Personal Narrative Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Audio Recording Harry W. Leavell Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Army Air Forces/Corps
- Unit of Service: 1170th CLD, 1868th Aviation Engineer Battalion
- Location of Service:
- Highest Rank: First Sergeant
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/2658
Harry Leavell's aspirations to become a fighter pilot in World War II were dashed by personal setbacks. He trained at Tuskegee, the legendary school that produced the famed eponymous airmen, noting how important Colonel Benjamin O. Davis and his West-Point bred code of honor were for the men's morale. Leavell lost both of his parents to natural causes early in his military career, and he admits he also lost his zeal for flying. But he became an engineer and served an important support role in the Pacific Theater. He also saw first-hand many incidents of subtle and overt racism designed to hold back his colleagues.
Harry W. Leavell Collection
Interview / Recording
Transcript
Share
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PlayHis first experiences at Tuskegee. 00:02:20.0 - 00:04:23.2
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PlayB.O. Davis, a West Point Graduate, was a driving force behind the Tuskegee Airmen. 00:04:27.0 - 00:04:47.5
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PlayAs mess sergeant, visiting native families living on the other side of Guam; he demurred when offered octopus for dinner. 00:21:14.4 - 00:21:56.8
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PlayBodies of Japanese soldiers discovered while U.S. soldiers were laying a pipeline. 00:26:51.5 - 00:27:17.5
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PlayLoss of men in training and combat; the combat success of the Tuskegee Airmen. 00:27:44.9 - 00:30:30.2
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PlayHis time in the military marked by racism that hurt blacks, and even whites, on occasion. 00:35:22.9 - 00:39:02.3
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About this Item
Title
- Harry W. Leavell Collection
Names
- Lugar, Richard
- Leavell, Harry W.
- Elsener, Elizabeth
- U.S. Senate/Richard Lugar
Home State
- Indiana
Headings
- - Leavell, Harry W.
- - World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Army Air Forces/Corps.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Race
- Black or African American
Status
- veteran
Service History
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World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Army Air Forces/Corps
- Unit of Service: 1170th CLD, 1868th Aviation Engineer Battalion
- Location of Service:
- Highest Rank: First Sergeant
- Dates of Service: 1943-1946
- Military Status: veteran
- Service History Note: Member of the Tuskegee Airmen.
Materials
- Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 2009)
- Manuscript: Unit histories [1 item] -- (collected unknown)
- Manuscript: Military papers (orders, personnel/201 files, etc) [1 item] -- (collected unknown)
- Audio: DAT [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2002-06-27)
- Photograph: Mixed (Multiple types of photographs) [10 items] -- Photograph (collected unknown)
- Audio: CD [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected 2002-06-27; 2007-11-07)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/2658
Cite as
- Harry W. Leavell Collection (AFC/2001/001/2658), 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
- Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina
- Guam (Mariana Islands)
- Keesler Field, Biloxi, Mississippi
- Pacific Theater
- Tampa, Florida
- Tuskegee Institute, Alabama