The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Anthony Geer. Geer was drafted into the Navy in 1943. He completed boot camp in San Diego, then served as a yeoman. He received additional training in aircraft recognition. He traveled to the Philippines aboard the USS Tazewell (APA-209), and worked on Samar Island until the atomic bombs were dropped, then transferred to Manila until the surrender of Japan. He traveled back to the U.S. aboard the USS Menard (APA-201). Geer was honorably discharged in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Hal La Vine. La Vine was drafted into the Army in February of 1942. He was assigned to the 45th Division, 445th Combat Group. He graduated as an officer from cadet navigation school. He served as an instructor in Monroe, Louisiana. In November of 1942 his unit was assigned to a base in Hethel, England. La Vine served as a navigator aboard B-24s. They served as a lead crew, flying missions out of England in 1943. He describes life at the base in Hethel. They completed 30 missions. He describes some of their more involved missions including Berlin and Stuttgart, Germany. Upon completing his missions, he was sent to Ireland to serve again as a navigation instructor for incoming navigators.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Harry Dallison. Dallison joined the Navy in 1944 and attended radio school at the University of Wisconsin. Upon completion, he went to submarine school in New London. He received radar training in Groton and went to sound school in San Diego. During his studies, he came down with a fever. By the time he recovered, the war had ended, so Dallison never made a war patrol. He was assigned for three months to USS Pintado (SS-387) and was discharged in April 1946. In his retirement he was an active ham radio enthusiast.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with David Lynch. Lynch joined the Marine Corps just after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and received basic training at Parris Island. He received further training at Camp Lejeune with the 1st Marine Division. Upon completion, he was sent to Guadalcanal, where he fought for five months and contracted malaria, despite taking Atabrine daily. He recalls that all the Marines were cheering for the Americans during an air fight at Henderson Field as though it were a football game. He then went to Cape Gloucester and Pavuvu. When securing Peleliu, he ran out of grenades and resorted to throwing rocks at the Japanese. He describes how challenging the Japanese style of combat was at Peleliu. On his way to Bloody Nose Ridge, his helmet was shot. Lynch fell to the ground and was knocked unconscious. He awoke two days later, on a hospital ship, and received medical treatment at a field hospital in the Admiralties. Lynch returned home and was discharged in 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ray Boone. Boone joined the Navy in 1937. He was assigned to the USS Blue (DD-387) and initially served in the deck division. Boone was also a pointer on one of the 5-inch guns. He eventually joined the engineering division and worked in the boiler room and details how the boiler room operated. Boone describes his experiences during the attack on Pearl Harbor. He witnessed the Utah capsize and the Arizona explode. Boone describes traveling to several areas of the ship and trying to access ammunition for the main guns as well as the efforts to get underway. He also mentions dropping depth charges on a Japanese submarine. The Blue traveled to Guadalcanal and rescued crewmembers of HMAS Canberra. Boone details his ship being critically damaged by a torpedo off Guadalcanal. He was sent back to the States on leave and then joined the USS McCook (DD-496), participating in convoy duty to North Africa and Sicily. Boone was then sent to Steam Turbine school and subsequently joined the crew of Auxiliary Rescue Tug 64 (ATR-64). He travelled to Mindanao, Philippines as his tug towed a drydock. Boone was …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Hastings. Hastings was drafted into the Army in March 1941. He was sent to radar school and was promoted to an officer in the Signal Corps. Hastings was sent to New Guinea in 1943 and led an autonomous unit that operated on a radio boat disguised as a native fishing boat. He tells of an encounter with head hunters. Hastings was then sent to the 310th Bombardment Wing of the 5th Air Force in the Philippines where he maintained radio equipment. He describes a bombing mission that he joined over China. Hastings helped liberate civilian POWs from Santo Tomas and describes their treatment and condition. He then traveled to Osaka for occupation duty. Hastings talks about his time there as well as flying over Hiroshima. He describes what he saw and discusses his conflicted feelings on the use of the bomb. Hastings stayed in the Reserve and was recalled for the Korean War where he served in Alaska.