Transcript of an oral interview with Robert W. Wood. Wood begins by discussing growing up during the Great Depression and the effect it had on him and his family. When he finished high school in 1941 in Greenville, Texas, he moved to Dallas, worked for Woolworth's and attended night school at Southern Methodist University. When Pearl Harbor was attacked, Wood had already volunteered for the Navy and was called up shortly after Christmas. Wood discusses riding the train to San Diego to attend boot camp in January, 1942. Then he describes a few experiences while in training. While in San Diego, he trained to become a radio operator before reporting to Bremerton, Washington where he boarded the USS Altamaha (CVE-18). Wood describes some of the sea trials and early voyages of the Altamaha as it delivered planes and cargo to various points in the Pacific: Brisbane, Australia, Noumea, Espiritu Santo, Pearl Harbor, Karachi, India and the Solomon Islands. He also describes some carrier-landing qualifying assignments for pilots the Altamaha had. He recalls a time when Bob Hope came aboard and performed a show for the sailors at Ulithi. He goes on to describe being caught in a typhoon in which …

Video footage from a symposium sponsored by the National Museum of the Pacific War entitled Justice in the Aftermath discussing events that happened following the second world war. This video contains remarks given by Hodding Carter and John Rich.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Alfred Gluck. Gluck joined the Merchant Marines in mid-1941. He served as a Seaman aboard a liberty ship, the SS George L. Baker (1614). In May of 1943, they traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii, transporting general supplies and merchandise for people on the island. He returned to San Francisco, and was assigned to the SS James Lick in July as Able Seaman, traveling to New Hebrides and New Caledonia, transporting military cargo. In 1944 through the end of the war, Gluck also served aboard the SS Mormacgull, traveling to New Guinea and Guadalcanal and the SS Louis Sullivan (2781). He continued his service after the war, and received his discharge in March of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ernest Harper. Harper joined the Navy in April of 1944. He did not train in any specific Navy schooling prior to going to sea. Beginning around mid-1944, Harper served as Steward’s Mate aboard USS Cowpens (CVL-25), working in storerooms, resupplying various areas of the ship and cleaning. Additionally, he assisted on the deck during combat, transporting supplies and ammunition to the gunners. Harper recalls combat experiences through Guam, Ulithi and Saipan during the Marianas operation, participating in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, attack missions against Luzon, and making supporting raids on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He was discharged in February of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Dittmar. Dittmar joined the Navy in 1943 and trained at Great Lakes and shares a few anecdotes from those days. He served as an operating room technician aboard USS La Grange (APA-124) when he was assigned to the ship in mid-1944. He recalls his duties aboard and going to the Philippines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard Dirks. Dirks was drafted into the Navy in February 1944 and trained at San Diego. From there he went to a weather school. Once he got to the Aleutian Islands, he was assigned to a weather station. Because he could type, he was made a yeoman in Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher's Northern Pacific Command headquarters on Adak. He spent the war there but for a brief interlude in Japan during the surrender and was discharged in May 1946. Dirks resumed his education and graduated in 1947.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Travis Smith. Smith joined the Army Air Forces in September 1942. He qualified as a pilot trainee and began training in San Antonio. In May, 1944, he graduated and received his commission. Smith went overseas to the Philippines, arriving in March, 1945. Later, he moved to Okinawa and flew bomber escort for bombing missions to China and Japan. He flew over 50 combat missions before the war ended and then went to japan on occupation duty. Smith was discharged in 1946, but stayed in the reserves.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Hylan. Hylan joined the Marine Corps in February of 1943. He completed Radio Operator School in June. In November, he deployed to New Caledonia with a replacement battalion. He served with the 1st 155mm Howitzer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, and later the 3rd Marine Artillery Regiment. He conducted patrol duty and survey work. In April of 1944 he traveled to Tinian and Saipan. In July he participated in the Battle of Guam. He also participated in the Battle of Okinawa. Hylan returned to the US in October and was discharged in January of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Olive E. (Sally) White. White received her nursing degree in September of 1943 from Gary Methodist School of Nursing. In March of 1944 she was commissioned into the US Navy Nursing Corps, and stationed at the Great Lakes Naval Station. She achieved the rank of lieutenant (junior grade). She remained in the Reserves and was discharged in March of 1953.