HOLSTON, William O. (b. 1922) | Oral History

HOLSTON, William O. (b. 1922)

Oral Histories

His experiences as a navigator on a B-24 in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Enrollment in the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1940; enlistment in the Aviation Cadet Program, 1942; basic training, Miami Beach, Florida, 1942-43; College Training Detachment, Southwestern University, Memphis, Tennessee, 1943; Aviation Cadet Classification Center, San Antonio, Texas, 1943; pre-flight training, San Antonio, 1943; primary flight training, Ballinger, Texas, 1943; basic flight training, Sherman, Texas, 1943; his fear of the BT-13 Vultee “Vibrator” trainer and washing out, 1943; aerial gunnery training, Harlingen, Texas, 1943; navigator’s school, Monroe, Louisiana, 1943-44; establishment of crew integrity at Tonopah, Nevada, 1944; assignment to the Southwest Pacific, 1945; his first bombing mission to Rabaul; stationing at Morotai with the 370th Bomb Squadron; Japanese ground assaults on the airbase at Morotai; mission to Brunei Bay; mission to Balikpapan, Borneo, oil refineries and fuel problems; Japanese flak; napalm mission to Makassar; ground support mission for Australian troops on Tarakan, Borneo; troop-ferrying missions to Okinawa; postwar adjustments to civilian life.
Date of Interview: September 1, 2000

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Miscellaneous personal papers, including flight logs and diaries, detailing his experiences as a navigator on a B-24 Liberator in the Pacific Theater during World War II.
Date of Interview: September 1, 2000

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