Oral history

Scope and Contents

Saul Alpern’s oral history transcript describes in detail his experiences growing up in Romania before World War II, the beginning of the war, listening to Adolf Hitler on the radio, life in labor camps, forced marches, hiding during the war, anti-Semitism, liberation, Zionist youth organizations, and his memoir.

Content Description

This collection relates to Maydene Asbury who worked at Oak Ridge National Laboratory separating Uranium-235 from Uranium-238 during World War II, which was part of the process for building the atomic bomb. This collection contains an oral history interview transcript.

Scope and Contents This collection relates to ornithologist Oliver Luther Austin and includes 3 boxes of colored photographic slides most of which were taken in various locations around Japan. The majority of slides depict Japanese buildings, cultural events, and everyday life. In addition, there is a oral history from Anthony Austin, Oliver Luther Austin's son detailing his experiences living in Japan during the U.S. occupation. Online Copies Available Selected materials from this collection have been digitized and are available through the FSU Digital...

Content Description

This collection relates to Nicholas Baldino who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps with the 5th and 11th Bomb Groups in the Pacific Theatre and his wife Jeanne Baldino. This collection contains an oral history transcript detailing Nicholas Baldino's military service and how Jeanne met Nicholas Baldino.

Content Description

This collection contains Colonel Robert Berry's oral history transcript wherein he describes his involvement in the Normandy invasion and its aftermath as a graves registration officer in the 6th Engineers Special Brigade. The interview also includes accounts of American soldiers being executed for war crimes. This collection contains a transcript Robert Berry's interview from the Reichelt Program for Oral History.

Content Description This collection was compiled by former Florida State University Department of History professor Neil Betten. It contains 41 copies of Congress Weekly: A Review of Jewish Interests from February 1942 to June 1944. This weekly newsletter was published by the American Jewish Congress, which was headed by Stephen Wise. The newsletter includes a column, "News of the Women's Division." The newsletter covered topics such as the Warsaw Ghetto, Jewish soldiers in the U.S. military, Palestine, Zionism, and current issues in the United States and overseas affecting Jews. The collection also contains a Ph.D. dissertation by Peggy G. Pelt, "Wainwright...

Content Description

This collection relates to Hazel Louis Bowman who worked for the Signal Corps and lived in India with the American Red Cross for two years. Bowman's collection contains six full boxes, one oversize box, a phono records box, and two photograph boxes. Four of the boxes include letters written to and from Hazel to her parents, family, neighbors, and friends. The collection also contains an oral history transcript, newsletters and bulletins, American Red Cross publications, her diary, a book written by Bowman, photograph albums, and ephemera.

Content Description

This collection relates to Melvin Brown who served in the U.S. Army from 1941 to 1945 in the European Theatre. This collection contains an oral history transcript detailing his service and life after the war.

Content Description

This collection relates to Louis Dodaro who served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1945 in the Pacific Theatre. This collection contains an oral history transcript where Dodaro describes his military service and life after the war.

Scope and Contents

Technician Fourth Grade Donald N. Duvick's oral history transcript describes his experiences as a company clerk with the 1265th Engineer Combat Battalion, Company B, of the United States Army. His experiences in Germany as a non-combatant illustrate other roles soldiers were assigned during World War II.

Content Description

This collection relates to Daniel Duffy who served as a U.S. Navy executive officer in the Pacific Theater during World War II. This collection contains an oral history transcript where Duffy details his experience with the U.S. Navy, the V-12 program, descriptions of his time in the Pacific theater, and the GI Bill.

Scope and Contents

The Edward L. Herp papers document Captain Edward Herp's time spent as a radio operator for the 321st Fighter Control Squadron of the 9th Air Force for the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. The collection contains an oral history, various photographs, the bulk of them taken at the Buchenwald concentration camp, a letter discussing the photographs, personal documents, postcards, and other items that illustrate his service in Great Britain, France, Belgium, Germany, and Czechoslovakia. Also in the oral history, Herp discusses his time spent working at Florida State University for WFSU-TV and as a professor of television production.

Scope and Contents

The Frank Facente transcript describes medic Frank Facente's service in the 4th Medical Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, as a part of the United States Army during World War II. Facente participated in the landing at Normandy, attacking the Siegfried Line, Battle of Huertgen Forest, Battle of the Bulge, and visiting the concentration camp at Dachau.

Scope and Contents

This collection relates to Dorotha Farrell who served in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps in an orthopedic ward with the 98th General Hospital that served in England and Germany in World War II. This collection contains 72 photographs, oral history interview transcript, one newspaper article clipping, one Life magazine cover, nine letters, and one folder of official documents.

Scope and Contents

This collection contains an oral history transcript of an interview provided by the Reichelt Program for Oral History. Technical Sergeant Bob Caron was the tail gunner on the B-29, "Enola Gay". The transcript covers his training missions, conditions on the plane during the journey, and his reaction to the bomb and its effects.

Content Description

This collection relates to Ross Hansen who served in the U.S. Navy from 1942 to 1946 in the Pacific Theatre. This collection contains an oral history transcript where Hansen details his work for the War Department during World War II and his life upon his return to the U.S.

