Oral History Interview with Gerald Shaffer

Oral History Interview with Gerald Shaffer

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Track One 1:26:54

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral monologue by Gerald Shaffer. Shaffer joined the Army Air Forces in September 1943 and trained briefly as an aviation cadet before being transferred to gunnery school. Upon completion, he was assigned to a B-24 crew with the 431st Bomb Squadron, as a ball turret gunner. In April 1945 he went to Guam, where he was then trained by experienced crews. At first, he was relieved to learn that most enemy attacks were directed at the nose of the plane, rather than his own position. Shaffer was eventually reassigned to the … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 26 min., 53 sec.)

Creation Information

Shaffer, Gerald Creation Date: Unknown.

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 monologue by Gerald Shaffer. Shaffer joined the Army Air Forces in September 1943 and trained briefly as an aviation cadet before being transferred to gunnery school. Upon completion, he was assigned to a B-24 crew with the 431st Bomb Squadron, as a ball turret gunner. In April 1945 he went to Guam, where he was then trained by experienced crews. At first, he was relieved to learn that most enemy attacks were directed at the nose of the plane, rather than his own position. Shaffer was eventually reassigned to the nose gunner position. He recounts missions over Woleai and Truk, finishing his time on Guam with raids on Marcus Island. Toward the end of the war, he was stationed on Okinawa, performing weather reconnaissance over Formosa and bombing Kyushu. During his final combat mission, he witnessed the mushroom cloud rising over Nagasaki. Shaffer returned home and was discharged in January 1946.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 26 min., 53 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: OH00580
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1607867

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Gerald Shaffer, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1604055

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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