Page 68 - Appendix A

Ivan: OK. OK. So when I think Selma, Selma Alabama in 1960. I'm just kind of
wondering how the culture outside the gate impacted the training environment

inside the gate?

Bill: It didn’t affect my training inside the base particularly; because I went to the
African-American community and asked them what should you do; what
shouldn't you do. I found me a church and I went to church every Sunday and I
mainly dealt with the African-American community. I don't recall. I might have
gone down and bought, maybe, something in the local store but I don't recall.
The only thing I bought when I was down there, I bought an Oldsmobile…

Ivan: Ok.

Bill: In pilot training; you buy a car, and I bought a used Oldsmobile.

Ivan: So you had to interact with the local community to do that - the merchants. Ok

Bill: Right I did deal with the merchant and they were just interested in selling the
car.

Ivan: Got you. You put in your survey comments that "it was easier to study with
someone of your own race." Do you think that it was reflection of the times or
what?

Bill: I think was a reflection of the time and also it’s a reflection of the comfort level.
You know because when you're dealing with your own race you have a common
communication where you come from. You have common experiences and also
you normally go to common social events and to churches. So you’re within a
comfortable culture. So you don't have to be guarded to the point of does this

person understand what I'm saying. So we can actually talk in the vernacular of
our community, and there is no question about being understood.

Ivan: You said in college you went through the air force 36-hour flight training
program. What was that? Was that ROTC or was that..?

Bill: That was ROTC. At that time if you were in pilot training, the government or Air
Force paid for 36 hours of flight training. And I was in that program for 36 hours,
that's during your senior year before you go into the Air Force. I had a real good
instructor. He was tough, but good. And I tend to work hard; I tend to study after

I have a class, or after I had a training ride. I would go study and I decide what I
did well, what I did poorly and before I went out the next time I would review it.
So when I got toward the end, I had a book of what I had done well, what I had
done poorly. So I didn't make the same mistakes.