The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Howard Williams. Williams joined the Navy at 15 years old after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He joined the crew of the USS Cushing (DD-376). Williams describes picking up downed airmen after the Hornet was sunk at the Battle of Santa Cruz. He also discusses being blown over the side of his ship when it was critically hit during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Williams mentions seeing the Japanese shell Henderson Field and catching malaria while he was on Guadalcanal. He describes what happened when the Navy learned that he was under age and how he was assigned to shore duty. Williams was discharged when he had enough points in May 1945.

Transcript of an oral interview with Loyd Jensen. After moving to Los Angeles from Kansas, Jensen was drafted into the Army in October, 1940. While serving in California, Jenses went to glider pilot school, but the program got cut. He ended up in flight school in Marfa, Texas, earned his wings and was commissioned an officer in January, 1944. He elected to fly B-25s and began training in them. With training complete, Jensen and his crew shipped to India. He flew 67 combat missions supporting the British 14th Army in Burma. Jensen also describes his living conditions and the various Indian servants he and his fellow servicemen employed. He also describes a typical mission briefing; the time he went on R&R; the food avaialble at his base; what the crews did for entertainment. When the war ended, Jensen rotated home and trined pilots before heading for occupation duty in Japan. He was there when the Korean War started. He also mentions being part of hte Military Advisory Group in Vietnam. His job was to advise the small South Vietnamese Air Forces and he flew guys to Hong Kong for R&R on occasion.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ledford Coggeshell. Coggeshell joined the Navy in 1938 as a means of earning money for college. Following boot camp, he boarded the USS California (BB-44) in Long Beach and sailed to the Atlantic. The California sailed back to the Pacific through the Panama Canal, where Coggeshell witnessed President Roosevelt board with South American heads of state. Coggeshell soon transferred into mine warfare and and boarded the USS Preble (DD-345). During the Pearl Harbor attack, the ship was in overhaul and unarmed. Coggeshell assisted the USS Cummings (DM-20) which needed help manning guns, and he also helped survivors of the USS West Virginia (BB-48) escape the fiery waters. But at the battle of Leyte Gulf, Coggeshell felt helpless when the ship could not stop for survivors of burning and sinking ships. Coggeshell was discharged as a chief watertender in August 1945, just days after the second atomic bomb was dropped. He later became an electrical engineer and worked on cruise missiles, the B2 bomber, and outer space weaponry.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Howard Williams. Williams joined the Navy at 15 years old after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He joined the crew of the USS Cushing (DD-376). Williams describes picking up downed airmen after the Hornet was sunk at the Battle of Santa Cruz. He also discusses being blown over the side of his ship when it was critically hit during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Williams mentions seeing the Japanese shell Henderson Field and catching malaria while he was on Guadalcanal. He describes what happened when the Navy learned that he was under age and how he was assigned to shore duty. Williams was discharged when he had enough points in May 1945.

The National Museum of the pacific War presents an oral interview with Raymond Strohmeyer. Strohmeyer enlisted in the Marine Corps in October, 1942. He trained in San Diego. Once he was shipped to New Caledonia as a replacement, he volunteered for the Marine Raiders and was attached to the 2nd Raider Battalion. He was with them when they went to Bougainville in November, 1943. He left after ten weeks in combat. His unit went to Saipan, but was never called ashore from the floating reserve. They went to Guam, instead. Strohmeyer describes taking the airfield on Guam and other combat actions. He also participated in the invasion of Okinawa. He carried a Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) in his squad. He was eventually wounded on 19 May and evacuated to an Army hospital, from which he was flown to Guam two days later. He rejoined his outfit in time to go to Japan after the surrender. Strohmeyer was discharged in November, 1945.

Transcript of an oral interview with Loyd Jensen. After moving to Los Angeles from Kansas, Jensen was drafted into the Army in October, 1940. While serving in California, Jenses went to glider pilot school, but the program got cut. He ended up in flight school in Marfa, Texas, earned his wings and was commissioned an officer in January, 1944. He elected to fly B-25s and began training in them. With training complete, Jensen and his crew shipped to India. He flew 67 combat missions supporting the British 14th Army in Burma. Jensen also describes his living conditions and the various Indian servants he and his fellow servicemen employed. He also describes a typical mission briefing; the time he went on R&R; the food avaialble at his base; what the crews did for entertainment. When the war ended, Jensen rotated home and trined pilots before heading for occupation duty in Japan. He was there when the Korean War started. He also mentions being part of hte Military Advisory Group in Vietnam. His job was to advise the small South Vietnamese Air Forces and he flew guys to Hong Kong for R&R on occasion.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ledford Coggeshell. Coggeshell joined the Navy in 1938 as a means of earning money for college. Following boot camp, he boarded the USS California (BB-44) in Long Beach and sailed to the Atlantic. The California sailed back to the Pacific through the Panama Canal, where Coggeshell witnessed President Roosevelt board with South American heads of state. Coggeshell soon transferred into mine warfare and and boarded the USS Preble (DD-345). During the Pearl Harbor attack, the ship was in overhaul and unarmed. Coggeshell assisted the USS Cummings (DM-20) which needed help manning guns, and he also helped survivors of the USS West Virginia (BB-48) escape the fiery waters. But at the battle of Leyte Gulf, Coggeshell felt helpless when the ship could not stop for survivors of burning and sinking ships. Coggeshell was discharged as a chief watertender in August 1945, just days after the second atomic bomb was dropped. He later became an electrical engineer and worked on cruise missiles, the B2 bomber, and outer space weaponry.