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Uros Roessman. Roessmann was born in Vevce, Slovenia 9 September 1925 and graduated from high school in 1943. As the country was occupied by German and Italian forces, he joined the Slovene Home Guard (Domobranci), a home defenders group. The group, led by General Rupnik fought the communist group called the Partisans led by Marshall Tito. Roessmann tells of treating an American pilot for burns after being shot down by the Germans. Although the pilot was hidden from the Germans, he along with other Americans were betrayed and ultimately sent to a prisoner of war camp. At the end of the war, Rosessman and a group of anti-communists found their way to Austria where they were placed into a refugee camp. He and his family migrated to the United States in 1949.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Kenneth Wavell. Wavell was born in Flandreau, South Dakota 30 October 1919. After graduating from high school in Pipestone, Minnesota in 1936 he attended the University of Minnesota. In 1941, he joined the Navy. After boot camp at Jacksonville, Florida he was selected for flight training. After graduating from flight school at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, Texas, he became a flight instructor for two years. He describes a number of experiences including witnessing a mid-air collision. He 1943 he was ordered to join squadron VC-81 aboard the USS Natoma Bay (CVE-62) as a TBM pilot. He participated in bombing missions over Luzon, Mindoro and Iwo Jima. He also tells of participating in the Battle of Leyte Gulf at which time he had a direct bomb hit on the Japanese battleship Yamato. His plane was not damaged, although heavy anti-aircraft fire was encountered. After the squadron participated in the invasion of Iwo Jima they returned to San Diego. Japan surrendered soon after their return to the United States and Wavell was discharged.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Keeffe. Keeffe joined the Army Air Forces as an aviation cadet in July 1942. He describes his flight training and the planes he flew. Keeffe was then sent to England to become a co-pilot on a B-24. He discusses in detail how he was forced to bail out on his fourth mission over Germany. Keeffe managed to elude capture with the help of the Dutch underground for over four months. He was eventually captured by German counter-intelligence and sent to Stalag Luft III. Keeffe describes how he and his fellow POWs were forced to evacuate due to the Soviet advance and his eventual release and repatriation. He left the service after the war, but soon returned and retired from the Air Force in 1966.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Von Dixon. Dixon was born 30 April 1924 in La Junta, Colorado. Upon enlisting in the US Army Air Forces, he went to Randolph Field, Texas for preflight training. He tells of various phases of training at a series of airfields and the type of planes used in the training. Upon graduating and being commissioned in 1943, he was sent to Thomasville, Georgia for training in the P-39 (fighter). After three months training he was sent to New Guinea where he joined the 35th Fighter Group. After flying the P-39 on ground support missions for a period of time, the group received new P-47s. Dixon recalls an accident that occurred during take-off that resulted in him being seriously burned. He tells of the treatment he received and the various hospitals in which he was a patient for five months of recovery. Following his recovery he was sent to Ephrata Army Air Field, Washington as a pilot instructor, flying the P-63 (fighter) for five months. Dixon recounts his experience of successfully bailing out of a disabled P-63. He was sent to Bell Aircraft, the headquarters of the manufacturer, to …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Morrison. Morrison joined the Army Air Forces in December 1942 and was sent to Chicago to train with aviation cadets. He received further training in Santa Ana, Tucson, and Phoenix. His night-flying was done in the B-25, guided by a radar operator. The casualty rate was extremely high from crashing into unseen objects. Upon completion of his training, Morrison became an instructor in flying the BT-13 and the AT-6. He was then sent for training on the Northrop P-61 Black Widow. In preparation for the dropping of the atomic bomb, Morrison participated in experiments for radar-guided bombing in overcast conditions. His flying career ended when the atomic bomb was dropped. Morrison returned home and became a dentist. One of his longtime patients had manned a navigational hut in Arizona that Morrison routinely flew over during his training. When Morrison realized the connection during an appointment, he gave his old call signal, which caught the patient quite by surprise. Morrison went on to travel extensively and met Paul Tibbets and pilots from the Doolittle Raid, whom he describes as a rough bunch.