Oral History Interview with R. V. Burgin, March 14, 2007 (open access)

Oral History Interview with R. V. Burgin, March 14, 2007

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with R.V. Burgin. Burgin was born in Marquez, Texas 13 August 1922 and joined the Marine Corps in March 1941. Completing boot camp, he went to Camp Elliott, California for training with 60mm mortars. He boarded the USS Mount Vernon (AP-22) and went to Melbourne, Australia. Upon arrival, he was assigned to K Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Eugene B. Sledge, author of With the Old Breed, served in K/3/5 with Burgin). On 1 January 1944 he landed on Cape Gloucester, New Britain. Burgin describes repelling a number of Japanese banzai charges. Burgin also describes the invasion of Peleliu and comments on the high casualty rate. Once the island was secured his unit went to Pavuvu for rest. On 1 April 1945 he landed on Okinawa. During the battle, Burgin was wounded. After being treated at a field hospital he returned to the front lines and remained there until the island was secured.
Date: March 14, 2007
Creator: Burgin, Romus Valton
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Howard Wander, March 14, 2015 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Howard Wander, March 14, 2015

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Howard Wander. Wander joined the Army and received basic training at Camp Wheeler. He went on to Officer Candidate School and was commissioned in 1942. He then worked as a platoon leader all over the United States. He went as a replacement to the Americal Division, working beside Filipinos to capture Japanese holdouts. After the war ended, he was reassigned to the Eighth Army in Yokohama as head of military police. Wander returned home and was discharged in 1946.
Date: March 14, 2015
Creator: Wander, Howard
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with R. V. Burgin, March 14, 2007 transcript

Oral History Interview with R. V. Burgin, March 14, 2007

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with R.V. Burgin. Burgin was born in Marquez, Texas 13 August 1922 and joined the Marine Corps in March 1941. Completing boot camp, he went to Camp Elliott, California for training with 60mm mortars. He boarded the USS Mount Vernon (AP-22) and went to Melbourne, Australia. Upon arrival, he was assigned to K Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Eugene B. Sledge, author of With the Old Breed, served in K/3/5 with Burgin). On 1 January 1944 he landed on Cape Gloucester, New Britain. Burgin describes repelling a number of Japanese banzai charges. Burgin also describes the invasion of Peleliu and comments on the high casualty rate. Once the island was secured his unit went to Pavuvu for rest. On 1 April 1945 he landed on Okinawa. During the battle, Burgin was wounded. After being treated at a field hospital he returned to the front lines and remained there until the island was secured.
Date: March 14, 2007
Creator: Burgin, Romus Valton
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Charles Ira, March 14, 2014 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Charles Ira, March 14, 2014

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Charles Ira. Ira joined the Navy in 1943 at the age of 17. He completed boot camp at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station in Chicago. Ira served as a deckhand and gunner aboard USS Texas (BB-35). He tells of the ship accompanying convoys through the North Atlantic. He recalls his admiration for General Eisenhower who visited the ship prior to the Normandy Invasion and of the actions of the Texas during the invasion. This action was followed by participation in the Battle of Cherbourg. He relates his experiences there and tells of the damage to the Texas by German shore batteries. After returning to the States, the ship proceeded through the Panama Canal into the Pacific. There, the ship participated in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He returned to US in 1946 and received his discharge.
Date: March 14, 2014
Creator: Ira, Charles
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Donald Hanlon, March 14, 2014 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Donald Hanlon, March 14, 2014

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Donald Hanlon. Hanlon was born and raised in Bronx, New York, and joined the Navy at age seventeen. Following boot camp, he served aboard USS Texas (BB-35) from December 1941 through May 1947. The Texas served as a support ship during the invasion of Normandy and Hanlon describes the death and destruction he observed at Omaha Beach. He also recalls the ship being damaged by shore artillery during the landing at Cherbourg. The ship then traveled to the Pacific where it participated in the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He recollects the attacks on the fleet by kamikazes and the recovery of an injured kamikaze pilot. Hanlon was discharged in 1947.
Date: March 14, 2014
Creator: Hanlon, Donald
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Howard Wander, March 14, 2015 transcript

Oral History Interview with Howard Wander, March 14, 2015

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Howard Wander. Wander joined the Army and received basic training at Camp Wheeler. He went on to Officer Candidate School and was commissioned in 1942. He then worked as a platoon leader all over the United States. He went as a replacement to the Americal Division, working beside Filipinos to capture Japanese holdouts. After the war ended, he was reassigned to the Eighth Army in Yokohama as head of military police. Wander returned home and was discharged in 1946.
Date: March 14, 2015
Creator: Wander, Howard
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with James Gillespie, March 14, 2019 (open access)

Oral History Interview with James Gillespie, March 14, 2019

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with James Gillespie. Gillespie joined the Navy in late 1944. Beginning around mid-1945, he served on Corregidor Island, Philippines as Radarman 2nd Class. He worked guard duty and serviced a radar atop a mountain on the island. He recalls his time living and working on Corregidor, and the removal of Japanese prisoners-of-war from the island. He continued his service after the war ended, returning to the US in the spring of 1946 to receive his discharge.
Date: March 14, 2019
Creator: Gillespie, James
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Raymond S. Pugh, March 14, 2012 transcript

