The collected video record of 306th Bomb Group veterans, in their own words.
These recordings span decades and were captured at association reunions,
oral-history projects, and family-recorded sessions. Click any veteran below
to view their archived video interviews and reunion footage inline.
Albertson, Joe
1 video
Joe Albertson ,WWII European air war vet describes arriving at Wendover field UT. From "Thurleigh Memories" produced under the auspice of Dr. Vernon Williams former 306th Bomb Group Historical Association Historian and Editor of the 306th Echoes
Bachmann, George
1 video
Interview at the 2016 Dayton 306th BGHA reunion.
Carlile, Bill
4 videos
Bill Carlile - WWII air war veteran interviewed at 2013 306th BGHA reunion, relates various war experiences as a flight control office
Bill Carlile , WWII EU air war vet at 306th BGHA reunion on 2015 vet panel re day EU war over
Bill Carlile - WWII air war veteran interviewed at 2016 Dayton 306th BGHA reuniona tower control officer, relates various war experiences
Bill Carlile on 2018 vet panel
Coberly, Jay
1 video
Jay Coberlyt - 2014 (94th Bomb Group Bombardier), re Black Thursday, bailing out and becoming a POW.
Conant, Deborah
1 video
Deb Conant - 2016 Daughter of WWII vet reciting a folded wings (memorial) presentation
Engstrom, Fred
1 video
JJ Fred Engstrom , WWII air war veteran, during 2014 306th Bomb Group Historical Association reunion speaks of experiences including reading notes made at the time after each mission.
Esper, Dwain
1 video
Esper, Dwain -WWII EU vet re experiences including work in Intelligence section.
Franklin, Ralph
1 video
Ralph Franklin , description of creation of Thurleigh UK airfield and arrival of US troops as observed by local resident Ralph Franklin From "Thurleigh Memories" produced under the auspice of Dr. Vernon Williams former 306th Bomb Group Historical Association Historian and Editor of the 306th Echoes
Gaydosh, JJ
1 video
JJ Gaydosh - WWII vet at 2014 306th BGHA reunion relating story of becoming a pilot without any college.
Goode, Grover
1 video
Grover Goode 2013 reunion discusses enlistment; training, including U of Alabama and Tampa FL, assignment to 306th at Thurleigh air base. Completed 25 missions with shot up planes..
Groesbeck, Carl
2 videos
Carl Groesbeck , 2013 discusses training and being shot down.
Carl A. Groesbeck , relating having to bail out landing on island and becoming POW stalag luft III.
Harter, Loren
1 video
Loren Harter , WWII air war veteran, during 2014 306th Bomb Group Historical Association reunion relating experiences including surviving two crashes
Hitchcock, Robert
2 videos
Robert Hitchcock - WWII European air war vet at 306th BGHA reunion in roundtable,regarding troop reaction to VE day
Robert Hitchcock - WWII EU air war vet Radio Operator at 306th BGHA 2016 reunion experiences including crash landing in field between battle lines //note filename is wrongly shown as Groesbeck
Houlihan, Bill
2 videos
Bill Houlihan , medic, WWII European air war vet at 306th BGHA reunion in 2014 re: medical matters & some humorous stories and recorded speech at 2017 reunion.
Huebotter, Richard C
1 video
Richard C Huebotter , US Army Air Corps veteran stationed in England, gunner, documentary re: enlistment, training, missions, procedures, bailing out of plane being hurt and becoming a POW.
Jennings, Graford
1 video
Graford Jennings , armorer, WWII EU air war veteran WWII veteran relating conditions at Wendover UT airfield. From "Thurleigh Memories" produced under the auspice of Dr. Vernon Williams former 306th Bomb Group Historical Association Historian and Editor of the 306th Echoes
Kennedy, Dick
1 video
Dick Kennedy , WWII European air war 306th Bomb Group vet interview
Ketcham, Gailard
2 videos
2015 reunion
"Red" Ketcham , WWII vet at 2015 306th BGHA reunion discusses re Casey Jones mapping project & entertaining troops.
2016 reunion
"Red" Ketchem , WWII vet at 2016 306th BGHA reunion Arriving at end of the EU troop entertainment, closing bases & Casey Jones aerial photography project..
Lawson, Alan
1 video
Lawson, Alan ,WWII vet at 2014 306th BGHA reunion on panel discusses war experiences
Lissner, Ron
1 video
Ron Lissner interview, archived on archive.org.
McChesney, Field
1 video
Field McChesney , US Army Air Corps veteran stationed in England, 2000 home interview re crew-mates Al Lubojacky & Frank McDonough.
McDermott, Dillon
2 videos
Dillon McDermott. ,WWII vet at 306th BGHA 2014 reunion relates WWII B-17 experiences
Dillon McDermott. ,WWII vet at 306th BGHA 2016 reunion relates being a ball turret gunner and use of camera
McGuire, Arthur
1 video
Art McGuire , WWII European air war 306th Bomb Group vet interview
McMahan, Albert
1 video
Al McMahan , WWII vet at 306th BGHA 2015 reunion speaks of experiences during the war as a ball turret gunner.
Mullinax, Pete
1 video
Pete Mullinax ,WWII vet (94th Bomb Group Bombardier) at 306th BGHA 2014 reunion speaks re: being shot down on Black Thursday mission to Schweinfurt.
