Grand Junction (Colo.) -- History
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Don Burgess talks about enlisting in the US Army during World War II, receiving basic training as a gunner on B-17’s and B-24’s, and being stationed in England with the Army Air Corps. He describes his first bombing mission, a raid over Berlin. He speaks about his grade school years in Montrose and Grand Junction, about playing high school and college sports, and about playing on a conference-champion football team at Mesa Junior College during...
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Mary talks about her early childhood in Kansas as one of nine children and her family's move to Colorado upon the death of her father. Mary details the train and its passengers during the move, including Russian immigrants coming to work the beet fields, and her mother's outreach. She mentions her mothers career training riding horses as a way to support the family. She talks about her relationships, children, and the struggle she faced trying to...
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Voice Recording
Al Look talks about his reaction to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. He speaks about his son’s service in the Navy during World War II. He reminisces about his own service in the US Navy as a gunner’s mate during World War I and about the mobilization of resources for the war effort in the United States. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums...
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Voice Recording
Earl Laycock talks about running the Laycock Motor Company with his brother Austin Laycock in the 1920’s and 1930’s. He speaks about the role the Post Office played in financing car buyers when local banks closed during the Depression, and about giving driving lessons to new car owners. He describes working as a mechanic for Consolidated Steel in Long Beach during World War II, after rationing made the sale of new cars difficult. He discusses...
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Grace Traynor talks about her son Harold Baker Wood and his service as a Boatswain’s Mate aboard the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. She discusses her son’s death during the attack and subsequent medals he received. She speaks about the enlistment of her sons in the armed forces during the Great Depression, when jobs were scarce, and about their lives in Grand Junction as young adults. The interview was conducted...
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Voice Recording
Mrs. Rose Perry relates her son’s experience on the U.S.S. Helena, a Brooklyn-class light cruiser used by the U.S. Navy in the Pacific theater of World War II. The Helena was one of the cruisers attacked in Pearl Harbor, and was directly torpedoed by the Japanese. The Helena survived the attack and was assigned to assist in the Guadalcanal campaign. It helped to destroy several Japanese aircraft and battleships and contributed to American victories...
