Oral History Interview with Thomas C. Ketcham, December 16, 2009

Oral History Interview with Thomas C. Ketcham, December 16, 2009

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Track One 2:03:57

Description

Transcript of an oral interview with Thomas C. Ketcham. Born in 1923, he was a member of the Enlisted Reserves Corps (ERC) while attending Purdue University. He was called to active duty in May 1943, assigned to field artillery, and trained in surveying methods. He describes the process of surveying for artillery purposes with a transit, a stadia rod and logarithm books. He was sent to Europe with the 85th Infantry Division, 403rd Field Artillery Battalion, Headquarters Battery. He describes the trip from Fort Dix, New Jersey to Naples, Italy. He shares the story of an air raid and the … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (2 hr., 3 min., 57 sec.)

Creation Information

Ketcham, Thomas C. December 16, 2009.

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

Ketcham, Thomas C.

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

Transcript of an oral interview with Thomas C. Ketcham. Born in 1923, he was a member of the Enlisted Reserves Corps (ERC) while attending Purdue University. He was called to active duty in May 1943, assigned to field artillery, and trained in surveying methods. He describes the process of surveying for artillery purposes with a transit, a stadia rod and logarithm books. He was sent to Europe with the 85th Infantry Division, 403rd Field Artillery Battalion, Headquarters Battery. He describes the trip from Fort Dix, New Jersey to Naples, Italy. He shares the story of an air raid and the eruption of Mount Vesuvius when they arrived. He describes the 155 mm Howitzer and in his role in determining the firing direction. He discusses advancing north through Minturno and Tremensuoli to Rome. He talks about being shelled by the Germans while waiting to cross the Po River. He shares an anecdotes about an observation post in a church steeple in Minturno; doing survey calculations in a farmhouse that contained hidden German soldiers; building a make-shift stove; reconnoitering north of Rome; encountering Nebelwerfer (nicknamed "Screaming Mimi"); and being ordered to stop a tank with a machine gun. He discusses jeeps and other vehicles. When the war in Europe ended, he was assigned to occupation duty near Bolzano, Italy. He shares anecdotes about prisoners of war. He was discharged in 1945. He used the GI Bill to attain his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (2 hr., 3 min., 57 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: OH02805
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1609535

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Thomas C. Ketcham, December 16, 2009, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1605723

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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