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Thomas Hendrix. Hendrix joined the Naval Reserve in 1940 and was commissioned in 1941. He started as an intelligence officer for the 11th Naval District at San Diego until he requested sea duty. Hendrix served on the USS Harris (APA-2) and was at sea during the attack on Pearl Harbor. He describes the damage he saw when his ship returned to Pearl Harbor. Hendrix was then assigned to CINCPAC as a coding officer. He discusses the arrival of Nimitz and his words to the staff. Hendrix describes the demeanor of Nimitz and how he treated the staff. He also talks about how Admiral Spruance interacted with the staff. Hendrix covers the nature of his work as a coder. He requested sea duty again and was transferred to the USS Mitchell (DE-43). Hendrix served as Navigation Officer as his ship escorted oil tankers as part of the At-Sea Logistics Support Group for the remainder of the year. He discusses how the mixed-race crew got along well. The Mitchell was decommissioned in December 1945 and Hendrix left the service in March 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Schell. Schell joined the Navy in March 1944. He was trained as an aviation ordinance man and was assigned to VC-84 as a gunner on a TBM-3. His squadron was assigned to the USS Makin Island (CVE-93) and participated in the battles of Leyte Gulf, Lingayen Bay, and Iwo Jima. Schell talks about how they bombed Iwo Jima for thirty-two days with little effect. He was discharged in February 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Campbell. Campbell was born on 25 November 1920 in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1941, he was an engineering student at the University of Cincinnati and working at the Curtis Wright engine plant. On 12 July 1941, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet. After spending time at a junior college in Little Rock, Arkansas, Campbell was sent to the University of Iowa for cadet pre-flight training. Upon completion of the course he was sent to Hutchinson, Kansas Naval Air Station for preliminary flight training where he flew the N2S trainer. He then entered advance training at Pensacola, Florida where he flew the SNJ (training plane) and F4F (fighter). This was followed by carrier landing training on the Great Lakes. Following carrier training, he was sent to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania for training in aerial photography. In 1944 he joined VC-86 as a replacement aboard the USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95). The squadron took part in the invasion of Leyte Gulf and Lingayen Gulf as well as Iwo Jima. During the invasion of Iwo Jima, the Bismarck Sea was struck by two kamikaze aircraft, which resulted in many …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Floyd E. Beeghly. Beeghly joined the Navy in April 1943. He describes his basic training at Farragut, Idaho. Beeghly was sent to the USS Independence (CVL-22) and joined the C and R division. He describes flight operations, his damage control station, and what it was like when his ship was hit by a torpedo. Beeghly left the Navy in February 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Gordon Schaefer. Schaefer was born in Clinton, Indiana 5 December 1924. Upon graduating from high school in 1943, he was drafted into the US Army. He completed basic training at Camp Shelby, Missouri and he went to Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia for advanced training. He was then sent to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey where he boarded the SS Argentina for Scotland. From there he went to Normandy where he joined the 29th Infantry Division as a rifleman. He describes the hedgerow fighting and combat against the 2nd German Parachute Division. He tells of being involved in combat at Geilenkirchen, Germany where he was wounded by shell fragments. After the initial treatment, he was moved to a hospital in Liege, Belgium before being taken by C-47 to a hospital in Oxford, England. After his recovery, he rejoined his company in Germany and remained there until he returned to the United States in December 1945 at which time he was discharged.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with George Kirk. Kirk was born in Moline, Illinois on 17 April 1921. After graduating from high school in 1939 he enrolled at the University of Iowa. While there he participated in the Civilian Pilot Training Program and received his pilot’s license. In June 1942, he joined the Navy and had four months of training at St Louis. He then entered flight training at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, Texas and had advanced at Kingsville Naval Air Station, Texas. He was commissioned in May 1943. After gunnery, formation and night flying he went to Norfolk, Virginia and was assigned to VF-8 and began flying F6F fighter planes. The group began practicing carrier landing on the USS Charger (CVE-30). Upon being carrier qualified, VF-8 was assigned to the USS Intrepid (CV-11). Upon arrival in Hawaii, VF-8 was off loaded from the ship and moved to the Navy base on Maui. On 1 March 1944, Air Group 8 was assigned to the USS Bunker Hill (CV-17). In recalling various combat missions, Kirk depicts the coordinated attacks by dive bombers, torpedo planes and fighter planes against various targets. He took part in …

