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Title	Oral history interview of Frank Parker Hudson
Creator-Interviewer	Lacy, Margaret
Creator-Interviewee	Hudson, Frank Parker, 1918-2008
Description	In this interview, Frank Hudson recalls his service in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. After college, he became an ordnance officer in a new branch of the Army Air Corps known as Aviation Ordnance. After training, his unit spent time filling ammunition rounds and putting them in link belts to be sent to Murmansk, Russia, as part of the Lend-Lease program. His next duty was to protect the Panama Canal from Japanese attack. They discovered that bombs had been stored in revetments alongside the canal, so he spent several days loading and unloading bombs, including confiscating trucks and men from other nearby units. He recounts a story about painting bombs for less visibility from the air. He recalls how the U.S. was making treaties with Panama, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Peru to build bases in those countries. As a commander, he frequently traveled to each of these countries via the Galapagos Islands. He recalls the effect viral fevers had on the squadrons and their men. He was transferred to a stateside unit, where he was put into a training squadron so he requested a transfer. He was then sent to Moses Lake (Wash.) which was being built as a training base for B-29s, but it was not completed and he was sent back to Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. There he ran a training program, where he trained personnel in bomb recognition. He supervised the script writing for two Army training films, "Bomb Handling I" and "Bomb Handling II" and was sent to California as a technical advisor. He discusses Consolidated Vultee building B-24 Liberators for the British under the Lend/Lease program; they were first known as LB (Land Bomber) 30s. He describes the first use of radar over the Galapagos Islands to pick up ships. He tells harrowing stories about some of his experiences in Panama. He relates the dangers of German submarine attacks, including attacks in Curaçao and Aruba, which were ports for oil tankers. He recalls his first days after the war and his time in the reserves. He explains that because he had studied the Army Courts Martial manual at ROTC, he often acted as a Judge Advocate General. He describes his philosophy of leadership and morale.
Geographic Location	Atlanta (Ga.) Americus (Ga.) Aberdeen Proving Ground (Md.) Mitchel Field (N.Y.) Panama Canal Zone Albrook Air Force Station (Panama) Rio Hato Army Air Base (Panama) Pan American Highway System Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (Ariz.) March Air Force Base (Calif.) David (Panama) Fort Leavenworth (Kan.)
Subject	World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American
Personal Name	Hudson, Elizabeth Lee Pudlich, 1921-2001 Franklin, E. C.
Corporate Name	Georgia Institute of Technology United States. Army. Reserve Officers' Training Corps United States. Army. Air Corps. Bombardment Squadron, 25th Ancon (Steamship) United States. Army. Corps of Engineers United States. Office of Strategic Services General Staff School (U.S.)
Keywords	March Air Reserve Base (Calif.); Ancon (ACG-4, Communications and command ship);
Date Original	2003 Aug 23
Date Digital	2014
Type	MovingImage
Format	Video
Analog Format	MiniDV
Digital format	mov
Extent	1:03:57
Catalogue Number	VIS 201.0184
Collection	Veterans History Project oral history recordings
Related Collections	Veterans History Project collection, MSS 1010, Kenan Research Center, Atlanta History Center
Publisher	Kenan Research Center, Atlanta History Center, 130 West Paces Ferry Rd., Atlanta, GA 30305
Rights	This material is protected by copyright law. (Title 17, U.S. Code) Permission for use must be cleared through the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center. Licensing agreement may be required.
Notes	Frank Parker was in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.
Source	https://www.youtube.com/embed/lVsFQE8IPbo

Oral history interview of Frank Parker Hudson

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