Oral History Interview with Stanley Bournias

Oral History Interview with Stanley Bournias

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Track One 1:22:11

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Stanley Bournias. Bournias joined the Army in July 1941 and received basic training at Fort Sam Houston. He was then sent to Fort Leonard Wood with the 26th Engineer Training Battalion. Upon completion, he was assigned to the 74th Engineer Light Pontoon Company to build the Alaska Highway. He then joined the 966th Engineer Maintenance Company at Fort Lewis, where he served as a company clerk. In February 1944 he left for Europe and served in the 1st and 3rd Armies. He visited Omaha Beach at D-Day plus … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 22 min., 11 sec.)

Creation Information

Bournias, Stanley Creation Date: Unknown.

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

Bournias, Stanley

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 Stanley Bournias. Bournias joined the Army in July 1941 and received basic training at Fort Sam Houston. He was then sent to Fort Leonard Wood with the 26th Engineer Training Battalion. Upon completion, he was assigned to the 74th Engineer Light Pontoon Company to build the Alaska Highway. He then joined the 966th Engineer Maintenance Company at Fort Lewis, where he served as a company clerk. In February 1944 he left for Europe and served in the 1st and 3rd Armies. He visited Omaha Beach at D-Day plus three and describes gruesome debris. Elated Parisians treated him like a general as he passed through France. He recounts the extreme poverty he witnessed in Czechoslovakia. In Belgium, he came across a mass grave of civilians, which was his most difficult experience during the war. Bournias returned home and was discharged in July 1945.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 22 min., 11 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: OH01895
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1608995

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Stanley Bournias, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1605185

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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