>> GOOD AFTERNOON.:  WELCOME TO
THIS CLASS, KANSAS AND WORLD WAR
II.
IT IS VERY GOOD TO SEE YOU, AND
I'M GOING TO JUST GET SOME OF
THE BUSINESS OUT OF THE
SINCE WE CAN'T GET TOO CLOSE TO
EACH OTHER I'M SENDING OUT A
VIRTUAL HUG TO YOU GUYS BECAUSE
MANY OF YOU I RECOGNIZE FROM
PAST CLASSES THAT WE'VE DONE,
AND YOU HAVE BECOME GOOD FRIENDS
OF MINE.
AND IF THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST
CLASSES YOU'VE TAKEN FROM ME, I
JUST WANT TO SAY I HOPE WE HAVE
OODLES OF FUN, WE LEARN THINGS,
AND WE TALK ABOUT HOW SOME OF
THESE THINGS HAVE AFFECTED US.
SO WELCOME, WELCOME.
I WILL BE HONEST.
ONE OF THE REASONS I WANTED TO
DO THIS CLASS IS BECAUSE I THINK
EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT BORN
DURING WORLD WAR II, IT AFFECTED
MY FAMILY GREATLY.
AND MY HUNCH IS IT AFFECTED YOUR
FAMILIES AS WELL.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, WE'RE GOING
TO TALK ABOUT THAT DURING THE
NEXT FOUR WEEKS.
AND I HOPE THAT YOU CAN TELL
SOME OF THE STORIES THAT HAVE
BEEN SPECIAL IN YOUR LIVES.
I WILL START BY GIVING YOU A
LITTLE BACKGROUND ABOUT MYSELF
IN CASE YOU DON'T KNOW WHO I AM.
I'M A FOURTH GENERATION KANSAN.
I GREW UP IN STAFFORD COUNTY.
I WENT TO K-STATE BUT I LIKE WSU
NOW.
I REALLY DO.
AND I ALSO HAVE BEEN A
JOURNALIST FOR MORE THAN FOUR
DECADES IN KANSAS.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS I WANTED
TO DO THIS CLASS IS BECAUSE OF
THE STORIES I'VE HEARD ALONG THE
WAY.
AND IN FACT, TODAY I'LL BE
GIVING KIND OF AN OVERALL
PERSPECTIVE OF KANSAS IS WORLD
WAR II, AND I EXPECT YOU GUYS TO
CHIME UP WHENEVER YOU CAN.
BUT I THOUGHT I'D START OFF BY
KIND OF A LITTLE QUIZ.
AND WE'LL SEE HOW SHARP YOU ARE.
I KNOW YOU'LL GET THIS.
THIS IS AN EASY ONE.
SIX BROTHERS FROM ABILENE BECAME
POWER HOUSES IN THE 20TH
CENTURY.
ARTHUR, THE FIRSTBORN, LEFT HOME
AT 18, WENT TO KANSAS CITY,
BECAME DIRECTOR OF SEVERAL
COMPANIES, AND EVENTUALLY WAS
VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF
COMMERCE TRUST COMPANY.
HE SPECIALIZED IN AGRICULTURAL
LOANS.
THE NEXT SON, EDGAR, GRADUATED
IN 1914 FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF
MICHIGAN LAW SCHOOL.
HE PRACTICED LAW IN TACOMA
WASHINGTON UNTIL 1971.
HE WAS THE DIRECTOR OF SEVERAL
COMPANIES AND SPECIALIZED IN
CORPORATE AND BUSINESS LAW.
THE THIRD SON -- THIS WILL GIVE
IT AWAY -- DWIGHT -- BECAME A
FIVE-STAR GENERAL AND SUPREME
COMMANDER OF THE ALLIED FORCES
DURING WORLD WAR II AND THE
34th PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES FROM 1953 TO 1961.
ROY, THE FOURTH SON, OWNED A
PHARMACY IN JUNCTION CITY AND
WAS A MEMBER OF VARIOUS CIVIC
ORGANIZATIONS.
EARL, NEXT TO THE YOUNGEST, WAS
AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF
WASHINGTON AT TACOMA.
HE WAS AN ENGINEER WITH WEST
BEND POWER COMPANY FOR 26 YEARS
AND OWNED AN INTEREST IN A
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER AND RADIO
STATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.
HE WAS A PUBLIC RELATIONS
REPRESENTATIVE FOR LIFE PRINTING
AND PUBLISHING COMPANY IN
LAGRANGE PARK ILLINOIS.
MILTON THE YOUNGEST WAS DIRECTOR
OF INFORMATION FOR THE U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND
DURING WORLD WAR II, DIRECTOR OF
THE WAR RELOCATION AUTHORITY AND
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE
OF WAR INFORMATION.
AFTER THE WAR, MILTON SERVED AS
PRESIDENT AT KANSAS STATE
UNIVERSITY, PENNSYLVANIA STATE
UNIVERSITY AND JOHNS HOPKINS
UNIVERSITY.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THEIR LAST
NAME WAS?
>> EISENHOWER.
>> INSTRUCTOR: YOU KNOW, ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT TOUCHED ME MOST
ABOUT THAT STORY WAS ON HIS
DEATHBED, THEIR FATHER WAS
WEPT -- WEEPING BECAUSE HE
DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO GIVE
THEM.
THINK ABOUT THAT FAMILY AND WHAT
THEY CONTRIBUTED TO OUR WORLD.
A KANSAS FAMILY.
MY HUNCH IS YOU MAY HAVE SOME
SIMILAR STORIES TO SHARE.
AND THAT'S WHY I THINK THE STORY
OF KANSAS DURING WORLD WAR II IS
SO POWERFUL.
I THINK OF THE MANY PEOPLE WHO
CONTRIBUTED TO THE WAR EFFORT.
CERTAINLY WE THINK OF MEN, BUT
THERE WERE ALSO WOMEN.
AND WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THE
WASPS DURING THE WAR, BUT I
WANTED TO JUST KIND OF BRING
THAT ASPECT OUT AND TO SAY THAT
THIS WAS A WAR THAT AFFECTED ALL
PEOPLE, MEN, WOMEN, CHILDREN.
IT WAS A FAMILY TYPE OF EFFORT
THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE SUCCESS
OF THE WAR.
ONE THING THAT I THINK IS
IMPORTANT TO ALSO LOOK AT IS HOW
THINGS LOCALLY AFFECTED THE
NATION.
AND WHAT I'M THINKING OF IN
PARTICULAR OF THAT IS THE VV
CAMPAIGN.
DO ANY OF YOU KNOW ABOUT IT?
HAVE YOU HEARD OF IT?
THE DOUBLE V CAMPAIGN.
AT THE END OF WORLD WAR II,
SEVEN AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN
FROM WICHITA STARTED A CAMPAIGN
THAT SWEPT THE NATION.
IT WAS CALLED THE VV CAMPAIGN.
THE FIRST V STOOD FOR VICTORY
OVER ALLIED ENEMIES.
AND THE SECOND V STOOD FOR
VICTORY OVER SEGREGATION.
THE WOMEN LED EFFORTS TO BUILD
THE FIRST WORLD WAR II MONUMENT
IN THE NATION TO HONOR THE MEN
AND WOMEN WHO SERVED IN THE
ARMED FORCES.
THE MONUMENT DEDICATED IN 1946
SITS ON THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF
McADAMS PARK OFF 13th STREET
IN FRONT OF THE PARK'S BASEBALL
STADIUM.
IT READS "IN HONOR OF THE MEN
AND WOMEN WHO SERVED IN THE
ARMED FORCES OF THE USA DURING
THE SECOND WORLD WAR."
ISN'T THAT COOL?
AND I JUST THINK, IF YOU GET A
CHANCE, GO SEE IT.
YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE, THOSE OF YOU
WHO LIVE IN WICHITA HERE.
AGAIN, THIS WAS A PERSONAL
ENDEAVOR FOR ME.
AND I WANT TO TELL YOU, YOU HAVE
AN ASSIGNMENT FOR NEXT WEEK.
AND THOSE OF YOU WITH PENS AND
PAPER IN HAND, EVEN THOSE OF YOU
ONLINE, I WANT YOU TO WRITE DOWN
MY EMAIL ADDRESS.
BECAUSE NEXT WEEK YOUR
ASSIGNMENT IS TO TELL YOUR OWN
WORLD WAR II KANSAS FAMILY
STORY.
AND I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT HOW
THE WAR AFFECTED YOUR FAMILY.
HOW DID IT AFFECT YOU?
AND THEN I WANT YOU TO SEND ME
ANY PHOTOS YOU MIGHT HAVE, AND
ALSO YOUR STORY, TO -- AND THERE
WILL BE A POP QUIZ LATER ON.
SEE IF YOU REMEMBER WHAT MY
EMAIL ADDRESS IS.
B TANNER -- WHAT?
IT IS WRONG.
SEE, THIS IS WHY YOU CAN NEVER
TRUST ME LATE AT NIGHT.
BUT IT'S BTANNER11@COLFAX.net.
THIS IS ALSO -- COX.net.
THIS IS ALSO WHAT HAPPENS FROM
GETTING MY STUFF DONE EARLY.
BTANNER11@COX.net.
POP QUIZ, WHAT'S THE ADDRESS?
YOU GOT IT.
YOU GOT IT.
>> THE PICTURE SAYS BTANNER1.
>> INSTRUCTOR: I KNOW.
WE CAUGHT THAT.
AS A JOURNALIST, I UNDERSTAND
WHEN I MISSISSIPPI TAKES, TRUST
ME.
AND -- WHEN I MAKE MISTAKES.
TRUST ME.
THIS IS HOW THIS CLASS WILL
EVOLVE OVER THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS.
TODAY WE'RE JUST GOING TO DO AN
OVERALL PERSPECTIVE OF THE WAR.
ON AUGUST 13th, YOU GUYS WILL
GET TO TELL YOUR STORY.
AND I'VE ALSO INVITED A FRIEND
OF MINE WHO WILL BE JOINING US
ONLINE FOR JUST A FEW MINUTES,
AND THAT'S STAN FINGER.
I WANTED HIM TO TELL THE STORY
OF HIS DAD.
HIS DAD SERVED WITH YADI --
AUDIE MURPHY DURING THE WAR.
THEY WERE SNIPERS, AND THEY WENT
THROUGH SOME PRETTY INCREDIBLE
THINGS.
AND SO I JUST THOUGHT IT MIGHT
BE GOOD TO HEAR HIS STORY.
[INAUDIBLE]
>> INSTRUCTOR: AUGUST 20th
WE'LL HAVE JACOB ALLEN WHO IS A
MILITARY HISTORIAN.
HOW MANY OF YOU TOOK THE WORLD
WAR I CLASS?
GOOD.
A LOT OF YOU DID.
HE WAS ONE OF THE FEATURED
SPEAKERS IN THAT, AND HE DOES AN
EXCELLENT JOB OF KIND OF SHOWING
WHAT ALL THE GEAR WAS AND ALL
THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AND THEN AUGUST 27th WE'LL
HAVE ARNOLD SCHOFIELD WHO IS A
GOOD FRIEND OF MINE.
AND FOR SOME OF YOU THAT HAVE
TAKEN PAST CLASSES, YOU KNOW HOW
DYNAMIC HE CAN BE.
AND SO I THINK THAT WILL BE AN
EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT LINEUP FOR
SOME GOOD WORK.
SO I WANT TO TELL YOU MY STORY.
THE TANNER STORY.
AND MY DAD WAS A MECHANIC DURING
THE WAR, AND HE WAS STATIONED
OVER AT TINNIEN.
AND AT THE END OF THE WAR WHEN
THEY WERE DRIVING ALL THESE
VEHICLES OFF THE SHIPS TO
DESTROY THEM BECAUSE THERE WAS
NO NEED FOR THEM ANYMORE, THE
THING WAS IF YOU COULD PROVE THE
VEHICLE COULD NOT WORK, YOU
COULD BUY IT.
YOU COULD PURCHASE IT.
SO WE HAVE -- IT'S A WESTERN
UNION TELEGRAM WHERE HE ASKS MY
MOTHER TO SEND HIM $300.
