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BLOMBERG, Sam (b. 1934). U.S. Army Vietnam Veteran anesthetist
Anesthetist. His experiences as an Army nurse in Vietnam, 1972-73. Assignment to the 3rd Field Hospital, Saigon; activities while providing immunization shots to Vietnamese orphans; social life and living conditions; Vietnamization of the war; effect of Vietnam experience on his later life. Filed Under: Military Service.
Date of Interview: September 1, 1997
BLOUSE, Glenn C. (b. 1922). U.S. Army WWII Veteran, 2nd Platoon, D Company, 1st Battalion, 135th Regiment, 34th Infantry Division
His experiences in the Italian Campaign during World War II. Entry into the service and basic training, 1943; transit across the Atlantic to North Africa and then to Naples; assignment as a replacement to D Company, 135th Regiment; Monte Cassino, 1944; foul weather, mountainous terrain, and supply problems; murder of German POWs; survival in combat; Anzio operations, 1944; close combat; liberation of Rome, 1944; Apennines Campaign, 1944-45; exploits leading to award of a Bronze Star; Po Valley Campaign, 1945; end of the war and postwar adjustment to civilian life. Filed Under: Military Service.
Date of Interview: August 3, 1998
BLUNTZER, Robert (b. 1897). Farmer-rancher.
Farmer-rancher. His observations on land speculation, settlement, and development of the coastal bend area of south Texas, 1900-25. Ranch life; home seekers; Marizak plow; rural social life; Mexican-Anglo relations; Irish-Catholic influence. Filed Under: Texas Agricultural History.
Date of Interview: May 30, 1969
BOARD, Woodrow (b. 1917). U.S. Marine Corps WWII Veteran
His experiences while aboard the battleship USS Pennsylvania during the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Filed Under: Military Service.
Date of Interview: December 7, 1977
BOCK, Leonard (b. 1925). U.S. Navy WWII Veteran, PC-1135, PC-1128
His experiences in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Enlistment and recruit training at Bainbridge Naval Receiving Center, 1942-43; electrician’s school, Newport, Rhode Island, 1943; assignment to PC-1135; convoy duty to Aruba; Marshall Islands Campaign, 1944; sinking of a Japanese submarine off Wotje Island; Marianas Campaign, 1944; witnessing mass suicides by Japanese civilians jumping off cliffs at Saipan; transfer to PC-1128; Okinawa Campaign, 1945, and kamikaze attacks; sinking of PC-1128 and his survival during a typhoon, October, 1945; assignment to an APA and participation in the Bikini Atoll atom bomb tests, 1946; postwar adjustment to civilian life. Filed Under: Military Service.
Date of Interview: August 7, 1997
BOGGS, Albert (b. 1918).
His experiences while employed by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. Childhood in Mixon, Texas; joining the CCC; assignment to Company 2885 at SCS-19-T in Jacksonville, Texas; transfer to Company 878 at SCS-37-T in Waxahachie, Texas; description of camps; life in camps. Filed Under: The New Deal.
Date of Interview: October 11, 1993
BOGLE, Edra C (b. 1934). University of North Texas Professor
For the Dallas LGBT Oral History Project. English professor and longtime Dallas LGBT activist. Childhood in Iowa; educational and professional background; homosexuality in literature; Oscar Wilde; activism in women’s and gay rights movements; move to Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex; Gay Caucus for the Modern Languages; Dallas Gay Alliance; LGBT activism at UNT; conditions for gay and lesbian faculty and staff in the 1970s; LGBT support groups and anti-discrimination policies; the AIDS crisis and the Dallas LGBT community; Baker v. Wade. Filed Under: .
Date of Interview: March 28, 2012
BOGLE, Edra C (b. 1934). University of North Texas Professor
University professor, experiences concerning the development of the Women's Studies Program at the University of North Texas. Early interest in women writers; experiences concerning job discrimination; activities with National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1970s; introduction of women authors into her literature courses; activities with the Dallas Gay Political Alliance in 1970s; role in establishment of Gay and Lesbian Association of Denton (Texas) in 1970s; public acknowledgment of being a lesbian, 1978; personal and professional conflict with James W Lee, chair of the UNT English Department; early stages of the Women's Studies Program, 1988; early courses about women in course offerings of the English Department; her appointment as coordinator of the Women's Studies Program, 1992; coordination of course offerings in women's studies; establishment of a specific course in women's studies, 1994; relationship of gay and multicultural issues to women's studies; views on integrating women's issues into regular survey courses; unsuccessful attempt to establish a women's center; her resignation as coordinator of the Women's Studies Program, 1994, and her replacement by Barbara Rodman; her overall relations with Nora Kizer Bell, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; her relationship with Barbara Rodman; problem of homophobia and how to deal with it; men's role in the feminist movement Filed Under: History of University of North Texas.
