National Museum of the Pacific War - 139 Matching Results

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Oral History Interview with Aaron Mendoza, September 7, 2012

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

Oral History Interview with Alton Warner, December 7, 1980

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Alton Warner about his experiences leading up to and during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Date: December 7, 1980

Creator: Warner, Alton

Location: 21.351196 -157.980152

Oral History Interview with August Hodde, November 7, 2013

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with August Hodde. Hodde joined the Navy in July 1943. He completed gunnery school, and served as a 40mm gun instructor through early 1944. Around November, Hodde served as a gunner’s mate aboard USS Hugh W Hadley (DD-774). At battle stations, he was gun captain on the portside twin 40mm. Beginning February of 1945, the Hadley escorted HMS Ranee (D03). Hodde describes their role during the Battle of Okinawa in April, helping protect a… more

Date: November 7, 2013

Creator: Hodde, August

Oral History Interview with Bernie Broussard, September 7, 2006

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bernie Broussard. Broussard initially served in the Merchant Marine and describes his only mission where he had a close call with a submarine and how it led to his decision to leave. He joined the Navy in December 1942 and was trained as a bombardier. Broussard served on PBYs for the remainder of the war. He describes an emergency landing on the way to Hawaii and the delivery missions they performed while operating out of Ka… more

Date: September 7, 2006

Creator: Broussard, Bernie

Oral History Interview with Bill Merley, July 7, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Bill Merley. Merley joined the Merchant Marine in March of 1945. He enlisted as a cook and describes his training and his work. He describes his kitchen supplies of food. In May of 1945 they traveled aboard the USS Cape Johnson (AP-172) to the Mariana Islands. They traveled to Manila to unload supplies and then transported troops. He was discharged around December of 1945.

Date: July 7, 2005

Creator: Merley, Bill

Oral History Interview with Billy Tune, July 7, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Billy Tune. Tune joined the Navy right after he finished high school in May 1943. He was assigned to USS President Polk (AP-103) and was aboard it when it was torpedoed. He somehow managed to get ashore at Tarawa and stayed with the Marines there for five days. Then he wound up at New Caledonia as a stevedore until he entered the hospital with asthma.

Date: July 7, 2005

Creator: Tune, Billy

Oral History Interview with Bob Bloomfield, February 7, 2010

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Bob Bloomfield. Bloomfield joined the Navy in 1942 as a Naval Aviation Cadet. In June of 1943 he received his wings. Beginning around August, Bloomfield joined Fighter Squadron Six (VF-6), with Butch O’Hare. He served as tail-end Charlie of O’Hare’s division, flying the Grumman F6F-Hellcat. Bloomfield participated in the carrier raids around Marcus Island and Wake Island. He later served as a wing man to Harry Harrison. In late 1… more

Date: February 7, 2010

Creator: Bloomfield, Bob

Oral History Interview with Buck Ward, December 7, 2011

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Buck Ward. Ward joined the Navy in 1944 and received basic training in San Diego. He received aviation communication and gunnery training on the West Coast. Upon completion, he was assigned to the USS Hornet (CV-12) where he served as a Helldiver radio gunman. He flew missions over Chichi Jima and the Philippines. After the war, Ward was stationed for R&R on Guam, where at night he heard Japanese holdouts sneaking into the c… more

Date: December 7, 2011

Creator: Ward, Buck

Oral History Interview with Charles Ray, February 7, 2015

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Charles Ray. Ray was born 12 July 1923. He joined the Marine Corps in July of 1942. In late 1942, he traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii aboard USS Henderson (AP-1), and was assigned to the 6th Defense Battalion on Midway. He was in charge of a 90mm anti-aircraft gun on Sand Island. Ray was on the island through late 1944, and shares details of his time and life on the island. He was then transferred back to Parris Island, South Carolin… more

Date: February 7, 2015

Creator: Ray, Charles

Oral History Interview with Charlie Boswell, December 7, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charlie Boswell. Boswell was born in Coryell County, Texas 4 September 1921. He quit high school, joined the Navy and went to boot camp in San Diego. Upon completing boot training he was assigned to the USS Tennessee (BB-43) as a member of the crew in the engine room. During battle stations, he served as an ammunition handler for a five inch gun. He was aboard the ship on 7 December 1941 and he describes his activities durin… more

Date: December 7, 2004

Creator: Boswell, Charlie

Oral History Interview with Chester Gacek, September 7, 2003

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Chester Gacek. Gacek joined the Navy in 1943. He was trained as a radioman and was assigned to the USS El Dorado (AGC-11). Gacek was aboard during the invasion of Okinawa and mentions how he recorded messages received in Morse Code. He was in Manila when the Japanese surrendered and describes transporting Japanese officers onboard the USS Okala (ARST-2) to war crimes trails.

Date: September 7, 2003

Creator: Gacek, Chester

Oral History Interview with Chris Hutchinson, March 7, 2014

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Chris Hutchinson. Hutchinson joined the Navy Women's Reserve in 1944 and trained at Hunter College in the Bronx. Her first assignment was in communcations in Wahsington DC until the Navy realied she was not old enough to serve in the WAVES. She was discharged, but reenlisted in MArch 1945 when she was old enough and went to San Diego. She worked in the disbursing office. She also clerked in an office at Great Lakes training cente… more

Date: March 7, 2014

Creator: Hutchinson, Chris

Oral History Interview with Cliff Robertson, December 7, 2001

Transcript of an oral interview with Cliff Robertson. Robertson was a crewman on a small, old freighter (SS Admiral Cole) about 150 miles out of Iloilo (in the vicinity of Philippines Islands) when his ship was bombed by a Japanese 4-engine amphibious plane - the same time Pearl Harbor was being bombed. Although their ship was damaged by the bombs, they got to Zamboanga and then were in the China Sea when the USS Houston (CA-30) was sunk. They finally got out down through Tora Straits and then … more

