Showing 267 results

Two 90 minute audio cassettes

https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/stc:9891#/kaltura_audio

Biographical Information: Dean H. Aarvig was born on October 15, 1920 in Willmar, Minnesota. He graduated from high school in 1937 and was drafted into the Army in 1942. After completing basic training, Aarvig went to Officer Candidate School (OCS) and joined the 9th Armored Division in France as a platoon leader that conducted intelligence & reconnaissance missions. During his service, Aarvig participated in the Battle of the Bulge and the Battle of Remagen. After the war’s end, Aarvig returned to Minnesota, where he and his wife ran a newspaper in Grand Meadow, as well as farmed. In November of 1950, Aarvig was recalled into the service and served with the 25th Infantry Division as a Company Commander in Korea. Aarvig was married and had two children. He passed away on July 2, 1998.

Transcript Summary: Dean H. Aarvig described his experiences in World War II with the 9th Armored Division in France, as well as his experiences with the 25th Infantry Division in Korea. He was drafted into the United States Army in 1942, but scored high enough on the entrance exam to qualify for Officer Candidate School. After arrival in France, Aarvig’s unit was part of the Battle of the Bulge as well as the Battle of Remagen. During his service in World War II, Aarvig was primarily an Information and Reconnaissance officer, responsible for scouting out enemy positions before the infantry moved in. After his World War II service, Aarvig returned home to his wife, and together they ran a newspaper. He was also a farmer until he was recalled into service during the Korean War in 1950. Aarvig discussed his displeasure with the Korean War and how it was handled from an administrative standpoint. He also talked about his thoughts on those in Vietnam burning their draft cards and going to Canada. Aarvig felt that these individuals had every right to do so, and his experiences in Korea shaped his opinions about America’s involvement in Vietnam.

Interview by David Overy

One 90 minute audio cassette

https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/stc:9888#/kaltura_audio

Biographical Information: Donald E. Anderson was born on April 5, 1922 in Milaca, Minnesota. He joined the National Guard in 1939 at the age of 16. Anderson entered World War II assigned to the 34th Division Field Artillery and spent most of his service in North Africa and Italy. After being discharged from service in 1945, Anderson opened a restaurant as well as worked as a postal worker. Anderson passed away on August 29, 1999 at the age of 77.

Transcript Summary: Donald E. Anderson described his experiences serving with the Minnesota National Guard in the 34th Division Field Artillery during World War II. Stationed in North Africa and Italy, Anderson discussed his frustration with “ninety-day wonders” Anderson also experienced taking German prisoners, as well as interacted with civilians in Italy. He was also present when the body of Mussolini was hanging from a building. After the war, Anderson describes his endeavors which included opening a restaurant. Anderson discussed his struggles in life going into the service, how he considered himself to be a “screw-up” and credits his time in the military for helping him sort that out. Anderson concluded the interview by presenting his frustrations with the preparedness of the United States during the war, and how he would have corrected it.

Interview by David Overy

Includes archival material

One 90 minute audio cassette

https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/stc:8584#/kaltura_audio

Biographical Information: Edward V. Anderson was born on April 14, 1923, in DeKalb, Illinois. He enlisted in the Army Air Force in 1942 at the age of 19, and served as a B-24 pilot in Europe during the last months of World War II as a second Lieutenant. After his service, Anderson returned to the University of Illinois to finish his undergraduate education, and married his wife, Lucy Cleveland Johns, on September 27, 1947. They had five children: David, Howard, Carol, Joyce and Timothy. Anderson earned his master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. He worked as a mechanical engineer until his retirement in 1983. Anderson died on March 13, 2011 at his home in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, at the age of 87.

Transcript Summary: Edward V. Anderson described his experiences as a B-24 pilot during World War II. He enlisted in 1942 and graduated from pilot training in Lubbock, Texas, in May 1944. Anderson was part of the wave of replacement crews sent to the European theatre in early January 1945 and stationed in Seething, England. He discussed the pilot training he went through while in the United States, as well as the 13 missions he flew while in Europe. In his first mission, he described having to crash-land his airplane in a Belgian field after running out of fuel. While flying his second mission, the plane lost two engines and his crew member was hit by flak shrapnel shot by German anti-aircraft defenses. After the war, his crew was low on points, so they were reassigned to participate in the Japanese Theater of war, but Japan surrendered before they had to ship out. Anderson detailed the daily routines for missions as well as training flights for pilots during WWII and briefly summarizes his life after the war.

