San Antonio (Tex.)

Scope and Contents

This collection relates to Harold G. Blunk served as Sergeant Major for the 5th Air Depot Group, 39th Station Composite Squadron, Administrative Division, 35th Depot Repair, in the 8th Air Force Command Station in England from 1943-1945. This collection contains photographs, a newspaper clipping, and documents relating to his personal life and military career.

Content Description

This collection relates to Allen H. Crawford who served in the U.S. Army Air Force as a bombardier and navigator in the 401st Bomb Group in the European Theater of Operation during World War II. This collection contains an oral history transcript where Crawford details his numerous bombing missions over Germany from late 1944 through the end of the war.

Scope and Contents

This collection relates to Gene Ives who lived with her stepfather at Fort Knox, Kentucky during World War II and later at Fort Stotzenburg in the Philippines. This collection contains an oral history interview transcript and photocopies of two scrapbooks.

Scope and Contents This World War II collection relates to Sgt. James H. Vander Laan, who served in the United States Army Air Force and was assigned to the 511th bomber squadron in the 351st Bombardment Group. During his service, he trained as a ball-turret gunner and radio operator on a B-17 bomber. The collection consists of documents, letters, photographs, and memorabilia. The documents detail where James H. VanderLaan was stationed, inducted and discharged from service. The letters from James H. Vander Laan are addressed from Germany during his time as a Prisoner of War and are dated from November 7, 1943-November 5, 1944. The photographs are of James H. Vander Laan with his wife Marion Madeley and a...

Content Description

This collection relates to Richard Lewis who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1942 to 1945 in the European Theatre. This collection contains an oral history transcript where Lewis details his missions on a B-24 Bomber and B-17 Bomber during World War II and briefly describes his service in the Korean War.

Scope and Contents

This collection relates to Francis W. Purdy who served as a Navigator on B-17 bombers with the 347th Bomb Squadron, 99th Bombardment Group (Heavy), during World War II.  He was stationed in Italy and flew during missions over both Italy and Austria. This collection contains a manuscript memoir written by Purdy which includes pages from training manuals and photographs from Purdy's life.