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Oral History Interview with James Phinney, July 15, 2010
Interview with James (Jim) Phinney, an aircraft electrician for the U. S. Navy during Wold War II. He discusses joining the Navy, going through boot camp and becoming an aircraft electrician. He was assigned to the USS Lexington but abandoned ship after it was hit by a torpedo. He was rescued and was then sent to San Diego to be reassigned to the USS Enterprise. He mentions being at Guadalcanal and later aboard a sub-chaser. The crew crossed the Equator and consequently participated in an initiation ceremony, during which time Admiral Halsey was nearly shot by one of the ship's pilots who forgot to lock his gun. He also recalls some of the food he ate while at sea.
Oral History Interview with Edwin R. Seace, January 7, 2011
Transcript of an oral interview with Edwin Seace. Seace enlisted in the Navy in June of 1942 and was assigned to the USS Independence (CVL-22). He was one of the plank owners (i.e. part of the first crew on a new ship) and mentions going through the Panama Canal as the first ship of that size to go through, scraping the sides of the flight deck overhang on the canal walls. From there, the ship docked in San Diego before heading out to Pearl Harbor then across the Pacific Ocean, making raids at Rabaul in September 1943, supporting the landings at Tarawa in November where it was torpedoed on November 20th. He talks about getting hit in the head by debris when one of the torpedos hit, watching burials at sea, going to Funafuti, then Pearl Harbor, then San Francisco for repairs, running aground on a sandbar leaving San Francisco due to the ship being overloaded, being in Halsey's fleet for the Battle of Leyte Gulf, supporting the landings on Luzon, the sinking of the Princeton, the sister ship of the Independence, and night combat runs made by the Independence's planes. He also mentions remembering the smell of Iwo Jima (the sulfur island) that he could smell from the flight deck off-shore, riding through typoons, being transferred to another ship at Okinawa before shipping back to the States and entering hydraulics school in Washington, DC, where he was in class when he learned the Japanese had surrendered, then marching with his classmates through downtown Washington, celebrating.
Oral History Interview with Chester W. Nimitz
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents a transcription of an oral recording of Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. In this statement, Nimitz exhorts the nation to remain alert by keeping a strong navy.
Oral History Interview with A. W. McCasker
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with A. W. McCasker. McCasker joined the Royal Australian Navy and at the end of 1942 was stationed on Guadalcanal. He took a small party behind enemy lines to Lord Howe Island on a reconnaissance mission, accompanied by two American soldiers and a Javanese guide. There he was greeted by a Polynesian king who held a formal ceremony declaring war on the Japanese. McCasker brought along a radio that could reach several hundred miles; however, moving its heavy battery chargers required the labor of 12 natives. For nine months they moved from island to island, observing aircraft, reporting to headquarters at Guadalcanal. At one point they found two islanders who had drifted over 700 miles off course in a canoe. When enemy forces landed in August 1943 and McCasker was evacuated by PBY, he brought with him the two displaced islanders, who were eventually flown back to their homeland.
Oral History Interview with A. R. Evans
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral monologue by A R Evans. Evans was the coastwatcher on Kolombangara who facilitated the rescue of the PT-109 crew, led by John F. Kennedy. One of his scouts noticed a fire on the water at night and saw an unidentified object floating the next day. Evans, having been informed that PT-109 was missing, instructed his scouts to search for crewmen. Two natives encountered the crew, who for want of a common language carved a message on a coconut to be delivered to Evans. Evans met Kennedy that afternoon and dispatched a message coordinating his safe return. When Evans visited the White House in 1961, he found a framed copy of the dispatch and the carved coconut in the Oval Office.
Oral History Interview with B. J. Pumphrey
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with B.J. Pumphrey. Pumphrey joined the Navy in June of 1942. He served for a short time as crewman on a PBY flying anti-submarine missions. Pumphrey was then sent to the USS Midway (CVE-63) where he served as a phone talker on the bridge. He describes the superstitions of the crew when the name of the ship was changed to the St. Lo. Pumphrey describes Taffy 3 coming under attack and seeing the Japanese shells land near the ship. He details being hit by a kamikaze and the damage that resulted. He discusses his time in the water and eventual rescue. Pumphrey describes being inspected by Admiral Nimitz and the impression he received. He was then sent to commission the USS Little Rock (CL-92). Pumphrey left the service in September 1945.
