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https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/files/original/Truman_A._Warner_Papers_MS026/1428/warnerInterview_corrected.mp3
aad247d13db3fad8ab21e47caf416f66
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Title
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Side A
https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/files/original/Truman_A._Warner_Papers_MS026/1428/warnerInterview2Corrected.mp3
52b3778fc781add0c60e36eab58f64dd
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Title
A name given to the resource
Side B
https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/files/original/Truman_A._Warner_Papers_MS026/1428/warnerMarkerReport[1].pdf
dd0b89550dc6b61824d8422ecbf52701
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Text
Oral History report
:
an interview with Dr. Truman Warner
Christopher W. Marker
Intro. Hist. Research
5/06/89 Dr. Janick
�In the last century, our world has benefited from the technological advancements
created by the scientific community to a higher and more widespread degree than ever
before. The ability to record the events of history as they unfold gives both future
and current researchers the chance to more fully and accurately depict the era. Our
assignment was to seek out an individual who was alive and aware in the early 19401s,
and to have them discuss what they did during the second World War. As each person has
his or her story to tell, one can gather a wide array of perspectives from those interviewed, and from this a larger scenario can be drawn.
The subject that this student sought out had many unusual experiences during the
war. Dr. Truman Warner is an Anthropology Professor here at Western. A lifelong Danbury
resident, Dr. Warner graduated from the Highschool that is now White Hall, continuing his
education next door at then Danbury StaG Teachers College. When the war began, Dr. Warner
was teaching at his first assignment, having just graduated from college in June of '41.
The following interview was 90 minutes in length, and wasrecorded in the El Gross library
in the basement of White Hall. An index has been provided so that the listener can pick
and choose from a number of topics that the interviewee has discussed.
Side A
000
Tape begins.
064
His graduation and subsequent employment at Center Elementary School in Brookfield Center.// December 7 , 1941 / / Rebuked at school by administration for
allowing students to listen to the radio about news of the war.
<
'
Civilian Defense duty - appointed as an Air Raid Warden in Danbury / / discusses
the silly rules and regulations of the CD - "people having a sense of duty"
Drafted into the Army (given notice) in early 1942 / / the feeling that "not whether
but when" the U.S. would win the war.
100
200
240
Travels to Fort Devens, Massachusetts along with a number of local men in Nov.'42
Processes into the Army, then travels by train to Boot camp.
270
Recalls his train derailing in Indiana.
290
Arrives at Camp Gruber, Oklahoma (Grapes of Wrath country) / / Begins training, eventually ending up as a Medic. / / Division unique in that all men will stay together
during and after training, as opposed to being sent as replacements to already
existing uni.ts- his unit known as the 88th - the Blue Devils.
340
Unit moves to Lousiana for further training in the summer of '43.
Transfer and promotion to Corporal in 3rd Battalion, 350th Regiment Aid station.
�342
Describes the function of the station(triage center, primary care)
370
3 90
Describes typical Army Ineptness of command : troops not given adequate water
supply, many experience heat exhaustion on long, hot marches.
Tells story about commanders looking for their missing troops.
400
Transfered to Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas
410
Sightseeing in san Antonio// further training.
425
Takes his first and only leave / / 3 days by train thru New Orleans ending up
in New York. // only a week at home and then back to San Antonio.
455
Receives word to prepare for debarkation in Fall of ' 4 3 / / Unit transfers to
Norfolk, Virginia (staging area)
4 70
Screens troops for final processing to ship out at Dispensary // reprimaanded by
officer for giving out immunizations, but is exonerated by realistic officer who
understands the difficulties.
5 00
Travels in a giant flotilla known as a convoy in Nov. ' 4 3 across Atlantic.
recalls that the journey was long and crowded, not breaking any records for
crossing the Ocean - over 3 weeks.
