Interview with Jennings E. Watkins, June 9, 2003
Project: Oldham County Historical Society: Oldham County Veterans Oral History Project
Interview Summary
Jennings E. Watkins, a resident of Louisville, served in the United States Army Air Corps as a radio operator from 1942 to 1945, retiring with the rank of Staff Sergeant. He completed his basic training at Fort Benjamin Harrison and went on to receive training at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis Missouri, Scott Field in Illinois and Bowman field in Louisville, Ky. Watkins was stationed in Chabua, India and flew over the Himalayan Mountains (also know as "the Hump"). During one flight over "the Hump", Watkins plane malfunctioned causing him and the rest of the crew to bail out. As a result they were forced to trek through the jungle for 16 days before reaching safety near the Ledo Road. Prior to V-E Day, Watkins returned to Memphis and was assigned to be a MP until the end of the war.Interview Accession
Interviewee Name
Interviewer Name
Interview Date
Interview LC Subject
Bowman Field (Ky.) Fort Benjamin Harrison (Ind.) Jefferson Barracks (Saint Louis, Mo.) Louisville (Ky.) Oldham County (Ky.) Oldham County Historical Society (Oldham County, Ky.) Scott Field (Ill.) United States. Army. Air Corps World War, 1914-1918--Veterans--United States World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Burma. World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Himalaya Mountains World War, 1939-1945--United StatesInterview Rights
All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.Interview Usage
Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.Restriction
Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.
All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.
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Watkins, Jennings E. Interview by Joseph Ward. 09 Jun. 2003. Lexington, KY: Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
Watkins, J.E. (2003, June 09). Interview by J.. Ward. Oldham County Historical Society: Oldham County Veterans Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington.
Watkins, Jennings E., interview by Joseph Ward. June 09, 2003, Oldham County Historical Society: Oldham County Veterans Oral History Project, Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
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