Oral History Interview with Valdemar Johansen, July 22, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Valdemar P. Johansen. Johansen joined the Navy in December 1942. and was assigned to the 62nd Construction Battalion. After training in Rhode Island and California, he shipped out in late 1943 to Pearl Harbor and went to work expanding the submarine base. His unit next participated in the invasion of Iwo Jima. After landing, Johansen injured ligaments in his knee. His unit began repairing one of the airstrips. Johansen operated a grader, leveling an airstrip. He returned to the US in June and went on leave. He was back in Rhode Island when the war ended.
Oral History Interview with Horace Johnson, September 17, 2016
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Horace Johnson. Johnson joined the Navy in February 1942 and received basic training in Norfolk. Upon completion, he was assigned to the Seabees and sent to Port Hueneme. From there he set sail for the Pacific, where he constructed airstrips and aviation refueling stations in Suva, Funafuti, and Samoa. He returned to the States on 8 June 1944, and his battalion was decommissioned. Johnson did a second tour, stationed at an advanced base construction depot on Manus. He volunteered for the invasion of Luzon aboard the USS Zeilin (APA-3). On 12 January, a suicide plane killed several men aboard ship, and they were buried at sea. Johnson returned home and was discharged in November 1945. He stayed in the construction industry and traveled all over the world building roads.
Oral History Interview with Everett Ike McKay, August 6, 2013
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Everett Ike McKay. McKay joined the Navy as a part of the V-7 program. He was commissioned as an ensign in July 1943. McKay was sent to minesweeper school and then assigned to the commissioning crew of the YMS-293. He discusses his duties as the executive officer. McKay also describes the operations, types of mines, and capabilities of the ship. He describes sweeping the invasion approaches. McKay discusses an incident where USS Mount Hood exploded, killing 3 men that he had just been with and severely damaging his ship. He describes going through a major typhoon, losing one engine, and all electric power. McKay also describes the role minesweepers played as a utility ship performing duties such as generating smoke and delivering mail. He was transferred back to the US and sent to demobilization school soon after he became a member of the inactive reserves.
Oral History Interview with Harold Leon, July 7, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Harold Leon. Leon graduated from the Army Air Forces Cadet School at Kelly Field in San Antonio in April of 1942. He was assigned to the 12th Bomb Group, 83rd bomb Squadron, a B-25 outfit at Esler Field in Louisiana. He worked as the squadron navigator. In July of 1942 he traveled to Moascar in Egypt to a base the British had established. He completed 55 missions and his group helped stop the advance of German General Erwin Rommel. Leon provides details of their combative interactions with the Germans and their travels through Africa and Italy in 1943. Leon also served in the Korean War and describes navigation training. He was discharged around 1952.
Oral History Interview with Anthony Geer
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Anthony Geer. Geer was drafted into the Navy in 1943. He completed boot camp in San Diego, then served as a yeoman. He received additional training in aircraft recognition. He traveled to the Philippines aboard the USS Tazewell (APA-209), and worked on Samar Island until the atomic bombs were dropped, then transferred to Manila until the surrender of Japan. He traveled back to the U.S. aboard the USS Menard (APA-201). Geer was honorably discharged in late 1945.
Oral History Interview with Manuel E. Quijas, January 16, 2012
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Manuel E. Quijas. Quijas grew up in the Rio Grande Valley and was drafted into the the Army in July, 1942. He describes training at Camp Wolters, Texas. At Fort Hood, Quijas was assigned to the 820th Tank Destroyer Battalion. Quijas trained as a driver for a half-track. Upon completion of training, Quijas and his unit were shipped to England where they immediately left for France in October, 1944. Eventually, his unit moved into Belgium and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Quijas describes retreating and disabling his half-track and its weapons. QUijas speaks of retraining in medium tanks and taking them across the Rhine River into Germany. When the war ended in Europe, Quijas shipped back to the US and was discharged in November, 1945. Quijas used the GI Bill to finish high school.
Oral History Interview with Charles Callanan, May 14, 2019
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Charles Callanan. Callanan joined the Army in March of 1942. He trained in California, building airstrips, hangars, temporary bridges, Quonset huts and worked on other construction projects. Callanan served as a master sergeant with the 1876th Engineer Aviation Battalion in New Guinea and in the Philippines. He returned to the US in December of 1945.
