John Archibald recounts growing up in the Leakesville-Spray area of Rockingham Country, North Carolina, his time as a soldier during World War II, and his life and career after the war. As Mr. Archibald grew older, he became aware that his education, geared toward working in textile mills, was inadequate and different from the education of upper-class students. He describes graduating in 1942 and working in the shipyards before being drafted into the U.S. Army Air Force as a rear gunner. Mr. Archibald recounts being based in London, England, and Naples, Italy, and participating in bombing missions in B17 and B24 planes, what the men did there for fun, and what it was like to be a target. He shares how he feels about the bombing of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the death of civilians. After World War II, Mr. Archibald describes moving to Greenville, North Carolina, and working for H.G. Lay, where he became aware of the extreme poverty of many of the Black people in the region. He talks about how this experience led to him speaking at events organized by the NAACP and local groups on the economics of racism and advocating for racial equality. Mr. Archibald concludes by discussing his experiences working for Sears in Charlotte, North Carolina, as a veteran and a member of the 15th Air Force Association, and his thoughts on imperialism and his hopes for America.