Date: December 7, 2001

Creator: Robertson, Cliff

Oral History Interview with Clifford Staffenbeck, December 7, 2018

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Clifford Staffenbeck. Staffenbeck was born in Galveston, Texas on 24 February 1926. In 1944, he was drafted into the United States Navy. Upon completing boot camp at San Diego, he was trained as a Gunner’s Mate. He was sent to the Philippines and assigned to crash boat 26635, nicknamed Bug Bunny. He describes the boat and the crew and tells of his experiences while aboard the boat. Following the end of the war, he was assign… more

Date: December 7, 2018

Creator: Staffenbeck, Clifford

Oral History Interview with Dag Larsen, January 7, 2015

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Dag Larsen. Larsen volunteered to join the US Army Air Forces in October, 1942 and trained in New Jersey. He qualified to become a navigator and trained in Alabama, where he earned a commission. He flew 47 combat missions in B-24s against oil fields in Borneo, the Japanese naval base at Truk, the Philippines and other targets. Larsen returned from the Pacific in August, 1945. He stayed in the service after the war and served… more

Date: January 7, 2015

Creator: Larsen, Dag

Oral History Interview with Dale Everill, October 7, 2009

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Dale Everill. Everill joined the Army in November 1942 and enlisted in the aviation cadets program. He washed out of flight school due to slight vision impairment but was accepted to a liaison flying school soon after. With prior civilian flight experience, he was soon approved as a pilot and assigned briefly to the 47th Liaison Squadron before transferring to the 115th. He was sent to India and Burma as an L-5 pilot, offeri… more

Date: October 7, 2009

Creator: Everill, Dale

Oral History Interview with David Mackay, April 7, 2003

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with David Mackay. Mackay joined the Army in June of 1942. Beginning in the spring of 1943, he deployed to Brisbane, Australia and served with the 32nd Infantry Division. He completed patrol work and additional training on Hollandia, New Guinea. From early 1944 through early 1945, Mackay participated in the landing at Saidor, the Battle of Leyte and the Battle of Luzon. He returned to the US and was discharged in October of 1945.

Date: April 7, 2003

Creator: Mackay, David

Oral History Interview with Davis Mayes, December 7, 2011

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Davis Mayes. Mayes joined the Army in the summer of 1936 and received basic training at Fort Sam Houston. While there, he taught himself to type. Upon completion of his three-year enlistment, he left to join the Navy, where his typing experience qualified him to become a radioman, copying down Japanese signals. He was on standby aboard the USS Solace (AH-5) during the attack on Pearl Harbor, bearing witness to the incredible… more

Date: December 7, 2011

Creator: Mayes, Davis

Oral History Interview with Denzil Rogers, June 7, 2017

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Denzil Rogers. Rogers enlisted in the Army in November, 1944 and trained for the infantry in Arkansas. In April, 1945, he landed at Leyte where he joined the 132nd Infantry Regiment, Americal Division. He went to Japan with the Americal Division and was soon transferred to a military police outfit. Rogers remained in Japan until rotating to the US in October, 1946. He was then discharged.

Date: June 7, 2017

Creator: Rogers, Denzil

Oral History Interview with Donald Freer, April 7, 2015

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Donald Freer. Freer joined the Army Air Forces in August, 1942 as a air cadet and went to flight training after basic. He was commissioned and earned his wings in February, 1944. His first assignment was as an instructor. Later in April, he was assigned to a B-17 crew. By July, he was in Bassingbourn, England flying combat missions attached to the 91st Bomb Group, 322nd Bomb Squadron as a co-pilot. He eventually became a pil… more

Date: April 7, 2015

Creator: Freer, Donald

Oral History Interview with Donald Morrison, August 7, 2019

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Donald Morrison. Morrison entered the Army on 1 September, the day before the war ended, and trained at Fort Bragg. He had an assignment at the US Military Academy at West Point and also attended a radio repair school in Oklahoma before being discharged in October 1946. He returned to the University of Nebraska and resumed his education. After the war, Morrison entered the Naval Reserve.

Date: August 7, 2019

Creator: Morrison, Donald

Oral History Interview with Donald Witmer, March 7, 1998

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Donald R. Witmer where he discusses his early life, enlisting in the Navy and going through bootcamp. Witmer describes his experiences as a torpedo man in the Pacific Theatre during World War Two.

Date: March 7, 1998

Creator: Witmer, Donald R. & Naczi, Robert F.

Oral History Interview with Ed Spradling, March 7, 2013

The National Museum of the pacific War presents an interview with Ed Spradling. Spradling grauated from high school and went to work for North American Aviation, building B-24s in Grand Prairie, Texas. When he was old enough, he joined the Merchant Marine. After training, he joined a ship in April, 1945 in San Francisco. Spradling discusses life abord a liberty ship and some of his experiences, including a trip to Manila.

Date: March 7, 2013

Creator: Spradling, Ed

Oral History Interview with Edward Hill, July 7, 2011

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Edward H. Hill. Hill was born 29 November 1918 In Los Angeles. He was inducted into the Army in 1940 and sent to Fort Monmouth, New Jersey where he became an enlisted instructor at the Signal Corps Replacement Training Center. He then entered Officers Candidate School and ninety days later was commissioned a second lieutenant. After being commissioned he applied for pilot training. After taking preflight and basic flight tra… more

Date: July 7, 2011

Creator: Hill, Edward H.