Oral History Interview with Robert L. Van Ausdall, September 26, 2005

Oral History Interview with Robert L. Van Ausdall, September 26, 2005

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Description

Transcript of an oral interview with Robert Loren Van Ausdall. While a student at Miami University in Ohio, Van Ausdall applied and was accepted into the Aviation Cadet Program and sent to Love Field in Dallas in 1940. He received more advanced training in San Antonio and on Long Island before going to Norfolk, Virginia. There, his squadron of P-40s was loaded aboard the aircraft carrier USS Wasp (CV-7). The squadron was shipped to Iceland where they were based for the next year conducting anti-submarine patrols in the North Atlantic. Van Ausdall speaks about being stationed in and living in … continued below

Physical Description

29 p.

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

Transcript of an oral interview with Robert Loren Van Ausdall. While a student at Miami University in Ohio, Van Ausdall applied and was accepted into the Aviation Cadet Program and sent to Love Field in Dallas in 1940. He received more advanced training in San Antonio and on Long Island before going to Norfolk, Virginia. There, his squadron of P-40s was loaded aboard the aircraft carrier USS Wasp (CV-7). The squadron was shipped to Iceland where they were based for the next year conducting anti-submarine patrols in the North Atlantic. Van Ausdall speaks about being stationed in and living in Iceland. From Iceland, Van Ausdall was stationed in Sarasota, Florida where he trained pilots in aerial gunnery. After that assigment, he was ordered to India to train Chinese pilots. Eventually, Van Ausdall made it over the Himalaya Mountains into China to fight the Japanese. He was still flying P-40 fighter planes at the time and discusses operations against the Japanese. In April, 1945, after 81 combat missions in China, Van Ausdall returned home t oattend the Command and General Staff School at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. When the war ended, the Air Force sent Van Ausdall to Cornell UNiversity for a degree in Chinese studies. Upon completing that, he was assigned to the American Embassy in Nanking and was present in China when the communists took power in 1949.

Physical Description

29 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: OH01519
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1604886

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Robert L. Van Ausdall, September 26, 2005 - ark:/67531/metapth1608694

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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