Personal Narrative Film, Video Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Alfonso Bernard Perez Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Army Air Forces/Corps
- Service Unit/Ship: 9th Bomb Squadron, 7th Bomb Group
- Location of Service: China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/34427
Sharing his experiences with a classroom of special education students, Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Alfonso Perez, who served throughout the China-Burma-India Theater in WWII, recalls his most difficult take-off: "We were all lined up. The first plane went to take off. He didn't have the speed and exploded. On the next plane, apparently the pilot was nervous. He started putting on the brakes, and he exploded." Perez recalls losing twenty of his friends while waiting to depart. "And then we were next to take off. And the pilot just decided we were going to make it all the way -- we were going to have full power. I remember that. Thanksgiving Day, 1943."
Interview / Recording
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Play9th Squadron assigned to a town near Calcutta; dropping bombs, attacked by Zeros; arriving in India and his first impressions; scheduled to fly 50 combat missions; fighting anti-aircraft fire; a bad Thanksgiving Day. 00:07:54.3 - 00:14:50.0
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PlayDealing with nerves before a mission by joking; writing to his wife and mother in case he didn't come back from a mission and then not sending the letters; flying around India alone while on R&R to see the Taj Mahal and Kashmir. 00:24:26.2 - 00:28:10.2
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PlayNot knowing details of his missions until he was briefed; local boys who were their servants had their gear ready for them by the time they returned to their quarters; teaching these young Indians to play softball; sad parting with them. 00:35:02.5 - 00:36:56.6
More Resources
About this Item
Title
- Alfonso Bernard Perez Collection
Names
- Los Angeles Unified School District
- Leonard, Diane
- Perez, Alfonso Bernard
- Pacheco, Bryan
Home State
- California
Headings
- - Perez, Alfonso Bernard
- - World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Army Air Forces/Corps.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Race
- Hispanic
Status
- veteran
Service History
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World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Army Air Forces/Corps
- Service Unit/Ship: 9th Bomb Squadron, 7th Bomb Group
- Location of Service: China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
- Dates of Service: 1941-1945
- Entrance into Service: Drafted
- Military Status: veteran
Materials
- Video: VHS [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2005-05-19)
- Video: MiniDV [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2005-05-19)
- Photograph: Original photographic print [3 items] -- Photographs (collected 2005-05-19)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/34427
Online Format
- image
- video