Scope and Contents Burningham (b. 1918) grew up in Bountiful, Utah. He discusses his family, schooling, the Depression, and his LDS mission to New Zealand from 1937 to 1939. He worked at the Lockheed aircraft factory in California assembling P-38s prior to enlisting in the Army Air Corps in January 1943. He completed primary training in Santa Ana, California, flying Stearmans, then basic training in Lemoore, California, flying BT-13s, before going to Douglas, Arizona, for advanced training. After being trained...

Scope and Contents Chamberlain (b. 1923) grew up in American Fork, Utah. He discusses his childhood, the Depression and schooling. He joined the Navy in 1941 and describes his boot camp training in San Diego. After attending machinists’ school at Great Lakes, Illinois, he was assigned to a cargo ship, Arcturus. He describes his activities and duties as they travel to their base in Oran. Other topics include the battles of Casablanca, Sicily and Salerno; travels to Australia; submarine school in New London,...

Scope and Contents Christmas (b. 1919) discusses family, schooling, the Depression, farming, and life in Spanish Fork, Utah. He joined the National Guard in Feburary 1941 and was called to active duty in March. He was first sent to Camp Roberts, then San Luis Obispo, and Escondido, California, for training. He was transferred to Fort Lewis, Washington, for more training before shipping to Hawaii, where the training continued. He was assigned to the 222 Field Artillery (later the 225th FA), 3rd Section, D...

Scope and Contents Corwin (b. 1913) was born in Hardin, Montana. He graduated from Montana State University in 1937 with a degree in chemistry. While in college he joined the National Guard for help with the cost of college. After college, he went to work for the Yale Oil Corporation in South Dakota. Although still in the inactive National Guard at the time of Pearl Harbor, he wasn't called up, but enlisted in the army. He went to Ft. Lewis, Washington, applied for and was accepted into Officer Candidate...

Scope and Contents Dinkelman (b. 1924) was born in Den Helder, Netherlands. He discusses his family, immigration to the U.S., the Depression, working and school. He enlisted in the Army in 1942 and received basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, prior to being assigned to the 741st Tank Battalion, A Company, at Fort Meade, Maryland. Dinkelman was sent to the Desert Training Center near Indio, California, then received more training in Louisiana at Camp Pope. Although he traveled to England prior to the...

Scope and Contents Drage (b. 1923) grew up in Salina, Utah. He was drafted into the Army in March 1942, and took basic training at Camp Sibert, Alabama. He was sent to Alaska to work on the Alcan Highway, then returned to Oregon for additional training before shipping to Europe as part of the 35th Combat Engineers. Drage participated in the D-Day invasion on Omaha Beach and continued in combat to within 25 miles of Berlin before the war ended. He was in Europe for occupation duty before being shipped back to...

Scope and Contents Graff (b. 1924) discusses growing up in Hurricane, Utah, during the Depression. He was drafted into the Army in 1943 and was inducted at Fort Douglas, Utah, before being sent to Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi, for basic training with the 63rd Division. He was transferred to Fort Dix, New Jersey, with the 90th Division, 359th Regiment, Cannon Company. They were shipped to Liverpool, England, and then to Abergavenny for additional training. Graff provides a description of the training and his...

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Hammar (1922-2007) recalls his childhood in Youngston, Ohio. He graduated from high school in 1940 and attended East Nazarene College in Allston, Massachusetts. He was sworn into the Air Corps in 1942, passed the flight test and physical, and completed flight training in 1943. Originally assigned to P-38s but requested a transfer to B-25s. He flew his plane, "Shat's Cookin" on sixty combat missions and left the Air Corps in 1944. Interviewed by Winston Erickson. 48 pages.

Scope and Contents Hogan (b. 1917) was in Woods Cross, Utah. He discusses farming, family, growing up years, the Depression, schooling and jobs. He joined the Navy in the fall of 1935 and received basic training at the Naval Training Station in San Diego, California. He was assigned to the USS Borie and achieved 3rd class petty officer in fire control. Assigned to the USS Lawrence for decommissioning. Finished his 4-year service on the ...

Scope and Contents Jarrett (b. 1925) was born in Nephi, Utah, and had a rural childhood, working on his father’s farm. There were eight children in his family, all in a small two room house with no electricity or running water. Mr. Jarrett married in March of 1944, knowing that he would probably have to go into the service. He began his military service in August of 1944. After basic training and training as a basic infantryman, he was sent to Leyte Island, The Philippines. He fought against almost no...

Scope and Contents Johnson (b. 1924) shares stories of his upbringing in Salt Lake. He focuses on his time in the military, including his time in the ROTC at the University of Utah. JOhnson describes how his experiences in ROTC helped, but also caused a problem for him in basic training. When he was assigned to Field Artillery he was assigned to a French 75 artillery piece. There was no one who knew anything about the French 75. Mr Johnson knew about it, and taught student and cadre the ins and outs of the...

Scope and Contents Klinke (b. 1920) was born in Fortine, Montana. He joined the Air Corps as 18-years-old. He took basic training at Jefferson Barracks, Missiouri and airplane mechanic school at Keesler Field, Biloxi, Mississippi. He became a flight engineer and joined his crew in June 1942. The B-26 crew flew overseas in October 1942, and was based in North Africa. Klinke flew a total of twenty-one missions before being shot down over Italy. He hid with friendly villagers for several days until he returned to...

Scope and Contents Levorsen (b. 1922) was born in Magna, Utah. He joined the Marine Corp “Mormon Battalion of 1943” and took training in San Diego, California. He was based in New Zealand before joining combat in Tarawa and later Saipan. He briefly discusses his experiences. He was part of the 4th Battalion, Battery L, 10th Marines, 2nd Division. He returned to the US (North Carolina and Florida) for additional training before discharge when the war ended. Mr. Levorsen worked as a school teacher for his...

Scope and Contents Madsen (b. 1914) was born in Magna, Utah. He discusses growing up in the railroad town of Pocatello, Idaho; schooling, family, and the Depression. He attended the University of Utah for two years, completed a LDS mission to the eastern central states and attended graduate school at Berkeley for two years, where he studied history. He was drafted in 1942 and took basic training at Camp Roberts in California. He attended OCS at Fort Benning, Georgia, and upon graduation was assigned as an...

Scope and Contents Slick (b. 1923) was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He discusses his family life and the Depression. He volunteered for the army in September 1942, was inducted in Pennsylvania, and took basic training at St. Petersburg, Florida. After basic he transferred to the Army Air Corps. He received gunnery training in Nevada and transitioned to B-17s in Washington State, training as a tail gunner. With his crew he flew to Kimbolten, England, before flying his first mission in November 1943. He was...

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Wadley was born in Fowler, Colorado. He enlisted in the army, and was shipped to Hawaii. He was there at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack, and discusses his experiences that day. He was part of the 25th Infantry Division and participated in the landings on Guadalcanal in January 1943. He contracted malaria and was sent to a hospital, first in the New Hebrides, then Winter General Hospital in Topeka, Kansas. He was discharged August 1943. Interviewed by Joel Calderon. 18 pages.

Scope and Contents Woodhave (b. 1922) was born in Salt Lake City, but the family moved out of Salt Lake almost immediately to follow his father who was seeking work. When he and his family returned to Salt Lake he was nine years old. He shares his experiences of growing up and of going to school. When he graduated from high school he got a job. Attending college was not an option because of the shortage of money. He was drafted and inducted into the Army Air Corps in 1942. He attended gunnery school and then...