The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Jack Merrick. Merrick joined the Air Force Reserves. By 1942 he had earned his pilot license and completed two civilian pilot training courses. He graduated as a flight officer from the glider pilot program in Lubbock, Texas in May of 1943. Merrick was assigned to the 437th Troop Carrier Group and the 84th Squadron. In January of 1944 he was shipped to England and provides details of his experiences there and additional training. In June of 1944 his outfit participated in D-Day. He also participated in Operation Market Garden in September of 1944. He served as a glider pilot during the war and provides detail of his experiences through these events. He returned to the U.S. in July of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Edward Hahnemann. Hahnemann joined the Navy in December of 1942. He was trained as an aviation machinist and was assigned to USS San Jacinto (CVL-30). Hahnemann describes his duties related to the maintenance of the flight deck arresting gear. He mentions how he was acquainted with George H. W. Bush. Hahnemann gives an overview of some of the actions he was involved in, particularly going through several typhoons and seeing kamikaze attacks. He was discharged in January 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Henry Zapalac. Zapalac joined the Navy in February 1941 and received basic training in San Diego. Upon completion, he was assigned to the Alameda Naval Air Station for ordnance training. While there, he serviced PBYs that were used in flight training. His first assignment in the Pacific was loading ammunition onto an island near Tarawa. He suffered a bout of malaria while there. At Saipan he flew patrols, dropping rafts and supplies to stranded troops. He stayed on Saipan several years, doing odd jobs until he was transferred to Corpus Christi, where he ran the movie projector. Zapalac was discharged in 1947 and became an appliance repairman.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Eugene N. Fithian. Born in 1925, he joined the Navy in 1943. He describes basic training and living conditions in Great Lakes, Illinois. Following basic training, he was assigned to the Navy Overflow Annex from Treasure Island where he worked in the fleet post office becoming a Mailman, Third Class. He was then assigned to the destroyer, USS Farenholt (DD-491). On the Farenholt, he became a cook and was assigned as a leader on a 20mm and later a 40mm anti-aircraft gun. He shares an anecdote about becoming seasick within two hours after sailing out from San Francisco. He describes screening operations for the landings on Kwajalein and Guam and carrier fleet operations in the Philippine Island area and Peleliu. He comments on the kamikazes, rescuing downed pilots and survivors of damaged or sunken ships, bombarding shore targets and carrier operations in the Sakishima Gunto. He shares a story of taking pictures of the Japanese generals on Okinawa on their way to the peace talks in Manila. After arriving in South Carolina, he was transferred to the USS Caperton (DD-650) prior to its decommissioning. He was discharged from …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Dale Ball. Ball joined the Navy around 1942. In 1943, he began serving as a Storekeeper aboard USS LST-1005 in the Pacific Theater. They traveled to Hawaii, the Caroline Islands, Eniwetok and Leyte Gulf, Philippines. He recalls a typhoon he experienced in 1945. He served with occupation troops in Japan after the war ended. Ball returned to the US, and continued his service in the Navy.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William G. Mehling. Mehling was born in Alexandria, Indiana on 1 October 1924. In April 1943, he was drafted into the Army. Following basic training at Camp Roberts, California, he was sent to the Army Specialized Training Program at Stanford University, then to Indiana University for a nine month course in engineering. In May 1944 he was sent to Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky for refresher basic training, then to Fort Campbell for combat engineer training. In November 1944 Mehling sailed for Marseilles, France as a member of the 1271st Combat Engineers, attached to the 7th Army, 75th Infantry Division. After a brief stay in Marseilles, the unit went to a small town in Alsace-Lorraine. By April 1945 they were near the front laying mine fields, clearing German mine fields, and building Bailey bridges. The 1271st followed the 75th south to Austria and almost to the Italian border. After the German surrender in May, they went to Antwerp, Belgium in preparation for transfer to the Pacific. Before that could happen, the war ended. Mehling returned to the US in December 1945 and was discharged on 3 January 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard L. Nielsen. Nielsen joined the Navy in 1960 after two years of college at San Francisco State. Nielsen discusses his father's service aboard liberty ships as a radio operator in the Merchant Marine during WWII in the Pacific. He also shares anecdotes about time in boot camp at San Diego. After boot camp, Nielsen went to hospital corps school. Upon completion of that, he was stationed in the intensive care unit at Oak Knoll Naval Hospital in Oakland, California. He relays an encounter he had with Admiral Nimitz as a patient at the hospital. He also relates an incident in which he traveled with a doctor to Yerba Buena Island to treat Admiral Nimitz at his home the day before he passed away.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Perry Kerr. Kerr enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves in 1943. He completed gunnery school in Denver, Colorado, graduating as corporal. In 1945 he was assigned to the 466th Bomb Group, crew number 792 in Attlebridge, England. Aboard a B-24 Kerr served as a gunner in the forward turret directly behind the pilot and copilot. He also toggled bombs, as they did not have a bombardier. They completed 12 missions. Kerr provides some details of his missions. He was discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with William Toombs. Toombs was born in 1924. He enlisted in the Army Air Forces in October of 1942. He completed Airplane Mechanics’ School, which included work on B-24s, then onto Gunnery School. In late 1943, Toombs was assigned as Flight Engineer/Gunner aboard a B-24 with the 493rd Bomb Group. They traveled to England, and he completed 24 missions over Normandy, France and Germany in both the B-24 and B-17. He recalls a story of their plane being shot down over Brussels. In October of 1944, Toombs was summoned to Squadron HQ and returned