5 20
Arrives at Casablanca, Morocco. / / story about curious medics who drink strange
brew that has "fallen off the back of a donkey cart." - turns out to contain some
hallucinegenic compound which causes medics to experience horrible visual and
audial illusions.
550
Troops board trains heading north, then east across North Africa.
"Lister bags and K-rations" - crowded as usual.
5 70
Recalls being fascinated by journey.
5 90
Turns south towards the Atlas mountains arriving at Magenta, Algeria ? / / Cold
desert nights - only officers have sleeping bags - little food, as the majority
of supply trains are attacked by nomadic Arabs, cargoes pillaged.
600
Side B
0 00
Officers get guns and jeeps and hunt gazelles - which become "gazelleburgers"
015
Wanders around local country during free time exploring; credits these times as
crucial to developing his interest in Anthropology.
0 70
Goes to city of Bellabes - the headquarters of the French Foreign Legion // vivid
memories : bazaars, unique architecture and a real meal at a French restaurant..
1 00
Given orders to prepare, once again, for journey to points unknown
200
Arrives in Italy after many harrowing accounts crossing the Mediterranean
220
Describes the Screaming Mimi shells that the Germans used in the war.
240 - 2 66
Recalls his duties as medic during the fighting that his unit was involved
with// retrieving the dead and wounded in the middle of the night.
Use of sulfa drugs and the importance of suchdrugs in fighting infection.
288
�290 - 360 Discusses the May push - U.S. troops drive north in May '44 - unit reaches
the Arno river in late May.
380
Transfers to Anti-aircraft batteries unit / / All-Black troops, highly decorated
but commanded by white officers, causing a degree of tension.
420
Told by Warrant Officer that he is accepted by the troops.
460
Recalls watching hordes of aircraft flying overhead on their way to France, durinc
early June '44.
470
Given a commission as Medical Administration Officer.
Transfered to France in middle of Summer of '44 / / in charge of a medical
480 - 500
supply unit preparing items for the South Pacific.
520
Gets appendicitis.
530
Takes a recuperative leave on the French Riviera, at Cannes.
550
Finds unit gone after he returns from leave.
I
560
600
-i
Relocates to Lgon, where he stays until the end of the war and when he finally
returns to the States and seperates from the military.
End of tape.
�
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Title
A name given to the resource
Truman A. Warner Papers, MS026
Description
An account of the resource
Warner spent 37 years as a teacher and administrator and was also a board member and former president of the Scott-Fanton Museum, now known as the Danbury Museum and Historical Society. During his tenure, he supervised and contributed to numerous museum exhibits. The Warner Collection consists of writings, photographs, miscellanea, research notes and papers documenting Warner’s life as a World War II medic, author, historian and historical researcher. The bulk of the collection contains an extensive series of newspaper clippings and printed materials relating to local and state history, several boxes of personal papers, and several boxes that contain information on Western’s faculty, administration, and events concerning the school’s history beginning in the 1940s and continuing through to the late 1990s.
Has Version
A related resource that is a version, edition, or adaptation of the described resource.
<a href="https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/findingaids/ctdbn_ms026_warner.xml">Link to finding aid.</a>
IIIF Collection Metadata
UUID
3dc6b291-3261-430c-849f-d3e5eb379917
Oral History
A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge.
Interviewer
The person(s) performing the interview.
Marker, Christopher W.
Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed.
Warner, Truman
Location
The location of the interview.
