Harlan, Betty 1998-11-17

Betty Harlan discusses growing up in Amherst, Texas and her husband Nolan’s involvement in World War II.

General Interview Information

Interviewee Name: Betty Harlan

Additional Parties Recorded:

Date: November 17, 1998

Location: Bula, Texas

Interviewer: David Marshall

Length: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Abstract

Tape 1: Harlan Betty, Born in Amherst Texas in 1930, Family, Father, Job, Childhood, Amherst Texas, Depression, Church of Christ, Farm house, Electricity, Roosevelt Franklin D., Chores, Washing clothes, Garden, Clothes, Homemade, Chicken feed sacks, Parents, Origins, Reason for moving to West Texas, Father, Jobs, Construction, Farming, Cotton and feed, Childhood (again), Celebrating Thanksgiving, Food, School celebrations, Education, Amherst High School, Courses, Eastern New Mexico University, Job, Legal secretary 1947-1953, Husband, Harlan Nolan, First meeting, Amherst Texas (again), Hospital, Husband (again), Harlan Nolan, Born in 1919, Childhood home, New Mexico, Mother, Billy the Kid, Harlan Nolan (continued), Family, Moving to Texas, Oil business, Farming, Aircraft job in California, Volunteered into the Army in July 1942, World War II, Find about the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Brother, Battle of the Bulge, Harlan Nolan (again), Prisoner of War, Paratrooper, Basic training, Waiting for D-Day in England, Jumping into France, Lost his partner upon landing, Blowing up a bridge, Hit by mortar shell, Captured by the Germans, Prisoner of War (again), Took railroad to prison camp, Interrogation, Digging an escape tunnel, Escaping, Getting recaptured, German Court Marshal trial, 60 days hard labor in eastern Germany, Mining coal, Food, Starvation, Germans marched prisoners west away from Russian troops, Escaped into trees with three other soldiers, Sneaking through Germany toward U.S. troops, Found house to ask for help, Received weapons ammo and maps.

Tape 2: Meeting the 2nd Mechanized Division, Joined the division, 60 day leave for Prisoners of War, War ended while on leave in U.S., Medical problems while a prisoner, Heart disease, Post dramatic war syndrome, Harlan Nolan (again), Father, Died in tractor accident 1948, Farming, Heart attack 1974, Quit farming, Bula, Texas (again), Church of Christ (again), Harlan, Nolan (again), Died September 3 1998, Military medals, Opinions on D-Day, German ambush on the beaches, Dropping into France, Paratroopers, Muleshoe Texas Wildlife Refuge, War related trauma, Nightmares, Politics, Democrat, Activist, Ran for County Commissioner, Lost after a recount of votes, Veteran work, Harlan Betty (again), Veteran work.

Range Dates: 1919-1998

Bulk Dates: 1941-1945

Access Information

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