[Annotator's Note: This clip begins in mid-conversation between Virgil Clayton Moen and the interviewer.] Moen was born in Augusta, Kansas in January 1918 according to what his doctor put on his birth certificate. His father made money by hauling goods and people in Wichita, Kansas with his trucks. Moen grew up with two younger brothers and one younger sister. Both of his brothers served for the military. As a child his family moved to Los Angeles [Annotator's Note: Los Angeles, California] but returned when his parents separated. Moen grew up with his grandmother, a Norwegian immigrant who he considered the most wonderful woman in the world. Moen ran around town and tried to sing with the Salvation Army [Annotator's Note: a Christian church and international charitable organization]. Moen was in a movie theater when he found out that the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941]. Several of Moen's friend volunteered for service in the military many months before the United States entered the war. They regaled him with stories of how great military life was so in August 1941 he applied for aviation cadet training. On 8 December 1941, Moen followed up on his application for flight training. A few days later he was called up and sent to Fort Riley, Kansas for induction, and then to Leavenworth [Annotator's Note: Fort Leavenworth, Kansas] for a short time before being shipped to McCord Field, Washington. Moen trained at several bases in the United States before graduating from glider training. He trained on sail planes and was instructed by a woman.

Virgil Clayton Moen was trained in gliders in the Army Air Corps. Many guys died in glider crashes because they were difficult to manage. When he landed in France, he saw one guy hit a tree. Moen went over to check on him and saw that he had cow manure all over his face but was happy he was still alive. In February 1942, Moen was shipped to the east coast where he boarded the Queen Mary [Annotator's Note: RMS Queen Mary] in New York [Annotator's Note: New York, New York]. The SS Normandie [Annotator's Note: renamed the USS Lafayette (AP-53)] was on fire in the port [Annotator's Note: on 9 February 1942]. During the voyage, Moen was placed in charge of a group of Canadian soldiers whose bunks were set up in a drained swimming pool. One of the Canadian sergeants complained about their treatment on the ship. They had German submarine threats through the entire passage. When he landed in England [Annotator's Note: Moen was stationed at Royal Air Force Fulbeck in Fulbeck, Lincolnshire, England], Moen managed his squadron's [Annotator's Note: 72nd Troop Carrier Squadron, 434th Troop Carrier Group, 9th Air Force] first task which was to put together their gliders [Annotator's Note: both British Airspeed AS.51 Horsa gliders and Waco CG-4A gliders]. He lived in barracks. He enjoyed being in England even though they were bombed every night. He would look for a hole in the ground to protect himself during bomb raids. He thought the buzz bombs [Annotator's Note: V-1 pulse jet flying bomb, German name: Vengeance Weapon 1; Allied names: buzz bomb, doodlebug] were the worst and killed many people, including a group of English military women while in their barracks. Moen liked to interact with the people of England, but they did not have a hustle attitude as did the Americans.

[Annotator's Note: Virgil Clayton Moen served in the 72nd Troop Carrier Squadron, 434th Troop Carrier Group, 9th Air Force in Europe during World War 2]. During the preparations for Normandy [Annotator's Note: D-Day; the Allied invasion of Normandy, France on 6 June 1944], he would go to town every chance he could to buy wine and spend time with women. His group was not restricted to the barracks, like the infantry men. Moen flew a Waco glider [Annotator's Note: WACO CG-4A glider] during the invasion of Normandy. He carried a jeep, nine men, 2 crewmen, and sometimes a thousand pounds of ammunition. Moen said they used gliders to increase the flow of troops into the combat zone. He could hear a lot of the troops throw up on their flight. He thinks that they used gliders because they were inexpensive compared to fighter planes and it was easy to recover. The disadvantage was that it was one way. Moen had the feeling of needing to go and fight on the early morning of 6 June 1944. He had one flight mission which carried troops and a jeep when he landed into France. He had a friend that hit a tree but survived. Moen walked ten miles back to the beach and boarded a freighter. A minesweeper hit a mine, so he was transferred on an LST [Annotator's Note: Landing Ship, Tank] with other troops who had made the invasion. [Annotator's Note: Moen goes off-topic and talks about a current hospital visit.] Moen did not carry any good luck charm or photo like most pilots.

