with Phillip Daffron, a Army WWII veteran from Plano, Texas. Daffron discusses his experiences at Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941 including his education and entry into service, assignment to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii in 1940, training in field artillery, events during the day of the attack at Schofield Barracks and Punchbowl Crater, subsequent events on Oahu, and some details about his service afterwards.
Date: February 9, 1977
Creator: Marcello, Ronald E. & Daffron, Phillip L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with Thomas A. Whitehead, February 2, 1977 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Thomas A. Whitehead, February 2, 1977

Interview with Thomas Whitehead, a Texas National Guard WWII veteran and POW from Wichita Falls, Texas. Whitehead discusses his experiences as a member of 2nd Battalion, 131st Field Artillery, the "Lost Battalion" captured on Java in March 1942, including: joining the National Guard; participation in the Louisiana Maneuvers; departure for the Philippines and diversion to Brisbane; assignment to Sangosari Airfield near Malang; the surrender of American forces; internment at Tanjong Priok and Bicycle Camp in Batavia, Changi Prison in Singapore, several camps on the Burma Railway, and Non Pladuk and Ubon Airfield, Thailand; and liberation.
Date: February 2, 1977
Creator: Marcello, Ronald E. & Whitehead, Thomas A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with Thomas Spencer, February 5, 1979 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Thomas Spencer, February 5, 1979

Interview with Thomas Spencer, a Texas National Guard WWII veteran and POW from Joplin, Texas. Spencer discusses his experiences with the 2nd Battalion, 131st Field Artillery, the "Lost Battalion" captured on Java in March 1942, including: joining the service; training; deployment to East Asia; diversion to Brisbane and Malang; the Japanese attack on Java; the American surrender; experiences in internment and labor at Tanjong Priok and Bicycle Camp in Batavia, several camps on the Burma Railway, and Saigon; liberation.
Date: February 5, 1979
Creator: Marcello, Ronald E. & Spencer, Thomas
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with Phillip Willis, February 18, 1974 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Phillip Willis, February 18, 1974

Interview with Phillip Willis, an Army Air Corps WWII veteran from Peeltown, Texas. Willis discusses his experiences at Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, including: his upbringing; joining the Army Air Corps; pilot training; assignment to Bellows Field on Oahu with an O-47 squadron and their activities there; perceptions of the Japanese and expectations about a potential conflict; the Japanese air attack on Bellows; and following preparations for an invasion.
Date: February 18, 1974
Creator: Marcello, Ronald E. & Willis, Phillip
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with Roy Eschmann, February 23, 1989 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Roy Eschmann, February 23, 1989

Interview with Roy Eschmann, a Army WWII veteran from Dallas, Texas who was present at the attack on Pearl Harbor. Eschmann discusses joining the Army, basic training, assignment to Schofield Barracks and the 25th Infantry Division, his duties and daily life, Japanese friends on Hawaii, preparation for war, guard duty on the night of December 6/7th, the morning of the attack and shooting at Japanese aircraft, patrols afterwards and fear of invasion, rumors, and later service.
Date: February 23, 1989
Creator: Rosen, Keith & Eschmann, Roy L.
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with William J. Bates, February 7, 2001

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Interview with Navy veteran William J. Bates including personal experiences about the Pacific Theater during World War II, youth and education, the Navy Aviation Cadet Program, flight training, leaving naval aviation and attending Midshipman's School, being assigned to APc-21, operations off the coast of New Guinea with the VII Amphibious Force, providing escort duty for LCTs during assaults along the coast of New Guinea, the sinking of APc-21 by Japanese planes off New Britain Island, recuperating in New Guinea, returning to the States and being assigned to ATR-22, transferring to fleet tug ARA-182 as commanding officer, having convoy duty in the South Pacific, riding out a typhoon, disposing of Navy equipment after the war, and returning to the States.
Date: February 7, 2001
Creator: Alexander, William J. & Bates, William J.
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Richard Donley, February 22, 1997

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Interview with Navy veteran Richard Donley. The interview includes Donley's personal experiences about the Mediterranean Theater during World War II, boot camp, Fleet Torpedo School, encounters with German "F-lighter" armed barges and E-boats, various assignments, and combat against enemy destroyers. Donley also talks about screening operations for the invasions of Sicily and Salerno, operations along the coasts of northern Italy and southern France and the interdiction of German barge traffic, torpedo problems, commando and intelligence operations, returning to the States, his reassignment to the Motor Torpedo Boats Training Center, and transferring to Samar, Philippines.
Date: February 22, 1997
Creator: Alexander, William J. & Donley, Richard
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with LeRoy Ellis Cox, February 5, 2004

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Interview with LeRoy Ellis Cox. The interview includes Cox's personal experiences about childhood and early adulthood in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado, World War-II-era Army Air Corps training in armaments and electronics, stateside service in the 303rd Bomb Group of the Eighth Air Force, aviation cadet training, serving as a B-25 instructor pilot, and as a DC-3 tow pilot for the glider program.
Date: February 5, 2004
Creator: Alexander, William J. & Cox, LeRoy E., 1919-
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Douglas R. Crawford, February 25, 2004

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Interview with Air Force veteran Douglas R. "Roy" Crawford. The interview includes Crawford's personal experiences about early family life, joining the U.S. Army Air Forces, training as a bulldozer operator, removing radioactive debris from Hiroshima, training as a radar operator at Edwards Air Force Base, California, and working as the radar tracker when Major Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in the Bell X-1 on October 19, 1947. Additionally, Crawford talks about his assignments to Clark Air Force Base, Philippines, and Korea, as a forward air observer, his role as an airborne radar operator during the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis, his various activities with the NASA Space Program, and clandestine missions with the CIA and Air America over Cambodia during the Vietnam War.
Date: February 25, 2004
Creator: Alexander, William J. & Crawford, Douglas R., 1929-
System: The UNT Digital Library