LATTNER, W. Travis, Jr. (b. 1921) | Oral History

LATTNER, W. Travis, Jr. (b. 1921)

Oral Histories

Farmer. His experiences as a PBJ (B-25) pilot in the Southwest Pacific Theater during World War II. North Texas State Teachers College, 1938-42; Civilian Pilot Training, Hartlee Field, Denton, Texas; enlistment in the Navy Aviation Cadet Program, 1942; primary flight training, Grand Prairie Naval Air Station, Grand Prairie, Texas, 1942; basic and advanced flight training, Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, Texas, 1942-43; his decision to select twin-engine aircraft training; initial twin-engine training in the PBY; his transfer to the Marine Corps, 1943; training in the DC-3, Meacham Field, Fort Worth, Texas, with American Airlines, 1943; OTS-8, Cherry Point Marine Air Station, Cherry Point, North Carolina, 1943; bomber transition training in the PBJ; forming of VMB-433 at Cherry Point, 1943; crew training, El Centro, California, 1944; voyage across the Pacific to Espiritu Santo, 1944; stationing at Green Island, July, 1944; night-heckling missions to Rabaul, 1944; comment s about weather conditions and Japanese antiaircraft defenses; transfer to Emirau and daylight missions to Kavieng, 1944-45; low-level missions to Kavieng; his bout with vertigo on a night-heckling mission; living conditions on Green Island and Emirau; comments about airplane maintenance crews; rest leave in Australia, 1945; his return to the States, May, 1945; his postwar career in farming.
Date of Interview: August 22, 2001

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