[Annotator's Note: There is a buzzing sound throughout this clip.] Newell Bertram Woodworth was born in June 1923 in Syracuse, New York. His father, a great businessman, died when he was one year old and his mother remarried six years later to a congressman from Texas named Clay Stone Briggs. Woodworth had two sisters, and then a brother and sister from his mother's second marriage. He went to Cazenovia High School [Annotator's Note: in Cazenovia, New York] and graduated in 1941. He enlisted in the Air Force in September 1942 and was called to active duty in January 1943. He served as a buck private for four months while qualifying for the Air Force [Annotator's Note: for the US Army Air Forces Aviation Cadet Program]. He received his wings at Napier Field, Alabama in class 44-D, and was the top pilot of his class. He was then sent to Eglin Field, Florida to fly P-40s [Annotator's Note: Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighter aircraft]. He then trained on P-47 Thunderbolts [Annotator's Note: Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter aircraft] at Bradley Field, Connecticut. The P-47 was a marvelous airplane. It had a very wide landing gear, was solid as a rock, very powerful and a joy to fly. It could also take an awful lot of damage in combat. Bradley Field was heavily camouflaged, and the runways were made to look like tobacco fields. He then went to Dover, Delaware while waiting to be sent to Europe.

[Annotator’s Note: There is a buzzing sound throughout this clip.] Newell Bertram Woodworth arrived in England around Christmas [Annotator's Note: of 1944] and was finally assigned to the 9th Air Force, 19th Tactical Air Command, 368th Fighter Group, 397th Fighter Squadron. Their mission was interdiction, or keeping supplies from going from Germany to the front lines by shooting at anything that moved and knocking out bridges and railroads. They were busy every single day. Their airfields were wire strips because they moved with the front lines. They supported Patton's [Annotator's Note: US Army Lieutenant General George S. Patton, Jr.] 4th Armored Division for a while. Patton was grateful and would send his unit booze as a prize. Woodworth's plane [Annotator's Note: Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter aircraft] had eight .50-caliber machine guns [Annotator's Note: Browning ANM2 .50 caliber machine gun], four in each wing. Their bullets were more effective on trucks and trains than on tanks. Tanks would generally be bombed rather than shot at. They faced a lot of flak [Annotator's Note: antiaircraft artillery fire]. The plane was so strong that it could be hit several times and still make it home. They flew in flights of four and formed an echelon when they went in to attack. They went in and out as fast as they could. They did 300 miles per hour when headed for a target. The P-47 was the first airplane to break the speed of sound. They experienced a lot of casualties. One could only hope to survive each mission. After the first few missions, the fear went away. It was the only way to sleep at night. Woodworth flew a total of 44 missions. Their flights were short, unlike the bombers. Some days they would have to fly two missions. When the Remagen bridgehead was established, the Germans sent out a ton of their fighters to try and take it out. Woodworth's unit was sent to face them, but this was one of the only times he experienced aerial combat.

[Annotator's Note: There is a buzzing sound throughout this clip.] After the war in Europe ended with VE-Day [Annotator's Note: Victory in Europe Day, 8 May 1945], Newell Bertram Woodworth and his unit [Annotator's Note: 397th Fighter Squadron, 368th Fighter Group, 9th Air Force] were assigned occupation duty in Straubing, Germany on the Danube River. Their accommodations had been the German Air Force Academy and was beautiful, with marble floors and the like. They slept with .45s [Annotator's Note: .45 caliber M1911 semi-automatic pistol] under their pillows because the local people did not like them, as they had inevitably hit civilians when strafing during missions. They had a job to do, and did not have the luxury of worrying about the possible collateral damage. They were there to win the war. They had heard about concentration camps and knew that the Germans moved prisoners using railroads, but would not mark the boxcars. So the pilots were always concerned about bombing railroads for fear of killing innocent prisoners of war. The Air Force had a rest and recuperation hotel in Cannes [Annotator's Note: Cannes, France] on the French Riviera. Woodward was there on VE-Day. There was a lot of partying going on. While in Cannes, Woodward had to belly land an airplane while taking new pilots on some exercises.

[Annotator's Note: There is a buzzing sound throughout this clip.] The war ended and Newell Bertram Woodworth went back to the United States. He had been at UVA [Annotator's Note: The University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia] for a year before the war. His plan was to be a lawyer like his father. [Annotator's Note: A telephone rings in the background and there is a break in interview.] He was not sure he wanted to go back to college after the war, so he took a job with Milliken [Annotator's Note: Milliken & Company, an industrial manufacturer] and remained there for 25 years, eventually becoming an officer in the company. He got married in 1950, after being discharged from the military in 1946, and they had four children. He and his wife were married for 65 years until she passed. Woodworth counts himself a very fortunate man who has led a good life. He learned more in the military than he did in college. He grew up a lot and was responsible for 27 other pilots by the time he got out of the service. He made many good friendships during the war. It was hard to lose friends in the war, but it was part of the game. Woodworth was discharged with the rank of captain. He earned the DFC, or Distinguished Flying Cross [Annotator's Note: the Distinguished Flying Cross, or DFC, is awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight], as well as an Air Medal [Annotator's Note: US Armed Forces medal for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while in aerial flight] with three clusters [Annotator's Note: oak leaf clusters are awarded in lieu of additional medals].