Oral History Interview with Ken McCloud, October 19, 1985

Oral History Interview with Ken McCloud, October 19, 1985

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Track One 0:28:23

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ken McCloud. McCloud, known as Tex by the 339th Fighter Squadron, recounts a dogfight that occurred over Rabaul in which he encountered over a dozen Zeros. He shot down one plane before being hit, causing his right engine to catch fire. He landed in the water and deployed his life raft. He was pursued by sharks and fought an albatross to the death. Using a piece of driftwood and his parachute, he fashioned a sail and rode out a storm. McCloud survived by drinking rainwater and eating albatross … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (28 min., 22 sec.)

Creation Information

McCloud, Ken October 19, 1985.

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

McCloud, Ken

Interviewers

Publisher

National Museum of the Pacific War
Place of Publication: Fredericksburg, 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 Ken McCloud. McCloud, known as Tex by the 339th Fighter Squadron, recounts a dogfight that occurred over Rabaul in which he encountered over a dozen Zeros. He shot down one plane before being hit, causing his right engine to catch fire. He landed in the water and deployed his life raft. He was pursued by sharks and fought an albatross to the death. Using a piece of driftwood and his parachute, he fashioned a sail and rode out a storm. McCloud survived by drinking rainwater and eating albatross jerky until he was rescued several days later by a B-24.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (28 min., 22 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: OH00195
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1607515

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Ken McCloud, October 19, 1985, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1603548

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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