Oral History Interview with F. Willard "Robbie" Robinson

Oral History Interview with F. Willard "Robbie" Robinson

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Track One 0:24:17

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with F. Willard “Robbie” Robinson. Robinson tells the story of Albert K. Earnest. Robinson shares an anecdote of how Earnest came to be in the Navy rather than the Army Air Corps. Earnest completed flight training and received his Naval commission in November 1941. In 1942 he was assigned to Torpedo Squadron 8. He was one of six pilots to volunteer to fly from Hawaii to Midway. He participated in a mission to attack Japanese carriers. Flying a disabled plane, he made a harrowing flight back to Midway where … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (24 min., 17 sec.)

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 F. Willard “Robbie” Robinson. Robinson tells the story of Albert K. Earnest. Robinson shares an anecdote of how Earnest came to be in the Navy rather than the Army Air Corps. Earnest completed flight training and received his Naval commission in November 1941. In 1942 he was assigned to Torpedo Squadron 8. He was one of six pilots to volunteer to fly from Hawaii to Midway. He participated in a mission to attack Japanese carriers. Flying a disabled plane, he made a harrowing flight back to Midway where he crash landed. Because Torpedo Squadron 8 sustained heavy losses, it was reorganized and assigned as a USS Saratoga (CV-3) air group. He flew missions to provide cover for the invasion of Guadalcanal. He was also credited with helping to sink the Japanese carrier Ryūjō. While the USS Saratoga's torpedo damage was repaired, he served with Torpedo Group 8 in the Cactus Air Force on Guadalcanal. Earnest was sent to Sand Point Naval Air Station when returned to the U.S. in 1942. It was there that Robinson met Earnest. They served together in Composite Squadrons 31 and 7. When the war ended, Earnest continued his military career, retiring with the rank of Captain.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (24 min., 17 sec.)

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

Sound

Identifier

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

Accession or Local Control No: OH00100
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1607429

Relationships

Oral History Interview with F. Willard "Robbie" Robinson, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1603461

Collections

This recording 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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