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and they wanted some volunteers from our unit because we were outside the gate preparing to go to Wake Island. There are a lot of people that don't like inside training, schooling, etc., so I volunteered to go down to help them at the Marine Barracks on detached duty. A buddy of mine and I volunteered for that help and then when they bombed Pearl Harbor we did not know what we were supposed to do. When they dropped the bombs, the planes banked around and strafed the barracks and parade field. We were in the wooden barracks right beside the brick barracks, which was the main barracks. We were there as a Guard Company and the Guard House was on the ground floor. In the corner of the wooden barracks the Sick Bay was on the second floor. When the bombs started falling and they were strafing the barracks, someone yelled, "everybody out of the barracks." By the time they got to the walkway, planes were coming around strafing them. One man fell and I was right at the screen door and I ran down to the corner to the Sick Bay and told them to send a corpsman up there. They sent two corpsman. They put the man on the stretcher. One guy was hit in the back and he fell right on top of the man on the stretcher. I went back and told them that we needed some more corpsman up there. Two more men came up and they put some men on stretchers and got them inside before the strafing started again. It was little while before the second squad of planes came around. During that time, the others did not know what we were supposed to do or how to get
back in touch with our outfit. I told them "we will see the Officer of the Day." I went to the Guard House and talked to him. Of course, I was a little shook up like the rest of the fellows. The Officer of the Day was just as calm as he could be. He was just giving orders about what he wanted done, and he told me, "Don't you worry about that, we'll take care of your outfit. You go in the
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Levin Barbour. Barbour joined the Marine Corps in June of 1940. He completed additional training with the 5th Artillery, and served with an assault battalion. He was at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked. After the attack, they traveled to New Hebrides, to eliminate the Japanese Coast Guard. He shares his life and work experiences on the island. Barbour was later transferred to the 1st Marine Division in Melbourne, Australia. He returned to the US and was discharged in December of 1943, though re-enlisted for another 2 years. He participated in the China Occupation, returned home and was discharged in June of 1946.
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Barbour, Levin.Oral History Interview with Levin Barbour, December 8, 2001,
text,
December 8, 2001;
Fredericksburg, Texas.
(https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1603840/m1/6/:
accessed July 16, 2024),
University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu;
crediting National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation.