National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection - 588 Matching Results

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Oral History Interview with Maurice Stamps, March 18, 2009
Interview with Maurice Stamps, a serviceman in the U. S. Army during World War II. Stamps discusses growing up on a farm in Iowa, joining the army, going to Hawaii and staying at Schofield Barracks. He was assigned to the Classification/Assignment section at Fort Shafter without ever having basic training. He was later assigned to the Message Center at Ft. Shafter. He remembers his correspondence with his girlfriend Enid, whom he married upon his discharge in 1946.
Oral History Interview with Carl Peltier, March 4, 2001
Interview with Carl Peltier, a U. S Marine during World War II. He begins by discussing his reaction to the attack on Pearl Harbor. He then joined the Marines when he was old enough. He trained in San Diego before shipping out to Hawaii where he joined the 2nd Marine Division. Further training included heavy weapons and mortars. Later, he landed on Saipan and describes his small arms and rations. He witnessed General Simon Buckner getting killed on Okinawa. He was later wounded on Okinawa. After the war ended, Peltier served in the Pentagon during the Korean War.
Oral History Interview with Arwin Bowden, March 9, 2000
Interview with Arwin Bowden, a marine during World War II. 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 before joining the battle of Saipan. He describes ancedotes about Japanese killing themselves rather than surrendering, eating food from a garden watered from rainwater running down from outhouses, the wages he made, and the time he had leave.
Oral History Interview with William F. Graham, March 24, 2001
Interview with Bill Graham, a Marine during World War II. He begins by discussing joining the Navy and becoming a corpsman, then being transferred to the 2nd Marine Division after the Pearl Harbor attack. He also talks being in the first wave on Guadalcanal and various things that happened during the six months there, as well as contracting a severe strain of malaria, getting shipped back to the States and stationed near his home in Fort Worth, then returning to training in Virginia to prepare for an invasion of Japan.
Oral History Interview with Joseph B. Brown, March 24, 2001
Interview with Joseph Brown, who was in the Marine Corps during World War II. He discusses going to Guadalcanal, various guns and artillery he used, the battle of Tarawa and getting malaria just before it, then going to Hawaii for more training before returning to the South Pacific and fighting on Saipan and Tinian. He also discusses being wounded on Saipan, having a bayonet run through his forearm and keeping the bayonet as a souvenir after the war, and he talks about some of his experiences and travels after the war.
Oral History Interview with Rufus Johnson, March 27, 2005
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Rufus Johnson. He begins the interview with a summary of his life. Rufus Winfield Johnson was born in Montgomery County, Maryland in 1911. He was in the ROTC at Howard University. He earned his undergraduate degree in 1934 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Reserves. In 1939 he received his LLB degree from the Howard University School of Law. He shares stories from his time working in the White House as lifeguard and personal butler to Franklin Delano Roosevelt prior to entering the armed forces. He served in the 92nd Infantry Division. He shares an anecdote about receiving a ten thousand dollar reward for shooting a bandit that preyed on American sailors in North Africa. He describes the campaigns of Sicily and North Apennines. He recounts an altercation with General Almond after which he was transferred to the 442nd Infantry Division. He describes his role in rescuing Company K of the 71st Infantry. He also recounts his capture and escape from German soldiers. He discusses the treatment of African American soldiers. He also served during the Korean War. He retired from the Army Reserves with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Oral History Interview with Rufus Johnson, March 27, 2005
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Rufus Johnson. He begins the interview with a summary of his life. Rufus Winfield Johnson was born in Montgomery County, Maryland in 1911. He was in the ROTC at Howard University. He earned his undergraduate degree in 1934 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Reserves. In 1939 he received his LLB degree from the Howard University School of Law. He shares stories from his time working in the White House as lifeguard and personal butler to Franklin Delano Roosevelt prior to entering the armed forces. He served in the 92nd Infantry Division. He shares an anecdote about receiving a ten thousand dollar reward for shooting a bandit that preyed on American sailors in North Africa. He describes the campaigns of Sicily and North Apennines. He recounts an altercation with General Almond after which he was transferred to the 442nd Infantry Division. He describes his role in rescuing Company K of the 71st Infantry. He also recounts his capture and escape from German soldiers. He discusses the treatment of African American soldiers. He also served during the Korean War. He retired from the Army Reserves with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Oral History Interview with Richard Paine, March 13, 2006
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard Paine. Paine joined the Navy Reserves soon after 7 December 1941. He served as a photographer’s mate in charge of a photo printing lab in Washington DC. Paine briefly discusses the equipment he used. He was discharged in 1944 when he contracted a serious case of tuberculosis and took several years to recover.
Oral History Interview with Raymond Heller, March 6, 2001
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Raymond Heller. Heller joined the Army in September 1944 and received basic training at Camp Hood. Upon completion, he was assigned to the 40th Infantry Division as a rifleman. In March 1945 he travelled to Leyte and was camped beside survivors of the Bataan Death March. He made patrols along various islands, to protect villagers from Japanese raids. While in the Philippines, he bought fresh fruits from natives. He recalls that although his unit prepared for a full-scale landing on Mindanao, it was unopposed, save for a lone Japanese soldier who charged with a sword. At Panay, Heller was treated by a medic for jungle rot. He then survived a typhoon on the way to Inchon. On V-J Day he saw USS Missouri (BB-63) break away from his convoy to celebrate by firing ammunition. Heller patrolled the 38th parallel, opposite the Russians. Heller returned home and was discharged in October 1946.
Oral History Interview with Vernon Hanks, March 7, 1998
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Chaplain Vernon Hanks. Hanks was born in Sterling, Kansas on 21 November 1908. He joined the National Guard doing drills with horse-drawn caissons and French 75s while attending Sterling College in Kansas. He graduated in 1931 and then attended the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, graduating in 1940 with a Master of Theology. Hanks joined the Navy after Pearl Harbor and received orders for Naval Chaplains School (NCS), Norfolk, Virginia, in August 1942. He was stationed at MCAS Cherry Point in North Carolina where he remembers counseling a distraught young Marine pilot who had been shot down during the Battle of Midway. Shortly afterward he was assigned to Bunker Hill Naval Air Station where he counseled Marines and Navy personnel. He facilitated a free circus performance at Christmastime. On 5 June 1943 he was assigned to the USS Wright (AV-1), a seaplane tender, for duty in the South Pacific. Hanks was on the Wright at Bougainville, the Admiralties and during the Battle for Leyte Gulf. In February 1945, USS Wright was renamed USS San Clemente (AG-79) and served as communications center for the 7th Fleet. Hanks returned home 5 June 1945 and was assigned to the Coast Guard base at San Diego. Lastly, Hanks served as executive officer of the Chaplain’s Division of the 11th Naval District in San Diego.
Oral History Interview with Cecil Carlisle, March 21, 2002
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Cecil Carlisle. Carlisle served in the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M, and graduated in January of 1943 as a Corporal. He went on to complete Officer Candidate School and became a second lieutenant. He joined the Army, the Coast Artillery, working with automatic weapons including .50-caliber machine guns and 40mm antiaircraft cannons. He was first assigned to Camp Hahn in Riverside, California where he served as a platoon commander, conducting antiaircraft gunnery and field training. From there he was transferred to complete pilot training through the Army Air Forces and received his wings in the fall of 1944. He did not go overseas, as flights were halted to England as the war was scaling down. He then flew as copilot for Navigation Training School, back and forth from Texas to Florida. He was discharged in December of 1945.
Oral History Interview with Leslie Brandes, March 15, 2002
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Mr. Leslie Brandes. Brandes served in the Corps of Cadets and graduated from Texas A&M in 1941 with a commission in the infantry, though he did not begin active duty until June of 1942. He was assigned to the 8th Air Force as a second lieutenant. He traveled to Scotland aboard the Queen Mary. He completed flight training school as a Flight Control Officer in September of 1943, and was stationed in England with the 91st Bombardment Group. He worked as an Air Traffic Controller, and provides details of his work, room and board accommodations at his base, witnessing casualties and his travels to London. He participated in D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge, and shares his experiences through these fateful battles. He was discharged as a major in September of 1945.
Oral History Interview with Clinton Jennings, March 18, 2002
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Clinton Jennings. Jennings joined the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1937. He joined the Army in the spring of 1941. He completed training on the Island of Corregidor and served as Battery Clerk with the 59th Coast Artillery, K Battery. He describes how his unit responded to the attack on the Philippines in December of 1941, enduring bombings and raids by Japanese fighter planes. Jennings and his unit surrendered on 6 May 1942, and were taken to the 92nd Garage for sea planes, and then on to the Bilibid Prison. They traveled by French cattle cars on the railway to a prison camp called Bongabon, northeast of Cabanatuan. He remained there for several months, then moved to Cabanatuan prison camp for two and a half years, helping bury the dead, setting up a small hospital and planting a farm. Jennings shares vivid details of life in the camps, his work, their living and food accommodations, illnesses amongst the prisoners and interactions with the guards. In 1944 he was transported to Japan where he worked in a coal mine. He was rescued in September of 1945 and returned to the US.
Oral History Interview with William Hewson, March 15, 2002
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with William Hewson. Hewson joined the Navy in April of 1943. He went to Alameda Naval Air Station and formed Composite Squadron 68 (VC-68), comprised of 12 TBMs and 16 Wildcats. He worked as a storekeeper striker. Beginning in spring of 1944 Hewson served as Storekeeper 2nd Class aboard the USS Fanshaw Bay (CVE-70). He oversaw all aviation mechanical supplies. They traveled to Pearl Harbor and Saipan. They participated in the Battle of Samar in late October of 1944, which Hewson provides vivid details of this event. They returned to San Diego in November. He was discharged in April of 1946.
