Oral Military History Guide

8/4/2019 Oral Military History Guide

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TEXAS IN WORLD WAR II:

Fundamentals o Military Oral History


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O

in war industry plants. Hundreds of thousandsof workers came from outside the state. Urbanmigration was on the rise. New opportunities intraining and employment opened for women andminority citizens. Seemingly overnight, World WarII transformed the face of exas. As they went abouttheir daily tasks, exans on the home front remainedvigilant against enemy attacks through civil defensetraining and air raid drills, and by scanning the skiesand coastal waters for signs of trouble. All the while,

Right: Avenger Fieldin Sweetwater. Photo

courtesy National WASP

World War II Museum.Below: Women pilots.

One of the most significant events of the 20thcentury, World War II was the broadest and mostdestructive war of all time. It divided nations,redefined international alliances, devastated

populations, ethnic groups and economies, andushered in an era known as the Cold War. From 1941to 1945, Americans and particularly exans rallied to supply unprecedented levels of manpowerand equipment, while sacrificing much to supportthe wartime effort. As a result, exas, perhaps morethan any other state, played a pivotal role in attainingvictory during World War II.

When the war officially ended on September 2,1945, the world and exas had changed forever,

socially and economically. exas had shifted from arural and agricultural state to an increasingly moreurban, industrial one. Social changes occurred asmilitary and industrial opportunities increased forminorities, leading to later civil rights achievements.Women embraced new roles and forever changed thetraditional workplace.

In 1940, on the brink of World War II, exas was fardifferent than it is today. Frontier traditions and rural

life remained alive and well in the Lone Star State.World War II not only changed exas society and itseconomy, it also changed the landscape. Te statesmoderate climate and expansive available land madeit perfect for year-round military training. Planningand construction of training and command facilitiesreached wartime highs in the early 1940s. Ultimately,exas was home to 175 major military installationsplus numerous minor ones including 65 armyairfields, 35 army forts and camps, and seven navalstations and bases. Tere were also nearly 70 base

and branch prisoner-of-war camps, more than anyother state, and four internment camps used for thedetention of individuals; most detainees werefrom Axis nations and were suspected of beingsecurity threats.

When the military mobilized, so did manymore exans on a different but equally importantfront the one at home. Farm families andsmall-town residents moved to major cities to work

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TEXAS IN WORLD WAR II


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they gathered around their radios, eagerly read thedaily news, watched newsreels at local movie housesand studied maps of foreign countries to learn thelatest about the war overseas. Nothing, it seemed,was more important. With the growth of businessand related city expansion came dramatic shifts inpopulation, and urban migration was under way.Tose who returned home after the war found a newand dynamic exas.

More than 750,000 Texans

served in uniorm during

World War II, includingmore than 20,000 women.

Texas was home to the only

all-women military base in

the United States: Avenger

Field in Sweetwater, training

base or the Women Airorce

Service Pilots (WASP).

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oday, generations after the end of World War II,evidence of that historic era and reminders of itsimpact on exas can still be found across the statescultural landscape. Te exas Historical Commissionurges anyone interested in preserving the rich historyof exas in World War II to ensure future generationsinherit a comprehensive legacy. We invite you to learn

more about the real places that tell the real stories ofexas during the Second World War.

MILITARY ORAL HISTORY IS...Te best firsthand record of the history of WorldWar II and any military conflict before and after isfound in the lives of the ordinary people who lived it.Collecting, preserving and sharing oral histories notonly transmits knowledge from what many call thegreatest generation to the next, but also enhancesour understanding of the past by illuminating thepersonal experience and price of war.

World War II oral history is the collection andrecording of personal war memoirs, home-frontexperiences and childhood recollections of thisseminal event. It is also the best method to learn notonly what happened, but also the memories of thosewho experienced it first hand. Tis process involveseyewitness accounts and reminiscences about combat,patriotic support, pride and the difficulties that

occurred during the lifetime of the personbeing interviewed.

MILITARY RESEARCH ASSOCIATED

WITH THE INTERVIEWNo project should begin without research andinvestigation of available historical sources.After-Action-Reports, military diaries, newspapers,archival records, secondary sources, captured enemydocuments, photographs and even other oral histories

can all provide valuable material to frame militaryhistory questioning. Payrolls, contracts, city recordsand photographs are all examples of sources availableto conduct research for a home-front interview.

