A retelling of the pear story as narrated by Shekarnong Sankhil

The first segment of Willis Conover's House of Sounds program for December 10, 1960, on WCBS radio in New York.

The second segment of Willis Conover's House of Sounds program for December 10, 1960, on WCBS radio in New York.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Joseph Russo. Russo joined the Army around 1942. He deployed to New Delhi, India, and worked for the supervisor of the Signal Corps, and in the radio room. He later joined the New Delhi Photography Society processing photographs and working with correspondents from LIFE Magazine. He returned to the US and was discharged in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with George Englebrecht. Englebrecht joined the Merchant Marine in 1944. He served in the engine room aboard tankers and was in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans during WWII. He shares several anecdotes about his merchant seaman experiences and illustrates several comparisons between the Merchant Marine and the Navy.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Sidney Duerr. Duerr enlisted in the navy in June, 1945 and trained at Great Lakes. Upon completion, he joined the company aboard the USS Baltimore (CA-68) and worked with the aviation unit and as a gunner. Duerr shares several anecdotes about his time in occupied Japan. He visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He was discharged in June 1946 and decided to use the GI Bill to go to college.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Womack. Womack was born in Decatur, Texas in October 1924 and graduated from high school in 1941. Upon enlisting in the Army Air Corps in 1942, he went to Sheppard Field, Texas for basic training. This was followed by a two month flight engineer course. In 1943 he was assigned to the 70th Ferrying Command, 20th Ferrying Squadron. Womack ferried B-26 bombers, B-17 bombers, and C-46 transport planes to various destinations. After the Surrender of Japan he entered the pilot training program but with the temporary termination of the program he transferred to the 8th Air Force Intelligence section. In 1949 he was commissioned and remained in the Air Force until retiring in1963.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Gerald Rehbein. Rehbein joined the Navy in April of 1944. He completed Radio School. In early 1945, he traveled aboard a troop transport ship to Guadalcanal. Rehbein speaks of the manual labor and living conditions while on the island. He was later transferred to Tulagi, loading and unloading supplies and ammunition. He was assigned as Radioman aboard the USS Fieberling (DE-640). They covered landings during the Battle of Okinawa, and operated on escort duty between Okinawa, Guam and Saipan until October of 1945. Rehbein returned to the US and received his discharge in early 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Jack Stoeber. Stoeber joined the Navy in January of 1940 and completed a 6-year tour of duty. He completed machine gun school, learning how to fire a 50 caliber anti-aircraft gun. He served aboard the USS Whitney (AD-4), which was docked at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. He describes his experiences through that fateful day of events. In May of 1942 they traveled to Tongatapu, tending to the destroyers in that area. Beginning in 1944 Stoeber served as Chief Carpenter???s Mate aboard the USS Pickens (APA-190), which participated in the invasions of Iwo Jima, Okinawa and the Philippines. He was discharged in January of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Keener. Keener finished high school and headed for Norfolk, Virginia and worked as a welder in a shipyard. As a result, he could not enlist in the Army. He joined the Navy instead in 1941 and trained as a pilot in Florida. He was transferred to Pearl Harbor in February, 1942 and went aboard the USS Lexington (CV-2) and flew torpedo bombers. After the Battle of the Coral Sea, he was transferred to the USS Essex (CV-9). He was grounded and sent to Station HYPO at Pearl Harbor where he worked in Naval intelligence. His intelligence work took him from Tarawa during the invasion to trying figure out how Tokyo Rose got her information, to Japan during the occupation where he broke up an assassination attempt on MacArthur. Admiral Nimitz also selected him to go with a team on a special intelligence gathering mission to Kwajalein prior to the invasion. After the war, Keener took his discharge in May 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Arthur McQuiddy. McQuiddy completed Civilian Pilot Training in 1940. He joined the Navy on 8 December 1941. McQuiddy served as a Naval Aviator beginning November of 1942, flying PBYs with Patrol Squadron 23, a Navy fixed-wing, anti-submarine and maritime patrol squadron. He completed patrol and rescue missions over the Solomon Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, Peleliu and Iwo Jima. He also completed a search mission for the downed aviator Eddie Rickenbacker. Their squadron later became a Black Cat Squadron, flying night missions. In August of 1945, McQuiddy was sent to Flying Instructor School in Atlanta, and he received his discharge in November.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ralph Piatek. Piatek joined the Navy in 1939. He served as an Electrician’s Mate aboard the USS Augusta (CA-31) from April of 1941 through mid-1943, participating in the Naval Battle of Casablanca. While serving aboard, he had the opportunity to meet President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and General George S. Patton. Beginning mid-1943, Piatek volunteered for submarine duty, serving with the Pacific Fleet aboard the USS Saury (SS-189). He participated in war patrols between Iwo Jima and Okinawa, damaging an enemy destroyer. Additionally, they patrolled through Midway, the East China Sea, San Bernardino Straits in the Philippines and Saipan. Piatek continued his service after the war ended, retiring from the Navy in 1969 after 30 years of service.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Everett Dyer. Dyer was born in Bristol, Vermont on 23 March 1918 into a family of six children. After receiving his diploma from high school he attended the University of Houston and graduated in 1941. Upon being drafted in 1941, he was sent to Camp Roberts, California for basic training. After completing infantry training he went to Fort Lewis, Washington to join the 41st Infantry Division Headquarters as an aide to General Horace Fuller. In April the division went aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth for a nineteen day voyage to Sydney, Australia. Upon his arrival he was assigned to the headquarters operations staff (G-3) responsible for preparing casualty reports. During January 1943 the division participated in the battle of Buna, Gona on New Guinea and Dyer comments on the high casualties suffered. He recalls making an amphibious landing at Hollandia by lifeboat in April 1944 and being strafed by Japanese planes while on the beach. He also witnessed attacks by Japanese kamikazes on ships in the bay. Dyer was a member of the retinue that greeted General McArthur as he came ashore. While on Biak, he developed typhus, resulting …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert H. Gayle. Gayle joined the Army in 1943 and had basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Not wishing to be a tanker, Gayle applied for the Army Air Force and was accepted. He trained as gunner and was assigned to a B-17 crew. He was assigned to the 2nd Bomb Group in the 15th Air Force at Foggia, Italy in September, 1944. He describes some of his early missions where the crew had to ditch in the Adriatic and were rescued; a mid-air collision in which he was involved; being shot up by antiaircraft fire and having to bail out over Austria. After parachuting into a snowfield, Gayle was captured by Hungarian troops and made a prisoner of war in February, 1945. The Hungarians turned him over to the Germans in Vienna. The Germans eventually moved him to Moosberg. He was liberated by elements of Patton's Third Army in late April. Upon being transported back to France, General Eisenhower visited the former POWs. He returned home and was reunited with family.