Oral History Interview with Robert B. Walker, December 28, 2010
Transcript of an oral interview with Robert B. Walker. Born in 1920, he was drafted in November, 1943. He completed pilot training at the Tuskegee Army Air Field, Alabama in 1945. He flew B-25 airplanes. He arrived in England as the war in Europe ended. He was there for a month and did not see combat. He was discharged in March, 1946. He used the GI Bill to obtain his Doctor of Education (Ed.D.). He mentions the 1943 Detroit race riot and shares an anecdote about race relations at Tuskegee. The interview also contains information about his family during the Great Depression.
Oral History Interview with Norman E. Winter, January 5, 2010
Transcript of an oral interview with Norman E. Winter. Born in 1924, he was inducted into the Army in October 1944 after a one-year agricultural deferment. He talks about basic training and weaponry at Camp Hood, Texas. He was assigned to a light weapons platoon in Company E, 129th Infantry Regiment, 37th Infantry Division. He shares an anecdote about sea sickness on the ship to the Philippines and describes the living conditions of the Filipinos. He describes advancing to the northern end of Luzon in the face of Japanese artillery fire and night fighting. He shares anecdotes about dancing in Manilla and going to the beach in Aparri. After V-J Day, he re-enlisted and returned to the U.S. with the 37th Division. He was transferred to Germany where he was assigned to the Army Counter Intelligence Corps. While serving in the Berghausen field office, his mission was to arrest Nazi war criminals. He shares the stories of three such arrests. In late 1947 his mission changed to gathering information about Communist activities. He describes an incident in which he, disguised as a Military Policeman, accompanied refugees on a train bound for Hungary for repatriation. He served as Army personnel in the State Department where he was the U.S. Liaison Officer to the West Berlin Police. He shares anecdotes about informants and defectors as well as about recruiting for counter intelligence. He retired from the military in August, 1969. The interview also contains information about the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl.
Oral History Interview with Harry Maclin, January 19, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Harry Maclin. Maclin was a pre-med student when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Two of his childhood friends perished aboard USS Arizona (BB-39). Maclin was moved to sign up for the Navy, and joined the V-12 program. In June 1944, he contracted the mumps and was quarantined at Balboa Naval Hospital. Upon recovery, he was assigned to USS Coral Sea (CVE-57), later renamed the Anzio, as a hospital corpsman, assisting in surgeries such as appendectomies. While sailing through Typhoon Cobra, Maclin was impressed by a religious shipmate's ability to remain calm. He later joined the man's Bible group, which met in a storeroom aboard ship. Maclin would later become a missionary, spending 20 years in Africa after surviving kamikazes at Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
Oral History Interview with James Price, February 5, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with James Norman Price. Price was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army Air Forces in May 1942. He served as a B-17 pilot and flew missions during the Guadalcanal Campaign. He was selected to serve with the 509th Composite Bomb Group, 393rd Bomb Squadron. Price became a qualified B-29 commander, and piloted the bomber titled Some Punkins, arriving at Tinian in June 1945. On 6 August he made the final check of the Enola Gay and other aircraft as the expeditor for the mission. After the war, Price remained active in the Air National Guard at Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, retiring as a lieutenant colonel.
Oral History Interview with Arthur Bertanzetti, February 2, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Arthur Bertanzetti. Bertanzetti joined the Army in February of 1941. After 2 years he transferred to the Army Air Forces. He was commissioned in 1943. He flew B-24s and was assigned to the 489th Bomb Group, 846th Bomb Squadron. In 1944 Bertanzetti traveled to England and completed 31 combat missions. On the last mission his plane went down. He and the crew bailed out over Germany, were captured and taken as prisoners of war to Stalag Luft III. He was a POW for 10 months, then liberated by Patton???s 3rd Army. Serving later in the reserves, Bertanzetti was discharged from the service in October of 1967.
Oral History Interview with Gerard Noteboom, January 22, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Gerard Noteboom. Noteboom was a child living near The Hague when his father was taken away by the Gestapo and sent to Buchenwald. From December 1940 to September 1944, his father remained active in resistance groups while interned. Meanwhile, the Dutch underground provided financial assistance to Noteboom's family. Noteboom prudently invested in salt, a valuable commodity that could be easily traded for food. He also actively resisted the occupation, stealing arms and ammunition. As the Allies drew near, his family sought refuge from crossfire in a reinforced cellar. After the liberation, Noteboom worked as an English translator in exchange for bread. His father soon returned home. Noteboom went on to attend medical school, graduating in 1954 and immigrating to the United States. There he joined the Army as a pathologist at Fort Meade.
