The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Hilliard Elliott. Elliott joined the Navy in March 1940 and received basic training in San Diego. Upon completion, he was assigned to the USS Lexington (CV-2) at Pearl Harbor as part of the landing crew. On 7 December 1941 he fought fires in a seaplane hangar and manned a gun late into the night in anticipation of a Japanese invasion. He recalls that American planes were shot down by friendly fire later that evening, before personnel were quickly advised on nighttime Identify Friend or Foe (IFF). Elliott was back aboard the Lexington when it sank at the Battle of the Coral Sea. He was later transferred to the USS Sangamon (CVE-26). After participating in Operation Torch, he was sent to Advanced Aviation School in Chicago. Elliott then served as leading chief at a training base in San Diego until his discharge in March 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Hilliard Elliott. Elliott joined the Navy in March 1940 and received basic training in San Diego. Upon completion, he was assigned to the USS Lexington (CV-2) at Pearl Harbor as part of the landing crew. On 7 December 1941 he fought fires in a seaplane hangar and manned a gun late into the night in anticipation of a Japanese invasion. He recalls that American planes were shot down by friendly fire later that evening, before personnel were quickly advised on nighttime Identify Friend or Foe (IFF). Elliott was back aboard the Lexington when it sank at the Battle of the Coral Sea. He was later transferred to the USS Sangamon (CVE-26). After participating in Operation Torch, he was sent to Advanced Aviation School in Chicago. Elliott then served as leading chief at a training base in San Diego until his discharge in March 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Wesley Fronk. Fronk joined the Army Air Forces in December 1942 after starting college at the University of North Dakota and working as a mechanic for Lockheed. He received basic training in Fresno and was sent to engineering and operations clerical school. Upon completion, he was assigned to the 347th Airdrome Squadron. He was sent to India, where his unit supported the 4th Combat Cargo Squadron, 1st Combat Cargo Group. In his spare time, he helped build engines on the flight line. His unit dropped aerial supplies to British troops in Burma, American mountainside detachments, and the OSS. Supplies for Chinese troops included oats for their mules, since they had no motor vehicles. These missions were flown in C-47s, and after the war the unit switched to the larger C-46s, moving Chinese Nationalist troops to where they would face off against the Chinese Communists. Fronk returned home and was discharged in December 1945. He began a civilian career with the Department of Defense and retired after 48 years of service.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Lloyd Pearson. Pearson joined the Navy in 1940 after five months in the Civilian Conservation Corps and received basic training in San Diego. Upon completion, he was assigned to the USS West Virginia (BB-48) as a seaman. He was aboard ship during the attack on Pearl Harbor and swam to Ford Island after the West Virginia was torpedoed. Afterward, he was assigned to Fleet Machine Gun School, where he learned to operate a 20-millimeter Oerlikon machine gun. He was transferred to an ammunition depot in New Zealand and returned to the States a year later for Deep Sea Diving School. He went aboard the USS ATR-52 as a gunner’s mate, providing support to other ships at Iwo Jima. The ship was in Leyte for repairs when the war ended. Pearson was discharged after a short stint aboard the USS Alabama (BB-60).

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Herbert Elfring. Elfring was with the California National Guard, 251st Coast Artillery Regiment (Anti-Aircraft), when it was federalized in September 1940. He was sent to Honolulu and trained with a searchlight battery. Elfring became leader of the radar squad, directing antiaircraft searchlights. On 7 December 1941 he was in his office when a string of bullets struck the ground 15 feet from where he stood. His radar equipment was damaged by strafing, but Elfring survived the attack. He recalls that American planes were shot down by friendly fire later that evening, before personnel were quickly advised on nighttime Identify Friend or Foe (IFF). He was transferred to Fiji in June 1942 and was selected for OCS. He became Radar Officer and Transportation Officer for the 37th Infantry Division at Bougainville. During ground combat, Elfring directed searchlights at the clouds, illuminating the front lines. At the Invasion of Lingayen Gulf, Elfring set up radar operations at Clark Field. He carried a wounded man out of battle who died soon after. Elfring was on leave in the States when the war ended and he was discharged. He went on to …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Bland. Bland joined the Navy in April of 1944. He served as Signalman Third-Class aboard the SS Francis Preston Blair (1943). They traveled to Australia, New Zealand, India and Manila picking up and delivering cargo. Bland served aboard the ship until it got stranded on Saumarez Reef in the Coral Sea during a cyclone in 1945. Bland continued his service after the war ended, receiving his discharge in May of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joe Fritcher. Fritcher joined the Navy in 1940 and received basic training in San Diego. Upon completion, he was assigned to the USS California (BB-44) where he operated the catapult, launching seaplanes. Although he survived the attack on Pearl Harbor, his family received notice that both he and his brother were killed in action; his family held a memorial service, and Fritcher later married one of the musicians who performed at the funeral. He recalls that American planes were shot down by friendly fire later that evening, before personnel were quickly advised on nighttime Identify Friend or Foe (IFF). Fritcher was reassigned to the USS Astoria (CA-34) and participated in the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway. At the Battle of Savo Island, he abandoned ship and spent 10 hours in the water, awaiting rescue. Fritcher spent the remainder of the war as a gunnery instructor at Great Lakes. Afterward, he was assigned to the South Pole with Admiral Byrd. He then spent nine months in Japan on occupation duty. Fritcher returned home and was discharged in 1948.