Oral History Interview with John Tucker, March 25, 2003 (open access)

Oral History Interview with John Tucker, March 25, 2003

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Tucker. Tucker joined the Navy in January of 1945. Beginning in the spring, he served as Storekeeper Third-Class aboard USS Remey (DD-688). They went through a typhoon close to Okinawa and provided shore bombardment in Alaska. They were docked on the coast of Japan when the Japanese surrendered. Tucker recalls Japanese officials from the city of Ōminatoa surrendering aboard the destroyer, and signing a peace treaty. They returned to the US in October of 1945, and Tucker was discharged in mid-1946.
Date: March 25, 2003
Creator: Tucker, John
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Joy Taylor, August 16, 2005 transcript

Oral History Interview with Joy Taylor, August 16, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joy (Cheatham) Taylor. Taylor begins with a summary of her siblings and provides details about an older brother who served in the Navy during World War II aboard the USS Saratoga (CV-3). Taylor reflects on rationing items like gasoline. She also mentions corresponding with her two older brothers in the Navy. Taylor's father died in 1943 and she and her mother went to live on the farm with Taylor's grandparents in Coryell County, Texas. She recalls several aspects of farm living during World War II. Taylor also mentions housing for soldiers near Fort Hood, Texas as well as gardening and canning vegetables. She talks about her having to wear homemade clothes made from feed sacks, which she disliked. Taylor recalls the end of the war and ringing the church bell all night in town. After the war, she helped her brother run a cafe in Abilene before she met her husband, Paul Taylor, and got married.
Date: August 16, 2005
Creator: Taylor, Joy
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Lois Burns, May 12, 2003 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Lois Burns, May 12, 2003

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Lois Burns. Burns joined the Women’s Army Corps in January of 1945. She completed training in Fort Des Moines, Iowa, and provides details of her uniform and living and working conditions. She was later transferred to Los Alamos, New Mexico, where she remained through the spring of 1946. Burns worked at the National Laboratory and at a Western Union office, as a switchboard and teletype operator. She was discharged in July of 1946.
Date: May 12, 2003
Creator: Burns, Lois
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with CF Bednorz, May 24, 2007 (open access)

Oral History Interview with CF Bednorz, May 24, 2007

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with C F Bednorz. Bednorz worked for Douglas Aircraft in mid-1941 assembling C-47s. He joined the Aviation Cadet Program and provides some details of his flight training and the planes he flew, including the BT-13, B-17, B-24 and UC-78. He completed training in May of 1944. Bednorz was assigned to the 7th Air Force, 11th Bomb Group, 42nd Bomb Squadron and served as a B-24 pilot. In January of 1945 he traveled to Harmon Field in Guam, where he began his combat flying. In April they were transferred to Yontan Field in Okinawa. He provides details of his 33 missions, including witnessing the mushroom cloud over Nagasaki after the second atomic bomb was dropped, and effects of radiation from the blast. He was discharged in early 1946.
Date: May 24, 2007
Creator: Bednorz, C. F.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with B. L. Pettit, May 2, 2001 transcript

Oral History Interview with B. L. Pettit, May 2, 2001

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with B L Pettit. Pettit joined the Navy in 1942, at the young age of thirteen. From April of 1943 through March of 1944, he served as First-Class Electrician’s Mate aboard USS Tallulah (AO-50), providing support through the Guadalcanal Campaign and invasion of the Gilbert Islands. From June of 1944 through October of 1945, Pettit served aboard the USS LCI(L)-750 participating in the Leyte operation. He was discharged in November of 1945.
Date: May 2, 2001
Creator: Pettit, B. L.
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with B. L. Pettit, May 2, 2001 (open access)

