Clemson University Digital Collections

Oral history of William Cato Clemson University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives A video recording of an in-person interview conducted by Drew Richard with Staff Sergeant William Cato on November 21, 2012. Born on April 2, 1921, Cato enlisted in the United States Army Infantry before turning 21, convincing his reluctant parents to sign his enlistment papers. Cato recounts his deployment to England and his role in D-Day operations, landing as a replacement infantryman shortly after the invasion. He describes combat in France and Belgium pushing through the Siegfried Line and the Argonne, Hurtgen, and Black Forests. He was nearly court-martialed for firing on fellow soldiers after mistaking their movements for enemy signaling. He was wounded by enemy artillery while helping his fellow soldiers on his way off the front line leading to his evacuation to England and, eventually, his return to the United States.

2012-11-21

Oral history of Robert Garrett Clemson University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives A video recording of a virtual interview conducted by Averi Brice with Danny Roach on December 15, 2024. Roach shares the story of his grandfather, Robert Garrett, born October 21, 1924, who served in the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II. Garrett enlisted in the Army at age 17 because he had his birth certificate changed at 14 to allow him to work. He deployed to North Africa and then served all across Europe. During a battle in Belgium, Garrett and six other soldiers suffered a motor attack that killed three and wounded him and two others. Despite his own injuries, he helped evacuate a more severely wounded soldier before returning to combat the next day, earning a Purple Heart for his actions. He also received five Bronze Stars. As part of the Glider Infantry, he described the experience of landing in enemy territory in canvas-covered gliders, often under fire, referring to the bullets ripping through the canvas sounding like popcorn popping.

2024-12-15

Oral history of Carl Weisenberg Clemson University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives A video recording of an in-person interview conducted by Anna Hickey with Chief Motor Machinist's Mate Carl Weisenberg on November 26, 2012. Born on December 16, 1911, Weisenberg was working as an auto mechanic when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Driven by a deep sense of duty, he volunteered for the United States Navy within days of the attack. Weisenberg trained in diesel mechanics before being assigned to Landing Craft Infantry gunboat, LCI-475. As motor machinist, he was responsible for maintaining and repairing eight main diesel engines and three generators to ensure his ship remained operational. His ship supported amphibious landings in the Pacific Theater, including battles at Guam, Saipan, Leyte, and Okinawa, where his crew fired rockets to clear enemy defenses before United States troops landed. He describes the intensity of Okinawa during which he operated a 75mm gun firing at the swarm of Japanese planes attacking his fleet. After three years at sea, Weisenberg was discharged at Pearl Habor in 1945 just before the war's official end.

2012-11-26

Oral history of Harold Koeplin Clemson University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives A video recording of an in-person interview conducted by Cole Hawkins with Harold Koeplin on November 19, 2013. Born on May 8, 1926, Koeplin was drafted into the United States Army in 1944. He was deployed to Europe in early 1945, arriving just in time to take part in the Battle of the Bulge. Assigned as a rifleman in Company K, 120th Infantry Regiment, Koeplin fought in the Ardennes Forest and into the Rhineland. On March 24, 1945, while crossing the Rhine River, he was wounded by a mortar shell, along with a fellow soldier. Evacuated to a field hospital in France, he recovered as the war came to an end. After returning home, he pursued higher education at Michigan State University, where he joined ROTC and was commissioned. During the Korean War, he served stateside at Fort Lawton, Washington.

2013-11-19

Oral history of Charles Norton Clemson University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives A video recording of an in-person interview conducted by Austin Mall with Lieutenant Colonel Charles Norton on April 1, 2014. Born on December 30, 1922, Norton served in the United States Air Force across three major conflicts: World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he knew he had to serve in the military and was determined to fly. Norton recounts the grueling experience of flight training, where instructors pushed cadets to their limits, and his training in jump school at Fort Benning, Georgia and Lawson Army Airfield. He describes the immense relief of finally earning his wings and the heartbreak of seeing others wash out. During and after World War II, he was stationed in Europe, where he helped establish early airline operations. His service continued into the Korean War, and later in Vietnam, where he commanded the 51st Bombardment Squadron, a B-52 squadron, leading bombing missions from bases in Guam.

