National Museum of the Pacific War - 241 Matching Results

Search Results

Oral History Interview with Frank Weston, December 27, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Frank Weston. Weston joined the Navy in June 1942 after graduating high school. Upon completing aviation machinist's mate training, he was assigned to CASU-23. In July 1943, Weston boarded USS Monterey (CVL-26), where he ran into childhood friend Gerald Ford. He was stationed on deck as a carburetor specialist making final engine adjustments just before planes took off. He helped push totaled planes overboard to clear the de… more
Date: December 27, 2007
Creator: Weston, Frank

Oral History Interview with Joseph Kight, December 27, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joseph V. Kight, Jr. Kight was born 21 August 1924 in Pleasanton, Texas. He joined the Marines at age 17 in April 1942 in San Antonio and attended boot camp and radio school in San Diego where he trained as an artillery forward observer (AFO). His permanent unit was 12th Marines, 1st battalion, 3rd Marine Division, although he was temporarily attached to other units as needed. Kight sailed for the Pacific on the Mt. Vernon, … more
Date: December 27, 2007
Creator: Kight, Joseph

Oral History Interview with Alva Hudson, December 26, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Alva Hudson. Hudson joined the Navy in January of 1942. He served in the Armed Guard, using the 20mm gun aboard the tanker SS John Archibald. They transported oil to Halifax, Nova Scotia, across the North Atlantic to Glasgow, Scotland. They traveled with a convoy of around 40 ships. Beginning November of 1943 Hudson served as a gunner on the 40mm gun aboard the USS New Jersey (BB-62). They traveled to Ellice Island. They particip… more
Date: December 26, 2007
Creator: Hudson, Alva

Oral History Interview with Henry Osburn, December 23, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Henry Osburn. He begins with an anecdote about his birth and a mix-up on his birth certificate. In 1944, he was draftred into the Navy at 18 years of age. Osburn went to boot camp in San Diego for four weeks of intense training. His pay was $32 per month. When he finished Basic Training, Osburn was attached to Carrier Aircraft Support Unit 53 in Hopeville, California. Two months later, he was sent to Philadelphia for more tr… more
Date: December 23, 2007
Creator: Osburn, Henry

Oral History Interview with Stephen Painter, December 20, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Stephen V. Painter. Painter was born 24 July 1922 in Ellis County Texas. He enlisted in the Army on 29 June 1942 and entered the glider pilot training program taking his pre-flight training in July 1942 in Goodland, Texas. He graduated in February 1943 as a flight officer and glider pilot before attending commando school in Louisville, Kentucky. He then joined the 435th Troop Carrier Group in Sedalia, Missouri and was shippe… more
Date: December 20, 2007
Creator: Painter, Stephen

Oral History Interview with Wilburn McIntire, December 18, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Wilburn McIntire. McIntire joined the Army in August of 1944. He served as an infantry rifleman with the 357th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division. He deployed to England before participating in the Battle of the Bulge, and saw combat through the Siegfried Line, and liberated prisoners left behind by the SS at Flossenbürg concentration camp. He returned to the US and was discharged in 1946.
Date: December 18, 2007
Creator: McIntire, Wilburn

Oral History Interview with James O. Painter, December 14, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James O. Painter. Painter was born in Johnson County, Texas 21 August 1923. He quit school in 1940 and joined the Texas National Guard, being assigned to Battery B, 132nd Field Artillery, 36th Infantry Division. When the National Guard was federalized I n1940, Painter’s unit went to Camp Bowie, Texas for basic training. He then went to Fort Sill, Oklahoma where he received advanced training with the 105mm howitzer. In Januar… more
Date: December 14, 2007
Creator: Painter, James O.

