National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection - 117 Matching Results

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Oral History Interview with Frank Muoio, April 11, 2000

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Frank Muoio. Muoio joined the Navy in early 1942 and went aboard the USS Thomas Jefferson (APA-30) after training in Rhode Island. His first trip was to Brisbane delivering materiel. From there, he went to the invasions of North Africa, Sicily and Italy. Muoio shares several anecdotes about his experiences aboard the Thomas Jefferson. He went ashore during the invasion of Salerno. He was also involved in the Normandy invasion as … more
Date: April 11, 2000
Creator: Muoio, Frank
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with David Rucker, July 16, 2000

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with David Rucker. Rucker already was a pilot, having been through the Civilian Pilot Training while he attended college. In October 1942 he was called to active duty in the Army Air Forces for flight training. He wound up in B-17 bombers. He earned his wings in July, 1943. H went overseas to England and began flying combat missions over Germany in May, 1944. He flew 31 combat missions in 61 days. He describes several missions and dis… more
Date: July 16, 2000
Creator: Rucker, David
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with B. C. Peters, January 1, 2000

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with B C Peters. Peters joined the Navy in September of 1942. He served with the 31st Seabee Battalion. From 1942 to 1943 he worked in Bermuda, building a refueling station as well as working with a survey crew. He worked on surveys for the construction of a submarine dock at St. Georges and a military highway near Hamilton. He was transferred to Camp Endicott, Rhode Island, where he was trained as Crew Chief of an 81mm mortar squad a… more
Date: January 1, 2000
Creator: Peters, B. C.
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with John Matthews, October 26, 2000

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Lyle Tennis. Tennis joined the Naval Reserve while attending college. He graduated in March of 1944, and then completed Officer Training School at Plattsburg, New York in June of 1944. Tennis served in the Navy aboard the USS LSM(R)-190. He provides detail of his travels through the Panama Canal and across the Pacific. He and his crew participated in the invasion of Okinawa, and Tennis describes his experiences, including launchi… more
Date: October 26, 2000
Creator: Matthews, John
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Bunichi Ohtsuka, November 8, 2000

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bunichi Ohtsuka. Ohtsuka describes growing up in wartime Japan. He discusses seeing bombing raids and the resulting damage. Ohtsuka also describes the military training he received in school. He joined the Imperial Japanese Navy in March 1945. Ohtsuka details his training in the Navy and how a nearby unit training for suicide boat operations was completely wiped out in a bombing raid. He briefly mentions his thoughts on the … more
Date: November 8, 2000
Creator: Ohtsuka, Bunichi
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with John Lacouture, October 9, 2000

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Lacouture. Lacouture graduated from the Naval Academy in 1940 and was aboard the USS Blue at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked. He was still aboard when the Blue sank off Guadalcanal in August, 1942. Lacouture then went to flight school, earning his wings in May 1943. He then served as the executive officer of Fighter Squadron 5 (VF-5) aboard the USS Franklin (CV-13). After the war, he remained in the Navy and continue… more
Date: October 9, 2000
Creator: Lacouture, John
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Loran F. Tom Twohig, October 21, 2000

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Loran F. Tom Twohig. Twohig grew up in Nebraska and enlisted in the Army when he turned 18. After training, he went to four small islands. Then he was part of invasions on two small islands and then went to Leyte. He worked primarily with explosives. After receiving a purple heart for his work Ormarch Beach at Leyte, he went to Australia and then returning to fighting. He received two more purple hearts, one for fighting at … more
Date: October 21, 2000
Creator: Twohig, Loran F. Tom
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Lone Star Legacy: Robert M. Howe, October 21, 2000

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert M. Howe. Howe grew up in Texas and joined the Navy in 1942. During training, he married his high school sweetheart. He shipped out in July 1942 and went to Guadalcanal. He was then involved in the battle of Espiritu Santo. Next, at the battle of Guadalcanal, Howe witnessed the sinking of the USS Atlanta and the USS San Francisco. He also the USS Juneau blow up. In the Battle of Kula Gulf, the USS Helena (CL-50) was su… more
Date: October 21, 2000
Creator: Howe, Robert M.
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with James S. Bargsley, December 15, 2000

