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John Cencky in flight gear, Bradenton, FL

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
  • Dates of Service: 1942-1945
  • Branch of Service: Army Air Forces/Corps
  • Service Unit/Ship: 873rd Bomb Squadron, 498th Bomb Group; 341st Bomb Squadron, 97th Bomb Group
  • Battles & Campaigns: Operation Torch (North Africa); Invasion of Italy
  • Location of Service: MacDill Field, Tampa, Florida; England; North Africa; Italy; Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/58926

View full service history

Interview / Recording

Transcript

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More Resources

[ Enlisted Record and Report of Separation ]
[ Photograph of a V-Mail from Cenky to his sister, Anna [11/18/1942] ]
[ Photograph of a letter to Cenky from his cousin, Katherine [7/25/1943] ]
[ Photograph of a letter to Cenky from his sister, Anna [4/27/1944] ]
[ Front of pamphlet dropped on mission over Japan to allow civilians to surrender ]

Show more resources (9)

[ Back of pamphlet dropped on mission over Japan to allow civilians to surrender ]
[ Front of pamphlet dropped on mission over Japan to allow civilians to surrender ]
[ Back of pamphlet dropped on mission over Japan to allow civilians to surrender ]
[ Postcard "Types Nord-Africains" ]
[ Postcard: "Scottie Says We Are Having Our Ups and Downs" ]
[ Postcard: "Australia House and Strand, London" ]
[ Postcard: "Tower Bridge, London" ]
[ Unidentified tropical scene, possibly in Africa ]
[ Rose Garden, Antelope Park, Lincoln, NB ]

About this Item

Title

  • John J. Cenky Collection

Names

  • Federspiel, Bridget M.
  • Candace Lynn
  • Cenky, John J.
  • Danielle Snyder
  • Stivers School for the Arts

State of Residence at Time of Collection Donation

  • Ohio

Headings

  • -  Cenky, John J.
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army Air Forces/Corps.

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Male

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Branch of Service: Army Air Forces/Corps
    • Service Unit/Ship: 873rd Bomb Squadron, 498th Bomb Group; 341st Bomb Squadron, 97th Bomb Group
    • Location of Service: MacDill Field, Tampa, Florida; England; North Africa; Italy; Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)
    • Battles & Campaigns: Operation Torch (North Africa); Invasion of Italy
    • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
    • Dates of Service: 1942-1945
    • Entrance into Service: Enlisted
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: Special duties/highlights/achievements include: escorting P-38 aircraft across the Atlantic to England, was on standby for the Aleutian Islands campaign, and he served on submarine patrol.

Materials

  • Video: DVD [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2008-05-10; 2008-05-14)
  • Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Transcription of video recording (collected 2008-05-10)
  • Manuscript: Military Papers [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 1945-10-07)
  • Manuscript: Correspondence [3 items] -- Handwritten document (collected 1942-1944)
  • Manuscript: Printed matter [8 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 1942-1945)
  • Computer File: CD [1 item] -- Multiple types of electronic files (collected 2008; 2008-05-30)
  • Photograph: Photocopy of Photographic Print [11 items] -- Photographs (collected unknown)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/58926

Online Format

  • online text
  • video
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Federspiel, Bridget M, Candace Lynn, John J Cenky, Danielle Snyder, and Stivers School For The Arts. John J. Cenky Collection. 1942. Personal Narrative. https://aj.sunback.homes/item/afc2001001.58926/.

APA citation style:

Federspiel, B. M., Candace Lynn, Cenky, J. J., Danielle Snyder & Stivers School For The Arts. (1942) John J. Cenky Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://aj.sunback.homes/item/afc2001001.58926/.

MLA citation style:

Federspiel, Bridget M, et al. John J. Cenky Collection. 1942. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <aj.sunback.homes/item/afc2001001.58926/>.