Oral History Interview with Raymond Wortham, February 16, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Raymond Wortham. Wortham joined the Marine Corps in August 1943 and received basic training in San Diego. Because he already knew Morse code and enjoyed electronics as a hobby, he was sent for further training as a radio operator. Upon completion, he was assigned to radio materiel school in Omaha, where he learned to repair two-way electronic equipment. He was then sent to the US Army’s main signal depot in Fort Monmouth to take a course in carrier radio relay. He joined the 2nd Marine Division in Hawaii and installed a transmitter on Mount Haleakala. After the Japanese surrender, Wortham was transferred to Sasebo, Japan, to set up and maintain communication receivers and transmitters for MacArthur’s headquarters. Wortham returned home and was discharged in September 1946.
Oral History Interview with Thomas Jeter, February 20, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Thomas Jeter. Jeter was drafted into the Navy in 1943. He found boot camp to be tough, and some men committed suicide there. Jeter attended fire-control school in Bainbridge and then boarded USS New York (BB-34) as a fire controlman, working with highly classified computers and gyroscopes. Because his commanding officer was a childhood friend, Jeter turned down promotions to avoid misperceptions of favoritism. He instead served as the telephone man and orderly for the captain. In combat, Jeter served as the main battery director, witnessing the bloody aftermath of friendly fire from his battle station at Iwo Jima. After a kamikaze attacked the ship at Okinawa, Jeter saved the rising sun emblem from its wing as a souvenir. Upon returning to the States, Jeter guarded German prisoners at Norfolk. After his discharge, he earned a degree in physics on the GI Bill, later befriending several Japanese colleagues through his work.
Oral History Interview with Herman L. Bell, February 23, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Herman L. Bell. Bell worked in a shipyard in California at the beginning of the war and describes his duties as a welder. He joined the Navy in April 1943 and discusses his time in boot camp at Farragut, Idaho and the additional training that he received as a firefighter. Bell was sent to the USS Independence (CVL-22). He describes his duties and some of the work he performed. Bell discusses when his ship was hit with a torpedo off Tarawa and the damage control work he performed including how he helped save a trapped sailor. He also discusses an incident when emergency repairs were performed during a typhoon and another when a large bomb broke free from its restraints. Bell also discusses seeing the massive flyover during the surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay. He left the service in November 1945.
Oral History Interview with Angelo Gagliano, February 10, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Angelo Gagliano. Gagliano joined the Navy in August 1942. He describes his experiences in basic training at Newport, Rhode Island. Gagliano was assigned to an air service unit and then transferred to the USS Langley (CVL-27). He became an aviation storekeeper and also served as an ammunition handler on a 40mm gun. Gagliano describes a time when he was a passenger on a TBF that catapulted off of the ship and how he blacked-out. He also discusses shipboard life and his duties. Gagliano describes seeing USS Princeton (CVL-23), USS Franklin (CV-13), and USS Lexington (CV-16) all take serious damage in battle. He also discusses what it was like to go through a typhoon and how several destroyers were lost. He was transferred to shore duty in New York and then Alameda where he signed off on returning aviators who were returning their gear. Gagliano left the Navy in March 1946.
Oral History Interview with Charles Horn, February 16, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Charles Horn. Horn was drafted into the Army in February of 1943. Horn was assigned to Company H, 2nd Battalion, 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division. He was first gunner in a machine gun squad. In March they traveled to Africa. Horn provides details of the water-cooled 30mm machine gun he fired. Theirjob in Africa was to move the remaining Germans out. Later in 1943 they traveled to Sicily, then Salerno. In September of 1943 Horn was wounded in Salerno by a 20mm gun. After being wounded he was sent back to Anzio. He later participated in the Normandy landings in June of 1944. Ernie Pyle worked with their group. In December of 1944 they participated in the Battle of the Bulge. He was discharged in October of 1945.
Oral History Interview with Terence R. St. Louis, February 18, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Terence R. St. Louis. St. Louis joined the Army Air Corps in June of 1940. He was assigned to an aviation maintenance unit in Trinidad supplying airplanes flying anti-submarine missions. St. Louis was then sent to flight school to become a pilot in 1943, but was reassigned to gunnery school. He was sent to England as a ball turret gunner on a B-17 with the 398th Bomb Group, 601st Bomb Squadron. St. Louis details a typical mission and describes some of the more notable ones, including two emergency landings and the last raid on Pilsen. He discusses some of his observations from the gunner position during combat. St. Louis left the service after the war, but rejoined in 1948 and eventually retired from the Air Force in 1961.
