The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John G. Solis of Irving, Texas. He discusses enlisting in the U.S. Navy on September 17, 1942, and was sent to the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas for bootcamp. In bootcamp Mr. Solis talks about learning to shoot rifles by shooting clay pigeons and presentations held to teach how to identify enemy aircraft. While learning to fly, Mr. Solis was assigned to Bombing Squadron 1. In 1944 Mr. Solis ended up with the Torpedo Squadron 100 flying torpedo planes in Oahu, Hawaii. His squadron never saw combat, but he did witness U.S. ships getting destroyed by Kamikaze planes during the Okinawa invasion. He helped in some Naval strikes in Japan from March to June of 1945 before returning to the states for leave. Mr. Solis was still at home on leave when the war officially ended, and he was discharged on September 14th of 1948 due to signing up for a 6-year contract instead of the normal 4-year one.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John G. Solis of Irving, Texas. He discusses enlisting in the U.S. Navy on September 17, 1942, and was sent to the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas for bootcamp. In bootcamp Mr. Solis talks about learning to shoot rifles by shooting clay pigeons and presentations held to teach how to identify enemy aircraft. While learning to fly, Mr. Solis was assigned to Bombing Squadron 1. In 1944 Mr. Solis ended up with the Torpedo Squadron 100 flying torpedo planes in Oahu, Hawaii. His squadron never saw combat, but he did witness U.S. ships getting destroyed by Kamikaze planes during the Okinawa invasion. He helped in some Naval strikes in Japan from March to June of 1945 before returning to the states for leave. Mr. Solis was still at home on leave when the war officially ended, and he was discharged on September 14th of 1948 due to signing up for a 6-year contract instead of the normal 4-year one.

Transcript of an oral interview with Hal Javitt. Javitt enlisted in the Army Air Force in the latter half of 1942 when he was in a junior college because he didn't want to be drafted. He had basic training at a hotel in Miami Beach and then entered aviation cadet training (pre-flight) at Maxwell Field, Alabama. He started primary flight school in Bennettsville, South Carolina and then went to basic flight training at Shaw Field, South Carolina. He was selected for fighters and went to single-engine school in Florida where he got his wings and was commissioned a second lieutenant. He then went to a transition school and received training in the P-40 aircraft. From there he went to Bartow, Florida and learned to fly P-51 Mustangs and went through advanced training there. Eight of them left from Miami Beach (36th Street airport) in a Douglas C-54 transport and made their way to Karachi, India. He was assigned to the 311th Fighter Group in Chengdu, China, arriving there via Army Air Force transport. Javitt flew misions that interrupted the Japanese supply lines. After about 26 missions, he transferred to the 5th Fighter Group which was part of the Chinese American …

Transcript of an oral interview with Hal Javitt. Javitt enlisted in the Army Air Force in the latter half of 1942 when he was in a junior college because he didn't want to be drafted. He had basic training at a hotel in Miami Beach and then entered aviation cadet training (pre-flight) at Maxwell Field, Alabama. He started primary flight school in Bennettsville, South Carolina and then went to basic flight training at Shaw Field, South Carolina. He was selected for fighters and went to single-engine school in Florida where he got his wings and was commissioned a second lieutenant. He then went to a transition school and received training in the P-40 aircraft. From there he went to Bartow, Florida and learned to fly P-51 Mustangs and went through advanced training there. Eight of them left from Miami Beach (36th Street airport) in a Douglas C-54 transport and made their way to Karachi, India. He was assigned to the 311th Fighter Group in Chengdu, China, arriving there via Army Air Force transport. Javitt flew misions that interrupted the Japanese supply lines. After about 26 missions, he transferred to the 5th Fighter Group which was part of the Chinese American …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Les Skelton. Skelton joined the military in July 1942 after being persuaded by his Polish-American college roommate to fight Nazi Germany. Being of Jewish decent and growing up in a small town with some Nazi sympathizers, Skelton was itching to fight. His training was intense, his instructors harassing him midflight to induce combat-level stress. Hoping to become a P-38 pilot, after flight training he was instead assigned to a B-17 crew. As part of the 8th Air Force, he carried out bombing missions in Europe, often targeting railroads and factories. Between July and December 1944, Skelton had 35 missions. His most harrowing experience was navigating antiaircraft fire over Cologne. During one flight, Skelton was shot in the back of his helmet and rendered unconscious. On other missions, he encountered enemy aircraft and could sometimes spot the trails of V-2 rockets. Once, he was faced with an Me-109 flying straight at him, when enemy aircraft’s wings detached, causing the plane to plummet. Skelton returned home and was discharged in the spring of 1945, having earned seven Air Medals.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Les Skelton. Skelton joined the military in July 1942 after being persuaded by his Polish-American college roommate to fight Nazi Germany. Being of Jewish decent and growing up in a small town with some Nazi sympathizers, Skelton was itching to fight. His training was intense, his instructors harassing him midflight to induce combat-level stress. Hoping to become a P-38 pilot, after flight training he was instead assigned to a B-17 crew. As part of the 8th Air Force, he carried out bombing missions in Europe, often targeting railroads and factories. Between July and December 1944, Skelton had 35 missions. His most harrowing experience was navigating antiaircraft fire over Cologne. During one flight, Skelton was shot in the back of his helmet and rendered unconscious. On other missions, he encountered enemy aircraft and could sometimes spot the trails of V-2 rockets. Once, he was faced with an Me-109 flying straight at him, when enemy aircraft’s wings detached, causing the plane to plummet. Skelton returned home and was discharged in the spring of 1945, having earned seven Air Medals.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Allen Barker. Barker was born 29 July 1922 in Sairlie, Texas. He joined the Army Air Corps in August 1942. Following completion of basic training in Greenville, Texas he was assigned to the signal corps. He was shuttled around to various bases in the United States and finally boarded a troop ship, USS General A.E. Anderson for a 30 day sea trip to Bombay, India. His unit built a base about 60 miles northwest of Imphal, India. After the Japanese surrender he was involved in closing various bases in India until being shipped back to the United States and receiving his discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Leo Schmittgens. Schmittgens joined the Marine Corps in April of 1944. He completed training as an 81mm mortar man, and served with the 1st Marine Division. He traveled to Guadalcanal and Ulithi for additional training, and participated in the Battle of Okinawa. They remained on the island through the end of the war. He was discharged in April of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with David Rust. Rust joined the Army Air Forces on his eighteenth birthday. He was trained as an aerial gunner and then was sent to flight school to become a pilot. Rust was sent to the 23rd Fighter Group in China and flew P-40s. He flew bomber escort and ground support missions. Rust describes the differences between P-40s and P-51s. He rotated back to the US after completing 100 missions. Rust became a member of the reserves after the war and volunteered for duty in the Korean War. He describes being shot-down on his 43rd mission and nearly drowning in a river. Rust remained on active duty for several more years and eventually became a jet pilot.

