Gene M. Cushman was born in 1920 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He grew up with an older brother. His father, a career soldier, moved the family across the country throughout much of Cushman’s childhood. Cushman lived in Fort Lewis, Washington; Fort Sil, Oklahoma; Auburn, Alabama; Honolulu, Hawaii; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and Memphis, Tennessee, among several other places. While he lived in Auburn, he and his brother accidentally lit a barn on fire, but they decided not to tell anyone they were responsible. [Annotator’s Note: Video break at 0:04:31.000]. When they left for Hawaii, they stopped in Chattanooga to visit family. During this time, there was a really bad storm, and because he was scared, his father took him around the block a few times. He was no longer afraid of storms after that. His family boarded a boat and headed to Hawaii. He loved his time in Hawaii and went to school with kids who had different ethnic backgrounds from him. Three years later, his family left Hawaii and went to Fort Bragg for two years, and then to Memphis, Tennessee where his father supervised the ROTC [Annotator's Note: Reserve Officer Training Corps] programs in the area. For high school, Cushman and his brother were sent to Chattanooga to attend a military school. It was while in Chattanooga that Cushman began to take flying lessons for three dollars an hour. Later, his friend’s mother paid for his lessons because she was very wealthy. While he lived in Hawaii as a boy, Cushman loved watching the planes take off and land. He also remembers the first plane that took off in the United States mainland and landed in Hawaii. He was a student at the University of North Carolina [Annotator’s Note: in Chapel Hill, North Carolina] in December 1941 when he heard the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941]. At the encouragement of his parents, Cushman finished the year of school before enlisting in the Army Air Corps. In June 1942, Cushman’s father, who was a colonel at the time, swore him into service.

In 1942, Gene M. Cushman was admitted to the aviation cadet program and attended his pre-flight training in San Antonio [San Antonio, Texas]. For primary school, he was sent to Fort Hicks in Texas where he flew a PT-19 [Annotator’s Note: Fairchild PT-19, a monoplane primary trainer aircraft]. He was then sent to Oklahoma to fly the BT-13 [Annotator’s Note: The Vultee BT-13 Valiant] and BT-15 [Annotator’s Note: Vultee BT-15]. He was sent to Victoria, Texas to train on the AT-6 [Annotator’s Note: North American T-6 Texan], and later took gunnery training. Upon his commission as a second lieutenant, he was assigned to Waycross, Georgia for additional gunnery training aboard fighter aircraft. While there, he soon outshot all the instructors and was made an instructor himself, a position he served in for the remainder of the war. He was so happy to hear the news of the end of the war. His older brother served three years in the Army, fighting in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He believes that America made some vital mistakes at the end of the war. He thought that Eisenhower [Annotator's Note: General of the Army Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower, Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force; 34th President of the United States] should not have pulled out by the Elbe River and allowed the Russians to take Berlin [Annotator’s Note: Berlin, Germany]. Having grown up around the military, Cushman decided to remain in the service following the war, calling the decision “second nature.” He enjoyed 25 years of his service, and two years that were miserable.

Gene M. Cushman flew cargo planes during the Berlin Airlift [Annotator's Note: Allied military operation which delivered food and other supplies to the people of West Berlin between 24 June 1948 and 12 May 1949]. Against orders, he visited his brother after he returned to the United States and got in trouble with his commanding officer. The commanding officer wanted to send him to Smokey Hill, Kansas to fly B-29s [Annotator's Note: Boeing B-29 Superfortress very heavy bomber], but Cushman called friends at the Pentagon [Annotator’s Note: the headquarters building of the Department of Defense in Arlington County, Virginia], and they set orders for him to report to Tinker Field [Annotator’s Note: Tinker Field in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma]. He served as an assistant to the production control manager, and a year later became the manager. He was ranked captain and soon received orders from General LeMay [Annotator's Note: General Curtis Emerson LeMay, the fifth Chief of Staff of the US Air Force] to fly B-47s [Annotator’s Note: The Boeing B-47 Stratojet] at Ellington Field [Annotator’s Note: in Houston, Texas]. He received training, and then was sent to Roswell, New Mexico where he flew in a B-29 [Annotator's Note: Boeing B-29 Superfortress very heavy bomber] outfit as a co-pilot. He was then sent to Barksdale Field in Shreveport, Louisiana and flew B-47s. He told a story about how he was given an evaluation in Tampa [Annotator’s Note: Tampa, Florida].

