Personal Narrative Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Audio Recording Arthur Buchwald Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Marine Corps
- Unit of Service: VMF-113 (Marine Fighter Squadron), 4th MAW (Marine Aircraft Wing)
- Location of Service: Cherry Point, North Carolina; El Toro, California; Enewetak Atoll (Marshall Islands); Parris Island, South Carolina; Pacific Theater
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/24003
As a youth, Art Buchwald grew up in foster homes. After Pearl Harbor the 17 year old tried unsuccessfully to enlist. While visiting an out-of-state friend, Buchwald decided to pay a vagrant to pretend to be his father and he got into the Marines. Assigned to an air wing, he served in the Pacific Theater in an ordnance unit. On the side, he picked up valuable experience by editing the company newspaper, appropriately titled The Human Comedy. As a world-famous columnist, Buchwald always emphasized what a positive experience serving in the Marines was for a troubled young man.
Arthur Buchwald Collection
Interview / Recording
Transcript
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PlayHow he came to join the Marines. 00:00:35.5 - 00:04:50.9
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PlayWhy he chose the Marines; boot camp experience with memorable drill instructor, Pete Bernardi. 00:05:01.0 - 00:07:56.1
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PlayTour of duty on Enewetak; sent home before his squadron went to Iwo Jima; self-admitted "lousy ordnance man;" dropping a 500-pound bomb on his leg and getting a medal out of the incident. 00:09:35.7 - 00:12:26.4
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PlayLife in Marines for a Jewish boy from New York. 00:14:00.1 - 00:14:52.8
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PlayBeing honored by the Marines at their Barracks in Washington, DC; how the Marine Corps was his father; returning with his DI to Parris Island for an article in Life Magazine; later sending the dying DI a signed photo of them from that trip. 00:18:00.8 - 00:21:57.8
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PlayThe luck of not being assigned to the infantry; passing time on troop ship playing chess; concentrating on the man on your left, the man on your right, and not the enemy; frightened by a bomb that fell nearby; part of a burial detail on the next island. 00:32:28.1 - 00:36:41.7
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PlayLooking back on the war, each person has his own version of what happened; his gratitude for how the Marine Corps straightened him out. 00:39:35.5 - 00:40:47.2
More Resources
About this Item
Title
- Arthur Buchwald Collection
Names
- Washington Storytellers Theatre
- Buchwald, Arthur
- Matusow, Barbara
Home State
- New York (State)
Headings
- - Buchwald, Arthur
- - World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Marine Corps.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Race
- White
Status
- veteran
Service History
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World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Marine Corps
- Unit of Service: VMF-113 (Marine Fighter Squadron), 4th MAW (Marine Aircraft Wing)
- Location of Service: Cherry Point, North Carolina; El Toro, California; Enewetak Atoll (Marshall Islands); Parris Island, South Carolina; Pacific Theater
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Dates of Service: 1942-1945
- Entrance into Service: Enlisted
- Military Status: veteran
Materials
- Photograph: Digital print [1 item] -- Portrait (collected 2005)
- Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Transcription of audio recording (collected 2010)
- Audio: Audio Cassette [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2004-04-06)
- Audio: CD [2 items] -- Reference copy (collected 2004-04-06; 2007-11-30)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/24003
Cite as
- Arthur Buchwald Collection (AFC/2001/001/24003), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- audio
- image
- online text
Additional Metadata Formats
IIIF Presentation Manifest
Part of
Wars & Conflicts
Service Branch
Location of Service
- Cherry Point, North Carolina
- El Toro, California
- Enewetak Atoll (Marshall Islands)
- Pacific Theater
- Parris Island, South Carolina