Scope and Contents

This collection relates to John L. Haynes, who was a U.S. Marine from Jacksonville, Florida. He served in the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater during World War II and also in the Korean War. The collection includes a transcription of an interview of Mr. Haynes, a copy of excerpt from a book concerning fighting in North China during WWII, a newspaper article about the China Marine Association, a WWII-era newspaper article about fighting in North China, WWII photographs of Mr. Haynes, and issues of "China Marine Scuttlebutt," the official publication of the China Marine Association.

Scope and Contents

Hilbert Levitz's oral history discusses his childhood and teenage years growing up during the war and his career as a professor at multiple universities. His wartime memories consist of learning about Pearl Harbor, Adolf Hitler, his family's involvement in the war, war bonds, the Holocaust, the 1939 World's Fair, and the advancement of technology. Levitz also goes into depth about his short time in the army during the Korean War, his higher education, and computer science.

Scope and Contents

This oral history interview transcript of Sergeant James H. Hinson, Jr. details his experiences during World War II with the 132nd Ordnance Maintenance Company, 11th Tank Battalion in the United States Army, in the European Theater of Operations. His oral history focuses on his childhood, basic training, D-Day, capturing German soldiers, being awarded the Bronze Star, home front support, visiting Buchenwald Concentration Camp, playing baseball overseas, returning to college, and his outlook on the military.

Abstract

Mildred Hoffenbloom was a soldier in the Women's Army Corps. She served overseas in London as a part of claims division, and in Paris, as an office manager to the American Engineers. She remained in Paris until V-E Day in May 1945, and was discharged from the Army in July 1945.

Scope and Contents

This collection relates to Staff Sergeant Johnson Wood's experiences during World War II as a machine gunner in the 100th Infantry Division, 398th Regiment, Company K. His papers include a lengthy and detailed oral history transcript, poems, and a short manuscript. These materials focus on his actions and thoughts during the war, as well as World War II in public memory and his personal relationships with friends and family.

Scope and Contents The collection consists primarily of correspondence and documents relating to Ken van Assenderp's involvement with Florida State University in the years since his time as a student. The Task Force Papers document Van Assenderp's service with a task force appointed to serve under Dr. Leo Sandon to assess and write the Statement of Values of the Florida State University dealing with "responsible freedom, values, and moral standard at the Florida State University". The Florida State University Research Foundation Papers consist of correspondence and documents, particularly drafts of strategic plans and background material, relating to the formation of the...

Content Description

This collection relates to Staff Sergeant Ray Liberti who served in the U.S. Marine Corps with the Third Marine Division on Iwo Jima during World War II. This collection contains an oral history where Liberti recounts his experiences in the war.

Scope and Contents

The Peter R. Durland papers illustrate Captain Peter R. Durland's experiences during his time as a member of the 70th Infantry Division and 29th Infantry Division of the United States Army from 1943-1946. From 1945-1946, Durland served as Major General Leroy Watson's aide, completing various tasks for the General and accompanying him to the Nuremberg Trials. The collection includes an oral history interview transcript, photographs, and papers related to the war crime trials.

Scope and Contents

1st Lieutenant John O. Pons' oral history transcript details his experience as a military policeman at the Nuremberg Trials as a part of the 793rd Military Police Battalion from 1945-1946. Pons also describes his return to Germany in 1951-1952 as a member of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, of the 4th Infantry Division. Pons provided security during the Nuremberg Trials over 10 separate occasions and spent most of his time completing various tasks such as breaking up riots, controlling traffic, and participating in raids.

Scope and Contents

The Raymond Wayne Davis papers are largely centered around letters Davis wrote to his sister Mildred Kingston Renwick throughout World War II. During the war, Sergeant Davis served as a machinist in the Strategic 3rd Air Depot of the Army Air Force as well as serving in the infantry as a part of the Third Army, 90th Division, 358th Infantry, Company C. Davis served in England, France, Germany, and Czechoslovakia. His papers also include postwar division newsletters, an oral history interview, a veteran's questionnaire, discharge certificate, and photographs.

Scope and Contents

The Sergeant Robert L. Wilson transcript describes his experiences as a truck driver in the 63rd Infantry Division in France and Germany during World War II. Wilson describes his basic training, the poor leadership among his officers, the backgrounds of his comrades, German civilians, traveling from city to city, losing supplies, the Allied victory, seeing Dachau, the Nuremberg Trials, coming home, and resuming his education at Duke University.

Scope and Contents

This forty page oral history interview transcript relates to Robert Mckay who was a student and interned by the Japanese at Baguio in the Philippine Islands during World War II.  The interview was conducted with McKay at a Baguio Internee reunion. The transcript covers McKay's experiences before, during, and after internment.

Scope and Contents

This collection related to Kay Secrist, a worker and later a floor foreman for the Y-12 Facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where she was involved with uranium production for the Manhattan Project. The collection contains one folder with a 45-page typed transcript of an oral history interview.

Scope and Contents

This collection relates to Todd Silverman who served in the U.S. Navy as a radio and radar operator on PBY and PBM flying boats in the Pacific Theater Operation during World War II. The collection contains an oral history transcript and photographs.