The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Earle M. Craig, Jr. Born in 1924, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps. He earned his wings in 1944 at the age of 19. He shares an anecdote about being summoned to see the Base Commander during his basic training in Sherman, Texas. After training and serving as a flight instructor, he was assigned to the 507th Fighter Group. He went overseas on a CVE in early 1945. He flew from Saipan with about 72 other planes in a single mass formation over 1,400 miles of water to Ie Shima. He describes the flying conditions and equipment. He flew combat air patrols and escorted B-24’s, Navy photographic planes, and PBYs. He talks about their instructions in the eventuality that they went down over land. He describes witnessing the atomic bomb at Nagasaki while flying over the east coast of Kyushu. He also witnessed the Japanese Delegation as they were transferred to US C-54 transports on Ie Shima en route to Manila. He provides a general discussion of various planes. He talks in more detail about outbound and return flights as well as navigation techniques, incuding the circular …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with James C. Nolan. Nolan joined the Navy on October 19, 1943. He completed Landing Craft School, and served as Landing Craft Coxswain, Seaman First-Class aboard the USS Pierce (APA-50). They traveled to Kwajalein, Palaus, Guadalcanal, Leyte, New Guinea, Lingayen Gulf, Subic Bay and Okinawa. Nolan made eight total landings aboard landing craft boat number 13. He recalls his combat experiences landing on Leyte on October 20, 1944 in the third wave. After the war ended, the Pierce traveled to Seoul, Korea and Japan to pick up and transfer troops back to the U.S. He received his discharge on January 26, 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Gallant. Gallant was commissioned as an Army Infantry Officer in 1940 and was transferred to the Army Air Forces to serve as an Administration Officer. He discusses his duties at Randolph and Foster fields as a part of flight training. Gallant once was flown by a WASP and from one field to another. He was sent to China in 1945 to join the 327th Troop Carrier Squadron. Gallant tells how his flight over the Himalaya Mountains was delayed for two weeks due to bad weather. He describes how the Chinese people treated the American servicemen. Gallant discusses how his unit adopted an orphaned Chinese boy and raised a bear. He details the reception that his unit received when returning to the States. Gallant left active duty soon after, but remained in the reserves.