Oral History Interview with Al Jowdy, September 21, 2008 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Al Jowdy, September 21, 2008

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Al Jowdy. Jowdy enlisted in the Navy in July 1942 at the age of 15, with his parents’ consent. His first assignment was pulling bodies out of sunken ships in Pearl Harbor. At Guadalcanal, his ship was torpedoed. Due to the presence of enemy subs, he could not be rescued initially and spent two weeks floating in a raft. Then he joined a rescue effort to aid the USS Wasp (CV-7), only to be torpedoed again, spending another four days in the water. Jowdy was then assigned to the USS Salt Lake City (CA-25), patrolling the Bering Sea and participating in the Battle of the Komandorski Islands as a second loader on a 40-millimeter. After witnessing the Marianas Turkey Shoot and also seeing MacArthur film his famous return, Jowdy participated in the bombardment of Iwo Jima, amidst kamikazes and suicide boats. After the war, he survived a typhoon and served occupation duty in Japan, later transporting troops as part of the demobilization effort before being discharged in January 1946.
Date: September 21, 2008
Creator: Jowdy, Al
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Al Jowdy, September 21, 2008 transcript

Oral History Interview with Al Jowdy, September 21, 2008

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Al Jowdy. Jowdy enlisted in the Navy in July 1942 at the age of 15, with his parents’ consent. His first assignment was pulling bodies out of sunken ships in Pearl Harbor. At Guadalcanal, his ship was torpedoed. Due to the presence of enemy subs, he could not be rescued initially and spent two weeks floating in a raft. Then he joined a rescue effort to aid the USS Wasp (CV-7), only to be torpedoed again, spending another four days in the water. Jowdy was then assigned to the USS Salt Lake City (CA-25), patrolling the Bering Sea and participating in the Battle of the Komandorski Islands as a second loader on a 40-millimeter. After witnessing the Marianas Turkey Shoot and also seeing MacArthur film his famous return, Jowdy participated in the bombardment of Iwo Jima, amidst kamikazes and suicide boats. After the war, he survived a typhoon and served occupation duty in Japan, later transporting troops as part of the demobilization effort before being discharged in January 1946.
Date: September 21, 2008
Creator: Jowdy, Al
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History

Oral History Interview with Baine P. Kerr, May 4, 1993

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Interview with Baine Kerr, an attorney and Marine Corps veteran, concerning his combat experiences with the 3rd Marine Division in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Kerr discusses Guadacanal, his machine gun wound at Guadacanal, Kwajalein, Saipan, and his assignment to a legal office at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
Date: May 4, 1993
Creator: Daniels, John & Kerr, Baine P.
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with William Coffey, May 20, 1996

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Interview with William Coffey, a Navy WWII veteran from Hopkins County, Texas. Coffey discusses joining the Navy in 1937, boot camp in San Diego, service aboard the USS Oklahoma (BB-37), transfer to submarines in the Philippines, the bombing of Cavite Navy Yard at the start of the war, assignment to the S-41 as a cook, combat around the Solomon Islands, attaining submarine qualifications, patrolling the northern Pacific, the character of the crew, transfer to the USS Sterlet (SS-392), patrols, medical leave, and service postwar.
Date: May 20, 1998
Creator: Maglaughlin, Barry & Coffey, William
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with Joseph B. Brown, March 24, 2001 transcript

Oral History Interview with Joseph B. Brown, March 24, 2001

Interview with Joseph Brown, who was in the Marine Corps during World War II. He discusses going to Guadalcanal, various guns and artillery he used, the battle of Tarawa and getting malaria just before it, then going to Hawaii for more training before returning to the South Pacific and fighting on Saipan and Tinian. He also discusses being wounded on Saipan, having a bayonet run through his forearm and keeping the bayonet as a souvenir after the war, and he talks about some of his experiences and travels after the war.
Date: March 24, 2001
Creator: Cox, William G. & Brown, Joseph B.
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Arwin Bowden, September 9, 2000 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Arwin Bowden, September 9, 2000

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Arwin Bowden. He begins by discussing his training in San Diego and New Zealand before the Battle of Tarawa. He describes being wounded in the battle, the casualties he saw and being shipped back to Pearl Harbor for treatment, then joining the battle of Saipan. He ancedotes about Japanese killing themselves rather than surrendering, eating food from a garden watered from rainwater running down from outhouses, the wages he made and the time he had leave.
Date: September 9, 2000
Creator: Bowden, Arwin
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with James Carnes, March 28, 2022 (open access)

Oral History Interview with James Carnes, March 28, 2022

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with James Carnes. Carnes joined the Navy in 1944 before he finished high school. In the Navy, he became a signalman and was assigned to USS Norton Sound (AVM-1). Carnes was aboard when the ship went to Okinawa, where he describes being attacked by kamikaze aircraft. When the war ended, Carnes went to Japan briefly before returning to the US and receiving his discharge.
Date: March 28, 2022
Creator: Carnes, James
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History