SO SHE DOES.
AND HE TAKES THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP
OFF THIS JEEP SO IT WILL NOT
START.
AND SO WHEN THE MOMENT OF TRUTH
COMES AND HE HAS TO TRY AND
START THE JEEP, LO AND BEHOLD,
IT WON'T START.
AND SO THEY SAY, YES, YOU CAN
PURCHASE THIS JEEP.
SO HE DID.
AND IT CAME WITH HIM ON THE SHIP
OVER TO SAN FRANCISCO, AND HE
JUST SO HAPPENED TO HAVE THAT
DISTRIBUTOR CAP STILL WITH HIM,
AND HE PUT IT BACK ON THE JEEP,
AND HE DROVE IT OFF OF THE SHIP.
AND THEY DROVE IT FROM
SAN FRANCISCO THROUGH THE
CALIFORNIA DESERT ON TO KANSAS
AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.
AND CONSEQUENTLY, ALL OF US KIDS
LEARNED HOW TO DRIVE THAT JEEP
ON OUR FAMILY FARM IN STAFFORD
COUNTY BEGINNING AT THE AGE OF
5.
IT STILL EXISTS.
THIS IS A PHOTO OF HIM 60 YEARS
AFTER HE PURCHASED IT.
ISN'T THAT A CUTE LITTLE PHOTO?
SO I THINK MANY OF YOU MAY HAVE
STORIES OF HOW YOUR FAMILY
SACRIFICED.
THERE OF COURSE WERE THE WAR
RATION BOOKS.
AND WHAT WERE -- WHAT WAS
SACRIFICED?
WHAT WERE SOME OF THE THINGS
THAT WERE RATIONED?
IF YOU WANTED TO TAKE OFF YOUR
MASK FOR JUST A MOMENT SO I CAN
UNDERSTAND YOU?
I AM SO SORRY.
BUT JUST FOR A MOMENT SHOUT OUT
SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
TIRES.
YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
WHAT ELSE?
GAS?
SUGAR.
FLOUR.
MILK.
WHAT ELSE?
SHOES.
YES.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO EVERYBODY WORKED.
THERE IS A WONDERFUL ARTICLE
THAT'S IN KANSAS HISTORY THAT
JUDITH JOHNSON, WHO USED TO WORK
AT WSU IN THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT
WROTE.
AND IT'S ABOUT HOW WORLD WAR II
CREATED A UNIQUE EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITY FOR WOMEN, AND THAT
THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME, REALLY,
THAT MANY OF THEM WORKEDOUT SIDE
THE HOMES.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVED
WAS SHE TALKS ABOUT HOW THE
ENTRY OF THESE WOMEN INTO THE
WAR TIME WORKFORCE WAS
STIMULATED BY THE EFFORTS OF THE
WAR MANPOWER COMMISSION.
IN EARLY 1942, THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED PLANS TO
OFFER MASS TRAINING PROGRAMS IN
WICHITA TO PREPARE WORKERS FOR
BUILDING AIRPLANES.
SO THE COMMISSION SPECIFIED THAT
WOMEN WHO APPLIED HAD TO BE HIGH
SCHOOL GRADUATES BETWEEN THE
AGES OF 21 AND 35.
SINGLE WOMEN WERE -- WITH
DEPENDENTS OR MARRIED WOMEN WITH
THEIR HUSBANDS IN THE SERVICE
COULD SIGN UP FOR THE PROGRAM.
ALTHOUGH THE REASONING WAS
UNCLEAR, THE REQUIREMENTS ALSO
STATED THAT THE WOMEN HAD TO BE
UNDER 5'2" IN HEIGHT AND WEIGH
NO MORE THAN 135 POUNDS.
I'M JUST WONDERING ON THAT, BUT
ANYWAY, THAT WAS WHAT SOME OF
THEM -- THE REQUIREMENTS WERE.
AND THERE IS THIS ONE STORY THAT
AMONG THOSE WHO SIGNED UP AFTER
THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR WAS
VIRGINIA COLE HOGG.
SHE HAD WORKED AS A TRAVELING
SALESWOMAN FOR THE PALMOLIVE
COMPANY AFTER GRADUATING FROM
HIGH SCHOOL.
BUT SHE QUIT WHEN SHE HEARD
ABOUT THE JAPANESE ATTACK.
AND SO MOTIVATED BY A SENSE OF
PATRIOTISM AND A DESIRE TO DO
HER PART, SHE APPLIED TO THE
TRAINING SCHOOL AFTER READING
ABOUT IT IN THE NEWSPAPER.
AND ONCE ACCEPTED, SHE LEARNED
HOW -- SHE ATTENDED CLASSES
EIGHT HOURS A DAY AND LEARNED
HOW TO DRILL AND RIVET BOLTS ON
AIRPLANE WINGS.
ISN'T THAT KIND OF COOL?
MANY OF THESE PEOPLE TRAINED,
DRILLED AND PERFORMED.
AND I BELIEVE THAT WAS SOME
WOMEN FROM BOEING WHO TRAINED
AND DRILLED BEFORE WORK AND THAT
KIND OF THING.
HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD OF
THE BATTLE OVER KANSAS?
OH, ERIC, I KNOW YOU HAVE.
WHO -- YES, ALL RIGHT.
CAN YOU SHOUT OUT WHAT IT WAS?
IT WAS WHAT?
[INAUDIBLE] WELL, IN SOME WAYS.
THERE IS A WONDERFUL STORY IF I
CAN GET TO IT REAL QUICK, BUT
IT'S HOW -- THE BATTLE OVER
KANSAS REFERRED TO ALL THE
PLANES THAT HAD TO BE FITTED TO
BE PREPARED FOR WAR.
AND THEY CAME OFF THE COMPANY
FLOOR, BUT THEY HAD -- THEY WERE
NOT FIT FOR BATTLE.
AND SO THE -- AND THIS WAS
ACTUALLY A TERM THAT WASN'T --
OH, WHAT'S OUR GUY'S NAME?
HAP ARNOLD, GENERAL ARNOLD HAD
COINED, AND IT WAS ABOUT THE
EFFORTS THAT WERE BUILT.
KANSAS HAD SEVERAL AIR BASES
THAT WERE BUILT.
ERIC, DO YOU KNOW THE EXACT
NUMBER?
SOMETHING LIKE 13, MAYBE 18
TOTAL.
BUT THEY WERE ALL OVER KANSAS.
AND IN FACT, MANY OF YOU
PROBABLY GREW UP WITH THEM.
THERE WERE ONES AT PRATT AND
GREAT BEND, DODGE, GARDEN,
LIBERAL, HUTCH, EVERYWHERE.
BUT THEY WERE SPECIFICALLY FOR
THE B-29s.
AND THAT -- THERE WAS SOME MAJOR
FITTING THAT HAD TO TAKE PLACE.
BY MID-JANUARY, 1944, THERE WERE
97 B-29s THAT HAD BEEN BUILT
IN WICHITA, AND ONLY 16 OF THEM
WERE FLYABLE WITH MOST OF THEM
GROUNDED.
ON THE FIELD.
AND SO THEY HAD TO BE FITTED FOR
BATTLE.
AND -- I MEAN, LIKE THE WINDOWS
HAD TO BE REPLACED, ALL OF THOSE
KIND OF THINGS.
WHEN GENERAL ARNOLD VISITED
WICHITA IN JANUARY 1944, HE
WANTED 175 COMBAT-READY B-29Ls
SO HE PICKED ONE, THE 175th
ONE AND SIGNED IT SAYING THAT'S
THE PLANE I WANT, I WANT IT
BEFORE THE 1st OF MARCH.
HE WAS LIVID TWO MONTHS LATER
WHEN IT WAS NOT READY.
AND SO THE BATTLE OVER KANSAS
WAS LITERALLY ABOUT THAT
PROCESS.
AND YOU CAN SEE BY THE BOTH ON
THIS MAP OF KANSAS WHERE SOME OF
THESE AIR BASES WERE.
AND YOU CAN STILL SEE THE
REMNANTS OF THEM TODAY, 75 YEARS
LATER, ALMOST 80 OF WHERE THEY
ARE.
THE PRATT ONE IS BEING PRETTY
MUCH USED AS A FEEDLOT NOW.
YOU GO TO DIFFERENT PLACES IN
CANDIES THAT, LIKE WALKER
BASE -- IN KANSAS LIKE WALKER
BASE NEAR HAYS AND YOU CAN SEE
THE REMNANTS.
>> I DID RESEARCH ON THIS.
SOME OF THE CITIES.
[INAUDIBLE]
>> INSTRUCTOR: THE COMMENT WAS
MADE THAT A LOT OF THESE BASES
ARE NOW WHERE THE MUNICIPAL AIR
BASES ARE.
AND THAT -- THERE IS A LOT OF
TRUTH TO THAT.
THE PRATT BASE, IT WAS SO HUGE
THAT MUCH OF IT IS BEING USED AS
A FEEDLOT BUT IT IS ALSO WHERE
THE AIRPORT IS, TOO, AND THOSE
KIND OF THINGS.
HERE'S MORE -- A PHOTO OF THE VV
CAMPAIGN.
GO AHEAD.
YODER'S IS STILL USED, YES, ALL
OF THAT.
RIGHT.
THE LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING
CENTER.
SO I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT SOME OF THESE AVIATORS,
THESE WOMEN AVIATORS.
ONE OF THE BETTER KNOWN ONES IN
THIS AREA WAS MILDRED "MICKEY"
AXTON.
SHE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THREE
WOMEN AIR FORCE SERVICE PILOTS
TO BE TRAINED AS A TEST PILOT
AND THE FIRST WOMAN TO FLY A
B-29.
SHE GRADUATED FROM COFFEYVILLE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE, WENT TO
K-STATE, AND THEN APPLIED TO --
FOR THE PROGRAM OF WORKING AS A
WASP.
LET'S SEE.
SOME OF THE THINGS ABOUT HER IS
SHE TRAVELED TO TOPEKA IN 1943
WHERE SHE JOINED THE WOMEN AIR
FORCE SERVICE PILOTS, OTHERWISE
KNOWN AS THE WASPS.
SHE THEN WAS SENT TO SWEET WATER
TEXAS TO THE AVENGER FIELD WHERE
SHE TRAINED, AND SHE WAS THEN
ASSIGNED TO THE PECOS ARMY
AIRFIELD.
SHE FLEW B-20s, B-25s,
B-26s AND B-29s, LATER
BECOMING A TEST PILOT BECOMING
THE FIRST WOMAN TO PILOT A B-29
BOMBER.
THEN SHE WAS EMPLOYED FOR MANY
YEARS AS A TEST PILOT FOR BOEING
HERE IN WICHITA.
AND THEN SHE ALSO TAUGHT
BIOLOGY, GENERAL SCIENCE,
AERONAUTICS AND DEBATE AT
WICHITA'S EAST HIGH SCHOOL.
ISN'T THAT AMAZING?
ANYWAY, SHE RECEIVED THE
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL BY
THE INTERNATIONAL CONFEDERATE
AIR FORCE.
SHE WAS NAMED AVIATION HISTORIAN
OF THE YEAR, AND HER FAMILY --
SHE DIED I THINK IN 2010, JUST
SHORTLY BEFORE THE WOMEN, THE
WASPS WERE AWARDED THE
CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY
CONGRESS, THE HIGHEST AWARD THAT
CAN BE GIVEN TO CIVILIANS.
MILDRED AXTON.
YES.
SHE DIED, IT WAS LIKE A MONTH
BEFORE THE AWARDS WERE GIVEN.
AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE,
AND I JUST -- I INTERVIEWED HER
MANY TIMES THROUGH THE YEARS,
AND ABSOLUTELY FELL IN LOVE WITH
HER.
THAT'S MILDRED -- OR EXCUSE ME,
MERRIAM LUCILLE ROBY ANDERSON.
SHE WOULD BE THIS ONE RIGHT
HERE, AND THIS IS MILLY.
OKAY?
OH, MERRIAM WAS TOUGH AS NAILS.
