The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Jimmie C. Thomas. Thomas was born in Ada, Oklahoma 1 May 1923. He was attending Texas A&M University when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He joined the Navy and went to Del Monte, California for three months of pre-flight before going to Norman, Oklahoma for three months of advanced training. Upon completion, he was sent to Corpus Christi Naval Air Station where he trained in the SNJ-T6 trainer. After graduation, he was assigned to fly PBYs at Jacksonville, Florida. After returning from a training flight to Guantanamo, Cuba he was transferred to a Patrol Bomber Squadron and sent to Hutchinson, Kansas for advanced training in a PBY4. Afterwards, he went to California where he selected his crew. They went to the Consolidated Aircraft plant to pick up a new PBY4-2. The crew then flew to Hawaii where they spent four weeks before joining a squadron on Tinian. The crew named their plane Cover Girl and contacted Milton Caniff to provide them with a sketch for nose art. The squadron was transferred to Iwo Jima where they flew combination missions of air sea rescue while seeking Japanese shipping to …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Hershel Woodrow ""Woody"" Williams. Williams quit high school I nWest Virginia to join the Civilian Conservation Corps, which assigned him to Montana. He was there when Pearl harbor was attack and resigned from the CCC to joint the Marine Corps. The Marine recruiter told him he was too short, so Williams headed back to West Virginia. When the Marine Corps lifted the height requirement, he enlisted in May, 1943. After boot camp, he joined a newly-established flame thrower demolition special weapons unit in the 1st Battalion, 21st Regiment of the Third Marine Division and began training with them at Guadalcanal. From there, Williams went to recapture Guam. With Guam secure, Williams's unit went to Iwo Jima. He finally got ashore on 21 February. On 23 February, Williams used six flamethrowers to destroy seven fortified enemy-help positions that opened a gap in the Japanese line of defense. This action allowed more Marines and tanks to get farther inland and earned Williams the Medal of Honor. He also speaks of losing his good friend on Iwo Jima and retrieving the man's ring in order t oreturn it to his parents …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Hershel Woodrow ""Woody"" Williams. Williams quit high school I nWest Virginia to join the Civilian Conservation Corps, which assigned him to Montana. He was there when Pearl harbor was attack and resigned from the CCC to joint the Marine Corps. The Marine recruiter told him he was too short, so Williams headed back to West Virginia. When the Marine Corps lifted the height requirement, he enlisted in May, 1943. After boot camp, he joined a newly-established flame thrower demolition special weapons unit in the 1st Battalion, 21st Regiment of the Third Marine Division and began training with them at Guadalcanal. From there, Williams went to recapture Guam. With Guam secure, Williams's unit went to Iwo Jima. He finally got ashore on 21 February. On 23 February, Williams used six flamethrowers to destroy seven fortified enemy-help positions that opened a gap in the Japanese line of defense. This action allowed more Marines and tanks to get farther inland and earned Williams the Medal of Honor. He also speaks of losing his good friend on Iwo Jima and retrieving the man's ring in order t oreturn it to his parents …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with V.P. Johansen. Johansen joined the Navy soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He became a Seabee and spent 18 months working on new construction at the submarine base at Pearl Harbor. His unit was then shifted to heavy equipment for airstrip work. Johansen landed on Iwo Jima on the fourth day of the battle. His battalion began repairing Airfield #1. Johansen details the damaged planes landing on the field and the ongoing maintenance the airfield required. He was sent back to the States that summer where he served until his discharge in December of 1945.