From your research notes, create a list of keywordsand phrases representing the information you want toknow. During the interview, use your list of topics asa guide, like a road map, for directing the narratorsattention toward the topics you want to cover.


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Compose questions around each keyword or phrasethat help interviewees to recall the past and encouragethem to tell stories in response. When an intervieweesupplies information not on your list but worthy offurther investigation, you may want to ask questionsabout the new topic right then. You can always bringthe interview back to the next topic on your list once

you have covered the new subject in full.

Be prepared to research before an interview (toprepare), between interviews (to clarify and verify)and after an interview (for validity and accuracy).

TEN TACTICS FOR

MILITARY ORAL HISTORY1. Know and understand military terms.

2. If interviewees are war veterans, read generalhistories of the war and available records on the unitsin which they served, such as muster rolls, dischargepapers, ship registers, maps, photo collections,newspaper accounts and possible archival materials,like letters and memoirs.

3. If the interview topic is the home front, read aboutthe general history of the home front during theappropriate period and study available records aboutthe specific home front where your interviewee lived

during the war.

4.Ask veterans to share materials and mementosrelated to their service years, such as letters,photographs, medals, uniforms and souvenirs to helpyou ask better questions. Suggest to veterans that theymay want to donate these materials to the Library ofCongress Veterans History Project.

5. Gather biographical data on veterans lives beforeand after their military service.

6.Ask questions that invite veterans to tell stories,then dig deeper into the stories for details. Ask notonly what happened, but also about aspects of thestory not recorded in history books, such as whatthey did, why they did what they did, how they feltabout what they did, what they missed mostabout home and how their lives changedbecause of what happened.

7. Be aware when asking questions about sensitivetopics. Be prepared for emotional moments whendifficult memories arise. Allow time for veterans torespond at their own pace.

8. Respect silences in the interview. Jumping in tooquickly with a question or comment may squelch an

important aspect of the story.

9. Be aware of possible limitations in the veteransphysical stamina. If necessary, do several shortinterviews rather than one long one. Duringinterviews, take occasional short rest breaks whenyou sense the veteran is tiring.

10.Always thank your veteran.

I saw the flag raising

on Mt. Suribachi...

and I want to tell you

it is something you will

never orget...

you are just

so thrilled

and proud

to be an

American.

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MILITARY ORAL HISTORY:

BASIC TRAININGMilitary oral history is a sound recording of historicalinformation, obtained through an interview thatpreserves a persons life history or eyewitness accountof a past experience. Carefully preserved, therecordings carry the witness of the present into the

future. Trough creative programs and publicationsthese recordings can inform, instruct and inspiregenerations to come. By enriching the story with

individual experience, oral histories willhelp future historians avoid sweepinggeneralizations that stereotype

people, engender prejudice and overlookimportant variables in the historical context.

Creating an oral history requires two people:

one who questions (an interviewer) and one whonarrates (an interviewee). wo strengths distinguishoral history interviewing: 1) subjectivity, which allowsinterviewers to ask not onlyWhat happened? butalso, How did you feel about what happened?,and 2) the partnership of co-creation, which invitesinterviewees to interpret and analyze their personalexperiences through their own points of view and intheir own words.

AT THE INTERVIEWIf you have not already, introduceyourself and become acquaintedwith the interviewee. Once

you have selected a quiet placewith few distractions, begin

the interview with a generalintroduction that serves as anaudio label (this is essential

with a digital voicerecording).

For example:Tis is [your name]. oday is [month/day/year].I am interviewing for the [first, second, etc.] time[full name of interviewee]. Tis interview is takingplace at [address; may include description, such ashome of, office of] in [town, state]. Tis interview issponsored by [name of organization, if applicable]

and is part of the [title or description] project.

Remember to ask open-ended questions first, waitingto see what unfolds. ailor follow-up questions tothe interviewees responses. Pursue in detail. Also,remember that while you are maintaining a pattern ofconcentrated listening, you are also actively listeningfor the story behind your narrators replies.

