Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans

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Victor Miesel

WWII | 5th Air Force

As the 5th Air Force pounded the Japanese forces in the Pacific, Victor Miesel's support role did not shield him from the war. He encountered booby trapped enemy corpses, endured raids from the local Two O' Clock Charlie, and created possibly the best designed foxholes of the war. (Interview conducted by Veteran Voices of Pittsburgh: veteranvoicesofpittsburgh.com) (6:36)
The rigors of war were interrupted as Victor Miesel found time to make a batch of home made Coca-Cola with a wayward container of concentrated syrup. Then, it wasn't only Two O' Clock Charlie that disturbed the night, but a giant reptile and the call of nature. (Interview conducted by Veteran Voices of Pittsburgh: veteranvoicesofpittsburgh.com) (5:16)
As his transport joined a massive convoy, Victor Miesel watched as a lone Kamikaze dove straight for the ship, leveled off and withdrew. On Okinawa he prepared for the coming invasion of the Japanese homeland. Then word came of an unusual air strike on Hiroshima. (Interview conducted by Veteran Voices of Pittsburgh: veteranvoicesofpittsburgh.com) (6:06)
The war was over but all the transport ships were busy in the Atlantic. Before he arrived home on foot in Pittsburgh, Victor Miesel had to endure a typhoon, possibly the last Japanese war plane, New Year's Eve in the Chicago stockyards, and a train journey to rival the one he had as a recruit. (Interview conducted by Veteran Voices of Pittsburgh: veteranvoicesofpittsburgh.com) (9:55)
Vince Masters

WWII | U.S. Army Air Corps, 551st Bomb Squadron, 385th Bomb Group, 3rd Division, 8th Air Force

Col. Masters shares his experiences from his second combat mission over Schweinfurt. (1:15)
Col. Masters recalls his rough experiences from his first mission over Berlin. (1:27)
Col. Masters describes the thrill of firing upon enemies while flying a P-51. (:44)
Col. Masters describes spending twenty hours stranded at sea with his flight crew after bailing out of their plane, due to an intense mission over Bordeaux. (3:36)
Col. Masters shares his disappointing experiences from D-Day. (:56)
Following D-Day, Col. Masters discusses flying over Munich and achieving air supremacy. (:37)