The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joe Rackley. Rackley was born in Nueces County, Texas, 26 April 1926. Graduating from high school in 1943, he was drafted into the Army and sent to Camp Wolters, Texas for basic training. Upon completion of basic he was sent to Camp Stoneman, California and went aboard the USS General John Pope (AP-110) for a 31 day trip to New Guinea. He was assigned to the 37th Infantry Division, 145th Infantry Regiment as a combat radio operator in the headquarters section to serve as radioman for the company commander. He landed at Bougainville and describes the difficulties encountered in landing, the heavy rains that fell and the high number of casualties. During January 1945, the division landed on Luzon unopposed with orders to recapture General MacArthur’s former residence. Rackley remembers being ordered to take Bilibid Prison in Manila and he tells of the condition of some of the former prisoners. After spending two weeks retaking Clark Field they were ordered to conduct mop-up operations. Rackley recalls heavy fighting during the operation and mentions his captain being seriously wounded as he used the radio. He recalls receiving a radio …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joe Rackley. Rackley was born in Nueces County, Texas, 26 April 1926. Graduating from high school in 1943, he was drafted into the Army and sent to Camp Wolters, Texas for basic training. Upon completion of basic he was sent to Camp Stoneman, California and went aboard the USS General John Pope (AP-110) for a 31 day trip to New Guinea. He was assigned to the 37th Infantry Division, 145th Infantry Regiment as a combat radio operator in the headquarters section to serve as radioman for the company commander. He landed at Bougainville and describes the difficulties encountered in landing, the heavy rains that fell and the high number of casualties. During January 1945, the division landed on Luzon unopposed with orders to recapture General MacArthur’s former residence. Rackley remembers being ordered to take Bilibid Prison in Manila and he tells of the condition of some of the former prisoners. After spending two weeks retaking Clark Field they were ordered to conduct mop-up operations. Rackley recalls heavy fighting during the operation and mentions his captain being seriously wounded as he used the radio. He recalls receiving a radio …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Emmett Prothero. Prothero joined the Citizen Military Training Camp in 1937 for basic flight training, and received his commission into the Army Air Corps in April of 1941. He graduated from Brooks Field with his pilot’s license as second lieutenant. Prothero joined the 2nd Bomb Group, and served as a test pilot, flying B-18s, B-23s, B-26s B-29s and LB-30s. He flew missions throughout the US, over the Atlantic, Australia, India, Panama, the Philippines and Kobe, Japan. He was discharged in June of 1946. He then served with the Naval Reserves until 1962.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Emmett Prothero. Prothero joined the Citizen Military Training Camp in 1937 for basic flight training, and received his commission into the Army Air Corps in April of 1941. He graduated from Brooks Field with his pilot’s license as second lieutenant. Prothero joined the 2nd Bomb Group, and served as a test pilot, flying B-18s, B-23s, B-26s B-29s and LB-30s. He flew missions throughout the US, over the Atlantic, Australia, India, Panama, the Philippines and Kobe, Japan. He was discharged in June of 1946. He then served with the Naval Reserves until 1962.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Henry Jennings. Jennings joined the Army Air Forces in September, 1942 and trained at Wichita Falls. He eventually became a flight engineer on B-26 bombers. Jennings recalls several anecdotes about his time in the service.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Daryl Haerther. Haerther joined the Army in 1944 and was assigned to the 96th Infantry Division a few days after the beginning of the invasion of Okinawa. He was assigned to A Company, 383rd Infantry Regiment. While there, Haerther qualified as a medic and shares several anecdotes from his combat experiences. Eventaully, Haerther was wounded and evacuated to Guam. He was still in the hospital when the war ended and Haerther elected to be discharged in December 1945. Haerther indicates he continues to struggle later in life as a result of some of his combat experiences.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ralph Nelson Smith. Smith joined the Merchant Marines in the spring of 1945 at the age of 17. Upon completion of training at Catalina Island, which included hand-to-hand combat and jumping into flaming gasoline-covered water, he was assigned to the SS H. Weir Cook (1944) as a messman and storekeeper. In August 1945, he sailed out of San Francisco in blackout conditions but soon learned of the Japanese surrender. Despite that, the ship was targeted by torpedoes that narrowly missed. One night, Smith awoke to find the ship engulfed in flames, which threatened to detonate their 690 tons of dynamite on board until the fire was put out. For his return to the States, Smith boarded a freighter packed with 5,280 men. Rather than waiting in the four-hour chow lines, Smith subsisted off peanuts and fruit, losing 20 pounds in two weeks. He was disappointed that although the Merchant Marines suffered such high casualties rates, survivors were essentially not considered true servicemen, receiving no benefits such as clothing, transportation, or medical care upon their return.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Vic Niemeyer. Niemeyer was born in Houston, Texas on 28 September 1919. Graduating from the University of Texas in June 1941, he entered the Naval Reserve Officers Training School at Northwestern University in Chicago in September. Receiving a commission upon graduation in January 1942 he went to New London, Connecticut and reported aboard the USS R-18 (SS-95), a World War I submarine. Niemeyer recalls going to sea two days after arriving, trying to learn the functions of a submarine and getting seasick while doing so. In May they departed for Bermuda and he remembers the boat being attacked by an American plane that dropped a bomb near them. The near miss damaged the boat requiring numerous repairs. In February 1944, Niemeyer reported aboard the USS Seacat (SS-399) and was assigned as officer of the deck. He tells of the first war patrol during which they sunk a tanker and recalls being on three more patrols and describes the types of ships that were sunk.