Oral History Interview with Harry Hill, March 8, 2002
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Harry Hill. He was born at Fort Washakie, Wyoming on the Wind River Indian Reservation on 14 September 1920. Upon graduation from Texas A&M College in May 1942, he received a commission as a 2nd lieutenant in the Army Air Corps. He was immediately sent to Page Field, Fort Meyers, Florida and assigned to the B-24 Aircraft Maintenance Division. Soon thereafter, he underwent three months of advanced B-24 maintenance training at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Upon completion of the training he returned to Fort Meyers and was assigned to the 93rd Bomb Group. In September 1942 the maintenance personnel of the 93rd Bomb Group went by ship to Glasgow, Scotland. They then traveled by train to Hardwick Air Base, Norwich, England. Hill tells of repairing the aircraft upon their return from bombing raids. He remained in England until June 1945 when he returned to the United States aboard the RMS Queen Mary.
Oral History Interview with Homer Dean, March 12, 2002
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Homer Dean. Dean completed law school in 1940 at Baylor University. He joined the Texas State Defense Guard in 1941. Right after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dean served as a contracting officer with the US Army Ordnance Department at Rock Island Arsenal in Davenport, Iowa. He was assigned to tour various Arsenals around the US. He was inducted into the Army as a private in San Antonio in January of 1943 and assigned to serve as an instructor in the repair, assembly and disassembly of the 75mm Pack Howitzer. He graduated Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia in November of 1944. He was then assigned to an Infantry Replacement Training Center in Fort McClellan, Alabama, instructing servicemen how to use the Browning Automatic Rifle and prosecuting soldiers who had committed various infractions. Dean was then sent to the University of Beijing in California to learn Chinese. He did not make it overseas before the war ended. He was discharged in December of 1945, though continued his service in the Reserves until 1970.
Oral History Interview with Mike Dillingham, March 19, 2002
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Mike C. Dillingham. Dillingham was born in Commerce, Texas 18 February 1912. Upon graduating from Texas A&M University in 1935, he was commissioned a lieutenant in the Coast Artillery reserves. Called for active duty 19 April 1941 he reported to the 69th Coast Artillery (anti-aircraft) at Camp Hulen, Texas where he was assigned to Search Light Battery A. In November 1941 the battery went to Midland, Texas to practice using aircraft sound detection and search light equipment. Radar was not available and aircraft detection was made with large horn acoustic receiving devices. On 9 December 1941 the unit moved to San Diego to defend the aircraft production plant. In 1942, Dillingham was sent to Camp Davis, North Carolina to search light school. Upon completing the training he was sent to Fort Bliss, Texas to help establish the 233rd Search Light Battalion (anti- aircraft). In 1943 the battalion was provided with a radar (SCR268) receiving set and went to Fiji in September. In 1944, Dillingham was sent to New Caledonia as executive officer of the 518th Gun Battalion. The battalion arrived at Lingayen Gulf two days after the initial invasion with no equipment. After their three inch anti-aircraft guns arrived they were used as artillery pieces firing at the enemy in the hills. Dillingham was later assigned to General MacArthur’s headquarters in Manila where he remained until his return to the United States in December 1945. He was discharged March 1946.
Oral History Interview with John Foley, March 26, 2002
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Foley. Foley joined the Marine Corps in September of 1942. He completed Scout Sniper School, and provides details of his training. Foley served with the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. He was deployed to Auckland, New Zealand, where he continued combat training, in preparation for operations. Foley’s first battle action was at Guadalcanal. He subsequently participated in three major beach landings, during the battles of Bougainville, Guam and Iwo Jima. He was discharged in September of 1945.
Oral History Interview with Ernest Botard, March 14, 2002
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ernest Botard. Botard was born on a Texas ranch 28 December 1916. Graduating from high school in 1935, he attended Texas A&M University. He was called to active duty in February 1942, reporting to the Army’s 4th Calvary at Manhattan, Kansas where he received intensive training with horses. He was then sent to Fort Meade, South Dakota where his unit began training with vehicles. After spending six months training in the desert at Blithe, California the unit was sent to Camp Maxey at Paris, Texas. Here they prepared for overseas duty. Botard was placed in charge of D company and he describes the type of equipment the unit had. Departing the US in a large escorted convoy, they arrived in Portsmouth, England and began preparation for the invasion of Normandy. Botard landed at Utah Beach on 7 June 1944 and describes the problems getting the tanks and other equipment ashore. He describes in detail the battles in which he was involved and the difficulties presented by the hedgerows in the movement of his tanks. He recounts an incident where his column of tanks was proceeding down a road and a column of German tanks passed by without a shot being fired. Recalling the liberation of Dachau Concentration Camp he describes the unforgettable scene of piles of corpses and the emaciated bodies of the living. He returned to the United States in 1945 aboard the RMS Queen Mary.
