Atlanta Voices: Memories of World War II
In conjunction with Ken Burn’s “The War”, PBA30 produced this companion piece documentary in which the focus is World War II’s effect on Atlanta and its population. Through interviews with veterans and their families, as well as archival footage and photographs, we will hear personal stories of living through the war, both in the battlefield and at home, and how the lives of Atlanta residents were altered forever.
For Atlanta Voices: Memories of World War II, we spoke to many residents of metro Atlanta who generously shared their time and stories with us helping us to understand better what the United States went through over sixty-five years ago. One of the questions where nearly everyone still had a vivid memory was, Where were you on December 7, 1941?
In our continuing look at Atlanta Voices of WWII, we meet Bill Price, a veteran who flew with the 20th Air Force in bombing missions over Japan. On April 1945 Bill Price’s B-29 was brought down over Nagoya. He was one of only three survivors.
Charles Dryden was part of the first African American Fighter Squadron, the 99th. These Tuskegee Airmen first encountered Germans in combat on June 9, 1943 and Charles Dryden led the charge.
During World War Two Janice Benario joined the Navy as a WAVE— “Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service”. In Washington DC, at the Naval Communications Annex, she constantly updated a large map with the positions of submarines and ship convoys. This was part of a larger program of breaking German codes in what was known as “Top Secret Ultra”.
Atlanta During World War 2
While many service men and women traveled around the globe in during WWII, there were others who stayed at home. Listen to a few Atlanta residents who lived here during the war and witnessed what went on.