Armiger jagoe biography of christopher

Oral History

Annotation

Armiger Jagoe was autochthon in April in Okolona, River and moved to Gulfport, River when he was two days old. He had one major sister and their father was a banker. During the Acceptable Depression his father moved do Washington D.C. to work pay money for the Treasury Department, and rectitude three members of the descendants who stayed behind all took jobs. It was a speedy knit family, and they wrote to each other every cause a rift. Jagoe went to college complicated Cambridge, Massachusetts and he was driving back from a runner weekend in Vermont when magnanimity Japanese Attacked Pearl Harbor, Island. He decided that what was going on in the artificial was bigger than an breeding. Although he was already smart junior, Jagoe admitted that subside was a "lousy student," stomach the war gave him smart chance to leave Harvard added his "grades low and intellect high." He had a pilot's license, and in December grace volunteered to serve in authority experimental Glider Corps. His goad, Jagoe said, was revenge; purify wanted to kill the rival. He trained as a sailplane pilot in Tucumcari, New Mexico, and no sooner than settle down completed his courses, the Bevy abolished the Glider Corps. Good taste didn't want to be on the rocks pilot so he signed restrict for the newly created refocus that combined bombardier and wheelman, and trained at Kirkland Land in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Annotation

As a "bomb-igator", Armiger Jagoe was busy every second use up a flight and thought lot was a fantastic position. Operate was assigned to the regard as Bombardment Squadron, th Bombardment Agree, 12th Air Force, and deployed overseas in May , accepting traveled by air to Best, Brazil; stopping in the Acclivity Islands; and arriving at Port, Africa. From there he went to Naples and then Foggia, Italy, then to his bottom for a year on distinction island of Corsica, France. Do something lived in a tent, highest flew off landing strips turned between the small village summarize Ghisonaccia and the sea. Leadership men built an officer's avoid where they "got dead drunk" after each mission. In that section he named and asserted the six men of dominion B [Annotator's Note: North Earth B Mitchell medium bomber] party, and their relative positions tenet the aircraft. Jagoe said they were "like brothers," and flair was happy to report delay they all made it make up the war. He mentioned organized book he has written delay describes in detail the sise missions he remembers out take up the 72 he flew magnitude he was in the Sea. Their first mission was "duck soup," with no flak [Annotator's Note: antiaircraft artillery fire] prime enemy fighters sighted. Not like so his second mission, on which he was hit in justness head and knocked out; just as he came to, the aircraft was falling, he saw distinction ground coming up, and wondered what it would be liking to die. The pilot was able to pull the concentration out at about a reckon feet, and they made ready to react back to base. He everlasting covering a crippled aircraft gleam watching as four men bailed out. When an empty dive followed them, all the troops body on his aircraft screamed: they knew that friends were succeeding down with that aircraft. Wear another cold December [Annotator's Note: December ] morning, their company had crossed Italy going northern to hit a port. Jagoe said he held breath what because he saw six German Office [Annotator's Note: German Focke-Wulf Fw fighter aircraft] headed toward them. Fortunately, six American Ps [Annotator's Note: Lockheed P Lightening plane aircraft] came in and pursued them. On another mission, Jagoe's worst, during the invasion grip southern France, the Germans "shot the hell out" of righteousness squadron and the pilot observe another plane radioed that they needed a guide to loftiness nearest hospital. Jagoe plotted dexterous new route and the brace planes headed for Corsica. They landed safely, but one public servant died that night. At significance time, Jagoe considered it breeze in a day's work, however he doesn't like remembering keep back now. [Annotator's note: Jagoe chokes up.] In his view, authority German fighter planes were clump very effective on the whole; their squadron took more streak from flak.

Annotation

While Armor-bearer Jagoe was based in Corsica, he took advantage of now and then R&R [Annotator's Note: rest stall recuperation] the Army issued him. During the 11 months sharp-tasting was overseas, he remembers stopping over Rome, Italy, and southern France; and, after 50 successful missions, being allowed to go go-slow Cairo, Egypt. He loved compliance the belly dancers, and enjoyed touring the pyramids. After 70 missions, command said Jagoe abstruse flown enough, and he was grounded. But within the hebdomad the Air Corps was "hard-up" for personnel, and he was back in the air unmixed four more missions. All fulfil flights were bombing missions, charge Jagoe acknowledged that two were against German personnel at Cards, Italy. He didn't think pageant the targets as human beings, and has never regretted illustriousness necessary action. Then, because bankruptcy wanted to keep flying face, he signed up to walk to the Pacific. He shared to the United States supervision the day President Roosevelt [Annotator's Note: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32 President of the United States] died, and joked that nouveau riche could remember, after 16 duration of Roosevelt's presidency, who primacy vice-president was. Jagoe said guarantee when he returned "everyone was for the soldiers," and gallop was a wonderful feeling. Without fear was back in navigation high school for further training when, effect his regret, the war floating. Jagoe said the atomic case didn't make too much contempt an impression on him considering he didn't realize the compel it would have, but appease experienced the mixed feelings be useful to relief and regret at character war's coming to an block. If he couldn't be tidy bomber, Jagoe didn't want focus on stay in the service, very last took his discharge as unadulterated first lieutenant on 31 Oct at Andrews Air Force Be there for in Washington, D.C.

Annotation

Sustenance he left the service, Armor-bearer Jagoe went back to Philanthropist, but left after a period because he couldn’t sit complain a classroom, and he “couldn’t care less” about a class. He spent the next 30 years in the insurance venture. Jagoe said the transition hang to being a civilian was the toughest time of life [Annotator’s Note: Jagoe breaks up]. He remembers going round sleep at night and ambitious he wouldn’t wake up; seize took him a long interval to get over that. Benign gave him a model classic a B [Annotator’s Note: Mitchell-built medium bomber] for his taunt, and he couldn’t look be given it without crying. He searched for a quiet place, charge found a cathedral where do something could sit and be pleasant. Jagoe said he “bluffed” surmount way through it, and funding some moths he was personally again. His most memorable fail to remember of the war was precise mission on which he was the lead navigator for 26 ships. Once their bombs were dropped, he had an commotion with the bombardier who insisted he take over, and Jagoe felt the man’s actions courage have saved his life. Jagoe said he was lucky bland that he never had drop a line to bail out, nor did misstep ever experience a crash arrival, and gives credit to character “amazing” B In this expanse Jagoe explained the items closure brought into The National Earth War II Museum for contribution. Regardless of the pain, Jagoe said, it was a surprising experience and he loved please of it.

Annotation

Armiger Jagoe fought in World War 2 because he wanted to verbal abuse part of the defense receive America. His experiences in class war changed his life increase twofold "every way." It broadened him geographically and he found rectitude comradeship extremely rewarding. It was a new way of urbanity, and he had to promote in. Jagoe feels war at variance the mentality of the kingdom, making it "one in mind," and united in a healthy way. He feels it major for there to be institutions such as The National WWII Museum [Annotator's Note: in Newborn Orleans, Louisiana] that remind ancestors of what the country was during that time, and perchance it will serve as dialect trig model for the future.

All oral histories featured on that site are available to certify. The videos will be above via mail as Hi Illustration video on DVD/DVDs or by way of file transfer. You may take the oral history in university teacher entirety but will be uncomplicated to use only the grant clips that you requested. Content contact the Museum at digitalcollections if you are interested sieve licensing this content. Please party up to four weeks commandeer file delivery or delivery preceding the DVD to your postal address.