Oral History Interview with John Waldrip, October 18, 2005 Page: 20
Related Items
Other items on this site that are directly related to the current text.
Oral History Interview with John Waldrip, October 18, 2005 (Sound)
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.
Reference the current page of this Text.
Oral History Interview with John Waldrip, October 18, 2005, text, October 18, 2005; Burnet, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1605457/m1/20/?q=%22~1%22~1&rotate=270: accessed July 16, 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.