Oral History Interview with Weldon Hamilton, May 15, 2002

Oral History Interview with Weldon Hamilton, May 15, 2002

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Track One 1:23:55

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Weldon Hamilton. Hamilton was born 21 July 1921. He joined the US Army Air Corps in 1940. After completing basic training at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri he attended cook and baker school. After graduation, he was assigned to the 34th Pursuit Squadron and was sent to the Philippines. After arriving at Manila, the unit was sent to De Carmen Field on 29 November 1941. On 8 December 1941 the Japanese launched the surprise attack in which every plane in the squadron was destroyed. On 25 December the unit became … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 23 min., 54 sec.)

Interviewers

Publisher

National Museum of the Pacific War
Place of Publication: Fredericksburg, Texas

Audiences

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Provided By

National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Established in 1967, the Museum honors the 8 million Americans who served in WWII in the Pacific Theater by sharing their stories with the world. Located in Fredericksburg in the restored Nimitz "Steamboat" Hotel, the Museum partners with the Texas Historical Commission to preserve the historical resources of the era.

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Weldon Hamilton. Hamilton was born 21 July 1921. He joined the US Army Air Corps in 1940. After completing basic training at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri he attended cook and baker school. After graduation, he was assigned to the 34th Pursuit Squadron and was sent to the Philippines. After arriving at Manila, the unit was sent to De Carmen Field on 29 November 1941. On 8 December 1941 the Japanese launched the surprise attack in which every plane in the squadron was destroyed. On 25 December the unit became infantry and was placed in defense of the beach at Quanah Point. Surrendering to the Japanese on 9 April 1942, Hamilton participated in in the Bataan Death March as a prisoner of war. He describes the brutalization, both physically and mentally, by the Japanese captors. In 1944 he was put aboard the hell ship Mata Mata Maru for a sixty-two day trip to Japan. Upon arrival, he was placed in Fukuoka Camp 17 at Omuta, Japan which was across the bay from Hiroshima. He spent one year in the camp before being liberated.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 23 min., 54 sec.)

Subjects

Keywords

Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms

Library of Congress Subject Headings

World War, 1939-1945

University of North Texas Libraries Browse Structure

Language

English

Item Type

Sound

Identifier

Unique identifying numbers for this recording in the Portal or other systems.

Accession or Local Control No: OH00515
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1607811

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Weldon Hamilton, May 15, 2002, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1603998

Collections

This recording is part of the following collections of related materials.

National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection

This oral history collection depicts an instrumental era in American history. In these transcripts of interviews with World War II veterans are personal experiences with the war, from the Doolittle Raid and D-Day to the Battle for Bataan.

National Museum of the Pacific War Digital Archive

The Digital Archive presents digitized collections from the Center for Pacific War Studies collections at the National Museum of the Pacific War. Collections and material are continuously being added and represent only a small portion of the archives' physical holdings.

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