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National World War II Reunion and the Veterans History Project

May 30, 2004

During this day, the Veterans History Project presented six programs—they are listed below in chronological order by time. Each video is playable on this page by selecting the play button. Videos can be expanded to full-screen by selecting that icon. Closed-captioning is turned on by selecting the CC icon.

"Women in Military Medicine" (50 minutes)

Presenters: Col. Margaret Bailey, Anna Busby, Marian Elcano, and Martha Leierer
Moderator: Maj. Jennifer Petersen

Please note: The following biographical information was written at the time of the event in 2004 and has not been updated.

Col. Margaret E. Bailey, USA (Ret.) (Washington, D.C.)

While living in Staten Island, N.Y., Col. Margaret E. Bailey joined the Army Nurse Corps in 1944 and received orders to report to Ft. Hauchuca, Ariz., as a 2nd Lieutenant. During the war, she cared for soldiers returning from service in Europe. Bailey remained in the service following the war and became the first African American nurse promoted to the rank of Colonel in the Army Nurse Corps. She retired after 27 years of dedicated service. Following her retirement in 1970, she served as a consultant to the Surgeon General of the United States. Currently, she is active in her church, nursing sororities, and the American Nursing Association.

Anna (Urda) Busby (Montgomery, AL)

In 1939, Anna (Urda) Busby resigned from Hackensack Hospital to join the Army Nurse Corps by way of the American Red Cross. She reported to her first assignment at Fort Jay, Governor's Island, N.Y., where she underwent basic training. In 1940, Busby was assigned to transport duty in the Panama Canal Zone aboard the USS Chateau Thierry. She traveled a second time to the Panama Canal Zone as one of only two women aboard the USS Hunter Liggett. After serving at Fort Adams in Newport, R.I., Busby headed for Tripler Hospital where she would witness first-hand the "day that will live in infamy."

Marian (Sebring) Elcano (Alexandria, VA)

Marian (Sebring) Elcano, known as "SeaBee" by her comrades, joined the Army Nurse Corps in 1943, trained in Pennsylvania, and received orders to report to Camp Gordon, Ga., as a member of the 45th Evacuation Hospital. In 1943, the unit deployed to the European Theater. They landed in Scotland, and settled in Wooton-under-Edge, England, where nurses were billeted in private homes. On D-Day(+10), Elcano moved into Normandy with the Second Evacuation Hospital. During the horrific Battle of the Bulge, Elcano's hospital unit sustained intensive bombing at Eupen, Belgium. The semi-mobile hospital unit moved more than 20 times across Northern France, the Rhineland, Ardennes, Germany and Central Europe. Elcano separated from the Army in 1946, married, had five children and nine grandchildren. She currently serves a volunteer nurse in retirement facilities in her community.

Martha Blackman Leierer (Dover, PA)

Born and raised in Bridgeport, Ct., Martha Blackman Leierer served as a U.S. Navy ward nurse aboard the legendary USS Solace hospital ship from November 1943 to January 1945. She received orders to join the hospital staff while she was stationed in procurement at a naval medical facility in Jacksonville, Fla. The staff on board the Solace treated patients from combat zones in the Pacific and evacuated the wounded to Pearl Harbor. Leierer and her husband, Elliot (a World War II U.S. Marine Corps officer), currently reside in Dover, Pa.

Maj. Jennifer Petersen (Woodbridge, VA)

A native of Ivanhoe, MN, Petersen was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps in 1988, and was assigned as a Clinical Staff Nurse in Ft. Hood, TX. She became the Head Nurse in the Ambulatory Surgery Unit there in 1992, and other assignments took her to Ft. Riley, KS, and Camp Walker; Taegu, Korea. She is a lecturer and has published numerous articles in Army Nurse Corps publications. In 2002, Petersen became the Army Nurse Corps Historian for the Office of Medical History, Office of the Surgeon General.

"Navajo Code Talkers, Part 2" (52 minutes)

Presenters: Sam Billison, Keith Little, and Sam Smith
Moderator: Cdr. Dave Winkler

Please note: The following biographical information was written at the time of the event in 2004 and has not been updated.

Sam Billison (Window Rock, AZ)

A native of Kinlichee, Ariz., Sam Billison enlisted in the Marines in 1943 and was sent to signal school at Camp Pendelton immediately after boot camp. He was taught not only combat techniques, but trained to become a Navajo Code Talker. He landed on Iwo Jima on the second day of the battle to take the island, and with other Code Talkers transmitted more than 800 error-free messages during 26 days of fighting. Following the war, Billison continued his education and served as a school principal for many years. He was elected to the Navajo Tribal Council, is the founder and president of the Navajo Code Talkers Association, and currently serves as an education consultant.

