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In this two-part oral history, fighter ace William K. Blair is interviewed by Eugene A. Valencia about his military service with the United States Navy. In part two, Blair continues to describe his wartime experiences with Fighting Squadron 10…

In this two-part oral history, fighter ace William K. Blair is interviewed by Eugene A. Valencia about his military service with the United States Navy. In part one, Blair describes his experiences as a carrier-based fighter pilot, including his…

Fighter ace Thomas S. Harris discusses his military service with the United States Navy during World War II. He describes his wartime experiences as a fighter pilot, including his time with Fighting Squadron 18 (VF-18) and Fighting Squadron 17…

Photographic negative of U.S. Navy servicemen with a Grumman F6F Hellcat aircraft loaded on a barge, Guam, circa 1944-1950. Elmer A. Ball is second from the right.

Photograph of U.S. Navy servicemen readying a Grumman F6F Hellcat aircraft (tail number 42) for launch, USS Essex (CV-9), circa 1944.Inscription on verso: "Essex -- 1944 / Ready for launch / C04."Part of a disassembled album containing materials…

Photograph of U.S. Navy servicemen folding the wings of a Grumman F6F Hellcat aircraft (fuselage designation 118, tail code F), USS Essex (CV-9), circa 1944-1945.Inscription on verso: "Essex / AG-83 F6F / Folding wings of taxiing fighter."Part of a…

Photograph of U.S. Navy servicemen folding the wings of a Grumman F6F Hellcat aircraft of Air Group 83, USS Essex (CV-9), circa 1945.Inscription on verso: "Essex / Folding wings of returning fighter of Air Group 83 / 1945 / A17."Part of a…

Photograph of U.S. Navy servicemen battling a fire caused by a broken belly tank, USS Essex (CV-9), circa 1944-1945. The caption notes that the tank broke loose from a Grumman F6F Hellcat aircraft during landing.Caption on envelope: "Essex repair '8'…

Photograph of U.S. Navy servicemen battling a fire caused by a belly tank explosion, USS Essex (CV-9), circa 1944. Inscription on verso: "Essex -- 1944 / Putting out gasoline fire after fighter belly tank explosion / A19"Caption on album page: "F6F…

Photograph of a serviceman securing a Grumman F6F Hellcat aircraft, USS Essex (CV-9), December 1944.Inscription on negative envelope: "Essex -- Dec. 1944 / Securing F.6.F in typhoon."