Oral History Interview with Albert Brown, March 2, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Albert Brown. Brown joined the Navy and served as a Radarman with amphibious forces at Guadalcanal for one year. In 1942, Brown worked aboard submarines as a specialist in surface attacks using radar. Admiral Chester Nimitz appointed him the officer in charge to create the Pacific Fleet Radar School for Senior Officers, and to instruct them in radar techniques. Brown completed this work through late 1945. He continued his service after the war ended.
Oral History Interview with Robert C. Shedd, March 9, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert C. Shedd. Shedd joined the Marine Corps in February of 1942 with his brothers Donald and Paul. He provides details of boot camp. He served with the 5th Marines. In June of 1942 he traveled to New Zealand. In August they went to Guadalcanal to capture the island. He provides details of his travels and life aboard the troop ships. They traveled to New Britain in New Guinea in December of 1943, where a shell fragment hit his shoulder. In September of 1944 they invaded Peleliu. He vividly describes his experiences at each of these battles. He was discharged in September of 1945.
Oral History Interview with Leonard Zaehler, March 6, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Leonard Zaehler. Zaehler joined the Marine Corps in early 1942 and received basic training in San Diego. He was assigned to the service squadron of MAG-12, running a mobile machine shop where his primary duty was repairing ground vehicles. He spent a good part of his duty stationed on Emirau Island, where the squadron’s plucky COO would cheerfully bring him Japanese bombs that he had discovered on the island. He would ask to borrow Zaehler’s tools in order to disarm and study the bombs. Zaehler gingerly provided him the tools and then made a polite and speedy exit, in case of an accident, of which there were none. When there were no vehicles to repair, Zaehler towed Corsairs to the line. He often saw the comings and goings of fighter ace Joe Foss and watched Charles Lindbergh teaching New Zealanders how to land the F4U.
Oral History Interview with Bob Bloomfield, February 7, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Bob Bloomfield. Bloomfield joined the Navy in 1942 as a Naval Aviation Cadet. In June of 1943 he received his wings. Beginning around August, Bloomfield joined Fighter Squadron Six (VF-6), with Butch O’Hare. He served as tail-end Charlie of O’Hare’s division, flying the Grumman F6F-Hellcat. Bloomfield participated in the carrier raids around Marcus Island and Wake Island. He later served as a wing man to Harry Harrison. In late 1943, Pearl Harbor served as his base of operations. From there they completed missions, participated in raids and supported landings in the Solomons, Coral Sea, Rabaul, New Hebrides, Espiritu Santo, Tarawa, the Marshall Islands and the Gilbert Islands. He was discharged around late 1945.
Oral History Interview with Roy Hughes, March 20, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Roy Hughes. Hughes joined the Navy in July of 1943. He completed Midshipman School in December of 1944. Beginning in January of 1945, he served as a Fighter Director aboard USS Kasaan Bay (CVE-69). They completed anti-submarine patrols and combat operations through Guam and Okinawa. He returned to the US and was discharged around late 1945, early 1946.
Oral History Interview with Bert Dawson, March 18, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Bert Dawson. Dawson joined the Marine Corps in 1943. He served with the 5th Marine Division, as a paratrooper. He participated in the Battle of Iwo Jima. From Iwo, Dawson traveled to Sasebo, Japan. He was discharged in 1945.
Oral History Interview with John Shelby Brown, March 20, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Shelby Brown. Brown joined the Navy around 1942. Beginning April of 1943, he served as Seaman Second Class aboard USS Nashville (CL-43). Brown and his division took care of the fantail of the ship and the five turrets in their main battery. In August they traveled to Pearl Harbor to join carrier task forces for strikes on Marcus and Wake islands. They traveled to Espiritu Santo, crossing the equator, and had a shellback initiation. From Espiritu they shelled targets on New Guinea and the Admiralty Islands. They provided support for landings on Bougainville and Leyte. Brown recalls the ship being hit by a kamikaze, off Negros Island in December of 1944. In May of 1945 they provided fire support for the landings on Borneo. He was discharged in December of 1945.