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James S. Bargsley. Bargsley grew up in Texas and joined the Navy in 1942. Once he finished training, he was assigned to duty on the USS Fallard (DE-222) and then the USS Bassett (APD-73). From San Diego, they departed for Pearl Harbor, knowing they were preparing for the invasion of Japan. In June 1945 they departed for Eniwetok Atoll, then to Guam, then to the Ulithi Atoll. On July 2, 1945, the ship reported to Commander Ph… more
Date: December 15, 2000
Creator: Bargsley, James S.
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with John Rodolf, December 11, 2000

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Rodolf. Rodolf grew up in Oklahoma and joined the Army Air Force in 1942. He was in photo reconnaissance, called F-5, and was a pilot of P-38 camera vision. After training, he arrived in Guadalcanal in March 1944. He flew missions out of Bougainville covering Rabaul and Kavieng. In October 1944, he moved up to Noemfor, then to Sansapor. He continued flying until November 1945. He was in the 13th Army Air Force, 17th Pho… more
Date: December 11, 2000
Creator: Rodolf, John
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Jimmie Thomas, October 21, 2000

Description: Transcript of an oral interview with Jimmie Thomas. Thomas was born in 1923 and went into the Navy after Pearl Harbor, entering the V-5 Program for Aviation Cadets. After going through flight training, he was assigned to PBYs. He then went to Camp Kearney in San Diego and was assigned to the PB4Y2. They flew to their squadron on Tinian which had an advance base on Iwo Jima. He flew from Iwo Jima to Japan two or three times a week, flying a search sector (up to Japan, down the coast for an hour,… more
Date: October 21, 2000
Creator: Thomas, Jimmie
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Herman Billnitzer, October 22, 2000

Description: Transcript of an oral interview with Herman Billnitzer. Mr Billnitzer was a Pharmacist Mate in the Navy and spent most of his time as a corpsman with the 1st Marine Division, landing on Guadalcanal in October 1942. He describes the conditions on Guadalcanal as well as the conditions of the sailors that were rescued from ships sunk in Iron Bottom Sound. Near the end of the year, the 1st Marine Division was relieved by the Army and went to Australia for about eight months. From there, they were s… more
Date: October 22, 2000
Creator: Billnitzer, Herman
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Ann Liedtke, December 5, 2000

Description: Transcript of an oral interview with Ann Liedtke. Ms Liedtke was a young, single woman in Britain during the war and relates her experiences there including meeting her husband and becoming a war bride. She was in Oxford, England working for a bank as an Addressograph operator and joined the American Red Cross there when they first asked for volunteers. The Clarendon Hotel was taken over and used by the Red Cross, opening on July 7, 1943. The Red Cross had dances on Wednesday, Saturday and Sund… more
Date: December 5, 2000
Creator: Liedtke, Ann
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Stanley Vejtasa, October 1, 2000

Description: Transcript of an oral interview with Stanley Vejtasa. Mr Vejtasa was born in 1914 on a farm in Montana. While at the University of Montana, he signed up for the Navy and went to Pensacola in 1938. He graduated from flight school and joined his first squadron, Scouting Squadron 5, in early 1939 on board the USS Yorktown which was based in San Diego; he was flying bi-planes (SBC-3). Vejtasa describes an exercise the Yorktown did with the USS Ranger in the Atlantic prior to the war, cruising down … more
Date: October 1, 2000
Creator: Vejtasa, Stanley
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Elmer Freeman, September 30, 2000

Description: Transcript of an oral interview with Elmer Freeman. Mr Freeman graduated from high school in 1938 and joined the Navy in 1939. He had three other brothers in the service during the war. After training at Great Lakes Naval Training Center, he was assigned to Aviation Machinist Mate School in San Diego. Upon completion of that, he was sent to VP-12, a PBY squadron in San Diego for a short while then sent to Patrol Wing 4 in Seattle. He was assigned to VP-41 first and then VP-42, both PBY squadron… more
Date: September 30, 2000
Creator: Freeman, Elmer
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Harry Litzelfelner, May 20, 2000

Description: Transcript of an oral interview with Harry Litzelfelner. Mr Litzelfelner enlisted in the Missouri National Guard, 140th Infantry Regiment (medical detachment stationed in his hometown of Caruthersville, Missouri) around October 1940; they were called into Federal service on December 23, 1940. They trained for almost a year at Camp Robinson, Arkansas. Right after Pearl Harbor, they were on the train headed to California. Originally, the 140th Infantry Regiment was part of the 35th Division but t… more
Date: May 20, 2000
Creator: Litzelfelner, Harry
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Taisuke Maruyama, September 29, 2000

