Oral History Interview with Fred Glosser, March 1, 2015 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Fred Glosser, March 1, 2015

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Fred Glosser. Glosser was born 8 January 1924, and joined the Army in 1942. He served as a switchboard operator in the Signal Corps. He shares details of his basic training at Camp McCain, Mississippi. Glosser was assigned to the 2nd Army. He became very ill with pneumonia, and mastitis, and was transferred to several hospitals. He underwent an 8-hour mastectomy surgery at Lawson General Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1944, Glosser completed Diesel-Engine School at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. He served as Technician Fourth Grade, Company A, First Regiment, 3860th Unit ASFTC (Army Service Forces Training Center), assisting the school with military personnel record keeping. Shortly before the war ended, Glosser received an honorable medical discharge.
Date: March 1, 2015
Creator: Glosser, Fred
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Richard Smith, March 1, 2018 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Richard Smith, March 1, 2018

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Richard Smith. Smith was raised on a farm with six brothers. He joined the US Navy in early 1944. He completed boot camp in San Diego and was then assigned as a deckhand aboard USS Bland (APA-134). He recalls transporting troops and supplies to Saipan. He served in the occupation of Japan, and shares stories of travels to Japan and China.
Date: March 1, 2018
Creator: Smith, Richard
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Bill Ingram, March 1, 2002 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Bill Ingram, March 1, 2002

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bill Ingram. Ingram was born in Springfield, Illinois on 13 June 1924. He joined the US Navy in 1941 and after completion of boot camp at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station he traveled to California where he was assigned to the USS Houston (CA-30), boarding the ship in Darwin, Australia. He describes his battle station as loader of an 8 inch forward gun and the procedures involved in loading of the gun. He tells of the 28 February 1942 attack on the ship by Japanese forces and the sinking of the Houston. After spending two days in the water he was picked up by the enemy and following questioning he was thrown back into the water. Later, he was picked out of the water and taken to Java. He describes the questioning procedure of the Japanese and the physical abuse he endured. Ingram was then moved from Batavia, Java to Burma to work on the Thai-Burma Railroad and describes the extensive manual labor required, the starving conditions, lack of adequate medical attention and inhumane treatment by the captors. He relates the painful experience of developing dysentery, malaria …
Date: March 1, 2002
Creator: Ingram, Bill
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Paul Papish, March 1, 2002 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Paul Papish, March 1, 2002

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Paul Papish. Papish was born in Pueblo, Colorado on 4 April 1919. After joining the Navy in 1939 he reported aboard the USS Houston (CA-30) and was assigned to the disbursements office. He describes the job responsibilities of his position and the USS Houston being a part of the naval forces within ABDACOM (American-British-Dutch-Australian Command) during March 1942 and participating in the battle of the Java Sea. He also tells of the ship taking part in the battle of Sunda Strait during which the Houston, as well as HMAS Perth (D29), were sunk. Papish abandoned the ship and was strafed by Japanese fighters while in the water. After struggling ashore, the survivors were turned over to Japanese forces by the local natives. As prisoners of war, they were taken to Serang, Java where they were housed in a former theater. Later, Papish was among a group of the prisoners who were taken to the Bicycle Camp prison compound in Batavia and held there until October 1942. He recalls the kindness of a Japanese guard who had worked as a cab driver in New York City. In October he …
Date: March 1, 2002
Creator: Papish, Paul
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Fred Glosser, March 1, 2015 transcript

Oral History Interview with Fred Glosser, March 1, 2015

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Fred Glosser. Glosser was born 8 January 1924, and joined the Army in 1942. He served as a switchboard operator in the Signal Corps. He shares details of his basic training at Camp McCain, Mississippi. Glosser was assigned to the 2nd Army. He became very ill with pneumonia, and mastitis, and was transferred to several hospitals. He underwent an 8-hour mastectomy surgery at Lawson General Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1944, Glosser completed Diesel-Engine School at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. He served as Technician Fourth Grade, Company A, First Regiment, 3860th Unit ASFTC (Army Service Forces Training Center), assisting the school with military personnel record keeping. Shortly before the war ended, Glosser received an honorable medical discharge.
Date: March 1, 2015
Creator: Glosser, Fred
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with William Todd, March 1, 2007 (open access)

