US Army Air Forces

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Porche, Albert Becoming an Airman
Albert Porche learned to take Army life as it came. He was in Jackson, Mississippi after his enlistment. People did not...
Fitzgerald, Ray Becoming an Airman
After a few days at Camp Shelby [Annotator's Note: near Hattiesburg, Mississippi], Ray Fitzgerald was sent to Saint...
Boehm, Robert Becoming an Airman
Robert Kenneth “Bob” Boehm graduated from high school and turned 18, but had no thoughts about going to college or...
Sonnier, Lorcey Becoming an Airman
Lorcey J. Sonnier was born in May 1924. During the Great Depression, he did not have shoes. The town did not have roads...
Whitcomb, Robert Becoming an Airman
Robert Butler Whitcomb was born in Scipio, Indiana. When he was about six his family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio where he...
McBride, Frank Becoming an Airman
Frank Curtis McBride enlisted in the Air Force because he wanted to fly. With an abundance of applicants for flight...
Mahoney, Timothy Becoming an Airman
Timothy Mahoney wanted to join the Navy because a friend of his was in the Navy. His father told him to wait until he...
Lehigh, David Becoming an Airman
David L. Lehigh was born in December 1924 in York County [Annotator's Note: York County, Pennsylvania]. He grew up in...
Anderson, Howard Becoming an Airman
Howard Anderson was born in December 1922 in North Dakota. He grew up on a farm. His father was a farmer. The family...
Grant, Edward Becoming an Airman
Edward Donald Grant, Jr. was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1923. His father worked in the Presbyterian Church. He was...
Wisher, Charles Becoming an Airman
Charles "Chuck" Wisher went through basic training at Sheppard Field in Wichita, Texas. Training was good, but tough....
Gournay, Harold Becoming an Airman
Harold Gournay was born in Eunice, Louisiana in 1919. He grew up and attended school in Eunice. He graduated from high...
Jostad, Glen Becoming an Airman
Glen Jostad had an abbreviated basic training before beginning radio training at Scott Field [Annotator's Note: near...
Roberts, George Becoming an Airman
George Roberts was working a good job when he was drafted. He was called up in August and reported to Altoona,...
McMullen, Milton Becoming an Airman
Milton L. McMullen, Sr. was born in January 1921 in Clark County, Mississippi, just south of Meridian. He finished high...
Bonelli, William Becoming an Airman
For the first four months of his service, William Patrick Bonelli made 21 dollars a month. He had very little training...
Dymnicki, Francis Becoming an Airman
Francis Dymnicki attempted to become a pilot in the Air Force. Half of his friends wanted to do the same. Dymnicki was...
Baker, Bernard Becoming an Airman
Bernard Baker was born and raised in Saint Louis, Missouri, in February 1924. He grew up with nine siblings. An older...
Rodriguez, Antonio Becoming an Airman and Entering Combat
Antonio C. Rodriquez reported to Fort Sam [Annotator's Note: Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas in September 1943...
Ruck, Elmore Becoming an Airman and Overseas Deployment
Elmore Ruck went to ground school in Santa Anna, California. It involved training in navigation and aircraft...
Cahoon, Robert Becoming an Airman and Overseas Deployment
Robert Cahoon was drafted into the Army on his 21st birthday. When he reported to Camp Shelby [Annotator's Note: near...
Gibian, Richard Becoming an Airman and Overseas Deployment
Richard Gibian was born in Montgomery, Alabama in October 1919. The Great Depression [Annotator's Note: Great...
Bostwick, Frank Becoming an Airman and Overseas Deployment
Frank Bostwick joined the ROTC [Annotator's Note: Reserve Officer Training Corps] for three years while he was in high...
Fisher, David Becoming an Airman and Overseas Deployment
David Fisher reported for active duty on 23 December 1943 at Camp Beauregard [Annotator's Note: in Pineville, Louisiana...
Frankel, Art Becoming an Army Soldier
Art Frankel was born in January 1928, in the Bronx, New York [Annotator's Note: the Bronx is one of the five boroughs...
Ratcliff, Henry Becoming an Aviation Engineer
Henry Ratcliff joined the Army Air Forces and went many places including California where it rained a lot. Eating in...
Borders, Charles "Wes" Becoming the Strafing Saints
They [Annotator’s Note: Charles Borders and his fellow pilots in the 82nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 71st...
Dietzel, Paul Becomming a Military Pilot
The Army Air Corps had so many people in the system that they had to figure out what to do with them so they created...
Steele, Ben Before the Surrender
While working on a road, Ben Steele would see men covered with mosquitos. They did not have mosquito nets to sleep with...
Shook, Hal Being a Flight Instructor
In Charlotte, North Carolina, Harold Shook was "just a junior birdman," and at the start of his time there witnessed a...
Mirsky, Arnold Being a Navigator Overseas
Arnold A. Mirsky's father did not want him to join the Army Air Corps, so when he was accepted, Mirsky did not tell his...
Angier, John Being a Pathfinder and the Stress of Combat
John Angier had trained in the Boeing B-17 [Annotator's Note: Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber] Pathfinder,...
Bergbower, Harold Being a POW in Japan and the End of the War
Harold Bergbower has no memory of the trip from the POW [Annotator's Note: prisoner of war] camp in Davao on Mindanao...
Bollich, James Being a POW in Manchuria
Once he was strong enough, James Bollich was transferred to Mukden, Manchuria [Annotator's Note: Mukden, Manchuria,...
Rosendahl, Robert Being a POW in Mukden, China
[Annotator's Note: Robert Rosendahl served in the USAAF as an aircraft mechanic with the 3rd Pursuit Squadron, 24th...
Golden, James Being a Prisoner of War
[Annotator's Note: Throughout this clip, a woman off camera interjects with comments.] James Ramsey Golden was captured...

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