Description: Transcript of an oral interview with Taisuke Maruyama. He was born in 1922. After finishing the sixth grade, Mr Maruyama took an exam for Navy pilot school and passed; he was 15 or 16 at the time. At that time, preparatory flight school (navy basic training) for the Navy was one and one half years. Once he completed this, Maruyama entered flight training, which lasted for one year. After flight training, he was ordered to the carrier Hiryu; to be a scouting member of the 97th torpedo plane, a K… more
Date: September 29, 2000
Creator: Maruyama, Taisuke
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Mr. Iwashita, October 1, 2000

Description: Transcript of an oral interview with Mr. Iwashita. From his Japanese Naval Academy class of 360, he was among 120 selected for flight training. Upon completion, he was chosen to be an instructor. After eight months serving as an instructor, Iwashita was assigned to combat duty with the 301st Air WIng at Yokosuka. Iwashita describes using aerial bombs to destroy attacking American bombers.
Date: October 1, 2000
Creator: Iwashita
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Douglas C. Davis, October 1, 2000

Description: Transcript of an oral interview with Commander Douglas C. Davis. Davis joined the Navy in 1939 after having learned to fly as a civilian. He went through naval flight training at Pensacola, Florida and earned his wings in September, 1940. Upon completion of training, he reported to Pearl Harbor, his first duty station, in December 1940, where he was assigned to BP-22. Davis describes alot of his activities at Pearl Harbor prior to the outbreak of war. These included advance base operations, sea… more
Date: October 1, 2000
Creator: Davis, Douglas C.
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Edward Jacquet, October 1, 2000

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Edward Jacquet. He was born in Racine, Wisconsin August 29, 1918. He joined the Army Air Corps as a flying cadet in February 1940 and was assigned to the 19th Bombardment Group. He recalls arriving at Clark Field in early November 1941. After the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, Jacquet flew B-17s conducting various missions between Luzon and Mindanao until his plane was too damaged to fly. He describes how he was then … more
Date: October 1, 2000
Creator: Jacquet, Edward
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Preston Holcomb, September 1, 2000

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral monologue with Preston Holcomb. Holcomb joined the Navy in Houston, Texas in 1938 when he was 17 years old. He volunteered for service in China and was assigned to the USS Tulsa (PG-22) when he arrived in Hong Kong in November 1939. Holcomb recalls fighting fires at the fuel docks at Cavite shortly after the Japanese attacked the Philippines. He describes some of his adventures eluding the Japanese Fleet as the Tulsa made her way to Austra… more
Date: September 1, 2000
Creator: Holcomb, Preston
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Earle M. Craig, Jr., September 30, 2000

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Earle M. Craig, Jr. Born in 1924, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps. He earned his wings in 1944 at the age of 19. He shares an anecdote about being summoned to see the Base Commander during his basic training in Sherman, Texas. After training and serving as a flight instructor, he was assigned to the 507th Fighter Group. He went overseas on a CVE in early 1945. He flew from Saipan with about 72 other planes in a single mass… more
Date: September 30, 2000
Creator: Craig, Earle M., Jr.
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Robert Ross, September 29, 2000

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Ross. Assigned to the 267th Infantry Regiment, 66th Infantry Division, he describes training and living conditions at camp Joseph T. Robinson. He describes crossing the Atlantic in November 1944 as well as being transported to Weymouth, England. He also recalls narrowly missing being transported on the SS Léopoldville (1929) and arriving at Cherbourg, France in December 1944. He participated in the Battle of the Bulge… more
Date: September 29, 2000
Creator: Ross, Robert
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with William A. Klenk, October 22, 2000

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William A. Klenk. He enlisted in the Navy in May 1942. He was accepted into the Naval Air Cadet Program and received his commission in June 1943. He talks about his qualifying carrier landings at NAS Glenview. He was assigned to U.S. Carrier Air Group 80 Dive Bomber Squadron United States. Navy. Bombing Squadron 80 (VB-80) on the USS Ticonderoga (CV-14). They joined the Third Fleet in Ulithi. He recalls various bombing locat… more
Date: October 22, 2000
Creator: Klenk, William A.
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation
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