The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Benjamin Cranefield, Jr. Cranefield joined the US Navy in 1943, and after attending boot camp in Farragut, Idaho, was sent to corpsman school in San Diego, California. Upon completion of the corpsman training he underwent amphibious training. Then he boarded the USS Hansford (APA-106). He tells of joining the 1st Battalion, 27th Regiment of the 5th Marines at Hilo, Hawaii and of landing on Saipan. He describes the combat actions taking place during the four days following the landing. He recalls being involved in action on Iwo Jima, after which time he went back aboard the Hansford. He was aboard when it delivered the Army’s 27th Infantry Division to Okinawa. He describes the operating room aboard the USS Hansford. Following the battle for Okinawa the ship sailed to Subic Bay, Philippine Islands to undergo training for the invasion of Japan. Following the surrender of Japan the ship participated in Operation Magic Carpet until the program was terminated. Soon afterwards the ship went to Norfolk, Virginia, where it was decommissioned.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Irwin Lejman. Lejman joined the Navy in 1942 and received basic training in Farragut. Upon completion, he was assigned to a pipe and copper shop at the destroyer base in San Diego. He was reassigned to the USS Hansford (APA-106) and worked in the engine room, repairing pipes and relaying phone communication about the ship’s speed and direction. At Iwo Jima, he was given an ad hoc battle station as loader of a 20-milliter gun. His first day shooting at planes, the ship killed 17 U.S. troops on land. The Hansford had tremendous carrying capacity for equipment and troops. The doctors aboard treated wounded from Iwo Jima, and the ship transported Japanese prisoners of war to Yokohama. Lejman was 200 yards away from the USS Missouri (BB-63) for the signing of the surrender. He toured Hiroshima after it was left in ruins. Lejman returned home and was discharged in 1946. He became a stationary engineer for skyscrapers in Chicago, and two of his sons followed suit.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Lawrence Huet. Huet joined the Navy in late 1942 and trained at Great Lakes. With training complete, he was assigned to USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) in May 1943 and served as flight deck crewman. In 1944, after some leave, Huet was assigned to the USS Flint (CL-97). Huet was discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents and oral interview with Marshall Clapp. Clapp joined the Oklahoma National Guard at age 17. Called up in 1943, he participated in building Quonset huts throughout the Island of Attu. After returning to the US due to medical reasons, he joined the 120th Combat Engineers at Remagen, Germany and tells of the construction of Bailey Bridges used to cross the Rhine River. Upon returning to the US, he went into the Inactive Reserves. After a short period of time, he was reactivated and ultimately received a commission. He briefly tells of undergoing parachute training and being assigned to the 82nd Airborne. He concluded his Army career as a lieutenant colonel in the Medical Service Corps.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Steele. Steele was working in a machine shop doing precision grinding when the war started. He was drafted in February 1943 and a woman took his place in the factory. His eyesight disqualified him from combat duty so he was trained as an x-ray technician because of some past expertise in photography. He was stationed in Florida at an airbase. In January 1946, Steele was discharged. Steele also describes the work in the service his wife did during the war.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Charles William Wiley. Wiley joined the Navy in 1944. He completed basic training in Samson, New York, and worked in Naval Intelligence at an airfield in Anacostia, near Washington DC. He helped make propaganda and training films, and worked security on the base. In early 1945, he was assigned to USS LST-950 in the Pacific and participated in the assault and occupation of Okinawa. From September through early November, they performed occupation duty in Japan. In mid-1946, they assisted in relocating natives off of Bikini Island to other islands, for the United States nuclear testing. Wiley returned to the US in late 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Walter Steffes. Steffes entered the Navy June 1946. He completed training in Great Lakes, Illinois. He moved on to Treasure Island, California for electronics school. In July 1947 he boarded the USS Newman K. Perry (DD-883). He served as an electronics technician aboard the destroyer. They arrived in Japan September 1947. They were with the Carrier Division 132. They were assigned to patrol escort, search and rescue, and hydrographic survey missions. They were on the coast of China from Tsingtao to Hong Kong. He was discharged March 1948. In December 1950 he was recalled for the Korean War and reported for duty in January 1951. He served aboard the USS Kula Gulf (CVE-108) working to get the radar and radios in working order. They trained pilots to land on the small flight deck, and as the pilots qualified they were sent on to Korea. He was discharged in April 1952. He owned and operated a gas station after his time in the service.