Oral History Interview with Don Stinson, August 18, 2018

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Don Stinson. Stinson was born in 1923 and briefly tells of his childhood. He joined the Army Air Forces in October 1942. He was selected for flight training and tells of the various air fields and aircraft on which he learned to fly. After receiving his commission in 1943, he was assigned to the 2nd Combat Cargo Group. Stinson describes the difficulty in piloting a C-47 due to his size. Soon after organizing, the group was outfitted with new C-46s. In 1944, the group flew to New Guinea where they underwent jungle survival training. In the Philippines, they retrieved a group of nurses who had been prisoners of war for over four years, then transported them to a hospital on the island of Biak. The group was sent to Okinawa, where they were attacked by a kamikaze. Stinson witnessed the Japanese planes, painted white with a green cross, carrying the Japanese surrender delegation to the Philippines. He served in the occupation of Japan, and returned to the US in January of 1946