Experience with death

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Houseman, Donelson "Don" 18 Months in Army Hospitals
Donelson Houseman experienced a terrible event after he was liberated. He went into town and could see the tanks [...
Szafran, Daniel 1948 Mission and Reunion in Hamburg
Daniel Szafran had only one friend killed in an offensive. [Annotator's Note: There is a break in the tape then starts...
Luce, Dwain 33 Days in Normandy
Dwain Luce feels that they must have loaded up in advance [Annotator's Note: loaded the gliders in preparation for the...
Pierce, William "Bill" 37mm Anti-Tank Gun
William Pierce went to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina following his tour in Hingham, Massachusetts. Because he had been...
Blanckenburg, William "Bill" 3rd Division Battle Patrol
William Blanckenburg was met by a lieutenant colonel who knew that Blanckenburg was married and was an older fellow....
Zamperini, Louis 47 Day Adrift, 18 Months of Torture and Being Born Again
They [Annotator's Note: Louis Zamperini, his pilot and their tail gunner] spent 47 days fighting off sharks, the...
Higgins, Archibald 494th Bombardment Group Operations
Archibald Higgins was in the Palau Islands with the mission of keeping those islands neutralized and flying missions to...
Killam, Arthur 7 December 1941
Arthur Killam was born in San Francisco and lived there until he was six years old when he moved to San Jose,...
Sichler, George A Better American
George Sichler says that his service made him a better American. He did what he was supposed to do. The country has...
Welch, Darrell A Blessed Life
A lot Darrell Welch's colleagues [Annotator’s Note: fellow fighter pilots] did not make it. Some wound up in prison...
Witmeyer, John "J.J." A Brotherhood Forged in Combat
John Witmeyer served in five armies of the US Army through six campaigns in the European Theater of World War 2. He had...
Winter, William A Common Bond
William Winter agrees with the interviewer's statement that many black veterans felt more freedom in the Army than they...
Bala, Walter A Couple of Close Calls
During a mission, Walter Bala's plane was hit over the target. A shell came through the plane and knocked out his...
Ferris, Robert A Difficult Mission
[Annotator's Note: Robert J. Ferris was pilot with Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron 232 (VMTB-232) and took part in the...
Burk, Jeannine A Family Reunited
Jeannine Burk was liberated in 1944. Her mother retrieved her and brought her home. [Annotator's Note: Burk, a Jewish...
Walter, Robert A few months in the hospital
[Annotators Note: Robert Walter was a platoon sergeant in Company L, 3rd Battalion, 393rd Infantry Regiment, 99th...
Duncan, Reginald A Foggy Night
Reginald Duncan was always the lead vehicle during blackout convoy driving. There was one incident that Duncan claims...
Guarnere, William "Wild Bill" A kid from Philadelphia
[Annotators Note: The interview begins with Guarnere and the interviewer talking about previous interviews Guarnere has...
Hicks, Ora Pierce A Long Nursing Career
Ora Hicks treated injured soldiers using physiotherapy [Annotator's Note: disease treatment by means other than drugs...
Mermelstein, Seymour "Cy" A Long Path to Germany
Seymour Mermelstein attended basic training in Miami Beach, Florida. He was then sent to automotive school. He went to...
Yusen, Jack A Lost Friend
Jack Yusen still frequently thinks about the men who died [Annotator's Note: when his ship, the USS Samuel B. Roberts (...
Nakagawa, Ittsei A Maze of Destruction
[Annotator's Note: Ittsei Nakagawa was in a factory in Hiroshima, Japan when the atomic bomb exploded over the city on...
Carroll, Orville A Mechanic's Life on Guam
When Orville Carroll arrived at Northwest Field on Guam [Annotator's Note: Guam, Mariana Islands], the Marines had...
Beard, Norma "Norma Ford" A New Family
Norma Jean Ford Beard only knew that her father was a pilot and was killed until she was 13 years old. [Annotator's...
Witmeyer, John "J.J." A Pillbox in Cherbourg
During the assault on the port city of Cherbourg, France, John Witmeyer fought through to the end of town after door to...
Finkelstein, Ryfka A Polish Jew Flees the Nazis
Ryfka Finkelstein [Annotator's Note: unsure of spelling of her maiden name which is Sushka] was born in Poland in 1926...
Horne, Floyd "Bud" A Tough Airplane
Floyd Horne says the B-26 [Annotator's Note: Martin B-26 Marauder medium bomber] was a very tough airplane. He recalls...
Porche, Albert A Typical Day in Theater
Albert Porche began his typical day as a fighter armorer by having breakfast and then going to look on the board where...
Howie, Alice A Typical War Wedding
Alice Howie cannot remember what dress she wore for her wedding. She got married at a minister's home in Selma, Alabama...
Schilling, Ira A Very Dangerous Enemy
As the American advance through the Pacific moved closer and closer to the Japanese mainland, enemy resistance grew...
Henleben, Edwin A Week on Attu
Edwin Henlebin described the beachhead as glutted with supplies. The problem was getting the material from the beach to...
Pale, Vincent A Year in Captivity
After being captured, Vincent Pale was sent to Stalag XVII. The prisoners were assigned to bunks in a barracks. At...
Newberg, Peter Abandoning Ship
Peter Newberg did not have much choice in abandoning ship [Annotator's Note: after the USS Yorktown (CV-5) was mortally...
Smith, Arthur Accidents and Aircraft Kills
When Arthur Smith was finishing up in the Mediterranean, they had Mark 8 torpedoes [Annotator's Note: Bliss-Leavitt...
Smith, Bernard Accidents and Losses
On one mission, Bernard Smith's aircraft was taking off and the left wing began to dip. He got frightened and they hit...
Dahme, Maud Accurate Record Keeping
[Annotator's Note: Maud Dahme and her sister were sent to a Christian family's farm to hide from the Nazis.] The couple...

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