Interview by John Carter

One 90 minute audio cassette

https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/stc:8542#/kaltura_audio

Biographical Information: Charles L. Arnold was born on October 28, 1919, and was raised in Preston, Minnesota. Arnold served in the United States Air Force from 1941 to 1945. He married his wife, Audrey, in 1944, and had six children. Arnold left the Air Force at the rank of Sergeant and was a farmer for thirteen years and, later, he raised horses. He died on December 9, 2009.

Transcript Summary: Charles L. Arnold described his experiences as a baker and typist in the United States Air Force during World War II. He was drafted in the Army in 1941, but enlisted in the Air Force and became a baker. Stationed at Matagorda Island Air Force Base in Texas for the majority of his service, Arnold describes the day to day life living and working on the base. Arnold was married in 1944 to his wife, Audrey, and they had six children. In 1945, Arnold was transferred to Fresno, California, and attended typist school. In addition, he discussed his thoughts and feelings about his time in the Air Force and the several military bases he served on. After his service in the Air Force, Arnold attended farming school and farmed for thirteen years, he later raised horses.

Interview by Daniel Lewis

Includes archival material

One 90 minute audio cassette

https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/stc:8633#/kaltura_audio

Biographical Information: Vernon A. Bigalke was born in Little Falls, Minnesota, on February 18, 1917. Before the war, he served in the Minnesota National Guard and then was drafted into the Army in 1941. For the first years of the war, Bigalke was part of an anti-aircraft artillery unit that guarded American shores. He was reassigned to the 259th Infantry in Mississippi and sent to Le Harve, France in December 1944 as part of the 65th Infantry Division. While at the Seigfried Line, he was captured by the Germans in January 1945 and held as a prisoner until the end of the war. After the war, Mr. Bigalke became a farmer and raised a family. He died in Little Falls, Minnesota, on November 22, 2007.

Transcript Summary: Vernon A. Bigalke was born in Little Falls, Minnesota, on February 18, 1917. Before the war, he served in the Minnesota National Guard and then was drafted into the Army in 1941. For the first years of the war, Bigalke was part of an anti-aircraft artillery unit that guarded American shores. He was reassigned to the 259th Infantry in Mississippi and sent to Le Harve, France in December of 1944 as part of the 65th Infantry Division. He described the defensive nature of his European service and the circumstances of his capture near the southern portion of the Seigfried Line in January 1945. Instead of being taken to a prison camp, Bigalke and twenty other Americans were marched across southern German from the Siegfried Line to Frankfurt to Munich. He described his treatment by the Germans, his survival mechanisms, and his experiences as a POW until liberation, which included a brief stop at Dachau concentration camp. He also discussed postwar medical treatment by the military and his impressions of the area on a return visit 45 years later.

Interview by David Overy

Includes archival material

One 90 minute audio cassette

https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/worldwar_oh/27/

Biographical Information: Clayton A. Biller was born on March 17, 1922 and was raised in Dewey, Wisconsin. Biller served as a flight instructor for the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. After his military service, Biller served as a commercial pilot for American Airlines for 31 years. Biller passed away on November 28, 2020 and is buried at the Eagle Point National Cemetery in Eagle Point, Oregon. His wife Jackie passed away in 2016.

Transcript Summary: Clayton A. Biller described his experiences as a flight instructor in the United States Air Force during World War II. Biller enlisted into Air Corps on June 11, 1940, and received training at Chanute Field in Illinois. Biller was stationed at Freeman Army Field, Indiana, and was a flight instructor for twin engine aircraft until 1945. In addition, he discussed experience with several types of twin engine airplanes while an instructor. After his military service, Biller became licensed in civilian mechanics and instrument rating. Biller went on to work for American Airlines for 31 years until 1982.

Interview by David Smith

Thank you to the Minnesota Digital Library for digitizing the audio for the interview, as well as the creation of the transcript.

One 90 minute audio cassette

https://collection.mndigital.org/catalog/stc:9837

Biographical Information: Stanley Biniek was born in Raczyce, Poland on November 3, 1912. Biniek and his family were separated in 1939 into concentration camps by the German Army. Biniek spent over three years in Buchenwald before escaping with two other prisoners. After 72 days of travel, Biniek made it safely to Luxembourg, where he married his wife Victoria Adaszak in 1948. Biniek and his wife moved to Minnesota in 1952, and he worked for Woodcraft Industries and St. Regis Paper Mill. He had two daughters and one son. Biniek passed away on June 7, 2008 in Foley, Minnesota.

