The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Scott West. West joined the Navy in 1935. He was assigned to the USS Lexington (CV-2) for four years. In September of 1942 he served aboard the USS Copahee (CVE-12). He describes the planes aboard and the process of getting all the aviation equipment aboard the carrier. They traveled to New Caledonia to deliver planes, as well as to Munda, in the Solomon Islands. He completed catapult and arresting gear school at the Naval Air Station in Philadelphia, and then served as an instructor. Later, he took crews out to supervise new installations and repair battle damage.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles Gojean. Grojean was born in Charleston, Missouri in 1923. From an early age he wanted to attend the United States Naval Academy. He was accepted after attending the Virginia Military Institute for a year. He discusses the differences between the teaching methods at VMI and the Naval Academy. He recalls the summer cruises aboard the USS Arkansas (BB-33) in 1943 and the USS New York (BB-34) in 1944. After graduation, he was on his way to San Francisco when the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan. From Pearl Harbor, he was ordered to Uilithi. The ship to which he had been assigned had already departed for New York. In December 1945, Grojean was ordered aboard the USS Stevenson (DD-645), scheduled for decommissioning in South Carolina. He then reported aboard the USS Wiltsie (DD-716), which sailed for San Diego via the Panama Canal. He then attended a six month electronic school and upon graduating he flew to Japan. In 1947 he attended sonar school for four weeks and rejoined the ship at Bremerton. In early 1948 he had an accident, which put him in the Great Lakes Naval …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Feller. Former Major League baseball player Feller heard of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor as he was traveling to Chicago to sign his 1942 contract with the Cleveland Indians. Upon arriving in Chicago he made a personal call to his friend Gene Tunney. Tunney flew to Chicago and was present when Feller was sworn into the Navy on 9 December 1941. He underwent boot training at Norfolk, Virginia. He was then assigned to the USS Alabama (BB-60) as a gun captain and participated in convoy duty in the Atlantic. In August 1943, the Alabama returned to Norfolk for supplies, and then sailed to the New Hebrides. Feller stayed in good physical shape by throwing the baseball while on board and participating in inter-service games on various islands. He participated in the Marianas Turkey Shoot as well as the invasions of Guam and other islands. Returning to the United States in 1944 he was named the baseball coach of the Great Lakes Naval Station baseball team. He was discharged in 1945and signed as a pitcher for the Cleveland Indians.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Glenn Mitchell. Mitchell, a native Choctaw Indian, joined the Marine Corps in 1943. After completing training in artillery as well as radio and telephone communication, he joined the 5th Marine Division, 13th Artillery Regiment. His primary function was to call in coordinates for a 105mm gun. At Iwo Jima, Mitchell landed under enemy fire which included attack. He developed battle fatigue and was relieved from the front lines, working instead at the fire direction switchboard. He then transferred to an MP company in the 2nd Marine Division, serving occupation duty at Kyushu. There he coaxed villagers out of the ruins of Nagasaki as part of a westernization program. After his discharge in 1946, Mitchell initially struggled with PTSD before finding his way as a fisherman in Alaska.