Date of Interview: April 16, 1997
BOLAR, James M. (b. 1917). U.S. Navy WWII Veteran
His experiences while aboard the minelayer USS Ogallala during the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Filed Under: Military Service.
Date of Interview: April 22, 1988
BOLEN, Joseph (b. 1920). U.S. Navy WWII Veteran
His experiences while aboard the battleship USS California during the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Filed Under: Military Service.
Date of Interview: October 11, 1976
BOLITHO, Hayes (b. 1917). U.S. Army Air Corps WWII Veteran Businessman
Businessman. His experiences as a prisoner-of-war of the Japanese during World War II. Japanese bombing of Clark Field, 1941; surrender at Clark Field; prison camp at Malaybalay, 1942; Davao Penal Colony, 1942-44; torpedoing of hell ship and rescue by Filipino guerrillas; evacuation by American submarine. Filed Under: Military Service.
Date of Interview: July 17, 1973
BOLLING, Alexander R. (b. 1922). U.S. Army WWII Veteran, 3rd Platoon, 3rd Battalion, 302nd Regiment, 94th Infantry Division
His experiences as an infantry platoon leader in the European Theater during World War II. Education at U. S. Military Academy, 1940-43; basic infantry training at Fort Benning; assignment to the 66th Infantry Division, Camp Joseph Robinson, Arkansas, 1943; transfer to the 94th Infantry Division, early 1944; comments about the quality of non-commissioned officers; assessment of draftees in his platoon; comments about personnel from ASTP [Army Special Training Program]; initiation to combat in France; operations with Free French forces; night patrols; the art of "digging in"; Battle of the Bulge, December, 1944; his arm and knee wounds due to friendly artillery fire; capture by troops from the 11th Panzer Division, January, 1945; escape and recapture; permanent internment at Hammelburg, Germany; POW camp life; abortive attempt by General George S. Patton to free American POWs; his second escape on March 27, 1945, in the midst of Patton’s rescue attempt; recapture and his third escape; his twelve-day journey back to American lines; debriefing; reunion with his father, General Alexander R. Bolling, Sr., commander of the 84th Division, in Hanover, Germany; assignment to a rifle company in the 84th Infantry Division; race to the Elbe River and the end of the war in Europe. Filed Under: Military Service.
Date of Interview: July 15, 1998
BONNER, Richard J. (b. 1945).
His experiences while growing up in Hamilton Park, Texas, and attending the Hamilton Park School, 1951-64; the “Buy Out.” Filed Under: Segregated Education in Texas.
Date of Interview: September 29, 1991
BOOTS, Donald (b. 1924). U.S. Marine Corps WWII Veteran, D Company, 4th Pioneer Battalion, 4th Marine Division Building contractor
Building contractor. His experiences in the Pacific Theater during World War II. His youth in western Pennsylvania; his decision to join the Marine Corps, December 10, 1942; boot camp, Parris Island, South Carolina, 1942-43; camouflage school, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, 1943; assignment to the newly-formed 4th Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California, August, 1943; training in beachhead organization with the 4th Pioneer Battalion; invasion of Roi-Namur, February 1, 1944; mopping-up operations on Kwajalein; rest and retraining on Maui; assignment as a BAR man; invasion of Saipan, June 15, 1944; assaults against enemy caves on Saipan; comments about the stress of battle; return to Maui for rest and retraining; invasion of Iwo Jima, February 19, 1944; Japanese resistance on the Iwo Jima beaches; the rescue of his friend, Norman Pate; his role in organizing the beach operation at Iwo Jima; establishing beach defenses on Iwo Jima; evacuation and return to Maui; retraining and refitting for the invasion of the Japanese home islands; comments about the dropping of the atomic bombs. Filed Under: Military Service.
Date of Interview: May 17, 2001
BORUM, Val F. (b. 1922). U. S. Navy WWII Veteran Physician
Physician. His experiences while aboard the submarine USS Blower in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Submarine School, New London, Connecticut, 1944; assignment to the Blower, 1944; his responsibilities as plotting officer; various patrols in the Java Sea and off Indo-China. Filed Under: Military Service.
Date of Interview: April 23, 1996
BOTT, Wesley (b. 1917). U.S. Marine Corps WWII Veteran
His experiences at Kaneohe Naval Air Station with the guard detachment during the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Filed Under: Military Service.
Date of Interview: October 14, 1977
BOUNDS, Ivan (b. 1926). Aircraft worker
For the Denton County Historical Commission. Aircraft worker. His experiences as a longtime resident of Denton County, Texas, 1926-2002. Filed Under: City of Denton (TX) History.
