Personal Narrative Film, Video Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Odra W. Bradley Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Army
- Unit of Service: 3053rd Quartermaster Salvage Collection Company
- Location of Service: Camp Carson, Colorado; Fort Francis E. Warren, Wyoming; Le Harve, France; Luxembourg; Belgium; Germany; European Theater
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/99995
Coming of age in segregated, small town Missouri at the beginning of World War II, Odra Bradley was desperate to escape the limited educational and professional opportunities available to African Americans. In his oral history interview, he describes how his military service yielded tangible benefits--such as the GI Bill--but also broadened his view of the world and taught him to coexist with a wide range of people, including the German civilians he interacted with during his time with 3053rd Quartermaster Salvage Collection Company in the European Theater. The respect extended to him by Europeans demonstrated that poor treatment on the basis of skin color was not an immutable fact of life, even for an African American soldier serving in the segregated Army
Interview / Recording
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PlayOnly menial jobs with no benefits open to African Americans; felt stymied by these opportunities; felt duty to support country; benefits of military service; volunteering for service with his brother. 00:07:10.0 - 00:09:35.0
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PlayChosen for non-commissioned officer training; camp life; mixing with people from all walks of life; social life at Camp Carson; making friends during training. 00:10:43.0 - 00:14:52.0
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PlayPositive reception by European civilians. 00:19:37.0 - 00:20:07.0
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PlayBeing part of a segregated unit kept him off the front lines; importance of GI Bill; belief in military. 00:44:00.0 - 00:45:39.0
More Resources
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About this Item
Title
- Odra W. Bradley Collection
Names
- Maish, Elissa
- Bradley, Odra W.
- Bradley, Teresina J.
Home State
- Arizona
Headings
- - Bradley, Odra W.
- - World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Army.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Race
- Black or African American
Status
- veteran
Service History
-
World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Army
- Unit of Service: 3053rd Quartermaster Salvage Collection Company
- Location of Service: Camp Carson, Colorado; Fort Francis E. Warren, Wyoming; Le Harve, France; Luxembourg; Belgium; Germany; European Theater
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Dates of Service: 1942-1945
- Entrance into Service: Enlisted
- Military Status: veteran
Materials
- Video: Flash Drive [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2015-02-13; 2015-02-13)
- Manuscript: Correspondence [3 items] -- Mixed (handwritten and typewritten documents) (collected 1942-1953)
- Video: DVD [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected 2015-02-13; 2015-08-18)
- Manuscript: Memoirs [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 2015)
- Manuscript: Military papers (orders, personnel/201 files, etc) [7 items] -- Mixed (handwritten and typewritten documents) (collected 1943-1953)
- Photograph: Original photographic print [12 items] -- Photograph (collected 1943-2008)
- Photograph: Copy photographic print [2 items] -- Portrait (collected 1935)
- Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
- Photograph: Original photographic print [1 item] -- Portrait (collected 2019)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/99995
Cite as
- Odra W. Bradley Collection (AFC/2001/001/99995), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- image
- video
Additional Metadata Formats
IIIF Presentation Manifest
Part of
Wars & Conflicts
Service Branch
Location of Service
- Belgium
- Camp Carson, Colorado
- European Theater
- Fort Francis E. Warren, Wyoming
- Germany
- Le Harve, France
- Luxembourg