World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American; Veterans -- Connecticut -- Interviews; B-24 bomber;World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Japan -- Okinawa Island; United States. Navy. Patrol Bombing Squadron 111; United States. Navy --...
Interview conducted by Lisa Pereira. George W. England joined the U.S. Navy in June of 1943 and attended basic training in Sampson, NY. After basic training he continued on to Memphis, TN to train at the aviation center and naval airport. After...
World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American; Veterans -- Connecticut -- Interviews; World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- France -- Normandy; Airplanes -- American; Purple Heart; Distinguished Flying Cross (Medal); Silver Star;
Interview conducted by Laura May Lachance and Benjamin Setelle. Jesse M. Harrison volunteered for the U.S. Air Force in 1942. He passed the required tests and attended flight school at Randolph Field, in San Antonio, TX. He aspired to be a...
World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American; World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Italy; Veterans -- Connecticut -- Interviews; Airplanes -- American; Bombardier (Motion picture); United States. Air Force -- Aviation mechanics
Interview conducted by Eileen Hurst. Francis "Jim" Vail enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in September of 1942. He was living in Stafford Springs, CT at the time, and applied to be a pilot. Although, he failed the eye test, he wanted to remain...
World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American; Women -- Employment -- United States -- History -- 20th century; World War, 1939-1945 -- Women; Signs and symbols -- United States; Rockwell, Norman, 1894-1978; Rockwell, Norman, 1894-1978....
Interview conducted by Eileen Hurst. Mary Doyle Keefe posed for Norman Rockwell’s “Rosie the Riveter” painting at the age of 20. She grew up in Arlington, VT, where she worked with her mother at the telephone company. The Rockwell family...
World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American; Veterans -- Connecticut -- Interviews; World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Europe; United States. Army Air Corps;
Interview conducted by Ian Tran. Robert H. Gross enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1942, during his junior year of college. He went to basic training in Aberdeen, Md. He joined the Air Corps because of his deep sense of patriotism,...
World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American; Veterans -- Connecticut -- Interviews; World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Iwo Jima; World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Mariana Islands; Combat;
Interview conducted by Heather Walsh. Howard Whittaker joined the U.S. Marines in 1942. In January of 1943 he left for basic training at Parris Island. He described the indoctrination as a Marine as difficult. He then went to advanced training...
World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American; Veterans -- Connecticut -- Interviews; Leopoldville (Ship); Shipwrecks -- English Channel.
Interview conducted by Jeanne Christie. Raymond Avery was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1944. He went to basic training at Sheppard Field, Texas, and after completion, he was informed that he would be transferred to the U.S. Army...
World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American; Veterans -- Connecticut -- Interviews; Destroyers (Warships); Kamikaze airplanes; Shipwrecks;
Interview conducted by Michael Van Buren. William T. Burrows enlisted in the U.S. Navy and went to basic training in Sampson, NY. He was sent to Newport, RI for gunnery school, and then Boston before being assigned to the crew of the U.S.S....
World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American; Veterans -- Connecticut -- Interviews; World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Pacific Area; Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Personal narratives, American;
Interview conducted by John Ault. George Slack enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in the fall of 1943. After basic training, he went to Wheeler Field (Miss.) for pre-flight training, and then Illinois for radio school. After completion of radio...
World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American; Veterans -- Connecticut -- Interviews; World War, 1939-1945 -- Aerial operations, American; World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Europe; Ardennes, Battle of the, 1944-1945; B-17 bomber;
Interview conducted by Jane Natoli. John C. Taylor enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1942 while he was a sophomore in college. He was activated in February of 1943, and sent to basic training in Atlantic City, NJ. He was then sent to...
Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Veterans -- United States -- Interviews; United States. Army. Infantry; Hamburger Hill, Battle of, Vietnam, 1969;
Interview conducted by Shane Matthews. Arthur Wiknik Jr. was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1968. He was assigned to an infantry unit, and was chosen to go to Non-commissioned Officer Candidate School. He went to Vietnam as a Sergeant. Because...
World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American; Veterans -- Connecticut -- Interviews; World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- France -- Normandy; World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Europe; Ardennes, Battle of the, 1944-1945; Patton, George...
Interview conducted by Jim Lyko. Frank Ladwig grew up in Fargo, N. Dakota, and attended college at North Dakota University. He then received a scholarship to Harvard Business School. On his return from Harvard, in December of 1940, he received a...
World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narrative, American; Veterans -- Connecticut -- Interviews; World War, 1939-1945 -- Alaska -- Aleutian Islands; Attu, Battle of, Alaska, 1943; United States. Navy -- Military Life
Interview conducted by Eileen Hurst. Roger B. Jeanfaivre enlisted in the U.S. Navy at the age of 18. He chose the Navy because he did not want to live in a foxhole like World War I soldiers in the movies had. He went to basic training in...
World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American; Veterans -- Connecticut -- Interviews; World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- France -- Normandy; World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Europe; Ardennes, Battle of the, 1944-1945; United States....
Interview conducted by John Schuller. Joseph Raymond Bedard was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943. After completing basic training and additional training, he was shipped to England on the S.S. Santa Paula, a converted luxury ship. His unit...
Women and the military; World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American; United States. Army Nurse Corps; MacArthur, Douglas, 1880-1964; Veterans -- Connecticut -- Interviews; Military nursing; World War, 1939-1945 -- Women
Rose Murphy began her career as a nurse at Yale University Hospital. After Pearl Harbor was bombed and WWII began, she was called into active duty as an army nurse in the Southern Pacific.
She received her basic training in California, which...
Veterans -- Connecticut -- Interviews; World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American; World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Pacific Area; United States. Navy; Merchant marine -- United States; Mitchum, Robert; U.S.S. Los Angeles (Baltimore...
Interview conducted by Joseph Fish. Thur Hewitt wanted to join the United States Navy at the age of 16. However, because of age restrictions, he had to alter the date of birth on his birth certificate in order to join. When he was found out, the...
World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American; Veterans -- Connecticut -- Interviews; United States. Army Air Corps; B-29 bomber; World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Iwo Jima; Liberty ships
Interview conducted by Jane Natoli. Stanley Kaufman enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 at the age of 19. He went to basic training in Fort Monmouth, NJ for six months, at which time he also went to school to learn radio equipment repair for the...
United States. Army -- Military life; Veterans -- Connecticut -- Interviews; Persian Gulf War, 1991 -- Personal Narratives, American; Military nursing;
Interview conducted by Eileen Hurst. Mark D. Levine joined the U.S. Army in 1981, at the age of 31. He was a ninth grade Physical Education teacher at the time, but he had grown up in a military environment, and decided that the education and...
Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Personal narratives, American; Veterans -- Connecticut -- Interviews; Tan Son Nhut Air Base; Photography, Military; Soldiers -- Drug use -- Vietnam
Interview conducted by Eileen Hurst. Kleinert was in law school when he was given a draft date of November 20, 1968. He instead chose to enlist in the Air Force before the draft date so he could delay his enrollment. He was opposed to the...
World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American; Veterans -- Connecticut -- Interviews; United States. Navy -- Submarine forces
Interview conducted by Jim Lyko. Richard Metzger enlisted in the United States Navy in August of 1941, but was not accepted because his draft status was such that he was supposed to remain at his job in manufacturing in order to support the war...