The National Museumn of the Pacific War presents an interview with Nevin Sledge. Sledge joined the Naval Aviation Cadet Program in April 1942 after some Civilian Pilot Training prior to the outbreak of war. Upon completion of flight training, he became an instructor at Corpus Christi before deploying to the Pacific with Marine Transport Squadron 253 (VMR-253). Sledge shares several anecdotes about his time in the Pacific from Guam, Ulithi, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Floyd Trogdon. Trogdon joined the Army Air Forces in October 1942 and went through the aviation cadet training program to train as a navigator. He earned his commission in December 1943 and reported t oB-24 flight crew duty the following January. He arrived in Italy in April, 1944 and began flying combat missions. Trogdon describes various missions he flew, including one over Ploesti. He flew 50 missions by October and returned to the US to attend an advanced navigation course. Trogdon also underwent pilot training. He graduated as a pilot in October, 1945. He stayed in the Air Force and worked on nuclear weapons systems.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Allen Barker. Barker was born 29 July 1922 in Sairlie, Texas. He joined the Army Air Corps in August 1942. Following completion of basic training in Greenville, Texas he was assigned to the signal corps. He was shuttled around to various bases in the United States and finally boarded a troop ship, USS General A.E. Anderson for a 30 day sea trip to Bombay, India. His unit built a base about 60 miles northwest of Imphal, India. After the Japanese surrender he was involved in closing various bases in India until being shipped back to the United States and receiving his discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Michael Pohorilla. Pohorilla enlisted in the aviation cadet program for the Army Air Force in December of 1942. He provides great detail of his training. In the fall of 1943 to the spring of 1944 he trained in aerial gunnery and shares his experiences in school. In June of 1944 he landed in Liverpool, England. He was assigned to the 385th Bomb Group, 550th Bomb Squadron in the 8th Air Force. He served as a navigator aboard a B-17 and describes each of his crew members. He details a number of his missions, which were all in the industrial centers of Germany. He provides some information on their targets, which included Germany’s manufacturing and transportation complexes. They flew 35 missions overall. He talks some on life in England, where they were still subjected to the V-1 and V-2 bombs overhead. He returned to the States in April of 1945, where he taught special courses at Brooks Field. He was discharged in October of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles Carpenter. Carpenter served aboard USS South Dakota (BB-57), going aboard in early 1942. He was assigned to a 20mm gun. He shares several anecdotes about his experiences aboard the ship. He discusses the Battle of Santa Crus Islands and night action of Guadalcanal.

