World War II Experiences
"Timeless Voices" Oral History Project

1997 Reunion Presentation by
Lt. Dean Whitaker, 398th Bomb Group Bombardier
603rd Squadron, Eighth Air Force

audio controls - start, pause and volume

Notes
  1. This is an audio presentation only. There is no video; however, various links below will pop up windows of associated images and data.
  2. The Dean Whitaker, 398th Bombardier - 603rd Squadron 1997 Reunion Presentation runs 8 minutes 41 seconds. The presentation took place in Spokane, Washington on July 17, 1997 at the 398th Bomb Group Memorial Association's Annual Reunion Welcome Dinner. At the dinner, there was a presentation called: The Other Side of the War by three men: Fred Gonzales, John McCormick, and Dean Whitaker. All three were shot down and later in life visited the locations where each came down.
  3. In the presentation, Dean Whitaker speaks of the events of 2 November 1944 while flying that day with the Newman Crew and his subsequent capture and imprisonment. Included are Dean's interactions with German civilians and military after the crash.
  4. Dean Whitaker, 398th Bombardier - 603rd Squadron 1997 Reunion Presentation Transcription -open to read along while listening to the audio. The presentation has not yet been transcribed. If interested in transcribing see contact details at the beginning of 398th Timeless Voices Interviews Transcription Status.
  5. Lt. Dean Whitaker was the Bombardier on Herb Newman's 603rd Squadron crew.
  6. Special thanks to Lee Anne Bradley, 398th Group Historian for recovering the original 1997 audio cassette tape and converting it to a digital file and to Dave Jordan for partitioning, speed adjusting, and converting to a suitable web audio format.
  7. To play the audio above click on the play button. Additional information can be found on our Timeless Voices index page under Getting Connected.
See also:
  1. 398th Mission: 2 November 1944 - Merseburg, Germany
  2. Newman's Crew - 603rd Squadron - 15 August 1944
  3. Dean Whitaker POW form
  4. 398th Killed in Action
  5. 398th POWs
  6. 398th Missing Air Crew Reports
  7. Bill Frankhouser, 398th Navigator - 603rd Squadron Video Interview (1 hr) - will begin the Frankhouser video
  8. Excerpts from "World War II Osyssey"
  9. William Dean Whitaker, 398th Bombardier / Navigator - 603rd Squadron Video Interview (59m, 23s)
  10. Fred Gonzales, 398th Pilot - 603rd Squadron 1997 Reunion Presentation (13m 27s) - will begin the Gonzales audio
  11. John McCormick, 398th Pilot - 602nd Squadron 1997 Reunion Presentation (18m 22s) - will begin the McCormick audio
  12. Return to 398th Timeless Voices Interviews