SHE LIVED AS A RANCHER OUT IN
GREENWOOD COUNTY, AND SHE JOINED
THE CIVIL AIR PATROL IN WICHITA,
AND SHE WOULD COMMUTE EACH DAY
FROM HER RANCH IN GREENWOOD
COUNTY.
SHE WOULD RIDE A MOTORCYCLE, AND
I MEAN, IS THAT NOT CLASSIC?
AND I MEAN, IT'S -- WHAT?
I'M SORRY?
HER LAST NAME WAS I THINK
ANDERSON.
LET ME JUST DOUBLE-CHECK ON
THAT.
YES.
MERRIAM LUCILLE ROBIE ANDERSON.
AND I INTERVIEWED HER WHEN SHE
RECEIVED THE MEDAL OF -- THE
GOLD MEDAL, AND I REMEMBER AT
THE TIME, SHE HAD SOMETHING LIKE
30 CATS AND DOGS THAT SHE
ADOPTED, AND THEY ALL LIVED WITH
HER ON THIS RANCH, AND SHE WAS
VERY MUCH A CHARACTER.
AND SHE LOVED TO SPEND HER TIME
WATCHING "GUNSMOKE" AT NIGHT.
IT WAS IN GREENWOOD COUNTY, HER
RANCH WAS.
ALL RIGHT.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS.
AS KANSAS GEARED UP FOR THE WAR,
YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO KIND OF
APPROACH THIS FROM HOW -- AS THE
SURVIVORS CAME HOME AFTER THE
WAR, THE VETERANS CAME HOME AND
HOW THAT AFFECTED THEM AND THEIR
FAMILIES.
FOR MANY YEARS AFTER, EVEN PEARL
HARBOR, DECEMBER 7th, 1941,
FOR MANY YEARS, THEY WOULD
ALWAYS SAY "NEVER FORGET."
REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR.
AND SOME TALKED ABOUT THEIR
EXPERIENCES, BUT SOME NEVER DID.
MOST TRIED TO PUT THE HORRORS OF
WAR BEHIND THEM.
AND INSTEAD, THEY CONCENTRATED
ON RAISING THEIR FAMILIES AND
WORKING THEIR CAREERS AND
ENJOYING THEIR GRANDCHILDREN.
AND THEY TRIED TO MAKE THE
YOUNGER GENERATIONS UNDERSTAND.
BUT IN PERSPECTIVE, THE NATIONAL
PEARL HARBOR SURVIVORS
ASSOCIATION DISBANDED IN 2011.
THE 70th ANNIVERSARY OF THE
ATTACK.
AND IT HAD THEN FEWER THAN 3,000
MEMBERS.
AT ONE TIME, THE MEMBERSHIP WAS
CLOSE TO 30,000 SURVIVORS.
THE WICHITA CHAPTER OF THE PEARL
HARBOR ASSOCIATION ALSO
DISBANDED THAT YEAR, AND THERE'S
PROBABLY I'M GOING TO SAY LESS
THAN HALF A DOZEN SURVIVORS LEFT
IN KANSAS, IF THAT.
THE NUMBERS ARE VERY, VERY
SMALL.
SO, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE YEARS,
THE EAGLE -- AND OFTENTIMES THAT
WAS ME -- INTERVIEWED SEVERAL
VETERANS OF THE ATTACK.
AND ONE OF THE FOLKS I OFTEN
INTERVIEWED WAS ARTHUR DUNN.
DO ANY OF YOU REMEMBER HIM?
YES!
WELL, HE WOULD TALK ABOUT -- HE
USED TO BE THE PRESIDENT OF THE
WICHITA CHAPTER OF THE PEARL
HARBOR SURVIVORS ASSOCIATION,
AND HE LIVED IN BELL PLAIN.
IN 2012 I REMEMBER INTERVIEWING
HIM.
AND HE SAID ANOTHER GENERATION
IS COMING IN.
I SOMETIMES WONDER IF THEY KNOW
WHERE PEARL HARBOR IS.
HE DIED IN 2015.
AND HE -- I REMEMBER HIM TELLING
ME THAT FOR 45 YEARS AFTER THE
ATTACK, HE COULDN'T -- HE
WOULDN'T TALK ABOUT THAT DAY.
THAT WHEN HE COULD TALK ABOUT
IT, HIS WIFE, MARLENE, HELPED
HIM PRESENT PROGRAMS TO LOCAL
GROUPS.
AND FOR YEARS, HE WAS THE
GROUP'S MOST VOCAL AND VISIBLE
MEMBER, TALKING TO COUNTLESS
SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES AND
BUSINESS GROUPS.
BUT SHE DIED IN 2003, AND HE
SAID THERE WAS A TIME WHEN I
KEPT BUSY TALKING ABOUT IT,
GOING TO SCHOOLS AND TALKING,
ARTHUR DUNN TOLD "THE EAGLE" IN
2012.
THE LAST TIME HE TALKED TO A
CLASS ABOUT PEARL HARBOR, NO
STUDENT ASKED ANY QUESTIONS.
IT DIDN'T SEEM LIKE THEY WERE
REALLY INTERESTED, HE SAID.
AND SO AS THESE SURVIVORS AGE,
THEIR EXPERIENCES ARE BEGINNING
TO RECEDE INTO HISTORY.
AND SO I WANT TO START A LITTLE
DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT, JUST
SHORT.
BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS
ABOUT THAT, WE CAN USE THIS
MICROPHONE OVER HERE.
IS THAT RIGHT?
SO IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE GO UP TO
THE MICROPHONE AND MAKE A
COMMENT OR WE CAN JUST SPEND A
FEW MINUTES ON THAT, AND THEN
WE'LL GO ON.
OKAY?
DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR
THOUGHTS?
YES.
GO UP.
>> FOR GOING ON 20 YEARS I HAVE
GUIDED GROUPS THROUGH THE
COSMOSPHERE, PART OF THE TOUR
INVOLVES THE END OF WORLD WAR
II, AND I WOULD ASK THE STUDENTS
DID YOUR FATHERS OR GRANDFATHERS
SERVE IN WORLD WAR II?
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, MY DADDY.
AND THE LAST FIVE YEARS, MAYBE,
A LOT OF THE TIMES THEY HAVE NO
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP.
AND IT'S HIT ME, AND YOU GUYS
ARE MY AGE, THAT WORLD WAR II
IS, IF IT HASN'T ALREADY,
RAPIDLY MOVING FROM A PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE THAT IN MY CASE MY
FATHER WAS DRAFTED AT AGE 34 IN
1943, YOU KNOW, FROM HAVING A
FATHER OR A GRANDFATHER INTO IT
BEING A HISTORIC BOOK
EXPERIENCE.
IT'S RAPIDLY MOVING INTO THE
ABSTRACT EXCEPT FOR THE PERSONAL
AS WE'RE TALKING THESE STORIES
HERE.
>> INSTRUCTOR: THAT'S A GOOD
COMMENT.
OTHER THOUGHTS?
BECAUSE I THINK WHAT YOU'RE
FINDING IS KIND OF WHAT I HAVE
ALSO EXPERIENCED IN THAT WE'RE
GETTING FAR FARTHER AND FARTHER
REMOVED TO WHERE EVEN THE
VIETNAM WAR NOW IS HISTORY, AND
THAT IS AMAZING TO ME.
BECAUSE WE LIVED THROUGH THAT!
OTHER THOUGHTS?
YES.
GO UP THERE, PLEASE, GO UP TO
THE MICROPHONE.
>> THIS IS JUST A SHORT REMARK.
I'M A VOLUNTEER WITH KANSAS
HONOR FLIGHT, WE'RE FLYING WORLD
WAR II VETERANS TO WASHINGTON
FOR A THREE-DAY VACATION TO SEE
THE MONUMENTS AND EVERYTHING
THERE.
BUT WITHIN -- WE HAVEN'T MET
HARDLY AT ALL THIS SUMMER, WE
HAD NO FLIGHTS THIS YEAR BECAUSE
OF THE VIRUS.
BUT THE LAST I HEARD WE STILL
HAD 3,000 WORLD WAR II VETERANS
LIVING IN KANSAS.
>> INSTRUCTOR: WOW.
>> WHICH I THOUGHT WOW.
MY FATHER WAS A WORLD WAR II
VETERAN, HE WAS IN THE NAVY.
I HAVE SO MANY WORLD WAR II
EXPERIENCES, I CAN'T SEND YOU
ALL THE EMAILS I HAVE.
>> INSTRUCTOR: AND, SEE, THAT IS
MY POINT, THAT THESE -- THESE
PEOPLE ARE GETTING AWAY FROM US,
AND I THINK THAT THIS IS ONE OF
THE LAST CHANCES WE HAVE TO TELL
THEIR STORIES.
AND SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO
DO THAT.
BY THE WAY, POP QUIZ, WHAT'S MY
EMAIL ADDRESS?
I CAN BARELY HEAR YOU MUMBLING
BUT IT IS TRUE,
BTANNER11@COX.net.
OKAY.
YOU GUYS ARE SHARP.
VERY, VERY SHARP.
SO THINK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED ON
DECEMBER 7th, 1941.
IN LESS THAN TWO HOURS, 2,402
AMERICANS WERE KILLED, AND MORE
THAN A THOUSAND WOUNDED.
ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE
ATTACK, AMERICANS CAME TOGETHER
TO ENLIST, TO BUILD PLANES,
SHIPS, AND MILITARY VEHICLES.
CITIES SUCH AS WICHITA WERE
TRANSFORMED ALMOST OVERNIGHT
INTO MAJOR MANUFACTURING
CENTERS.
PEOPLE KNEW THE THE ATTACK WAS
HUGE.
THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY IN KANSAS
ALREADY AT THAT POINT WAS HUGE.
BY THE END OF 1941, DEFENSE
CONTRACTS IN KANSAS EQUALED 75%
OF THE ENTIRE BUSINESS DONE IN
THE STATE IN 1939.
AND AS THE U.S. GEARED UP FOR
WAR, THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES AT
WICHITA'S AND I WERE PLANTS
GREW.
DEFENSE -- AIRPLANE PLANTS GREW.
DEFENSE CONTRACTS GREW IN
CONSTRUCTION OF ARMY AND NAVY
BASES AT HOLT, HUTCHINSON,
SALINA, TOPEKA, PRATT, WALKER,
HERINGTON, GREAT BEND, LIBERAL,
INDEPENDENCE, COFFEYVILLE, DODGE
CITY, GARDEN CITY, AND WINFIELD.
SIMPLY BUILDING THE DODGE CITY
ARMY AIRFIELD COST 7.5 MILLION,
WHICH WAS A LOT OF MONEY IN THE
1940s.
AND IT BROUGHT IN 4,000 PEOPLE
TO THE AREA.
AFTER THE WAR, AS VETERANS USED
THE G.I. BILL TO FINANCE THEIR
EDUCATION, COLLEGE ENROLLMENT
SOARED.
THE STUDENT ENROLLMENT AT
K-STATE FOR 1945 WAS 2,000
STUDENTS.
IN 1946 IT WAS 6,500.
THE WAR CHANGED KANSAS.
RETURNING SOLDIERS WHO QUALIFIED
FOR EDUCATION AND HOUSING LOANS
WERE LESS LIKELY TO RETURN TO
SMALL TOWNS AND FARMS.
AND KANSAS DURING THAT TIME --
WELL, IT WAS IN 1948, REPEALED
PROHIBITION.
I INTERVIEWED JIM SHEROW WHO IS
NOW RETIRED AS A HISTORY
PROFESSOR AT K-STATE, AND HE
SAID THESE YOUNG MEN HAD NO
INTENTION OF BEING BOUND BY
PROHIBITION.
THEY HAD FOUGHT TO MAKE THE
WORLD FREE, AND THAT MEANT
HAVING A DRINK IN KANSAS.
BUT IT ALSO MEANT NEVER TAKING
AMERICANS -- AMERICA'S FREEDOMS
LIGHTLY.