Transcript Summary: Stanley Biniek discussed his experiences during World War II, primarily his time held in Buchenwald concentration camp. These experiences included witnessing prisoners being sent to killing chambers and the side-effects of those on the camp’s water supply. Around Christmastime in 1943, Biniek describes how he and two other prisoners carried out an escape plan and successfully got out of Buchenwald using items from their Red Cross care packages. Once freed, the men traveled only by night for 72 days until safely arriving in Luxembourg. A man they were traveling with had gotten caught inside of a German family’s home, and when Biniek attempted to break him out, the man was shot and killed by the family. Biniek concluded the interview by describing how he wants to forget his time in the concentration camps, and that he does not understand those that disagree that the Holocaust really took place.

Interview by Karen Wenz

Two 90 minute audio cassettes

https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/stc:9852#/kaltura_audio

Biographical Information: Herbert Blad was born on January 12, 1920. He was inducted into service on March 22, 1942 and served as a 60mm mortarman in the 32nd Infantry, 7th Division. Blad primarily spent World War II in the Pacific theater, where he participated in the Aleutians, Kwajalein, Leyte and Okinawa campaigns. He was discharged on November 15, 1945. Blad passed away on December 27, 1997.

Transcript Summary: Herbert Blad discussed his time in the 32nd Infantry, 7th Division as a mortarman during World War II. Blad went into service in 1942 and after training in California, was sent across the Pacific Ocean towards the Aleutian Islands to fight Japanese forces. One of the most shocking things Blad witnessed was the treatment of native civilians by the Japanese military which included mass slaughter and use of civilians for bayonet practice. The Kwajalein campaign, Blad described, as a very quick operation lasting only 5 days. Leyte in the Philippines was much more intense, with combat action and difficult terrain to navigate. Sometimes, the jungle would be too thick, which made mortar use difficult. Blad described an incident when a kamikaze pilot struck the ship he was on, sending one man overboard. On Okinawa, Blad described the Japanese as well-fortified and full of snipers, one of which had killed a captain from their platoon. World War II concluded with Blad stationed on Okinawa, but he was sent to Pusan, Korea to police the area until the Japanese troops left. Blad concluded the interview with his thoughts on those draft-dodging Vietnam, and how he felt they did not appreciate America by their actions.

Interview by David Overy

Irwin Henry Block was born on September 3, 1920. He enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps/United States Air Force on September 14, 1942 at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. Block attended basic training at Camp Pendleton in Oregon and machine shop training in Ontario, California. Block was stateside for the duration of the war and was never deployed to the European or Pacific theaters. He did serve in Korea during the Korean War. After the war, Block was married and was the step father to three. He passed away on June 21, 1993. No oral history File includes archival material

Biographical Information: Born on November 12, 1928 in Minneapolis to Elmer and Laura Bognon, Leslie Bugnon was drafted into service for the Korean War. He spent his training days in South Carolina, and volunteered for overseas duty to leave the United States. Bugnon spent time in close proximity to where the peace talks were occurring at Panmunjom. After the Korean War, was employed by Metallurgical Minneapolis and was a school bus driver. Bugnon passed away on August 21, 1994 and buried in the Minnesota State Veterans cemetery in Little Falls, Minnesota.

Transcript Summary: Leslie Bugnon discussed his experiences during the Korean War. Bugnon was originally drafted for service, and declined an attempt to apply for deferment to avoid being labeled a “draft-dodger.” After his first airplane brought him to South Carolina for training, Bugnon described losing a considerable amount of weight, his waist size dropped from 43” to 34”. The men would wish for kitchen police (KP) duty to be exempt from the grueling training, which included lots of marching and obstacle courses. After volunteering for overseas duty, Bugnon was assigned to a heavy artillery unit in Korea. Gun maintenance was important and Bugnon was offered a promotion to sergeant first class if he re-upped his military service instead of return home after his two years.

Interview by David Overy

Oral history tapes are missing.

