Oral History Interview with James R. O'Donnel, December 8, 2001

Oral History Interview with James R. O'Donnel, December 8, 2001

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Track One 0:39:18

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James R. O'Donnel. He was born in Donora, Pennsylvania and joined the Aviation Cadet training program in December 1942. Upon graduation from Bombardier School in late 1943 he was sent to Clovis, New Mexico as a B-29 crewmember. Upon completion of training in November 1944 his crew flew a B-29 to Saipan as part of the 499th Bomber Group of the 20th Air Force. He recalls their first mission over Japan on Thanksgiving Day 1944 and 29 subsequent raids ending in June 1945. He describes one mission over … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (39 min., 17 sec.)

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

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James R. O'Donnel. He was born in Donora, Pennsylvania and joined the Aviation Cadet training program in December 1942. Upon graduation from Bombardier School in late 1943 he was sent to Clovis, New Mexico as a B-29 crewmember. Upon completion of training in November 1944 his crew flew a B-29 to Saipan as part of the 499th Bomber Group of the 20th Air Force. He recalls their first mission over Japan on Thanksgiving Day 1944 and 29 subsequent raids ending in June 1945. He describes one mission over Japan at high altitude on March 17, 1945 gathering weather data for future bombing runs, when his aircraft was shot up by the Japanese and had to make an emergency landing on Iwo Jima, even while mop up operations were occurring on the island. He describes meeting General Holland M. Smith while awaiting a flight off the island. He recalls that he had been transferred back to the States when the war ended.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (39 min., 17 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: OH00348
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1607657

Relationships

Oral History Interview with James R. O'Donnel, December 8, 2001, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1603725

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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