Interviewed by:

Lucy Crosen and Cecelia Pekarcik

"If it hadn't been for the war I probably wouldn't have grown up.

Well you know what I mean, it hastened the process of maturation."

~ Roger Putnam (19:10)

Robert Putnam's Story:

Roger Putnam may seem like an ordinary citizen to anybody who walks by, but to the people that know him, he is a man who's seen some scary things while fighting for our country. Despite everything he's been through during WWII, he is lighthearted, funny, and willing to share his stories.

Born in 1922, Roger lived what was at the time, an average life. His father was a moderately tough man who also served time in the military. When discussing his family, he seemed to have a real soft spot for his mother, calling her, "A very special person." When he told his family he'd decided to join the military, they told him to go right ahead. It wasn't until he went on a trip to Europe that he really decided to join the Army Air Corps.

After meeting some European kids and seeing fascism up and close and personal, it really struck him that something had to change. Roger had received his pilot's license at the young age of 14, which led him to join Army Air Corps. He was trained and sent off to war. There, he flew all sorts of planes, all carrying dangerous cargo. From A20's to B29's, he flew them all around the Northern Mariana Islands and Guadalcanal where he was stationed for most of his service. Roger made his way through many ups and downs during his time in the military, at one point losing his closest friend, but always carrying on as he was raised to do. He had lost his front teeth from the kickback of a new model gun, while attacking a group of Japanese fisherman, which was clearly a sign of karma for using the new weapons when he wasn't supposed to. Roger was always nonchalant when talking about the things he did during his time in the service.

After the war, Roger continued his time the service with the Air Force Reserves for fifteen more years. Once he had come to ends with the military, he moved on to Arizona and punched (herded) cattle before returning home to his family living in Petersham, Massachusetts and becoming quite the entrepreneur. There he created the machinery that packaged things from potato chips to chewing gum.

Roger Putnam is a man of many traits, but one of his greatest achievements was serving time in the Army Air Corps for the country he loves most.