Danbury, CT
Time Summary
A summary of an interview given for different time stamps throughout the interview
Side A
0-10min: His graduation and subsequent employment at Center Elementary School in Brookfield
Center.11 December 7 , 1941 II Rebuked at school by administration for allowing students to listen to the radio about news of the war; Civilian Defence duty - appointed as an Air Raid Warden in Danbury; discusses
the silly rules and regulations of the CD - "people having a sense of duty";
11-20min: Drafted into the Army (given notice) in early 1942; the feeling that "not whether but when" the U.S. would win the war; Travels to Fort Devens, Massachusetts along with a number of local men in Nov. '42; Processes into the Army, then travels by train to Boot camp; Recalls his train derailing in Indiana ;
21-30min: Arrives at Camp Gruber, Oklahoma (Grapes of Wrath country); Begins training, eventually ending up as a Medic; Division unique in that all men will stay together during and after training, as opposed to being sent as replacements to already existing units - his unit known as the 88th - the Blue Devils; Unit moves to Louisiana for further training in the summer of '43. Transfer and promotion to corporal in 3rd Battalion, 350th Regiment Aid station; Describes the function of the station(triage center, primary care); Describes typical Army Ineptness of command : troops not given adequate water supply, many experience heat exhaustion on long, hot marches; Tells story about commanders looking for their missing troops.
31-40min: Transferred to Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas; Sightseeing in San Antonio further training: Takes his first and only leave; 3 days by train through New Orleans ending up in New York; only a week at home and then back to San Antonio; Receives word to prepare for debarkation in Fall of '43; unit transfers to
Norfolk, Virginia (staging area); Screens troops for final processing to ship out at Dispensary; reprimanded by
officer for giving out immunizations, but is exonerated by realistic officer who understands the difficulties; Travels in a giant flotilla known as a convoy in Nov. '43 across Atlantic. recalls that the journey was long and crowded, not breaking any records for crossing the Ocean - over 3 weeks.
41-46: Arrives at Casablanca, Morocco. II story about curious medics who drink strange brew that has "fallen off the back of a donkey cart." - turns out to contain some hallucinogenic compound which causes medics to experience horrible visual illusions; Troops board trains heading north, then east across North Africa. "Lister bags and K-rations" - crowded as usual.; Recalls being fascinated by journey: Turns south towards the Atlas mountains arriving at Magenta, Algeria?; Cold
desert nights - only officers have sleeping bags - little food, as the majority of supply trains are attacked by nomadic Arabs, cargoes pillaged.
Side B
0-10min: Officers get guns and Jeeps and hunt gazelles - which become "gazelleburgers"; Wanders around local country during free time exploring; credits these times as
crucial to developing his interest in Anthropology.
Goes to city of Bellabes - the headquarters of the French Foreign Legion; vivid memories: bazaars, unique architecture and a real meal at a French restaurant
11-20min: Given orders to prepare, once again, for journey to points unknown; Arrives in Italy after many harrowing accounts crossing the Mediterranean; Describes the Screaming Mimi shells that the Germans used in the war.; Recalls his duties as medic during the fighting that his unit was involved with;
21-30min: retrieving the dead and wounded in the middle of the night; Use of sulfa drugs and the importance of such drugs in fighting infection. Discusses the May push - U.S. troops drive north in May '44 - unit reaches: the Arno river in late May; Transfers to Anti-aircraft batteries unit II All-Black troops, highly decorated but commanded by white officers, causing a degree of tension;
31-40min: Told by Warrant Officer that he is accepted by the troops; Recalls watching hordes of aircraft flying overhead on their way to France, during early June '44; Given a commission as Medical Administration Officer; Transferred to France in middle of Summer of '44; in charge of a medical supply unit preparing items for the South Pacific; Gets appendicitis; Takes a recuperative leave on the French Riviera, at Cannes;
41-46min: Finds unit gone after he returns from leave; Relocates to Lyon, where he stays until the end of the war and when he finally returns to the States and separates from the military.