Oral History Interview with Richard Roper, March 17, 2002
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard Roper. Roper was born in Atchison, Kansas in 1922. He left college in 1941 and joined the United States Marine Corps. Upon completing boot camp he was sent to Parris Island and assigned to heavy artillery of the 5th Defense Battalion. He landed on Funafuti in the Ellice Islands on 2 October 1941. The only contact with the outside world was with a Navy boat that would come from Samoa weekly. He remembers there were two pontoon airplanes based on the island used for reconnaissance. During one evening patrol the pilot spotted a raft containing Eddie Rickenbacker and two others. The plane picked up the three men and taxied 40 miles before they were put aboard a small yard patrol boat. Others who had been with Rickenbacker when their plane went down were recovered from another atoll. Roper also tells of his life after leaving the Marine Corps, which included writing a book about 37 chaplains who were prisoners of the Japanese.
Oral History Interview with William J. Tiller, March 29, 2002
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Jimmy Tiller. Tiller went to A & M right out of high school in May 1943 and when he was 18 they all went into the military (December 1944). He took basic infantry training at Camp Hood and then went to Fort Ord, California for more training, climbing out of ships and onto landing barges. They were put on Liberty ships in July 1945 that sailed out of Seattle, Washington for Pearl Harbor. His ship joined a convoy there and they ended up on Okinawa (August 1945) where they joined the 27th Infantry Division. After a short time on Okinawa, they flew to Japan (Adsuki Field) where they started their duty as occupation troops. Tiller was a member of an Intelligence and Reconnaissance platoon on Okinawa and in Japan. When the 27th Infantry was shipped home, Tiller was transferred to the 519th military police (MP) outfit in Yokohama. While in Japan, Tiller escorted the Emperor and was the Sergeant of the Guard of MP's that were guarding the war crime trials. Tiller was on occupation duty in Japan for one year and provides many interesting stories of his time there during the interview. He was discharged on November 15, 1946.
Oral History Interview with Bill Sheehan, March 22, 2001
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Bill Sheehan. Sheehan joined the Navy in June of 1933. Beginning October of 1943, he served as Quartermaster aboard USS Porterfield (DD-682). In February of 1944, they provided shore bombardment in the Marshalls. In April, they screened escort carriers during the Marianas invasion, and participated in the Guam Campaign in August. Sheehan provides details of their invasion of Saipan in June and Okinawa in April of 1945. He returned to the US and was discharged in late 1945.
Oral History Interview with Charles Ramsey, March 20, 2001
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles Ramsey. Ramsey joined the Navy in 1941 and attended aviation radio school in Alameda, California. Upon completion, he was assigned to the Kaneohe Bay Naval Air Station, where he served as radioman in Patrol Squadron 1 and then Patrol Squadron 11. He describes the special treatment given to radiomen so that they could be well-rested and alert. During the attack on Kaneohe, Ramsey helped to shoot down the attack force's highest-ranking officer, Lieutenant Fusata Iida, commander of the Japanese 3rd Air Group. Ramsey was sent to San Diego eight months later to pick up a new plane, but his records were lost, and he was instead sent to the South Pacific on the USS Denver (CL-58), captained by Robert Carney. Ramsey flew night patrols at the Solomon Islands and covered the invasion of Bougainville. On the way to the invasion of the Philippines, his ship became lost in a typhoon. Ramsey used his aviation training to give the ship’s bearings to the radio officer. When the Denver arrived at Leyte, Ramsay witnessed the HUMS Yamashiro sink. The Japanese refused to be rescued by American lifeboats. Ramsey saw them eaten by sharks, and those that swam to shore were killed by Filipinos. Ramsey survived a massive hit from a torpedo in December 1944. He was then offered a post as radioman, second class, at Skaggs Island, California, and was discharged two years later.
Oral History Interview with Ray Bowden, March 8, 2000
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ray Bowden. Bowden joined the Navy in November 1938 and received basic training in San Diego. He went aboard the USS Oklahoma (BB-37) and was made coxswain of a liberty boat. During the attack on Pearl Harbor, he ran to his battle station. By the time he arrived, the ship had already been torpedoed seven times and was beginning to roll. He was hit by a piece of shrapnel that killed the men next to him but left him with only a broken rib. After the attack, he searched for his brother, who was also aboard the Oklahoma. He was safe at a nearby Marine encampment. Bowden participated in one diving mission as part of the effort to clean up the harbor, assessing damage and closing water-tight doors. Late in the war, he was transferred to the USS Santee (ACV-29) as a chief boatswain’s mate. He encountered kamikazes near Okinawa. At the end of the war, Bowden had enough points to be discharged but chose to remain in the Navy until 1947.
Oral History Interview with John Tucker, March 25, 2003
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Tucker. Tucker joined the Navy in January of 1945. Beginning in the spring, he served as Storekeeper Third-Class aboard USS Remey (DD-688). They went through a typhoon close to Okinawa and provided shore bombardment in Alaska. They were docked on the coast of Japan when the Japanese surrendered. Tucker recalls Japanese officials from the city of Ōminatoa surrendering aboard the destroyer, and signing a peace treaty. They returned to the US in October of 1945, and Tucker was discharged in mid-1946.
