Introduction: (16 sec)
"My name is Charles Schulz, and I live in Ocean side Long Island. A long time ago in World War II, I had the pleasure of serving in the United States Army Air Force; in the capacity of being a radio operator/navigator."What did you do in the war? (25 sec)
"I was trained on a PT-19A [and] presumed to someday become a pilot. It was during this session that there was a disagreement between me and my instructor and I was relieved of any further duties for pilot training, and I was shifted over to be a radio navigator on a B-24 Bomber. I flew 35 missions over Germany, went to Berlin 6 times, and on many occasions, the airplane was shot up pretty bad with numerous holes; from the flank gunners and attacked by fighters…normal things that happen during combat! I was lucky to survive 35 missions and I came back home to the United States and was discharged by the United States Army."Why did you want to join the War? (18 sec)
"The motivation for joining the service was the fact that you were 19 or 20 years of age and you were eligible for the draft. And, rather that be drafted and not get the pick of which branch of service, I volunteered and went into the Air Force. I always thought that aviation was the coming 'thing' and I wanted to be a part of it."What was an average mission like? (33sec)
"It started 'round four o'clock in the morning. We were woke up by flashlights, somebody came around and shook your bed and said, 'You're going out today!' So, off we went to the briefing hut. Each individual member of the crew, such as the radio navigator, got his briefings as to his directions to go in and out of the target, the pilot got his directions as to where he was flying in the formation, the bombardier got his bomb load and the gunners received all their information as far as the ammunitions that were going to be loaded on the airplane."Who made up the crew?
"[There were] four people up on the flight deck [Pilot, Co-pilot, Navigator, ] and the six gunners in the back of the airplane."Did equipment ever fail? (40sec)
"On these flights, numerous things happened to you that were not anticipated, as a result of engaging the enemy. On one such occasion, one of the bombs hung up in the bomb bay, and somebody had to go out and release the catch on the bomb, so that it would get free, and we could get rid of it, and not carry it back to the base. This necessitated crawling out onto the catwalk, 27,000 ft above the ground, with a portable oxygen bottle, and a screwdriver, to release the electrical latch that failed on the mechanism. And of course the bomb-bay doors were open so that the bomb could fall free without destroying our airplane."A tale of interrogation (45sec)
"As the American forces moved forward over Germany, we would free all these different places that they kept American airmen. A friend of mine, while he was in prison in Germany, was being grilled by the Gestapo and they were trying to let him think that they knew all about the 8th airforce; its armament, its locations in England. And in this way, [they] would take him away from only giving them his name, rank and serial number, which was all that was required! But he got sick and tired of them badgering him, so one day [when] one of the Gestapo agents asked him, 'How many men were on a B-24 bomber, and what were their positions?' And he blurted out, 'Eight gunners and two score keepers!!' "Conclusion (5 sec)
"At that time, it was the vogue, it was the 'thing to do' to go and fight for your country…I got involved!"