Oral History Interview with Jerry Okrina, December 14, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Jerry Okrina. Okrina joined the U.S. Marines in January of 1943 and served as a rifleman. He traveled to New Caledonia, joined the Marine Raiders and describes his training on the island. They participated in assault landings on Guadalcanal and Bougainville from 1943 into January 1944. In 1944 he were assigned to the 6th Marines. In July they participated in the Battle of Guam. In April of 1945 they were the first wave into Okina… more
Date: December 14, 2007
Creator: Okrina, Jerry

Oral History Interview with Howard Sweeney, December 12, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Howard J. Sweeney. Sweeney was born in Eureka, Kansas 17 December 1917 and graduated from high school in 1937. He tells of hopping freight trains and working as an iterate worker until drafted into the US Army 21 February 1941. He was sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky for training and joined the 6th Armored Regiment. He participated in maneuvers in North and South Carolina using broom sticks for guns and telephone poles for artill… more
Date: December 12, 2007
Creator: Sweeney, Howard J.

Oral History Interview with Ralph Piatek, December 10, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ralph Piatek. Piatek joined the Navy in 1939. He served as an Electrician’s Mate aboard the USS Augusta (CA-31) from April of 1941 through mid-1943, participating in the Naval Battle of Casablanca. While serving aboard, he had the opportunity to meet President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and General George S. Patton. Beginning mid-1943, Piatek volunteered for submarine duty, serving with the Pa… more
Date: December 10, 2007
Creator: Piatek, Ralph

Oral History Interview with Gabriel Robert Caggiano, December 7, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Gabriel Robert Caggiano. Caggiano joined the Marine Corps in 1943. He completed boot camp at Parris Island in South Carolina and provides details of his training. He was assigned to Company G, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division. They traveled to Pavuvu in the Solomon Islands for additional training. Over the next 2 years Caggiano participated in the Battle of Peleliu and the Battle of Okinawa as a Private First Class… more
Date: December 7, 2007
Creator: Caggiano, Gabriel Robert

Oral History Interview with Randy Watson, December 5, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Randy Watson. Watson joined the Army Air Corps in 1939. He was assigned to Puerto Rico for two years and felt fortunate to have narrowly missed being sent to the Philippines. While in Puerto Rico, he was assigned to Air Material Command, working with supplies. Afterward, he attended flight school and was assigned to India as a C-46 pilot. There he flew over the Hump to deliver supplies into China. During Watson’s first fligh… more
Date: December 5, 2007
Creator: Watson, Randy

Oral History Interview with John Cadle, November 29, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Cadle. Cadle joined the Army Air Forces in October, 1942 after working in a naval gun factory. He passed the exam and was accepted for pilot training. He earned his wings and commission in May, 1944. He then learned to fly B-24 bombers and was shipped to England and was assigned to the 328th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group. He describes a few missions over Europe in detail, including one in which he bailed out of a crippled b… more
Date: November 29, 2007
Creator: Cadle, John

Oral History Interview with Philip Lapaglia, November 28, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Philip Lapaglia. As an only child, Lapaglia was exempt from the draft, but he enlisted with the Army Air Forces upon learning that they were looking for aviation cadets. After completing pre-flight training, he learned that they were looking for Romance language translators, so he went to Camp Richards for intelligence school as a speaker of French and Italian. The need for translators suddenly dropped following the surrende… more
Date: November 28, 2007
Creator: Lapaglia, Philip

Oral History Interview with Wendell Mayes, November 27, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Wendell Mayes. Mayes joined the Navy on 10 December 1942. He was trained as a radio and radar technician. He completed radar school in Corpus Christi, Texas, which included a course on night fighter radar. He was then assigned to a night fighter squadron in Rhode Island. Mayes served in Fighter Squadron 3, Air Group 3, aboard the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10). He ensured that the radar used on night fighter aircraft was i… more
Date: November 27, 2007
Creator: Mayes, Wendell

Oral History Interview with Wilburn Laas, November 26, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Wilburn Laas. Laas joined the Navy in April of 1944. He provides details of his boot camp in San Diego. He completed submarine school, and provides details of his training. Beginning in late 1944 Laas served aboard USS Aegir (AS-23), a sub tender, in Midway with Submarine Squadron 45, Division 292. They provided refitting and tender services to Submarine Squadron 24, including diving to string degaussing cables around the subs an… more
Date: November 26, 2007
Creator: Laas, Wilburn