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.
Date: March 1, 2007
Creator: Todd, William
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Nevin Sledge, March 1, 2013 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Nevin Sledge, March 1, 2013

The National Museumn of the Pacific War presents an interview with Nevin Sledge. Sledge joined the Naval Aviation Cadet Program in April 1942 after some Civilian Pilot Training prior to the outbreak of war. Upon completion of flight training, he became an instructor at Corpus Christi before deploying to the Pacific with Marine Transport Squadron 253 (VMR-253). Sledge shares several anecdotes about his time in the Pacific from Guam, Ulithi, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
Date: March 1, 2013
Creator: Sledge, Nevin
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Bill Ingram, March 1, 2002 transcript

Oral History Interview with Bill Ingram, March 1, 2002

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bill Ingram. Ingram was born in Springfield, Illinois on 13 June 1924. He joined the US Navy in 1941 and after completion of boot camp at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station he traveled to California where he was assigned to the USS Houston (CA-30), boarding the ship in Darwin, Australia. He describes his battle station as loader of an 8 inch forward gun and the procedures involved in loading of the gun. He tells of the 28 February 1942 attack on the ship by Japanese forces and the sinking of the Houston. After spending two days in the water he was picked up by the enemy and following questioning he was thrown back into the water. Later, he was picked out of the water and taken to Java. He describes the questioning procedure of the Japanese and the physical abuse he endured. Ingram was then moved from Batavia, Java to Burma to work on the Thai-Burma Railroad and describes the extensive manual labor required, the starving conditions, lack of adequate medical attention and inhumane treatment by the captors. He relates the painful experience of developing dysentery, malaria …
Date: March 1, 2002
Creator: Ingram, Bill
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Richard Smith, March 1, 2018 transcript

Oral History Interview with Richard Smith, March 1, 2018

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Richard Smith. Smith was raised on a farm with six brothers. He joined the US Navy in early 1944. He completed boot camp in San Diego and was then assigned as a deckhand aboard USS Bland (APA-134). He recalls transporting troops and supplies to Saipan. He served in the occupation of Japan, and shares stories of travels to Japan and China.
Date: March 1, 2018
Creator: Smith, Richard
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Glenn Kyzer, March 1, 2013 transcript

Oral History Interview with Glenn Kyzer, March 1, 2013

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Glenn Kyzer. Kyzer was attending Auburn University when he signed up for the Army Air Forces in March, 1943. He was eventually selected for pilot training. He was commissioned and earned his wings in April, 1944. He learned to fly B-24s before being shipped to Italy and joining the 737th Bomb Squadron, 454th Bomb Group in December 1944. Kyzer recalls several missions in detail over Germany, Italy, Austria, etc. He flew 28 total combat missions. He was discharged in November, 1945 after flying back to the US.
Date: March 1, 2013
Creator: Kyzer, Glenn
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with William Todd, March 1, 2007 transcript

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.
Date: March 1, 2007
Creator: Todd, William
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Nevin Sledge, March 1, 2013 transcript

Oral History Interview with Nevin Sledge, March 1, 2013

The National Museumn of the Pacific War presents an interview with Nevin Sledge. Sledge joined the Naval Aviation Cadet Program in April 1942 after some Civilian Pilot Training prior to the outbreak of war. Upon completion of flight training, he became an instructor at Corpus Christi before deploying to the Pacific with Marine Transport Squadron 253 (VMR-253). Sledge shares several anecdotes about his time in the Pacific from Guam, Ulithi, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
Date: March 1, 2013
Creator: Sledge, Nevin
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History