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So then what happened? Mr. Schurmeier: Well then we spent I guess almost two months there and we did quite a bit of flying with the training on that. And then we did some cross-country navigating. We had to fly all the way to another city, I think they flew out to Houston a time or two or places like that. And had to navigate on the thing, so they were teaching us navigation as well as flying. Mr. Misenhimer: Then what happened? Mr. Schurmeier: Well then from there, when we finished there why then you were transferred, you had another choice on the thing. And I elected to go to Jacksonville, Florida where they had the PBYs. And you had to go through this training school with the PBY. You know what that is don't you? Mr. Misenhimer: Yes sir. Mr. Schurmeier: You recognize that one? Mr. Misenhimer: That's the amphibious plane, it lands in the water. Mr. Schurmeier: Yeah. I think there's only one or two left in the world today on the thing, but it was a nice plane
considering that, you know it was designed in the late '30s on the thing. And the Navy was still making some when the war broke out (laughing). Mr. Misenhimer: Now when did you graduate and get your commission? Mr. Schurmeier:
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ben Schurmeier. Schurmeier joined the Navy in early 1942. He served as a B-24 pilot with Photographic Squadron 1 (VD-1). Beginning in the spring of 1944 they traveled to their base at the Naval Air Station on Guam. They completed patrol and photo reconnaissance missions around the Pacific Islands, including Truk, Okinawa, Iwo Jima and Japan. Finley was discharged around October of 1945.
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