Oral History Interview with James Lokey, December 12, 2005

Oral History Interview with James Lokey, December 12, 2005

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Track One 0:43:22

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Lokey. Lokey joined the Aviation Cadet program in November 1943 and transferred to gunnery school in Laredo. Upon completion, he was sent to the Aleutian Islands as a top turret gunner with a B-24 crew. In 1944, while on his 11th combat mission, his plane was shot down by the Japanese Navy. His pilot made a landing in Russia where they were picked up and interrogated by the Russians. They were then taken to a prisoner-of-war camp in Siberia, where they remained for three months, surviving with … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (43 min., 22 sec.)

Creation Information

Lokey, James December 12, 2005.

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

Lokey, James

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 James Lokey. Lokey joined the Aviation Cadet program in November 1943 and transferred to gunnery school in Laredo. Upon completion, he was sent to the Aleutian Islands as a top turret gunner with a B-24 crew. In 1944, while on his 11th combat mission, his plane was shot down by the Japanese Navy. His pilot made a landing in Russia where they were picked up and interrogated by the Russians. They were then taken to a prisoner-of-war camp in Siberia, where they remained for three months, surviving with very little to eat. Lokey weighed 200 pounds when he was shot down and only 125 when he returned to the States. From Siberia he was transferred to a fort in Baku. When the war ended, an American officer arrived from Moscow to escort the POWs back to the States. Lokey was later stationed at Reese Air Force Base as an instructor pilot of B-25s. He became a nuclear weapons instructor and retired as a lieutenant colonel.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (43 min., 22 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: OH01559
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1608720

Relationships

Oral History Interview with James Lokey, December 12, 2005, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1604912

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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