The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Albert Jeffers. Jeffers joined the Navy in 1943 and received basic training in Illinois. He received diesel engine maintenance and repair training at submarine school in Connecticut. Upon completion, he was assigned to the engine room aboard the USS Threadfin (SS-410) as a fireman, first class. He participated in the tracking operation that led to the sinking of the Japanese battleship Yamato. He was transferred to the USS Menhaden (SS-377) and was the first to welcome Admiral Nimitz during a change of command ceremony. Jeffers was discharged in 1946 and went on to earn a degree in mechanical engineering as well as a law degree.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Lee Soucy. Soucy joined the Navy in December of 1937. He completed Hospital Corps School, and served as Pharmacist’s Mate aboard the USS Utah (BB-31). He was on board when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. After the attack and sinking of the Utah, Soucy worked as an RN and head of the medical laboratory at the Pearl Harbor Hospital. He remained at the hospital through April of 1945. He then completed Malaria Control School with the Marine Corps at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, and worked as the Assistant Malaria Control Officer until his discharge in December of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Earl Stevens. Stevens served aboard the USS New Mexico (BB 40) as an electrician beginning October of 1942. He was a gun electrician and took care of the firing mechanisms and the telephones. He provides his experience of joining the Navy with his dad and three brothers. He describes life aboard the New Mexico. He recalls traveling to Australia for liberty. Stevens describes the explosion of the USS Liscome Bay (CVE-56) and the repercussions it had upon the New Mexico. They also traveled to the Philippines. He was discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Eugene Walker. Walker served in the Navy aboard the USS New Mexico (BB-40) beginning Christmas Day 1937. He was aboard serving as a radioman. He describes the radios aboard the ship, working in the powder rooms in the turrets and Navy life in general. He gives details of a typical day as a radioman, including training, practicing Morse code and standing watch. Walker describes changes that took place in 1940, when they traveled from the Navy yard in Bremerton, Washington to Honolulu. Walker was transferred to the 14th Naval District from 1940 to 1942. He was present when Pearl Harbor was attacked on 7 December and provides recollections of the attack. He also describes a shellback initiation.

Transcript of an oral interview with Robert B. Walker. Born in 1920, he was drafted in November, 1943. He completed pilot training at the Tuskegee Army Air Field, Alabama in 1945. He flew B-25 airplanes. He arrived in England as the war in Europe ended. He was there for a month and did not see combat. He was discharged in March, 1946. He used the GI Bill to obtain his Doctor of Education (Ed.D.). He mentions the 1943 Detroit race riot and shares an anecdote about race relations at Tuskegee. The interview also contains information about his family during the Great Depression.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Frost. Frost joined the Army Air Forces around late 1942 and served as a pilot in the 13th Army Air Force, 5th Bombardment Group, 394th Bomb Squadron. In mid-1944 he was assigned to pilot and serve as Squadron Navigator aboard B-24s in the Pacific. They provided air support during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. He describes one event where he and his crew were shot down over Mindanao in the Philippines. They were taken to Morotai Island for recovery. Around January of 1945 they traveled to Australia and participated in bombings over Biak and surrounding Schouten Islands. He returned to the US in July, and was discharged in December.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Virgil Sansing. Sansing joined the Army Air Forces in November of 1941. He completed Aircraft Maintenance School, and served as a repairman for over a year, then received approval for flight school. In late 1943 Sansing served as a fighter pilot with the 359th Fighter Group, 369th Fighter Squadron in England. He flew missions over Europe in P-47s and P-51s. On 20 June 1944, while participating in the invasion of Normandy, Sansing was shot down when strafing rail yards in France. Upon parachuting, Sansing immediately went into hiding in the French countryside. For the next few months he was assisted by French families and members of the French Resistance, which helped him reach his base in England. He completed 50 combat missions. He went back to the US and served as a Gunnery Instructor in P-47s, and later completed Aircraft Maintenance Officer School. Sansing served 31 years in the Army, retiring in 1973. He then flew with the Confederate Air Force for 32 years.