The National museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Allen Stafford. Stafford enlisted in the Army in January 1941. Once the war got started, Stafford found himself as an infantry instructor in Brownsville, Texas. He went overseas with the 124th Cavalry Regiment in 1943 to India for training before being deployed to Burma. He relates an anecdote about driving 500 mules from the docks at Bombay to the 124th encampment 18 miles inland. Stafford also reads excerpts from his personal journal and discusses the raid on the airport at Myitkyina. Later in the campaign, Stafford was wounded. After evacuation and stays in hospitals in India, he returned to New York in August, 1945.

Video footage from a symposium sponsored by the National Museum of the Pacific War entitled Turning to Victory discussing the events that changed the course of the war. This video contains a continuation of a panel held on the second day of the symposium featuring Edwin Simmons, Judge Blair Reeves, Martin Clemons, Mr. Martel, Mike Ryan and David Richardson.

Video footage from a symposium sponsored by the National Museum of the Pacific War entitled 1942: Issue in Doubt discussing the events following the attack on Pearl Harbor and the War in the Pacific. This video features remarks given by John Castello, Col. Arthur Poindexter, Col. Donald Wills, Frank Ficklin and Hattie Brantley.

Video footage from a symposium sponsored by the National Museum of the Pacific War entitled Turning to Victory discussing the events that changed the course of the war. This video contains speeches by Frank Truemain, Joesph Galloway, Jerry Brockner and Charles Ricks, as well as the closing of the symposium and the dismissal of the colors.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Olson. Olson joined the Army as an Infantry officer in June 1940 after graduating from West Point. He was assigned to the Philippines, at Fort McKinley, with the 57th Infantry Regiment. Olson was among those who surrendered to the Japanese and endured the Bataan Death March. At the prisoner-of-war camp, the Japanese assigned administrative duties to Olson. When prisoners were moved to another camp, Olson stayed behind and tended to those too weak to travel. Olson was then sent to work at a factory in Japan. After the armistice, Olson persuaded the guards to let him travel to Osaka with a Nisei. During his travels, he stayed in the Emperor’s suite at the Miyako hotel in Kyoto, which was occupied entirely by the American military. While there, he arranged for the liberation of his camp and was assigned to coordinate the evacuation of other camps. Olson returned home and enjoyed a long and prestigious career with the military. He retired in 1982 as the vice president of international development for Black and Veatch.

Video footage from a symposium sponsored by the National Museum of the Pacific War entitled "The Lessons Learned" discussing United States military preparedness from 1941 to 1988. This recording features remarks given by General Gayla, Admiral Abbot, Joe Alexander, General Bowser, John Olson, John Lunstrum and Tex Hill before being opened up to audience questions.

Video footage from a symposium sponsored by the National Museum of the Pacific War entitled "December 7, 1941": Part One: The Gathering Storm, discussing the events leading to the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. This recording contains the afternoon session of day 2 of the symposium, including a speech by Dan Martinez.

Video footage from a symposium sponsored by the National Museum of the Pacific War entitled 1942: Issue in Doubt discussing the events following the attack on Pearl Harbor and the War in the Pacific. This video shows the beginning of the symposium, including remarks by Bruce Smith, Paul Stillwell and Keynote speaker Admiral Thomas Moore. Other speakers include Walt Whitman Rowstow and John Castello.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Baine Kerr. Kerr was born in Rusk, Texas on 24 August 1919 and entered law school upon graduation from the University of Texas in March 1939. While in law school, he joined the Marine Corps Reserve. In April 1942 he was called to active duty and attended officer training at Quantico, Virginia. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines located at Camp Elliott. He recalls several anecdotes concerning his time in New Zealand. In December 1942 his regiment arrived on Guadalcanal. His regiment moved across the island to clear out the remaining Japanese. Kerr was shot in the leg in an ambush and was evacuated to a field hospital in Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides. Next he was transferred to a hospital in Auckland, New Zealand and contracted malaria, which extended his stay for three months. Upon release, Kerr remained in New Zealand serving as the executive officer of a company conducting amphibious training with rubber boats. In late November 1943, his unit went to Tarawa and landed on Betio Island on D+1. Kerr recalls his battalion’s advance across the southern portion of the island and an …

