The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bernard McKeone. McKeone was born in Omaha, Nebraska on 29 September 1927. In 1944 he joined the Marine Corps and went to San Diego for two months of boot camp followed by a period of training as a mortar man. Assigned to the 2nd Marine Division, 8th Marine Regiment, he boarded the USS Collins (AP-147) bound for Tinian. He landed on the island by means of an LCVP. McKeone recalls a personal encounter where he captured a Japanese soldier. Telling of his landing on Okinawa, he remembers the enemy launching banzai charges at night. After Okinawa was secured, the division returned to Saipan.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Herb Stern. Stern was born in Berlin, Germany in October 1919. His father was imprisoned by the Nazis and Stern immigrated to the United States in 1936. After completing high school, he attended the University of Cincinnati for four years. He was drafted into the Army in June 1941 and sent to Camp Lee, Virginia for basic training. From there he was assigned as a medic to the 9th Infantry Division. The division made practice landings at Solomons, Maryland. In October 1942 the division went to Morocco. Being fluent in German, Stern was assigned to G-2 (intelligence) to interrogate of German prisoners of war. He was then assigned to the Free French forces and worked with the medical battalions near the front lines. He interrogated a large number of prisoners captured in Bizerte, Tunisia. After spending time in Palermo, Sicily, he went to Liverpool, England where he was trained at a British Intelligence school. When his training was completed, he was sent to various units to give instructions in intelligence gathering. Stern landed at Utah Beach three days after the initial invasion and advanced to the Hurtgen Forest, …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Velmer Steckman. Steckman was born in Mountain Lake, Minnesota on 1 May 1923. After high school, he attended Itasca Junior College in Grand Rapids, Minnesota until 1942. At that time he joined the Army Air Corps and was sent to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. He then went to the University of Minnesota and after six weeks of indoctrination he was selected to attend bombardier school in Texas. Upon graduating, he reported to the Tonopah Army Air Field in Nevada, where he began training in B-24 bombers and working with a Norden bombsight. Steckman recalls that the bomber crew went aboard a troop ship and arrived in England in June 1944. Steckman was assigned to the 458th Bomb Group. He describes some of the thirty-six missions he flew and some of the action he encountered including a Messerschmitt M-262 German jet fighter. Steckman returned to the United States in 1945 and began training as a pilot. He concludes the narrative by telling of some of his other experiences during his 26 year career in the Air Force.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bernard McKeone. McKeone was born in Omaha, Nebraska on 29 September 1927. In 1944 he joined the Marine Corps and went to San Diego for two months of boot camp followed by a period of training as a mortar man. Assigned to the 2nd Marine Division, 8th Marine Regiment, he boarded the USS Collins (AP-147) bound for Tinian. He landed on the island by means of an LCVP. McKeone recalls a personal encounter where he captured a Japanese soldier. Telling of his landing on Okinawa, he remembers the enemy launching banzai charges at night. After Okinawa was secured, the division returned to Saipan.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Herb Stern. Stern was born in Berlin, Germany in October 1919. His father was imprisoned by the Nazis and Stern immigrated to the United States in 1936. After completing high school, he attended the University of Cincinnati for four years. He was drafted into the Army in June 1941 and sent to Camp Lee, Virginia for basic training. From there he was assigned as a medic to the 9th Infantry Division. The division made practice landings at Solomons, Maryland. In October 1942 the division went to Morocco. Being fluent in German, Stern was assigned to G-2 (intelligence) to interrogate of German prisoners of war. He was then assigned to the Free French forces and worked with the medical battalions near the front lines. He interrogated a large number of prisoners captured in Bizerte, Tunisia. After spending time in Palermo, Sicily, he went to Liverpool, England where he was trained at a British Intelligence school. When his training was completed, he was sent to various units to give instructions in intelligence gathering. Stern landed at Utah Beach three days after the initial invasion and advanced to the Hurtgen Forest, …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Velmer Steckman. Steckman was born in Mountain Lake, Minnesota on 1 May 1923. After high school, he attended Itasca Junior College in Grand Rapids, Minnesota until 1942. At that time he joined the Army Air Corps and was sent to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. He then went to the University of Minnesota and after six weeks of indoctrination he was selected to attend bombardier school in Texas. Upon graduating, he reported to the Tonopah Army Air Field in Nevada, where he began training in B-24 bombers and working with a Norden bombsight. Steckman recalls that the bomber crew went aboard a troop ship and arrived in England in June 1944. Steckman was assigned to the 458th Bomb Group. He describes some of the thirty-six missions he flew and some of the action he encountered including a Messerschmitt M-262 German jet fighter. Steckman returned to the United States in 1945 and began training as a pilot. He concludes the narrative by telling of some of his other experiences during his 26 year career in the Air Force.