J. D. King World War II Interview

J. D. King World War II Interview

World War, 1939-1945 -- United States.

United States -- History, Military.

World War, 1939-1945 -- Veterans -- Interviews.

World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Belgium -- Bastogne.

Lawrence (Kan.) -- Oral history.

Prisoners of war.

United States. Army.

J. D. King served as a Lieutenant in the United States Army (28th Division) from 1942 to 1946. Interviewed by Elena Alterman on November 23, 2003, as part of the Lawrence Remembers: The World War II Years Project, King talked about his experiences during the Second World War. King was born on September 5, 1919. After being drafted into the Army, he went to basic training at Fort Ringgold, Texas. He then went to Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, GA. King was a “Ninety-Day Wonder.” Following training, he became a second lieutenant in the Infantry. He was first sent to Hürtgen Forest, where he engaged in battle. The Germans captured King on the first day of the Battle of the Bulge. He spent roughly nine months at a prison camp, OFLAG XIII-B, in Hammelburg, Germany. Upon being released, he came back to America for medical care and was placed on non-active duty. He was discharged. King passed away on March 6, 2007.

King, J. D.

Kansas Veterans of World War II Oral History Project / Lawrence Remembers: The World War II Years Project

Lawrence Public Library (Lawrence, Kan.)

2003-11-23

Alterman, Elena

Kansas State Historical Society

The original copy of this video is available through the Lawrence Public Library. The Watkins Museum of History and the Kansas State Historical Society may also have interviews associated with this project. Researchers are responsible for obtaining any necessary permissions for uses other than educational or scholarly research. Contact the Watkins Museum of History for additional information: https://www.watkinsmuseum.org/

To access the video recording of this oral history, go to: https://archive.org/details/king-interview

Obituary: https://www2.ljworld.com/life-events/obituaries/2007/mar/08/jd_king/

The Watkins Museum of History also holds items related to this collection.

Transcripts for this project are available through the Kansas Memory Digital Collection: https://www.kansasmemory.org/item/212310

Other resources for interviews with World War II veterans are available through the Library of Congress' Veterans History Project: https://www.loc.gov/vets/vets-home.htm

MP4

eng

Oral History

King Interview

Germany

1942 - 1946

VHS

0:38:00

317 kbit/s (audio)

9618 kbit/s (video)

Alterman, Elena

King, J. D.

Lawrence (Kan.)