Oral History Interview with Glenn Dugger, March 2, 2003
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Glenn Dugger. Dugger was born in Mazie, Oklahoma 6 September 1924 and joined the Navy in 1943. After finishing boot camp at the San Diego Naval Training Station he went to machinist school. Upon completing that training, he volunteered for the submarine service. He tells of going aboard the USS S-23 for training. Upon conclusion of his training he served as an instructor on the boat for 16 months. He describes being on a submarine and the requirement that each crewman learn the various jobs on the boat. Dugger made around 600 training dives aboard the S-23 before being transferred to Submarine Division 104 at Pearl Harbor. There he participated in the overhaul of the USS Sea Dog (SS-401), the USS Sea Poacher (SS-406) and the USS Gar (SS-206). He describes in detail the overhaul process. Dugger returned to the United States in 1945 and was assigned to the USS Vermillion (AKA-107). After a short but uneventful tour on the ship he was discharged.
Oral History Interview with Theodore E. Gruhn, March 13, 2003
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Theodore Gruhn. Gruhn joined the Navy in September 1941 after working as a carpenter. He was en route to Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked. Once at Hawaii, Gruhn did shore patrol for a year until he was assigned to the USS Farenholt (DD-491) as a carpenter's mate in December 1942. In May, 1944, Gruhn transferred to the USS Abercrombie (DE-343). When the war ended, Gruhn had enough points to be discharged in October, 1945.
Oral History Interview with John Hausladen, March 11, 2003
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Hausladen. Hausladen joined the Marine Corps in 1939 after two years of college. After boot camp came sea school, after which Hausladen went aboard the USS Oklahoma (BB-37). He was aboard when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and recalls being in a 5-inch gun compartment when the ship rolled. He escaped and was rescued by a whaleboat. In April, 1942, he was sent to VMF-223 as an armory technician. He travelled with them to Guadalcanal, arriving in August, 1942. His unit returned to the US in October. He went to Bougainville briefly and was in the US training when the war ended. Hausladen was discharged in December, 1945.
Oral History Interview with Robert Haskett, March 10, 2003
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Haskett. Haskett joined the Navy in 1938. He served as a gunner on PT-155 in the Solomon Islands. Haskett describes PT boat operations, armament, and combat in general. He also details how the early torpedo tubes were activated with a mallet.
Oral History Interview with James McClelland, March 20, 2003
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James McClelland. McClelland joined the Navy in 1939 and after training was assigned to the USS Helena (CL-50). He cruised with the ship to South America before heading for Pearl Harbor. He was aboard during the Japanese attack and was burned badly enough to be evacuated to the hospital on shore. He was returned to the US and after recovering, began training people in fire control. McClelland was discharged in September, 1945.
Oral History Interview with Sterling Maresch, March 3, 2003
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Sterling Maresch. Maresch went into the Army in October, 1943. In May, 1944, he shipped overseas to a staging area in New Guinea and was assigned to the 470th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion. From there, they moved to the Philippines for the invasion of Luzon. When the war ended, Maresch re-enlisted and transferred to the Army Air Forces. After some training in aircraft instrument repair, he was sent to Germany.
Oral History Interview with Leo Vrana, March 20, 2004
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Leonard Vrana. Vrana was born in Moravia, Texas on 21 March 1921 and attended school in a two-room building. He enlisted in the Navy in 1940. After eight weeks of boot training at San Diego, he went to Pearl Harbor assigned aboard the USS California (BB-44). After serving a while in the Motor Launch Division, he became a striker in a fourteen inch gun turret. He describes the working conditions within a turret, the job assignments and procedures involved in firing the guns. He recalls experiences during the Japanese attack on 7 December 1941 during which the ship sustained bomb and torpedo damage. Following the attack, he was assigned to clean up the bodies of his dead shipmates. The ship was taken to Bremerton for repairs during which time he went to the naval gun factory at Annapolis for eight weeks of training. Afterward, he returned to the California. Vrana was aboard ship during the invasions of the Mariana Islands and during the Battle of Surigao Strait. The ship was hit by a kamikaze during the invasion of Luzon at Lingayen Gulf. After being repaired the California went to Okinawa, where it remained until the Japanese surrender. Following the signing of the peace treaty, the California joined other ships in Tokyo Bay to support the occupation of Japan. Six months later the ship embarked on a goodwill tour visiting numerous ports before arriving at Philadelphia on 7 December 1945. Vrana concludes the interview by telling of his work in preparing the California and the USS Columbia (CL-56) for the mothball fleet. He was discharged soon thereafter.
Oral History Interview with John Hejl, March 5, 2003
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Hejl. Hejl joined the Navy in September of 1942. He volunteered for the Submarine Service and completed Underwater Sound School and Radar School. Beginning January of 1945, Hejl served USS Moray (SS-300). They conducted lifeguard duty off the coast of Saipan, Midway and Japan, attacking a Japanese convoy off Kinkazan, Honshū. Hejl returned to the US and was discharged in early 1946.
