The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Willis Cooper. Cooper joined the Army Air Forces in November 1942 at age 29, after working in the Louisiana Department of Conservation. He received mechanic’s training at Keesler Field and went to a factory in Indiana to learn about engines. He was then assigned to the 65th Troop Carrier Squadron and sent to New Guinea, where he changed engines and performed 100-hour inspections on C-47s. After Cooper became the chief of maintenance, the group inspector remarked that Cooper had dramatically reduced each plane’s maintenance time. Before returning home, he worked overtime to prepare extra planes to fly much needed supplies to Okinawa, which had been recently devastated by a typhoon. Cooper was discharged in January 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with David McFaddin. McFaddin was born in Mount Gilead, Ohio on 15 August 1922 into a family of eight children. In 1941 he was inducted into the Marine Corps and placed into the V-12 Navy College Training Program. He went to Paris Island, South Carolina for boot training in 1943 followed by advanced training at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He then attended Officer Candidate School at Quantico, Virginia for three months, graduating as a second lieutenant. He was ordered to San Diego where he boarded a troop ship to Guadalcanal. Upon his arrival, he was assigned to the 6th Marine Division. On 1 April 1945, he landed on Green Beach on Okinawa as a platoon leader assigned to Company B, 22nd Marine Regiment, 1st Battalion. He recalls being in the battle for Sugar Loaf Hill. He was wounded by shell fragments and was flown to Guam for treatment in the hospital. He tells a humorous story involving him and another patient, former football All-American Alex Agase. After McFaddin recovered, he rejoined his unit while it was preparing for the invasion of Japan. Soon after Japan surrendered, the 22nd Marines …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Willis Cooper. Cooper joined the Army Air Forces in November 1942 at age 29, after working in the Louisiana Department of Conservation. He received mechanic’s training at Keesler Field and went to a factory in Indiana to learn about engines. He was then assigned to the 65th Troop Carrier Squadron and sent to New Guinea, where he changed engines and performed 100-hour inspections on C-47s. After Cooper became the chief of maintenance, the group inspector remarked that Cooper had dramatically reduced each plane’s maintenance time. Before returning home, he worked overtime to prepare extra planes to fly much needed supplies to Okinawa, which had been recently devastated by a typhoon. Cooper was discharged in January 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with David McFaddin. McFaddin was born in Mount Gilead, Ohio on 15 August 1922 into a family of eight children. In 1941 he was inducted into the Marine Corps and placed into the V-12 Navy College Training Program. He went to Paris Island, South Carolina for boot training in 1943 followed by advanced training at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He then attended Officer Candidate School at Quantico, Virginia for three months, graduating as a second lieutenant. He was ordered to San Diego where he boarded a troop ship to Guadalcanal. Upon his arrival, he was assigned to the 6th Marine Division. On 1 April 1945, he landed on Green Beach on Okinawa as a platoon leader assigned to Company B, 22nd Marine Regiment, 1st Battalion. He recalls being in the battle for Sugar Loaf Hill. He was wounded by shell fragments and was flown to Guam for treatment in the hospital. He tells a humorous story involving him and another patient, former football All-American Alex Agase. After McFaddin recovered, he rejoined his unit while it was preparing for the invasion of Japan. Soon after Japan surrendered, the 22nd Marines …