Wisconsin Veterans Museum Research Center Transcript of An
Wisconsin Veterans Museum Research Center Transcript of an Oral History Interview with Leo Lang Infantry Communications, Army, World War II 1999 OH 49 OH 490 Lang, Leo (1915-2007). Oral History Interview, 1999. Approximate length: 161 minutes Contact WVM Research Center for access to original recording Abstract: In this oral history interview, Leo Lang, a native of Marathon, Wisconsin, discusses his four and a half year service in the US Army, 439 th Battalion, Anti-Aircraft Artillery during World War II. A graduate of UW-Stevens Point, Lang enlisted in June 1941 simultaneously arriving for basic training at Camp Wolters in Mineral Wells, Texas, and receiving his master’s degree at the university in Madison, courtesy of the services of a body-double sibling. Exhibiting an aptitude for communications, he was sent to radio school and upon graduation was selected to teach infantry communications, becoming chief instructor. Desiring change, his commanding officer directed Lang to anti-aircraft school at Camp Davis, Holly Ridge, North Carolina. Returning to Texas, the newly-married Lang learned aircraft identification for instruction purposes. He comments on the performance of the 442 nd Regiment Combat Team, observed while on maneuvers at Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. As a teacher imparting communication instruction for infantry, Lang observed his pupils: he decries ROTC training pre-war as not producing good officers, and found those coming out of Civilian Military Training Camps to be worse. Lang tells of the humorous way he courted “trouble”: how, through his voicing concern, he was assigned in succession to mess officer, and to headquarters battery as assistant communications officer.
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