[Eugene Ralph Hanks oral history interview (Part 1 of 2)]

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Identifier2002-02-13-1139_AV_090SourceThe American Fighter Aces Association Oral Interviews (2002-02-13-1139)CreatorAmerican Fighter Aces AssociationIntervieweeHanks, Eugene RalphDescriptionAudio recording of an oral history with fighter ace Eugene Ralph Hanks, February 19, 1990. Part 1 of 2.

Text on label: "Eugene Hanks. 1A."AbstractIn this two-part oral history, fighter ace Eugene Ralph Hanks discusses his military service with the United States Navy during World War II. In part one, he describes his experiences as a fighter pilot with Fighting Squadron 16 (VF-16) in the Pacific Theater. Special focus on a combat mission on November 23, 1943 in which Hanks scored several aerial victories against a formation of Japanese fighter aircraft. He also discusses incidents from his flight training and briefly describes his post-war assignments.

Sections of the interview may be difficult to hear due to background noise and spots of faint audio.BiographyEugene Ralph Hanks was born on December 11, 1918 in Corning, California. He joined the United States Navy in 1941 and graduated from flight training the following year. A member of Fighting Squadron 16 (VF-16), Hanks served two combat tours in the Pacific Theater, one aboard the USS Lexington (CV-16) and one aboard the USS Randolph (CV-15). He remained in the military after the war and went on to command Joint Tactics Squadron 1 (JTS-1), Fighter Squadron 142 (VF-142), and Fighter Squadron 51 (VF-51). He also served as a test pilot and flew with the Blue Angels, the Navy’s flight demonstration squadron. Hanks retired in 1969 as a captain and passed away in 2014.Creation Date1990-02-19SubjectAces (Fighter pilots)Air pilots, MilitaryFighter pilotsGrumman F6F Hellcat FamilyHanks, Eugene RalphLexington (Aircraft carrier : 1943-1991)Mitsubishi A6M Reisen (Zero Fighter) Zeke (Ben, Ray) FamilyUnited States. NavyUnited States. Navy. Fighting Squadron 16World War, 1939-1945PlaceHawaiiKiribatiMarshall IslandsTarawa (Kiribati)Extent1 sound cassette (32 min., 43 sec.) : analog ; 4 x 2.5 inOriginal Formatoral histories (literary works)audiocassettesBibliographic CitationThe American Fighter Aces Association Materials/The Museum of FlightRightsIn copyrightTranscription[Eugene Ralph Hanks oral history interview (Part 1 of 2)]

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[Eugene Ralph Hanks oral history interview (Part 1 of 2)]