Ben Snyder was a bombardier on a B-24 in the USAF during World War Two. When the war broke out, Ben was in school, but like most of his classmates he quickly found himself in uniform in the days after Pearl Harbour. Ben ended up in the air force, and training took him all over the continental U.S. before he was deployed to the Pacific, with his crewmates. Ben served with distinction there, and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross.
He presently lives in Portland, Maine, where he was interviewed by Scott Masters in December 2011 and 2015.
Videos
- The War Begins; Pearl Harbour.mp4
- Left or Right? - A Moment I'll Never Forget.mp4
- Teaching his Fellow Soldiers.mp4
- Looking back at the War.mp4
- 1. Ben Snyder - Prewar Memories; Recollections of Pearl Harbour
- 2. Joining the Army
- 3. Teenage Years
- 4. Training
- 5. Altitude Training; The Crew
- 6. Crew Friendships; Seeing America
- 7. The Community; Going to the Pacific
- 8. Truman; The Media
- 9. The Missions; Clark Field
- 10. Locations of Missions
- 11. Fighter Escorts; Casualties
- 12. Thoughts on the Japanese
- 13. Life after the Air Force; Australia and the Islands
- 14. Passing the Time
- 15. Readjusting to Civilian Life