Oral History Interview with Raymond S. Pugh, March 14, 2012

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Raymond S. Pugh. Pugh enlisted in the Navy when he was 17 in August, 1941. Pugh begins describing his career in the Navy with his activities on Tulagi. Pugh then shifts to discussing his role aboard the USS Hornet (CV-8) during the Doolittle Raid. He describes watching the pilots practicing taking off the carrier's deck in Chesapeake Bay before sailing through the Panama Canal, loading sixteen B-25s on the Hornet's deck at Alameda and rendezvousing with the USS Enterprise (CV-6) in the Pacific. Pugh recounts a story of encountering his brother at Pearl Harbor close to the end of the war.
Date: March 14, 2012
Creator: Pugh, Raymond Samuel
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with William C. Beyer, March 14, 2001 (open access)

Oral History Interview with William C. Beyer, March 14, 2001

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William C. Beyer. Beyer grew up in Texas and joined the Marines in January 1942. After training, he was assigned to the third division in artillery. He departed on the USS Mount Vernon for New Zealand. He anecdotes about meeting with some Maori people. Then he departed on the Cresent City for Guadalcanal in May 1943. From Guadalcanal he left for Bougainville in November 1943. He describes being caught in a foxhole for two days without communication. He also listened to Tokyo Rose on the radio. The Army relieved the Marines January 15, 1944, and his unit returned to Guadalcanal. On July 21, 1944, they landed on Guam and went into battle. Next Beyer left for Iwo Jima. The Third Marine Division was assigned to the central area of the island. He witnessed the raising of the flag. On the 50th anniversary of the war, Beyer and his wife returned to New Zealand and Guam.
Date: March 14, 2001
Creator: Beyer, William C.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Howard Stoneley, March 14, 2014 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Howard Stoneley, March 14, 2014

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Howard Stoneley. Stoneley joined the Navy around mid-1943. From 1943 through mid-1945, he served with the deck force aboard the USS Texas (BB-35). Stoneley shares his experiences through the Normandy Invasion, the Battle of Cherbourg, Operation Dragoon, the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Okinawa. He returned home after the war, and received his discharge around January of 1946.
Date: March 14, 2014
Creator: Stoneley, Howard
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with James Gillespie, March 14, 2019 transcript

Oral History Interview with James Gillespie, March 14, 2019

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with James Gillespie. Gillespie joined the Navy in late 1944. Beginning around mid-1945, he served on Corregidor Island, Philippines as Radarman 2nd Class. He worked guard duty and serviced a radar atop a mountain on the island. He recalls his time living and working on Corregidor, and the removal of Japanese prisoners-of-war from the island. He continued his service after the war ended, returning to the US in the spring of 1946 to receive his discharge.
Date: March 14, 2019
Creator: Gillespie, James
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Donald Hanlon, March 14, 2014 transcript

Oral History Interview with Donald Hanlon, March 14, 2014

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Donald Hanlon. Hanlon was born and raised in Bronx, New York, and joined the Navy at age seventeen. Following boot camp, he served aboard USS Texas (BB-35) from December 1941 through May 1947. The Texas served as a support ship during the invasion of Normandy and Hanlon describes the death and destruction he observed at Omaha Beach. He also recalls the ship being damaged by shore artillery during the landing at Cherbourg. The ship then traveled to the Pacific where it participated in the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He recollects the attacks on the fleet by kamikazes and the recovery of an injured kamikaze pilot. Hanlon was discharged in 1947.
Date: March 14, 2014
Creator: Hanlon, Donald
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Charles Ira, March 14, 2014 transcript

Oral History Interview with Charles Ira, March 14, 2014

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Charles Ira. Ira joined the Navy in 1943 at the age of 17. He completed boot camp at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station in Chicago. Ira served as a deckhand and gunner aboard USS Texas (BB-35). He tells of the ship accompanying convoys through the North Atlantic. He recalls his admiration for General Eisenhower who visited the ship prior to the Normandy Invasion and of the actions of the Texas during the invasion. This action was followed by participation in the Battle of Cherbourg. He relates his experiences there and tells of the damage to the Texas by German shore batteries. After returning to the States, the ship proceeded through the Panama Canal into the Pacific. There, the ship participated in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He returned to US in 1946 and received his discharge.
Date: March 14, 2014
Creator: Ira, Charles
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Howard Stoneley, March 14, 2014 transcript

Oral History Interview with Howard Stoneley, March 14, 2014

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Howard Stoneley. Stoneley joined the Navy around mid-1943. From 1943 through mid-1945, he served with the deck force aboard the USS Texas (BB-35). Stoneley shares his experiences through the Normandy Invasion, the Battle of Cherbourg, Operation Dragoon, the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Okinawa. He returned home after the war, and received his discharge around January of 1946.
Date: March 14, 2014
Creator: Stoneley, Howard
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History