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Buchanan. Buchanan joined the Navy in 1939 and was assigned to the USS Holland (AS-3). He was then sent to submarine school and joined the USS Cachalot (SS-170) to work on diesel engines. Buchanan was on duty the morning of the attack on Pearl Harbor and describes the events that he witnessed from the Navy Yard where his ship was undergoing repairs. He describes seeing the plane that launched a torpedo on the USS Helena (CL-50) fly overhead. Buchanan discusses the three war patrols that he was a part of and details life on board a submarine. He was discharged for medical reasons in June 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Milton Loss. Loss joined the Navy in January 1942. He was assigned to the USS Haddo (SS-255) and took part in a patrol off England. Loss describes the Haddo receiving new engines at Mare Island. He discusses the arrival of Captain Nimitz and how well he was liked by the crew. Loss participated in five war patrols. He describes his duties as a Quartermaster, planning a torpedo attack, and problems with malfunctioning torpedoes. Loss also discusses life onboard a submarine. He served on the Haddo through the end of the war.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Joseph Lawrence. Lawrence was born November 6, 1924. He joined the Army Air Forces in late 1942. He completed Cryptography School at Chanute Field, Illinois. Around 1944, he traveled to India to the Assam Valley, then describes his trip to China in February 1945, over the Himalaya Mountains. Lawrence was assigned to an Army Airways Communications System Unit at a base 9 miles from Kunming, China. After the war ended, he was reassigned to a tactical team in Nanking, preparing an air field for Chinese troops to occupy and take control of the area. Lawrence returned to the US after the war and received his discharge.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Kelly. Kelly joined the Army Air Forces in June of 1943. He completed training as a diesel mechanic at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. In December of 1944, he traveled to Calcutta, India. He recalls flying in a C-46 over the Himalaya Mountains, referred to as the Hump, transporting supplies to Chaotung, China. Kelly maintained Onan generators at an airfield in order to keep radios in operation. He was later transferred to Kunming, completing similar work. Kelly shares numerous stories of his time living and working in China. After the war ended, he continued his service at the airfield. Kelly returned to the US to receive his discharge in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Stewart Elder. Elder joined the Navy V-5 Program in 1942 and received his wings in November of 1944. He provides details of his flight training and the various of types of planes he flew. He was placed in a replacement squadron in Hawaii four months before the atomic bomb was dropped in Japan in August of 1945. They completed additional training exercises in Hawaii, and after the surrender he returned home. He completed over 1,000 hours of flying during operational training and additionally in the Ready Reserve. He was discharged around December of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Jerold Cox. Cox joined the Marine Corps in January of 1942. He served with the 1st Marine Division, 3rd Defense Battalion on Guadalcanal. He later served with the 2nd Marine Division, 3rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery (formerly Defense) during the Bougainville Campaign. Cox assisted with carrying ammunition and unloading the ships. He contracted malaria, and was sent back to the US around August of 1944 for recovery. He received his discharge in January of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Clarence Griffith. Griffith was born in Granbury Texas in 1913. He worked as an electrician and volunteered for service in the Navy in 1943. He served with the Seabees in the 76th Naval Construction Battalion and went to Guam during the invasion. While there, his outfit built power stations.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Whitcomb Jones. Jones volunteered for the Army Air Forces in June 1943, and went to flight training in Texas. He finished flight school and went to B-17 crew training in Nebraska. Just prior to deploying overseas, Jones was ordered to B-29 training. Upon completion of training in a B-29, Jones was sent to Saipan and assigned to the 499th Bob Group. He flew a few sorties before the war ended. He extended his service time in order to keep flying. Jones opted to join the Reserves and went to college. He was flying P-51s when the Korean War started.