Oral History Interview with B. L. Pettit, May 2, 2001

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with B L Pettit. Pettit joined the Navy in 1942, at the young age of thirteen. From April of 1943 through March of 1944, he served as First-Class Electrician’s Mate aboard USS Tallulah (AO-50), providing support through the Guadalcanal Campaign and invasion of the Gilbert Islands. From June of 1944 through October of 1945, Pettit served aboard the USS LCI(L)-750 participating in the Leyte operation. He was discharged in November of 1945.
Date: May 2, 2001
Creator: Pettit, B. L.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Lois Burns, May 12, 2003 transcript

Oral History Interview with Lois Burns, May 12, 2003

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Lois Burns. Burns joined the Women’s Army Corps in January of 1945. She completed training in Fort Des Moines, Iowa, and provides details of her uniform and living and working conditions. She was later transferred to Los Alamos, New Mexico, where she remained through the spring of 1946. Burns worked at the National Laboratory and at a Western Union office, as a switchboard and teletype operator. She was discharged in July of 1946.
Date: May 12, 2003
Creator: Burns, Lois
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with CF Bednorz, May 24, 2007 transcript

Oral History Interview with CF Bednorz, May 24, 2007

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with C F Bednorz. Bednorz worked for Douglas Aircraft in mid-1941 assembling C-47s. He joined the Aviation Cadet Program and provides some details of his flight training and the planes he flew, including the BT-13, B-17, B-24 and UC-78. He completed training in May of 1944. Bednorz was assigned to the 7th Air Force, 11th Bomb Group, 42nd Bomb Squadron and served as a B-24 pilot. In January of 1945 he traveled to Harmon Field in Guam, where he began his combat flying. In April they were transferred to Yontan Field in Okinawa. He provides details of his 33 missions, including witnessing the mushroom cloud over Nagasaki after the second atomic bomb was dropped, and effects of radiation from the blast. He was discharged in early 1946.
Date: May 24, 2007
Creator: Bednorz, C. F.
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Warren Tsuneishi, September 18, 2005 transcript

Oral History Interview with Warren Tsuneishi, September 18, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Warren Tsuneishi. Tsuneishi was living in California when the war started and was soon evacuated to a Japanese-American detention center. He joined his family at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming. He did not stay there long as he was allowed to attend Syracuse University. In 1943, he entered the Military intelligence Language School and studied Japanese to become an interpreter. He participated in the invasion of Leyte Island and worked as a translator and interpreter. Tsuneishi also went to Okinawa as a translator. Tsuneishi provides unique insight from the Japanese American perspective of his time in the Army.
Date: September 18, 2005
Creator: Tsuneishi, Warren
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with George William Ogden, May 2, 2008 transcript

Oral History Interview with George William Ogden, May 2, 2008

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with George William Ogden. Ogden joined the Navy in February of 1942. He completed Officer Candidate School, and trained with amphibious landing vehicles. Beginning in early 1943, he served as a Communications Officer aboard the USS LST-172. They traveled to Guantanamo Bay, Bora Bora, Samoa, New Hebrides, New Caledonia and Guadalcanal. They assisted the Marines in preparation for the Battle of Okinawa. He continued his service after the war ended, and was discharged in May of 1946.
Date: May 2, 2008
Creator: Ogden, George William
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Edward Sandini, July 12, 2012 transcript

Oral History Interview with Edward Sandini, July 12, 2012

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Edward Sandini. Sandini was born in June 1925 into a Hungarian immigrant family and grew up in Philadelphia during the Great Depression. Upon joining the Army Air Forces in 1943, he was accepted into the flight training program. Sandini was assigned to the 369th Bombardment Squadron, 30th Bomb Group, 40th Bomb Wing, 1st Air Division, 8th Air Force. He tells a comprehensive tale of the experiences he encountered during World War II, Korea and Vietnam. He flew twenty-four B-17 missions during World War II as well as numerous AC-47 gunship missions over Vietnam. He also tells of his involvement in the development of the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile program. He retired as a colonel in 1970.
Date: July 12, 2012
Creator: Sandini, Edward
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History