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bernard Comito. Comito joined the Navy in September 1941 and received basic training in San Diego. Upon completion, he was sent to Kaneohe Bay Naval Air Station as a seaman. During the attack on Pearl Harbor, he fired a Lewis gun, despite having only learned to shoot a carbine. After the bombing, he and a group of soldiers stood watch until the following morning, expecting to be invaded. He recalls that American planes were shot down by friendly fire later that evening, before personnel were quickly advised on nighttime Identify Friend or Foe (IFF). He was transferred to the USS Avocet (AVP-4), carrying out patrols and transporting supplies. He brought PBY motors into Dutch Harbor under combat conditions. When the war ended, Comito was discharged and began a long career as a school administrator. He worked at international schools for military dependents worldwide, which included a post in Japan, where he came to appreciate Japanese culture.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William H Mullins. Mullins joined the Navy in July 1939 and received basic training in San Diego. Following in the footsteps of his father, a World War I Navy man, he attended machinist’s mate school. Upon completion, he was assigned to the USS Tangier (AV-8) at Pearl Harbor. On 7 December 1941, Mullins was on duty in the engine room, monitoring lubrication of large bearings at the recently damaged propeller shaft. He received updates on the action from someone shouting from above, and he felt the ship heave out of the water when a bomb landed in the mud nearby. Mullins was selected to attend Officer Training School at the University of New Mexico under the V-12 program. He was then assigned to the USS Coghlan (DD-606), where he was responsible for the rescue of downed pilots. Before his discharge, he served briefly in Japan; Mullins recalls vividly the ruins of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ollie Thomas Music. Music was born 10 January 1927. He joined the Army in April of 1945. By the time he finished boot training and traveled to Fort Ord, California for assignment, the war had ended. He was then stationed at Yokohama, Japan. Music shares details of his travels and his participation during the occupation of Japan. He was assigned to Hakodate and Sapporo. He took an Army incentive to discharge in Japan and reenlist for 18 more months, with his remaining service in the US From December of 1945 through June of 1947, Music was assigned to a clerical job with Headquarters Company of the 32nd Medical Battalion at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joedy Adams. The daughter of Naval aviator Joseph Cronin, 12-year-old Adams lived on Kaneohe Naval Air Station in 1941. On 7 December 1941, the drone of Japanese planes shook her family home. When her father left and reported to base, Adams and her mother fled to Honolulu. Their Japanese maid had gone missing earlier that morning; she was later found to be a spy. While Adams was en route to Honolulu, she saw a Japanese plane strafe and kill two men. Eventually, her car came under fire. Arriving safely in Honolulu, Adams had no communication with her father for 10 days, until he finally sent a driver to bring her to Pearl Harbor. As school was temporarily closed, due to the emergency situation, Adams worked in the servicemen’s commissary until she and her mother could fly back to the States. Adams’ father remained at his post and was aboard the USS Missouri (BB-63) during the surrender. By the time he retired from service, he had attained the rank of rear admiral.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Paul Wallace in memory of his father Paul Eugene Wallace. Wallace joined the Marines in 1927, graduated from Annapolis in 1933 and completed Marine Corps Officer Training in 1934. He was assigned to the USS Maryland (BB-46). Following that he was a China Marine and served with the 4th Marines in Shanghai. He later served aboard the USS Augusta (CA-31) with the Marine detachment. He completed Chemical Warfare School and was transferred to San Diego as commander of a chemical warfare company. He later became Commanding Officer of the Marine detachment aboard the USS Pensacola (CA-24). Paul???s mother was the secretary to the Chief of Naval Intelligence, 14th Naval District and their family was stationed in Pearl Harbor, present on the day of the attack. Paul describes life growing up in Pearl Harbor and what he witnessed that fateful day in December of 1941, including his mother???s and father???s reactions to the attack and their providing help in the weeks that followed. He and his mother were shipped back to California aboard the SS Lurline. His father was transferred back to the Marine Corps School to become a Chief …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Gerry Porter. Porter enlisted in the Navy in November of 1940. He completed Machinist School and was assigned to the USS West Virginia (BB-48), main engines M