ONE OF THE PEOPLE I INTERVIEWED
WAS EARL SHAFFER, WHO WAS AT
PEARL HARBOR, AND YEARS LATER HE
WOULD SAY THAT THE NEXT DAY
AFTER PEARL HARBOR, HE WAS ON A
B-18, AND HE RECALLS THAT IT WAS
A TWO-ENGINE SLOW, NOT VERY
ATTRACTIVE CREATION PROTECTED BY
ONE EACH 30 CALIBER MACHINE GUN
IN THE NOSE, TURRET, AND IN
FRONT OF A VERTICAL STABILIZER
AND IN THE BELLY.
HERE I WAS, A 19-YEAR-OLD KID
FROM A FARM, ALL TRUSSED UP IN A
VERY HEAVY, LARGE FLYING SUIT,
STUFFED INTO THE REAR TURRET.
I WAS SCARED.
AS HE FLEW OVER PEARL HARBOR AND
SAW THE DESTRUCTION, HE HAD TIME
TO THINK.
IT APPEARED THAT EVERYTHING IN
THE HARBOR WAS BLOWN UP, BURNING
OR DESTROYED.
I HAD THE FEELING THE U.S. HAD
HAD IT.
MY STOMACH WAS FULL OF
BUTTERFLIES.
I THOUGHT OF MY SLIM CHANCES OF
COMING OUT OF THIS FLIGHT ALIVE
SHOULD WE RUN INTO SOME
FIGHTERS.
BUT SHAFFER AND MANY OF HIS
COMRADES DID SURVIVE, AND THEY
WENT ON TO FIGHT IN OTHER
BATTLES, EVENTUALLY RETURNING
HOME.
SOME WOULD NEVER RETURN.
THEIR BODIES WERE BURIED NEAR
BATTLEFIELDS OR AT SEA OR IN
SMALL-TOWN CEMETERIES ACROSS THE
NATION.
FOR THE SURVIVORS, THEY CONTINUE
EVEN NOW THEIR LEGACY WITH
URGENCY.
NEVER FORGET.
REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR.
LET'S TAKE A SMALL BREAK, AND
WHEN WE COME BACK WE'LL TALK
MORE ABOUT WORLD WAR II.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR
ANYTHING, FEEL FREE TO ASK THEM.
BE SURE, IF YOU WANT, TO SEND
EMAILS IF YOU WANT OR YOU CAN
COME UP.
I'LL GET MY MASK BACK ON.
OKAY?
[BREAK]
>> INSTRUCTOR: IT WORKS ANYWAY.
IT DOES.
IS
OKAY.
LET'S START COMING BACK
TOGETHER.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE STUDENTS,
RICK HITCHCOCK, WROTE IN THAT HE
SAW THE NATIONAL WORLD WAR II
VETERANS MEMORIAL IN WASHINGTON,
D. C., AND KANSAS HONOR
FLIGHT.ORG HAS TAKEN SEVERAL
VETERANS INCLUDING THOSE OF
WORLD WAR II TO WASHINGTON,
D. C., AND THAT HE IS A VETERAN
OF THE VIETNAM WAR BUT STATIONED
IN GERMANY, AND HE WENT TO D. C.
IN 2018.
AND THAT EACH OF THE STARS IN
THE PANEL AT THE WASHINGTON,
D. C., MEMORIAL REPRESENTS 100
CASUALTIES, AND THAT AUDIE
MURPHY IS HURRIED AT THE
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY IN
VIRGINIA -- BURIED THERE, AND HE
DID NOT SEE THE GRAVE BUT
ENJOYED THE HONOR OF BEING AT
ARLINGTON.
I'M GUESSING HE IS ONLINE AND
SENT THAT TO US.
SO WE HAVE PEOPLE WATCHING US
ONLINE.
AND I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE
BIT NOW ABOUT AS KANSAS GEARED
UP FOR THE WAR, THAT MORE
THAN -- GOSH, TOTAL THERE WERE
LIKE A TOTAL OF 25,000 WORKERS
IN 1942 WHEN BOEING BEGAN
TURNING OUT B-17 BOMBERS, AND
THAT IN AUGUST 1941 THE WAR
DEPARTMENT AUTHORIZED THE
CONSTRUCTION OF A MUNITIONS
PLANT NEAR BAXTER SPRINGS.
OTHER PLANTS WERE AT SUNFLOWER
PLANT IN JOHNSON COUNTY AND
PARSONS.
AND THAT BY THE END OF 1941, THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED
PLANS TO BUILD SEVERAL ARMY AIR
BASES, MAKING IT A MAJOR
TRAINING GROUND FOR AIR CORPS
PERSONNEL.
WE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THOSE
BASES, AND THAT GROUND TROOPS
TRAINED AT SALINA'S CAMP
PHILLIPS AND AT FORTS
LEAVENWORTH AND RILEY WHILE
WHITE-HATTED SAILORS SERVED AT
THE NAVY BASES IN HUTCHINSON AND
IN OLATHE.
FOR A MOMENT -- YES?
[INAUDIBLE QUESTION]
>> INSTRUCTOR: THERE WAS SOME OF
THAT.
THE QUESTION WAS DID KANSAS GEAR
UP FOR THE WAR BEFORE WE
ACTUALLY ENTERED IT.
AND YES, THE ANSWER.
IT'S INTERESTING HOW PEOPLE
COULD TELL THAT THAT WAS KIND OF
THE DIRECTION WE WERE HEADED.
I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT SOME OF THE PRISONER OF
WAR CAMPS THAT WERE LOCATED IN
KANSAS.
THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS HOUSED
200 GERMAN POWS IN LAWRENCE, AND
THEY BUILT THE UNIVERSITY'S
CHAPEL WHICH WAS DEDICATED IN
1946.
SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE EVEN BEEN
THERE AND -- AS YOU WERE
STUDENTS AT KU OR THAT KIND OF
THING.
THE LARGEST P POW CAMP WAS AT
CONCORDIA CAMP SUNFLOWER WHERE
THERE WERE 4,000 PRISONERS,
MOSTLY GERMANS.
KANSAS HAD 18 POW SITES
INCLUDING A JAPANESE SITE AT
FORT LEAVENWORTH, CAMP PHILLIPS
IN SALINA WAS ITALIAN.
BRANCH CAMPS AT WALKER CITY,
EL DORADO, ESKRIDGE, GAGE, KNEE
ODE SHAH, PEABODY, AND WE HEARD
STORIES GROWING UP ABOUT HOW
SOME OF THE GERMAN PRISONERS OF
WAR STAYED IN KANSAS AFTER THE
WAR.
THAT SOME WENT TO WORK ON FARMS,
AND, OH MY, FELL IN LOVE WITH
THE FARMERS' DAUGHTERS, I DON'T
KNOW.
BUT THAT WAS KIND OF A COOL
STORY.
BUT A LOT OF THOSE FAMILIES
REMAINED IN TOUCH THROUGH THE
YEARS AFTER THE WAR.
DURING THE WAR YEARS, MORE THAN
250,000 KANSAS MEN AND WOMEN
WERE IN UNIFORM, AND MORE THAN
3500 OF THEM WERE KILLED IN
ACTION.
WICHITA PLANE MAKERS SUPPORTED
THE WAR EFFORT MAKING THOUSANDS
OF PLANES, 1600 B-29s, PT17,
BOEING-STEARMAN AND GLIDERS
WHICH WERE USED IN THE NORMANDY
INVASION.
BY THE NAMES, COLEMAN, IT WAS
BARELY NINE MONTHS BEFORE THE
BOMBING OF PEARL HARBOR WHEN
EMPLOYEES AT WICHITA'S COLEMAN
LANTERN AND STOVE COMPANY WERE
GIVEN A DIRECTIVE, CREATE A
ONE-MAN STOVE THAT WAS SMALL,
LIGHTWEIGHT, STRONG ENOUGH TO
STAND ABUSE, SIMPLE, AND EASY TO
OPERATE.
THE GI POCKET STOVE BECAME ONE
OF THE BEST-KNOWN PRODUCTS FROM
THE WAR.
LOVE BOX.
IF YOU RECEIVED ANY PACKAGE
WHILE YOU WERE IN SERVICE WITH
GOODIES IN IT FROM YOUR FAMILY,
CHANCES ARE LOVE BOX MADE THE
V-BOXES.
THEY WERE FAMILIAR, THEY WERE
USED TO SHIP TREATS TO RELATIVES
SERVING IN THE U.S. MILITARY.
AND WHERE WAS LOVE BOX LOCATED?
WICHITA.
WICHITA.
YES, YOU'RE POINTING IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND ALSO, KANSAS SCHOOL CHILDREN
COLLECTED MILKWEED PODS FOR THE
USE OF LIFE JACKETS.
AND THAT BECAME -- I MEAN, H4-H,
ALL THOSE CLUBS DID THOSE KINDS
OF EFFORTS.
THERE'S A QUESTION IN BACK.
I DO NOT KNOW THE EXACT SCIENCE
OF TURNING A MILKWEED POD INTO A
LIFE JACKET BUT THEY DID GATHER
THEM.
SUPPOSEDLY ENOUGH OF THEM
COLLECTED AND PLACED TOGETHER
COULD WORK AS FLOTATION DEVICES.
THAT THE PILOTS USED.
WHEN THEIR PLANES WENT DOWN IN
THE SEA.
KANSAS HAD LOTS OF MILKWEED
PODS, I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT.
ISN'T THAT A COOL LITTLE THING?
>> DO YOU KNOW WHERE THEY WERE
MADE?
>> INSTRUCTOR: I DO NOT KNOW
WHERE THEY WERE MADE.
SO WE HAD SOME BIG NAMES FROM
KANSAS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE
WAR.
WHOSE THIS GUY?
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, THE
SUPREME COMMANDER OF THE ALLIED
EXPEDITIONARY FORCE AND WHO
WOULD LATER BECOME PRESIDENT.
WHAT PRESIDENT?
ABSOLUTELY.
THERE WAS ANOTHER GUY THAT KIND
OF MADE A BIG NAME FROM HIS
EFFORTS, AND THAT WAS BOB DOLE.
HIS STORY WAS VERY MUCH KIND OF
THE STORY OF A LOT OF KANSAS
SMALLTOWN GUYS.
HIS DAD RAN A STAND THAT SOLD
EGGS AND CREAM, AND HIS MOTHER
SOLD SINGER SEWING MACHINES AND
VACUUM CLEANERS.
AND THE FAMILY WAS RELATIVELY
POOR DURING THE GREAT
DEPRESSION, SO THEY MOVED INTO
THE BASEMENT OF THEIR HOME AND
RENTED THE UPSTAIRS TO OIL
FIELDWORKERS.
HE WAS WOUNDED IN 1944.
HE WAS A COMBAT INFANTRY OFFICER
AND WAS SENT TO ITALY.
AND HE WAS IN THE NORTHERN ITALY
WHEN HE -- HIS UNIT CAME UNDER
ATTACK, AND ONE OF HIS RADIO MEN
WAS WOUNDED AND WENT DOWN UNDER
THE FIRE, AND BOB DOLE WENT TO
RESCUE HIM AND IN THE PROCESS
WAS SEVERELY WOUNDED.
HE SUSTAINED INJURIES, SHATTERED
RIGHT SHOULDER, FRACTURED
VERTEBRAE IN THE NECK AND SPINE,
AND HAD -- WAS PARALYZED FROM
THE NECK DOWN FROM METAL
SHRAPNEL THROUGHOUT HIS BODY.
HE WOULD GO ON TO EVENTUALLY
RECOVER.
IT WAS A LONG RECOVERY.
BUT THEN OF COURSE AS MANY OF
YOU KNOW, HE WENT ON TO JOIN
KANSAS POLITICS AND THEN
NATIONAL POLITICS, RAN FOR
PRESIDENT, WAS SENATOR, ALL OF
THOSE THINGS.
ONE OF OUR GREAT STATESMEN.
THERE ARE SOME NAMES YOU MIGHT
NOT RECOGNIZE, AND THEY ARE
STILL QUITE INTRIGUING BY THEIR
OWN.
JOAN BONDURANT GREW UP IN GREAT
BEND.
SHE BECAME AN INTERNATIONAL SPY.
SHE -- HER DAD -- I MEAN WHEN
SHE WAS GROWING UP WAS THE OWNER
OF A HARDWARE STORE.
