OH132 Ernesteen Skinner Oral History
Collection Title
Jackson Purchase Oral History Project - Lifestyles
Series Number
OH132
Interviewee
Skinner, Ernesteen
Interviewer
Anderson, Margaret R.
Date Interviewed
March 25th, 1980
Processed by
Tara Marcum
Date Processed
August 22nd, 2011
Description
1 sound disc (33 minutes)
Abstract
Ernesteen Skinner discusses his experiences growing up in Murray, Kentucky during the 1920s and 1930s. He also describes his military service in the United States Army Air Corp during the Second World War. He recalls his years attending a segregated school, his family's struggle during the Great Depression and his participation in the Baptist Church. He mentions the type of military training he received at Evansville, Indiana and his overseas travels during World War II. He also explains how the war changed his outlook on life and the nation's economic rebound after the war.
Biographical/Historical Note
Ernesteen Skinner was born on November 15, 1918 in Calloway County, Kentucky. His parents were Buster and Canary Skinner. His father worked packing tobacco at local farms. He attended Douglas High School, an all black school, in Murray, Kentucky. He was an active member of St. John's Baptist Church and attended numerous revival meetings sponsored by the church. During the Great Depression, he shucked corn and other jobs to survive. He was drafted into the United States Army in 1943 and was sent to Evansville, Indiana for basic training. He finished his training in Florida, where he learned to build air strips. He served in the Pacific Theater and was stationed in New Guinea, French Haven and the Philippines. He also recalls Bob Hope entertaining his unit during the final year of the war.
General Information
No user access to original recordings. Use audio user copies, digital derivatives, transcripts, and/or tape indexes. This collection may be protected from unauthorized copying by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code). Permission for reproduction must be requested from Murray State University.
Subject Headings/Descriptors
Skinner, Ernesteen, 1918-
Murray (Ky.) - History
Calloway County (Ky.) - History.
Douglas High School (Murray, Ky.)
St. John's Baptist Church (Murray, Ky.)
African Americans - Kentucky - Calloway County.
World War, 1939-1945 - Pacific Theater - Participation, American
Recommended Citation
Anderson, Margaret R., "OH132 Ernesteen Skinner Oral History" (2025). Lifestyles. 40.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/oh-lifestyles/40
Audio Transcript