Transcript of an oral interview with Marvin Russell. Russell, who graduated with a petroleum engineering degree from the University of Houston, describes his role in the testing of fuel used in the Pacific and in North Africa during the war. He discusses the homefront, including the politics of war, rationing, the Japanese American internment, the use of the atomic bomb, and the reaction to the end of the war. There is also a brief comparison of World War II and the Iraq War. After the war, Russell was employed in the automotive industry. Additionally, Russell identifies his parents and siblings and mentions his brothers’ role as civilians involved in troop transport.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Alex Grosse. Grosse finished high school and joined the Navy in 1942 and served as an ordnanceman loading munitions on planes in New Jersey and Virginia. Grosse shares several anecdotes about his experiences. He worked in a Carrier Air Service Unit (CASU) but never mentioned any number designation.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Raymond Weller. Weller joined the Army Air Forces in February of 1943. He provides great detail of his boot camp experiences. He traveled to Aldermaston Court in Reading, England in July of 1943. In February of 1944 Weller attended control school in Swindon, England and he describes living conditions there. He served with the 9th Air Force, the 391st Fighter Squadron of the 366th Fighter Group. Weller served as Control Tower Operator, directing aircraft and vehicles operating on the landing area. In June of 1944 he traveled aboard the USS LST-315 to Utah Beach in France and he provides details of this experience, and their maneuvers through France.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Donald Boots. In December, 1942, Boots joined the Marine Corps. After basic training, Boots attended a small camouflaging school at Camp Lejeune before going to Camp Pendleton. At Pendleton, the 4th Marine Division formed and Boots was assigned to the 4th Pioneer Battalion. His unit's job was to organize a beachhead once Marines had landed. During the Marshall Islands invasion, Boots' unit landed on a small island near Roi-Namur to set up artillery for the larger invasion. After that, the unit went back to Maui. Next, Boots' unit invaded Saipan. He went in on the second or third wave on D-Day. Boots also went to Iwo Jima and landed with the third wave. Once on the beach, he had a hard time finding his outfit because so many of them had been killed already. He helped a friend onto an LCVP that was leaving the beach with wounded and was taken off the beach. He returned for his second landing on Iwo Jima a short time later. He stayed for 31 days. When the war ended, Boots was discharged in November, 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Hogan. Hogan was drafted into the Army in February of 1943. He was assigned to the 87th Infantry Division. They traveled to Camp Petipool, England. His job was with the 90mm anti-tank gun. In November of 1944 they landed in Le Havre, France. He participated in the Battle of the Bulge. They were located in St. Vith, Belgium. He describes their living conditions and how they kept warm during a bitterly cold European winter. After the Bulge they advanced troops across the Rhine River. By May of 1945 they were in Villmar, Germany, after cracking the Siegfried Line. He provides some details of that experience. They convoyed to Camp Lucky Strike located a few miles from St. Valery, France. He was discharged in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with V.P. Johansen. Johansen joined the Navy soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He became a Seabee and spent 18 months working on new construction at the submarine base at Pearl Harbor. His unit was then shifted to heavy equipment for airstrip work. Johansen landed on Iwo Jima on the fourth day of the battle. His battalion began repairing Airfield #1. Johansen details the damaged planes landing on the field and the ongoing maintenance the airfield required. He was sent back to the States that summer where he served until his discharge in December of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Walter Autry. Autry left the Merchant Marine and joined the Navy just after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Given his experience, he qualified for steam engineering and was sent to the University of Houston for training in diesel engineering. He briefly entertained the idea of being a Navy diver and received training at Pier 88 in New York City. Ultimately he was assigned to the crew of an LCI that laid smoke screens and made almost 100 landings in the Philippines. As part of his duty, Autry fought fires on ships and rescued the wounded. He bartered with natives on Mindanao and returned home with an intricately carved knife made of volcanic ash. He also met the natives of Luzon and describes their poisonous arrows. He recalls a treacherous typhoon at Okinawa. From there he went to China and recounts the tremendous poverty. He saw atrocious conditions for Filipino women and children at Santo Tomas. When Autry finally returned home, his daughter, who was born while Autry was at sea, was already 18 months old. He joined the Naval Reserve and was sent to the Philippines as a …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Admiral George Gus Kinnear. Kinnear joined the Navy in 1945 as Seaman 2nd Class. He was selected for pilot training in June of 1945 and served as a Naval Aviator beginning September of 1948, completing his first tour at sea flying the F4U-4 and F4U-5 Corsair in Fighter Squadron 73 (VF-173). He graduated from the Naval War College in 1961. He was assigned to a series of squadrons, serving as pilot, Operations Officer and Executive Officer. He flew combat missions during the Korean War and over 100 in the Vietnam War. He was assigned as commander of NAS Miramar at San Diego in July of 1971. Kinnear returned to combat as commander of Carrier Group One in 1974-1975, serving in the Tonkin Gulf. He was promoted to Vice Admiral in April of 1978 and commanded Naval Air Forces, Atlantic Fleet through July of 1981. He was then promoted to Admiral and took over the responsibilities of the US Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee in July of 1981, retiring in September of 1982 as admiral.

