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Robert B. McCollum, Air Transport Camp, Burma

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
  • Branch of Service: Army Air Forces/Corps
  • Unit of Service: Squadron D, 556th Army Air Force Base Unit (AAFBU), Air Transport Command (ATC)
  • Location of Service: Sheppard Field, Texas; Jefferson Barracks, Missouri; Assam, India; China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater; Africa; Sicily, Italy; Yemen
  • Highest Rank: Corporal
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/1795

View full service history

"Our finale was three of the guys dressed up as the Andrews Sisters, and we lip-synced a \\nrecord in back of us, and that was about it. That was the biggest thing of the show, was \\nthe three guys doing the Andrews Sisters." (Audio Interview, 17:10)

Robert McCollum's life took an unexpected turn during his tour of duty in Assam, India, in World War II. His performance in a variety show titled "Hump Happy" led to an assignment as part of a traveling troupe of entertainers who worked bases in India, Africa, Sicily, and Yemen. Though the troupe was disbanded and the men went back to their original assignments, McCollum had been bitten by the show business bug, and after the war he continued to delight audiences in nightclubs and other venues, working with some of the biggest names in entertainment.

Robert B. McCollum Collection
Interview / Recording

Transcript

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More Resources

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[ Photo Album ]
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[ Biographical Information ]
View 2 images in sequence.
[ CBI Round-Up ]
View Enlarged Image
[ Pamphlet for a play presented by the Air Transport Command, "Hump Happy" ]

About this Item

Title

  • Robert B. McCollum Collection

Names

  • Clise, Pam McCollum
  • McCollum, Robert B.

Home State

  • Washington (State)

Headings

  • -  McCollum, Robert B.
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army Air Forces/Corps.

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Male

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Branch of Service: Army Air Forces/Corps
    • Unit of Service: Squadron D, 556th Army Air Force Base Unit (AAFBU), Air Transport Command (ATC)
    • Location of Service: Sheppard Field, Texas; Jefferson Barracks, Missouri; Assam, India; China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater; Africa; Sicily, Italy; Yemen
    • Highest Rank: Corporal
    • Dates of Service: 1942-1945
    • Entrance into Service: Drafted
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: The veteran served as a crew chief in the Air Transport Command (ATC) in Assam, India. He also performed in a variety show called "Hump Happy" that toured India, Africa, Sicily, and Yemen.

Materials

  • Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 2004-02-22)
  • Computer File: Floppy Disk [1 item] -- Electronic file of manuscript (collected 2002-04-24; 2004-02-24)
  • Audio: Audio Cassette [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Printed matter [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Memoirs [1 item] -- (collected 2001-12)
  • Manuscript: Clippings [3 items] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
  • Audio: Audio Cassette [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2001-12)
  • Photograph: Original photographic print [1 item] -- Photograph (collected 1943)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/1795

Cite as

  • Robert B. McCollum Collection (AFC/2001/001/1795), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Online Format

  • audio
  • image
  • online text

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Clise, Pam Mccollum, and Robert B McCollum. Robert B. McCollum Collection. 1942. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.01795/.

APA citation style:

Clise, P. M. & McCollum, R. B. (1942) Robert B. McCollum Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.01795/.

MLA citation style:

Clise, Pam Mccollum, and Robert B McCollum. Robert B. McCollum Collection. 1942. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.01795/>.