Provide feedback with silent encouragements: nodyour head to indicate you are listening or smile when

appropriate. Keep your feedback quiet, being awarethat your sounds can override the interviewees voiceduring the recording. Keep your feedback neutral(such as, I see or uh-huh), indicating neitheragreement nor disagreement.

Write down a few notes as the interviewee is talkingto remind you of subjects you want to cover in moredetail. Rather than disrupt the interviewees train ofthought by asking for spellings of unusual words, jot

down a phonetic spelling and a clue to its place inthe story; after the interview you can ask for thecorrect spelling.

Give the interviewee time to answer each questionfully and finish her/his train of thought, then justsit quietly for a few moments. Chances are excellentthe interviewee will think of something else to add.Silence is an integral, important part of the oralhistory interview process.

Be aware of the interviewees age and physicalcondition when deciding how long to continue aninterview. Sixty to ninety minutes is a good averagelength for an interview. Concentration diminishes ifthe interview becomes lengthy.

Compose questions on the spot from your topic list,adapting the questions to the interviewees individualexperience with the topic.

Far left: The THCs

Military Historian William

McWhorter interviewsU.S. Navy Veteran

L.D. Cox (left).

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Ask open-ended questions.ell me about . . .Why . . . ? Why not . . . ? How . . . ?

Probe for details.Describe . . . Explain . . .How often . . .

ell me more about . . .

Avoid leading questions that reveal your biases andsuggest you have already formed an opinion of whatthe answer might be.Dont: Tat neighborhood was a hard place to growup in, Ill bet.Do: ell me how you felt about the place where yougrew up.

Dont: Sandtown was settled in the early 1900s, so

lets start your story there.Do: Why did your family come to live in Sandtown?

Dont: I guess your family, being Mexican, wasalways Catholic.Do: ell me about the role of religion in yourfamily life.

Restate or summarize.You said . . . ell me more about that.

Let me say that back to you and see if I understand.

Ask for definitions and clarifications.ell me what . . . means.What is . . . ?I know what . . . is, but future generations may not.Please tell me what a . . . was and how it was used.

Follow up.What else . . . ? Who else . . . ? What other reasons . . . ?

urn things around.Some people say . . . What do you think about that?

Also,Ask one question at a time.Be prepared to get off the topic, then gently bringthe narrator back to the subject.

Use the silent question. Keep quiet and wait.Close with a thoughtful question.End with an expression of appreciation.

RELEASE FORMA key component of a military oral history interviewis the donor release form. Interviewees must give youpermission to record, reproduce or distribute theirwords. With the storytellers written permission,an oral history interview can become a primarydocument that provides significant historical

information for years even generations to come.Without signed forms, the interviews you recordcannot be archived or shared with others in any way.

By signing a contract form or deed of gift,interviewees agree to donate their interviews to theinterviewer, the interviewers sponsoring organizationor a designated depository. It is a good idea to beginworking with a depository at the beginning of yourproject so that any particular requirements thatorganization may have for signed forms can be meteasily and efficiently.

Oral history interviews are subject to U.S.copyright law, which protects fair use of theinterview in reproduction, distribution, display,public performance and the creation of derivativeworks. Before an interview recording is duplicated,transcribed or indexed, made public as an audio fileor transcript, quoted in a publication or broadcast, ordeposited in an archive, the interviewee must transfer

copyright ownership to the individual or organizationsponsoring the project. When the interviewer issomeone other than the designated copyright holder,the interviewer must also transfer copyright to thesponsor. Ideally, release forms should be signed beforean interview series begins.

For interviews destined to become part of the VeteransHistory Project of the American Folklife Center in theLibrary of Congress, contributors are required to signan agreement that gives the Library of Congress full

but nonexclusive rights to the interviews; intervieweesretain rights, including copyright. Tis arrangementmay be a useful alternative when interviewparticipants have reservations about complete,exclusive transfer of copyright.

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Interviewees have the right to know how theirinterviews will be used. Sponsoring organizations orindividual interviewers will benefit from thinkingbroadly when explaining future use, as technologicaldevelopments constantly create new avenues forpublishing and distributing oral histories.