Oral History Interview with Jack M. DeLong, March 18, 2010
Transcript of an oral interview with Jack M. DeLong. Born in 1924, he joined the Army Air Corps in June, 1943. He describes basic training and living conditions at Amarillo Army Airfield, Texas. He learned Morse code in radio school at Camp Kohler, California. He describes being transported to Europe aboard the L. D. France in 1944. He was a radio operator with the 879th Signal Battalion in England. He describes his living accommodations in Salisbury and night bombing in Ipswich. He left England bound for Japan aboard the Queen Elizabeth as the war ended. The ship was rerouted to the New York. He was discharged in February, 1946.
Oral History Interview with Marshall Harris, March 23, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Marshall Harris. Harris provides his family???s experiences through the Great Depression. Harris joined the Marine Corps in July of 1943. He completed radio school and volunteered to work with amphibious tanks. He was assigned to the 2nd Armored Amphibious Tank Battalion, driving the LVT-A4. He provides details of the LVT. They traveled to Hawaii, where he trained and played on a baseball team. In June of 1944 they participated in the Battle of Saipan, then the Battle of Tinian in July. He served as a radioman and machine gunner. In February of 1945 they participated in the Battle of Iwo Jima. He provides vivid details of his experiences through each of these battles. Harris was discharged in November of 1945.
Oral History Interview with Harold Mercer, March 17, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Harold Mercer. Mercer joined the Navy in October of 1943. He was assigned to the gunnery division aboard the USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95). They transported Marine pilots and their planes to Hawaii. Mercer’s job aboard was ensuring that the 40mm and 20mm guns were in good working order. He describes the guns and how he operated them. They participated in the invasion of Leyte Gulf and Luzon, and he talks about their carrier having several near misses with kamikaze planes. He provides some detail of the flight deck and the catapult to launch the planes. He describes briefly his initiation in becoming a shellback. In February of 1945 they were 20 miles from Iwo Jima and Mercer describes in detail their experiences after getting hit by a kamikaze plane and the carrier sinking. After that he was stationed in California for 15 months and was discharged in the summer of 1946.
Oral History Interview with William Moorman, March 3, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Moorman. Moorman was born in New Hyde Park, New York 19 December 1925. He recalls the difficulties his family faced during the depression. Upon joining the Navy in February 1943, he went to Great Lakes Naval Training Station for eight weeks of boot training. After completing the initial training he was selected to have three months instruction as a hospital corpsman. He was then sent to the Bremerton Naval Hospital where he worked in the venereal disease ward. Moorman was then sent to San Diego for Marine training in the Field Medical School. Upon completion of the training he was sent to Somoa as a corpsman. He then went to New Caledonia and he was assigned to Field Hospital 103 where he worked in the psychiatric ward treating shell shock and combat fatigue patients. He then went to Tongatapu and was assigned to the 35th Naval Construction Battalion for four months before being transferred to Fleet Hospital #3 at Espiritu Santo where he was assigned to the X-ray department. Moorman returned to the United States and was discharged in September 1945. He reenlisted in the Navy in 1946 and discusses his various assignments and experiences until his retirement in June 1963.
Oral History Interview with Merton Bobo, March 16, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Merton Bobo. Bobo was born in Greenfield, Maine 10 February 1926. Graduating from high school in 1943 he enlisted in the Navy. Following a six week boot camp in Sampson, New York he was sent to Jacksonville, Florida to attend radio school. Once he graduated, he was sent to Yellow Water, Florida for gunnery training. Upon completing the gunnery training, he went to Fort Lauderdale, where he began operational training in a TBM with a pilot and gunner. The crew stayed together during their combat tour. Upon completion of the advanced training the crew went to San Diego where they joined VC-90. Going to Hawaii, they were trained in the use of rockets and torpedoes. The crew was assigned to the USS Steamer Bay (CVE-87) and began making patrols and practice landings. They joined a task unit and sailed to the Mindoro Straits where they were under attack by Japanese planes for five days. During this time Bobo witnessed a kamikaze crashing into the USS Ommaney Bay (CVE-79). He participated in combat missions at Lingayen Gulf, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He recalls the night their ship was in a typhoon in the China Sea. Returning to the United States in June 1945, Bobo was assigned to a CASU unit in Alameda, California before transferring to the USS Randolph (CV-15). He served on the Randolph until he was discharged in February 1947.
