The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Alton Halbrook. Halbrook joined the Marine Corps in 1938 while enrolled at John Tarleton Agricultural College (Tarleton State University). After training at San Diego, Halbrook was assigned to duty in Shanghai before serving as a sea-going Marine aboard the USS Augusta (CA-31). Due to seasickness, he returned to the 4th Marine Regiment in China. Halbrook shares several stories of duty in China prior to the outbreak of war with Japan. When he asked permission to marry a Greek girl in Shanghai, the Marines shipped him to Cavite in the Philippines in early 1941. Halkbrook was present at the Cavite Navy Yard when the Japanese attacked in December, 1941. He recalls being supremely confident, cocky even, that when it came to a fight with the Japanese, the Americans would prevail easily. His illusion was shattered the day following the attack on Cavite when he was burying his dead friends. During the battle for Bataas, Halbrook hauled supplies from Manila until he was assigned to beach defense on Corregidor. Before Bataan fell, Halbrook volunteered to command a hastily organized unit of Philippine Army riflemen and went back to Bataan. He …