HER MOM READ A LOT.
THAT WAS ABOUT IT.
AND JOAN LIKED MUSIC.
AND SHE IN FACT WANTED TO BECOME
A MUSIC CRITIC.
SHE INSTEAD BECAME A SPY.
AND SHE WAS A MEMBER OF THE
OFFICE OF STRATEGIC SERVICES,
AND -- WHICH OTHER MEMBERS
INCLUDED JULIA CHILD AND MAR
LANE NAH DIETRICH.
THE OSS WAS THE PRECURSOR TO THE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY.
SHE BECAME FLUENT IN JAPANESE,
TRANSCRIBING MESSAGES AND
DOCUMENTS FOR THE UNITED STATES.
THEN AFTER THE WAR, THE U.S.
SENT HER TO INDIA, AND SHE
BECAME FLUENT IN HINDI AND
BECAME FRIENDS WITH MAHATMA
GANDHI.
CHEFS FASCINATED WITH THE
NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE AND WROTE
CONQUEST OF VIOLENCE, THE
GANDHIAN PHILOSOPHY OF CONFLICT.
13 YEARS AFTER HER BOOK WAS
PUBLISHED, DANIEL ELSBURG
RELEASED THE PENTAGON PAPERS AND
A STUDY OF U.S. DECISIONS IN
REGARDS TO THE VIETNAM WAR.
AND HE WOULD CITE JOAN
BONDURANT'S BOOK AS HIS
INSPIRATION.
SO THIS WOMAN FROM GREAT BEND
HAD QUITE AN INFLUENCE.
AND ONE OF THE STORIES OF HOW
SHE CAME TO LEARN JAPANESE WAS
THAT WHEN THE JAPANESE ATTACKED
PEARL HARBOR ON DECEMBER 7th,
1941, SHE WANTED TO BECOME
INVOLVED IN THE EFFORTS TO FIGHT
AGAINST THAT.
SO SHE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING TO
SUPPORT THE WAR EFFORT.
SHE TOOK A JAPANESE LANGUAGE
CRASH COURSE THAT WAS FOR MEN
ONLY.
SHE SAT OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
AND PERSISTED UNTIL THEY LET HER
TAKE THE CLASS.
SHE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT JAPANESE,
BUT SHE HAD PREVIOUSLY LEARNED
ITALIAN, GERMAN, SPANISH, LATIN
AND FRENCH AND BELIEVED HER
SKILLS AND EAR AS A MUSICIAN
WOULD HELP HER LEARN THE
LANGUAGE.
ISN'T THAT FASCINATING?
NOW, THE ONLY WAY I KNOW ABOUT
HER IS THAT A FRIEND OF MINE,
MARTY KEENAN WHO'S A LAWYER AND
ALSO TEACHES, HE'S FROM THE
GREAT BEND AREA, AND HE TOLD ME
ABOUT HER.
AND I JUST THINK -- AND HE'S
GETTING READY TO PUBLISH A BOOK
ABOUT HER.
AND SO I'M ANXIOUS FOR THAT BOOK
TO BE PUBLISHED BECAUSE I WOULD
LOVE TO READ IT.
BUT I JUST THINK.
>> WHO WROTE THE BOOK?
>> INSTRUCTOR: SHE DID.
THE BOOK SHE WROTE WAS PUBLISHED
IN 1958.
AND IT WAS CALLED "CONQUEST OF
VIOLENCE, THE GANDYAN PHILOSOPHY
OF CONFLICT."
SO ANYWAY, SHE'S SOMEBODY THAT I
THINK IS INTERESTING ENOUGH TO
NOTE.
AND THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE
STORIES OF WORLD WAR II, AND YOU
AGAIN MAY NOT HAVE HEARD OF THIS
GUY.
BUT HIS NAME IS LEWIS WORTH
SEAGONDOLLAR.
HE'S FROM MY NECK OF THE WOODS
OF KANSAS, FROM HOISINGTON.
HE WORKED ON THE MANHATTAN
PROJECT DURING WORLD WAR II.
HE WAS A NUCLEAR PHYSICAL CYST
WHO WAS ONE -- PHYSICIST, ONE OF
THE FIRST TO WATCH THE FIRST
ATOMIC BOMB EXPLOSION.
HE WAS BORN IN HOISINGTON IN
1920, GREW UP IN EMPORIA, A 1941
GRADUATE OF THE KANSAS STATE
TEACHERS COLLEGE.
NOW EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY.
IN THE SPRING OF 1944, HE WAS
HIRED TO WORK ON THE MANHATTAN
PROJECT.
HE WAS ONE OF THE NATION'S
BRIGHTEST PHYSICISTS AND
PERFORMED EXPERIENCE AT LOS
ALAMOS NUCLEAR LABORATORY.
HE WAS IN THE W GROUP WHICH WAS
NAMED BECAUSE LOS ALAMOS WAS
USING TWO VAND GRAPH GENERATORS
FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN
, AND HE HELPED BUILD
THE FIRST.
AS ONE OF THE YOUNGEST PEOPLE --
I LOVE THIS STORY.
IT'S SO KANSAS.
AS ONE OF THE YOUNGEST PEOPLE ON
THE PROJECT, HE WAS ASSIGNED TO
WORK AT NIGHT, THE NIGHT SHIFT,
UNDER ARMED GUARDS WHO MADE SURE
THE PLUTONIUM STAYED IN THE
LABORATORY.
SO ONE NIGHT HE HAD AN ACCIDENT,
AND TWO HEMISPHERES SET IN CASE
THE PLUTONIUM WERE KNOCKED OVER.
JUST IMAGINE YOURSELF IN THIS
SITUATION.
HE WAS BY HIMSELF.
HE CAUGHT ONE OF THE HEMISPHERES
BY HIS HAND.
BUT THE OTHER FELL ON TO A STEEL
TABLE AND WAS DENTED.
AND WITHOUT FIXING THE DENTED
HEMISPHERE, THE TWO HALVES
WOULDN'T FIT TOGETHER AND HE
COULDN'T CONTINUE THE
EXPERIMENT.
AND IF HE HAD DAMAGED THE
HEMISPHERE, THE PLUTONIUM STUFF
WOULD OXIDIZE IN THE AIR.
THINK HOW DANGEROUS THIS WAS.
AND SO HE CHECKED, AND THERE WAS
NO ALPHA PARTICLES COMING OUT OF
THE DAMAGED HEMISPHERE.
SO LIKE A TRUE KANSAN, HE SET
OUT TO REPAIR THE HEMISPHERE.
THIS IS THE ATOMIC BOMB, PEOPLE,
THAT WE'RE WORKING ON!
HE WENT NEXT DOOR TO THE
LABORATORY AND FOUND A GAS MASK
AND A BALL PEEN HAMMER.
THEN.
[NO AUDIO]
PIECES OF BLUE GLASS THAT HE HAD
TAPED TO A WELDER'S HOOD.
HE SAID HE WAS LOOKING IN THE
OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT THAT I SAW
THERE WAS THE MOST INTENSE LIGHT
I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE, AND
I HOPE TO GOD I NEVER SEE
ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
THERE WERE MOUNTAINS IN THE
DISTANCE, AND THEY ACTUALLY
SEEMED TO MECHANICALLY JUMP
FORWARD LIKE LOOKING INTO A
PHOTOGRAPHER'S LIGHT BULB,
EXCEPT THIS IS ABSOLUTELY
EVERYWHERE.
ON AUGUST 6th, 1945, 75 YEARS
AGO TODAY, THE ATOMIC BOMB WAS
DROPPED ON HIROSHIMA JAPAN
KILLING APPROXIMATELY 80,000
PEOPLE.
THREE DAYS LATER, ANOTHER BOMB
WAS DROPPED ON THAT NAGASAKI
WHERE 40,000 DIED, EACH EXPOSED
THOUSANDS MORE PEOPLE TO
RADIATION.
NOW, MR. SEAGONDOLLAR WENT ON TO
BECOME A PHYSICS PROFESSOR AFTER
THE WAR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
KANSAS AND THEN WAS HEAD OF THE
PHYSICS DEPARTMENT AT NORTH
CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY.
HE ALSO WAS A PHYSICIST AT THE
U.S. NAVAL RESEARCH LABORATORY
AND WORKED FOR GENERAL ELECTRIC
TRICKS.
HE DIED IN 2013.
HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE EVER HEARD
OF HIM?
OH, YOU HAVE?
GOOD!
I JUST THINK HIS STORY IS SO
AMAZING AND SO MUCH A PART OF
THE KANSAS STORY.
YES?
[QUESTION OFF MIC]
>> INSTRUCTOR: IT IS IMPORTANT
TO REMEMBER THESE PEOPLE AND
WHAT THEY CONTRIBUTED.
YOU'RE ABSOLUTE -- YEAH, YOU'RE
ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
NOW, SOME OF YOU WHO TOOK MY
DIRT, GRIT AND JELL-O SALAD
CLASS WILL KNOW I TALKED ABOUT
LINCOLN LA PAZ BEFORE.
BUT HE IS A CHARACTER, AND I'M
TELLING YOU, HE WAS FROM
WICHITA, AND HE LATER BECAME ONE
OF THE NATION'S LEADING EXPERTS
ON UFOs, METEORITES AND OTHER
INTERESTING THINGS.
HE WAS STATIONED DURING WORLD
WAR II IN NEW MEXICO AS A
RESEARCH MATHEMATICIAN, AND HE
STUDIED BALLISTICS AND
METEORITES AND HELPED THE AIR
FORCE INVESTIGATE THE JAPANESE
BALLOON BOMBS THAT FLOATED OVER
AND WERE FOUND ON THE U.S.
MAINLAND.
HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE
THAT WAS CONSULTED WHEN ANYTHING
ABNORMAL HAPPENED.
AND OF COURSE SOME OF YOU MAY
RECALL YEARS LATER AFTER THE WAR
IN 19 -- WELL IT WAS IN 1947, IT
WASN'T THAT MANY YEARS, BUT HE
INVESTIGATED ROSWELL NEW MEXICO,
THE MYSTERIOUS LIGHTS AND THE
CRASH THERE.
SO HE'S AN INTERESTING
CHARACTER, I THINK.
LET'S SEE.
AGAIN, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE
MILKWEED POD COLLECTIONS.
THERE WERE ALSO SCRAP METAL
COLLECTIONS OF WHERE THERE WERE
BIG EFFORTS.
I INTERVIEWED THIS GUY YEARS
AGO.
HE HAS SINCE PASSED.
BUT HE -- WHEN THE END OF WORLD
WAR II CAME AND THE JAPANESE
SURRENDER WAS IMMINENT, A
DESK-BOUND KANSAS SAILOR WAS
ASKED TO CARRY A HISTORIC U.S.
FLAG HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD.
THE REASON?
SO THE U.S. COULD DISPLAY A FLAG
WITH A JAPANESE LEGACY.
IT WAS LATE AUGUST, 1945, WHEN
LIEUTENANT JOHN BREMYER A
McPHERSON NATIVE WAS STATIONED
IN WASHINGTON, D. C.
HE WAS MAKING SURE THE TOP
SECRET DOCUMENTS IN THE OFFICE
MESSENGER MAIL CENTER WENT
THROUGH AS THEY SHOULD.
HE WAS THE OFFICER IN CHARGE.
THAT'S HOW HE FOUND OUT ABOUT A
SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT.
IN TOKYO BAY, ADMIRALTY HULLSY
WAS IN COMMAND OF THE THIRD
FLEET OF WHICH THE USS MISSOURI
WAS THE FLAGSHIP.
IT WAS ON THE USS MISSOURI THAT
JAPAN WAS TO OFFICIALLY
SURRENDER.
HULSEY SENT A DISPATCH TO THE
U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY REQUESTING
THAT A HISTORIC U.S. FLAG BE
RUSHED BY OFFICER COURIER ON THE
NEXT AVAILABLE TRANSPORTATION TO
TOKYO.
THE FLAG, WITH ONLY 31 STARS --
OR -- YES, HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN
FLOWN IN TOKYO BAY WHEN
COMMANDER MATTHEW PERRY OPENED
JAPAN TO U.S. SHIPPING AND TRADE
ON JULY 14th, 1853.