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Dittmar. Dittmar joined the Navy in 1943 and trained at Great Lakes and shares a few anecdotes from those days. He served as an operating room technician aboard USS La Grange (APA-124) when he was assigned to the ship in mid-1944. He recalls his duties aboard and going to the Philippines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Leo Rose. Rose joined the Army Air Forces in early 1942. He served as a B-29 Bombardier and Navigator. Beginning in early 1944, he was assigned to a squadron and plane in Kansas, he does not note his squadron or group number. They were one of the first groups to fly the Superfortress and use the Norden Bombsight. They traveled to Saipan in the Mariana Islands. From these islands, Roses crew flew bombing missions across the Pacific to mainland Japan 37 times. He speaks of combat experiences with the Japanese Zero planes and kamikazes. He returned to the U.S. in 1945 and received his discharge.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with J.R. Closs. Closs was born in Edge, Texas 9 March 1926. In 1944 he was drafted and entered the US Marine Corps boot camp at San Diego. After boot training he was selected to attend Marine Corps Sea School at San Diego. Upon completion of Sea School, he was assigned to the USS Yorktown (CV-10) as an orderly to the executive officer for a period of time and then he was assigned to a 20 millimeter gun. He tells of the Yorktown participating in the invasion of Okinawa and the ship being hit by a Japanese bomb. He also recalls seeing a kamikaze hit the USS Missouri (BB-63) during the invasion. Soon after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, the Marines on board the various ships were brought together on a transport ship, where for several days, they practiced beach landings. Between the Japanese surrender and the signing of the peace accords, the contingent of Marines landed at Yokosuka, Japan. Closs describes the bomb damage he observed and the physical condition of and attitude shown by the Japanese people.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with James Caronna. Caronna joined the Navy in June of 1944. He was assigned to specialized beach battalion training, including landing LCVPs, setting explosives, completing booby trap school and bayonet fighting. In November of 1944 Caronna was assigned to the USS Neshoba (APA-216), working the 40mm antiaircraft gun. From December of 1944 through March of 1946 he served aboard the USS Natrona (APA-214). They participated in the Battle of Okinawa. They transported Japanese prisoners to Guam and a Seabee unit to Samar. Caronna was discharged in June of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Alfred Gluck. Gluck joined the Merchant Marines in mid-1941. He served as a Seaman aboard a liberty ship, the SS George L. Baker (1614). In May of 1943, they traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii, transporting general supplies and merchandise for people on the island. He returned to San Francisco, and was assigned to the SS James Lick in July as Able Seaman, traveling to New Hebrides and New Caledonia, transporting military cargo. In 1944 through the end of the war, Gluck also served aboard the SS Mormacgull, traveling to New Guinea and Guadalcanal and the SS Louis Sullivan (2781). He continued his service after the war, and received his discharge in March of 1946.

Transcript of an oral interview with Ivan E. Davies. Born in 1921, he joined the Navy and was assigned to the B-2 hangar deck division on USS Enterprise (CV-6) in 1943. He describes the flight deck after the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot. He discusses his subsequent assignment to the mess deck as well as his assignment as aircraft elevator operator. He describes a shooting accident on the hangar deck; an aircraft landing accident; and a fire on the flight deck. He talks about kamikazes and the damage sustained by the USS Enterprise. He shares an anecdote about clearing the stacks of the USS Enterprise. He also shares stories about Edward “Butch” O’Hare, pilot and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. After the war Davies was assigned to Alameda Naval Air Station, California. He was discharged in 1945. The interview also includes information about his childhood during the Depression.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Larry Parker. Parker was drafted into the Army Air Forces in 1943. He was trained and joined the crew of a B-17 as a co-pilot. He was a member of a specialized unit trained to carry wooden life boats slung under the bomb bay and to drop them by parachute when downed aircrews were discovered. Parker operated out of the Philippines and eventually was sent to Ie Shima. He details several lifeboat drops. His plane carried General Stillwell to Okinawa after the death of General Buckner. He describes Stillwell almost melting one of the plane’s guns due to continuous fire during this trip. Parker also witnessed the Japanese delegation that landed on Ie Shima at the end of the war. He left the service in December 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Jean Balch. Balch was born in Abilene, Texas and was attending Hardin-Simmons University in 1941. On 8 December, he volunteered for duty in the Navy, but was too young. He joined later that spring. He trained as a radioman and gunner before being assigned the USS Yorktown (CV-10) in the fall of 1944. Balch mentions striking targets in the Philippines and on Formosa in late 1944. On one bombing mission over Hong Kong, China, the plane Balch was in was hit, forcing him to bail out. He landed among some Chinese civilians. In a short time, Balch was captured by Japanese soldiers. After several days, he was transported to Ofuna. Balch recalls several anecdotes about life as a prisoner of war in Japan. He mentions other POWs and tells stories about various guards. When the war ended, Balch was placed aboard the hospital ship USS Benevolence (AH-13). After the war, Balch returned to Tokyo to testify at the war crime trials.