Interview with John W. Raisor, October 24, 2002

Partial Transcript: This is October 24th, 2002.

Segment Synopsis: Talks about being drafted into the Army and doing basic training at Camp Hood, Texas.

Keywords: Boston, Massachusetts; Camp Atterbury, Indiana; Camp Hood, Texas; Needles, California; Pendleton, Kentucky; basic training; drafted

Subjects: Basic training.; Boston (Mass.); Camp Atterbury (Ind.); Draftees.; Fort Hood (Tex.); Needles (Calif.); Pendleton County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: What kind of ship did you go over to England on?

Segment Synopsis: Talks about traveling overseas on a passenger ship.

Keywords: Liverpool, England; barracks; hammocks; passenger ship; sea sick; submarine

Subjects: Barracks.; Hammocks.; Liverpool (England); Motion sickness,; Passenger ships.; Submarines (Ships)

Partial Transcript: Then where did you go from England?

Segment Synopsis: Talks about landing on the beach of Normandy on D-Day.

Keywords: D-Day; Normandy, France; landing craft; tank destroyer; tank gunner

Subjects: Landing craft.; Tank destroyers.; Tank gunnery.; World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--France--Normandy.

Partial Transcript: So you joined the tank crew. Tell us where you went after.

Segment Synopsis: Talks about what it was like living in the tank during the war.

Keywords: Belgium; Normandy, France; Rhineland, Luxembourg; paris, france

Subjects: Belgium.; Luxembourg.; Normandy (France); Paris (France); Rhineland (Germany)

Partial Transcript: Did you run across any German tanks after you left Normandy?

Segment Synopsis: Talks about liberating Paris, France and the Jewish concentration camp in Warsaw, Poland.

Keywords: German tank; Germany; Holland; Holocaust; Paris, France; Poland; Siegfried Line; Warsaw, Poland; concentration camp

Subjects: Concentration camps.; Germany.; Holland.; Holocaust, 1939-1945.; Paris (France); Poland.; Siegfried Line (Germany); Tank destroyers--Germany.; Warsaw (Poland)

Partial Transcript: I understand you fought in the Battle of the Bulge.

Segment Synopsis: Talks about fighting at the Battle of the Bulge. Talks about the last battle he fought protecting a bridge.

Keywords: Battle of the Bulge; Belgium; Bronze Star; France; General Patton; Germany; Luxembourg; dynamite; field glasses; snowing; tanks

Subjects: Ardennes, Battle of the, 1944-1945.; Belgium.; Binoculars.; Bronze Star Medal (U.S.); Dynamite.; France.; Germany.; Luxembourg.; Patton, George S. (George Smith), 1885-1945.; Snow.; Tank warfare.

Partial Transcript: Where were you when you got word that the war was over?

Segment Synopsis: Talks about the end of the war and returning home to Kentucky.

Keywords: 6th Armored Division; Black Forest, Germany; Camp Atterbury, Indiana; Kentucky; Norfolk, Virginia; Russian prisoners; Third Army; discharged

Subjects: Black Forest (Germany); Camp Atterbury (Ind.); Kentucky.; Military discharge.

Partial Transcript: Can you describe this picture for us?

Segment Synopsis: Talks about the pictures he is showing.

Keywords: 3rd Tank Battalion; Black Forest; Camp Atterbury, Indiana; Plainfield, Ohio; basic training; tank crew

Subjects: Basic training.; Black Forest (Germany); Camp Atterbury (Ind.); Plainfield (Ohio); Tank crews.