The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Charles Petty. Petty joined the Navy in January of 1944. He was sent to Kansas University for electrician???s school. Beginning December of 1944, he served aboard the USS LST-913. They traveled to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Guam, Saipan, the Philippines and Okinawa. They transported a replacement LCT, and other military supplies. During the Battle of Okinawa they landed Marine troops and their equipment on the island. He describes this event, including some of their casualties during landing and the protective fire of the battleships in their flotilla. Petty served as the head electrician aboard the LST, working in the engine room with generators to operate the gun sights and all electrical equipment. In August of 1945, during V-J Day, they were in Japan and Petty provides some of his experiences there, and what the area looked like after the atomic bomb. He was transferred over to USS LST-990 and they traveled to Terminal Island, California. Morris provides some detail of an LST and their armament, as well as the flotilla his crew was a part of. He was discharged in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Jim Wood. Wood joined the Marine Corps in January 1943 after graduating from the University of Illinois. Following special training near Camp Pendleton, Wood joined the 3rd Raider Battalion for further training in New Caledonia. His first campaign was Bougainville, where the dense jungle made it difficult to spot enemies until they were dangerously close. Wood, a rifleman, was permitted to carry a Thompson machinegun after his assistant squad leader was killed. On Guam, his platoon lost 15 men. He landed at Okinawa with little resistance but in his 15-mile walk across the island he came under heavy fire emanating from enormous caves. By this time, his unit had become part of the 4th Marines, and Wood was the last man standing in his platoon, with 21 kills and only a minor shell fragment wound. He finished the war as a squad leader at Yokosuka Naval Base as part of the occupation force and was personally saluted by Nimitz.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Leo Itz. Itz was given a one-year exemption in order to help his father on the farm before he was drafted into the Army in March 1945. He was trained in demolitions at Fort Lewis and sent to Luzon to join the 395th Infantry Regiment. Before shipping out to the Philippines, he was assigned to work at Del Monte Foods in California, due to the labor shortage. During his voyage overseas, the war ended. Itz was tasked with guarding an ammunition dump outside of Clark Field. Armed only with an unloaded rifle, he came under fire when Japanese holdouts were raiding the dump. He returned safely to his bunk, only to discover a putrid smell. In the ground beneath him was a shallow grave. In August 1945, Itz was granted a dependency discharge upon learning that his father had suffered a heart attack. He returned to the States in December.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with William McLemore. McLemore joined the Navy in March of 1934. Beginning in November he served aboard the USS Augusta (CA-31), with Chester Nimitz as the Commanding Officer. McLemore???s job was swabbing down the decks and serving as twin 50mm gunner. They traveled to Chang Jiang, China, Shanghai, the Solomon Islands, the Philippines and Australia. He provides some details of his experiences in China and Australia. He was discharged from the Navy as Seaman First Class in 1938 and reenlisted as a coxswain in May of 1942. He was assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 8 aboard PT-121, and operated on the south coast of New Britain. Their boat was destroyed by Australian aircraft on 27 March 1944. He later served aboard the liberty ship SS John B. Floyd as a coxswain. They traveled to Cairns, Australia. He was discharged in December of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ed Knipper. Knipper joined the Army Air Forces in 1942. He earned his wings in June 1944 and began training in B-17s and B-29s. After deploying to Guam in February 1945, he joined the 3rd Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, whose missions included dropping propaganda leaflets. Knipper transferred to the 499th Bomb Group at Saipan. After Iwo Jima was secured, Knipper flew bombing missions over Yokohama, Kobe, Osaka and Tokyo. Following the Japanese surrender, Knipper flew humanitarian missions over POW camps, dropping food, clothing and medical supplies. He was discharged into the Reserves and earned his Master's Degree on the GI Bill.

Transcript of an oral interview with Jack Puryear. Puryear went into the Navy in 1943 and wound up in aerial photography, training at Pensacola, Florida. Upon completing training, Puryear shipped out to Guadalcanal and joined Fleet Aerial Photo Squadron One. He describes photographing Guam, Tinian and Saipan prior to the invasion of the Mariana Islands. He relates a stroy in which Admiral Halsey gave him a ride on Guadalcanal. Puryear tells a story also about photographing the Palau Islands prior to the invasion. His unit was recalled back to the US for refitting, and when they returned to the Pacific Theater of Operations, they were stationed at Guam. Once the airfield at Okinawa was secure, elements of Puryears photo reconnaisance squadron moved there to photograph the main Japanese Islands in advance of the planned invasion. He also tells about flying out of Okinawa ahead