Oral History Interview with Thomas Ross, October 23, 2004

Oral History Interview with Thomas Ross, October 23, 2004

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Track One 1:03:52

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Thomas Ross. Ross was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in September 1922. After graduating from high school he played football at the University of Wisconsin in 1940 and 1941. While in college, he participated in the Civilian Pilot Training Program. Enlisting in the Naval Aviation cadet program in 1942 he began pre-flight training at Iowa City, Iowa. He then went to the Glennville Naval Air Station in Illinois. While there he requested a transfer into the air arm of the US Marine Corps. Upon being accepted he went to … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 3 min., 52 sec.)

Creation Information

Ross, Thomas October 23, 2004.

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

Ross, Thomas

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 Thomas Ross. Ross was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in September 1922. After graduating from high school he played football at the University of Wisconsin in 1940 and 1941. While in college, he participated in the Civilian Pilot Training Program. Enlisting in the Naval Aviation cadet program in 1942 he began pre-flight training at Iowa City, Iowa. He then went to the Glennville Naval Air Station in Illinois. While there he requested a transfer into the air arm of the US Marine Corps. Upon being accepted he went to Cherry Point, North Carolina where he was assigned to VMSB-331 to pilot SBD dive bombers. The squadron traveled to San Diego where they were put on the USS Nassau (CVE-16) for deployment to Nukufetau Airfield. He was a member of a detachment of the squadron that spent several months on Tarawa where they were subjected to nightly bombings by Japanese aircraft. During June 1944, while on a mission over Maloelap, Ross was forced to ditch due to flak damage. He and his crewman were picked up by a PBY. In July, the squadron converted to F4Us with experienced Corsair pilots brought in to provide a quick on-the-job training course. After flying twenty-five missions in the F4U, Ross returned to Cherry Point. He then joined VMSB-244 on Mindanao before moving to Okinawa where he was when Japan surrendered. Ross concludes the interview by telling of his experiences in China and Korea; during the Cuban Missile crisis; and in Vietnam. He retired after twenty-nine years of service.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 3 min., 52 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: OH01277
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1608478

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Thomas Ross, October 23, 2004, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1604666

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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