Bruckner, William Joseph

Description

In this interview, Jimmy Grizzard recalls the World War II experiences of his late father, James Carr Grizzard. His father was an Army officer in Europe during World War II. Both of his grandfathers served in the Confederate Army, so service was considered a duty. His father had earned a law degree and was urged to join the Army by a friend who had been commissioned to establish the Georgia Air National Guard. His first duty was flying combat missions out of Louisiana, patrolling for enemy submarines in the Gulf of Mexico. He was an observer in a single-engine, single-wing aircraft that carried three people; a pilot, radio officer and observer. He was then ordered to a military government school. His next post was North Africa, where he worked with a British Army unit and he describes the difficulties experienced there. As part of the invasion of Sicily, he was placed in charge of a town and tasked to "bury the dead, feed the living and keep the civilians out of the way of the military." He planted the first American flag on European soil during the war and describes moving up the boot of Italy from Ravenna to Naples and Rome. His father was appointed the military governor of Sicily and describes many experiences he had in carrying out those duties. His father became commanding officer of the Georgia Air National Guard.James Carr Grizzard, Jr.'s father, James Carr Grizzard, was an Army officer in Europe during World War II.INTERVIEW...

Record Contributed By

Atlanta History Center

Record Harvested From

Digital Library of Georgia