Keith Little (Navajo, NM)

Born in Tonalea, Ariz., Keith Little enlisted in the Marines in 1943 when he was 17. He was assigned to communications school at Camp Pendleton, Calif., to be trained as a radio operator and to qualify as a Navajo Code Talker. Assigned to the 4th Marine Division in December 1943, Little was sent overseas to Roi-Namur the following month, and subsequently to Saipan, Tinian , and Iwo Jima, were he served for the duration of the battle to take the island. He was in a convalescent camp in Maui, Hawaii, in August 1945 when he learned that the Japanese had surrender, ending the war. He returned to his home in the Southwest to continue his education and start a family. Little is a retired logging manager, and his active in numerous organizations in his community.

Samuel J. Smith (San Fidel, NM)

Sam Smith was too young to enlist in the Armed Forces when he learned of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor while living in Arizona, but began then to formulate a plan to become a Marine. At age 16 the following year, he joined the Marines and was assigned to an artillery unit following basic training. When his commander determined that he was Navajo, he was transferred to the 4th Marine Division and sent to Camp Pendleton, Calif., for general communications training and specialized training to become a Code Talker. He was sent to the Marshall Islands, Saipan, Tinian and other Pacific islands, interrupted by training periods in Hawaii when he taught the code to others. He spent 31 days on Iwo Jima as the Marines fought to take the island from the Japanese. Since the war, he has held numerous positions of leadership in his community in New Mexico.

Cdr. David Winkler, USN (Alexandria, VA)

In his current position as Programs and Development Director at the Naval Historical Foundation, Winkler supervises an oral history program, the Foundation’s Naval Heritage Speakers Program and other Navy history-related projects to support the Naval Historical Center and the Navy Museum. He writes a monthly history column for the Navy League’s journal Sea Power. A Commander in the Naval Reserve, Winkler serves as Executive Officer of the Naval Historical Center 0615R unit, a cadre that conducts End-of-Tour interviews with senior Navy officials. He received his commission in 1980 through the NROTC unit at Pennsylvania State University. He is a volunteer interviewer for the Library of Congress Veterans History Project.

"Hispanic Experience in WWII" (44 minutes)

Presenters: Miguel Encinias, Evelio Grillo, and Frank Medina
Introducer: Francisco Ivarra
Moderator: Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez

Please note: The following biographical information was written at the time of the event in 2004 and has not been updated.

Miguel Encinias (Albuquerque, NM)

At age 16, Encinias joined the National Guard in 1939. When he finished high school, the Guard was called to active duty, and he served as a Combat Engineer in the 45th Division. After Pearl Harbor he trained to become a pilot and was sent to North Africa as the campaign there was ending. Later, he flew a British Spitfire in combat, and in 1944 he was shot down over northern Italy. As a prisoner of war he was moved to Frankfurt, Germany. When the Korean War began, Encinias volunteered for service in North Korea and flew 111 missions there. After the war, he taught French at the U.S. Air Force Academy and, in 1962, went to Vietnam where he flew 60 missions. After retiring from teaching in 1985, he turned to writing history, particularly the history of New Mexico.

Evelio Grillo (Oakland, CA)

Grillo was raised in Ybor City, a Cuban neighborhood inside Tampa, FL. He attended an all-black high school in Washington, D.C., and graduated from Xavier University, a historically black college in New Orleans, LA. As part of the 823rd Engineer Aviation Battalion (Colored), Grillo served in the China-Burma-India Theater, building the Ledo Road. He wrote about his experiences in a book, Black Cuban, Black American, published by Arte Publico Press.

Francis X. (Frank) Medina (Kansas City, MO)

As a 20-year old tail gunner in the 459th Bomb Group of the 756th Bomb Squadron, Medina was shot down over northern Italy in July 1944. Hit by antiaircraft fire, the crew of nine bailed out; all but Medina were captured, and he was believed to be missing in action. On his own in unknown territory, he was befriended by Italians who helped him link up with the partisans with whom he was active for eight months. In 1945, Medina was rescued by the British. His war story, Ciao, Francesco, was published in 1995. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the war, he returned to Italy and was reunited with the friends who helped to save his life.

