Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
5:23 | He'd always wanted to fly airplanes, so when war came in 1941, high school student James Tabb was tested and approved as an aviation cadet. Upon graduation, he was inducted and sent to Miami Beach for basic training. It was a pleasant place for training, where Hollywood stars and movie making were to be found, but off in the distance, you could see merchant ships burning at night. (This interview made possible with the support of KETURAH THUNDER-HAAB.)
Keywords : James Tabb Pearl Harbor Atlanta GA Fort McPherson Miami Beach FL basic training Orson Welles Rita Hayworth Lifeboat Tallulah Bankhead merchant ship torpedo German submarine (sub)
He was finally on his way to flying, but aviation cadet James Tabb kept playing a waiting game at each level of training. First some college, then some flight training. All the while, the Allies were progressing in the fight and the need for new aviators was lessened. There was this new plane, however, the B-29. (This interview made possible with the support of KETURAH THUNDER-HAAB.)
The Air Corps had changed James Tabb from pilot training to B-29 engineer training. It was the most advanced aircraft yet designed, with electronic controls throughout. Just as he was ready to deploy to Saipan, the big news about America's secret weapon changed everything. (This interview made possible with the support of KETURAH THUNDER-HAAB.)
He was trained and ready to go, but the atomic bomb ended the war career of James Tabb just as he was ready to ship out. He reflects on the Depression era that produced the war generation and on the way the war was resolved by use of a terrible new weapon. (This interview made possible with the support of KETURAH THUNDER-HAAB.)