Oral History Interview with Donald Showers, March 13, 1998
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Donald Mac Showers. He joined the Navy after finishing school at the University of Iowa in August 1940. He signed up for the V-7 program and was commissioned an ensign in September 1941 after Midshipman School at Northwestern University. His first assignment took him to the intelligence center at the 13th Naval District in Seattle. He stayed in Seattle for six weeks hoping to get in with the public relations section. Instead, he was sent to fill a billet in the combat intelligence unit in the 14th Naval District in Hawaii, reporting to Commander J.J. Rochefort. Showers discusses breaking the Japanese Naval code (JN-25) at Station HYPO, at Pearl Harbor. He recalls the origins of the ruse involving fresh water at Midway to determine what AF stood for in the JN-25 code. Showers also comments on the dysfunctional torpedoes used early in the war. He also discusses the role of intelligence gathering in the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Battle of Midway and Operation VENGEANCE. Showers describes the emergence and flexibility of JICPOA (Joint Intelligence Center Pacific Ocean Areas) in Hawaii and the need for various intelligence gathering apparatus (communication intelligence, photo reconnaissance, etc.) to function together. He also discusses the use of atomic weapons and the plans for invading the home islands of Japan. He also comments on what it was like to work closely for Admiral Nimitz. After the war, Showers remained in the Navy and became an intelligence specialist whose primary focus became the Soviet Navy during the Cold War. Showers retired from the Navy in 1971 and went to work as a civilian for the Central Intelligence Agency, retiring in 1983.
Oral History Interview with John Olson, March 15, 1998
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Olson. Olson joined the Army as an Infantry officer in June 1940 after graduating from West Point. He was assigned to the Philippines, at Fort McKinley, with the 57th Infantry Regiment. Olson was among those who surrendered to the Japanese and endured the Bataan Death March. At the prisoner-of-war camp, the Japanese assigned administrative duties to Olson. When prisoners were moved to another camp, Olson stayed behind and tended to those too weak to travel. Olson was then sent to work at a factory in Japan. After the armistice, Olson persuaded the guards to let him travel to Osaka with a Nisei. During his travels, he stayed in the Emperor’s suite at the Miyako hotel in Kyoto, which was occupied entirely by the American military. While there, he arranged for the liberation of his camp and was assigned to coordinate the evacuation of other camps. Olson returned home and enjoyed a long and prestigious career with the military. He retired in 1982 as the vice president of international development for Black and Veatch.
Oral History Interview with J. Lloyd Abbot, March 14, 1998
The National Museum of the pacific War presents an oral interview with J. Lloyd Abbot. Abbot received a commission in the Navy in 1939 and served two months aboard the USS Enterprise (CV-6) before being tasked to bring an old destroyer, the USS Gilmer (DD-233), out of mothballs. He stayed on it for a while before going to flight school in Pensacola. He earned his wings in November, 1941. Due to some accidents and illnesses, Abbot was disallowed to fly from carriers. He was assigned to shore-based anti-submarine patrol squadron, VS-1D-14, in December 1942. In April 1943, the squadron was divided into two and Abbot was placed in command of VS-66 on Wallis Island. At the end of 1943, his squadron inherited some SBD dive bombers and they moved to a new base on Tarawa. In March 1944. Abbot was assigned to the staff of the Chief of Naval Air Training at Pensacola. He was there when the war ended. After the war, Abbot commanded VF-41 aboard the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42). Throughout his career, he served as the operation officer aboard carriers, worked at the Pentagon, was commander of the Antarctic mission and commander of a carrier division in the Atlantic. he retired in 1974.
Oral History Interview with John Wesolowski, March 28, 2003
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Wesolowski. Wesolowski joined the Navy in January 1941 after 2 years of college. He began flight training immediately and finished at Pensacola with a commission in September, 1941. Just after the war started, he was assigned to the USS Wasp (CV-7). Later, he went to Pearl Harbor and rode out on the Saratoga (CV-3) to the Solomon Islands. His squadron landed on Guadalcanal and joined the Cactus Air Force. After 36 days on Guadalcanal, Wesolowski returned to the US to train other pilots. In 1944, he joined VBF-9 on the USS Lexington (CV-16) for fighter raids on Tokyo.
Oral History Interview with Hulen Hammock, March 27, 2003
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Hulen Hammock. Born in Bentonville, Texas on 5 November 1917, Hammock graduated from William Adams High School in Alice, Texas in 1932. Upon joining the Army Air Corps in December 1941, he was sent to Shepherd Field, Wichita Falls, Texas for basic training. After basic, Hammock went to Tulsa, Oklahoma where he studied aircraft maintenance for six weeks. He was then sent to Barksdale Field, Shreveport, Louisiana where he was assigned to the 319th Bomb Group, 440th Bomb Squadron and began working on B-26A bombers. Later, he was sent to Harding Field, Baton Rouge, Louisiana for advanced training. From there he boarded RMS Queen Mary at New Jersey and recalls an incident in which the ship collided with HMS Curacoa (D41), which was cut in half. Hammock noted that the ship did not slow down or attempt to save survivors. Landing at Gurrock, Scotland he proceeded to Norwich, England. He recalls boarding RMS Mooltan on 27 October 1942 and landing at Algeria. He shares an anecdote involving himself and General Jimmy Doolittle in a B-26. He also tells of servicing a DH98 de Havilland Mosquito aircraft flown by Elliott Roosevelt. Recalling when his unit replaced their B-26 bombers with B-25 bombers, Hammock expresses his dislike of the B-25. He returned to the United States as a staff sergeant and received his discharge 10 September 1945.