Two 90 minute audio cassettes

https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/stc:8581#/kaltura_audio

Biographical Information: Richard L. Carroll was born on October 19, 1920 in Rosemount, Minnesota. He enlisted in the Army Air Force in September 1942 and served as a second lieutenant heavy-bomber pilot in Italy during the first half of 1944. On July 2, 1944, while flying his fifteenth mission, Carroll’s airplane had engine trouble and they were forced to eject over Hungary. While parachuting to the ground, Carroll was shot by a Hungarian civilian and became a prisoner of war in Budapest prior to being transported to Germany. After returning to the United States in June of 1945, Carroll married and retired from military service. Though originally he was not expected to survive more than a few days from his wound, Carroll would live the rest of his life with the bullet still lodged in his heart. Carroll and his wife Martha had three daughters: Barbara, Maureen, and Jane. He died on December 21, 2017 and is buried in Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights, Minnesota.

Transcript Summary: Richard L. Carroll described his experiences as a pilot in World War II, both as a soldier and prisoner of war. He enlisted in the Army Air Force as a pilot in September 1942 and graduated from Ellington Field in Houston, Texas, as a second lieutenant pilot in January 1944. From there, Carroll was assigned to the 459th heavy bomb group stationed in Cerignola, Italy. He flew fifteen bombing missions over various European countries, including Yugoslavia and Poland. During his fifteenth mission while flying over Budapest, Hungary, Carroll was forced to eject from his aircraft and parachuted safely to the ground, where he was promptly shot by a Hungarian farmer. The bullet had entered through his right lung and lodged itself in the muscle of his heart. Believed to not survive more than a few days from his wound, Carroll had been given the last rites and made comfortable, but a lowering of his fever from 104 to 101 degrees prompted his transportation to Budapest. He struggled through various complications such as having a collapsed lung and a blood clot in his left leg. Eventually, after receiving a blood transfusion from another American prisoner at the hospital, Carroll’s condition improved. Due to the Soviet Union advancing towards Hungary, Carroll and the other prisoners of war were transferred to a camp in Germany. They were liberated in May 1945 by Soviet troops, but were held as bargaining chips until their transfer to American custody in June 1945. After the war, the bullet in Carroll’s heart put him on disability and forced him to retire from military service.

Interview by Daniel Lewis

One 90 minute audio cassette and one 60 minute cassette

https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/stc:8638#/kaltura_audio

Biographical Information: William Cheeseman was born in Little Falls, Minnesota, on April 22, 1918. He enlisted in the Minnesota National Guard in 1938 and was called to active duty in 1941. Cheeseman was part of a transportation company that was attached to the 34th Infantry Division when it was deployed to Ireland for training. Sent to North Africa in 1943, he participated in the North African campaign including the retreat at Kasserine Pass. Cheeseman was given a field promotion and was the supply officer with the headquarters battalion when it moved to Italy in mid-1943. There he experienced frequent artillery bombardments and served on the court martial board. He observed the action at Monte Cassino before being shipped home in 1944. He remained with the National Guard and eventually rose to the rank of general. Mr. Cheeseman married and raised a family in St. Paul before retiring to Little Falls. He died in Little Falls, Minnesota, on February 4, 2014.

Transcript Summary: William Cheeseman was inducted into the 34th Infantry Division from the 109th Quartermaster Regiment of the Minnesota National Guard in February 1941. After training at Camps Ripley and Claiborne, he was sent to Belfast, Ireland. He described camp life and the efforts to provide troops with proper seasonal equipment in the U.S. After training in Ireland, he was sent to Africa in 1943. He was involved in several African campaigns against German General Rommel’s troops including the retreat at Kasserine Pass. He received a battlefield commission at this time to second lieutenant, serving as the supply officer with the headquarters battalion. He discussed the camp life in Africa and the effect of General George Patton’s leadership. He then was sent to Italy where he was a supply officer and worked on the court martial board. He observed the attack on Monte Cassino and described being under almost constant artillery fire in Italy. Cheeseman made several comments about the various nationalities he came into contact with including international allies, German and Italian opposition, and civilian population in Ireland, Italy, and Africa. He also made observations about the quality and efforts of the Nisei Regiment and the African American 92nd division. As a junior member of the court martial board, Mr. Cheeseman speculated about the motivations of the many offenders that were tried, the severity and effectiveness of their punishment, and shared some notable cases. Finally, Cheeseman discussed the impact the war had on him as a person. After the war, he remained in the National Guard and advanced in the ranks to general. He lived and worked in St. Paul until retiring to Little Falls, Minnesota, where he passed away on February 4, 2014.