If for some reason interview participants want torestrict the use of their interviews, they have theright to state those restrictions, and the depositoryis obligated to protect the restrictions. o honor aparticipants wish to restrict the use of an interviewfor a certain period of time or to limit future

use in certain formats (such as on the Internet),provide a legal release form that includes a sectionoutlining the requested restriction, or attach a formthat supplements a general release form. It is verydifficult to enforce restrictions that are linked tothe duration of a lifetime or to specific events suchas the publication of a book or the completion of a

degree, so ask for a particular future date to end therestriction. Everyone, including those who processrecordings and transcripts, should protect theparticipants right to privacy by keeping all restrictedmaterials completely confidential until the restrictionperiod ends.

Left: B-25 bomber on tarmac at Marfa Army Air Field.

Below: Marfa Army Air Field, July 2007.

Texas was home

to 65 major flying

fields and schools

established to aid

the war efort.

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INTERVIEW AGREEMENT

Here and Tere: Recollections of exas in World War II

Te purpose of the Here and Tere: Recollections of exas in World War II Oral History raining Workshopseries is to offer practical instruction in gathering and preserving historical evidence about the many aspects ofexas in World War II, including the memories of the home front, veterans war experiences, experiences ofthe children of World War II and more by means of digital-recorded interviews. Digital voice recordings, videoand transcripts resulting from the workshop and related interviews will be retained by the exas HistoricalCommission, and copies of the digital voice recordings and transcripts will be made available by request tomembers of the public. Tis material will be available for historical and instructional research by any interestedparties, including members of the interviewees family.

We, the undersigned, have read the above and voluntarily offer the exas Historical Commission full use of theinformation contained on digital recordings, on video and in transcripts of these oral history interviews. In viewof the historical value of this research material, we hereby assign rights, title and interest pertaining to it to theexas Historical Commission.

__________________________________________ __________________________________________Interviewee (signature) Interviewer (signature)

__________________________________________ __________________________________________Name of interviewee (print) Name of interviewer (print)

__________________________________________ __________________________________________Date Date

_______________________________________________________________________________________Address of interviewee

_______________________________________________________________________________________City State Zip

__________________________________________Telephone number of interviewee

8Sample Interview Agreement Form


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TRANSCRIBING AND PRESERVING

ORAL HISTORIESA transcript represents in print the words andextraneous sounds present in the recordedinterview. Te transcribers goal is to render as closea representation of the actual event as possible.ranscripts make the information on the recording

easier to locate and assemble for use in mediapresentations, exhibits and research publications.Researchers often prefer the ease of looking through atranscript over listening to a recording to find topicsrelated to their interests. In addition, intervieweesstill attach prestige to having a print document oftheir stories.

ranscribing is time-consuming. Te approximatetime required to transcribe one recorded hour is

10-12 hours, depending upon the quality of thesound recording and complexity of the interview.

Preserving the recorded interview ensures it willbecome part of the lasting historical record,accessible to researchers and communities far intothe future. Preservation includes safekeeping originalrecordings, making useful and accessible copiesof them and sharing them in creative ways withothers. It also means ensuring that interview andproject documentation, including signed forms,

are duplicated in paper and electronic form andaccompany the recordings to the archives.

Preservation MeasuresMake every effort to ensure that the sound recordingsof your oral history project are deposited in a suitablelibrary or archives where they will receive professionalcare and will be made accessible to researchers. Tismay mean placing them in a local library, largemetropolitan public library, nearby university library,

museum or state library and archives.

Carefully label items to be archived. Identify originalrecordings as such; in most libraries and archives,the original recordings are stored for preservationand never used for public access. Te librarian orarchivist may ask you to supply duplicates for publicuse. Be prepared to provide the archives organizationwith copies of signed agreement forms and otherdocuments related to the project in paper or electronicformat, or both.

o further ensure that your oral history interviewsserve the historical purposes for which they wererecorded, publicize the availability of the recordings,transcripts and other project creations. Localhistorical societies, libraries and community groupswill be interested to know about the collection. Helpinterested researchers and community members usethe information in the interviews by creating findingaids such as abstracts, indexes and topic outlines, as

well as simple lists of interviewees.

