National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection - 444 Matching Results

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Oral History Interview with Aaron Mendoza, September 7, 2012

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Aaron Mendoza. Mendoza joined the Navy in 1943 and received basic training in San Diego. He attended torpedo school and was assigned to an aircraft torpedo lab at Kaneohe Naval Air Station. There he filled warheads with air so the torpedo could be retrieved after test fires. Torpedoes that passed quality control would then be filled with explosive warheads and loaded into underground silos. After 14 months, his unit was disp… more
Date: September 7, 2012
Creator: Mendoza, Aaron
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Al Hiegel, September 18, 2005

Description: Transcript of an oral interview with Al Heigel. When Heigel finished high school in June, 1944, he joined the Navy at Little Rock, Arkansas and went for boot training at San Diego. He was assigned as a radar operator and reported aboard the USS Independence (CVL-22) at Pearl Harbor. Heigel describes the light carrier and its construction and features. He also speaks of the time the Independence was hit by a torpedo off Tarawa in 1943. Heigel then describes events off Okinawa: watching the USS F… more
Date: September 18, 2005
Creator: Heigel, Al
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Al Jowdy, September 21, 2008

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Al Jowdy. Jowdy enlisted in the Navy in July 1942 at the age of 15, with his parents’ consent. His first assignment was pulling bodies out of sunken ships in Pearl Harbor. At Guadalcanal, his ship was torpedoed. Due to the presence of enemy subs, he could not be rescued initially and spent two weeks floating in a raft. Then he joined a rescue effort to aid the USS Wasp (CV-7), only to be torpedoed again, spending another fou… more
Date: September 21, 2008
Creator: Jowdy, Al
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Alfred Keeler, September 18, 2018

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Alfred Keeler. Keeler joined the Navy in July of 1943. In November, he served as a Radio Operator with the 2nd Marine Division, during the Battle of Tarawa. In 1944, Keeler traveled aboard the USS Bushnell (AS-15) to Midway, where he continued to work as a radio operator on the island. Beginning late 1944, he served in communications with Admiral Nimitz headquarters in Hawaii. He was a passenger aboard the USS Mississippi (BB-41)… more
Date: September 18, 2018
Creator: Keeler, Alfred
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Allen Ensor, September 12, 2006

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Allen Ensor. Ensor joined the Navy in 1940 and was assigned to USS Nashville (CL-43). He was aboard for the Doolittle Raid, some action in the Aleutian Islands and the Solomon Islands and New Guinea as part of Seventh Fleet. He was eventually transferred from the Nashville to shore duty in California training amphibious boat crews. Ensor shares anecdotes about piping General MacArthur aboard the Nashville, shore leave in Australi… more
Date: September 12, 2006
Creator: Ensor, Allen
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Andy Visnovsky, September 5, 2008

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Andy Visnovsky. Visnovsky enlisted in the Marine Corps and upon completion of emergency equipment school was assigned to the 111th Marine Fighter Squadron (VMF-111) as a mechanic. As a ground crewman, he served in the Pacific from September 1944 through December 1945. On Roi-Namur, Visnovsky developed coral poisoning, a condition none of the medics in his unit had ever encountered. On the way to Okinawa, he weathered a typho… more
Date: September 5, 2008
Creator: Visnovsky, Andy
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Anita Borchers, September 26, 2006

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Anita Borchers. Borchers speaks on behalf of her late husband, Eddie Borchers, in regards to his military involvement in World War II. Beginning in 1941, Eddie worked in Civil Service at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, as a Logistic Command Officer. He completed schooling in automatic pilot work, which he worked in during the war. Anita shares pictures of Eddie at Kelly Field in November of 1945, and describes the airplanes … more
Date: September 26, 2006
Creator: Borchers, Anita
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Anne Sloan, September 11, 2000

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Anne Sloan. Sloan grew up in Oregon and joined the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps in 1944. She spent time at Fort Des Moines, Iowa; Plattsburgh, New York; Camp Davis, North Carolina; Lexington, Virginia; and San Antonio, Texas before she left the service in 1946. She was at Times Square, New York City on V-E Day. After the service, she used the GI Bill to attend the University of Texas at Austin, where she met her husband. She… more
Date: September 11, 2000
Creator: Sloan, Anne
Location: 34.516667 -77.550000
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Archibald Rackerby, September 29, 2015

