US Army Air Forces

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Brueland, Lowell Becoming a Pilot
Lowell Brueland had a normal flight training. He graduated in September 1942 and was assigned to the 20th Fighter...
McGovern, George Becoming a Pilot
George McGovern had never been in an airplane before he took a civilian course. He was scared but eventually got over...
Dana, Newton Becoming a Pilot
[Annotator's Note: Newton Dana was born in 1924 in Trenton, New Jersey.] Newton Dana grew up with a large extended...
Davis, William Becoming a Pilot
William Isham Davis was born in Topeka, Kansas in March 1921. His father worked in a large furniture store and Jack...
Jackson, William Becoming a Pilot
William Jackson was first sent to Miami Beach [Annotator's Note: Miami Beach, Florida] following his induction. He...
Colgan, William Becoming a Pilot
William Colgan was born in Quitman, Georgia. In 1930, when Colgan was only 10 years old, his father died, leaving his...
Pale, Vincent Becoming a POW
They had never seen rockets before they were attacked with them one day. A rocket hit Vincent Pale's B-24 [Annotator's...
Casey, Donald Becoming a POW
Donald E. Casey was captured by German soldiers [Annotator’s Note: after his Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber...
Bosworth, Paul Becoming a POW and Being Interrogated
[Annotator's Note: Paul Bosworth served in the USAAF as a tail gunner on a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber in...
Brainard, William Becoming a Prisoner of War
[Annotator’s Note: Can hear someone in the background throughout the video.] William White Brainard [Annotator's Note:...
Jeffrey, Wallace Becoming a Radioman
Wallace Jeffery entered service after receipt of his draft notice. He signed up at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. [...
Kitowski, Charles Becoming a Seasoned Fighter Pilot
After flight school, Charles Kitowski went to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to await orders. He flew very few hours there...
Spector, Samuel "Sam" Becoming a Soldier
Samuel Spector joined the United States Army Air Forces as a pilot trainee but he did not pass the advanced pilot...
Peterson, Cleveland Becoming a Soldier
Cleveland Peterson was born in Baudette, Minnesota in 1922 and grew up there. Baudette is on the Canadian border in...
Rudloff, George Becoming a Soldier
George Rudloff enlisted in December 1942 in the Enlisted Reserve Corps as a college student. In April 1943, a group of...
Mills, Willis Becoming a Soldier
Willis Mills was attending Hayward High [Annotator’s Note: Hayward High School in Hayward, California] when he decided...
Gikas, Gus Becoming a Soldier
Gus Gikas considered enlistment to be good for him. Being an amateur radio operator, Gikas could fix just about any...
Garten, Perry Becoming a Soldier and Deploying to India
Perry Garten was drafted and sent to Fort Leavenworth for processing. He was then shipped to Bowman Field near...
Hirsch, Leon Becoming a Soldier and Deployment
Leon Hirsch enlisted in the Army Air Forces before high school graduation. He was inducted into service in August 1945...
Schneider, Richard Becoming a Tail Gunner
Richard "Dick" Schneider was trained at various locations in the United States but spent most of his time at Gulfport...
Brewer, Chester Becoming a Tail Gunner and Deploying to Scotland
Chester Brewer was sent to Las Vegas, Nevada and fired every gun from BB guns [Annotator's Note: air gun that fires...
McGee, Charles Becoming a Tuskegee Airman
Charles McGee was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1919. After third grade he moved to Illinois. He also spent some time in...
Moret, Calvin Becoming a Tuskegee Airman
Calvin Moret volunteered for the Army Air Corps. Following testing, he was accepted on 14 October 1943. He was sent for...
Strait, Donald Becoming an Ace
Donald Strait's first victory came when he was escorting B-17s [Annotator's Note: Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy...
Welch, Darrell Becoming an Ace
[Annotator's Note: The interviewer asks Darrell Welch about his first victory against a German aircraft.] He got him...
Gross, Clayton Becoming an Ace and D-Day
Clayton Kelly Gross does not recall if the Messerschmitt he shot down off of the B-17 [Annotator's Note: Boeing B-17...
Livingston, Robert Becoming an Aerial Gunner
While stationed in Polebrook, England [Annotator's Note: with the 511th Bombardment Squadron, 351st Bombardment Group,...
Kirk, James Becoming an Air Force Gunner
James Read Kirk was 17 years old and in high school when Pearl Harbor was attacked [Annotator's Note: the Japanese...
Joy, Carrol Becoming an Aircraft Mechanic
Carrol Joy was erroneously given three sets of shots after swearing into the United States Army Air Forces. His first...
Shawn, Gilbert Becoming an Airman
Gilbert Shawn was not shipped to basic training. Instead, he went to an air field in Kentucky as a cadet. Shawn took a...
Strunk, Chester Becoming an Airman
Chester Strunk was recruited and enlisted [Annotator's Note: in June 1942] but then told to return to college and await...
Stovroff, Irwin Becoming an Airman
Irwin Stovroff got the call for service in the military, but it was not the assignment he anticipated. Instead of entry...
Rinas, Bruno Becoming an Airman
Bruno S. Rinas discussed joining the service with a younger brother. He joined the military in 1940 at Fort Snelling [...
Fristoe, Claud Becoming an Airman
Claud Neal Fristoe, Jr. took tests and examinations [Annotator's Note: for entry into aviation training in the United...
Gackenbach, Russell Becoming an Airman
Russell Gackenbach had his Army Air Forces basic training in Florida. There were not enough uniforms for the recruits...
Towle, John Becoming an Airman
John W. Towle volunteered for the service. He had been attending the University of Tennessee but had a wreck and was...

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