Transcript of an oral interview with David Straus. Straus was born in San Antonio in 1923 and finished high school at the Texas Military Institute. From there he attended Trinity University, Dartmouth and Texas A&M before dropping out to enlist in the Marine Corps in 1943. He finished Officer Candidate School in 1944 and was shipped to the Pacific early in 1945 as an officer in he First Marine Division. He eventually landed on Okinawa in May, 1945 as a replacement in charge of a rifle platoon in E Company, Fifth Marines. He describes tactics for attacking caves and the use of supporting arms such as bazookas, flamethrowers and tanks. He was present on Okinawa preparing for the invasion of the home islands of Japan when the atomic bombs were dropped. After the surrender, the First Marine Division went to northern China to disarm the Japanese Army there. Straus was stationed in Beijing at the time. He went home in 1946 and went on the inactive reserve list. He was recalled for the Korean War in 1951 after having gotten married and had a son. He became Executive Officer of Company F, Fifth Marines. After brief training in Korea, his …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Jack Butler. Butler joined the Army in March of 1943. He volunteered to join the paratroopers and completed jump school in Fort Benning, Georgia. In June of 1944 he traveled to Sicily. In August he was assigned to Head Quarters Company 509th, Parachute Infantry Regiment. They traveled to Naples where he served in a machine gun squad. They moved on to southern France, then on to Belgium where their job was to hold a cross road in Manhay. Butler shares his experiences through combat with the Germans, working under the commanding officer General James Gavin and fighting in extreme cold weather conditions. Their battalion defended a 7 mile stretch of terrain between Soy and Hutton, beating off repeated attacks by the German 2nd SS Panzer Division. He returned to England in March of 1945 and was discharged in August.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with George Reed. Reed was born in Alice, Texas on 28 August 1922. Prior to joining the US Army Air Corps in 1942, he participated in the Civilian Pilot Training program. Upon entering the Air Corps he was sent to California and after testing, he was selected for pilot training. He tells of the various phases of flight training and the types of aircraft he flew. After graduating and receiving his wings, he was sent to Albuquerque, New Mexico for multi-engine transitional training in the B-24 bomber. Upon completing the training he was ordered to Fresno, California to pick up a crew. The newly formed crew flew numerous training missions until June, 1944, when they picked up a new B-24 and flew to Foggia, Italy. Upon their arrival the crew was assigned to the 456th Bomb Group, 745th Bomb Squadron. He describes in detail the intricacies involved in flying a mission, from the wake-up call through the debriefing following the mission. Reed flew thirty-five missions and was recalled into the service during the Korean War. He served as a B-29 instructor at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas until his …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Margaret Zarzanello. Zarzanello graduated from St. Mayfield Nursing School in 1944, and joined the Navy. She was stationed in New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island where she worked in hospitals discharging patients. She was recalled again during the Korean War. Zarzanello shares her experiences during training, enlisting, her family and working as a nurse.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Lowell Foss. Foss was born in Reno County, Kansas in 1922 and was raised and worked on the family farm. Drafted into the United States Marine Corps in 1941, he trained at Paris Island, South Carolina and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Trained as a lineman he was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, 6th Marine Division. He tells of landing on Okinawa and of the high casualties taken during the battle for Sugar Loaf Hill. He relates the experience of an encounter with a Japanese soldier in which the gun of the Japanese soldier misfired allowing Foss to kill the enemy. Eventually, Foss was wounded and evacuated to a hospital on Guam. He was there when Japan surrendered. Foss recalls the horrendous condition of the former prisoners of the Japanese as they entered the hospital following the surrender of Japan.