Oral History Interview with George Kirk, December 29, 2011

Oral History Interview with George Kirk, December 29, 2011

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Track One 1:39:60

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with George Kirk. Kirk was born in Moline, Illinois on 17 April 1921. After graduating from high school in 1939 he enrolled at the University of Iowa. While there he participated in the Civilian Pilot Training Program and received his pilot’s license. In June 1942, he joined the Navy and had four months of training at St Louis. He then entered flight training at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, Texas and had advanced at Kingsville Naval Air Station, Texas. He was commissioned in May 1943. After gunnery, formation and … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 39 min., 59 sec.)

Creation Information

Kirk, Goerge N. December 29, 2011.

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

Kirk, Goerge N.

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 George Kirk. Kirk was born in Moline, Illinois on 17 April 1921. After graduating from high school in 1939 he enrolled at the University of Iowa. While there he participated in the Civilian Pilot Training Program and received his pilot’s license. In June 1942, he joined the Navy and had four months of training at St Louis. He then entered flight training at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, Texas and had advanced at Kingsville Naval Air Station, Texas. He was commissioned in May 1943. After gunnery, formation and night flying he went to Norfolk, Virginia and was assigned to VF-8 and began flying F6F fighter planes. The group began practicing carrier landing on the USS Charger (CVE-30). Upon being carrier qualified, VF-8 was assigned to the USS Intrepid (CV-11). Upon arrival in Hawaii, VF-8 was off loaded from the ship and moved to the Navy base on Maui. On 1 March 1944, Air Group 8 was assigned to the USS Bunker Hill (CV-17). In recalling various combat missions, Kirk depicts the coordinated attacks by dive bombers, torpedo planes and fighter planes against various targets. He took part in the invasion of Guam, Tinian, and Saipan and was involved in the Battle of the Philippine Sea (Mariana Turkey Shoot). He is credited for shooting down seven Japanese aircraft, thus classifying him as a fighter Ace. He describes some of the combat situations that led to this classification. Kirk returned to the United States in 1944 and was there when World War II ended. He was discharged shortly thereafter.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 39 min., 59 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: OH03180
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1609716

Relationships

Oral History Interview with George Kirk, December 29, 2011, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1605908

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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