The National Museum of the pacific War presents an oral interview with Bob Osborne. Osborne joined the Navy in 1943. He was assigned aboard USS Chester (CA-27). Osborne shares several anecdotes of his time aboard the ship. He also describes the collision between the Chester and another ship off Iwo Jima. When the war ended, Osborne elected to take his discharge.

Transcript of an oral interview with Albert W. Boam. Born in 1923, he enlisted as an Aviation Cadet in the Army Air Corps in 1942. He attended gunnery school at Buckingham Army Air Base in Naples, Florida. He describes his navigation training at Selman Field in Monroe, Louisiana. He was assigned to the 846th Squadron, 489th Bomb Group, 95th Combat Wing, 8th Air Force. He describes the flying the Southern Route to England as well as the navigation methods used. In 1944, he flew thirty-one missions as the navigator on a B-24 bomber. He talks about missions over France and Germany with targets such as shipyards and submarine pens. He describes his thirty-first mission in which his plane was led off course by a Pathfinder and damaged by antiaircraft artillery. He bailed out and was captured near German-controlled Hagenau in the Alsace region. He talks about his interrogation. He describes life and conditions in Stalag Luft III. In early 1945, the POW camp was evacuated by the Germans because the Russians were advancing from the east. He describes the forced march and traveling in a boxcar to a POW camp (Stalag VIII D) in Nuremburg as well as conditions at …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bernice Shafer. Shafer was born in Ackley, Iowa 26 December 1926. She began nurse training at Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in Des Moines in 1941. Upon graduating in 1944, she entered the US Army Nurse Corps and began basic training at Camp Carson, Colorado. When she completed basic, she was assigned to Leonard General Hospital, Topeka, Kansas. After a period of time, she was shipped to Camp Pendleton, California in preparation for an overseas assignment. Shafer was assigned to the 311th Hospital Unit and boarded the USS Monterey (CVL-26), bound for Manila. She tells of the primitive conditions encountered in setting up the hospital. Designated as an operating room nurse, she describes working up to forty hours straight and the various types of battle casualties that were treated. She recalls that patients were transported to the hospital by ambulance, jeep and helicopter. In February 1946, Shafer returned to the United States aboard the USS West Point (AP-23), arriving at New York City after passage through the Panama Canal.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Don Dahlke. Dahlke joined the Navy in January of 1942. He completed torpedo and machine gun schools. He served as Torpedoman aboard the USS Fletcher (DD-445), beginning May of 1942. They participated in the Guadalcanal operation, the Battle of Tassafaronga, the Battle of Leyte Gulf and the Lingayen Gulf Campaign. In February of 1945, they provided fire support during the occupation of Bataan and Corregidor. Dahlke returned to the US after the war ended.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Clyde Day. Day finished college and was commissioned in the Navy in June 1942. He received more training at in armaments and gunnery before being assigned to USS Boston (CA-69) in January 1943 while still under construction. He served as a fire control officer aboard the Boston. Day recalls supporting the landings at the MArshall Islands, Iwo Jima and elsewehere in the Pacific. He describes the circular battle formation. Day also recalls a near collision with a carrier while bombarding Japan and several other anecdtoes from his time abaord the Boston. He also shares stories from his time during the occupation of Japan after the war ended.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Harden. Harden left school at 16 years old and joined the Navy in 1944. After basic training in Norfolk, he was assigned to USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413). Aboard ship, he was assigned to the first deck division. His battle station was at a five-inch gun, retrieving spent shells. He survived a typhoon en route to the Philippines, only to enter into combat at the Battle off Samar. Harden abandoned ship and climbed aboard a raft after throwing away his leaking lifebelt. Three enemy ships passed Harden before he was finally rescued. Harden finished the war in Seattle, painting ships and stacking ammunition until his discharge in late 1946.

Transcript of an oral interview with Douglas Bradford Morrison. When Morrison's cousin was killed, he took and passed a test to become an aviation cadet in the Army Air Corps. Morrison then describes some of his training in California. During the process, he washed out of flight school and was reclassified as a navigator. He graduated from navigation school in December, 1943 as a 2nd lieutenant. He was assigned to a crew in a B-17 in the 388th Bomb Group, 561st Bomb Squadron in the 8th Air Force and sent to England. He flew five combat missions over France and Germany before being shot down and taken prisoner. Morrison describes the ordeal of being shot down and parachuting to earth, being captured by German civilians and being escorted to prison camp and interrogated there. Ultimately, he wound up in Stalag Luft III in May, 1944. Once in camp, he was assigned as the recreation officer for his building. Morrison proceeds to describe in detail life in the POW camp. In early 1945, they had to evacuate the camp because the Russians were getting too close. They moved to Stalag VII-A. In May, Morrison and the others were liberated by elements …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Pontow. Pontow joined the Navy in May, 1944. After basic training, he headed for Little Creek, Virginia, for amphibious training. After that, he was assigned to USS LSM-96. On his first cruise, they took a marine radar unit to the Philippines in early 1945. He also went to Okinawa for the initial landings. When the war ended, the USS LSM-96 battled typhoons and then went to China with the First Marine Division. He was discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Marvin Fields. Fields joined the Navy in July 1942 and trained at Great Lakes. He went to diesel engine school and was then assigned to the engine room aboard USS LST-306. He shares several anecdotes about being in North Africa after the invasion. He shares two encounters with Sam Donahue, the bandleader. His LST was at Sicily when several air transports were shot down. He also shares anecdotes from landing at Salerno. Fields also was aboard USS LST-306 during the Normandy invasion and made over 50 trips across the English Channel delivering supplies to Omaha Beach. He stayed with the 306 for the duration of his time in the Navy and was discharged in November, 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Francis Blake. Blake was born in Idaho and finished high school in Portland, Oregon. He then went to California for some college and worked in the mining industry in Arizona before joining the Marine Corps in August 1938. He trained at San Diego, then went to Sea School. Afterward, he was assigned to the USS Idaho (BB-42). He eventually became the captain's orderly and then an admiral's orderly while aboard the Idaho. Blake also served on Admiral Ernest King's flag allowance while King was Commander in Chief, US Fleet. Admiral King recommended Blake for a commission in the Marine Corps in June, 1943. When he got overseas, he was attached to the 3rd Marine Regiment prior to the invasion of Bougainville in an administrative support role. He performed similar duties on Guam during that invasion. When the 3rd MARDIV invaded Iwo Jima, Blake was an assistant to the G-1. When the war ended, he was back on Guam. He soon returned to the US and went to work discharging Marines. Blake retained his commission and stayed in the Corps. He served as marine detachment commanding officer aboard the …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with William R. Smith. Smith was born in April of 1921 and served in the Junior Naval Reserve as a teenager, joining the Naval Reserves around 1937 with a forged birth certificate. He received basic training by volunteering aboard USS Texas (BB-35) and USS Brooklyn (CL-40). By 1939, Smith was serving as a Chief Fire Control Technician aboard USS Clark (DD-361). They were docked in San Francisco on 7 December 1941 and took up antisubmarine patrol off Samoa by February of 1942. Smith reenlisted in April. The Clark escorted a tanker to Midway, a convoy to New Zealand and assisted with landings on Guadalcanal by November of 1942. In November of 1943, Smith transferred to USS Newcomb (DD-586), participating in the Battle of Leyte Gulf and the invasion at Lingayen in January 1945. Smith also participated in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, where the Newcomb was hit by 5 kamikaze planes on 6 April. Smith recalls a brief and positive encounter with Admiral Chester Nimitz. Around August of 1945 he was transferred to USS La Vallette (DD-448) and traveled to San Diego where he was stationed through April …