IT WAS ALSO THE ONLY AMERICAN
FLAG TO EVER FLY OVER THE
JAPANESE EMPIRE.
SO BREMYER READILY VOLUNTEERED.
HIS JOURNEY INVOLVED TEN PLANES
AND MORE THAN 100 HOURS OF
TRAVEL TIME.
FINALLY, HE ARRIVED, BOXED FLAG
IN TOW.
THE NAVY'S ORIGINAL INTENTION
HAD BEEN TO FLY THE FLAG DURING
THE SURRENDER CEREMONY BUT
BECAUSE IT WAS SO OLD,
HISTORIANS FEARED THAT THE
BANNER WOULD BE DESTROYED IN THE
FLAPPING WIND.
INSTEAD, THE FLAG WAS DISPLAYED
BEHIND GLASS DURING THE
CEREMONY.
ISN'T THAT A QUIRKY LITTLE FACT,
THAT A KANSAN WAS INVOLVED?
[INAUDIBLE COMMENT]
>> INSTRUCTOR: ONE OF MY
FAVORITE INTERVIEWS WAS WITH
A -- A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WITH
LIEUTENANT MARVIN MARTIN.
HE WAS AN ATTORNEY HERE IN
WICHITA FOR MANY YEARS, AND HE
WOULD GIVE TALKS TO AREA GROUPS
ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES IN WORLD
WAR II.
HE WAS ON THE LAST MISSION OF
WORLD WAR II.
HE WAS A NAVIGATOR.
AND HE WAS ON BOARD THE B-29
FLYING BACK FROM THE LAST
MISSION OF THE WAR WHEN IT WAS
ANNOUNCED THAT JAPAN HAD
SURRENDERED.
HE WROTE IN HIS JOURNAL ON
AUGUST 14th, 15th, 19 FOUR
OR FIVE, TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT WE
GO ON THE LONGEST BOMBING RANGE
EVER CONCEIVED BY MAN.
NEARLY 4,000 MILES NON-STOP
CARRYING 52 250-POUND BOMBS AND
ONLY 6,785 GALLONS OF GAS.
AFTER THE WAR, HE ATTENDED THE
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS AND
GRADUATED FROM THE K.U. LAW
SCHOOL AND THEN PRACTICED LAW IN
WICHITA FOR MORE THAN FOUR
DECADES.
BUT HE HAD A UNIQUE WAY OF
LOOKING AT THE LIFE EXPERIENCES
THAT HE LEARNED DURING THE WAR,
AND HE WOULD SAY THE WAR CHANGED
A GENERATION, INCLUDING HIM.
WE SLEPT IN UNISON, MARCHED IN
UNISON, ATE IN UNISON, SHOWERED
IN UNISON, WORE UNIFORM
CLOTHING, AND LEARNED TO FOLLOW
ORDERS, HE WROTE IN AN ACCOUNT
FOR HIS GRANDCHILDREN.
NEATNESS AND PERSONAL HYGIENE
WERE NOT MERELY SUGGESTED BUT
DEMANDED.
ONE LESSON FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND
WAS THAT I NEEDED TO LEARN TO
FOLLOW BEFORE I WAS EQUIPPED TO
LEAD MY FAMILY OR OTHERS.
I NEEDED TO KNOW WHAT IT WAS
LIKE TO TAKE ORDERS BEFORE I
ISSUED THEM TO OTHERS.
ANYWAY, HE WAS A NAVIGATOR ON
BOARD THE PLANE AND HE WROTE ON
THE RETURN FLIGHT OF SEVERAL
HUNDRED MILES TO GUAM THE B-29
CREWS LEARNED THE WAR WAS OVER.
WE REALLY SWEATED OUT, TOO,
MARTIN WROTE IN HIS DIARY.
NUMBER 1, 2 AND 3 WERE ALL
BACKFIRING AND WE DIDN'T KNOW IF
OUR GAS WOULD LAST OR NOT.
HIS REFERENCE TO 1, 2, AND 3
WERE THE ENGINES, AND THE
316th BOMB WING WOULD LATER
RECEIVE THE PRESIDENTIAL UNIT
CITATION FOR ITS WORK IN THE
BOMBING OF JAPAN.
BUT HE WAS AN INCREDIBLE
SPEAKER, AND I WOULD OFTEN HAVE
HIM COME TO CLASSES FOR HIS
PERSPECTIVES ON WHAT HE LEARNED.
CONNIE PALACIOZ.
HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN HER,
KNOW HER?
SHE'S ONE OF THE MOST VISIBLE
FACES FOR THE B-29.
THING ABOUT HER WAS SHE WAS ONLY
18 YEARS OLD IN 1944 WHEN SHE
BEGAN WORKING IN BOEING, AND THE
AMAZING THING IS SHE WAS ONE OF
THE ORIGINAL RIVETERS ON DOC AND
ALSO HELPED ON ITS RESTORATION.
SHE DID THE NOSE WORK OF DOC,
THE RIVETS IN THE NOSE, MANY OF
WHICH ARE STILL THERE BECAUSE
SHE DID A GOOD JOB.
SHE TOOK GREAT PRIDE IN THAT.
I OFTEN HAVE HER COME TO CLASSES
AS WELL.
BUT SHE TELLS THE STORY OF WHAT
IT WAS LIKE AS A HISPANIC
GROWING UP IN A SMALL TOWN IN
KANSAS.
AND WHAT IT MEANT TO GO TO WORK
AT BOEING AND WHAT SHE LEARNED
AND WHAT IT MEANS TO HER NOW.
SO SHE'S GOT SOME INCREDIBLE
STORIES.
ONE OF THE THINGS, TOO, THAT
MIGHT BE WORTH NOTING, SOME OF
THE BUILDINGS THAT WERE USED FOR
BARRACKS IN WORLD WAR II WERE
THE BUTLER BUILDINGS.
HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER THOSE
AND WHERE THEY ARE FROM?
YES.
WHERE ARE THEY FROM?
THEY'RE NOT FROM EL DORADO.
ONE OF THE WORKERS -- OR ONE OF
THE PEOPLE WHO STARTED THE
BUTLER BUILDINGS WAS FROM CLAY
CENTER.
ANOTHER WAS FROM THE KANSAS CITY
AREA.
THEY WERE USED AS BARRACKS.
THE QUESTION WAS WHERE WERE THEY
USED.
AND THEY WERE USED ON A LOT OF
THE WORLD WAR II BASES.
THEY WERE DESIGNED AND BUILT BY
KANSANS EMANUEL NORDQUIST OF
CLAY CENTER AND CHARLES BUTLER
OF KANSAS CITY, AND THEY WERE
USED AS BARRACKS, WAREHOUSES AND
AIRPLANE HANGARS.
AGAIN, ANOTHER KANSAS
CONTRIBUTION.
THE G.I. BILL.
THIS IS A LAWYER FROM COMPLAIN,
HARRY COMERY WHO HELPED DRAFT
THE G.I. BILL THAT CHANGED THE
QUALITY OF LIFE FOR MANY
AMERICANS, PROVIDING RETURNING
SERVICEMEN LOANS FOR HOMES,
BUSINESSES, AND EDUCATION.
THE BILL WAS SIGNED INTO LAW ON
JUNE 22nd, 1944.
HOW MANY OF YOU USED THE G.I.
BILL?
A FEW OF YOU.
YES!
MY DAD DID.
I'M THINKING, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF
US HAD FAMILY MEMBERS WHO USED
THOSE.
THAT CHANGED AN ENTIRE WAY OF
LIFE.
KEY DATES OF WORLD WAR II.
OF COURSE DECEMBER 7th, 1941.
THAT WAS WHEN THE JAPANESE WAR
PLANES ATTACKED PEARL HARBOR.
JUNE 1942.
THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY.
NOVEMBER 1942.
THE ALLIES ATTACKED GERMANY IN
NORTH AFRICA.
JULY 1943, ALLIES INVADE SICILY.
SEPTEMBER 1943, ITALY
SURRENDERS.
JUNE 6, 1944, D-DAY.
MAY 8th, 1945, VE DAY.
AUGUST 6, 1945, THE U.S. DROPS
THE ATOMIC BOMB ON HIROSHIMA.
AND SEPTEMBER 2nd, 1945, JAPAN
SIGNS THE PEACE TREATY.
AMAZING HOW MANY THINGS HAPPENED
DURING ALL OF THAT TIME.
THINK ABOUT IN SOME WAYS THE
AFTERMATH OF THE WAR.
AND WHAT THAT MEANT.
I THINK OF, YOU KNOW, AGAIN,
SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHOSE LIVES
WERE CHANGED BY THAT.
AND HOW IT WAS COMMON PEOPLE WHO
WERE AFFECTED.
THERE WAS ONE -- I WANT TO --
BEFORE I GET INTO SOME OF THE
AFTERMATH, I WANT TO ALSO
MENTION THERE WAS A GUY BY THE
NAME OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL
WILLIAM KURTICH WHO HIS FAMILY
LIVED IN KANSAS, AND HE WAS
GIVEN HIS OPERATION ICEBURG
ORDERS WHICH HE DESCRIBED LATER
TO HIS CHILDREN WERE AS THICK AS
A MONTGOMERY WARD CATALOGUE.
AND HE MEMORIZED EVERY PAGE.
OPERATION ICEBURG WAS THE CODE
NAME FOR THE BATTLE OF OKINAWA.
AND IT WAS THE LAST MAJOR LAND
BATTLE OF WORLD WAR II.
AND HE WOULD EVENTUALLY -- WELL,
IT WOULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO THE
ATOMIC BOMBS BEING USED AGAINST
JAPAN AND THE COUNTRY'S
SURRENDER IN AUGUST.
BUT ALL OF THAT WAS A LONG WAY
OFF FOR HIM, WHO WAS IN CHARGE
OF CONTROLLING U.S. BOMBER
AIRCRAFT OVER THE ISLAND OF
OKINAWA.
HE WAS A U.S. MARINE OFFICER,
AND HE WAS ADVISED THAT SAME
YEAR BY THE MILITARY THAT HE
NEEDED TO CHANGE HIS LAST NAME
SO IT WOULD HAVE LESS OF AN
EASTERN EUROPEAN SOUND.
SO HE CHANGED THAT NAME TO
CURTIS.
AND YOU MAY RECOGNIZE HIS TWO
CHILDREN, BILL AND JEAN, WHO
EVENTUALLY BECAME WELL-KNOWN
KANSANS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT.
BUT IN THE END OF MARCH, 1945,
HE MISSED HOME AND FAMILY.
AND THE BATTLE FROM
DECEMBER 19 -- WELL, AMERICA WAS
AT WAR.
AND SO THE FIGHTING, THERE WERE
MANY CITIES THAT WERE
TRANSFORMED, AS WE KNOW, SUCH AS
WICHITA AND ALL THOSE KIND OF
THINGS LEADING UP TO IT.
BUT HE HAD SERVED THROUGHOUT THE
WAR AND THE OKINAWA CAMPAIGN
LASTED FROM APRIL 1st TO
JUNE 22nd 1945, THE LARGEST
AMPHIBIOUS LANDING IN THE
PACIFIC THEATER.
AND MORE THAN 280,000 SOLDIERS
BATTLED 130,000 JAPANESE
SOLDIERS, AND IN ADDITION THE
ISLAND HAD 430,000 CIVILIANS
LIVING WITHIN ITS TOWNS AND
VILLAGES.
JEAN SHODORF, HIS DAUGHTER,
WOULDN'T -- MR. CURTIS NEVER
TALKED ABOUT THESE EXPERIENCES.
IT WASN'T UNTIL A YEAR AFTER HE
DIED THAT SHE WAS CLEANING OUT
HER FATHER'S HOUSE AND FOUND IN
A LAUNDRY BASKET IN A CLOSET HIS
JOURNAL.
AND SHE SAID IT WAS A HUGE
SURPRISE.
YOU NEVER THINK OF YOUR PARENTS
AS PARTICIPATING ON THE SCALE
THAT HE DID.