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Baselio Zorzanello. Zorzanello joined the Navy in 1935. He served as an Electrician’s Mate aboard USS Marblehead (CL-12). They were stationed in China, in a town under Japanese domination, and he describes his interactions with the natives. They traveled to Manila Bay in the Philippines for additional training. During the Battle of Corregidor, Zorzanello was captured by the Japanese. He was taken to Bilibid Prison in Manila, and later to the Cabanatuan prison camp. He remained imprisoned until their liberation in September of 1945. He returned to the US and continued his service, retiring from the Navy in 1957.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles Spangler. Spangler joined the Marine Corps in January 1942. He went through basic training at Paris Island and describes his experiences. Spangler was sent to radio school and joined an artillery unit. He deployed to Guadalcanal and operated a Pack 75mm howitzer. Spangler discusses receiving Thanksgiving during the battle for Bougainville. He also talks about his experiences during the invasion of Guam including an overview of the landing operation, the artillery firing star shells at night, and seeing war dogs. Spangler also describes seeing his first African-American Marine unit. He returned to the U.S. in November 1944 and joined a V-12 program. Spangler describes going to Times Square to celebrate VJ day. He was discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Wilhelm. Wilhelm joined the Navy in April of 1944. He served as a Gunner’s Mate aboard USS El Dorado (AGC-11) from August of 1944 through August 1945. They served as a communications ship through the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Wilhelm was discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Raymond Mnichowicz. Mnichowicz was born in Chicago, Illinois on 10 November 1927. He joined the US Navy in 1944 and attended boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Training Station. Following boot camp he was assigned to the engine room of the USS Pochard (AM-375). He tells of the ship being involved in the laying of smokescreens and minesweeping operations prior to the invasion of Okinawa and of the shooting down of Japanese aircraft during the operation. He also tells of the ship sweeping mines in both Sagami Bay and Tokyo Bay prior to the surrender of Japan and of being one of the first Americans to set foot on Japan following the surrender. Mnichowicz was discharged in 1946, but reenlisted shortly thereafter and retired from the Navy in 1967.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Salvatore Rascati. Rascati was born in New Haven, Connecticut on 12 May 1925. Entering the Navy in 1943 he attended boot camp at Sampson, New York. He then attended electrical school for four months followed by several months of training at the motion picture technical school in Brooklyn, New York. He was then assigned to the USS El Dorado (AGC-11). In 1944 the ship went to Guam at which time Vice Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner came on board with his staff. Rascati tells of the ship participating in the invasion of Iwo Jima and taking many of the Marine casualties on board. He also tells of the ship participating in the invasion of Okinawa and General Simon Bucker and Ernie Pyle being on board. Following the Okinawa operation the ship went to Manila. While there they heard about the atomic bomb attack. The ship returned to the United States soon after the Japanese surrender.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Cyril Conn. Conn joined the Army Air Forces in May of 1942. He served as an aircraft mechanic with the 27th Air Depot Group. From May of 1943 through the fall of 1945, he was stationed in New Guinea. Conn was discharged in November of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Prince. Prince was commissioned as an officer in the Army in 1941. He was trained as an artillery officer and sent to New Guinea. Prince arrived after New Guinea had been secured and he volunteered to become a Ranger. He was sent to the Philippines and participated in the landings at Leyte. Prince conducted a mission where he captured Japanese survivors who made it ashore after the Battle of Surigao Straight. He then landed at Lingayen Gulf and was assigned to a mission to free POWs at Cabanatuan. Prince was the commanding officer of C Company. He describes how the Alamo Scouts and Philippine Guerillas worked closely with the Rangers to coordinate the attack. Prince gives a detailed description of the liberation and evacuation of the POWs. He was one of the last out of the camp and details how the guerillas held the Japanese back. Prince was sent back to the US on a publicity tour and returned to the Philippines and then Japan for five weeks of occupation duty. He was discharged soon after his return to the US.