Collection Title: Jackson Purchase Oral History Project – Black Veterans - World War II
Series Number: OH154
Interviewee: Dillard, Golden, 1912-
Interviewer: Belue, Ted
Date interviewed: November 14, 1986
Processed by: Benjamin J. Drake
Date processed: November 14, 2011
Description: 1 sound disc (79 minutes)
Abstract: Golden Dillard details his experiences as an African American soldier during the Second World War. He describes his life prior to war and the time he spent in the Civilian Conservation Corps near Murray, Kentucky. During the war, he was stationed or at Camp McCain, Grenada, Mississippi, Camp Forrest, Tullahoma, Tennessee, Camp Gordon, Georgia, Camp Shanks, New York, Camp Atterbury, Indiana and overseas bases in the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and Germany. He details his duties as part of the United States Army Motor Pool and activities throughout the war. He claimed to have been the personal driver of General Dwight D. Eisenhower for three months while stationed at Frankfurt, Germany. He concludes with his post-war experiences and work with the American Legion Post in Murray, Kentucky.
Biographical / Historical note: Golden Dillard was born in Calloway County, Kentucky on October 2, 1912. He moved to Toledo, Ohio in 1928. He returned to Calloway County, Kentucky in 1939 and worked for two-and-a-half years at a Civilian Conservation Corps camp near Murray, Kentucky. He was drafted and entered the United States Army in 1942. He trained at Camp McCain, Grenada, Mississippi. He was assigned to motor-pool division and spent time in Camp Forrest, Tullahoma, Tennessee, Camp Gordon, Georgia and Camp Shanks, New York. He was sent overseas and was involved in the European theater of the war. When the war concluded he was assigned to Camp Atterbury, Indiana and was later discharged in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He returned to Murray, Kentucky and later assisted in the development of an American Legion Post in that city. He was its commander from 1976 to 1982.
General information: No user access to original recordings. Use audio user copies, digital derivatives, transcripts, and/or tape indexes. This collection may be protected from unauthorized copying by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code). Permission for reproduction must be requested from Murray State University.
Subject Headings / Descriptors:
Dillard, Golden, 1912-
United States. Army. Infantry, 339th.
Calloway County (Ky.) – History.
Murray (Ky.) – History.
World War, 1939-1945 – Participation, African American.
World War, 1939-1945 – Personal narratives, American.
