Oral History Interview with Jim Teague, September 19, 2007 Page: 3
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Oral History Interview with Jim Teague, September 19, 2007 (Sound)
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Jim Teague. Teague was drafted into the Navy during his freshman year of college. Upon completion of aviation radio school, he was assigned to a torpedo bomber crew with Carrier Air Group Five (CVG-5). In late 1944, he boarded the USS Franklin (CV-13) and headed toward southern Japan to eliminate kamikaze bases. Teague’s particular task was to jam radar-controlled guns, which were rumored to have been acquired from Nazi Germany. After finding the right frequency, he watched the gun’s aim drift away. During one mission, while in the middle of a dive, his plane was hit in the wing. His aircraft moved to the front of the landing order, allowing them to return safely. After some overnight repairs, the plane was back in action. When the Franklin was hit by two 500-pound bombs, Teague was blown overboard. He was one of a dozen survivors of the hundreds of men in his air group, many of whom were close friends. Teague was sent to Lake Tahoe for R&R and was interviewed extensively by mental health specialists. As the war wound to a close, he passed up the opportunity to attend Officers Candidate School and instead returned to college on the G.I. Bill.
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Oral History Interview with Jim Teague, September 19, 2007, text, September 19, 2007; Fredericksburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1605271/m1/4/: accessed July 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation.