Oral History Interview with Tom Sledge, July 11, 2001

Oral History Interview with Tom Sledge, July 11, 2001

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Track One 0:41:55

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Tom Sledge. Sledge volunteered for service as a bombadier and anvigator in the Army Air Corps and earned a commission. In November, 1942, Sledge received orders to go to India. Once there, his crew was attached to the 10th Air Force and flew bombing missions mainly into Burma. Sledge recalls an incident in which he bombed Japanese ships. Unbeknownst to him, the ships contained Allied prisoners of war. Sledge recalls years later making contact with POWs aboard the ships he bombed. He also mentions briefing General LeMay later … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (41 min., 55 sec.)

Creation Information

Sledge, Tom July 11, 2001.

Context

This audio recording 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 recording can be viewed below.

Interviewee

Sledge, Tom

Interviewers

Publisher

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

Audiences

Check out our Resources for Educators Site! We've identified this sound as a primary source within our collections. Researchers, educators, and students may find this recording useful in their work.

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 Tom Sledge. Sledge volunteered for service as a bombadier and anvigator in the Army Air Corps and earned a commission. In November, 1942, Sledge received orders to go to India. Once there, his crew was attached to the 10th Air Force and flew bombing missions mainly into Burma. Sledge recalls an incident in which he bombed Japanese ships. Unbeknownst to him, the ships contained Allied prisoners of war. Sledge recalls years later making contact with POWs aboard the ships he bombed. He also mentions briefing General LeMay later in his career. He also participated in the atmoic tests at Bikini with an aerial photography unit. During the Korean War, Sledge flew a few combat missions using guided bombs. For the remainder of his career, Sledge worked with guided missiles.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (41 min., 55 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: OH00139
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1607468

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Tom Sledge, July 11, 2001, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1603500

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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