Approximately 50,000

Axis prisoners were housed

among nearly 70 Texas POW

camps and filled American

labor shortages.

Right: Italian prisoner

of war camp memorial

chapel at Camp Hereford.ar right: Crystal City (Alien)

Family Internment Campswimming/irrigation pool.


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SELECT ORAL HISTORY

BIBLIOGRAPHYPrint MaterialsCharlton, Tomas L., Lois E. Myers, and RebeccaSharpless, eds. History of Oral History: Foundationsand Methodology. AltaMira Press, 2007.

Lanham, Barry A., and Laura M. Wendling. Preparingthe Next Generation of Oral Historians: An Anthologyof Oral History Education. AltaMira Press, 2006.

Powers, Willow Roberts. ranscription echniquesfor the Spoken Word. AltaMira Press, 2005.

Ritchie, Donald A. Doing Oral History: A PracticalGuide. 2d ed. wayne Publishers, 2003.

Sommer, Barbara, and Mary Kay Quinlan. Te OralHistory Manual. 2d ed. AltaMira Press, 2009.

Whitman, Glenn. Dialogue with the Past: EngagingStudents and Meeting Standards through Oral History.AltaMira Press, 2004.

Yow, Valerie Raleigh. Recording Oral History: A Guidefor the Humanities and Social Sciences. 2d ed. Rowmanand Littlefield, 2005.

Internet ResourcesBaylor University Institute For Oral HistoryWorkshop on the WebIntroductory and advanced instruction in oral historymethods, teaching and learning oral history, anddigital recording, available at www.baylor.edu/oral_history.

Library of Congress Veterans History ProjectMemoir guidelines, forms and a field kit for

conducting and preserving interviews, atwww.loc.gov/vets/kitmenu.html.

exas Historical CommissionFundamentals of Oral History: exas PreservationGuidelines, available at www.thc.state.tx.us/publications/guidelines/OralHistory.pdf.

exas Oral History AssociationStatewide network for oral historians and affiliate ofthe national Oral History Association. Learn more atwww.baylor.edu/toha.

Oral History AssociationPrinciples and Standards: Oral History Evaluation

Guidelines, Revised, 2000. Adopted by theNational Endowment for the Humanities as thestandard for conducting oral history. Available atwww.oralhistory.org/do-oral-history/oral-history-evaluation-guidelines.

Pamphlet SeriesTe resources below are available for nominal costfrom the Oral History Association, DickinsonCollege, P.O. Box 1773, Carlisle, PA 17013. Learnmore at www.oralhistory.org/publications.

Oral History and the Law, by John A.Neuenschwander, 3d ed., 2002.Oral History Projects in Your Classroom,by Linda P. Wood, 2001.Using Oral History in Community HistoryProjects, by Laurie Mercier and MadelineBuckendorf, 2007.Oral History for the Family Historian:A Basic Guide, by Linda Barnickel, 2006.

The THCs former Chief Historian Dan Utley addresses

attendees at an oral history training workshop in Laredo.

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Library of Congress Veterans History ProjectVisit: American Folklife Center, 101 IndependenceAvenue SE, Washington, D.C.Mail: 101 Independence Ave. SE, Washington, D.C.20549-4615Contact: 202.707.4916, (toll-free) 888.371.5848;[email protected]

URL:www.loc.gov/vets

Te Veterans History Project is sponsored by theAmerican Folklife Center of the Library of Congress.Te ever-growing database of oral histories andsubmitted stories covers all branches of service andconflicts from World War I on. Te List of OfficialPartners page, at www.loc.gov/vets/partners/partners.html, includes links to veterans and militaryorganizations, libraries and archives, museums, oralhistory programs, universities and civic organizations

cooperating with the project.

National Museum of the Pacific WarVisit: 340 East Main St., Fredericksburg, exasMail: 340 E. Main St., Fredericksburg, X 78624Contact: 830.997.4379; [email protected]: www.pacificwarmuseum.org/oralhistory_form.htm

Te museum has had an active oral history programsince 1988, with more than 2,000 interviews. Not all

the interviews are transcribed, but they are availableto researchers by appointment. Most intervieweescome to Fredericksburg, but a nationwide network ofvolunteers assists in conducting interviews elsewhere.Te museum can also provide a list of questions forfamilies to ask relatives who are veterans.

