Milford McMurtrey Oral History Collection

Collection

Identifier: 1995-028

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Collection contains transcript of oral history interview of Milford McMurtrey by his son, James Michael McMurtrey, for Bill Bryans' class at Oklahoma State University, Spring 1994. Subject is McMurtrey’s experiences in WWII with the 6th (Caribbean) Air Force at Borinquen Army Air Field in Puerto Rico.

Dates

1993

Creator

McMurtrey, James Michael, 1946- (Interviewer, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the Oklahoma Open Records Act (http://www.odl.state.ok.us/lawinfo/docs/2006-LibraryLaws-PartE.pdf), and other relevant regulations. Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which Oklahoma State University Libraries assumes no responsibility.

Conditions Governing Use

The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of copyright. Whenever possible, Oklahoma State University Archives will provide information about copyright owners and related information. Securing permission to publish or use material is the responsibility of the researcher. Note that unless specifically transferred to Oklahoma State University Libraries, any applicable copyrights may be held by another individual or entity. Copyright for material published by Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College/Oklahoma State University is held by the Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges. All rights reserved.

Further information about copyright policy can be obtained by contacting Oklahoma State University Archives by email at libscua@okstate.edu or by phone at 405-744-6311.

Biographical Sketch

Milford McMurtrey was born January 4, 1917, in McCullough County, Texas. He graduated from O'Donnell High School, O'Donnell, Texas in 1935. After briefly attending Texas Technological College, he married his high school sweetheart, Margaret Vermillion, in October 1937, and they established a home in Brownwood, Texas, where their first child was born in 1939, and where he worked for the Texas Highway Department. In 1941, Milford joined the Texas Department of Public Safety as a License and Weight Inspector. In 1942, Milford was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Forces, and, following training at Kearns Army Air Field, Utah, and Los Angeles, California, as an Air Operations Specialist, he was assigned to the 34th Air Service Group, Antilles Air Command, 6th Air Force. He spent most of his tour of duty working in the air traffic control office at Borinquen Army Air Field, Puerto Rico, a major stopover on the South Atlantic ferry route for aircraft, men, and materiel transiting from the U.S. mainland to North Africa and Southern Europe in support of the war effort. Returning home from wartime service in December 1945, he resumed his career with the Texas Department of Public Safety, but in 1951 left that job to become an insurance claims adjuster with Employers Casualty Company of Dallas, working out of offices in Abilene, Lubbock, Ft. Worth, Freeport, and Wichita Falls, Texas, and Oklahoma City, eventually rising to the position of District Claims Manager. He retired from the Oklahoma City office of Employers Casualty in 1982 after thirty-one years of service with that company. Since 2005, he had resided with his wife at Baptist Retirement Center, Oklahoma City. McMurtrey passed away on December 26, 2008, at the age of 91.

More information can be found in his obituary, here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/oklahoman/obituary.aspx?n=milford-mcmurtrey&pid=121899499&fhid=5160

Extent

0.003 Linear feet (1 folder)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

Arranged into one series.

Location

For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog or contact the Oklahoma State University Archives Reference staff.