[William K. Blair oral history interview (Part 2 of 2)]

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 (VF-10) and Fighting Squadron 2 (VF-2), including several combat missions over Iwo Jima and the Philippines. He also touches briefly on his postwar career.

The interview concludes with an unidentified woman, possibly Blair’s wife, singing “If I Could Be with You (One Hour Tonight),” “Embraceable You,” “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” and “I Don’t Know Why.”

William K. Blair was born on April 18, 1916 in Toledo, Ohio. He joined the United States Navy in 1940 and graduated from flight training in 1942. Blair served two combat tours in the Pacific Theater, one with Fighting Squadron 10 (VF-10) and one with Fighting Squadron 2 (VF-2). During this time, Blair served aboard a number of carriers, including the USS Saratoga, USS Long Island, USS Hornet, and USS Enterprise. He remained in the military after World War II and retired as a commander in 1957. In his civilian life, he worked as a stock broker for Merrill Lynch.

Biographical information courtesy of: Boyce, Ward J., ed., American fighter aces album. Mesa, Ariz: American Fighter Aces Association, 1996.