Summary version 2:
00 MIN | Graduation from Danbury State Teachers College| First Teaching Position, Center School –
Brookfield, CT| Pearl Harbor – Tony Palermo (DSTC classmate) field trip with archeological students |
Palermo died in the War| Warner told students about the war and let them listen to Roosevelt’s speech|
Criticized for playing speech |
10 MIN | School became involved with sugar rationing| Civil Defense| Air Raid Warden| training in first aid|
questioning the practicality of home front preparations| drafted in 1942, not “gun-ho”| Not whether U.S.
would win, but when”| called into the army with other Danburians | sent to fort Devens, MA| Derailment of
train taking them west in Indiana – no one hurt | Ended up in Fort Bragg, not Bragg, Camp Gruber| trained as
a division 88th Division |
20 MIN| was assigned to medics | First “All Draft” unit sent overseas | Moved to Louisiana and Texas for
maneuvers | made corporal of sergeant | soldiers sent out in heat with one canteen for training | a large number
dehydrated and suffering heat exhaustion | example of unwise training | sent to Fort Sam Houston in Texas |
annoyed with policies which excluded enlisted men | Pleasant city – Alamo | Got leave home for week|
30 MIN | 3 days to get home | in the fall, prepared to deploy | went east to Norfolk, VA | put in charge of
dispensary at Norfolk | check for diabetes, etc. | went in a convoy across the Atlantic in November 1943 |
crept across | 2 weeks to cross, didn’t know destination | disembarked in Casablanca |
40 MIN | a barrel spilled off the ship and some soldiers partook of the contents which was wine likely
containing hashish – soldiers out of their heads | got on a train across Morocco in 40 or 8 boxcars | got to
Algeria, went south | arrived Magenta(?) | short of food | END OF SIDE A
00 MIN | Africa | wandering during free time | eating at French Restaurant | Got aboard ship with nothing in
dispensary | obtained supplies from a warehouse| someone had an appendicitis | went in a harbor Azerte? to operate | crossed the Mediterranean by themselves | Sicily to Naples | Casino was still in contention |
Sometimes medics went into combat, sometimes way up front |
10 MIN | Went in with British helmets to deceive Germans | Germans used screaming mimis | stretcher
bearers would bring the wounded out of combat back to a village where the medics could take care of the
wounded at an aid station established by the British | were stationary for a period | hung burlap over one
intersection so that the German machine gunners couldn't hit them |
20 MIN | Big push northward | Germans weren't expecting the amount of firepower Americans amassed |
Pushing, attacking, unpacking, packing | May 1944 | Connected up with Anzio troops | by August had pushed
through Rome, Florence, Pisa | transferred to anti-aircraft battalion | All the troops were African American,
officers were white | all lieutenants were black – higher officers were white | there may have been shots fired
between whites and blacks | Became assistant battalion surgeon | accepted by the African American soldiers |
30 MIN | the anti-aircraft battalion broke up because there was little need | invasion of southern France |
turned into a transportation unit | attached to medical base depot company – preparing for Asian theater | only
officer | ordered to establish the medical base depot and didn't know what to do – took command of an outfit
for 2 or 3 days | moved to Marseilles | had German prisoners working for them | supposed to be in charge of
the prophylactic distribution | had an appendicitis | requested leave for the Riviera | spent several days and had a great time | went to Nice | dated nurses |
40 MIN | Men from the front lines were streaming in | got back to Marseilles and the entire outfit was gone |
went up to Leon | Involved with rearming the French army | 1945 | All the gold for fillings was stolen from
the dental truck | END
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Dr. Truman Warner Interview: World War II Reminiscences
Subject
The topic of the resource
World War, 1939-1945--United States.
Description
An account of the resource
90 minute cassette
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
Dr. Truman Warner was an Anthropology Professor at Western at the time of the interview. Warner attended and graduated from the High School in what is now White Hall, He attended and graduated Danbury State Teachers College. When the war began, Warner was teaching at his first assignment, having just graduated from DTC in June of '41. The interview was recorded in the EI Gross library
in the basement of White Hall. The interview was a class assignment (Introduction to Historical Research).
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Marker, Christopher W.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1989-05
IIIF Item Metadata
UUID
dbcabf5e-b5f1-4ed3-80df-29d3438d8a52
Audio
Danbury State Teachers College
Faculty
Truman Warner
World War II