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Francis Sheahen. Sheahen joined the Naval Reserve in Chicago as an Apprentice Seaman in 1940. He transferred to the Baltimore Reserve Unit to complete Naval Academy prep school. Upon completion he entered the Academy in April of 1941 and graduated with an engineering degree with the Class of 1945. He provides some detail of his experiences in the Academy. Upon graduation he was commissioned as an ensign. From there he was sent to Jacksonville, Florida for aviation orientation. Upon course completion he was ordered to Little Creek, Virginia to assemble a crew in order to take command of the USS USS USS LSM-117. They were bound for Guam to deliver a load of dredging parts, then up to Saipan where they boarded a unit of Marines to deliver them to the invasion of Okinawa in April 1945. He provides detail of these missions. Their crew also took troops to Japan. He was ordered to decommission the ship in June of 1946. He was discharged around 1948.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Dick Bulington. Bulington joined the Army in January 1946. He completed his training at Fort McClellan, Alabama. He had weapons training. After basic training he was sent to Germany in April 1946. They landed in Le Havre, France and went by train to Germany. He served in the 508th Military Police Battalion in Munich. He was then transferred to the 1st Infantry Division. He served partially as an MP with the division and as a guard during the Nuremberg War Crime Trials in Germany. He was discharged April 1949. He provides some description of civilian life in Germany. He continued helping on his family’s farm when he returned home.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard Mosier. Mosier joined the Army in 1946, having been a high school student during the war, and was sent to Japan for occupation duty. Upon arrival, he was assigned to the International Military Tribunal for the Far East as a personal aide to the presiding justices. He was on friendly terms with all of them, and among the list of tasks he performed were repairing a family heirloom for Sir William Webb, playing bridge with Judge Bernard, picking out Christmas gifts for the Queen of Netherlands on behalf of Judge Röling, listening to General Zaryanov's jokes, and attending a special event at the Imperial Palace which no one outside the Imperial family had attended in over a century. After returning home from the tribunal one year later, Mosier visited Judge Higgins at the Massachusetts Superior Court and was invited to sit with him at the bench.

Transcript of an oral interview with Joseph M. "Joe" Base. Base begins by discussing growing up during the Depression. In 1942, after he finished high school, Base enlisted in the Navy. When he finished basic training, Base attended signalman school before being assigned to submarine school at New London, Connecticut. Upon completing school, Base was assigned to the USS Redfin (SS-272) at Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Eventually, the Redfin made its way to the Panama Canal where it practiced firing torpedoes for a few days. Soon, they headed for Milne Bay, New Guinea and then to Darwin, Australia. From there, Base describes events that occurred during trhe Redfin's war patrols in the South China Seas and Celebes Sea: making contact with other US submarines; following Japanese tanker convoys; sinking Japanese destroyers; making torpedo attacks on convoys, being attacked with depth charges; enjoying some rest between patrols at Fremantle, Australia; rescuing survivors from the USS Flier (SS-250). Base served as a quartermaster aboard the Redfin, where he assisted the navigator in charting the ship's location, stood watches and steered the ship. After four or five war patrols, the Redfin returned to California for an overhaul where it received updated mine locating equipment. When …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Barney Tarver. Tarver joined the Marine Corps in 1944. He was sent to the Pacific as a replacement. Tarver joined the 1st Marine Division on Pavuvu and took part in the invasion of Okinawa. He describes the conditions of the battlefield and the tactics used against dug-in Japanese defenders. Tarver describes being picked for stretcher duty and seeing men break due to the stress of battle. He traveled with the division to China for occupation duty and returned home for discharge.