Video footage from a symposium sponsored by the National Museum of the Pacific War entitled 1942: Issue in Doubt discussing the events following the attack on Pearl Harbor and the War in the Pacific. This video features a continuation of Arimas recollection told by John Lundstrom, followed by remarks given by Donald Goldstein, Evan Barnet and James Kincaid.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Frederick W. Rosen. Rosen was born in Kings County, New York 9 September 1917. Graduating from the University of Georgia in 1939 he entered the US Navy in 1941. In October 1942 he reported for duty at the Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Center, Melville, Rhode Island, where he met John F. Kennedy. Upon completion of the limited training he was assigned captain of PT-207 in Squadron 15. He tells of the boats being loaded onto the USS Housatonic (AO-35) and taken to Gibraltar. Rosen relates his experiences while based in Bizerte, Tunisia, Palermo, Sicily and Maddalena, Sardinia. He describes in detail participating in a multi-boat attack on a German convoy which resulted in damage to his boat. In May 1944, Rosen returned to the United States. He was then assigned as gunnery officer on the USS Randolph (CV-15) and he tells of the ship being hit by a kamikaze. His next assignment was to the USS Noble (APA-218), which participated in the invasion of Okinawa. Following the Japanese surrender, the ship was sent to Korea and China to pick up Allied prisoners of war and he relates several …

Video footage from a symposium sponsored by the National Museum of the Pacific War entitled But Not in Shame discussing men who were Prisoners of War in Japan during World War Two. This video contains remarks given by Admiral Grojean, Marty Marshall, Margaret Gillooly, Inez Jongenburger and Morris Shoss.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Gill. Gill was born in Pennsylvania 21 July 1920. He attended Pennsylvania State College and graduated in December 1942. He then reported to Ft Benning, Georgia to attend Infantry Officers Candidate School. Upon graduation in March 1943 he was commissioned and assigned to the 98th Infantry Division at Camp Breckenridge, Kentucky. While there he was assigned as an air-ground umpire during maneuvers and he explains the functions of those assigned to this position. In early 1944 the unit went to Camp Stoneman, California where they boarded the USS General W.M. Black (AP-135) where they joined the 304th Infantry Regiment for a trip to Honolulu. Upon their arrival, the unit maintained defensive positions among the islands. In 1945 after receiving advanced training for the invasion of Japan, they began loading the ships for the invasion. When the war ended, the division became part of Operation BLACKLIST and proceeded to Wakayana, Japan. Soon after his arrival, he was assigned to his regiment’s ordnance company to supervise the collection and destruction of Japanese weapons. In October, Gill reported to the US Army War Crimes Legal Section in Tokyo. He investigated …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Glen McDole. McDole was born in Orleans, Nebraska 6 February 1921 and after graduating from high school, enlisted in the Marine Corps in the fall of 1940. Following basic training, he went to Cavite Navy Yard where he performed security guard duties as a member of the 1st Separate Marine Battalion. The battalion was moved to Corregidor Island after the Japanese began attacking the Philippines. There, he was in close contact with General MacArthur. He witnessed MacArthur’s evacuation with General Wainwright assuming command. McDole describes his close proximity to Wainwright and the eventual surrender of Corregidor. He describes his ordeal as a prisoner of war over the next few years, including building a large, concrete Japanese runway in the village of Puerto Princesa on the Philippine island of Palawan. During this time he endured an emergency appendectomy with no anesthesia and no infection-fighting drugs. He also describes the events of 14 December 1944 when the Japanese killed 139 of the 150 remaining prisoners on Palawan, by burning many of them alive. He managed to escape and find refuge among friendly villagers, and eventually was evacuated from the Philippines …

Video footage from a symposium sponsored by the National Museum of the Pacific War entitled Turning to Victory discussing the events that changed the course of the war. This video contains footage of Norman Hatch, David Richardson and Frank Tremain.