Last updated: August 11, 2020
Article
Joseph Hutchison Interview
Joseph Hutchison enlisted as an aerial gunner in the Army Air Corps at age 19 and had his physical at the American Lady Corset Factory in Detroit.
In an interview, he talks about being a member of the 21st Bomb Squadron, being shuffled between crews and training experiences before being shipped to Alaska. While in the Aleutians they participated in a bombing raid in the Kurile Islands, a mission to Paramushiro, and the beginning of the Kiska Campaign.
Joe's son Kevin is a lifelong student of military history and has written several articles on various topics associated with World War II. Kevin also devoted a great deal of time in developing a valuable chronology and fact book on the Aleutian Theatre titled, "World War II in the North Pacific" (1994. Greenwood Press, 328 pgs ISBN-13: 978-0313291302).
Right: Wadlington crew 1943: Capt. Irving L. Wadlington's Second Crew- April to Oct. 1943
21st Bomb Squadron shown on Amchitka Island led the third element at Paramushiru Aug 11, 1943
photos courtesy joseph hutchison
- Complete transcript
- Complete audio interview (17 MB) -- Left-click the link once to begin streaming the interview. This may take just a few moments for fast connections, or several minutes for dial-up connections.
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Transcript summary
1. Joining the military, service before Alaska audio / transcript
2. From Fort Custer to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri by train audio / transcript
3. [From Arlington Texas to Salt Lake City audio / transcript
4. Life in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake to Alamogordo audio / transcript
5. Alamogordo to Clovis New Mexico, with a few mishaps along the way, trouble at Alamogordo audio / transcript
6. Clovis to Topeka, Kansas audio / transcript
7. to Alaska, appeared on the cover of Life audio / transcript
8. Topeka to St. John's Canada, trouble at St. John's audio / transcript
9. Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada to Anchorage, Alaska audio / transcript
10. Anchorage to Umnak, pilot gets into trouble audio / transcript
11. Bombing raid in the Kurile Islands audio / transcript
12. The Aleutians to radio school in Scott Field, Illinois audio / transcript
13. Scott Field to Wichita Falls, Texas audio / transcript
14. Wichita Falls back to Scott Field audio / transcript
15. Went to Reno, Nevada until discharge, life after being discharged audio / transcript
16. Life in the Aleutians audio / transcript
17. Knowledge of what was happening in both theaters of the war while in the Aleutians audio / transcript
18. Loss of a friend, didn't lose any crew members audio / transcript
19. Keeping in contact after the war audio / transcript