AND DURING HIS LIFETIME, HE
NEVER TALKED MUCH ABOUT
OPERATION ICEBERG OR THE BATTLE
OF OKINAWA.
HIS BROTHER BILL CURTIS,
NATIONALLY KNOWN TELEVISION
JOURNALIST REMEMBERS ONLY TWO
STORIES HIS FATHER TOLD ABOUT
THE BATTLE.
THE REAL THING THEY WERE SCARED
OF WAS THE KAMIKAZE PILOTS, BILL
CURTIS SAID.
AND THAT HIS DAD WAS, AGAIN, IN
CHARGE OF DIRECTING THE U.S.
BOMBERS.
ISN'T THAT AMAZING?
I JUST FIND THAT JUST
INTERESTING.
IN ITSELF.
ANOTHER PERSON THAT I THINK IS
WORTH MENTIONING IS ELLIS PIKE.
HE WAS A GODDARD FARM BOY WHO
WAS TRAINED AS A METEOROLOGIST
IN THE ARMY AIR FORCES AND HE
WAS ON THE TEAM THAT PREDICTED
THE WEATHER OF THE NORMANDY
BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER D-DAY,
AND HE LATER WAS A METEOROLOGIST
FOR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
AND WAS A WEEKEND FORECASTER AT
KA AKE -- KAKE TV.
WE HAD TALKED EARLIER ABOUT THE
MILKWEED PODS.
OFFICIALS SAID 28 OUNCES OF
MILKWEED FIBER IN A LIFE JACKET
COULD KEEP A FLYER AFLOAT FOR
140 HOURS.
THAT'S A LONG TIME.
SO -- BUT THINK ABOUT ALL THE
VFWs THAT WERE FORMED, ALL OF
THE VETERAN -- WELL, WE HAVE
VETERANS OF -- WHAT ELSE ARE
THERE?
THE AMERICAN LEGIONS, ALL OF
THOSE, AND HOW A LOT OF THOSE
HAVE SINCE FOLDED.
WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT IN
THE COMING WEEKS, BUT I THINK
THAT WILL BE IT FOR THIS EVENIN.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
OKAY.
YES.
IT WOULD BE GOOD.
>> JUST LOOKING AT THE LIST OF
NAMES OF DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER,
I'M REMEMBERING WHEN I WAS 8
YEARS OLD AND MY DAD TOOK ME AND
MY MOM TO WASHINGTON, D. C., AND
IT WAS MY FIRST TIME TO SEE TV.
AND ON TV, ALL THERE WAS WAS BOO
FOR IKE AND YAY FOR TAFT.
HE WAS RUNNING FOR THE PRIMARY,
AND IT WAS HOT THERE.
HE TOOK US TO THE TOMB OF THE
UNKNOWN SOLDIER, AND IT WAS VERE
THAT ALL THOSE PEOPLE WERE LOST,
LOST THEIR LIVES FOR US.
AND SO I FEEL LIKE JUST RECENTLY
IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT MY FATHER
TOOK ME ON HIS HONOR FLIGHT WITH
HIM.
SO HE TOOK US, THAT WAS SO
IMPORTANT TO HIM.
SO I JUST FELT LIKE THAT WAS SO
IMPORTANT IN MY LIFE.
BUT THAT WAS THE FIRST TV, AND I
WASN'T INTERESTED, AND IT WAS
LIKE ALL THIS LAST WEEK, AND BOO
FOR IKE AND YAY FOR TAFT, AND HE
WAS FROM KANSAS.
>> INSTRUCTOR: WELL, EXCELLENT.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
YES.
>> JUST FOLLOWING UP ON THE
MILKWEED POD, AND SHE'S COMING
BACK INTO THE ROOM, BUT I DID
CHECK MR. GOOGLY, AND YES, IT'S
THE FIBERS INSIDE THE PODS, THEY
ARE NATURALLY WAXY, THEY'RE
BOUYANT, THEY'RE WATERPROOF AND
SO THOSE FIBERS WERE USED TO PUT
INSIDE THE LIFE VEST BECAUSE AT
THE TIME OF THE WAR, THE
JAPANESE HAD INVADED AND HAD
CONTROL OVER JAVA WHICH IS WHERE
THE PLANT CAPOK WAS GROWN, THE
JAPANESE WERE PREVENTING THOSE
FIBERS BEING USED FOR LIFE VESTS
SO THE MILKWEED POD FIBERS, THE
SEEDS, WERE COLLECTED INSIDE.
NOW OF COURSE SYNTHETIC FIBERS
ARE USED IN LIFE VESTS, SO --
>> INSTRUCTOR: THANK YOU SO
MUCH.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT.
THAT'S GREAT.
YES?
>> I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE
HOUSING UNIT BUILT FOR AIRCRAFT.
>> INSTRUCTOR: YOU MEAN LIKE
PLANEVIEW AND -- THE QUESTION
WAS THE HOUSING UNITS THAT WERE
BUILT FOR CARE CRAFT WORKERS --
AIRCRAFT WORKERS.
THERE WERE SEVERAL NEIGHBORHOODS
AROUND WICHITA WHERE THAT WAS --
WHAT WAS YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION
ABOUT THEM?
[INAUDIBLE QUESTION OFF MIC]
>> INSTRUCTOR: THAT'S AN
EXCELLENT POINT.
THE QUESTION WAS TO COMMENT
ABOUT SOME OF THE TEMPORARY
HOUSING THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT A
LITTLE EARLIER DURING THE BREAK
OF HOW THESE NEIGHBORHOODS IN
WICHITA, THERE WAS SUCH A
HOUSING SHORTAGE, AND THERE WAS
SUCH A DEMAND FOR WORKERS.
AND IN FACT, THAT WAS WHERE A
GOOD PORTION OF OUR NATIVE
AMERICAN COMMUNITY, THEY WERE
INVITED TO COME LIVE IN THE
WICHITA AREA AFTER WE FORCED
THEM OUT IN THE 19TH CENTURY, TO
COME BACK TO WICHITA AND WORK IN
THE AIRCRAFT PLANTS.
AND SO WE HAD A GOOD PORTION OF
DIVERSE COMMUNITIES COMING INTO
WICHITA.
AND THE GOVERNMENT HAD STEPPED
IN TO BUILD TEMPORARY HOUSING AT
PLAINVIEW, HILLCREST, OAK LAWN;
IS THAT CORRECT AS WELL?
ARE THERE ANY OTHERS I'M LEAVING
OUT?
BEACHWOOD?
HILLTOP, THANK YOU, I NEEDED
HELP.
YES, HILLCREST IS A DIFFERENT
MATTER ALTOGETHER.
BUT ANYWAY, THEY WERE DESIGNED
ONLY TO BE TEMPORARY.
THEY WERE GOING TO BE THEN TORN
DOWN AFTERWARDS.
AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, SOME OF
THEM ARE STILL STANDING.
AND THE QUALITY WAS NOT GREAT IN
TERMS OF CONSTRUCTION.
AND -- BUT STILL, FAMILIES
PURCHASED THEM AFTER THE WAR,
AND THEY STILL EXIST FOR A LOT
OF FAMILIES NOW.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
YES.
[COMMENT OFF MIC]
>> INSTRUCTOR: WOULD YOU MIND
GOING TO THE MICROPHONE?
>> YEAH.
>> INSTRUCTOR: THANK YOU.
I APPRECIATE THAT.
>> WHEN I WAS FIRST STARTING OUT
IN THE BUSINESS FIELD, I WORKED
A LOT WITH RETIREMENT PEOPLE
FROM ALL THE AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY.
WHEN THEY GET READY -- THIS WAS
IN THE EARLY, MID-60s.
MANY HAD ALREADY BEEN AT BOEING
BEACH CESSNA DURING THE WAR.
WHEN THEY RETIRED I ASKED THEM
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO IN
RETIREMENT.
EVERY SINGLE ONE WOULD SAY,
WELL, I'M GOING BACK HOME.
WHERE'S HOME?
OKLAHOMA, ARKANSAS, MISSOURI.
HOW LONG YOU BEEN IN WICHITA?
40 YEARS.
YOU KNOW, THEY CAME TO WICHITA.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT, FOR A GOOD
JOB OR TO HELP THE CAUSE.
BUT WICHITA WAS NEVER HOME.
>> INSTRUCTOR: YOU KNOW, THAT'S
AN EXCELLENT POINT THAT YOU
BRING UP.
AFTER WORLD WAR II THERE IS SUCH
EMPHASIS ON SMALL TOWNS, FARM
KIDS, THAT YOU NEED TO GET AWAY.
YOU NEED TO GET A COLLEGE
EDUCATION.
GO, GO.
AND GET YOUR EDUCATIONS.
AND SO A LOT OF THEM NEVER CAME
BACK HOME IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO
SAY, AND FOR YEARS THE EAGLE
WOULD DO STORIES ON THE BRAIN
DRAIN OF KANSAS AND THAT KIND OF
THING.
AND WHAT IS HOME?
IS IT STILL WHERE YOU GREW UP?
ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO IT -- AGAIN, I THINK THIS IS
A LARGE PART OF HOW WORLD WAR II
AFFECTED US.
IT AFFECTED OUR FAMILIES AND
AFFECTED OUR HOPES AND DREAMS IN
A LOT OF WAYS.
ONE THING I WANT TO ALSO BRING
UP, YOU KNOW, WE OFTEN TALK
ABOUT Mc McCONNELL AIR FORCE
BASE.
IT GOT STARTED IN 1951 NAMED
AFTER FRED, TOM AND EDWIN
McDONNELL FROM WICHITA.
FROM 1953 TO 1961 WE'VE TALKED
ABOUT DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER BEING
THE NATION'S 34th PRESIDENT
AND IN 1952 IT WAS EMPORIA
RESIDENTS WHO STARTED A CAMPAIGN
TO HAVE THE NAME ARM CYST DAY
CHANGED TO VETERANS DAY AND IT
WOULD TAKE PRESIDENT EISENHOWER
SIGNING THAT INTO LEGISLATION
THEN IN 1954.
I THINK THAT'S THE END OF OUR
SLIDE SHOW SO THAT'S A GOOD
THING.
WE HAVE COME TO THAT PART WHERE
I WILL QUICKLY SAY ONE MORE
THING.
THEN I WILL ADDRESS YOU, OKAY?
BUT POP QUIZ.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO FOR
NEXT WEEK?
YOUR ASSIGNMENT IS TO?
WRITE A STORY AND SEND IT TO
WHAT'S THAT EMAIL ADDRESS?
YOU SHOULD HAVE IT TATTOOED BY
NOW.
IT'S BTANNER11@COX.net.
YES, TATTOOED.
YOU HAVE A QUESTION IN BACK.
[QUESTION OFF MIC]
>> INSTRUCTOR: OH!
WHERE -- OH, IS THAT -- WAIT.
OVER THERE?
DO YOU WANT TO TELL A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT HIM?
ELLIS PIKE'S DAUGHTER IS HERE.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO TELL A LITTLE
STORY ABOUT HIM?
HE IS ONE OF OUR HEROES OF THE
DAY.
>> THEN I DON'T HAVE TO DO THE
ASSIGNMENT, RIGHT?
>> INSTRUCTOR: YOU STILL HAVE TO
DO THE ASSIGNMENT.
>> WELL, IT WAS INTERESTING THAT
HE WAS TEACHING SCHOOL IN 1941,
AND WHEN PEARL HARBOR HAPPENED,
AND THEN HE WAS IN SUMMER SCHOOL
AFTER THAT, THE SUMMER OF '42,
AND HIS PHYSICS TEACHER, HE WAS
WORKING ON A MASTERS DEGREE BUT
HE TAUGHT MATH AND SCIENCE.
HIS PHYSICS TEACHER ASKED HIM
WHERE HE STOOD WITH THE DRAFT
BOARD, AND HE SAID, WELL, THEY
WERE ABOUT TO GET HIM.
AND THE TEACHER SUGGESTED THAT
HE LOOK INTO METEOROLOGY BECAUSE
WITH HIS PHYSICS AND MATH
ABILITY HE'D BE GOOD AT THAT SO
HE DID.