of a typhoon and getting caught in it on their way to Guam. Puryear went back to the US in March, 1946 and went into the Naval Reserve. He was commissioned and served as a supply officer and was recalled for the war in Korea. He then went to supply school in New Jersey before serving …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Russell Barager. Barager joined the Navy in October of 1944 after spending a year in the Merchant Marine. He was assigned to USS LSM-326 and served in the deck department. Barager mentions delivering supplies to Saipan and the Philippines. He discusses landing Marines in the eleventh wave on Okinawa. Barager describes feeling the impact of a kamikaze landing in the water nearby and firing on another that hit a cruiser. His ship was caught in a major typhoon when it was headed to Japan after the war. He was discharged in June of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ronald Jones. Jones joined the Navy in 1943 and received basic training in Illinois. He received advanced sonar training in San Diego and preliminary radar training at Mare Island, in case he would be needed as a replacement aboard ship. Upon completion, he was assigned to the USS Callaghan (DD-792) as the captain’s talker. His ship provided fire support at the Marshall Islands, Saipan, and Guam, protecting against enemy submarines and airplanes, and also firing at Japanese positions on land. He recalls running short on supplies when taking over the patrol of a damaged sister ship, and that the food shortage wasn’t remedied until there was a change of command some months later. At Okinawa his ship was sunk by a kamikaze, and Jones was nearly sucked into the propellers of the rescue ship, which fortunately reversed its propellers and washed him out at the last minute. While he was in the Philippines awaiting new orders, the atomic bombs were dropped. Jones returned home and was discharged in 1946. Jones returned home and was discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Edgar E. Howard. Howard was born 26 April 1924 in Nashville, Indiana. After one year in ROTC at Indiana University, he was drafted into the Army in April 1943. He was assigned to the 69th Infantry Division at Camp Shelby, Mississippi as a tech sergeant. His duties during the year that he was stationed there involved training replacement personnel. His division shipped to Cheltenham, England in February 1944 where he was reassigned to a clerical position in the 29th Machine Records Unit and trained in the operation of IBM punch-card machines being used to keep track of replacement personnel in the European Theater of Operations. Following D-Day, in July or August 1944, he was transferred to Paris with his unit. Howard describes several anecdotes recalling his time in Paris, including meeting Jimmy Doolittle at Allied Headquarters and sightseeing in the city. He embarked on a ship in Marseilles, France in January 1946 for the return to the States and was discharged in February.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joseph F. Williams. Williams was born 7 December 1921 in New Orleans. After being drafted into the US Army on 23 February 1943 he took basic training at Fort McClellan, Alabama for three months. Williams was then sent to Fort Dix, New Jersey where he was assigned to a headquarters company in the Quartermaster Corps. There he received driver training for various vehicles. On 18 January 1944 he sailed to Belfast, Ireland. In July 1944 he landed at Cherbourg, France with the 4029th Quartermaster Truck Company, a segregated unit. There his unit joined the 3rd Army and transported infantry to participate in the battle for Saint Lo, France. He saw General Patton on a weekly basis and recalls witnessing an incident where he demoted a colonel to sergeant because he had stopped a column of trucks hauling gasoline to his tankers. He was subjected to strafing and shelling by German aircraft and artillery on a regular basis. Williams remembers as Allied Forces advanced, German soldiers, some as young as twelve years of age, surrendered. He transported loads of prisoners back to secured areas. He describes being in a …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Wesley Fronk. Fronk joined the Army Air Forces in December 1942 after starting college at the University of North Dakota and working as a mechanic for Lockheed. He received basic training in Fresno and was sent to engineering and operations clerical school. Upon completion, he was assigned to the 347th Airdrome Squadron. He was sent to India, where his unit supported the 4th Combat Cargo Squadron, 1st Combat Cargo Group. In his spare time, he helped build engines on the flight line. His unit dropped aerial supplies to British troops in Burma, American mountainside detachments, and the OSS. Supplies for Chinese troops included oats for their mules, since they had no motor vehicles. These missions were flown in C-47s, and after the war the unit switched to the larger C-46s, moving Chinese Nationalist troops to where they would face off against the Chinese Communists. Fronk returned home and was discharged in December 1945. He began a civilian career with the Department of Defense and retired after 48 years of service.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Newsom. Newsom joined the Army Air Forces in 1942. He served with the 303rd Airdrome Squadron, 751st Bomb Squadron. They traveled to New Guinea, Leyte, Mindanao, Luzon and Manila. Newsome serviced B-25s, helped build airstrips and revetments for planes, as well as loading B-25s with bombs and ammunition prior to takeoff. Newsom shares his experience combatting Japanese soldiers on the islands, kamikaze attacks and bombing raids at night. He continued his service after the war.