Gene M. Cushman commends Reagan [Annotator’s Note: Ronald Wilson Reagan, 40th president of the United States] for his actions in ending the Cold War with Russia. After Cushman returned from the Berlin Airlift [Annotator's Note: Allied military operation which delivered food and other supplies to the people of West Berlin between 24 June 1948 and 12 May 1949], he was sent to Barksdale Field in Shreveport, Louisiana. He and five others were given orders to set up an instrument program at the base. He was then a safety manager as a lieutenant colonel in Spain where he oversaw a fleet of B-58s [Annotator’s Note: The Convair B-58 Hustler] for two years. Cushman tells a story of his commanding officer asking his opinion on various base commanders. [Annotator’s Note: Interviewee asked to pause at 0:55:55.000.]

Gene M. Cushman was a safety manager as a lieutenant colonel in Spain where he oversaw a fleet of B-58s [Annotator’s Note: The Convair B-58 Hustler] for two years. He helped a friend get out of some trouble. He was then a director of operations in Lincoln, Nebraska and supervised the United Fund Drive. He was able to meet the governor, mayors, newspaper editor and owner, and big businesspeople. He put on yearly airshows for the community. He was sent to Barksdale Field in Shreveport, Louisiana and met a commander he did not like, so he decided to retire. He and his family moved to Birmingham [Annotator’s Note: Birmingham, Alabama]. Cushman began his next chapter working in the insurance business. He retired at age 80 thinking he would not be living much longer.

Gene M. Gene M. Cushman flew cargo planes into Templehof during the Berlin Air Lift [Annotator's Note: Allied military operation which delivered food and other supplies to the people of West Berlin between 24 June 1948 and 12 May 1949]. He explained that Stalin [Annotator's Note: Joseph Stalin; General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union] was trying to remove the British, French, and Americans from Berlin [Annotator’s Note: Berlin, Germany]. He controlled all transportation in and out of the city. Cushman was living in Hawaii and received orders to make his way to Massachusetts. Once he reached his destination, he was then given orders to make his way across the Atlantic by way of Newfoundland. The weather conditions were bad, so he decided to go a different route. He landed in Paris [Annotator’s Note: Paris, France]. He was assigned a co-pilot and another plane and flew to Berlin. The weather conditions were very murky and his plane did not have de-icing capabilities. As he made a landing, the heater blew up, but he was able to land safely. He flew coal, medicine, food, and other supplies into Berlin. He never thought about helping a former enemy in Germany, he was simply following orders. The Germans that he met were very nice. He made two trips a day. He helped a friend by doing his mission for him because he was sick as a dog. On another occasion, he grounded a pilot who was inadequate. Once he flew a B-47 [Annotator’s Note: Boeing B-47 Stratojet] through a thunderstorm. He could see his wings flopping up and down, and lost 500 feet in altitude. He found out after he landed that all his engines had to be replaced because of turbine wheel rub.Cushman flew cargo planes into Templehof during the Berlin Airlift [Annotator’s Note: The Berlin Blockade was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post–World War 2 Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, road, and canal access to the sectors of Berlin under Western control]. He explained that Stalin was trying to remove the British, French, and Americans from Berlin [Annotator’s Note: Berlin, Germany]. He controlled all transportation in and out of the city of Berlin. He was living in Hawaii and received orders to make his way to Massachusetts. Once he reached his destinations, he was then given orders to make his way across the Atlantic by way of Newfoundland. The weather conditions were bad, so he decided to go a different route. He landed in Paris [Annotator’s Note: Paris, France]. He was given a co-pilot and another plane and flew to Berlin. He recalled the weather conditions were very murky and his plane did not have any -de-ice. As he made a landing, the heater blew up, but was able to land safely. He flew coal, medicine, food, and other supplies into Berlin. He says he never thought about helping a former enemy in Germany, he was simply following orders. He thought the Germans that he met were very nice. He made two trips a day. He helped a friend by doing his mission because he was sick as a dog. On another occasion, he grounded to pilots because he was inadequate. He remarked about a time he flew a B-47 [Annotator’s Note: Boeing B-47 Stratojet] through a thunderstorm. He could see his wings flopping up and down, and lost 500 feet in altitude. He found out later after he landed that all his engines had to be replaces because of turbine wheel rub.

Gene M. Cushman’s most memorable experience of World War 2 was competing in gunnery competitions. He served in World War 2 to defend his country. The war did not change his life because his father was in the military, and it was his way of life. He enjoyed meeting people and forming friendships. He is glad he did what was asked of him, but wished he could have done more. He thinks that Americans think very little of World War 2. He is very concerned about the current school system. Cushman believes there should be institutions like the National WWII Museum [Annotator's Note: The National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana], and that we should continue to teach World War 2 to future generations because the school system does not teach students anything.