Date of Interview: March 27, 2002
BOW, James (b. 1917). U.S. Navy WWII Veteran
His experiences at Bishops Point with the Hawaiian Naval Reserve during the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Filed Under: Military Service.
Date of Interview: February 3, 1976
BOWDEN, Opal (b. 1908).
For the Weatherford Oral History Project. Longtime Weatherford resident. Childhood in Parker County, Texas; memories of World War I; Weatherford in the 1920s; the Great Depression; World War II; medical history. Filed Under: .
Date of Interview: June 21, 2010
BOWERY, Jim (b. 1922). U.S. Marine Corps WWII Veteran
His experiences while aboard the cruiser USS New Orleans during the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Filed Under: Military Service.
Date of Interview: April 29, 1974
BOWLING, Marilyn (b. 1939). Braniff International Airways Reservationist
Bowling, Marilyn: Reservationist. The in-flight and ground experiences of Braniff International Airways by Abra Schnur through a collection of former Braniff employee interviews. Interviewees include flight attendants, pilots, ticket agents, ground crew and executives. Content includes personal reflections of Braniff’s impact on the DFW area and the airline industry as a whole with the “End of the Plain Plane” campaign brought in by Harding Lawrence. Discussions on being a part of the Braniff family and Braniff’s rise to the top of preferred airlines to its bankruptcy on May 12, 1982. Filed Under: Airlines.
Date of Interview: February 16, 2014
BOWLING, Rudy (b. 1945). Braniff International Airways Customer Service Agent
Bowling, Rudy: Customer Service Agent. The in-flight and ground experiences of Braniff International Airways by Abra Schnur through a collection of former Braniff employee interviews. Interviewees include flight attendants, pilots, ticket agents, ground crew, executives and family members. Content includes personal reflections of Braniff’s impact on the DFW area and the airline industry as a whole with the “End of the Plain Plane” campaign brought in by Harding Lawrence. Discussions on being a part of the Braniff family and Braniff’s rise to the top of preferred airlines to its bankruptcy on May 12, 1982. Filed Under: Airlines.
Date of Interview: February 16, 2014
BOWSER, Alpha L. (b. 1910). U.S. Marine Corps WWII Veteran, 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division
His experiences as an artillery officer in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Education at U. S. Naval Academy, 1928-32; Officers Basic School, Philadelphia Navy Yard, 1932; assignment as a gunnery officer aboard the USS Texas, 1933-34; Army Field Artillery School, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, 1935-36; assignment to Marine security detail at Warm Springs, Georgia, for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1937; assignment to USS Nevada, 1937-39; assignment to the 2nd Battalion, 10th Marines at San Diego, 1939-40; assignment to Quantico, Virginia, as an artillery instructor, 1940; assignment to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Marines, 3rd Marine Division as G-3; selection as commander 3rd Battalion, 12th Marines, 1944; Guam Campaign, July, 1944; Iwo Jima landings, February, 1945; training and planning for Operation OLYMPIC; his role in the demobilization of the Marine Corps after World War II; assignment to Quantico as head of Amphibious Warfare School, 1947-49; assignment to Fleet Marine Force, Pacific as naval gunfire instructor, 1949; his role in planning the Inchon landing, 1950, during the Korean War; various government assignments with Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C.; retirement as a three-star general, 1967. Filed Under: Military Service.
Date of Interview: March 12, 1998
BOX, Alma (b. 1930).
Her views concerning the impact and significance of women on the development of the Republican Party in Texas, 1960-90. Work for U.S. Congressman Jim Collins; first senatorial campaign of John Tower; personal political philosophy; activities with Texas Federation of Republican Women; views on Religious Right, abortion, Eagle Forum. Filed Under: Texas Political History.
Date of Interview: August 19, 1993
BOYD, Ealy (b. 1935). U.S. Air Force Korean War Veteran
For the Tarrant County War Veterans Oral History Project. Childhood and education in Jacksonville, Tex.; decision to enlist in U.S. Air Force; basic training in San Antonio and assignment to Laredo Air Base, Tex.; deployment to Korea as a vehicle operator with Fifth Motor Transport Squadron; encounters with “Bed-check Charlie”; encounters with North Korean POWs; assignments at bases in Louisiana, Alaska, North Dakota, Puerto Rico, New Hampshire, Thailand, and West Germany; shift into vehicle maintenance MOS, then into maintenance and storage of nuclear warheads, and finally into aircraft maintenance; challenges of raising a family, given frequent moves; civilian career with Lockheed Martin; political work for Reps. Martin Frost, Preston “Pete” Geren, and Jim Wright and State Sen. (later Mayor) Mike Moncrief; experiences of family members in the military. Filed Under: Military Service.
Date of Interview: October 17, 2007