Interview by David Overy

One 90 minute audio cassette and one 60 minute cassette

https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/stc:8642#/kaltura_audio

Biographical Information: William “Bill” Chirhart was born on October 15, 1922 and raised in Waite Park, Minnesota. Chirhart was in the Minnesota National Guard from 1939 to 1963 and the Army from 1941 to 1952, participating both in World War II and the Korean Conflict. In 1949, he married his wife, Alice Pierkskalla, the couple had four children. Chirhart was a police officer for the City of St. Cloud, Minnesota from 1955 until his retirement in 1982. Chirhart died on September 11, 2008, at the age of 85.

Transcript Summary: William “Bill” Chirhart described his experiences as an infantryman in Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II. In 1939, Chirhart joined the National Guard of Minnesota, but would be called into active duty by the United States Army in 1941. In this interview, Chirhart discussed his training in anti-aircraft defense, searchlight, and automatic tracking. Once deployed to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater, he spent time on and near the islands of the Philippines, New Guinea, Bougainville, and Cebu. Chirhart’s division often spent time on ships, doing patrols while on sea duty. He detailed difficulties of living in a tropical climate, the water restrictions, food shortages, body rashes, and interactions with scorpions and beetles. Shortly after returning from World War II, Chirhart was deployed as a reconnaissance platoon sergeant during the Korean Conflict. Chirhart concluded that his military experience as a positive one, it gave him discipline that made him the man he needed to be, and allowed him an easy transition into police work in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

Interview by David Overy

Includes archival material

One 90 minute audio cassette

https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/worldwar_oh/5/

Biographical Information: Marion Lyons Clover was born in Valley City, North Dakota on March 3, 1918. During World War II, Clover enlisted with the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) and worked in a clerical position for the Air Transport Command in Casablanca, North Africa. After the conclusion of World War II, Clover reenlisted and was sent to Japan in 1946. She returned to the United States in 1948 in the Air Force reserves, and was recalled early during the Korean War. After her discharge from the Korean War, Clover returned to North Dakota, where she worked on the family farm in Eckelson until she passed away on March 5, 2014.

Transcript Summary: Marion Lyons Clover discussed her service with the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) during World War II. Clover enlisted in the WACs in 1943 and was stateside typing up furlough papers. She had put in for overseas duty and was assigned to Casablanca, North Africa in 1944. In Casablanca, Clover worked in the Air Transport Command securing orders of shipments and checking that everything was accurate. During the time in Casablanca, Clover was given the opportunities to visit other WACs in Italy, as well as spent time at an oasis in Marrakech. After the war concluded, Clover decided to remain in service and by 1946 was sent to Japan as part of the occupying force. She remained in Japan until 1948, when she returned to the United States and went into the Air Force reserves. Clover was recalled into service at the beginning of the Korean War, after achieving the rank of master sergeant. Korea was a different experience, Clover pointed out, because there was a lack of comradery and unification, along with differentiating circumstances that stemmed from a “police action” versus a “declared war.” Clover concluded the interview with a discussion of how women were received by men in the service.

Interview by Nancy Baker

One 90 minute audio cassette

https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/worldwar_oh/26/

Biographical Information: Emmett L. Crouch was born on September 22, 1920, in Richmond, Alabama. Crouch was raised in the District of Columbia and lived there until he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1942. He was a fighter pilot in the South Pacific during World War II. Crouch married his wife, Jean, in December 1945, and had two children, John and Kerry. Couch left the Air Force after eighteen years of service at the rank of Major, but was later promoted to Lieutenant Colonel for the U.S. Air Force Reserve. Couch died on December 5, 2011, in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Transcript Summary: Emmett L. Crouch described his experiences as an Air Force officer during World War II. He enlisted in 1942 and graduated from pilot training in San Antonia, Texas, in 1944. Crouch described his involvement in World War II, primarily talking about the South Pacific. He was stationed in Saipan, Guam, and Okinawa. He discussed his involvement as a B-24 pilot in the Marcus Island Raids in Saipan. While on a mission, Crouch and his crew witnessed the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, in August 1945. At the end of the World War II, Crouch was a part of the liberation of Japanese prisoners of war, flying them back to the Philippines for relocation. Lastly, Crouch detailed his life after WWII and his duties while in the Air Force Reserves.

Interview by John Carter

Thank you to the Minnesota Digital Library for digitizing the audio for the interview, as well as the creation of the transcript.

