Naval Aviation

Aerial bombardment (2477)
Air warfare (2269)
Submarine warfare (784)
Bailing out/loss of plane (664)
Naval shore bombardment (537)
Kamikazes (489)
Carrier warfare (425)
Dog fights (366)

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Riggs, Clarence Difficult Missions
[Annotator's Note: Throughout the clip, Clarence Edward "Ed" Riggs, Jr. refers to papers he is holding as he discusses...
Douglas, Walter Difficult Missions
Walter Douglas was on a bombardment mission near Berlin, Germany. After he dropped his bombs, he lost one of his...
Colgan, William Difficult Missions
William Colgan served overseas with the 79th Fighter Squadron, 86th Fighter Group, 12th Air Force and flew in P-40s [...
Cart, William "Bill" Difficult Missions and Losses
William Cart thinks his most difficult mission was to Maloelap [Annotator’s Note: Maloelap or Maleolap Atoll, Marshall...
Hill, Wayne Diffusing Bombs
When Wayne O. Hill was in Belgium, the people were starving. They tried to help them with the harvest. They went to see...
Piazzo, Lincoln Direct Theater Orders
Once assigned to the 17th Reconnaissance Squadron [Annotator's Note: 17th Reconnaissance Squadron, 71st Reconnaissance...
Wulf, Lawrence Disaster on His 50th Mission
Formosa [Annotator's Note: Republic of Formosa; present day Taiwan] had not been hit and was going to be hit for the...
Swanson, Richard Discharge and Postwar Life
[Annotator's Note: Richard Swanson was assigned to the USCGC Comanche (WPG-76) on escort duty for the troop transport...
Bazet, James Discharge and Postwar Life
There were usually 24 planes in James Bazet's squadron [Annotator's Note: Marine Fighting Squadron 223 (VMF-223)], and...
Lindquist, Donald Discharge and Reserve Service
Donald Lindquist was an officer in the US Merchant Marine during World War 2 and returned to military service during...
Harvey, David Discharge From the Navy and Joining the Army
When David Harvey heard that the war had ended, they had 1,500 planes up off the carriers. The British and Russians had...
Paul, John Disney Bombs
[Annotator's Note: The interviewer asks John Paul what it was like to see Berlin, Germany as the target for the first...
Ruiz, Roberto Distinguished Flying Cross Mission
Robert "Bob” Ruiz [Annotator's Note: a pilot in the 389th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force, stationed in England] flew...
Rondinelli, Ricardo Ditch Mission
Ricardo R. Rondinelli and his unit [Annotator’s Note: 47th Bombardment Squadron, 41st Bombardment Group, Seventh Air...
Borders, Charles "Wes" Ditching His Plane
Charles Wesley Borders was strafing a target in New Guinea and got hit. He nursed the airplane back to a temporary base...
Carmody, Martin "Red" Ditching in the Waters off Espiritu Santo
Martin Carmody took a course that would be parallel to the island. He made a good landing in the ocean but the force of...
Shawn, Gilbert Ditching Over Belgium
[Annotator's Note: Gilbert S. Shawn served in the US Army Air Forces as a pilot flying Consolidated B-24 Liberator...
Buell, Harold "Hal" Dive Bombers
Harold Buell flew both the Douglas SBD Dauntless and the Curtis SB2C Helldiver dive bombers. There were positive and...
Miralles, Richard Dive Bombing
Richard Miralles was bombing the Philippines. A pilot had dropped two bombs into his bomb bay. The bombs blew up and...
Buell, Harold "Hal" Dive Bombing the Japanese Aircraft Carrier Zuikaku
Harold Buell wanted to hit a major enemy warship but seemed to never have the opportunity. He finally had his chance...
Weymouth, Ralph Dive Bombing an Enemy Carrier
As Ralph Weymouth approached the Japanese fleet, he saw that it was organized in a typical formation for ships at sea....
Fisher, Clayton Dive Bombing Enemy Destroyers
[Annotator's Note: Clayton Fisher served in the Navy as a Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber pilot in Bombing Squadron 8...
Franklin, Ralph Division Headquarters and Returning Home
Ralph C. Franklin became an adjutant in Division Headquarters [Annotator's Note: Headquarters, 3rd Marine Division]....
Dunford, Philip Dodging Kamikazes
After crossing the Pacific, Philip Dunford's troop ship docked in Hawaii for a couple of days. He does not recall...
East, Dossie Dodging the Bullet
Aboard ship in Hawaii before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dossie East did not suspect the war was imminent. Pearl Harbor...
Harvey, David Dodging Torpedoes
David Harvey would be assigned liberty depending on what side of the ship he was on, port or starboard. Passes were...
Goebel, Robert Dog Fight Close Calls
The 85 gallon fuselage tank [Annotator's Note: on the North American P-51 Mustang fighter aircraft] was an afterthought...
Liles, Robert Dog Fights and Ground Attack
This action was the one during which Robert Liles got his first confirmed kill. It was a Zero [Annotator's Note:...
East, Clyde Dog Fights Over Germany
In late January or early February [Annotator’s Note: late January or early February 1945] the Battle of the Bulge ended...
Golden, James Dogfights and Tense Missions
[Annotator's Note: Throughout this clip, a woman off camera interjects with comments.] James Ramsey Golden recalled a...
Davis, Arthur Doing a Civilian Job in the Navy
There were always air raids to deal with, according to Arthur Davis, during his duty in the Pacific. The Japanese...
Bennett, Richard Doing Some Good
Richard Bennett mentioned that one incident stands out as a proud moment. Out of the 15 PT boats in the squadron [...
Morse, Ralph Doolittle Raid
Ralph Morse wanted to be at Guadalcanal [Annotator's Note: Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands] for Christmas in 1942. He...
Norberg, Willard "Bill" Doolittle Raid and Coral Sea
Bill Norberg [Annotator's Note: aboard the USS Enterprise (CV-6)] arrived in Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: Pearl...
Inghram, Robert Downed at Dieppe
For Robert Inghram, Dieppe was his big day [Annotator's Note: the Allied raid on Dieppe, France in August 1942]. That...
Pilcher, Joseph Downing a Fw-190-D Over Germany
On the day Joseph Pilcher shot down an Fw-190 [Annotator’s Note: German Focke-Wulf Fw-190 fighter aircraft], he was...

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