Division. He describes this job and the engine rooms he worked in. Porter talks some on the 3 weeks leading up to 7 December 1941, and the military being instructed to be on alert. The West Virginia was stationed in Pearl Harbor on the day of the attack. Porter discusses the events that occurred that morning both around and inside the ship. His ship was hit by 6 torpedoes that fateful day and sunk in Pearl Harbor. In October of 1942 he was assigned to the USS Bogue (CVE-9). They did convoy and submarine patrol in the Atlantic, operating out of Argentia, Newfoundland. They would convoy and meet the British halfway across the Atlantic, and he provides some detail of these convoy experiences. In July of 1943 he was rotated to the USS Langley (CVL-27), providing training for pilots. In January of 1944 they began operating with the Fleet and continued through April of 1945. By May of 1945 he was classified …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Lloyd Pearson. Pearson joined the Navy in 1940 after five months in the Civilian Conservation Corps and received basic training in San Diego. Upon completion, he was assigned to the USS West Virginia (BB-48) as a seaman. He was aboard ship during the attack on Pearl Harbor and swam to Ford Island after the West Virginia was torpedoed. Afterward, he was assigned to Fleet Machine Gun School, where he learned to operate a 20-millimeter Oerlikon machine gun. He was transferred to an ammunition depot in New Zealand and returned to the States a year later for Deep Sea Diving School. He went aboard the USS ATR-52 as a gunner’s mate, providing support to other ships at Iwo Jima. The ship was in Leyte for repairs when the war ended. Pearson was discharged after a short stint aboard the USS Alabama (BB-60).

The National Museum of the pacific War presents an oral interview with Nicholas Fedesma. Fedesma joined the Navy when he was 17 in 1942. After training, he was assigned to Composite Squadron 21 (VC-21) and went aboard USS Marcus Island (CVE-77) in March 1944. He specialized in aviation hydraulics. Fedesma recounts several anecdotes about his experiences aboard the Marcus Island. After he left the Navy in 1848, Fedesma studied mechanical engineering in Chicago on the GI Bill.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Chaffin. Chaffin was born on 30 March 1922 in Spring Valley, Texas. After graduating from high school in 1940 he worked for the National Youth Administration as an aircraft mechanic trainee. He joined the US Navy and had two weeks of boot camp at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station (NAS), Texas. Upon completing boot training he was sent to the Beeville NAS, Texas. In 1943 he was assigned to United States. Navy. Carrier Air Service Unit 1 (CASU-1) and reported to the Ford Island NAS at Pearl Harbor. During February 1944 he went aboard the USS Gambier Bay (CVE-73) in time to deliver of planes to the Marshall Islands. On 2 May 1944, he went aboard the USS Essex (CV-9) as a member of the ship’s crew. He describes characteristics of the various planes he worked on aboard ship and also explains the procedures followed to determine whether a damaged plane was to be repaired or destroyed. On 25, November 1944, the Essex was struck by a kamikaze and Chaffin was severely wounded. After the ship arrived at Ulithi for repairs, he was transferred to the USS …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Koehl. Following high school and after a brief stint working in a blacksmith shop, Koehl joined the Army Air Corps in 1940 and was assigned to the 31st Bombardment Squadron. In November 1941, he was put on guard duty in Honolulu and quickly made sergeant of the guard. On the attack of December 7th, Koehl dragged a wounded man to the hospital and spent the rest of the day on guard with a Thompson submachine gun. In February, Koehl received orders to return to the States for staff pilot training, earning his wings and learning to fly gliders as well as the B-26 Marauder. He was sent to Belgium and France, where he flew 66 missions, including raids on so-called No-Ball targets, which were heavily guarded V-1 and V-2 launch sites. He was discharged as a second lieutenant shortly after the war ended and went to work for Eastern Air Lines.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Herbert Elfring. Elfring was with the California National Guard, 251st Coast Artillery Regiment (Anti-Aircraft), when it was federalized in September 1940. He was sent to Honolulu and trained with a searchlight battery. Elfring became leader of the radar squad, directing antiaircraft searchlights. On 7 December 1941 he was in his office when a string of bullets struck the ground 15 feet from where he stood. His radar equipment was damaged by strafing, but Elfring survived the attack. He recalls that American planes were shot down by friendly fire later that evening, before personnel were quickly advised on nighttime Identify Friend or Foe (IFF). He was transferred to Fiji in June 1942 and was selected for OCS. He became Radar Officer and Transportation Officer for the 37th Infantry Division at Bougainville. During ground combat, Elfring directed searchlights at the clouds, illuminating the front lines. At the Invasion of Lingayen Gulf, Elfring set up radar operations at Clark Field. He carried a wounded man out of battle who died soon after. Elfring was on leave in the States when the war ended and he was discharged. He went on to …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Glenn Reynolds. Reynolds left high school to join the Navy in 1939. In March 1940 he was assigned to USS Maryland (BB-46). Anchored at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked, Reynolds was writing a letter to his girlfriend when the war began. He manned his battle station, despite being barefoot, and then helped fight fires on a nearby fuel tanker. He later transferred to USS Halawa (AOG-12) as a gunner’s mate. In August 1942 he was sent to gunnery school and upon completion joined an amphibious base in England, where he met an English woman who would become his wife. While on shore patrol duty, Reynolds was alarmed one evening when Downtown London was suddenly crowded to the point where he could not move. This was how he learned that the Germans had surrendered. V-E Day celebrations lasted until four in the morning. After being discharged from the Navy, Reynolds joined the Army and went served in Korea and Vietnam, retiring after 26 years.