Oral History Interview with Edward Nielsen, August 23, 2001

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The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Edward Nielsen from Medaryville, Indiana. He discusses undergoing Amry training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, before being assigned as B Company of the 69th Army Regiment at Fort Knox as a private. Afterwards he got lucky and was assigned to drive a truck from Louisiana to North Carolina, Mr. Nielsen describes this as the best job he ever had in the Army. After Pearl Harbor he is transferred to the 1st Armored Division and Regiment, 2nd Battalion. He was then transported from fort Knox to Ireland then to England … continued below

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1 sound recording (2 hr., 21 min., 57 sec.)

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Nielsen, Edward August 23, 2001.

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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.

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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.

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The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Edward Nielsen from Medaryville, Indiana. He discusses undergoing Amry training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, before being assigned as B Company of the 69th Army Regiment at Fort Knox as a private. Afterwards he got lucky and was assigned to drive a truck from Louisiana to North Carolina, Mr. Nielsen describes this as the best job he ever had in the Army. After Pearl Harbor he is transferred to the 1st Armored Division and Regiment, 2nd Battalion. He was then transported from fort Knox to Ireland then to England for a short time before being shipped out to Oran in North Africa. On the way to Oran, the ship he was on was almost hit by a missile shot by a German U-boat, but it instead hit another ship that was nearby. By the time Mr. Nielsen reached Oran he was a segreant Tank Commander. He also relays a time he warned his Company Commander about German Tiger Tanks being in their area and being ignored only for them to show up a few days later resulting in one captain deserting and being captured by German soldiers. Mr. Nielsen also discusses getting captured by the Germans on February 14th of 1943 and being brought to Tunis for a few weeks before being flown to Naples, Italy, and eventually ending up in a camp near Munich. Mr. Nielsen had made escape plans but was ultimately in the camp until it was liberated by the Russians. After being liberated he was flown to France before being brought back to Boston Massachusetts. Mr. Nielsen then got a train to Indianapolis before finally going home to Medaryville and was discharged in either September or October of 1945.

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1 sound recording (2 hr., 21 min., 57 sec.)

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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.

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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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Oral History Interview with Edward Nielsen, August 23, 2001 (Text)

Oral History Interview with Edward Nielsen, August 23, 2001

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Edward Nielsen from Medaryville, Indiana. He discusses undergoing Amry training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, before being assigned as B Company of the 69th Army Regiment at Fort Knox as a private. Afterwards he got lucky and was assigned to drive a truck from Louisiana to North Carolina, Mr. Nielsen describes this as the best job he ever had in the Army. After Pearl Harbor he is transferred to the 1st Armored Division and Regiment, 2nd Battalion. He was then transported from fort Knox to Ireland then to England for a short time before being shipped out to Oran in North Africa. On the way to Oran, the ship he was on was almost hit by a missile shot by a German U-boat, but it instead hit another ship that was nearby. By the time Mr. Nielsen reached Oran he was a segreant Tank Commander. He also relays a time he warned his Company Commander about German Tiger Tanks being in their area and being ignored only for them to show up a few days later resulting in one captain deserting and being captured by German soldiers. Mr. Nielsen also discusses getting captured by the Germans on February 14th of 1943 and being brought to Tunis for a few weeks before being flown to Naples, Italy, and eventually ending up in a camp near Munich. Mr. Nielsen had made escape plans but was ultimately in the camp until it was liberated by the Russians. After being liberated he was flown to France before being brought back to Boston in the U.S.. He then got a train to Indianapolis before finally going home to Medaryville and was discharged in either September or October of 1945.

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Oral History Interview with Edward Nielsen, August 23, 2001, [transcript], ark:/67531/metapth1613102

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  • August 23, 2001

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Added to The Portal to Texas History

  • Oct. 20, 2023, 1:40 p.m.

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  • Jan. 12, 2024, 12:12 p.m.

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Nielsen, Edward. Oral History Interview with Edward Nielsen, August 23, 2001, audio recording, August 23, 2001; Fredericksburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1613163/: accessed June 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation.

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