Oral History Interview with John Waldrip, October 18, 2005

Oral History Interview with John Waldrip, October 18, 2005

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Track One 1:13:17

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Waldrip. Born in Texas in 1923, he enlisted as an Aviation Cadet in May 1942. After training, he was sent to England where he was assigned to the 490th Bomb Group. He served as a crewmember on a B-17 aircraft. Other members of the crew were Charles Smelser, Neil Johnson, Leonard Kail, and Jake Jackson. He talks about ?buzz bombs?, the living conditions, and flight suits. He describes the airplane weaponry as well as the logistics of bombing missions. He recounts a story of his plane going … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 13 min., 16 sec.)

Creation Information

Waldrip, John October 18, 2005.

Context

This audio recording is part of the collection entitled: National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection and was provided by the National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation to The Portal to Texas History, a digital repository hosted by the UNT Libraries. More information about this recording can be viewed below.

Interviewee

Waldrip, John

Interviewers

Publisher

Burnet County Genealogical Society
Place of Publication: Burnet, Texas

Audiences

Check out our Resources for Educators Site! We've identified this sound as a primary source within our collections. Researchers, educators, and students may find this recording useful in their work.

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 John Waldrip. Born in Texas in 1923, he enlisted as an Aviation Cadet in May 1942. After training, he was sent to England where he was assigned to the 490th Bomb Group. He served as a crewmember on a B-17 aircraft. Other members of the crew were Charles Smelser, Neil Johnson, Leonard Kail, and Jake Jackson. He talks about ?buzz bombs?, the living conditions, and flight suits. He describes the airplane weaponry as well as the logistics of bombing missions. He recounts a story of his plane going off course due to bad weather when returning from a bombing mission during the Battle of the Bulge. He was involved in missions to bomb strategic targets in Germany. He describes bombing missions to Berlin and Merseburg, Germany. He also describes a mission to bomb submarines at Brest, France during the Normandy Invasion. He shares anecdotes about flak; obtaining coal to heat his Quonset hut; cleaning his uniform with airplane fuel; and censoring mail. He returned to the United States in 1945 after flying 35 missions. He left military service when the war ended. In 1949 he joined the United States National Guard under Title 32. His unit was activated during the Berlin Crisis of 1961. He retired from his position as Chief of Staff of the 49th Armored Division in 1978. The interview also includes information about his parents.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 13 min., 16 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: OH02278
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1609265

Relationships

Oral History Interview with John Waldrip, October 18, 2005, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1605457

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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