[Ivan S. Hasek oral history interview]

Fighter ace Ivan S. Hasek is interviewed about his military service with the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. He describes his wartime experiences as a fighter pilot, including his time in Europe with the 353rd Fighter Squadron of the 354th Fighter Group. Special focus on a mission on March 16, 1945 in which Hasek’s flight encountered a large group of Messerschmitt Me 109s near Limburg, Germany. Hasek scored four-and-a-half aerial victories during the ensuing dogfight.

The interview is conducted via phone by historian Eric M. Hammel.

Ivan S. Hasek was born on October 23, 1923 in Sioux City, Iowa. He joined the United States Army Air Forces in 1942 and graduated from flight training in 1944. Deployed to Europe, Hasek served with the 353rd Fighter Squadron of the 354th Fighter Group, flying missions over France and Germany. He left the military after the war and worked in the retail clothing business until his retirement in 1988. Hasek passed away in 2006.