Boydston, Jack 1982-09-30
Jack Boydston tells of his military experience during World War II and the Korean War. He then relates his work with Pioneer Airlines, the attitudes of Lubbock toward the Vietnam War and the aftermath of the 1970 tornado.
General Interview Information
Interviewee Name: Jack Boydston
Additional Parties Recorded:
Date: September 30, 1982
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Interviewer: Mark Wells
Length: 45 minutes
Abstract
Tape 1, Side 1:
Born July 12, 1920, in Hereford, Texas,
Military (March of 1942),
Volunteered for Army Air Corp,
Wash out for hayfever,
Travels while waiting assignment,
Primary training,
California,
Basic training,
Bakersfield,
Advanced training,
Marfa, Texas,
Graduated "UC 70 Twin",
Description of plane,
"Bamboo Bomber",
One function base,
Nearest large towns,
Old Mexico,
El Paso,
Assignment,
Multi-engine aircraft,
Difficulty adapting to military life,
Paying for mistakes,
Arriving in May,
Flying schedule,
Washout rate,
Safety in training,
Accidents,
Graduated,
Transferred to Hobbs, New Mexico to fly B-17s,
Training at Hobbs, New Mexico,
Good weather,
Finished first pilot B-17,
Strictly pilot training,
Crew training at Clovis, New Mexico,
Assigned co-pilot B-29,
Attitude about combat flying,
Good crew,
Flying the B-17,
Good plane,
Hard on controls,
B-29 airplane,
Hydraulic boost,
Over-all impression,
Under powered,
Engines,
Overheat,
Handling characteristics,
Instrument flying,
Photo Reconnaissance training at Kansas,
Flew from Kansas to China,
Route,
Flew alone,
Rank,
Second Lieutenant Co-pilot,
Had more than 4000 hours,
Two navigators,
Radar and nose navigator,
Carried bombs but never dropped any,
Arrived in China December 22, 1944,
Base in China,
Photo recon mission,
Visibility range,
Altitudes flown,
camera equipment,
Mission lengths,
Gas and ammunition carries,
Anti-aircraft guns,
Single ship missions,
Moving bases to islands taken over,
Stresses on air crews,
Only 7 planes,
Always flew their own plane,
One plane went down in China,
All but 2 crew members found,
Life in Air Force base in China,
One-room units,
Little recreational activities,
Weather,
Cloudy and wet,
Chinese mostly friendly,
Left China in June of 1945 to go to Guam,
Based at Harmon Field in Guam,
Better weather and flying conditions,
Shorter mission lengths,
Missions,
Rank,
Co-pilot,
Enemy encounters,
Shot down a twin-engine Japanese at 32000 feet,
Directly attacked,
Field count mission,
Photographed the whole island
Tape 1, Side 2:
Anecdote: Getting lost and finding their way home,
Reasons for getting lost,
Wrong wind direction information,
Japanese shooting at them,
Not enough gas to get back to base,
Landed at auxiliary field in China,
Pumped 1600 gallons of gas by hand to get back to base,
Entire crew awarded D. F. C.,
Bombing of Hiroshima,
No adverse reactions,
War ended in September of 1945,
Stayed at Guam another month,
Flew back to United States,
Rank,
First Lieutenant,
Engagement to Lubbock girl,
Flight hours,
Recalled later in 1951,
Employment plans,
Worked for Pioneer Airlines,
Station manager,
Lubbock Airport,
Connections and flights available,
Relationship between airlines,
Runways,
Blacktop,
Location,
Worked with Pioneer until 1950,
Korean War,
Recalled in March 1951,
Feelings,
Mobilization assignment at Reese Air Force Base,
Entire Reserve Unit recalled,
Number recalled,
Mixture of ranks,
Flew B-29,,
Transferred to Lowrey Field in Denver,
Training gunners,
Problems with work,
No guarantee of the job upon return from war,
Rank,
First Lieutenant,
Wife did not like recall,
Never went overseas,
Released from Service,
December 15, 1952,
Moved back to Lubbock,
Military benefits used,
On the job training with airlines,
Lubbock's attitude toward military during the 1950s,
Time of little strain,
Jealousy,
Reasons,
Worked to improve relations,
Employment in Lubbock,
Commercial and residential fence business sales,
Vietnam War,
Lubbock's attitude,
Favorable,
Reasons,
Lubbock tornado,
Not personally effected,
Wife worked at American State Bank,
Damages,
Attitude of city,
Renewed spirit and unity,
Military participation,
National Guard to prevent looting
Range Dates: 1920-1982
Bulk Dates: 1940s
Access Information
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Transcript:
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