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Description
Oral History interview of William Richardson. Interview conducted by Rasso, Erika; Alvazos, Nia at Veteran's Home.
Log
0:08 Lead; 0:44 Biographical information; 1:00 Early life, Pearl Harbor; 3:43 Decision to enlist in Air Force Reserves; 5:41 Reports to basic training; 6:54 Flight training; 9:56 Chooses B-52, enters advanced training; 10:45 Chooses Flight Crew; 12:17 First overseas combat orders to New Guinea; 14:24 New assignment in Philippines; 14:34 Describes first missions; 16:34 Typical missions; 18:27 Aids Australia in reclaiming Borneo; 20:03 Defining moment of USAF career; 25:02 Experience in Okinawa, Japan; 30:42 What it was like flying; 31:43 His location when WWII ended; 33:00 Receiving orders to go home; 33:20 Sight of Hiroshima; 35:18 Travel home; 37:02 Homecoming to family; 38:16 Correspondence with family while overseas; 38:50 Recipient of Air Medal; 39:37 Readjusting to civilian life; 41:40 Beginning of Insurance career; 42:30 Keeping in touch with other soldiers; 43:51 Life lessons learned from military; 45:06 Continuing to fly in a Church group; 48:38 Last remarks on combat; 57:09 Showing mementos and medals.
Date of Birth
1925-06-26
Place of Birth
Atlanta (Ga.)
Gender
Male
Race
White - Non Hispanic
Home State
Georgia
War or Conflict
World War II
Status
Veteran
Begin/End date of Service - 1st
1943-07-01
Type
Video; MovingImage
1946-07-01
Entrance into Service
Enlisted
Branch of Service
U.S. Army
Unit of Service
Army Air Corp; 38th Bomb Group, 71st Bomb Squadron; Pilot B-25
Location of Service
Unspecified
Highest Rank
First Lieutenant; 1LT
Prisoner of War
Unspecified
Service Related Injury
Unspecified
Battles
Unspecified
Medals
Air Medal
Achievements
Sank one of last Japanese ships of WWII; Responsible for saving life of fellow pilot (Carl Hinshaw) and crew. Carl's family owns the Chalet Suzanne in Lake Wales.
Note
Pilot managing crew by the age of 19. Served in 26 Missions.
City of Birth
Atlanta
Country of Birth
United States
Interviewer
Rasso, Erika; Alvazos, Nia
Interview Date
3-15-2014
Location of Interview
Veteran's Home
Subjects
Richardson, William H.; World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives; United States. Army
Collection Description
Contains logs, audio and video recordings of interviews with Central Florida's veterans as part of a history class project for the students at the University of Central Florida (UCF). The UCF Community Veterans History Project(CVHP) started in fall 2010. It collects, preserves, and makes accessible to the public the experiences of Central Florida's veterans so that future generations will better understand the realities of conflict. It is a collaborative endeavor supported by multiple departments and offices at UCF. The veterans' histories are archived and made digitally available through the UCF library and selected materials are contributed to the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress.
Contributor Affiliation / Organization
RICHES; University of Central Florida
Contributors
Rasso, Erika; Alvazos, Nia
Length of Interview
61 Minutes
Publisher
Department of History, University of Central Florida
Type
video
Rights
All rights are held by the respective holding institution. This material is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. For permission to reproduce and/or for copyright information contact Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, (407) 823-2576. http://library.ucf.edu/about/departments/special-collections-university-archives/
Repository
University of Central Florida Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
Contributing Project
UCF Community Veterans History Project
Document Type
Interview
Recommended Citation
Central Florida, RICHES of, "Richardson, William H. interview" (2014). Veterans Oral Histories. 208.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/208