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John Collens at time of interview

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: Vietnam War, 1961-1975; World War, 1939-1945; Korean War, 1950-1953
  • Branch of Service: Army Air Forces/Corps; Air Force
  • Unit of Service: 15th Weather Squadron; 6166th Air Weather Reconnaissance Flight; 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing; Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans, Headquarters Air Weather Service; 96th Bomb Squadron, 2nd Bomb Group; Weather Operations Staff, 12th Air Force; Air Task Force 13, US Taiwan Defense Command; 5th Weather Wing; 58th Military Airlift Squadron; Headquarters, Military Airlift Command
  • Location of Service: Waco, Texas; Taipei, Taiwan; Langley Air Force Base, Virginia; Robins Air Force Base, Georgia; Vietnam; Scott Air Force Base, Illinois; McClellan Air Force Base, California; Washington, DC; Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois; Scott Air Force Base, Illinois; Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands); Korea; Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina; Sembach Air Base, Germany; Ramstein Air Base, Germany; Gulfport Army Air Field, Mississippi; Italy; European Theater
  • Highest Rank: Major General
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/24445

View full service history

Interview / Recording

About this Item

Title

  • John Wharton Collens, III Collection

Names

  • Gilmore, Ramona
  • Collens III, John Wharton
  • Carl Backers
  • David Hostetter

State of Birth

  • LA

Home State

  • CA

Headings

  • -  Collens III, John Wharton
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army Air Forces/Corps.
  • -  Prisoner of War -- United States
  • -  Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Air Force.
  • -  Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Air Force.

Repository

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

Gender

  • Male

Race

  • White

Status

  • Veteran

Service History

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Branch of Service: Army Air Forces/Corps
    • Unit of Service: 96th Bomb Squadron, 2nd Bomb Group
    • Location of Service: Gulfport Army Air Field, Mississippi; Italy; European Theater
    • Dates of Service: 1942-1979
    • Prisoner of War: Yes
    • Entrance into Service: Commissioned
    • Military Status: Veteran

  • Korean War, 1950-1953

    • Branch of Service: Air Force
    • Unit of Service: 15th Weather Squadron; 6166th Air Weather Reconnaissance Flight; 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing; Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans, Headquarters Air Weather Service
    • Location of Service: Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois; Scott Air Force Base, Illinois; Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands); Korea; Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina; Sembach Air Base, Germany; Ramstein Air Base, Germany
    • Entrance into Service: Enlisted
    • Military Status: Veteran

  • Vietnam War, 1961-1975

    • Branch of Service: Air Force
    • Unit of Service: Weather Operations Staff, 12th Air Force; Air Task Force 13, US Taiwan Defense Command; 5th Weather Wing; 58th Military Airlift Squadron; Headquarters, Military Airlift Command
    • Location of Service: Waco, Texas; Taipei, Taiwan; Langley Air Force Base, Virginia; Robins Air Force Base, Georgia; Vietnam; Scott Air Force Base, Illinois; McClellan Air Force Base, California; Washington, DC
    • Highest Rank: Major General
    • Entrance into Service: Enlisted
    • Military Status: Veteran
    • Service History Note: The veteran also served as Vice Command, Air Weather Service; 9th Weather Reconnaissance Wing; Command, Air Weather Service; Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief of Staff, Military Airlift Command; Inspector General, Headquarters US Air Force.

Materials

  • Video: VHS [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 09/21/2004)
  • Manuscript: Biography [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 05/1979)
  • Manuscript: Correspondence [2 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 2001)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/24445

Cite as

  • John Wharton Collens, III Collection (AFC/2001/001/24445), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Online Format

  • image
  • video

Additional Metadata Formats

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/xxxx), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

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

Recording:

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

Photograph:

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

Computer file:

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

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), 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:

Gilmore, Ramona, John Wharton Collens Iii, Carl Backers, and David Hostetter. John Wharton Collens, III Collection. 1942. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.24445/.

APA citation style:

Gilmore, R., Collens Iii, J. W., Carl Backers & David Hostetter. (1942) John Wharton Collens, III Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.24445/.

MLA citation style:

Gilmore, Ramona, et al. John Wharton Collens, III Collection. 1942. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.24445/>.