Transcript of an oral interview with Gordon L. Schaefer. Born in 1924, he was drafted into the Army in 1943. He talks about basic training at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. He shares an anecdote about witnessing an encounter between a bus driver and an African American soldier. He was transported to England aboard the SS Argentina in June, 1944. Assigned to the 29th Infantry Division Company C, he landed in France in July. He served as a rifleman in addition to carrying a radio. He describes entering Saint-Lô, moving to the front lines, and fighting hedgerow to hedgerow. He recalls seeing Dinah Shore in a USO show. After the campaign through Normandy, he participated in the assault on Brest, France. He talks about Hill 103 and German tanks as well as fighting German soldiers barricaded in a train. He shares an anecdote about the train after the surrender of the German soldiers. He describes being transported through Paris to Holland in a boxcar. He talks about his three-day-pass in Brunssum, Holland. He describes fighting to reach a railroad track in Geilenkirchen, Germany. It was during this engagement, in November, 1944, that he was injured by shrapnel. After being treated in Maastricht, …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Glenn E. Neff. After Neff finished high school, he entered the service in March, 1945. Neff discusses several anecdotes about his training days at Camp Robinson, Arkansas. While he was training, the war in Europe ended. Neff headed for the Pacific and contracted pneumonia aboard the troopship and spent most of his time on the voyage in sick bay. En route to the Philippines, the atomic bombs were dropped and the war ended. Neff's group went on to Leyte and he describes his impressions of camp life near Tacloban. While there, Neff recalls participating in some mopping-up operations, and pulling guard duty to a Japanese prison stockade. After several months in the Philippines, Neff was transferred up to Guam. At Guam, Neff encountered his high school algebra teacher and another classmate from back home. They toured the island together. Also on Guam, Neff put up a lot of communication wires in the coconut trees and laid cables underground. Neff left Guam and returned to the US for discharge in November, 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Edward Duran. Duran joined the Navy in 1927. After achieving warrant officer, Duran was assigned to the USS West Virginia (BB-48) when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He was at the motor launch awaiting transport back to his ship when the Japanese attacked. When the dust cleared, Duran found himself in charge of the Japanese midget submarine Ha-19. Duran shares several anecdotes about his service during the war in the Pacific, including outfitting the USS Trout (SS-202) for a trip to Corregidor; ditching a PBY in the ocean; and being aboard the USS Marvin H. McIntyre at Okinawa. Duran retired from the Navy in 1957.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Maxine Flournoy. Flournoy received her pilot’s license through the Civil Pilot Trailing at Joplin Junior College, Missouri in 1941. Beginning in 1943, she served as a pilot with the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), furthering her training in Sweetwater, Texas. She then transferred to an Army base in Hondo, Texas for Navigation School, where she lived in the barracks with other female pilots. Flournoy notes that she trained aboard an AT-7 and a C-60, receiving the same training as her male counterparts, except for combat training. They were later sent to Officer Training School in Orlando, Florida. When the WASPs disbanded in December of 1944, Flournoy went on to serve as a commercial pilot in Alice, Texas. She shares numerous details of her life experiences in WASP.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Francis J. Sitar. Sitar joined the Navy in early 1941. He completed training in Newport, Rhode Island. In mid-1941, he served aboard USS Mizar (AF-12), and traveled with Task Force 16 to Reykjavík, Iceland. For the next year the Mizar operated in the western Atlantic from a number of East Coast ports supplying bases and ships from Iceland to the Virgin Islands. In July of 1942 they transported a parachute battalion to New Zealand, then traveled to Australian ports to support Army forces engaged in the New Guinea campaign. Around 1943, Sitar transferred to USS Gold Star (AK-12) and served as Second Class Boatswain Mate and later as Chief Warrant Officer, and traveled to Perth and New Guinea. He later served as second in command aboard a tugboat. He received an honorable discharge around January of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Clyde Simpson. Simpson joined the Navy in June of 1940. He went to boot camp in San Diego, California. From there he went to Aviation Radio School to learn Morse Code. He also completed gunnery school. He was then transferred in early 1941 to the air group on the USS Saratoga (CV-3) and placed in Scouting Squadron 3 (VS-3). They traveled back and forth from San Diego to Hawaii for training cruises. Ten days after the attack on Pearl Harbor they traveled back to Hawaii. They were then sent out to look for the Japanese fleet, and ended up getting hit by a Japanese submarine. He talks about this experience. In July of 1942 he was back out to sea headed to the Solomon Islands, providing air support for the Marines at Guadalcanal. He provides details of the fighting at Guadalcanal. He was medically retired by the Navy in June of 1951.