Oral History Interview with Robert Cunningham, March 12, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Cunningham. Cunningham joined the Army Air Forces in January of 1942. In June, he traveled to England. In November, he went to Algiers with a military police unit. He recalls a story about when he captured several German soldiers trying to sneak through the lines. He also went to Italy, arriving in Naples after the invasion and spent much time in Rome. He served in the 281st Military Police Battalion and shares several overseas anecdotes from Italy and Algeria. He had a motorcycle accident and was medically evacuated back to the US and was discharged in October, 1945.
Oral History Interview with Wilbur Moerbe, April 7, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Wilbur Moerbe. Moerbe joined the Navy in February of 1943. He provides some details of his boot camp experiences. He completed fireman school, learning about the engine rooms, water pumps, running the boiler and how to fight fires. He served in the boiler room aboard the USS Highlands (APA-119) beginning November of 1944. They first traveled to Hilo, Hawaii to pick up Marines. They traveled to Eniwetok and Saipan. On 19 February 1945 they landed elements of the Fifth Marine Division at Iwo Jima, where Moerbe also served as a loader on a 20mm aboard the Highlands. He describes their nine days there, including witnessing the American flag raising. They delivered wounded men to Saipan, then headed to the Philippines to pick up Army troops whom they landed at Okinawa in April of 1945. He describes their twelve days at Okinawa and witnessing the kamikaze attacks. They went to Japan and pulled in next to the USS Missouri (BB-63) to witness the signing of the Peace Treaty. He was discharged in March of 1946.
Oral History Interview with Earl Ewing, March 20, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Earl Ewing. Ewing enlisted in the Marine Corps in March of 1943. He was trained as a tanker and was sent to the Pacific as a replacement crewman where he joined the 3rd Amphibious Tractor Battalion. He crewed LVTs during the invasions of Guam and Iwo Jima. His LVT was hit and caught fire during the landing on Guam. During the battle for Iwo Jima, Ewing’s LVT was sent inland to retrieve wounded Marines and he had to guide it through a minefield. Ewing was discharged on 7 December 1945.
Oral History Interview with Harvey Staley, March 19, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Harvey Staley. Staley joined the Navy in mid-1944. He served as a Storekeeper and traveled to New Guinea and Leyte. He participated in the Battle of Okinawa, and experienced a kamikaze plane attacking his ship. Staley had two older brothers also serving in the Navy. He shares a number of anecdotal stories of his time on liberty in Hawaii and the Philippines, where he visited Intramuros, the Walled City, in Manila. He was discharged in 1946.
Oral History Interview with Glenn Lane, April 6, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Glenn Lane. Lane joined the Navy in February of 1940 and was assigned to the USS Arizona (BB-39) in Pearl Harbor. He worked in the Aviation Division as a Radioman Third Class, flying as an air crewman on the battleship’s Kingfisher scout planes. He was aboard the Arizona on 7 December 1941, when the Japanese attacked. An explosion blew him overboard and he swam to the USS Nevada (BB-36). Lane was then assigned to various squadrons and ships, flying as a crewman in scouts and dive bombers during battles of the Coral Sea, Midway, Santa Cruz, Guadalcanal, Marshall Islands and Tulagi. He was on an aircraft attempting to land aboard the USS Yorktown (CV-5) when it was attacked by the Japanese. His plane was diverted to Midway Island but ran out of fuel and ditched. The crew was eventually picked up by a PBY Amphibian. Lane went on to finish a 30-year naval career, retiring as a Command Master Chief at NAS Whidbey Island in 1969.
Oral History Interview with Keith Lea, April 18, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Keith Lea. Lea took part in the V-12 program and then was activated as a lieutenant (j.g.) in 1943. He was eventually sent to join the crew of LCI-762, a ship being converted into an LCI(R). They traveled across the Pacific and took part in the invasion of Okinawa providing rocket and gunfire support for troops on shore. Lea witnessed several kamikaze attacks on ships operating off of Okinawa. He describes in detail an attack on several of them including the USS Birmingham, USS New Mexico, and two unnamed destroyers. He later visited a hospital ship and describes visiting the burn unit. Lea was eventually given command of USS LCI(R)-542 which was at sea during a devastating typhoon.
Oral History Interview with Daniel Andrews, April 13, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Daniel Andrews. Andrews joined the United States Navy in 1941 where he became a SeaBee. Andrews was sent to Saipan to help build airfields and seaplane bases. He left Saipan in July of 1945.