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Joseph O???Malley. O???Malley was drafted into the Army in 1943. In March of 1944 he was sent for airborne training at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. He fought with the 84th Infantry Division in Germany and Belgium, pushing forward from Geilenkirchen, Germany in November, 1944 to Schnackenburg, Germany and ultimately contacting the Russian Army on the Elbe River in April, 1945. O'Malley spoke fluent German and served as an Army interpreter. He was honorably discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Kenneth Schuck. Schuck joined the Army Corps of Engineers in 1943. He completed Officer Candidate School and was assigned to the Engineer Aviation Training Detachment. He learned how to build roads and airports. Schuck was a platoon commander in the 1902nd Engineer Aviation Battalion. In the spring of 1945 they traveled to Ie Shima and completed work on an airfield. Schuck describes his work and experiences on this island, as well as what he witnessed as the Battle of Okinawa began. After the war was over, they traveled to Japan and built an airfield there. His unit was disbanded and he was assigned to the 808th Engineer Battalion. They completed an airdrome on the west side of Tokyo Bay. He was discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Harold Massey. Massey joined the Army Air Forces in January of 1942. In the summer of 1943 he worked as a B-24 flight instructor. He was transferred to Savannah, Georgia to work as a test pilot, and shares some stories of his experiences. Massey flew around 43 different models of military aircraft, which included a few civilian airplanes. He was discharged in June of 1946. He then completed an engine mechanics school, completed certification as a civilian flight instructor and worked as a mechanic at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo. He provides some details of the variations between the B-29, B-24 and B-17. Massey was recalled in August of 1948 and retired a Colonel from the US Air Force after 30 years of service.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Bond. Bond joined the Navy in early 1943 and received basic training in San Diego. Upon completion, he was assigned to USS Callaghan (DD-792), where he ran the handling room, sending ammunition up the hoist. He also was coxswain of a 26-foot gig that would be sent out from the main ship periodically. On night voyages he would communicate with the ship using a bell. He endured a perilous typhoon in the China Sea that lasted three days and caused the ship to roll 62 degrees. At Okinawa he traveled 40 miles in heavy fog to retrieve mail; when he returned, the ship was gone, and he had no choice but to wait for its return. He captured prisoners of war from a sunken Japanese patrol boat; upon returning to the Callaghan, Bond placed the prisoners in a mail bag and sent them across a line to USS Ticonderoga (CV-14). Within an hour of the Callaghan’s anticipated departure for the United States, the ship was damaged irreparably by a kamikaze attack. Bond leapt overboard and was rescued by USS Prichett (DD-561). He suffered extensive injuries from the …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John McKillican. McKillican was born in Burbank, California. Quitting high school, he worked at a ranch until he joined the Navy at seventeen years old. He was sent to Farragut, Idaho for eight weeks of boot training followed by sixteen weeks at the Navy Signal School at San Diego. He then reported to Oceanside, California where he joined a ten man communication team assigned to the 5th Marine Division. After three months of simulated landings along the California coast the team was sent to Hawaii where they trained with the Marines. In December 1944 the unit boarded the USS Rutland (APA-192), bound for Iwo Jima. He graphically describes landing on Red Beach 1 with the Marines amid the Japanese artillery and mortar fire as death and destruction unfolded around him. McKillican’s unit set up a ship-to-shore communication center in a captured enemy pill box. After eight days ashore the unit went aboard ship and proceeded to Espiritu Santo for R & R. Soon thereafter, the unit proceeded to Okinawa. While there, Japan surrendered. He tells of the ship being in Tokyo Bay during the signing of the Peace …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with David Greathouse. During the war, Greathouse spent summers in the scouts and junior ROTC program. After making regimental commander at age 15, he became an unofficial member of the Texas State Guard, even providing marksmanship instruction. At home, food was in short supply and Greathouse worked various jobs to help support his family. He recalls the war effort went so far as to include propaganda printed on chewing gum wrappers. With the draft looming, Greathouse joined the Navy in February 1946. Following in the footsteps of his father, who was commanding officer at a Navy rifle range, Greathouse was designated as company commander, overseeing 180 men at boot camp. He went on to earn a Master's Degree in electrical engineering at the Naval Academy and retired after 26 years of service.