Stephen F. Austin State University East exas Research Center

Visit: Steen Library (Second Floor), Stephen F. AustinState University, Nacogdoches, exas

Mail: Box 13055 SFASU Station, Nacogdoches, X75962-3055Contact: 936.468.4100; [email protected]: http://libweb.sfasu.edu/proser/etrc/collections/orlhstry

Provides searchable database of oral history interviewswith East exans on World War I and World War II.Available to researchers by appointment.

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SELECT WORLD WAR II

ORAL HISTORY RESOURCESAmerican Airpower Heritage MuseumOral History Program

Visit: 9600 Wright Dr., Midland, exasMail: P.O. Box 62000, Midland, X 79711-2000Contact: 432.563.1000; [email protected]

URL: www.airpowermuseum.org/oralhistory

Te museum has a collection of more than 4,200oral histories from World War II veterans of aviation.Museum personnel conduct interviews on site andoffer, by request, an oral history kit with instructionsfor conducting interviews.

Baylor University Institute for Oral HistoryVisit: Suite 304, Carroll Library Building,

1429 South Fifth St., Waco, exasMail: 1 Bear Pl. Unit 97271, Waco, X 76798-7271Contact: 254.710.3437; [email protected]: www.baylor.edu/oral_history

From the Institutes home page, click on Search ourcollection to explore Baylors oral history interviews,which contain information on military history fromWorld War I through the Vietnam War, includingmaterials on the home front and prisoners of war,as well as the testimony of veterans. ranscripts are

available for online viewing by request.

Baylor University Te exas CollectionVisit: Carroll Library Building,1429 South Fifth St., Waco, exasMail: 1 Bear Pl. Unit 97142, Waco, X 76798-9712Contact: 254.710.1268; [email protected]: www.baylor.edu/lib/texas

Te archive of military oral histories includes morethan a dozen interviews and information on the56th Evacuation Hospital in World War II, as well asinterviews from World War I veterans and prisoners ofwar from Vietnam. Available by appointment.


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exas A&M University Military HistoryOral History CollectionVisit: Cushing Memorial Library, exas A&MUniversity, College Station, exasMail: Cushing Memorial Library, 5000 AMU,College Station, X 77843-5000Contact: 979.845.1951; [email protected]

URL: http://libraryasp.tamu.edu/cushing/collectn/oralhist

Te collection has more than 90 oral historiescollected since 1980, some transcribed and all open,covering World War II through the Vietnam War. TeAggies to Generals collection includes interviewswith alumni who became general officers and retiredin exas. Another collection records the stories ofsurvivors of Bataan and Corregidor. Available byappointment. o contact a curator, visit the Cushing

Library web site at http://cushing.library.tamu.edu.

exas A&M University KingsvilleVeterans History ProjectVisit: South exas Archives, Jernigan Library,1050 University Boulevard, Kingsville, exasMail: South exas Archives, Jernigan Library,AMUKingsville, 700 University Blvd. Stop 197,Kingsville, X 78363-8202Contact: 361.593.4154; Director, Sandra Rexroat,

[email protected]: http://archives.tamuk.edu/release.htm

Te AMUKingsville Veterans History Projectwebsite provides forms to download that assist indonating veteran and home-front interviews to theircollection. More than 200 of the interviews in theAMUKingsville oral history collection pertain toWorld War II; some are in English, and some are inSpanish. None are transcribed, but all are available toresearchers by appointment.

exas Military Forces MuseumVisit: Camp Mabry, 2200 West 35th St.,Austin, exasMail: P.O. Box 5218, Austin, X 78763-5218Contact: 512.782.5659; [email protected]: www.texasmilitaryforcesmuseum.org

Located at Camp Mabry in Austin, the museum isdedicated to the history of all the military forces ofexas since the exas Revolution. Museum exhibitsinclude the 36th Division in Europe, the 112th