One 60 minute audio cassette

https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/stc:9885#/kaltura_audio

Biographical Information: Donald Davis enlisted for service 1942 to serve as a cadet in World War II with the Army Air Corps as a pilot. The majority of his time was spent stateside, flying trainers and fighter aircraft. Three days prior to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Davis had arrived in Spain to assist in pilot training to fight against Japanese forces. Davis was discharged in October 1945 after two and a half years of service. Davis attended the University of Minnesota and graduated with a journalism degree. He worked various jobs within the water conditioning business until retirement. He married later in life.

Transcript Summary: Donald Davis discussed his service as a test pilot during World War II with the Army Air Corps. Davis enlisted into service six months prior to his 18th birthday to avoid imminent infantry duty if drafted. Davis participated in the College Training Detachment (CTD) in Utah. This program is where Davis was exposed to flight testing, and went to Tulare, California for pilot training in a Boeing Stearman bi-wing airplane. While in training, Davis earned the rank of flight officer and wore a blue bar. Throughout the interview, Davis detailed the differences between the aircraft he flew during his service, which included: the Stearman, AT-6, BT-13, P-39, P-40 and P-51. Davis was shipped overseas three days prior to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, which meant he avoided seeing any combat - and was very relieved of that fact. After the war, he had trouble finding an aviation job, so Davis received a degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota before going into the water conditioning business. He concluded the interview by stating his favorite plane to fly was the AT-6.

Interview by John Carter

One 90 minute audio cassette

https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/stc:9870#/kaltura_audio

Biographical Information: Born in Ashby, Minnesota on September 14, 1911, Donald Dean enlisted into service on July 5, 1942 and joined the 133rd Ordinance Maintenance Battalion. He was present at the Battle of the Bulge as well as the liberation of the Mauthausen concentration camp. Dean had gotten married prior to being shipped overseas and had two sons.

Transcript Summary: Donald Dean described his experiences serving with the 133rd Ordinance Maintenance Battalion as a vehicle repairman during World War II. After training, Dean was shipped to England before his unit moved to Normandy, France in the fall of 1944, after it was declared a non-combat zone. Dean participated in the Battle of the Bulge, where he was responsible for issuing parts to vehicles for maintenance and combat repairs. In one instance, Dean described playing a “game” of hide-and-seek with a German plane that had spotted their truck while in Belgium. Dean discussed how he and another soldier, Glenn Johnson, billeted with a family while stationed near Bastogne, and befriended them. Though Dean returned to Europe on a reunion trip in 1984, he did not make it down to see the family. In another instance, Dean volunteered to deliver a 1939 Ford V8 car to Prague for an ambassador. He and a friend had three days to drive it behind the “Iron Curtain” through Czechoslovakia, they took all three days to explore the area and Prague before delivering the vehicle. Dean was also present shortly after the liberation of the Mauthausen concentration camp, and described the scene of the former prisoners and their actions towards their former German captors. Dean concluded the interview by sharing a personal story about his son refusing to fight in Vietnam if drafted.

Interview by David Overy

Two 90 minute audio cassettes

https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/stc:8559#/kaltura_audio

Biographical Information: Robert “Bob” Duoos was born on January 15, 1923 and was raised in St. Paul, Minnesota. Duoos was drafted by the U.S. Army in December 1942. He was a part of the 80th Infantry Division of General George Patton’s Third Army in the European theatre. After the war, Duoos married his wife, Gloria, in 1948 and had four children: Bridget, Deborah, Tim, and Lisa. He attended Augsburg College and majored in History, and taught high school for 32 years in Cambridge, Minnesota. He died on January 11, 2021 and is bured at the Cambridge Lutheran Cemetery in Cambridge, Minnesota.

Transcript Summary: Robert “Bob” Duoos described his experiences as soldier in the 80th Infantry Division in Europe during World War II. He began the interview by detailing his draft notice and basic training at Camp Campbell in Kentucky in 1943. In the summer of 1944, Duoos was assigned to a cavalry and reconnaissance unit. Duoos detailed his experiences with the foreign civilians and the time he spent in England, France, Germany, Luxemburg, and Czechoslovakia. Duoos discussed his participation in the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp near Weimar, Germany. He described the horrors of “The Beast of Buchenwald” from his own experiences and recounted the stories he heard from survivors of the camp. The final piece of Duoos’ interview addressed his own thoughts and feelings about General Patton, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, and the Pacific theatre of World War II.

Interview by Mike McDonald

One 90 minute audio cassette