Oral History Interview with Joseph Cook, November 19, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Joseph Cook. Cook joined the Navy. He completed submarine chaser training in Miami, Florida with the Donald Duck Navy. Cook served aboard the USS Phantom (AM-273). They escorted a cargo ship to Halifax, Nova Scotia. He provides some details of life aboard the minesweeper. He was later transferred to USS YMS-267 in Hawaii. He shares some of his stories living in Hawaii. They traveled to Kobe, Japan and swept mines for six months. … more
Date: November 19, 2007
Creator: Cook, Joseph

Oral History Interview with Bruce Gardner, November 17, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Bruce Gardner. Gardner joined the Navy in 1944. He provides some details of boot camp. An LST transported him to Pearl Harbor and he shares details of his experiences on board. He completed radar school in Hawaii at Camp Catlin, and talks about his activities on the base including conducting weather observation. Gardner was assigned to the USS Azurlite (PY-22) working with radar and weather reporting. He provides details of daily… more
Date: November 17, 2007
Creator: Gardner, Bruce

Oral History Interview with Richard Burdrick, November 15, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard Burdrick. Burdrick joined the Navy in December 1942 through the V-12 program at UCLA. He was then assigned to midshipmen’s school at Columbia University. Upon completion, he was sent aboard the USS Dickens (APA-161), his battle station at a 40-millimeter gun. Burdrick and his crew set a record for embarking troops, capable of getting 26 boats into the water and ready to go ashore in just 22 minutes. At Iwo Jima, by t… more
Date: November 15, 2007
Creator: Burdrick, Richard

Oral History Interview with Deverl Goode, November 10, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Deverl Goode. Goode was born in 1922 and joined the Army after one semester of college. He received basic training at Camp Wolters and landed on Leyte in 1944 with the Americal Division. He was sent to Cebu as a scout. Cut off behind enemy lines for several days, he subsisted on bananas, wild potatoes, and rainwater. He spent several months on Negros Island using a flamethrower to clear caves of enemy holdouts; one cave turn… more
Date: November 10, 2007
Creator: Goode, Deverl

Oral History Interview with G. Earl Paulk, November 8, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with G. Earl Paulk. In 1933 Paulk completed 15 months with the Civilian Conservation Corps in Arizona, building roads and serving as a telephone linesman. He was drafted into the Navy in September of 1943. He completed diesel engine school in Chicago. He completed advanced mechanic school in Boston. Beginning in December of 1943 Paulk served as a Motor Machinists Mate aboard USS LST-1017. He also served as a 20mm antiaircraft gunner. … more
Date: November 8, 2007
Creator: Paulk, G. Earl

Oral History Interview with Lewis Jinks, November 8, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Lew Jinks. Jinks joined the Army in June 1943 and trained as a medic. In November, he went overseas in January 1944 and was assigned to the 147th Infantry Regiment. Jinks went to Emirau with the unit, then the Mariana Islands. He also served as a medic with the unit on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Jinks relates several stories from his experiences overseas.
Date: November 8, 2007
Creator: Jinks, Lewis

Oral History Interview with Floyd Cox, November 1, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Floyd Cox. Cox was born in Hutchinson, Kansas on 26 November 1932. Upon graduating from high school in 1950 he joined the US Air Force. He recalls, as a child, hearing a broadcast telling of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and how the war affected a youngster living in a small town during that time. He relates his experiences in participating in scrap iron and grease collections for war time purposes and purchasing War B… more
Date: November 1, 2007
Creator: Cox, Floyd

Oral History Interview with Richard Austin, November 1, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Richard Austin. Austin joined the Army Air Forces in January of 1943 as an Aviation Cadet. He graduated as a pilot in March of 1944 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He went on to train as a B-17 co-pilot. He provides details of his flight training. Austin was assigned to the 335th Bomb Squadron, 95th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force stationed in England. He completed 35 missions from November of 1944 through April of 1945. A… more
Date: November 1, 2007
Creator: Austin, Richard
Back to Top of Screen