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Description
Oral History interview of Francisco Silva. Interview conducted by Ford, Frank at Silva Residence.
Log
1:35 Life on Madeira Island, Portugal; 3:15 Living under the Salazar dictatorship in Portugal; 5:00 Life in the United States before military service; 7:55 Experiences in the Civilian Conservation Corps; 12:25 Draft Experience; 13:45 Volunteers to be reconnaissance photographer; 14:25 Refuses R and R; 16:20 Coming home; 17:05 Joins 'Victory at Sea' film crew during Korean War; 17:50 Experiences with the natives of New Guinea during the war; 19:15 Relations with the natives of New Guinea; 20:50 Biac, New Guinea Bob Hope show gets attacked; 21:40 Description of Japanese soldiers; 22:15 Reactions to malaria pills; 23:15 Typical day in the 400th Bombardment Group; 23:50 The Red Cross; 24:30 Description of crew duties on a B-24; 25:35 Problems with extra fuel tanks in the B-24; 26:25 Outlook on World War Two; 26:45 Experiences in the South Pacific during World War Two; 27:50 Hurricane in the Philippines; 28:10 The roles of Sea Bees and runways; 29:00 Guarding aircraft during the war; 30:10 Liberation of the Philippines and the return of MacArther; 31:40 The truth about combat; 32:50 Experiences in a Marine Boot Camp; 33:50 Thoughts on Japanese soldier tactics; 34:10 Kamikaze attacks and the Japanese mindset; 36:40 Japanese surrender; 37:05 Thoughts on the Atomic Bomb and Tokyo Rose; 39:25 Problems with readjustment back into civilian life; 42:05 Reflections on Military Service; 42:55 Decision to move to Florida and the retirement years; 45:05 Changes in Florida between World War Two and the Present; 46:35 Reflections on life in the United States.
Date of Birth
1923-04-05
Place of Birth
Taunton (Mass.)
Gender
Male
Race
White - Hispanic
Home State
Massachusetts
War or Conflict
World War II
Status
Veteran
Begin/End date of Service - 1st
1943-02-17
Type
Video; MovingImage
1945-09-21
Entrance into Service
Enlisted
Branch of Service
U.S. Army
Highest Rank
Technical Sergeant; TSgt
Prisoner of War
No
Service Related Injury
No
Battles
China; New Guinea; Western Pacific, Southern Philippines; Luzon Campaigns
Medals
Air Medal; Good Conduct Medal; Philippine Liberation Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Achievements
Aerial Reconnaissance and Tail Gunner
Note
Flew 61 Combat Missions. Lived in Portugal from 1923 to 1940. Moved to the United States and enlisted not knowing a word of English. More medal details: Philippine Liberation Medal with 1 Bronze Star.
City of Birth
Taunton
Country of Birth
United States
Interviewer
Ford, Frank
Interview Date
2-26-2012
Location of Interview
Silva Residence
Subjects
Silva, Francisco R.; 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
Ford, Frank
Length of Interview
50 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, "Silva, Francisco Rodrigues interview" (2012). Veterans Oral Histories. 92.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/92