to the US. He opted to remain grounded at Langley Field, Virginia, on aircraft maintenance. Toombs was discharged in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Glaze. Glaze was born on 2 January 1925. He joined the Army Air Forces Cadet Program in January 1943. He was commissioned as a B-17 Aerial Navigator and joined the 483rd Bomb Group, 860th Bomb Squadron in Debach, England. Glaze flew 28 bombing missions over Germany and Normandy. He returned to the US and received his discharge in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ralph Lynn. Lynn joined the Army Air Forces in December of 1942. He completed flight training and multi-engine schooling by October of 1943. He served as a B-24 co-pilot with the 784th Bombardment Squadron, 466th Bombardment Group in England. From April of 1944 through July of 1944, they completed 32 missions over France, including Normandy during D-Day, Germany, and Belgium. In July, Lynn returned to the US, and assigned to serve as a B-24 flight instructor in Smyrna, Tennessee through the end of the war.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ralph Peterson. Peterson joined the Army Air Forces in January of 1944. Beginning in late 1944, he served as a B-17 ball turret gunner with the 18th Bombardment Squadron, 34th Bombardment Group in England. He completed 30 missions over Germany and German-controlled targets. Peterson returned to the US and was discharged in October of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Joseph Garber. Garber joined the Army in December of 1942. He completed Radio Operator and Gunnery schools. He served with the 338th Bombardment Squadron, 96th Bombardment Group in England. Garber completed 13 missions over Germany, Normandy and France. During a mission over Germany, his plane was shot down, and he and the crew were captured by German soldiers. Garber endured torture by his captors at Stalag Luft I and IV prison camps. Upon his liberation in May of 1945, he was returned to the US and honorably discharged in October.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Larkin Dilbeck. Dilbeck was born on 29 September 1918. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, he worked with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in several areas of Arkansas, helping farmers prepare their fields, building roads and log benches for Arkansas State Parks. He attended Eastern New Mexico State University in Portales, studying Forestry before being drafted into the Army in December 1942. He served with the 740th Tank Battalion, codenamed Daredevil, in the 9th Armored Division. Dilbeck worked as a loader on a Sherman tank. They participated in the Battle of the Bulge, the Central Europe Campaign, and the Rhineland Offensive.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Joseph Caruso. Caruso joined the Army Air Forces in 1942. He served as a radio operator and mechanic aboard a B-17 with the 385th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force. He traveled to England, bombarding industrial areas, air bases, oil refineries over Germany, France and pre-bombing before the Invasion of Normandy, completing 30 missions. In 1945, Caruso joined the Air Transport Command. He was discharged shortly after the war ended.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Russell Chase. Chase joined the Army Air Forces around 1942. He served as a radio operator and gunner with the 447th Bombardment Group. He participated in 30 bombing missions over France and Germany. They supported the invasion of Normandy in 1944. Chase returned to the US.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Murray Codman. Codman joined the Army Air Forces in February of 1943. He served as an engineer and top turret gunner aboard a B-17 with the 447th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force. He completed 35 bombing and supply missions over Europe, including Germany and France. Codman was discharged as a technical sergeant October of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Harold Dietz. Dietz joined the Army Air Forces in 1943. He served as a gunner aboard a B-24 with the 785th Bombardment Squadron, 466th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force in England. He completed 26 missions over Germany, Holland and France. He participated in the Battle of the Bulge, bombing bridges and railroad yards. Dietz returned to the US and received his discharge in November of 1945. In 2014, he received the French Medal of Honor for his assistance in driving the Germans out of France during World War II.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with LeRoy Faulkner. Faulkner joined the Army Air Forces in January of 1943. He completed armament school and gunnery school by late 1944. Faulkner joined the 303rd Bombardment Group, 360th Bombardment Squadron in England. He completed 15 bomb missions as a B-17 nose gunner over Czechoslovakia and Germany. He was discharged in November of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with David Greene. Greene joined the Army Air Forces in late 1942. Beginning in 1944, he served as B-24 navigator with the 392nd Bombardment Group. He completed 30 missions over Germany and France. Greene returned to the US in 1945, and remained in the Reserves through 1970.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Hyatt. Hyatt joined the Army Air Forces in November of 1943. He served as a B-17 pilot with the 385th Bombardment Group, completing 35 bombing missions over Germany and France. Hyatt returned to the US in January of 1945. After the war ended, he transported troops from Okinawa back to the States.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Killpack. Killpack joined the Army Air Forces, completed Gunnery School, and served as a B-29 ball turret gunner with the 447th Bomb Group, 708th Bomb Squadron. Killpack completed 30 missions, including air assaults over Germany, Belgium, and in support of the Battle of the Bulge. He was discharged around late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Lloyd Mitchell. Mitchell joined the Army Air Corps in November of 1941. Beginning in July of 1942, he served as a B-17 navigator with the 96th Bomb Group, 413th Bomb Squadron, completing 25 missions over Africa, Germany and France. He returned to the US and received a discharge in the fall of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Frank Perez. Perez joined the Army Air Forces in 1943. He served as a B-17 ball turret gunner with the 8th Air Force, 401st Bomb Group, 613th Squadron, completing 32 missions over Germany, France and Poland. He returned to the US and received his discharge in 1946.