[James B. Morehead oral history interview (Part 1 of 3)]

In this three-part oral history, fighter ace James B. Morehead discusses his military service with the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. In part one, he describes his wartime experiences as a fighter pilot, including his time in the Southwest Pacific Theater with the 17th Provisional Pursuit Squadron. Topics discussed include his squadron’s assignments in Australia and Indonesia, military life in Denpasar and Malang, and early engagements with Japanese forces.

Spots of audio distortion are present in the original recording.

James B. Morehead was born on August 16, 1916 in Washington, Oklahoma. He joined the United States Army Air Corps in 1940 and graduated from flight training the following year. After the Pearl Harbor attack, Morehead was deployed to the Southwest Pacific Theater, where he joined the 17th Provisional Pursuit Squadron. He escaped to Australia following the fall of Java and finished his first combat tour with the 8th Fighter Squadron. During his second combat tour, he served with the 71st Fighter Squadron in the Mediterranean Theater. Morehead remained in the military after World War II and went on to fly with the 332nd Fighter-Bomber Group during the Korean War. Afterwards, he served as a jet instructor in Taiwan for Nationalist Chinese pilots. Morehead retired from active duty in 1955 and retired from the Air Force Reserve as a lieutenant colonel in 1967. He passed away in 2012.