Oral History Interview with Jack Preston, March 6, 2008
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Jack Preston. After discovering that he was not the right size for the Army Air Corps, Preston joined the Marine Corps around the time the war began. He was assigned to the 2nd Marine Division as a rifleman. His first combat experience occurred on Tarawa, where he was one of the first ashore. After wading through waist-deep water, he crawled along a coconut log wall and had an uncomfortably close encounter with an enemy combatant who tossed grenades before retreating. Afterward, Preston enjoyed a brief R&R in New Zealand, where he tried to stay out of the brawls between New Zealander and American troops. On Saipan and Tinian, Preston saw civilian prisoners used for slave labor and put on the front line as false targets. He once found himself within 10 steps of an enemy tank while his antitank support was unable to fire. Fortunately, the tank was too close to lower its gun on him. Preston also survived a bullet that ricocheted off his canteen. After a brief stint on Saipan pulling guard duty, Preston returned to the States and was discharged a few months later.
Oral History Interview with Roy Burley, March 19, 2008
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Roy Burley. Burley was born in Halletsville, Texas 29 October 1923. Following his graduation from high school in San Antonio, he attended Prairie View A & M College. While in college, he served for three years in the Enlisted Reserve Corps. In May 1943 he was called to active duty and went to Camp Maxey at Paris, Texas. Selected to continue his college education, he was sent to Howard University in Washington DC. After completing one semester he was ordered to report to the 1318th Engineer General Service Regiment as a surveyor. After working on the construction of an air strip in North Carolina, he volunteered to attend Officers Candidates School. After ninety days of training at Fort Benning, Georgia, he was commissioned a second lieutenant. He then went to Fort Huachuca, Arizona, where he joined the 372nd Infantry Regiment as a rifle platoon leader in Company C. After the unit had set sail for Hawaii a message was received that the 372nd was deactivated. Upon arrival in Hawaii, he was assigned to the Transportation Corps and sent to the Philippines where he reported to a trucking battalion. In 1947, he became a regular Army officer and served as a professor of military science at Prairie View A & M University. When the Korean War started, he was in the 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. Burley concludes by telling of his career following World War II, which included duty in Korea, Germany, Vietnam and the United States. He retired in 1973.
Oral History Interview with Roger Went, March 12, 2008
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Roger Went. Went joined the Navy in August of 1942, and began flight training in November. He was placed on active duty in December and began flying an N3N (Yellow Peril). He also practiced night flying. In July of 1943 he began work at the Naval Air Training Center in Corpus Christi, Texas, flying the SNV and AT-6. He received his wings in February of 1943. In April of 1944 he qualified for instrument flying and carrier landings on the Navy training ship, the USS Sable (IX-81). Went was assigned to bombing squadron VB-85, and piloted the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver aboard the USS Shangri-La (CV-38). On 25 April 1945 he had his first combat dive bombing flight over Oki Daitō Island, southeast of Okinawa. While flying over Kikaijima Island on 29 April, his plane was shot down by antiaircraft. He spent 3 hours in a life raft and was rescued by a PBM. He completed a total of 20 combat missions and was discharged in November of 1945.
Oral History Interview with Warren Wishnack, March 28, 2008
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Warren Wishnack. Wishnack joined the Army in August of 1942. He trained to serve as a radio operator. He joined the 6th Cavalry, a reconnaissance unit, and provides some details of their unique training. Wishnack was assigned to an M-8 armored car where he tapped out Morse Code to communicate with headquarters and also worked with an FM radio for short distances. He provides details of his radio training and the M-8 armored vehicle. He served in Ireland from October 1943 to June of 1944, conducting routine training missions and building a motor pool. They landed on Utah Beach July 9. They participated in five campaigns, including the Battle of the Bulge and attacking the Siegfried Line. Wishnack provides some details of the tanks and the battles he fought in. He also shares his encounters with the German civilians. He was discharged around December of 1945.
Oral History Interview with Wayne Knight, March 4, 2008
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Wayne Knight. Knight joined the Navy in December of 1942. He graduated from flight school in April of 1944 as a second lieutenant Marine Aviator. He flew F4U Corsairs with Marine Fighting Squadron 311 (VMF-311). Knight participated in the Battle of Okinawa. He returned to the US and was discharged in late 1945.
Oral History Interview with Raymond Cheney, March 7, 2005
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Raymond Cheney. Cheney enlisted in the Army Air Forces in September of 1942. He completed radio school and served in Australia, New Guinea and Los Negros Island. He provides some details of his work and travel experiences. He was honorably discharged in 1946.