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Archibald Rackerby. Rackerby joined the Marine Corps on 27 December 1941 and took basic training at San Diego. From there he went to officer’s training at Quantico and earned a commission in January 1943. At New Caledonia, Rackerby was assigned as a weapons platoon commander in the Third Raider Battalion. He was in combat on Bougainville but was injured in the neck in a training exercise on Guadalcanal in January, 1944. He was se… more
Date: September 29, 2015
Creator: Rackerby, Archibald
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Arnhold Schwichtenberg, September 17, 2011

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Arnhold Schwichtenberg. Schwichtenberg joined the Navy in September 1940 and was assigned to the USS Trever (DMS-16). During the attack on Pearl Harbor, he went out on a whale boat and rounded up officers and a substitute captain to help the Trever get underway. He watched torpedoes hit the USS Utah (BB-31) and the USS California (BB-44). He saw a bomb hit the USS Curtiss (AV-4) and saw a bomb intended for the Trever splash … more
Date: September 17, 2011
Creator: Schwichtenberg, Arnhold
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Arnold Spielberg, September 19, 2003

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Arnold Spielberg. Spielberg was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on 6 February 1917. His mother and father migrated from the Ukraine. He joined the United States Army and based on his experience as a “Ham” radio operator and knowledge of Morse code, he was assigned to the 442nd Signal Corps. Soon afterwards, he was assigned to the United States Army Air Forces and went aboard the SS Santa Paul in May 1942 bound for Karachi, India. A… more
Date: September 19, 2003
Creator: Spielberg, Arnold
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Art Goetz, September 3, 2004

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Art Goetz. Goetz joined the Marine Corps in 1945 and received basic training at Parris Island followed by engineer training at Camp Lejeune. Upon completion, he was assigned to the 1st Engineer Battalion, stationed in China, where he performed maintenance work at the American Legation in Peking. He arrived in January 1946 to a welcoming population who lined the streets waving American flags. While there he visited the Great … more
Date: September 3, 2004
Creator: Goetz, Art
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Arthur Aicklen, September 12, 2002

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral history with Arthur Aicklen. Aicklen joined the Navy in 1940. He served as a machinist. He was also stationed on Padre Island, Texas before being assigned to a fleet oiler, the USS Taluga (AO-62). They transited the Panama Canal on their way to Honolulu and other points in the Pacific. When the war ended, Aicklen visited Yokahama during the occupation. He also describes the kamikaze attack off Okinawa.
Date: September 12, 2002
Creator: Aicklen, Arthur
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Arthur deLarios, September 19, 2009

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Arthur deLarios. DeLarios was born in Oklahoma City on 24 October 1919. He joined the Navy 7 September 1940 and upon finishing boot camp, was accepted in the Hospital Corps training school. When he completed the course he was assigned to the San Diego Naval Hospital for additional training. This was followed by assignment to VMF-111 in the 1st Marine Air Wing, which was sent to Pago Pago, Samoa Islands. Soon after his arriva… more
Date: September 19, 2009
Creator: deLarios, Arthur
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Arthur E. Owen, September 11, 1996

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Arthur Owen. Owen enlisted in the Marine Corps in May 1941. After boot camp in San Diego, he was assigned to the Marine Detachment at San Clemente Island, California. After he was there for a year, they transferred him to Camp Elliott in San Diego where he became part of the 2nd Marine Division. In Oct 1942, they sailed for New Zealand and additional training. They made several practice landings and then invaded Tarawa on No… more
Date: September 11, 1996
Creator: Owen, Arthur E.
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Arthur Patcke, September 4, 2004

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Arthur Patcke. Patcke was born in born in Chicago, Illinois on 13 July 1927 and was drafted into the Marine Corps in September, 1945. He describes some of his experiences at boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina. He was sent overseas to Tsingtao, China in the middle of 1946, and describes a typhoon that his ship experienced during the transit. He was assigned to a communications company in the 15th Marine Regiment, whic… more
Date: September 4, 2004
Creator: Patcke, Arthur
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Arwin Bowden, September 9, 2000