The National Museum of the Pacific War present an oral interview with Carmine Giuliano. Giuliano was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1922. He recalls his early life as a child of immigrant parents. He received his draft notice while attending Berkley College and entered the Navy Aviation Cadet Training Program in February 1943. He tells of flight training before being notified of the reduction of cadets. He was then sent to boot camp and then Midshipman’s School at Notre Dame. After being commissioned as an ensign, he attended radar school for assignment as an air traffic controller. He was assigned to USS Lunga Point (CVE-94) and recalls being on duty in the combat information center when the nearby USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) was hit by a kamikaze. He recalls picking up Allied POWs in Nagasaki and transporting them to various ports. Giuliano also includes a story about meeting Admiral and Mrs. Nimitz.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Charles Sullivan. Sullivan was born 11 November 1923. He joined the Navy in December of 1942. He served as an Electrician’s Mate aboard USS Wesson (DE-184). They traveled to Kwajalein and the Marianas. Sullivan speaks of supporting the Philippine Island operations, and the Okinawa invasion. He returned to the US in late 1945, and received his discharge in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Olen Gaither. Gaither joined the Navy in 1944. He served as First-Class Seaman aboard the USS Wesson (DE-184). They traveled to Pearl Harbor, Guam, Leyte and Okinawa. Gaither served on the 40mm anti-aircraft gun during battle, and was in charge of the galley during his 9-month service aboard the Wesson. He returned to the US and received his discharge in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Fred Morgan. Morgan joined the Army in January of 1942. He went to Fort Devens, Massachusetts for basic training. He served with the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment as a medic. Morgan tells of the training he received in jump school. After additional training in North Africa, the unit dropped into Sicily. Morgan describes some of the difficulties they encountered. This was followed by a drop at Salerno, Italy. The unit was then sent to England to prepare for Operation Overlord. Morgan describes in detail the equipment carried and the procedures followed by a medic during a jump. The unit then participated in Operation Market Garden, and the horrendous conditions encountered during the Battle of the Bulge. Morgan returned to the US and received his discharge in September of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Rodolf. Rodolf grew up in Oklahoma and joined the Army Air Force in 1942. He was in photo reconnaissance, called F-5, and was a pilot of P-38 camera vision. After training, he arrived in Guadalcanal in March 1944. He flew missions out of Bougainville covering Rabaul and Kavieng. In October 1944, he moved up to Noemfor, then to Sansapor. He continued flying until November 1945. He was in the 13th Army Air Force, 17th Photo Squadron. He took photographs for invasion purposes or finding targets for the fighters and bombers. He describes accidents in the airplane. He was stranded at sea with seven others, and they landed on an island occupied by the Japanese after the second atomic bomb had been dropped. Two of the men he was with did not survive. The remaining five were given food and water and treated for their wounds by the Japanese. They were rescued by the Australians. He married his wife in Sydney in March 1945. He went back to the United States and his wife followed. He was discharged in 1947. He returned to Oklahoma to begin his career. …

Transcript of an oral interview with James Avery. Mr Avery was a junior at the University of Illinois when Pearl Harbor was attacked. He signed up with the Army Air Corps since they would let him finish his degree before they would take him. However, the Army Air Corps was not able to honor its commitment since they needed pilots badly. In March 1943, they called him up and sent him to Lackland Air Base for the preflight program. From there, Avery went to Fort Stockton where he learned to fly in a Fairchild PT-19 and then to Goodfellow Field in San Angelo to learn to fly a BT-13. After two months of basic training, he went to Reese Air Base in Lubbock to train in the AT-17 and got his wings there in January 1944. Avery wanted to fly the B-26 and he got his wish; reporting first to Del Rio and then to Barksdale Field where he got his crew assigned. There were six of them in the crew. After about three months at Barksdale, they went to Savannah, Georgia to pick up a brand new airplane. However, they had to wait six weeks for their ship; Martin …