World War II Oral History Activity

In this project, you will explore the stories of three people who lived through WWII.  So that you can hear the story of a combat person, a medical person, and a civilian, you will do one from each section, A, B, and C, below.  Within the sections, you may choose which oral history to read or listen to. Click on the links in each section below, complete the assignment for each section, then return to this page to continue. 

You may use the handouts given in class; or click the links below to download the PDF version to print and hand in; or download copies of the Word Doc version, type in the responses, and return them by email to: [email protected].  Be sure to include your name and period in the file name of the document you return.  Remember, you will need 3 copies of the handout; one for each oral history.

WWII Oral History Questions --  PDF version

WWII Oral History Questions -- Word Doc version

Part A -- Combat Personnel (Soldier, Sailor, Marine, or Airman) -- choose one

Click the names or the photos of the men to read, listen to, or watch their stories.

Oral History A1: Soldier,
Robert C. Baldridge

U.S. Army; invaded Normany at Utah Beach on D-Day; fought in the Battle of the Bulge; liberation of Nordhausen (concentration camp)

Oral History A2: Soldier,
Charles Rodriguez

U.S. Army infantry; served in Burma and China;
Zoot-suiter before the war.

Oral History A3: Sailor,
Harold Ward

U.S. Navy; served on the U.S.S. San Francisco; witnessed Pearl Harbor attack

Oral History A4:
Sailor, Submariner,
Marion L. Shinn

Served on the USS Guavina in the Pacific.

Oral History A5: Marine,
George J. Baird

Served in the Battles of Guadalcanal and Okinawa.

Oral History A6: Airman,
Dwight A. Lambert

U.S. Army Air Corps; B-17 Radar Navigator; POW in Germany

Part B -- Medical Personnel (Navy Corpsman or Nurse) -- choose one

Oral History B1
Navy Corpsman, Jack Hammett 

Ms. Sutton with Medal of Honor recipient, Walter Ehlers, and Pearl Harbor survivor, Jack Hammett. Summer 2010 in Garden Grove, CA.
Click the photo or his name to go to Jack Hammett's page.

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Oral History B2
Navy Nurse, Ann Bernatitus

Ann Bernatitus, painted by Albert Murray in 1942. Click the painting or her name to go to Ann Bernatitus' page.

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Part C -- Civilian "Rosie the Riveter" Factory workers -- choose one

Each of these women were interviewed are part of the same oral history project, so there are short videos excerpts and full transcripts of each interview.  Choose one of the women, find the section(s) of the video she is in, and listen to her story; then read some more of her story in the transcript. 

Oral History C1: Factory Worker, Mary Newson

Click on the photo to go to the video page.

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Oral History C2: Factory Worker, Phyllis Gould

Click on the photo to go to the video page.

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Oral History C3: Factory Worker, Mary Lou Cordova

Click on the photo to go to the video page.

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