Cavalry in the Pacific and the 124th Cavalry inChina-Burma-India. Te museum web site includeshistories of exas National Guard units in World WarII at www.texasmilitaryforcesmuseum.org/wwiiunit.htm.

exas ech University Southwest CollectionOral History Program

Visit: Southwest Collection & Special Library,15th and Detroit, Lubbock, exasMail: exas ech University Libraries, Southwest

Collection, Box 41041, Lubbock, X 79409-1041Contact: 806.742.3749; Oral historian,David Marshall, [email protected]: www.swco.ttu.edu/Oral_History

Military history is a current project of the OralHistory Program. Men and women affected by thewar at home and abroad are encouraged to providepersonal accounts to document this important periodin history. Te Southwest Collection is the repository

for the programs oral history collection of more than2,800 interviews. No interviews are transcribed, butall have abstracts. Te Southwest Collection also holdsthe statewide chapter records of the AmericanEx-Prisoners of War. From the programs web site,click on Oral History Collection to search oralhistories by name or keyword. Oral histories availableby appointment.

Also at exas echs Southwest Collectionis theVietnam Center and Archives Oral History

Project. From the centers home page atwww.vietnam.ttu.edu/oralhistory, link to instructionson participating as an interviewee. Te site alsoprovides an online oral history workshop. You maylisten to or read the centers interview collection in theVirtual Vietnam Archive. Contact [email protected], or call 806.742.9010.

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exas Veterans Land BoardVoices of Veterans Oral History ProjectVisit: Stephen F. Austin Building, 1700 NorthCongress Ave., Room 800, Austin, exasMail: exas Veterans Land Board, P.O. Box 12873,Austin, X 78711-2873Contact: 512.936.1948; (toll free) 800.252.VES

(8387); [email protected]: www.voicesofveterans.org

Te Voices of Veterans oral history program seeks torecord the stories of exas veterans and archive thetranscripts in the Office of Veterans Records for futureresearchers, historians, genealogists and the generalpublic. Te program is open to any exas veteran whoserved in combat from World War I to the present.Interviews are by phone or in person in Austin. Youmay volunteer to participate as an interviewee or

interviewer. Also on the web site, you may listento recordings or read transcripts of World War IIinterviews and view photos donated by veterans.

exas Womans University LibrariesWomen Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) CollectionVisit: WU Libraries Womans Collection,Blagg-Huey Library, off Bell Avenue, Denton, exasMail: P.O. Box 425528, Denton, X 76204-5528Contact: 940.898.3751; [email protected]

URL: www.twu.edu/library/wasp.asp

Te web site provides histories of the Women AirforceService Pilots (WASP) and Womens AuxiliaryFerrying Squadron (WAFS). Search the digitalcollection of almost 400 oral history interviewswherein interviewees describe their personalbackgrounds, interest in flying, army training, variousbases and post-war activities. ranscripts of some ofthe interviews are available online, and others areavailable in circulating copies through interlibrary

loan. Also, explore the virtual collection of originaldocuments, military records and artifacts, as well as anextensive digital photograph collection.

U.S. Military AcademyWest Point Center for Oral HistoryMail: West Point Center for Oral History,Department of History, U.S. Military Academy,West Point, NY 10996Contact: odd Brewster, director, [email protected]

URL: www.westpointcoh.org

Te West Point Center for Oral History will bethe premier oral history archive of the story of theAmerican soldier, in both war and peace. It will serveas a powerful learning tool for West Point cadets andas an important research center for historians andthe general public. Interview subjects will range fromveterans of World War II through soldiers returningfrom the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.Te Center for Oral History will exist largely online,

with high-definition video and digital audio files,easing access for everyone from campus cadets toscholars, journalists and interested students half aworld away.

University of North exas University (UN)Archives Oral History CollectionVisit: Willis Library, Room 430, 1506 Highland,Denton, exasMail: 1155 Union Circle #305190, Denton, X

76203-5017Contact: 940.565.2766; University archivist,Michelle Mears, [email protected]: www.library.unt.edu/ohp/collection.htm

Te UN Oral History Program has deposited in theUniversity Archives more than 1,000 interviewsalltranscribedon World War II, focusing on PearlHarbor survivors, former prisoners of war, the Pacificnaval war, the air offensive in Europe and Holocaustsurvivors. From the web site, you may search the

index of interviews and obtain information to viewtranscripts in the archives in Denton or purchase aphotocopy of a transcript.

