Oral History Interview with Richard Cole, August 8, 2000

Oral History Interview with Richard Cole, August 8, 2000

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Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents and oral interview with Richard E. Cole. Cole was born 7 September 1915 in Dayton, Ohio. In 1940 he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and received his commission in 1941. He was then assigned to the 17th Bomb Group. In 1942 he volunteered for a mission and tells of being assigned as co-pilot to Colonel James Doolittle. Cole mentions the specialized training the volunteers received, being aboard the USS Hornet (CV-8), the bombing mission over Tokyo, and the subsequent bail-out over China. He relates his experience of reuniting with his crew … continued below

Physical Description

67 p.

Creation Information

Cole, Richard August 8, 2000.

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 and oral interview with Richard E. Cole. Cole was born 7 September 1915 in Dayton, Ohio. In 1940 he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and received his commission in 1941. He was then assigned to the 17th Bomb Group. In 1942 he volunteered for a mission and tells of being assigned as co-pilot to Colonel James Doolittle. Cole mentions the specialized training the volunteers received, being aboard the USS Hornet (CV-8), the bombing mission over Tokyo, and the subsequent bail-out over China. He relates his experience of reuniting with his crew members and meeting Madam Chiang Kai-Shek and John Birch, the liaison officer between the United States Military and the Chinese forces. Cole then was assigned to the 11th Bomb Squadron and flew bombing missions over China. He also mentions flying transport planes over the Himalayas, joining the 1st Air Commando Group, and subsequent military assignments. Cole retired after 26 years of service.

Physical Description

67 p.

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

Text

Identifier

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

Accession or Local Control No: OH00217
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1603570

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Richard Cole, August 8, 2000 - ark:/67531/metapth1607537

Collections

This text 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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