Oral History Interview with Cecil Dykes, April 8, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Cecil Dykes. Dykes volunteered for the Navy in July of 1944. He was trained to become a LCVP crewman on the USS Bosque (APA-135). Dykes traveled to Okinawa and took part in landing troops and ferrying wounded back to the ship. He witnessed several kamikaze attacks. Dykes was aboard the Bosque at Tokyo Bay the day of the surrender and helped land troops from the 1st Cavalry Division for the occupation of Japan. He was discharged 8 June 1946.
Oral History Interview with Donald Shedd, April 19, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Donald Shedd. Shedd joined the Marine Corps with his two brothers in February 1942. He joined the 1st Division, 5th Marines after basic training. Shedd was sent to Guadalcanal where he witnessed shore bombardment by Japanese ships. He was then sent to Cape Glouster, New Britain where he saw combat on several patrols. Next Shedd’s unit was sent to Peleliu where he landed with the second wave. He was wounded on the tenth day of the battle and was evacuated to a hospital ship and eventually sent back to the United States. He spent the remainder of the war as a guard at a naval ammunition depot in Massachusetts. He was discharged on 15 September 1945.
Oral History Interview with Ralph H. Ketcham, April 21, 2010
Transcript of an oral interview with Ralph H. Ketcham. Born in 1923, he joined the Marine Corps in September, 1942. He describes boot camp in San Diego, California. He was assigned to the 3rd Division, 19th Marine Regiment, 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion. He describes conditions aboard the MS Bloemfontein en route to New Zealand. He was transported on the USS President Polk (AP-103) to Guadalcanal where he constructed roads and unloaded ammunition. He talks about the fire at the Hell’s Point Ammunition Dump. He describes landing as part of the first wave in the battle for Guam. He shares stories about the time he spent on both Guadalcanal and Guam. He also describes landing and fighting on Iwo Jima. He discusses the use of spider holes and antiaircraft guns by the Japanese. He also describes the weather, terrain, and living conditions on Guam and Iwo Jima. He was hospitalized due to the shock of explosions from 155mm shells. After his hospitalization, he was discharged in July, 1945.
Oral History Interview with Lou Spellman, April 13, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Lou Spellman. Spellman was in college when he enrolled in the Navy’s V-12 program. The Navy sent him to Southwestern University before being assigned to Notre Dame Midshipman School. Then he went to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for fire control/gunnery school. From there he went to Newport, Rhode Island where he helped commission the USS Amsterdam (CL-101). After a shakedown cruise, they went through the Panama Canal to Hawaii and then on to the Philippines where they joined the Third Fleet. They were in Task Force 38.4 and started work off Okinawa. The Amsterdam went with four or five other cruisers and bombarded a factory on Hokkaido. Spellman was in the gunnery department of the ship, number two secondary battery. The Amsterdam went into Sagami-wan in late August and stayed there while the USS Missouri (BB-63) and several other ships went into Tokyo Bay. The Amsterdam entered Tokyo Bay on 5 September. Spellman recalls a typhoon that happened while they were inside Tokyo Bay. He stressed throughout the interview how good his training was in the Navy. Spellman also tells the story of going into Yokosuka Naval Base with five other officers for a quick look and reporting back. He also talks about going to Yokohama and seeing the devastation there from the fire-bombing. The Amsterdam came back to San Francisco after the end of the war and Spellman was discharged there in 1946.
Oral History Interview with Howard Parr, April 20, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Howard Parr. Parr was inducted into the Army in July 1942 where he served as a radio operator in the Signal Corps. In 1944 he was sent to OCS to become an officer in the Signal Corps. In November 1944, he was sent to Finschhafen, New Guinea to serve with the 3169th Signal Service Battalion. He later volunteered to serve in a signal unit attached to the 273rd Heavy Construction Company, an engineering unit consisting of primarily African-American troops. The unit was eventually shipped to the Philippines. Parr left active duty in February 1946, but remained in the Army Reserve.
Oral History Interview with Ben Wagner, April 26, 2010
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ben Wagner. Wagner joined the Navy in 1944. He worked in the engine room on the USS Howard F. Clark (DE-533), and was onboard when the Clark accidentally rammed the USS Saratoga during a training mission. Wagner had several members of his boot camp company assigned to the USS Mount Hood (AE-11). He discusses how they were assigned and what he was able to learn about the loss of the ship. Wagner witnessed the Ommaney Bay (CVE-79) burning before it was sunk. He also saw the battle on Iwo Jima from a distance. Wagner was in the States when the first bomb was dropped.
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