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Bill Smoot

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B-29 radio operator Bill Smoot recalls his longest mission, which was reportedly the longest bombing mission by any crew in the war. They started at Tinian and refueled at Iwo Jima on the way to northern Japan. (This interview made possible with the support of THE MATRED CARLTON OLLIFF FOUNDATION.) (4:40)

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Bill Smoot was on Tinian when a section of the base was cordoned off and a new weapon arrived. The men were told that if anything went wrong, it would be the end of the entire island. (This interview made possible with the support of THE MATRED CARLTON OLLIFF FOUNDATION.) (2:50)

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The riskiest landing for Bill Smoot came after the war was over and airmen were ferrying home their B-29's. The one he was in had no navigation system, but they were paired with a plane that did. All they had to do was stay together over the Pacific. (This interview made possible with the support of THE MATRED CARLTON OLLIFF FOUNDATION.) (4:10)

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Who thought there would be another war? In 1950, Bill Smoot was recalled but he did not have go to Korea. Instead he served at Fort Knox training teletype operators. After that, he was fortunate to secure a job with a future. (This interview made possible with the support of THE MATRED CARLTON OLLIFF FOUNDATION.) (5:26)

Bill Snyder

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From being born and raised in Pennsylvania, Bill Snyder took a graduate course at Massachusetts Institute of Technology for meteorology. From there, he went to Mitchel Field to join the Army Air Corps, and was eventually moved to a station in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was here that he heard the devastating news about the attack on Pearl Harbor. (This interview made possible with the support of RALPH & LORAINE SCRIBA.) (3:24)

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When he was stationed overseas, Snyder went to England first but was quickly transferred to North Africa to help prepare weather maps for the pilots there. He and his team would often get weather forecasts from other countries to help them draw a more complete weather map. Occasionally, enemy aircraft would fly over their base and pose a potential threat to their operation. (This interview made possible with the support of RALPH & LORAINE SCRIBA.) (5:43)

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After spending about a year in North Africa, Snyder was then transferred to another air base in Sicily, Italy. The planes that flew over there would not always be military personnel, but would also carry diplomats over to foreign countries. A few months later, he was sent back to the states to Florida for refresher training, and it was during this time that the war came to an end in Europe. (This interview made possible with the support of RALPH & LORAINE SCRIBA.) (4:58)

Bill Sperry

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He had grown up in his father's construction business, so when the sergeant challenged the new Marines to build decks for their tents, Bill Sperry knocked it out in just one hour. That sealed his fate. From then on, he was the carpenter. (6:59)

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Once Henderson Field on Guadalcanal was secure, the 1st Marine Air Wing, which included Pappy Boyington and the Black Sheep, moved to the island and began to operate there. Bill Sperry was in charge of construction and carpentry, which was difficult since they were bombed almost daily. He vividly recalls a night time air raid that came at an awkward moment. (6:13)

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Mosquitoes were a constant problem on Guadalcanal, not to mention the constant bombing and shelling, recalls Bill Sperry. After a heavy bombardment, he returned to his cot to find his mosquito netting full of mosquitoes. When he found out why, he felt really lucky. (2:44)