Joan Blacker
Sean Kelley
Mr. Thomas
U.S. History, Period 2
26 April 2006
Personal Interview of Joan Blacker
Jack Blacker served his country throughout the Second World War through many heroic deeds. His wife, Joan Blacker, became privy to many of his anecdotes and specific details after his return from the war. The most influential time period Jack Blacker spent was in a prisoner of war camp at Dulag Luft.
Q: Why did Jack join the Air Force?
A: “He joined the Air Force because he didn’t want to be drafted into the army. He was short so he knew that he could become a ball turret gunner. He also loved to make model airplanes, so that sparked his interest in aviation.”
Q: How long did he serve in Germany?
A: “Jack was supposed to fly twenty-five missions and then return home, but on his twenty fifth mission he was shot down over Germany. So instead of returning home, he was held prisoner at Dulag Luft for another year and two months.”
Q: What was his plane called?
A: “He flew in a plane called the ‘Ball of Fire.’”
Q: What happened after he was shot down?
A: “Well, when he landed he broke his ankle very badly. After the Germans picked him up, they made him march for a number of miles to a holding station. Eventually, he joined a lot of other airmen at Dulag Luft.”
Q: Where was he imprisoned?
A: “He was held at Dulag Luft for a year and two months. Luckily, he was able to make a lot of friends that he stayed in touch with until he passed away.”
Q: What sort of stories did he tell you about his capture?
A: “The one I remember the best was about his first interrogation. The Germans tried to intimidate him by threatening his parents. They knew his mother’s address and where his father worked. They threatened to kill them if Jack did not tell them what they wanted to hear.”
Q: What sort of punishment did he experience?
A: “Well Jack went to Europe weighing about one hundred and sixty-five pounds. When the Russians rescued him, he weighed sixty-five pounds. I guess you could say the food alone was punishment enough. But, he did have to go into solitary confinement for twenty-eight days once.”
Q: How did he and his friends survive?
A: “(They survived) mostly by sticking together and helping each other out. One of Jack’s friends knew how to play the accordion so he would play that each night until everyone in the camp went to sleep. It was nice because everyone was always so tense, so just that little bit of music helped them to relax some.”
Q: What did he do after his rescue?
A: “The Russians didn’t let the doctors or engineers go home because they needed them in Russia. Luckily, Jack was just a truck driver, so he was able to go back to the States Basically, he just came back to Indianapolis and picked up where he left off.”
Q: How did the war affect him?
A: “Sometimes so quiet it seemed like he was a different person. Sometimes, we would go days where he just wouldn’t really talk and then he would just snap out of it. I feel like the Germans robbed me of a portion of my husband.”
Q: Did he like to talk about the war?
A: “Not really. He didn’t like to go back to that prison in his own mind. The kids would sometimes ask him about it, but usually he would just give a few words and move on. Still today, I don’t like to talk about his stories because I don’t think he would if he were still here.”