Oral History Interview with Bill Dean, April 10, 2015

Oral History Interview with Bill Dean, April 10, 2015

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Track One 1:47:35

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bill Dean. Dean was born in Sapulpa, Oklahoma on 7 September 1924 and graduated from high school in 1942. Upon being drafted in 1943, he was sent to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri for thirteen weeks of basic training. While there he was selected to attend the Army Specialized Training Program at Colorado State College at Fort Collins. Soon after he entered the program, it was discontinued and he joined the 80th Infantry Division and went to Fort Dix, New Jersey. There, the division boarded HMS Queen Mary bound … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 47 min., 35 sec.)

Creation Information

Dean, Bill April 10, 2015.

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 Bill Dean. Dean was born in Sapulpa, Oklahoma on 7 September 1924 and graduated from high school in 1942. Upon being drafted in 1943, he was sent to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri for thirteen weeks of basic training. While there he was selected to attend the Army Specialized Training Program at Colorado State College at Fort Collins. Soon after he entered the program, it was discontinued and he joined the 80th Infantry Division and went to Fort Dix, New Jersey. There, the division boarded HMS Queen Mary bound for Scotland. Dean recalls landing at Normandy three weeks after the invasion and describes seeing wreckage and bodies that remained. The division joined the 8th Army and advanced across France. During December 1944 he was hospitalized for three weeks with a severe case of trench foot. Upon being released from the hospital, he was assigned to the 60th US Army Band. The band played during the funeral for General George Patton and he describes the formalities of the funeral. Dean returned to the United States in 1946 and was discharged soon thereafter.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 47 min., 35 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: OH04373
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1610498

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Bill Dean, April 10, 2015, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1606851

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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