In this four-part oral history, fighter ace Mayo A. “Mike” Hadden, Jr. discusses his military service with the United States Navy during World War II. In parts one, two, and three, he describes his wartime experiences as a fighter pilot, including his time in the Mediterranean Theater and Pacific Theater with Fighting Squadron 9 (VF-9). Topics discussed include his personal background, his family history, his participation in Operation Torch in 1942, and humorous stories from his military career.

The interview is conducted by fellow VF-9 fighter ace Eugene A. Valencia and by John Florea, a former war correspondent for Life Magazine who spent time with VF-9 during the war. The interview takes place on board the USS Hornet (CV-12) during a change-in-command between Hadden, outgoing captain of the Hornet, and William M. Pardee, the incoming captain. Some sections of audio may be difficult to hear due to background noise from the ship.

Part four contains excerpts from Hadden’s collection of episodes of The Front Line, a radio program that aired on WBBM in Chicago during the war. The excerpts, which were recorded circa 1942-1943, feature interviews with Fighting 9 (VF-9) members Jack Raby and Hugh Winters, as well as several dramatic performances that reenact VF-9’s experiences during Operation Torch.

As Hadden notes at the end of the recording, these Front Line episodes were originally recorded on glass records, which had been broken at some point and then glued back together. Because of this, audio may difficult to hear or understand due to crackling background noise, spots of distortion, and uneven volume levels.