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ernest Harper. Harper joined the Navy in April of 1944. He did not train in any specific Navy schooling prior to going to sea. Beginning around mid-1944, Harper served as Steward’s Mate aboard USS Cowpens (CVL-25), working in storerooms, resupplying various areas of the ship and cleaning. Additionally, he assisted on the deck during combat, transporting supplies and ammunition to the gunners. Harper recalls combat experiences through Guam, Ulithi and Saipan during the Marianas operation, participating in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, attack missions against Luzon, and making supporting raids on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He was discharged in February of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Carrol Davidson. Davidson joined the Navy in November of 1944. He served in the Armed Guard as gun captain of the twin 3-inch .50 calibers aboard the SS Howell Lykes (1940). Beginning in February of 1945 they transported troops to New Guinea. They also traveled to Australia and picked up a group of Australian Rangers and delivered them to Borneo. He provides details of his travels over the Pacific, including firing at Japanese planes and working with the Merchant Marines. Their ship picked up some casualties in Manila around July of 1945 and delivered them back to the U.S. After the war, Davidson completed submarine school and served aboard the USS Boarfish (SS-327) beginning in late 1947. He provides details of his training and career in the Navy aboard submarines. He retired in May of 1964 as Chief Petty Officer.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard Dirks. Dirks was drafted into the Navy in February 1944 and trained at San Diego. From there he went to a weather school. Once he got to the Aleutian Islands, he was assigned to a weather station. Because he could type, he was made a yeoman in Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher's Northern Pacific Command headquarters on Adak. He spent the war there but for a brief interlude in Japan during the surrender and was discharged in May 1946. Dirks resumed his education and graduated in 1947.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Frank Chalke. Chalke joined the Navy in June of 1944. Beginning in March of 1945, he was assigned as Radioman 3rd Class aboard the landing craft repair ship USS Pandemus (ARL-18). They traveled to Okinawa, Guam, Saipan, Philippine Islands and China servicing landing and small craft. They encountered kamikaze planes and a typhoon during their travels. They returned to the US in December of 1945. Chalke was discharged in May of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Carrol Davidson. Davidson joined the Navy in November of 1944. He served in the Armed Guard as gun captain of the twin 3-inch .50 calibers aboard the SS Howell Lykes (1940). Beginning in February of 1945 they transported troops to New Guinea. They also traveled to Australia and picked up a group of Australian Rangers and delivered them to Borneo. He provides details of his travels over the Pacific, including firing at Japanese planes and working with the Merchant Marines. Their ship picked up some casualties in Manila around July of 1945 and delivered them back to the U.S. After the war, Davidson completed submarine school and served aboard the USS Boarfish (SS-327) beginning in late 1947. He provides details of his training and career in the Navy aboard submarines. He retired in May of 1964 as Chief Petty Officer.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Olive E. (Sally) White. White received her nursing degree in September of 1943 from Gary Methodist School of Nursing. In March of 1944 she was commissioned into the US Navy Nursing Corps, and stationed at the Great Lakes Naval Station. She achieved the rank of lieutenant (junior grade). She remained in the Reserves and was discharged in March of 1953.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Lokey. Lokey joined the Aviation Cadet program in November 1943 and transferred to gunnery school in Laredo. Upon completion, he was sent to the Aleutian Islands as a top turret gunner with a B-24 crew. In 1944, while on his 11th combat mission, his plane was shot down by the Japanese Navy. His pilot made a landing in Russia where they were picked up and interrogated by the Russians. They were then taken to a prisoner-of-war camp in Siberia, where they remained for three months, surviving with very little to eat. Lokey weighed 200 pounds when he was shot down and only 125 when he returned to the States. From Siberia he was transferred to a fort in Baku. When the war ended, an American officer arrived from Moscow to escort the POWs back to the States. Lokey was later stationed at Reese Air Force Base as an instructor pilot of B-25s. He became a nuclear weapons instructor and retired as a lieutenant colonel.