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William Andrews [detail from video]

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: Persian Gulf War, 1991; Afghan War, 2001-
  • Branch of Service: Air Force
  • Unit of Service: 10th Fighter Squadron
  • Location of Service: Germany; Idaho; Virginia; Persian Gulf; Iraq
  • Highest Rank: Colonel; Captain
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/42880

View full service history

"You miss your family, but you're with another kind of family, the squadron that you're part of…takes on a family atmosphere of its own." (Video interview, 23:09)

Bitten by the flying bug when he was sixteen years old, Colonel William Francis Andrews set his sights on the Air Force, and it did not disappoint: he got goosebumps the first time he sat down in an F-16 fighter jet. Despite a grueling schedule and constant fatigue, he found flying combat missions during the Persian Gulf War extremely satisfying, and enjoyed working as part of a team to protect the troops on the ground. On February 27th, 1991--just one day before the ceasefire that would end hostilities--he was shot down by Iraqi forces, and endured a week of beatings and interrogations before being turned over to the Red Cross. The "inspired leadership" of his commanders during his time in the Gulf propelled him to continue his military career after the war, in the hopes of providing that same sort of leadership to pilots serving under him.

Interview / Recording

Transcript

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About this Item

Title

  • William Francis Andrews Collection

Names

  • Pearson, Patricia O.
  • Reilly, James Joseph
  • Andrews, William Francis
  • James Madison High School

Home State

  • Virginia

Headings

  • -  Andrews, William Francis
  • -  Persian Gulf War, 1991 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Air Force.
  • -  Prisoner of War -- United States
  • -  Afghan War, 2001- -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Air Force.

Repository

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

Gender

  • Male

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • Persian Gulf War, 1991

    • Branch of Service: Air Force
    • Unit of Service: 10th Fighter Squadron
    • Location of Service: Germany; Idaho; Virginia; Persian Gulf; Iraq
    • Highest Rank: Captain
    • Dates of Service: 1980
    • Prisoner of War: Yes
    • Entrance into Service: Enlisted
    • Military Status: veteran
  • Afghan War, 2001-

    • Branch of Service: Air Force
    • Highest Rank: Colonel
    • Entrance into Service: Enlisted
    • Military Status: veteran

Materials

  • Video: VHS-C [2 items] -- Oral history interview (collected 2005-06-02)
  • Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Transcription of video recording (collected 2005-06-02)
  • Photograph: Digital print [3 items] -- Photograph (collected 1991)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/42880

Cite as

  • William Francis Andrews Collection (AFC/2001/001/42880), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Online Format

  • image
  • online text
  • video

Additional Metadata Formats

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:

Pearson, Patricia O, James Joseph Reilly, William Francis Andrews, and James Madison High School. William Francis Andrews Collection. 1980. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.42880/.

APA citation style:

Pearson, P. O., Reilly, J. J., Andrews, W. F. & James Madison High School. (1980) William Francis Andrews Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.42880/.

MLA citation style:

Pearson, Patricia O, et al. William Francis Andrews Collection. 1980. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.42880/>.