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Arthur Herriford. Herriford joined the Navy in April of 1940. In July of 1940 he was assigned to the USS Detroit (CL-8). They traveled to Hilo, Hawaii. He completed Fire Control School and worked as a striker for the Fire Control gang. He later became a rangefinder Operator. He describes both of these positions, and life aboard the ship in general. The Detroit was moored at her base with the USS Raleigh (CL-7) and the USS Utah (BB-31/AG-16) in Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. He describes what he witnessed that fateful day aboard his ship and those around him. He remained aboard the Detroit until May of 1942. He operated in the Bering Sea during the winter of 1942 and into 1943, after the Japanese had taken over Attu and Kiska. In May of 1943 he was ordered back to the Advanced Fire Control School in Washington, D.C. to complete advanced training. He spent over five years in Navy Technical Service Schools. He served in the Navy for 21 years.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Randy Watson. Watson joined the Army Air Corps in 1939. He was assigned to Puerto Rico for two years and felt fortunate to have narrowly missed being sent to the Philippines. While in Puerto Rico, he was assigned to Air Material Command, working with supplies. Afterward, he attended flight school and was assigned to India as a C-46 pilot. There he flew over the Hump to deliver supplies into China. During Watson’s first flight, he was frightened by the phenomenon known as St. Elmo’s fire. He was later given the task of flying with bails of Chinese currency with instructions to burn the money if he crashed. Once, Watson was redirected multiple times due to bad weather and base closures, thus keeping him awake for over 40 hours. During this experience, his plane and crew were reported as missing. In December 1944, he left India for home on a C-54, stopping in Cairo and Casablanca on the way. He finished the war having flown 650 hours, making 78 trips over the Hump.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joe Fritcher. Fritcher joined the Navy in 1940 and received basic training in San Diego. Upon completion, he was assigned to the USS California (BB-44) where he operated the catapult, launching seaplanes. Although he survived the attack on Pearl Harbor, his family received notice that both he and his brother were killed in action; his family held a memorial service, and Fritcher later married one of the musicians who performed at the funeral. He recalls that American planes were shot down by friendly fire later that evening, before personnel were quickly advised on nighttime Identify Friend or Foe (IFF). Fritcher was reassigned to the USS Astoria (CA-34) and participated in the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway. At the Battle of Savo Island, he abandoned ship and spent 10 hours in the water, awaiting rescue. Fritcher spent the remainder of the war as a gunnery instructor at Great Lakes. Afterward, he was assigned to the South Pole with Admiral Byrd. He then spent nine months in Japan on occupation duty. Fritcher returned home and was discharged in 1948.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Wesley Fronk. Fronk joined the Army Air Forces in December 1942 after starting college at the University of North Dakota and working as a mechanic for Lockheed. He received basic training in Fresno and was sent to engineering and operations clerical school. Upon completion, he was assigned to the 347th Airdrome Squadron. He was sent to India, where his unit supported the 4th Combat Cargo Squadron, 1st Combat Cargo Group. In his spare time, he helped build engines on the flight line. His unit dropped aerial supplies to British troops in Burma, American mountainside detachments, and the OSS. Supplies for Chinese troops included oats for their mules, since they had no motor vehicles. These missions were flown in C-47s, and after the war the unit switched to the larger C-46s, moving Chinese Nationalist troops to where they would face off against the Chinese Communists. Fronk returned home and was discharged in December 1945. He began a civilian career with the Department of Defense and retired after 48 years of service.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Roy Stevens. Stevens was born 1 November 1924. He joined the Navy in May of 1943. He completed Aviation Radio School and Aerial Gunnery and Radar School by late 1943. Stevens served as a Radioman Gunner aboard a TBF torpedo bomber. In the spring of 1944, he joined a composite squadron, which participated in aerial combat operations while attached to USS Shipley Bay (CVE-85). They conducted additional flight missions to and from the Makassar Strait (CVE-91). They conducted anti-submarine patrol off Maui and around Leyte Gulf, and bombing missions over Ishigaki, Japan. They supported the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Stevens returned to the US and received his discharge in late 1945, early 1946.