HE APPLIED, AND HE DIDN'T HEAR.
HE STARTED TEACHING AGAIN IN THE
FALL OF '42, AND WAITED AND
WAITED AND THE DRAFT BOARD WAS
JUST DAYS FROM GETTING HIM.
AND AT CHRISTMAS TIME HE WENT TO
KANSAS CITY.
HE WAS TEACHING IN GARNETT,
KANSAS.
HE WENT TO KANSAS CITY AND FOUND
SOMEHOW, DON'T KNOW, WALKED INTO
A WAREHOUSE AND ASKED ABOUT THE
STATUS OF HIS APPLICATION, AND
THE WOMAN IN THE WAREHOUSE, THE
WAREHOUSE WAS FILLED WITH
TABLES, DESKS, AND THIS WOMAN
STOOD UP AND SAID, I HAVE ELLIS
PIKE HERE.
AND APPARENTLY HE HAD BEEN
SELECTED BUT THEY COULDN'T FIND
HIS RECORDS TO KNOW HOW TO REACH
HIM BECAUSE THEY WERE FILED,
LATER TURNED OUT, UNDER THE LAST
NAME OF ELLIS INSTEAD OF THE
LAST NAME OF PIKE.
SO OKAY, NOW THEY KNEW WHERE HE
WAS.
NOW HE WAS HEADED TO GRAND
RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, FOR SCHOOL
WHICH HE ARRIVED AT A WEEK LATE
FOR THE START BECAUSE HE'D BEEN
LOST.
MY MOM PUT HIM ON A TRAIN TO GO
TO GRAND RAPIDS AND WENT THE
NEXT DAY TO FINISH TEACHING HIS
CLASSES FOR THE REST OF THE
YEAR.
THIS WAS IN FIRST OF JANUARY OF
1943.
SHE WAS AN ENGLISH TEACHER.
SHE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO TEACH
AFTER THEY GOT MARRIED BECAUSE
SHE WAS MARRIED.
COULDN'T TEACH AS A MARRIED
WOMAN IN GARNETT, KANSAS BUT SHE
COULD TEACH HIS MATH AND SCIENCE
CLASSES AFTER HE WAS GONE, AND
THEY NEEDED A TEACHER, AND SHE
HAD TAKEN CALCULUS THE SUMMER
BEFORE IN ANTICIPATION OF THIS.
WE RECENTLY FOUND HER NOTES FROM
HER CALCULUS CLASS.
SO THAT WAS INTERESTING, TOO.
HE WAS IN TRAINING FROM JANUARY
UNTIL LABOR DAY IN GRAND RAPIDS
WITH 700 OTHER YOUNG MEN, TAUGHT
IN THE GRAND RAPIDS CIVICS
CENTER WITH A BULL HORN.
AND EVERY FRIDAY THEY HAD A
TEST, AND HE WOULD SEND MOTHER A
NOTE THAT SAID, WELL, I DON'T
THINK I DID VERY WELL, I'LL BE
IN THE INFANTRY NEXT WEEK
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY DID IF
HE FAILED THE TEST.
WELL HE NEVER FAILED THE TEST,
AND HE GET THROUGH THE CLASSES,
AND THEN HE WAS SENT TO, OF ALL
PLACES, GREAT BEND, KANSAS,
WHERE THEY WERE ASSEMBLING CREWS
FOR I THINK IT WAS B-17s BUT
IT -- I THINK IT WAS B-17s.
SO THESE YOUNG MEN WERE LEARNING
TO FLY.
THEY LEARNED HOW TO FLY BUT WERE
LEARNING TO FLY AS A GROUP, AND
HE WAS GIVING THEM WEATHER
REPORTS TO LET THEM MAKE THEIR
LITTLE TEST FLIGHTS, AND THEY
PRACTICED BOMBING RUNS OVER
CHEYENNE BOTTOMS WITH 5-POUND
BAGS OF FLOUR SO THAT THEY WOULD
DROP THE BOMB, THE 5-POUND BAG
OF FLOUR AND COULD SEE WHERE IT
LANDED BECAUSE OF COURSE YOU
DON'T WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE RIGHT
OVER THE TARGET AND DROP IT
BECAUSE IT FOLLOWS A TRAJECTORY
OF WHERE YOU WERE FLYING.
SO THEY WERE LEARNING TO DROP
THESE BOMBS.
AND THEN AT THE END OF THAT YEAR
HE WAS SENT TO ENGLAND AND THERE
HE WAS INVOLVED IN GIVING
FORECASTS, BRIEFINGS TO PILOTS
THAT WERE FLYING OVER FRANCE AND
GERM GERMANY.
YOU GAVE HIM A LITTLE MORE
CREDIT THAN HE DESERVED.
>> INSTRUCTOR: NO, HE DESERVES
THAT CREDIT.
>> THE FORECAST WAS NOT HIS
FORECAST, IT WAS MADE SEVERAL
LAYERS ABOVE HIM.
BUT IN HIS DAUGHTER'S EYES HE
WON THE WAR BECAUSE --
>> INSTRUCTOR: HE WAS PART OF
THE TEAM.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
BUT HE DID GIVE BRIEFINGS TO
THOSE PILOTS THAT WERE LEAVING,
AND MANY NEVER CAME BACK.
THEN WHEN D-DAY -- AND WE HAVE
FOUND A TELEGRAM THAT SAID ONLY
"JUNE 6, 1941, DASH D-DAY.
I AM FINE.
ELLIS.  ."
SO THAT WAS A TREASURE TO FIND.
>> INSTRUCTOR: OH, MY,
ABSOLUTELY.
THAT'S A GREAT STORY.
ISN'T THAT A PART OF KANSAS
HISTORY?
THAT IS WONDERFUL.
[APPLAUSE]
>> AND THEN HE CAME BACK AND DID
NOT GO BACK TO TEACHING.
HE WENT TO THE WEATHER BUREAU
AND WAS TRANSFERRED TO DIFFERENT
PLACES.
I CAME ALONG, AND HE WAS
RECALLED BACK INTO THE AIR FORCE
IN 1951 FOR THE KOREAN WAR, AND
THANK GOD, LITERALLY, HE WAS NOT
SENT TO KOREA, HE WAS SENT TO A
BRAND-NEW AIR FORCE BASE THAT
WAS JUST BEING BUILT,
McCONNELL.
AND HE HAD GROWN UP IN GODDARD.
>> INSTRUCTOR: I LOVE THAT.
>> SO ANOTHER MIRACLE.
THEN WHEN THAT WAR WAS OVER,
WHICH WAS PRETTY SHORT, HE WAS
SET TO GO BACK TO ST. LOUIS
WHERE HE HAD COME FROM WHEN HE
WAS PULLED BACK.
THEY SENT HIM A LETTER THAT
SAID, YOU CAN CHOOSE TO COME
BACK TO ST. LOUIS OR YOU CAN GO
TO BOISE IDAHO OR TO WICHITA,
KANSAS.
I STILL REMEMBER HIM LEAPING OUT
OF HIS CHAIR AS HE READ THIS
LETTER AND RACING OUT THE DOOR
AND YANKING UP THE FOR SALE SIGN
SO HE COULD STAY IN WICHITA AND
NEVER LEFT.
IT TOOK HIM LONGER TO BE THE
HEAD OF THE WICHITA WEATHER
BUREAU THAN IF HE HAD BEEN
WILLING TO LEAVE.
BUT HE WAS NOT SOMEONE WHO
NEEDED TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR
HOME.
HE WAS HOME.
HE WAS ABLE TO FORECAST THE
WEATHER FOR WICHITA BETTER THAN
ANYBODY ELSE COULD HAVE BECAUSE
HE HAD GROWN UP ON A FARM IN
GODDARD PLOWING FIELDS WITH A
HORSE WHERE HE HAD TO FORECAST
THE WEATHER BY LOOKING AT THE
SKY TO KNOW WHEN TO LEAVE THE
FIELD TO GET BACK TO THE BARN TO
AVOID GETTING WET OR TO GET
CRITICIZED BY HIS FATHER AND
BROTHERS FOR LEAVING THE FIELD
TOO EARLY.
AND SO THEN HE ENDED UP
FORECASTING WEATHER IN WICHITA
AND HIS FAVORITE STORY WAS WHEN
HE WAS WITH KAKE THAT HE ALWAYS
MADE SURE HE LOOKED OUT THE
WINDOW ON HIS WAY TO THE
BROADCAST STUDIO BEFORE HE GAVE
THE FORECAST.
HE WANTED TO BE SURE WHAT THE
WEATHER LOOKED LIKE IN ADDITION
TO THE SCIENCE OF IT.
AND, OH, ONE OTHER THING THAT IS
INTERESTING TO ME AS I WATCH THE
WEATHER TODAY, AND WE'VE ALL
BECOME FORECASTERS.
WE WATCH THE WEATHER BUT WE
WATCH THE RADAR AND TRY TO
FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING TO
HAPPEN.
HE SAID THAT IN HIS CLASSES IN
GREAT BEND -- NOT GREAT BEND.
GRAND RAPIDS, THANK YOU.
THEY TAUGHT ONE SYSTEM OF
FORECASTING WAS IF YOU COULD
FIND A MAP OF YOUR AREA THAT
LOOKED LIKE TODAY'S MAP, BACK IN
HISTORY, YOU COULD FIND A MAP,
THEN YOU COULD LOOK AT THE NEXT
DAY, AND THAT WAS YOUR FORECAST
FOR TOMORROW.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE COMPUTERS.
ALL THESE MODELS THAT THEY TALK
ABOUT, COMPUTERS ARE LOOKING FOR
THAT MAP, AND THAT'S THE WAY
THEY'RE FORECASTING TODAY.
>> INSTRUCTOR: INTERESTING.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING.
THAT'S A WONDERFUL COLLECTION OF
STORIES.
[APPLAUSE]
>> INSTRUCTOR: THANK YOU.
TWO MORE THINGS I WILL LEAVE YOU
WITH, AND THAT IS WHERE DO YOU
THINK THE PERSON WHO SERVED AS
THE HANGMEN FOR THE TEN NAZI WAR
CRIMINALS OF NUREMBERG WAS FROM?
THE HANGMAN WAS FROM.
WHERE WAS HE FROM?
WICHITA.
NAME WAS JOHN WOODS, AND HE WAS
CHARGED, HIS JOB WAS TO HANG THE
TEN TOP NAZI CRIMINALS.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT MORE --
YES?
[COMMENT OFF MIC]
>> INSTRUCTOR: OH, WILL YOU
PLEASE SHARE THAT NEXT WEEK?
THAT ONE OF THE JUDGES WAS ONE
OF THE ATTORNEYS FOR THE
NUREMBERG TRIAL.
AND I -- ALTHOUGH THIS WAS NOT
WORLD WAR II NECESSARILY
RELATED, IT HAD A BIG IMPACT ON
THE FOLKS WHO SERVED IN THE WAR.
AND THAT WAS A CARTOON STRIP
THAT WAS CREATED BY A KANSAN.
GONNA ASK YOU WHO -- WHAT
CARTOON STRIP THAT WAS AND WHERE
THAT -- WHO IT WAS AND WHERE HE
WAS FROM.
DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA?
HAVE I GIVEN YOU ENOUGH OF A
HINT?
IT WAS -- I THINK I HEARD IT,
BEATLE BAILEY.
YES.
AND WHERE WAS -- WHAT WAS THE
GUY'S NAME WHO CREATED IT?
MORT WALKER, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY
RIGHT.
WHERE WAS HE FROM?
EL DORADO.
YES.
IT GAVE GREAT AMUSEMENT TO SOME
OF THOSE GUYS WHO HAD SERVED IN
THE MILITARY.
ALL RIGHT.
YOU GUYS, I HAVE ENJOYED TALKING
WITH YOU THIS WEEK.
YOU HAVE AN ASSIGNMENT FOR NEXT
WEEK.
I WILL INTERVIEW YOU NEXT WEEK.
AND YOU ONLINE, I EXPECT YOU TO
SEND ME YOUR STORIES AND PHOTOS
AT BTANNER11@COX.net.
LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU.
BYE-BYE.
