Oral History Interview with Emil Matula, September 16, 2007

Oral History Interview with Emil Matula, September 16, 2007

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Track One 1:19:10

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Emil Matula. Matula left the Dust Bowl in 1937 with nothing more than a seventh-grade education and enlisted in the Army. By 1940, he was a machine gunner with the 35th Infantry Regiment at Schofield Barracks. On 7 December 1941 he was awakened by the shaking of his bunk and a sounding alarm. With his sergeants missing and unable to unlock the weapons locker, Matula took an axe to the door. By March 1942, Matula was the youngest buck sergeant in his company. After amphibious training, he landed … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 19 min., 9 sec.)

Creation Information

Matula, Emil September 16, 2007.

Context

This audio recording is part of the collection entitled: National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection and was provided by the National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation to The Portal to Texas History, a digital repository hosted by the UNT Libraries. More information about this recording can be viewed below.

Interviewee

Matula, Emil

Interviewers

Publisher

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

Audiences

Check out our Resources for Educators Site! We've identified this sound as a primary source within our collections. Researchers, educators, and students may find this recording useful in their work.

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 Emil Matula. Matula left the Dust Bowl in 1937 with nothing more than a seventh-grade education and enlisted in the Army. By 1940, he was a machine gunner with the 35th Infantry Regiment at Schofield Barracks. On 7 December 1941 he was awakened by the shaking of his bunk and a sounding alarm. With his sergeants missing and unable to unlock the weapons locker, Matula took an axe to the door. By March 1942, Matula was the youngest buck sergeant in his company. After amphibious training, he landed at Guadalcanal, reinforcing the 43rd Infantry Division at Henderson Field. In the Battle of Mount Austen, he marched deep behind enemy lines, cut off from supplies for 10 days. Afterward, at Bougainville, he survived hourly air raids; his tent was bombed just after he vacated it. He earned a Bronze Star at Vella Lavella and went on to train replacements in New Caledonia. He then went to Luzon, spending 145 days in the mountainous jungles around Lingayen Gulf. In a barrio, despite easily overcoming a banzai charge, he was faced with a force of 32 tanks. After the barrio was secured, Matula was shot by a sniper and spent 30 days in the hospital. He then served as a lieutenant in a rifle platoon, eventually returning to the States with several Purple Hearts and Bronze Stars.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 19 min., 9 sec.)

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

Sound

Identifier

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

Accession or Local Control No: OH02042
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1609076

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Emil Matula, September 16, 2007, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1605266

Collections

This recording 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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