Training the Best: Gunnery Sergeant Ponder’s Contribution to WWII Victory

Texas Land Commissioner and Veterans Land Board (VLB) Chairwoman Dawn Buckingham, M.D., is proud to share the next installment of the Voices of Veterans oral history program, highlighting the story of Gunnery Sergeant (GySgt) Art Ponder and his service in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II.

Ponder grew up in West Monroe, Louisiana, and like so many young men of his time, his life changed dramatically after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. For him, the decision to enlist in the Army Air Corps was immediate. “It was time to defend my country,” he recalled.

Within days of signing up, he was sent to Camp Polk for basic training. The intensity of those early days left a lasting impression. “I was ready for anything they had,” Ponder said, describing his eagerness to serve. After completing basic training, he traveled to Denver, Colorado, for Armor School, where he spent three months mastering how to outfit bombs and weapons on aircraft.

From there, Ponder’s path led him to Laredo, Texas, for Gunnery School. It was there that his skills and quick mastery of the material changed the trajectory of his service. Instead of deploying overseas as he had hoped, Ponder was made an instructor, a role the military desperately needed at the time. “As soon as I finished, they made me an instructor and that is where I was stuck for awhile because they wouldn’t let us go overseas,” he explained. His repeated requests to be sent into combat were firmly denied. “They told me, if I come in here one more time, we are going court martial you, so we just backed off and didn’t ask to go anymore.”

While he longed to join the fight overseas, Ponder came to see the significance of the work he was doing at home. Training new recruits became his mission, starting them off with BB guns before moving them up to heavy 20-caliber cannons. He took pride in watching young men—many of whom had never even handled a firearm—grow into skilled gunners. “It was pretty amazing to see some of those boys that came out of the north that didn’t even know what a gun was but they made good gunners when it was all said and done,” he said.

The impact of his instruction was undeniable. Many of his students went on to fly the grueling 25 missions required of bomber crews in Europe and the Pacific, and some returned to become instructors themselves. For Ponder, knowing he played a part in their success provided a sense of purpose, even if it wasn’t the frontline experience he had originally sought. “It was aggravating that we couldn’t go,” he admitted, “but there was some solace in knowing I helped train some of the very best pilots to fly during WWII.”

Now, decades later, through the Voices of Veterans program, GySgt Ponder’s story joins a living archive dedicated to preserving the experiences of Texas veterans. His reflections remind us that service takes many forms—on the battlefield, in the skies, and in the classrooms and training grounds that prepared soldiers for the challenges ahead.

The Voices of Veterans program invites Texas veterans to share their experiences and ensure their contributions are never forgotten. Those interested in participating can email [email protected].