Oral History Interview with Eugene Conklin, March 17, 2007
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Eugene Conklin. Conklin was born on 4 December 1923 in Chanute, Kansas. After graduating from high school he attended junior college and participated in the Civilian Pilot Training Program. Soon after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he entered the Naval Aviator Cadet program. After taking primary training at Norman, Oklahoma he was sent to Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, Texas for advanced training. Upon graduation he was sent to Daytona Beach where he began flying the SBD dive bomber. After six months of training in the SBD he was assigned to Air Group sixteen aboard the USS Lexington (CV-16). He tells of attacking various islands in the Pacific and his participation the Battle of the Philippine Sea. He admired for Admiral Mitscher for turning on the carrier lights, thus allowing many of the returning pilots, including Conklin, to make a night landing. He began flying an F6F Wildcat on photo missions over assigned targets, before and after bombing raids, to ascertain the damage. After a cessation of hostilities was announced, he and three other pilots were assigned the responsibility of photographing Tokyo to facilitate dropping supplies to locations where Allied prisoners of war were being held. After the surrender of Japan, he returned to the United Sates and was discharged. After receiving his Medical Degree in 1952 from the University of Kansas, Conklin practiced medicine in Dubuque, Iowa for forty-three years.
Oral History Interview with June Savage, March 15, 2007
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with June Savage. Savage was born June 3rd, 1944, in Wellington, New Zealand. Her mother was a Cook Islander, and her father was a United States Marine Corps officer who was stationed in Wellington during the war. At only two months old, Savage was sent back to the Cook Islands to live with her grandparents, who raised her until she was 16. Growing up without a mother or father caused her to feel lonely and isolated, and she poured herself into all aspects of her schooling, including public speaking. For this, she won a scholarship in New Zealand, where she reunited with her mother. Savage wanted to know who her father was, but she didn’t have the courage to ask her mother directly. When her mother eventually passed away, the only thing Savage knew about her father was that he had died in the Pacific War. Decades later, Savage’s daughter Tonya searched the Internet for information on ranking officers stationed in Wellington during the war. The search turned up a photo of a man bearing a strong resemblance to Savage, and a possible last name for him. At the time of this interview, the family’s investigation remains ongoing.
Oral History Interview with William Todd, March 1, 2007
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Todd. Todd enlisted in the Army before World War II, spent some time in the National Guard, went to Prep School and took the exams for West Point. He graduated from West Point in 1944, the first three-year class. After Parachute School at Fort Benning, he was assigned to the 13th Airborne Division and they went overseas (France), becoming the theater reserve. The 13th never saw combat. The 13th was enroute to the Pacific when the atomic bombs were dropped. The 13th was deactivated at Fort Bragg and he joined the 82nd Airborne Division. Todd was part of the 11th Division which stayed in Japan for almost four years as part of the occupation forces (some details). Todd stayed in the Army, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1967.
Oral History Interview with Jim Wilcox, March 7, 2009
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Jim Wilcox. Wilcox joined the Marine Corps in 1940. Upon completion of basic training he deployed to Guantanamo for further training. Assigned to artillery, he forwarded targets to the control center. He returned to the States to be treated for appendicitis and was then assigned to the special weapons battery of the 1st Marine Division, 11th Marine Regiment. Wilcox then landed in the third wave at Guadalcanal, where his ship, the USS Hunter Liggett (APA-14), was sunk while being offloaded. After four months of battle, Wilcox sailed to Australia, contracted malaria, and returned to the States. There he joined the Fourth Division at Camp Pendleton, broke his thighbone and clavicle in a truck accident and was hospitalized for six months. His leg never fully healed, so when the war ended he was discharged with partial disability compensation.
Oral History Interview with Raymundo Martinez, March 2, 2009
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Raymundo Martinez. Martinez was drafted in the Army in November of 1941. He served as a Technical Sergeant in the 807th Engineer Battalion for four years. From 1942 to 1944 Martinez was assigned to the Aleutian Islands. During this time, he recalls much combat, casualties, preparing graves for fallen soldiers and a Japanese plane being gunned down during a dog fight. He was then assigned to Hawaii and provides some details of life on the island. From May to September of 1945 his unit served on Okinawa, which he provides vivid details of his experiences. He was discharged in November of 1945.
Oral History Interview with Eugene Spencer, March 11, 2009
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Eugene Spencer. Spencer joined the Navy in March of 1934. He completed metalsmith school. He was assigned to the Engineer Department in the Fire Room aboard the USS Porter (DD-356). He later moved into the engine room, where he served as water tender. Around 1936 they traveled to South Hampton, England, Stockholm, Sweden, Helsinki, Finland, Amsterdam and Madeira. They experienced a hurricane in the Atlantic. In mid-1940 Spencer was transferred to the USS Shaw (DD-373), where he served as First-Class Metalsmith. He was aboard the Shaw while in dry dock at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. Spencer provides vivid details of his experiences through the attack. From Pearl they joined MacArthur???s forces and traveled to Sydney, Australia to work on ships. Spencer was promoted to Warrant Officer. He was discharged in late 1945.
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