Oral History Interview with Francis Manniello, March 19, 2012

Oral History Interview with Francis Manniello, March 19, 2012

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Track One 1:48:47

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Francis Manniello. Manniello joined the Army Air Corps in April 1941 after being drafted. In his county, the sons of Democrats were drafted before Republicans, so Manniello had been expecting this and took the aviation cadet exam early on. He was ultimately trained as a bombardier and navigator and in 1943 he deployed to England as a replacement for the 96th Bomb Group, 337th Squadron. He came under heavy fire during his first mission while bombing a railyard in Bremen, Germany. Despite losing a wing and part of … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 48 min., 46 sec.)

Interviewers

Publisher

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

Audiences

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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 Francis Manniello. Manniello joined the Army Air Corps in April 1941 after being drafted. In his county, the sons of Democrats were drafted before Republicans, so Manniello had been expecting this and took the aviation cadet exam early on. He was ultimately trained as a bombardier and navigator and in 1943 he deployed to England as a replacement for the 96th Bomb Group, 337th Squadron. He came under heavy fire during his first mission while bombing a railyard in Bremen, Germany. Despite losing a wing and part of the vertical stabilizer, he landed safely and completed 24 more missions. Manniello was transferred to the States to teach both celestial and radar navigation and remained in the service and served as a commanding officer in the Korean War. One of his soldiers committed suicide, which Manniello conscientiously reported as KIA to the deceased's family. He advanced to lieutenant colonel and retired in 1969 after representing the United States at the NATO Air Defense Ground Environment (NADGE).

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 48 min., 46 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: OH03487
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1609982

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Francis Manniello, March 19, 2012, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1606175

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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