[Annotator's Note: Virgil Clayton Moen served in the US Army Air Forces as a Waco CG-4 glider pilot in the 72nd Troop Carrier Squadron, 434th Troop Carrier Group, 9th Air Force in Europe during World War 2.] Virgil Clayton Moen recalled crossing the channel [Annotator's Note: English Channel] in the early morning before daylight. While in flight, all he saw was the tail end of the plane pulling him. Moen believed that it was probably difficult for the Germans to shoot gliders down because they were going about 80 miles per hour. Once he got over land, he cut loose from the plane and landed the glider in a field. He then had to find cover from German attack. He carried a Thompson [Annotator's Note: .45 caliber Thompson submachine gun] and a pistol. Moen's last landing was in Holland [Annotator's Note: Operation Market Garden, 17 to 25 September 1944] transporting a colonel and his jeep. He made a successful landing without damaging the glider, but they were soon were under attack and had to take cover. Moen was hit in the leg but made it out okay. On D-Day [Annotator's Note: D-Day; the Allied invasion of Normandy, France on 6 June 1944], Moen thought that he was going to experience more combat than he did. He figured that the Germans were trying to find higher ground, and therefore was not under strenuous fire after he landed. He lost two men in his unit during the invasion. In the proceeding days, Moen flew across the channel delivering supplies. He enjoyed his leave time in England.

Prior to Operation Market Garden [Annotator's Note: Operation Market Garden, 17 to 25 September 1944, Netherlands], Virgil Clayton Moen was briefed on some information. He dropped in on day one of the operation and had a great landing. He was carrying the aides of General McAuliffe [Annotator's Note: later US Army General Anthony Clement McAuliffe] in the glider, while the General was in the plane that towed them. Moen cleaned his weapon on a parachute and then gave the parachute to a young girl who wanted it. The next day, he saw the lady again in a dress made with the parachute fabric [Annotator's Note: Interviewer pauses to change tapes at 0:59:52.000]. Moen was wounded during Operation Market Garden. While waiting to see the doctor, he had to take cover when the Germans began shelling. After it was over, he left and treated himself. He received a Purple Heart [Annotator's Note: the Purple Heart Medal is award bestowed upon a United States service member who has been wounded as a result of combat actions against an armed enemy] for his wound. He had landed near some trees. The Germans shot in their direction, wounding him. When the shrapnel hit him, he flew up in the air. Moen, along with other guys, caught a ride with a Black soldier driving a truck. He witnessed a during German plane strafe a British tank, killing several men. He returned to England by plane.

Virgil Clayton Moen returned to the United States on leave [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time]. He was put in charge of monitoring a group of troops on a train to Chicago [Annotator's Note: Chicago, Illinois]. He then went to Missouri to get flight training for a while. He was discharged in Kansas City [Annotator's Note: Kansas City, Missouri] around September 1945 as a First Lieutenant. He played pool with other officers while stationed in France. He had some competitive games winning 16,000 dollars once. Moen was living in the United States when the Japanese surrendered. He does not remember what he was doing when he heard the United States dropped the atomic bombs [Annotator's Note: nuclear weapons dropped on Hiroshima, Japan on 6 August 1945 and Nagasaki, Japan on 9 August 1945] in Japan. Moen did not take advantage of the G.I. Bill. He experienced a lot of medical issues. After being discharged he went straight to work. He later found a doctor who helped him receive 100 percent disability status from the military which helped him financially.

Virgil Clayton Moen did not suffer from post traumatic stress or any other psychological issues after returning from World War 2. He transitioned from military to civilian life with ease by getting into the oil business. Moen was in Brussels, Belgium when the Germans surrendered. He flew supplies into Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge [Annotator's Note: Battle of the Bulge or German Ardennes Counter Offensive, 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945]. The weather conditions were horrible, and he would have to kick the supplies out of the plane for the troops. Moen enjoyed his friendship with General Anthony McAuliffe [Annotator's Note: US Army General Anthony Clement McAuliffe] and thought the best of him. World War 2 changed him in that he became more mature and stopped looking for trouble. He feels that the war has not changed the world very much. Moen believes that military is not a bad thing. People should go into the military with an open mind and be prepared to get the job done. His most memorable experience from World War 2 was when he was being bombed in England by the buzz bombs [Annotator's Note: V-1 pulse jet flying bomb, German name: Vengeance Weapon 1; Allied names: buzz bomb, doodlebug]. He will never forget when a buzz bomb killed 22 uniformed girls in a barrack near him one night. Moen believed it is important to have institutions like The National WWII Museum [Annotator's Note: in New Orleans, Louisiana] and to continue to teach to future generations. [Annotator's Note: Moen begins to discuss things off topic and the interviewer stops the tape.]