Oral History Interview with Ben Smith, July 3, 2007

Oral History Interview with Ben Smith, July 3, 2007

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Track One 0:57:22

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ben Smith. Smith was born on a farm in Illinois 9 June 1918. After college he became an embalmer for the state of Colorado. Volunteering for the Army Air Corps, he trained at the Spartan School of Aeronautics before being sent to Brady, Texas for basic flight training, then Kelly Field for advanced. He was then sent to Muroc Air Field, California for P-38 gunnery training. After he was commissioned, he was assigned as an instructor. In March 1943 he flew with several other pilots to New Guinea. … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (57 min., 21 sec.)

Creation Information

Smith, Ben July 3, 2007.

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

Smith, Ben

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 Ben Smith. Smith was born on a farm in Illinois 9 June 1918. After college he became an embalmer for the state of Colorado. Volunteering for the Army Air Corps, he trained at the Spartan School of Aeronautics before being sent to Brady, Texas for basic flight training, then Kelly Field for advanced. He was then sent to Muroc Air Field, California for P-38 gunnery training. After he was commissioned, he was assigned as an instructor. In March 1943 he flew with several other pilots to New Guinea. There he was assigned to the 13th Air Force, 18th Fighter Group, 12th Fighter Squadron. He made daily sweeps over various islands occupied by the Japanese, during which Smith strafed and dropped napalm. He recalls one mission during which the plane flown by close friend was hit by flak. When the pilot bailed out, a Zero pilot killed him in his parachute. Smith was based at several locations in the Philippines where he contacted dengue fever and dysentery. He recalls an incident in which he shot down a Japanese Zero. In early 1945 he went to Luzon and flew numerous missions over Formosa. During one strafing mission his wingman’s plane was hit by flak, exploding in midair. Soon after the Surrender of Japan, Smith boarded a transport ship to return to the United States. He was discharged and soon began a 32 year career as a pilot with Pan American Airlines.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (57 min., 21 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: OH01862
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1608965

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Ben Smith, July 3, 2007, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1605156

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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