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University of exas at AustinU.S. Latino & Latina World War IIOral History Project

Visit: Benson Latin American Collection,Sid Richardson Hall 1.108, U Austin, Austin, exasMail: School of Journalism, U Austin,1 University Station A1000, Austin, X 76712

Contact: 512.471.1924; [email protected]:www.lib.utexas.edu/ww2latinos

Te project has interviewed more than 500Latinos/Latinas from the World War II generation.Te archives, comprised of the interview recordings most of them on videotape, as well as digitalcopies of photographs lent to the project and othersupporting materials are being prepared for transferto the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection

and the Center for American History at the Universityof exas at Austin. Te project will continue toaccept interviews and encourages the interviewingof family and friends. Te web site provides trainingfor conducting interviews and submitting them tothe project and invites the public to browse throughhundreds of World War II narratives composed fromthe oral history interviews.

University of exas at El Paso (UEP)

Institute of Oral HistoryVisit: Burges Hall, Room 415, 500 West UniversityAve., El Paso, exasMail: 500 W. University Ave., El Paso, X79968-0532Contact: 915.747.7238; [email protected]: http://academics.utep.edu/oralhistory

In operation since 1972, the institutes collectionrepresents one of the largest border-related oralhistory projects in the United States. One third of

the interviews are in Spanish. ranscripts for abouta dozen interviews gathered for the World War II:Border Home Front project are available online.Copies of all oral history tapes, transcripts, indexesand summaries are housed in the Special CollectionsDepartment, University Library, UEP. Te public isinvited to read transcripts and listen to tape recordingsthere. Search the entire collection of interviewsfrom the Oral History Digital Commons athttp://digitalcommons.utep.edu/oral_history.

University of exas at San Antonio (USA)Institute of exan Cultures

Visit: Second Floor, Room 3.04.13, 801 SouthBowie Street, San Antonio, X 78205-3296Mail: 801 S. Bowie St., San Antonio, X 78205Contact: 210.458.2228; [email protected]: www.texancultures.com/library/histories.html

Te Institute of exan Cultures Museum Libraryis a satellite of the USA Library. It houses morethan 600 interviews, some of which relate to WorldWar II topics. Most are transcribed, and the publiccan purchase copies of transcripts and recordings.Among selected oral history transcripts online is thatof Brigadier General Lillian Dunlap, a San Antonionative who joined the Army Nurse Corps and servedfor 33 years.

Your local County Historical Commission is oftena fine source for local oral histories.URL: www.thc.state.tx.us/links/lkchc.shtml

Vintage military aircraft fly over the Texas State Capitocelebrate the launch of the THCs World War II initiativ

September 2, 2005.

14


15/16

Mrs. Josephine Ledesma teaches a soldier how to repair the

fuselage of an airplane at Randolph Field, San Antonio, inJanuary 1942. Photo courtesy U.S. Latino & Latina WWII Oral

History Project.

World War II afected the entire

population. It required the

unification and mobilization

o Americans as never beore,

resulting in new employment

and civic opportunities or

historically marginalized groups,

including women, Arican

Americans, Latinos and the poor.

15

The U.S. 2nd Cavalry Division, an African American unit, assembles at Fort Clark.Photo courtesy Kinney County Historical Commission/Friends of the Fort Clark

National Register Historic District.

New units were organized

as the number o minoritie

entering the military rose

The 2nd Cavalry Division,

an all-Arican American

unit assigned to Fort Clar

was the largest mounted

ormation ever stationed

in Texas.


16/16

Tis publication is made possible through generous grants from Houston Endowment, Inc.and the Summerlee Foundation. Much of the included material on oral history has been adapted

from the Introduction to Oral History manual produced by Baylor UniversitysInstitute for Oral History. Te publication is available online at www.baylor.edu/oral_history.

Cert no. XXX-XXX-000

HC 20K - 11/09

Oral Military History Guide

Documents

Transcript of Oral Military History Guide