Oral History Interview with Keith Lea, April 18, 2010 transcript

Oral History Interview with Keith Lea, April 18, 2010

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Keith Lea. Lea took part in the V-12 program and then was activated as a lieutenant (j.g.) in 1943. He was eventually sent to join the crew of LCI-762, a ship being converted into an LCI(R). They traveled across the Pacific and took part in the invasion of Okinawa providing rocket and gunfire support for troops on shore. Lea witnessed several kamikaze attacks on ships operating off of Okinawa. He describes in detail an attack on several of them including the USS Birmingham, USS New Mexico, and two unnamed destroyers. He later visited a hospital ship and describes visiting the burn unit. Lea was eventually given command of USS LCI(R)-542 which was at sea during a devastating typhoon.
Date: April 18, 2010
Creator: Lea, Keith
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Frank Teagarden, April 18, 2013 transcript

Oral History Interview with Frank Teagarden, April 18, 2013

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Frank Teagarden. Teagarden joined the Army Air Corps around 1940. He received his wings and commission in February of 1942. He served as a B-24 pilot and flight leader of the 465th Bomb Group, 780th Bomb Squadron. He completed 50 missions from the Pantanella Airfield where he was based in southern Italy. He flew missions over Vienna, Budapest, Munich and the Ploesti Oil Fields in Romania. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross and was discharged in April of 1946.
Date: April 18, 2013
Creator: Teagarden, Frank
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Charles Tucker, April 18, 2017 transcript

Oral History Interview with Charles Tucker, April 18, 2017

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles Tucker. Tucker was drafted into the Army Air Forces in 1943. He went to aircraft armament school at Buckley Field, Colorado and aerial gunnery school in Fort Myers, Florida. He was then assigned to a B-25 crew training in Columbia, South Carolina. He served as a tail gunner. He provides detail of his activities and lessons in training. In December of 1944 his crew received orders to go overseas to India. His crew joined the 12th Bombardment Group, 729th Bomb Squadron, part of the 10th Air Force. They were assigned missions of supporting the British 14th Army in its campaign to recapture Burma from the Japanese. Tucker was discharged in December of 1945.
Date: April 18, 2017
Creator: Tucker, Charles
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Leon Stath, April 18, 2017 transcript

Oral History Interview with Leon Stath, April 18, 2017

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Leon Stath. Stath joined the Navy and volunteered for submarine duty in 1944. After finishing sound school and torpedo school, he was sent to the Pacific and assigned aboard the submarine tender USS Howard W Gilmore (AS-16) at Subic Bay. He also served on submarine skeleton crews ferrying subs as well as aboard USS Requin (SS-481) when Slade Cutter commanded. When the war ended, Stath took his discharge in late 1945.
Date: April 18, 2017
Creator: Stath, Leon
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Keith Lea, April 18, 2010 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Keith Lea, April 18, 2010

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Keith Lea. Lea took part in the V-12 program and then was activated as a lieutenant (j.g.) in 1943. He was eventually sent to join the crew of LCI-762, a ship being converted into an LCI(R). They traveled across the Pacific and took part in the invasion of Okinawa providing rocket and gunfire support for troops on shore. Lea witnessed several kamikaze attacks on ships operating off of Okinawa. He describes in detail an attack on several of them including the USS Birmingham, USS New Mexico, and two unnamed destroyers. He later visited a hospital ship and describes visiting the burn unit. Lea was eventually given command of USS LCI(R)-542 which was at sea during a devastating typhoon.
Date: April 18, 2010
Creator: Lea, Keith
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Frank Teagarden, April 18, 2013 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Frank Teagarden, April 18, 2013

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Frank Teagarden. Teagarden joined the Army Air Corps around 1940. He received his wings and commission in February of 1942. He served as a B-24 pilot and flight leader of the 465th Bomb Group, 780th Bomb Squadron. He completed 50 missions from the Pantanella Airfield where he was based in southern Italy. He flew missions over Vienna, Budapest, Munich and the Ploesti Oil Fields in Romania. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross and was discharged in April of 1946.
Date: April 18, 2013
Creator: Teagarden, Frank
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Leon Stath, April 18, 2017 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Leon Stath, April 18, 2017

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Leon Stath. Stath joined the Navy and volunteered for submarine duty in 1944. After finishing sound school and torpedo school, he was sent to the Pacific and assigned aboard the submarine tender USS Howard W Gilmore (AS-16) at Subic Bay. He also served on submarine skeleton crews ferrying subs as well as aboard USS Requin (SS-481) when Slade Cutter commanded. When the war ended, Stath took his discharge in late 1945.
Date: April 18, 2017
Creator: Stath, Leon
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Charles Tucker, April 18, 2017 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Charles Tucker, April 18, 2017

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles Tucker. Tucker was drafted into the Army Air Forces in 1943. He went to aircraft armament school at Buckley Field, Colorado and aerial gunnery school in Fort Myers, Florida. He was then assigned to a B-25 crew training in Columbia, South Carolina. He served as a tail gunner. He provides detail of his activities and lessons in training. In December of 1944 his crew received orders to go overseas to India. His crew joined the 12th Bombardment Group, 729th Bomb Squadron, part of the 10th Air Force. They were assigned missions of supporting the British 14th Army in its campaign to recapture Burma from the Japanese. Tucker was discharged in December of 1945.
Date: April 18, 2017
Creator: Tucker, Charles
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Charles H. Tucker, April 18, 2017 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Charles H. Tucker, April 18, 2017

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles H. Tucker from Orange, California. He discusses volunteering for the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943 and going to basic training in Miami Beach, Florida, then going to Aircraft Armament School in Buckley Field, Colorado, and finally air gunnery school in Fort Myers, Florida. In air gunnery school, Mr. Tucker learned to shoot in B-17 by shooting into the Gulf of Mexico. After gunnery school he was sent to the B-25 crew training at Columbia, South Carolina for 5 months. After Mr. Tucker completed his training, he was transferred to Dacca to a B-25 base and joined the 10th Air Force, the 12th Bomb Group. When he arrived his crew pilots were reassigned, and Mr. Tucker was not able to fly much until he was assigned to a regular crew again. Mr. Tucker was put in the 729th bomb squadron tasked with supporting the British 14th Army against the Japanese forces in Burma. The campaign he was involved in ended in May 1945 with the capture of Rangoon, the main city of Burma and Mr. tucker was in one of the squadron planes that flew over the …
Date: April 18, 2017
Creator: Tucker, Charles H.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Charles H. Tucker, April 18, 2017 transcript

Oral History Interview with Charles H. Tucker, April 18, 2017

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles H. Tucker from Orange, California. He discusses volunteering for the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943 and going to basic training in Miami Beach, Florida, then going to Aircraft Armament School in Buckley Field, Colorado, and finally air gunnery school in Fort Myers, Florida. In air gunnery school, Mr. Tucker learned to shoot in B-17 by shooting into the Gulf of Mexico. After gunnery school he was sent to the B-25 crew training at Columbia, South Carolina for 5 months. After Mr. Tucker completed his training, he was transferred to Dacca to a B-25 base and joined the 10th Air Force, the 12th Bomb Group. When he arrived his crew pilots were reassigned, and Mr. Tucker was not able to fly much until he was assigned to a regular crew again. Mr. Tucker was put in the 729th bomb squadron tasked with supporting the British 14th Army against the Japanese forces in Burma. The campaign he was involved in ended in May 1945 with the capture of Rangoon, the main city of Burma and Mr. tucker was in one of the squadron planes that flew over the …
Date: April 18, 2017
Creator: Tucker, Charles H.
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History