Francisco F. Ivarra (Seattle, WA)

A highly decorated combat veteran, Ivarra volunteered for Vietnam where he served with the America Division 196th Light Infantry Brigade (1st/23rd Infantry). He has held numerous positions as instructor and administrator in community college and university systems, and he has been a consultant to educational agencies. In 1995 he joined the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Counselor and has conducted research and published on the effects of PTSD on Hispanic veterans. In 2001, he was appointed Chair of the National Vietnam Veterans of America Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans. Currently he is a member of national and regional veterans’ organizations and is a member of the Veterans History Project Five Star Council of advisors.

Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez (Austin, TX)

Rivas-Rodriguez is an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Journalism. In 1999, she launched the U.S. Latino & Latina World War II Oral History Project, a multifaceted effort that includes a conference, several books, a play, and a documentary film. At the center is an archive of over 450 videotaped interviews with Latinos and Latinas of the WWII generation. Before entering academia, Rivas-Rodriguez worked as a journalist for more than 17 years for the Boston Globe, WFAA-TV in Dallas, UPI, and the Dallas Morning News, and as Border Bureau Chief for the Dallas Morning News in El Paso.

"Tuskegee Airmen" (50 minutes)

Presenters: Lt. Col. Lee Archer, Thomas Lowery, and Col. Charles McGee
Moderator: Todd Moye & Gen. Donald L. Scott

Please note: The following biographical information was written at the time of the event in 2004 and has not been updated.

Lt. Col. Lee A. Archer, Jr., USAF (Ret.) (New Rochelle, NY)

Archer, Chairman and CEO of Archer Associates and President, Organization Publishing Company, joined the Air Force and entered flight training at Tuskegee Army Air Field, graduating as a Fighter Pilot I, Class 43-G. He joined the 302nd Fighter Squadron of the 322nd Fighter Group and went on to become a fighter “ACE”. In 1944, he became one of four “triplers” who destroyed three Me-109s on one mission. After 29 years of military service, Archer joined General Foods Corp. in 1970, was named Vice President of General Foods for North Street Capitol Corporation in 1975, and in 1980 was elected GF Corporate Vice President. He is a member of the Veterans History Project Five Star Council of advisors.

Thomas Lowery (Washington, D.C.)

A native of San Antonio, TX, Lowery enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1942 and was assigned to Kelly Field and happily joined the drum and bugle corps. A month later, he was transferred to the airplane mechanic school at Lincoln, NB and then onto an Army specialized training program in engineering at Howard University, Washington, DC. Lowery served next in Florida, and was then sent to Michigan and assigned to the 477th Medium Bombardment Group. The group was based at Godman Field, KY, with various short-term training assignments at other Army facilities around the country, and accrued the best safety record in the1st Air Force. Following the war, Lowery returned to Washington, D.C., became an electrician and continues to work in the field. He is active in an antique car club and owns four antique cars.

Col. Charles E. McGee, USAF (Ret.) (Bethesda, MD)

A native of Cleveland, OH, McGee was a student at the University of Illinois when WWII interrupted his education. He was sworn into the enlisted reserve in October 1942 and entered Army Air Corps flight training a month later. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in June 1943, graduating in Class 43-F, Tuskegee Army Air Field. McGee became a command pilot with over 6,1000 total hours and flew fighter aircraft in Italy during WWII; in the Philippines and Korea, 1951-53; in Italy, 1961-63; and in Vietnam. Following his 30 years of military service, he held leadership positions in the Interstate Securities Company Financial Corporation and later served as manager of the Kansas City, MO, downtown airport. He retired from private industry in 1982 to pursue community interests, and has been active in numerous local and national organizations.

J. Todd Moye (Atlanta, GA)

Moye is the Director of the Tuskegee Airmen Oral History Project of the National Park Service, Southeast Regional Office in Atlanta. This project will form the basis of the museum interpretation at the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, where the interviews will be available to the public. A civil rights historian, Moye has served on this project for four years. His interest in civil rights is the basis of his engagement in the Tuskegee Airmen story, as their experience laid the groundwork for the modern Civil Rights Movement. The Tuskegee Airmen Oral History Project is an official Partner of the Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress. Moye’s book, Let the People Decide, exploring the Civil Rights Movement in Sunflower County in Mississippi, will be published in 2004.

