Balch, Donald L.-- oral history interview, 1990 January

File — Box: Nine

Scope and Contents

Fighter ace Donald L. Balch discusses his military service with the United States Marine Corps during World War II. He describes his wartime experiences as a fighter pilot, including his time in Guadalcanal with Marine Fighting Squadron 221 (VMF-221). Special focus on a combat mission on April 7, 1943 in which he scored an aerial victory against a Japanese Zero (Zeke) aircraft and damaged another.

Dates

Creation: 1990 January

Creator

From the Collection: American Fighter Aces Association (Organization)

Language of Materials

From the Collection:

All materials are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research. Due to preservation concerns, digital copies should be utilized instead of original materials. There is limited access to undigitized content.

Biographical Note: Donald L. Balch

Donald L. Balch was born on July 6, 1917 in Youngstown, Ohio. He entered naval aviation training in September 1941 and graduated in July of the following year. He served two combat tours in the Pacific Theater with Marine Fighting Squadron 221 (VMF-221), one during the Guadalcanal Campaign in 1943 and one during the Okinawa Campaign in 1945. Balch remained in the Marine Corps Reserve after the war and retired as a captain. In his civilian life, he worked as a stock broker in Santa Barbara, California. Balch passed away in 1995.