Oral History Interview with Fiske Hanley, October 13, 1999

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Transcript of an interview with Fiske Hanley, an aeronautical engineer and Army Air Forces veteran (398th Bomb Squadron, 504th Bomb Group, 313th Bomb Wing, 20th Air Force), concerning his experiences during World War II, including as a flight engineer aboard B-29s in the Pacific Theater and as a prisoner-of-war of the Japanese.
Date: October 13, 1999
Creator: Marcello, Ronald E. & Hanley, Fiske, II, 1920-
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Martin L. Allday, October 8, 1994

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Interview with Martin L. Allday, an Army WWII veteran from Austin, Texas. Allday discusses his experiences at the Battle of Okinawa, including being drafted and basic training, transiting the Pacific, assignment to the 96th Infantry Division and arrival on Okinawa, events of the fighting on the Shuri Line at Zebra Hill, being wounded, evacuation and recovery, returning to Okinawa, clean-up operations, souvenirs, and adjustment to civilian life. An appendix includes a letter typed by Allday for a panel discussion of the battle, a map of the battle from "The Second World War: a Complete History" by Martin Gilbert, a veteran's questionnaire from the Admiral Nimitz Museum he filled out, and a one-page biography.
Date: October 8, 1994
Creator: Marcello, Ronald E. & Allday, Martin L.
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with Arwin Bowden, March 9, 2000 transcript

Oral History Interview with Arwin Bowden, March 9, 2000

Interview with Arwin Bowden, a marine during World War II. He begins by discussing his training in San Diego and New Zealand before the Battle of Tarawa. He describes being wounded in the battle, the casualties he saw, and being shipped back to Pearl Harbor for treatment before joining the battle of Saipan. He describes ancedotes about Japanese killing themselves rather than surrendering, eating food from a garden watered from rainwater running down from outhouses, the wages he made, and the time he had leave.
Date: March 9, 2000
Creator: Cox, Floyd & Bowden, Arwin J.
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
The History of Destroyers Built in Orange, Texas During W. W. II (open access)

The History of Destroyers Built in Orange, Texas During W. W. II

This book discusses the naval base in Orange, Texas and shipbuilding activities, particularly focusing on World War II. It includes reprints of relevant newspaper articles, histories of action for ships built at the facility, articles on historical relevance and commemorative events, and information from other documentation.
Date: October 2002
Creator: Orange County Historical Society (Tex.)
Object Type: Book
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with H. L. Obermiller, April 30, 2004 transcript

Oral History Interview with H. L. Obermiller, April 30, 2004

Interview with H. L. Obermiller, a Pharmacist's Mate during World War II. He discusses his involvement in the Battles of Tarawa, Saipan and Tinian, where he served as a Pharmacist's Mate. He remembers having Spam for Thanksgiving, meeting Navajo code talkers, and writing letters home.
Date: April 30, 2004
Creator: Metzler, Ed & Obermiller, H. L.
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Carl Peltier, March 4, 2001 transcript

Oral History Interview with Carl Peltier, March 4, 2001

Interview with Carl Peltier, a U. S Marine during World War II. He begins by discussing his reaction to the attack on Pearl Harbor. He then joined the Marines when he was old enough. He trained in San Diego before shipping out to Hawaii where he joined the 2nd Marine Division. Further training included heavy weapons and mortars. Later, he landed on Saipan and describes his small arms and rations. He witnessed General Simon Buckner getting killed on Okinawa. He was later wounded on Okinawa. After the war ended, Peltier served in the Pentagon during the Korean War.
Date: March 4, 2001
Creator: Nichols, Chuck & Peltier, Carl
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Glenn G. Morgan, February 17, 2005 transcript

Oral History Interview with Glenn G. Morgan, February 17, 2005

Interview with Glenn G. Morgan, a bugler in the U. S. Navy during World War II. He was a bugler aboard the USS Indianapolis and experienced a kamikaze attack during the Okinawa campaign. He also describes transporting the crate that contained the first atomic bomb to Tinian, the ship's sinking, and the four days and five nights he spent in a life raft waiting to be rescued.
Date: February 17, 2005
Creator: Morris, Cork & Morgan, Glenn G.
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History

Oral History Interview with Lewis J. Michelony, Jr., May 2, 1993

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Interview with First Sergeant Lewis J. Michelony, Jr., a Marine Corps veteran, concerning his experiences in the Pacific Theater during World War II and the Korean War. Michelony discusses his assignment to the 6th Marines in 1943, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, and Tinian, as well as Korea and the Chosin Reservoir.
Date: May 2, 1993
Creator: Daniels, John D. (John David), 1946- & Michelony, Lewis. J., 1920-
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library