Mundell, Phil
2 videos
Phil Mundell ,WWII vet at 2013 reunion of 306th BGHA tells of enlistment (doctoring his birth certificate), training, assignment to Thurleigh, being shot down and making it to American lines
Phil Mundell , WWII vet at 2015 reunion of 306th BGHA WWII relating expereinces.
Nattier, Clayton
7 videos
Clayton Nattier ,2014 306th BGHA reunion; introduction to Veterans Roundtable concept by moderator followed by WWII air war veteran Clayton Nattier during 2014 306th Bomb Group Historical Association reunion discusses B-17 training including burst ear drums, then missions over Germany and being shot down.
Clayton Nattier ,WWII vet at 2014 306th BGHA reunion; re: B-17 training & being a POW in Germany
Clayton Nattier ,WWII vet at 2014 306th BGHA reunion describes contents of Red Cross packages received by POWs.
4 WWII vets at 2015 306th BGHA reunion Walter Rozett, Clayton Nattier, Nicholas Sawicki, Robert Hitchcock regarding troop reaction to VE day.
Clayton Nattier ,WWII vet at 2015 306th BGHA reunion describes food in German POW camp and Red Cross packages.
Clayton Nattier , WWII vet at 2016 306th BGHA reuniondescribes food in German POW camp and Red Cross packages
Clayton Nattier , US Army Air Corps veteran stationed in England Clayton Nattier relates experiences during war before a veteran's group.
Olmsted, Walter F Jr
1 video
WWII vet at 2016 reunion of the 306th BGHA panel discusses his experiences experiences. 13Apr44 injured
Riva, Hugo J.
6 videos · off-site
Hugo J. Riva served with the 367th Bomb Squadron at Thurleigh. His six-video interview collection is hosted by the Witness to War Foundation rather than here, so it opens on their site.
Shared with the kind permission of Mr. Riva and his family.
Walt Rozett , WWII vet at 2013 reunion of the 306th BGHA discusses enlistment, training, choosing B-17, assignment to Thurleigh, briefings
Walt Rozett WWII vet at 2014 reunion of the 306th BGHA re: unusually low losses during his missions.
WWII vets at 2015 reunion of the 306th BGHA re VE day, Walter Rozett, Clayton Nattier, Nicholas Sawicki, Robert Hitchcock regarding troop reaction to VE day.
Walter Rozett ,WWII vet at 2015 reunion of the 306th BGHA answers a question regarding being a lead pilot in group of B-17s on bombing missions over Germany.
WWII vets at 2015 reunion of the 306th BGHA Nicholas Sawicki, Bill Carlile, Walt Rozett and Robert Hitchcock , discuss advantages of Air Corp, various mess halls on base, pilot & co-pilot sharing flying time, & their age during the war
Walt P Rozett , WWII vet at 2015 reunion of the 306th BGHA answers a question regarding being a lead pilot in group of B-17s on bombing missions over Germany. .
Sawicke, Nicholas
5 videos
Nick Sawicke WWII European air war vet at 306th BGHA reunion in 2013 talks of enlistment training, conditions at Wendover, assignment to Thurleigh, briefings, missions. Ccompleting 25 missions and return to U.S..
Nicholas Sawicke , WWII European air war vet at 306th BGHA reunion in 2015 relates a typical mission day
WWII European air war vets at 306th BGHA reunion in 2015 Nicholas Sawicke, Bill Carlile, Walt Rozett and Robert Hitchcock , discuss advantages of Air Corp, various mess halls on base, pilot & co-pilot sharing flying time, & their age during the war.
WWII vets at 2015 reunion of the 306th BGHA re VE day, Walter Rozett, Clayton Nattier, Nicholas Sawicke, Robert Hitchcock regarding troop reaction to VE day.
2016 roundtable discussions with vets: Clayton Nattier, Nicholas Sawicke, "Red" Ketchem, & Robert Hitchcock miscellaneous topics
Shaw, Ralph
1 video
Ralph Shaw WWII European air war vet at 306th BGHA reunion in 2015 tells of being drafted, training and combat missions.
Snyder, Steve
1 video
Steve Snyder, President of the 306th BGHA, provides an overview at the 2016 reunion in Dayton, Ohio.
Trimble, Art
1 video
Art Trimble , navigator, WWII European air war vet at on 8-21 2015 on pre-war, navigator training, assignment to 306th, 7 missions, injury,and post war.
Vickers, Robert
1 video
Robert Vickers -At 2018 Reunion WWII EU vet re entering the service.
Veterans History Project — Library of Congress
Several 306th veterans recorded interviews for the Library of Congress.
Those recordings are held by the Library, not by the association, and we
link to them there rather than copying them here.
The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects,
preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S.
military veterans who served from World War I through more recent
conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear
directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt
during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes
oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters,
diaries, photographs, and memoirs.
Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for
scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may
hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview
or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others
who would like to make further use of these materials should
contact the Veterans History Project
for assistance.
Interview links are being compiled; check back soon. In the meantime the
Library's own search covers everything it holds for the group.
Produced films and compiled programmes, kept separate from the individual
veteran interviews above because they draw on many contributors rather than
one. Shadows plays here; the other two open in the archive's
original viewer.
Shadows: the mid-air crash
1 film
Documentary on the mid-air collision and its aftermath
Three talks given to the association survive as written transcripts rather than
recordings. They are reproduced here in full. Where a speech was recorded as
well, the audio is in the audio archive; these
three exist only on paper, which is why they are listed on their own rather than
alongside a player.