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Arwin Bowden. He begins by discussing his training in San Diego and New Zealand before the Battle of Tarawa. He describes being wounded in the battle, the casualties he saw and being shipped back to Pearl Harbor for treatment, then joining the battle of Saipan. He ancedotes about Japanese killing themselves rather than surrendering, eating food from a garden watered from rainwater running down from outhouses, the wages he ma… more
Date: September 9, 2000
Creator: Bowden, Arwin
Location: 1.451817 172.971662
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Aubrey Felder, September 18, 2004

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Aubrey Felder. Felder joined the Navy in February of 1943. He completed training and served as an Aviation Machinist’s Mate aboard the USS Wolverine (IX-64), a training ship at Naval Station Great Lakes. Beginning January of 1944 Felder worked aboard the USS Kadashan Bay (CVE-76). They participated in the battles of Peleliu, Leyte Gulf, Luzon and the Battle off Samar in the Philippine Sea. Their ship was hit by a kamikaze. Felder… more
Date: September 18, 2004
Creator: Felder, Aubrey
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Austin Estes, September 14, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Austin Estes. Estes was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1922. In 1942 he joined the Navy and received boot training at San Diego. He was then sent to the University of Oklahoma to attend ordnance school followed by three months of training at the Mine Warfare Test Station in Solomons, Maryland. He was then sent to the Naval Mine Warfare Station in Yorktown, Virginia where he was assigned to a team that received an additional… more
Date: September 14, 2014
Creator: Estes, Austin
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Barry Crites, September 4, 2004

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Barry Crites. Crites was born in Osage City, Kansas on 7 July 1928. After completing high school, he joined the Marine Corps in February 1946. Following boot camp in San Diego, he was sent to Camp Pendleton as part of the 104th replacement draft. He embarked on the troopship USS General J. C. Breckenridge (AP-176) in June 1946 and sailed to Tsingtao, China. He provides a description of his experiences during the transit. He … more
Date: September 4, 2004
Creator: Crites, Barry
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Ben E. Carson, September 21, 2001

Description: Transcript of an oral interview with Ben Carson. Carson enlisted in the Marine Corps shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Shortly after finishing boot camp in San Diego, Carson volunteered to join Major Evans Carlson's Marine Raider Battalion. Carson describes training with the Raiders prior to their first mission. He also discusses more training in Hawaii prior to the Battle of Midway. Carson describes being aboard the USS Argonaut (SM-1) with his unit and steaming for Makin Atoll to cond… more
Date: September 21, 2001
Creator: Carson, Ben E.
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Benjamin Severns, September 15, 2006

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Benjamin Severns. Severns enlisted in the Navy in February of 1943. Prior to entering the service, Severns worked for Allis-Chalmers in LaPorte, Indiana, a former agricultural equipment manufacturer now producing 90mm guns for the war effort. Severns provides some details of his work experience. In November of 1943 Severns became machinist mate in the engine room aboard the USS Enright (DE-216). They traveled to Ireland and he vi… more
Date: September 15, 2006
Creator: Severns, Benjamin
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Bernard Kahn, September 22, 2012

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Bernard Kahn. Kahn joined the Navy in December of 1942. Beginning July of 1943, he served as Third Class Signalman aboard USS LST-118. From April through July of 1944, Kahn participated in the Hollandia and Mariana operations. He was transferred to USS LST-605. From October of 1944 through July of 1945, he participated in the Leyte, Luzon and Okinawa operations. Kahn returned to the US and was discharged in late 1945.
Date: September 22, 2012
Creator: Kahn, Bernard
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Bernice Shafer, September 8, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bernice Shafer. Shafer was born in Ackley, Iowa 26 December 1926. She began nurse training at Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in Des Moines in 1941. Upon graduating in 1944, she entered the US Army Nurse Corps and began basic training at Camp Carson, Colorado. When she completed basic, she was assigned to Leonard General Hospital, Topeka, Kansas. After a period of time, she was shipped to Camp Pendleton, California in prepa… more
Date: September 8, 2007
Creator: Shafer, Bernice
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation
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