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.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Howard R. Brandenburge. In January 1942 he transferred into the Army Air Force and began basic training at Shepherd Field and finished at Foster Field, graduating in February 1944. He received his wings and commission. He went to California and flew P38s, P39s, P40s and P51s. He loaded the P51s onto a small carrier in Pearl Harbor and moved to Tinian Island in March 1945. After Iwo Jima was secured they flew there to serve as escorts between the islands in their P51s. He discusses his experiences with Japanese bonsai raids, flying missions over Japan, escorting B29s, shooting at Japanese fighters and unfortunate casualties of planes and crew. His first mission as escort began April 1945, and he completed 26 missions overall. After he was discharged he had to stay in the reserves and completed a tour in the Korean War. He joined the reserves unit in San Antonio at Kelly Air Force Base, flying transports: C-46s, C-119s and C-124s.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Olson. Olson was born in Leavenworth, Kansas on 27 November 1917. His father was a Norwegian who immigrated to the United Sates and began a career as an Army officer. Olson entered West Point Military Academy in July 1935 and upon graduation he was sent to the Philippines as an officer with the 57th Infantry. He recalls that during October 1941 orders were received that all military dependents were to be evacuated. Olson does a masterful job in describing the 1941 Japanese attack on the Philippines, his capture, imprisonment and living conditions he endured until his release in 1945. He concludes the narrative by telling of his various military assignments, including a tour in Vietnam, until his retirement in 1967.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Bains. Bains joined the Army around early 1942. He completed Signal Corps training. Bains deployed to England and served with the 66th Infantry Division, 566th Signal Corps Company. The 66th was primarily involved with destroying the Germany troops left behind by the retreat from Northern France. Bains traveled through central Europe, Germany and France. He returned to the US and received his discharge in late 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Archie Mayes. Mayes joined the Missouri National Guard in 1938 and, when the Guard was federalized, travelled with his unit, the 35th Infantry Division, to Arkansas for training. In 1942, Mayes went to Officer Candidate School and earned a commission. Afterwards, he was assigned to the 160th Combat Engineer Battalion as the battalion S-3 (operations officer). He travelled overseas to England in July and landed in France in August, 1944. His unit built bridges. General Patton complimented Mayes on his outfit's construction once. After the war, Mayes transferred to the Air Force and served as base engineer in the Aleutians and other posts in the US. During the Vietnam War, Mayes established engineering units for the Air Force to build air bases.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with David Rust. Rust joined the Army Air Forces on his eighteenth birthday. He was trained as an aerial gunner and then was sent to flight school to become a pilot. Rust was sent to the 23rd Fighter Group in China and flew P-40s. He flew bomber escort and ground support missions. Rust describes the differences between P-40s and P-51s. He rotated back to the US after completing 100 missions. Rust became a member of the reserves after the war and volunteered for duty in the Korean War. He describes being shot-down on his 43rd mission and nearly drowning in a river. Rust remained on active duty for several more years and eventually became a jet pilot.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Carl Yerian. Yerian joined the Army Air Forces in August of 1942. He completed training as a pilot and received his wings in November of 1943. Yerian served as a B-24 pilot with the 376th Bombardment Group. He completed 51 combat missions over Italy, Austria, southern France and Germany. Yerian continued his service after the war ended, and participated in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He completed 32 years of service.

Transcript of an oral interview of Joseph D. Keenan. Raised in Chicago, he spent two years at Notre Dame University and when the war started, volunteered for Naval Aviation duty. Following Pre-flight School at Iowa University, he attended flight training at Naval Air Station, Chicago, where he was later diagnosed with chronic air sickness. He was disenrolled and entered the V-12 program at the University of Wisconsin. Upon graduation in September 1944, he was commissioned and ordered to Fort Pierce, Florida for Underwater Demolition Team (UDT) training. He describes the nature of the training and conditions at Fort Pierce. Upon completing UDT training in December 1944 he was sent on a troopship to Calcutta, India. After traveling by train to a camp in Eastern India, he flew over "The Hump" in a C-47 to Kunming, China and then on to Chungking and headquarters of Sino-American Cooperative Organization (SACO). He relates that after four weeks in Chungking he was flown with a team to a location near Amoy. Leading the team was Lieutenant Phil H. Bucklew, a professional football player who later became known as the father of Navy Special Warfare. The team made its way to Chenchow with orders to …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Causey. Causey was born in Mississippi and was drafted into the Army right after he finished high school in 1944. Causey shares a few stories about basic training in Florida. Causey went overseas aboard the USS General M.M. Patrcik (AP-150) from Seattle to Hawaii in February, 1945. Causey describes more training he received on Hawaii before shipping out to Saipan in April. On 1 May, Causey arrived as a replacement o nOkinawa. He was assigned to C Company, 1st battalion, 381st Regiment, 96th Infantry Division. Causey then describes his impressions and experiences fighting on Okinawa. Causey was eventually wounded by shell fragments and evacuated to a hospital near the beach. After treatment, he was able to rejoin his unit on Okinawa. When the war ended, Causey was aboard an LST bound for the Philippines and more training in anticipation of the invasion of Japan.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Leslie Bray. After several attempts to get into the Army Air Corps flying cadet program, Bray finally succeeded in late 1941 and started flight school in Coleman, Texas. He earned hi swings and commission in October, 1942. He ended up learning to fly C-47 cargo planes and serving as an operations officer for the 10th Troop Carrier Group. In June, 1944, Bray was selected to command the newly-formed 16th Combat Cargo Squadron in New York. They went overseas in November, 1944 to India to assist the British 14th Army in Burma. Bray shares several anecdotes about his time in India. He also flew missions carrying fuel drums over the Himalaya Mountains (the Hump) toward the end of the war. Bray returned to the US in late December, 1945 and elected to stay on active duty. He shares anecdotes about the rest of his career in the Air Force.