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Alden. Alden was born in San Diego, California on 23 October 1921. While attending Cornell University he entered the US Navy V-7 Program. Upon graduating from Cornell he was ordered to attend Midshipman School at Columbia University. While there he was hospitalized for an extended period of time. Later, Alden was ordered to Midshipman’s School at Notre Dame University. Upon graduating in September 1943, he was sent to Diesel school at Cornell University. When he completed the course, he was selected for the Submarine Service and reported to the Naval Submarine Base in Groton, Connecticut. Alden received training aboard the USS Pike (SS-173) and the USS Cachalot (SS-170) before being assigned as communications officer on the USS Lamprey (SS-372). During January 1945 the boat arrived in Saipan where they began patrol duties. He describes encounters with Chinese junks during these patrols. During their third patrol they were notified the Japanese surrendered and they returned to Subic Bay. The USS Lamprey was then ordered to return to the United States where it was placed into the mothball fleet. Alden concludes the interview by telling of his various assignments …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Lyle Bradley. Bradley was born in Key West, Iowa on 22 November 1924. After graduating from the University of Dubuque, in 1942 he joined the Navy and went to Aberdeen, South Dakota where he began his initial pilot training. He was stationed at several airfields and flew various aircraft prior to going to Pensacola Naval Air Station, Florida where he received his wings in April 1944. After taking advanced training in the F4F Wildcat fighter he was sent to California where he began flying the F4U Corsair. Upon becoming carrier qualified Bradley reported VMF-123 aboard the USS Bennington (CV-20). On one combat mission, his flight received credit for destroying ten kamikaze aircraft on the ground. He also tells of a mission during which he shot down a Japanese fighter plane. He remembers being in a typhoon in 1945 in which a number of US ships sank. Following the Surrender of Japan, Bradley was discharged but remained in the Naval Reserve. He was recalled to active service during the Korean War and joined VMF-214 in Japan. He describes some of the actions in which he was involved including a …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ray Christensen. Christensen was born in Henry, South Dakota in December 1917. He joined the Navy in September 1941 and went to Great lakes Naval Training Station, Chicago, Illinois for boot training. Upon completion he reported aboard the USS Colorado (BB-45) at Bremerton, Washington. He tells of the ship taking part in the bombardment of Tarawa. After returning to the United States for overhaul, the ship took part in the invasion of several islands including Tinian. While bombarding Tinian, the ship was hit by Japanese shore batteries resulting in numerous casualties. Christensen recalls that after being repaired in the United States the Colorado participated in the invasion of Leyte. During this time the ship was hit by two kamikaze aircraft, which resulted in numerous deaths and injuries. After repairs at Manus Island the ship participated in the bombardment of Lingayen Gulf. During this operation the ship was hit by accidental shelling by the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) resulting in many casualties. The ship also participated in the invasion of Okinawa and Christensen saw people jumping off cliffs to avoid capture during this operation.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John McAuliffe. McAuliffe was drafted into the Army after finishing college in June 1944. He trained in Georgia and then was shipped to France in early 1945. He joined the 347th Infantry Regiment, 87th Infantry Division as a replacement in a heavy weapons platoon in the middle of January near the Saar River. He relates a few anecdotes about his combat experiences and the cold weather. When the war ended in Germany, McAuliffe stayed on occupation duty for a while before returning to the US and getting discharged in November, 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Bland. Bland joined the Navy in April of 1944. He served as Signalman Third-Class aboard the SS Francis Preston Blair (1943). They traveled to Australia, New Zealand, India and Manila picking up and delivering cargo. Bland served aboard the ship until it got stranded on Saumarez Reef in the Coral Sea during a cyclone in 1945. Bland continued his service after the war ended, receiving his discharge in May of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Comet. Comet, the son of a coal miner, left school in the eighth grade and entered the workforce after his father suffered a debilitating injury. When Comet initially volunteered for the Navy, he was refused because his family depended on him. In 1943, he successfully enlisted and was sent to gunnery school. Upon completion, he was assigned to USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413) as the pointer on a gun crew. Traveling through a typhoon en route to the Philippines, Comet scrambled to secure a loose gun on the deck. While on patrol duty, the ship engaged enemy vessels, and Comet fired upon their spotter planes. When the ship took multiple hits and was sunk at the Battle off Samar, Comet rescued an officer and abandoned ship. He played dead in the water, still under fire. Comet was rescued two days later and reassigned to the Puget Sound ammunition depot until his discharge in May 1946.