Oral History Interview with Richard Bennett, November 15, 2001

Listen Online transcript

Jump to Track:

  1. Track One 0:46:18
  2. Track Two 0:30:51

Description

Interview with Richard (Dick) Bennett, a pilot during World War II. He discusses his enlistment in the Army Air Corps, basic training and flight school. He then went to a base in South Carolina to learn to fly B-25s. At Fort Myers, Florida he flew B-26 bombers and trained to fly them off of aircraft carriers so they could drop torpedos on the Japanese fleet during naval battles. He traveled across the Pacific to Brisbane only to be told that they didn't have B-26s for the crews; the colonel there knew nothing about the plan to launch B-26s from aircraft … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording : digital

Creation Information

Cox, Floyd & Bennett, Richard November 15, 2001.

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. It has been viewed 321 times. More information about this recording can be viewed below.

Who

People and organizations associated with either the creation of this audio recording or its content.

Interviewer

Interviewee

Publisher

Named Person

Person who is significant in some way to the content of this audio recording. Additional names may appear in Subjects below.

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.

Contact Us

What

Descriptive information to help identify this audio recording. Follow the links below to find similar items on the Portal.

Description

Interview with Richard (Dick) Bennett, a pilot during World War II. He discusses his enlistment in the Army Air Corps, basic training and flight school. He then went to a base in South Carolina to learn to fly B-25s. At Fort Myers, Florida he flew B-26 bombers and trained to fly them off of aircraft carriers so they could drop torpedos on the Japanese fleet during naval battles. He traveled across the Pacific to Brisbane only to be told that they didn't have B-26s for the crews; the colonel there knew nothing about the plan to launch B-26s from aircraft carriers, so they were sent to New Guinea to fly B-17s and supplement the crews for those bombers. From there they made bombing runs or "Washing Machine Charlie"-type runs to keep people awake at night on various Japanese targets in the islands, particularly the base at Rabaul. In fall of 1943, the Army grounded the B-17s due to the damage they had incurred and replaced them with B-24s. The men received manuals and were given only a few days to familiarize themselves with the new planes. They were then sent on bombing runs. He finished his tour of duty at the end of 1943, came back to the United States, and went on a War Bond drive throughout New York. He then went to Ohio to become a B-17 instructor, and traveled to various bases and training schools, including Alamogordo, New Mexico, where he visited only a day after the first atomic bomb test.

Physical Description

1 sound recording : digital

Subjects

Language

Item Type

Identifier

Unique identifying numbers for this recording in the Portal or other systems.

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.

Texas Oral History Collection

The Texas Oral History Collection is a group of oral history interviews from a variety of people discussing their lives in Texas.

World War Two Collection

These materials focus on World War II and the immediate postwar period of the late 1940s. In addition to materials created during the time period, materials may include modern studies and commemorative works about the era.

What responsibilities do I have when using this audio recording?

When

Dates and time periods associated with this audio recording.

Creation Date

  • November 15, 2001

Covered Time Period

Added to The Portal to Texas History

  • Feb. 12, 2012, 11:09 a.m.

Description Last Updated

  • Dec. 11, 2023, 10:51 a.m.

Usage Statistics

When was this recording last used?

Yesterday: 0
Past 30 days: 1
Total Uses: 321

Where

Geographical information about where this audio recording originated or about its content.

Map Information

  • map marker Place Name coordinates. (May be approximate.)
  • Repositioning map may be required for optimal printing.

Mapped Locations

Interact With This Audio Recording

Here are some suggestions for what to do next.

Cox, Floyd & Bennett, Richard. Oral History Interview with Richard Bennett, November 15, 2001, audio recording, November 15, 2001; Fredericksburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth204497/: accessed March 19, 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.

Back to Top of Screen