Brig. Gen. Donald L. Scott, USA (Ret.) (Dunn Loring, VA)

Following 31 years of service in the U.S. Army that included tours of duty in Germany and Vietnam, Scott was appointed Deputy Librarian of Congress in 1996. Prior to coming to the Library, he served as the chief executive officer of Americorps National Civilian Community Corps and as chief operating officer and chief of staff for Mayor Maynard Jackson in Atlanta, GA

"Covering the War: Wartime Journalists" (49 minutes)

Presenters: Barrett McGurn, Jack Pulwers, and Col. Peter Sweers
Moderators: Congressman Amo Houghton, Sandra Jontz

Please note: The following biographical information was written at the time of the event in 2004 and has not been updated.

Representative Amo Houghton (Corning, NY)

After serving as a Private First Class in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1945 to 1946, Houghton joined Corning Glass Works (now Corning, Inc.), which had been founded by the Houghton family in 1851. Recipient of the Electronic Industries Alliance Medal of Honor, he was cited as the “Father of Fiber Optics,” for his support of research at Corning that resulted in the breakthrough communications material. Since 1987, Houghton has served as the Representative of New York’s 31st Congressional District. He is the fifth-ranking Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, chairs its Oversight Subcommittee, and is member of its Trade Subcommittee. He also serves on the International Relations Committee and is Vice Chairman of its Subcommittee on Africa, serves as Chairman of the U.S. delegation to the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum, and was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as the Congressional Delegate to the 58th General Assembly of the United Nations. He was one of the sponsors of the House bill to create the Veterans History Project in 2000 and serves on its Five Star Council of advisors.

"VHP Interviewing Techniques, Part 2" (49 minutes)

Presenters: Fredrick Wallace, Brien Williams, Dave Winkler
Moderator: Tim Lloyd, Tom Swope

Please note: The following biographical information was written at the time of the event in 2004 and has not been updated.

Fredrick Wallace (Alpharetta, GA)

Wallace served in the Air Force during the Korean War. In 1970, after 20 years in the military, he retired at the rank of Major. Moving to Los Angeles, he worked for the Veterans Administration and counseled veterans returning from the Vietnam War. During those years, the VA began the Veterans on Campus program, which Wallace believes was one of the most effective VA programs. In 1995, he retired to Georgia where he volunteers for AARP and through its Partners program, contributes his time and energy to the Veterans History Project.

Brien R. Williams (Washington, D.C.)

Williams is the Historian for the American Red Cross, and many of his articles appear in the history section of the Virtual Museum on the public Web site, redcross.org. He is also responsible for the development and implementation of the national Red Cross Oral History Program, a partner of the Veterans History Project and, to date, has conducted nearly 40 videotaped interviews with individuals who have had exceptional Red Cross experiences. These interviews become part of the corporation’s historical archives, available for research and incorporation in audio and visual presentations. Prior to joining the Red Cross in 1998, Williams was an independent video producer, writer, and director with specialties in video history and media in education.

Cdr. David Winkler, USN (Alexandria, VA)

In his current position as Programs and Development Director at the Naval Historical Foundation, Winkler supervises an oral history program, the Foundation’s Naval Heritage Speakers Program and other Navy history-related projects to support the Naval Historical Center and the Navy Museum. He writes a monthly history column for the Navy League’s journal Sea Power. A Commander in the Naval Reserve, Winkler serves as Executive Officer of the Naval Historical Center 0615R unit, a cadre that conducts End-of-Tour interviews with senior Navy officials. He received his commission in 1980 through the NROTC unit at Pennsylvania State University. He is a volunteer interviewer for the Library of Congress Veterans History Project.

Timothy Lloyd (Columbus, OH)

Lloyd is the Executive Director of the American Folklore Society, the leading society for scholarship and public education about folklore, folk art, and folk culture (see www.afsnet.org). The Society is working with the Veterans History Project to offer community-based workshops throughout the country about how to collect and document veterans' oral histories and stories of their military experience. Lloyd has worked at the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution, and now teaches folklore at The Ohio State University, where the Society's office is located.

Tom Swope (Mentor, OH)

A freelance writer and radio disk jockey at WBKC in Painesville, OH, Swope has been a Veterans History Project volunteer for three years. Beginning in 1996, he ran periodic, on-air World War II specials to commemorate significant dates, and for the past three years has run a weekly radio show, Legacies: Stories from the Second World War, in which he interviews veterans and plays music of the era. In 2002 the show garnered for him the Cleveland Press Club Award and the March of Dimes A.I.R. (Achievement in Radio) Award as the best weekly show in northern Ohio.