Oral History Interview with John East, May 17, 2021

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John L. East. East was born in central Texas in 1920. After graduation from high school in 1937 he worked in the rice fields. He entered the Army Air Forces in 1942, and, following training at various airfields, served as a B-17 co-pilot. In 1944, he was assigned to the 379th Bomb Group at Kimbolton, England. He tells of some of the tactics he used to thwart German fighter attacks as the pilot of a B-17 bomber. He completed missions over Germany and France. East flew thirty missions before returning to the United States. He retired from the Air Force in 1964