Oral History Interview with Paul Hatgil, April 29, 2015

Oral History Interview with Paul Hatgil, April 29, 2015

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Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Paul Hatgil. Hatgil joined the Army Air Forces after working briefly in the defense industry. He received communications training and was assigned to the 505th Bombardment Group. On Tinian, he oversaw the teletype office adjacent to General Curtis LeMay. He recalls seeing the Enola Gay heavily guarded by Marines. Although at the time he was unaware of the atomic bomb, an important message arrived for LeMay, sent to the teletype machines by Colonel Paul Tibbets. Disobeying orders, Hatgil read the message, which was a recap of Tibbets’ instructions, … continued below

Physical Description

49 p.

Creation Information

Hatgil, Paul April 29, 2015.

Context

This text is part of the collection entitled: National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection and was provided by the National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation to The Portal to Texas History, a digital repository hosted by the UNT Libraries. More information about this text can be viewed below.

Interviewee

Hatgil, Paul

Interviewers

Publisher

National Museum of the Pacific War
Place of Publication: Fredericksburg, Texas

Audiences

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Provided By

National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Established in 1967, the Museum honors the 8 million Americans who served in WWII in the Pacific Theater by sharing their stories with the world. Located in Fredericksburg in the restored Nimitz "Steamboat" Hotel, the Museum partners with the Texas Historical Commission to preserve the historical resources of the era.

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Paul Hatgil. Hatgil joined the Army Air Forces after working briefly in the defense industry. He received communications training and was assigned to the 505th Bombardment Group. On Tinian, he oversaw the teletype office adjacent to General Curtis LeMay. He recalls seeing the Enola Gay heavily guarded by Marines. Although at the time he was unaware of the atomic bomb, an important message arrived for LeMay, sent to the teletype machines by Colonel Paul Tibbets. Disobeying orders, Hatgil read the message, which was a recap of Tibbets’ instructions, specifically urging him to leave the target area as quickly as possible after dropping his bomb. When the war ended, Hatgil returned home and was discharged. Having spent much of his service decorating planes, sketching portraits, and painting murals in his free time, he enrolled in art school on the G.I. Bill and became a professor of art at the University of Texas. Hatgil kept a scrapbook of his wartime experience, including his artwork and several photos given to him by his unit’s official photographer.

Physical Description

49 p.

Subjects

Keywords

Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms

Library of Congress Subject Headings

World War, 1939-1945

University of North Texas Libraries Browse Structure

Language

English

Item Type

Text

Identifier

Unique identifying numbers for this text in the Portal or other systems.

Accession or Local Control No: OH04378
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1606856

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Paul Hatgil, April 29, 2015 - ark:/67531/metapth1610503

Collections

This text is part of the following collections of related materials.

National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection

This oral history collection depicts an instrumental era in American history. In these transcripts of interviews with World War II veterans are personal experiences with the war, from the Doolittle Raid and D-Day to the Battle for Bataan.

National Museum of the Pacific War Digital Archive

The Digital Archive presents digitized collections from the Center for Pacific War Studies collections at the National Museum of the Pacific War. Collections and material are continuously being added and represent only a small portion of the archives' physical holdings.

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