2014-04-01

Oral history of James Wall Clemson University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives A video recording of an in-person interview conducted by John Richter with Captain James Wall on March 18, 2014. Born on March 18, 1920, Wall served in the United States Army Air Force during World War II. After graduating from Texas A&M, he was called to active duty in 1941, initially serving in the War Department before transferring to flight training and becoming a fighter pilot. Wall talks about flying P-51 Mustangs in combat missions over India, Burma, and China. He describes engaging in dogfights, engaging bombers, and striking enemy supply lines. During a mission in China, his plane was damaged by friendly fire, forcing him to bail out. He was captured by Chinese soldiers and given over to the Japanese and spent nine months as a prisoner of war. He details the harsh conditions of captivity before his eventual liberation at the war's end.

2014-03-18

Oral history of Ben Rankin Clemson University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives A video recording of an in-person interview conducted by Daniel Mack with Staff Sergeant Ben Rankin on November 16, 2012. Born on June 20, 1921, Rankin joined the United States Army enlisted Reserve and was called to duty in April 1943. Rankin talks about being deployed to North Africa and later joining the 3rd Infantry Division in Italy as a radio operator. He participated in the Anzio landings, where his unit was pinned down by German forces, and later advanced through Rome, southern France, Belgium, and Germany. He took over as supply sergeant, running the logistics of ammunition, rations, and equipment for over 160 men. He also describes traveling with General George S. Patton's forces through Germany and Austria, witnessing the destruction left by the war, and visiting Adolf Hitler's underground bunker.

2012-11-16

Oral history of Caroline Dawson Clemson University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives A video recording of an in-person interview conducted by Lindsay Odom with Caroline Dawson on November 16, 2015. Born on March 3, 1921, Dawson served in the American Red Cross from 1943 to 1944, working in hospital recreation at Camp Butner, NC. Growing up during the Great Depression, she experienced a close-knit community that supported one another through hardship. After college, she felt compelled to contribute to the war effort and was recruited into the Red Cross, training in Washington, D.C. at American University. She describes her daily responsibilities coordinating activities for wounded and recovering soldiers, including leading games, showing films, and organizing crafts. She recalls the segregated hospital wards, meeting boxer Joe Louis who visited the hospital to boost morale, and the importance of small comforts, such as Red Cross Christmas packages for the troops.

2015-11-16

Oral history of John McIntyre Clemson University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives A video recording of an in-person interview conducted by Austin Mall with Staff Sergeant John McIntyre on March 31, 2014. Born on February 2, 1922, McIntyre served in the United States Army during World War II. After enlisting in 1942, he trained as an engineer and led a squad that cleared mines and booby traps following the D-Day invasion. McIntyre recounts landing on Utah Beach after D-Day, removing explosives set to deter Allied forces, and following the Third Army through France. He helped construct a staging area in Marseille for troops bound for the Pacific, though the war ended before deployment. Returning home in 1945, he used the GI Bill to attend Clemson University, where he studied textiles before opening his own business and caring for his family, with which he returned to Normandy decades later.

2014-03-31

Oral history of Walter Morgan Clemson University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives A video recording of an in-person interview conducted by Austin Mall with Petty Officer Second Class Walter Morgan on November 17, 2013. Born on April 30, 1925, Morgan enlisted in the United States Navy in 1943. After completing radio school, radar school and gunnery training, he was assigned to 85th Bombardment Group as a rear gunner and radar operator on Curtiss Helldiver bombers. Morgan describes his intensive dive-bombing training where he witnessed fellow pilots lose their lives due to the extreme stress placed on aircraft during practice dives. After additional carrier landing training, he was assigned to the USS Shangri-La, a newly commissioned aircraft carrier that saw combat in the Pacific during the final months of the war. He recounts narrowly escaping enemy anti-aircraft fire over Kure Harbor, where his squadron successfully bombed the Japanese cruiser Oyodo and describes the intensity of kamikaze attacks. Morgan also reflects on the dropping of the atomic bombs and their continued operations until Japan's official surrender. He later participated in prisoner of war supply drops and the mass flyover of Japan to demonstrate US air power.

2013-11-17

Oral history of Howard Raines Clemson University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives A video recording of an in-person interview conducted by Will Hines with Private First Class Howard Raines on July 13, 2013. Born on April 7, 1923, Raines was drafted into the United States Army in 1944. In early 1945, Raines deployed to Europe, arriving in France before being transported by cattle car train to the front lines in Germany. He was assigned to an anti-tank unit as an ammunition handler for a 105mm anti-tank gun tasked with supporting roadblock positions against potential German tank movements. After Germany's surrender, Raines was stationed in Waiblingen and later Heidelberg, where he spent several months guarding captured SS troops.