Oral History Interview with Frank Borta

Oral History Interview with Frank Borta

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Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Frank Borta. Borta joined the Marines in May 1943 at the age of 16, by lying about his age. He received basic training in San Diego and joined the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Tarawa. He landed with the 1st Battalion, 29th Marine Regiment at Saipan on D-Day. His company lost 32 men that day. He recalls lying in wet rice patties and wading through Lake Susupe, chest-deep in water and under heavy fire. His platoon suffered so many casualties that the survivors were reassigned to other platoons. … continued below

Physical Description

34 p.

Creation Information

Borta, Frank Creation Date: Unknown.

Publisher

National Museum of the Pacific War
Place of Publication: Fredericksburg, Texas

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Provided By

National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Established in 1967, the Museum honors the 8 million Americans who served in WWII in the Pacific Theater by sharing their stories with the world. Located in Fredericksburg in the restored Nimitz "Steamboat" Hotel, the Museum partners with the Texas Historical Commission to preserve the historical resources of the era.

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Frank Borta. Borta joined the Marines in May 1943 at the age of 16, by lying about his age. He received basic training in San Diego and joined the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Tarawa. He landed with the 1st Battalion, 29th Marine Regiment at Saipan on D-Day. His company lost 32 men that day. He recalls lying in wet rice patties and wading through Lake Susupe, chest-deep in water and under heavy fire. His platoon suffered so many casualties that the survivors were reassigned to other platoons. Each night, he shared his foxhole with a new Marine. One night, he killed a Japanese soldier who jumped into his foxhole and drew a knife. Eventually only 200 men were left of the 1,200-man battalion with whom he’d landed. His unit was relieved in Garapan, and Borta immediately passed out. He was taken to a hospital and treated for dengue fever. After a few days, he returned to his unit and led a patrol to seek out Japanese strongholds in the mountains. He was hit and woke up aboard the USS Relief (AH-1), headed to the Marshall Islands. From there he was sent to Pearl Harbor and transferred to the naval hospital in Seattle. Borta returned home and received a medical discharge in January 1945. Having previously lied about his age to enlist with the Marines, he only narrowly escaped being drafted by the Army after his actual 18th birthday.

Physical Description

34 p.

Subjects

Keywords

Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms

Library of Congress Subject Headings

World War, 1939-1945

University of North Texas Libraries Browse Structure

Language

English

Item Type

Text

Identifier

Unique identifying numbers for this text in the Portal or other systems.

Accession or Local Control No: OH00550
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1604025

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Frank Borta - ark:/67531/metapth1607837

Collections

This text is part of the following collections of related materials.

National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection

This oral history collection depicts an instrumental era in American history. In these transcripts of interviews with World War II veterans are personal experiences with the war, from the Doolittle Raid and D-Day to the Battle for Bataan.

National Museum of the Pacific War Digital Archive

The Digital Archive presents digitized collections from the Center for Pacific War Studies collections at the National Museum of the Pacific War. Collections and material are continuously being added and represent only a small portion of the archives' physical holdings.

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