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Walter Karnes. Karnes was drafted into the Army in January 1945. He was aboard a troop ship in the Pacific headed for the Philippines when the war with Japan ended. He spent some time guarding Japanese prinsoners of war on Leyte before deciding to extend his enlistment. He was back in the US in December and was assigned to Germany in Janaury 1946. He shares a few anecdotes about his time in Occupied Germany. His enlistment expired in October 1946 and Karnes opted for discharge in January 1947.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Charles Kollman. Kollman joined the Marine Corps in January 1944 and had basic training at San Diego. After training, he went to Hawaii and was at Maui when the war ended. He returned to the US and was discharged in December 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with William Jackson. Jacklson was drafted into the Army Air Forces in June 1943 after he had finished high school. He trained in aerial gunnery and served as a nose gunner on a B-24. He flew 32 missions over Italy, Romania, Czeckoslovakia, Germany, etc. before being shot down over Poland, captured and made a prisoner of war in October 1944. He shares anecdotes about bailing out, being captured and interrogated, and arrving at Stalag Luft IV. Jackson recognized a high school friend in the POW camp. Jackson describes being liberated and eventually making his way back into the Allied fold.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Bennett Lee. Lee joined the Army Air Forces soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He discusses the training he received to become a fighter pilot. Lee was sent to England in October 1944 to fly P-51s. He completed 52 missions over Europe with the 79th Fighter Squadron. Lee describes what it was like to fly a P-51 and details some of the highlights his of missions. He details one mission in which he encountered German ME-262 jet fighters and discusses how one of his fellow airmen destroyed eight planes. Lee mentions seeing the last performance of Glenn Miller. He left the service in December 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Norman Kleiss. Kleiss graduated from the Naval Academy in 1938 and became a dive-bomber pilot. He describes how he earned his nickname, Dusty, by making an uninvited landing at Ewa Field and causing a large dust cloud that disrupted Marine Corps flight operations. Kleiss discusses his training and early career as an aviator. He describes early tactics that naval aviators used and how they evolved under the direction of Admiral Halsey. Kleiss describes in detail his experiences while attached to USS Enterprise (CV-6) during the Battle of Midway. He discusses some of his involvement with Operation Paperclip at the end of the war. Kleiss retired from the military in March of 1962.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Thomas Whetstone. Whetstone joined the Army sometime after 1942 and received basic training at Fort Hood. He was sent to Hawaii for jungle training and amphibious training. Upon completion, he was assigned to the 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, as a replacement. Due to high casualties during combat, he assumed the role of Browning Automatic Rifleman and was eventually promoted to squad leader. Whetstone describes in detail his experiences on Okinawa, including the reckless abandon with which V-J Day was celebrated. After the war, he served for one year in Korea, disarming Japanese troops. Whetstone returned home and was discharged in August 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Axworthy. Axworthy was drafted into the Army in April, 1944. He broke his foot in basic training. Once healed, he went overseas and landed on Leyte during the invasion. Because of a high score on an aptitude test, Axworthy was transferred from the infantry to the signal section in MacArthur’s General Headquarters on Leyte. When the war ended, he travelled to Tokyo with GHQ. He recalls an anecdote where he ran into General MacArthur and knocked him over. Axworthy returned to the US and was discharged in May 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Edith Scott. Scott graduated from high school in 1942. She began nursing school in October of 1943 at John Sealey College of Nursing (now the University of Texas Nursing School) in Austin. She joined the US Cadet Nurse Corps and graduated in 1946, after the war ended. She describes in detail her experiences through nursing school and corps training. Scott also notes that there were several Japanese ladies going through training with her. She goes on to share her life pursuits after graduation.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Alfred P Birdwell. Birdwell joined the Army around 1943. He served as a tank driver with the 3rd Armored Division. He deployed to La Havre, France. Birdwell participated in the Battle of the Bulge, traveling through Germany along the Siegfried Line into Berlin. He returned to the US and received his discharge in late 1945.