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Thomas Griffin [2006]

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
  • Branch of Service: Army Air Forces/Corps
  • Unit of Service: 17th Bomb Group, 12th Air Force
  • Location of Service: China; Asia; Europe; North Africa
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/44191

View full service history

"We were more organized than a military encampment in the United States." (2003 Video Interview, 48:30)

A graduate of the University of Alabama's Army ROTC program in 1939, when war broke out in Europe, Thomas Griffin determined to switch his branch of service to what was then called the Army Air Corps. After the U.S. entered the war, Griffin saw action in both the Pacific and European theaters. At the war's outset, his 17th Bomb Group, equipped with the new B-25 Mitchells, became part of the team that flew with Jimmy Doolittle on the April 1942 bombing mission over Tokyo. Griffin bailed out over China and made his way back to the States. He then flew with Doolittle into North Africa against the Germans. He was shot down on July 4, 1943 over Sicily and spent the rest of the war in the famed Stalag Luft III POW camp.

Interview / Recording

More Resources

Interview with Thomas Griffin [11/24/2006]

Speech given by Thomas Griffin [9/15/2007]

Interview with Thomas Griffin at the Cinncinati Public Library [2006]

About this Item

Title

  • Thomas Carson Griffin Collection

Names

  • Mary L. Cook Public Library
  • Lang, Kathleene
  • Colvin, Kathy
  • Griffin, Thomas Carson

Home State

  • Ohio

Headings

  • -  Griffin, Thomas Carson
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army Air Forces/Corps.
  • -  Prisoner of War -- United States

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Male

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Branch of Service: Army Air Forces/Corps
    • Unit of Service: 17th Bomb Group, 12th Air Force
    • Location of Service: China; Asia; Europe; North Africa
    • Highest Rank: Major
    • Dates of Service: 1939-1945
    • Prisoner of War: Yes
    • Entrance into Service: Enlisted
    • Military Status: veteran

Materials

  • Audio: Audio Cassette [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2003; 2003)
  • Video: MiniDV [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2003)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/44191

Cite as

  • Thomas Carson Griffin Collection (AFC/2001/001/44191), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Online Format

  • image
  • video

Additional Metadata Formats

Wars & Conflicts

Service Branch

Location of Service

Service Unit

Prisoner of War

Highest Rank

Service Entrance

Discharge Status

Gender

Home State

Interviewee

Interviewer

Organization/Affiliation

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Mary L. Cook Public Library, Kathleene Lang, Kathy Colvin, and Thomas Carson Griffin. Thomas Carson Griffin Collection. 1939. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.44191/.

APA citation style:

Mary L. Cook Public Library, Lang, K., Colvin, K. & Griffin, T. C. (1939) Thomas Carson Griffin Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.44191/.

MLA citation style:

Mary L. Cook Public Library, et al. Thomas Carson Griffin Collection. 1939. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.44191/>.