Transcript of an oral interview with George S. Mixell. Mixell dropped out of high school and joined the Army in November, 1940 at York, Pennsylvania. He was assigned to a heavy weapons company in the 158th Infantry Regiment (Bushmasters) in Panama. Mixell shares several anecdotes about jungle training in Panama, quelling a riot in Panama City, and patrolling around the canal. He was in Panama one year before shipping out to Australia. From Australia, Mixell and the Bushmasters went to New Guinea. He worked along the Kokoda Trail in the Owen Stanley Mountains training with horses. He mentions listening to Tokyo Rose on the radio and being entertained by her. Mixell's job in New Guinea was to provide security for the officers in the Headquarters Company and he located seven Japanese snipers. He had a brief encounter with General MacArthur. Mixell also mentions he spent time in the hospital suffering with malaria and jungle rot. Finally, he shares a few incidents about his life after he was discharged from the service.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Dr. Daniel Jackson. Jackson grew up in Pennsylvania, went to medical school and was doing his internship when the war started. He completed his internship then joined the Army Medical Corps in June, 1942. His first assignment was as a medical officer at Elgin Air Force Base. Then he joined a unit that was forming (the 102nd Station Hospital) to go overseas. Jackson arrived on New Guinea at Lae in 1944. He did not treat casualties wounded in battle. Instead, he treated medical patients, those suffering from scrub typhus, malaria, dengue fever, etc. Out of boredom, Jackson decided to join the Alamo Scouts prior to the invasion of the Philippines. In his stint in the Army, Jackson served as a dermatologist and an anesthesiologist. Jackson also was stationed i nJapan after the war ended. He recalls attempting to drive up Mt. Fuji i na weapons carrier. He describes his return home on the train from Portland through Los Angeles and San Antonio to New Orleans. He was discharged in February, 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Leo D. Wilcox. Wilcox joined the Navy in December 1942 and trained at Farragut, Idaho. Eventually, he was assigned to the Amphibious Force and reported aboard USS LCI-70 at Tulagi. The USS LCI-70 was a variant and was converted to include several other guns to support infantry during a landing. Wilcox describes some action he saw aboardUSS LCI-70 in the Solomon Islands. He also discusses his role in the invasion of Leyte in October, 1944 and then Mindoro. During a typhoon, a ship drug anchor and collided withUSS LCI-70, which ended up beached after the typhoon. After getting off the beach,USS LCI-70 participated in the invasion of Luzon at Lingayen Gulf. Wilcox describes the 70 being struck by a kamikaze. Wilcox also describes operations around Borneo. When the war ended, Wilcox was headed home to attend electricians school. Before he could go to school, he was assigned to the USS LST-611. He spent the next year decommissioning Seabee bases in the Pacific before being discharged in San Diego on his 21st birthday. He returned to the service, this time in the reserves and served aboard the USS Wedderburn …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Edmund E. Zega. Zega joined the Marine Corps Reserve in 1944 when he was 17 and went on active duty in February, 1945. Zega speaks at length about the various weapons he trained on while in training at Parris Island, Camp Lejeune and San Diego. En route to Okinawa aboard the USS Bogue (CVE-9), the war ended and the ship returned to Pearl Harbor. Zega was transferred to the USS New York (BB-34) to serve in the galley as a cook. Zega was discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John M. Nash, Jr. Nash was a freshman at the University of Utah in the fall of 1941. After one year of college, he was sworn into the Navy as an aviation cadet in November, 1942. Nash discusses pilot training in Arizona, Oklahoma and Texas. He also speaks about carrier landing training in Illinois. He was commissioned an ensign in June, 1944. When his orders came to him, he was assigned as a flight instructor at Cabaniss Field, an auxiliary landing field near the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station. Some of his students were foreign exchange students from other Alied countries. He remianed there through the end of the war.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Edward H. Vaughan. Vaughan went into the Army in January 1943. He relates a few amusing stories from his basic training days and at radio operator school. After training, Vaughan was attached to the 574th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion. When he went overseas, he boarded trhe SS Cape Newenham (1943) and headed for New Guinea in 1944 arriving on Biak. Eventually, his unit headed for Palawan, Philippines. When the war was over, Vaughan was mustered out in a hurry because his father had had a bad heart attack and his mother sent for him. He rode a liberty ship back to San Francisco from the Philippines. When he was discharged, Vaughan elected to stay in the Army Reserve and eventually joined the Texas National Guard.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William L. Bonning. Bonning had finished high school in 1941 and was grinding gears at Ford Motor Company in Detroit when he was drafted into the Army in January 1943. After a few failed attempts at joining the paratroopers, Bonning finally managed to pass the height requirement by stuffing matchbooks in his socks. He joined the paratroopers at Fort Benning, Georgia, in June, 1944. Bonning speaks of his experiences while training in Texas and Louisiana. He was in B Company, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. He made it to France just in time to be moved to Belgium and join the fighting at the Battle of the Bulge. He shares many anecdotes about his time spent in combat and mentions many of his comrades by name.