The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Micki and Jim George. Micki George completed Cadet Nurse Corps training in 1948. She traveled with a USO Unit out of Dallas and worked with the Nurse Corps in California and with Special Services as a chauffeur, chaperone and pianist for performances. She was stationed in the US and did not travel overseas. Micki was discharged from military service in 1950. She and Jim met at the University of Texas at Austin, while completing their medical degrees. Jim joined the Army in December of 1945. He served in the Korean War as a combat medic in a field MASH Unit, and was discharged in 1950.

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 oral interview with Bernice Shafer. Shafer was born in Ackley, Iowa 26 December 1926. She began nurse training at Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in Des Moines in 1941. Upon graduating in 1944, she entered the US Army Nurse Corps and began basic training at Camp Carson, Colorado. When she completed basic, she was assigned to Leonard General Hospital, Topeka, Kansas. After a period of time, she was shipped to Camp Pendleton, California in preparation for an overseas assignment. Shafer was assigned to the 311th Hospital Unit and boarded the USS Monterey (CVL-26), bound for Manila. She tells of the primitive conditions encountered in setting up the hospital. Designated as an operating room nurse, she describes working up to forty hours straight and the various types of battle casualties that were treated. She recalls that patients were transported to the hospital by ambulance, jeep and helicopter. In February 1946, Shafer returned to the United States aboard the USS West Point (AP-23), arriving at New York City after passage through the Panama Canal.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Sarah Kay Dukote. Dukote decided to become a neruse after having her appendix removed when she was a teenager. She finished high school in 1938 and went to nursing school in Kentucky, completing the course in September 1941. She joined the Army the day after he attack on Pearl Harbor. Her first assignment was at Fort Knox in the tuberculosis ward and the venereal disease ward. In late 1942, Dukote was transferred to a hospital in Hawaii at Schofield Barracks. She stayed there a few years and returned to the US just before the war ended. SHe opted for discharge when the war ended.

The National Museum of the pacific War presents an oral interview with Philip and Mary Elizabeth Wales. Wales graduated from medical school in 1943. He was stationed at Ulithi and had some interaction with the island natives. When the war ended, Wales accepted his discharge and began practicing medicine in San Antonio. Mrs. Wales joined the Army Nurse Corps, graduated as a nurse and went to work in Galveston. They met after the war and married.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bernadine Bircher. Bircher was working as a psychiatric nurse in October 1943 when she joined the Army Nurse Corps. Upon completion of basic and specialized training, she deployed in June 1944 to a station hospital in Holland. Her unit was short on anesthetists, so Bircher volunteered, despite having no specific training. Nurses and doctors at the adjacent operating tables assisted Bircher with her first patients, and she began assisting an orthopedic surgeon. Casualties arrived from the Battle of the Bulge, often presenting with self-inflicted wounds in a desperate attempt to get off the front lines, requiring amputation and debridement. When the hospital's mess hall was bombed, glass shattered everywhere, resulting in several enucleation procedures. After serving in several mobile units, Bircher returned home in December 1945 and was discharged, returning to her work as a psychiatric nurse.

Transcript of an oral interview with Garvin Kowalke. He discusses joining the Army Air Corps, going to Air Cadet training to become a pilot, training on various aircraft (AT-17, UC-78, P-36, P-33, T-6, BT-13, B-17, B-29) before becoming a B-29 pilot. He shipped out to Guam and flew standard and fire bombing runs over Japan. He discusses having to ditch the plane on the way back to Guam once when the engines failed, seeing another B-29 crew have to bail out over Toyko Bay and get picked up by a US submarine that was in the Bay, getting pulled down to the fires when they were trying to hide in the smoke to avoid Japanese fighter planes, getting caught in a storm by Mount Fujiyama, collecting data such wind direction, speed and temperature over Hiroshima for future bombing runs, which turned out to be for the bombers who dropped the atomic bomb, then flying over the city two days after the bombing and gauging how high the radiation levels were at different altitudes. He also talks about being in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, becoming a B-57 pilot, and adopting a baby boy from Germany after the war, then a …

Transcript of an oral interview with Dr. Adanto D'Amore. D'Amore describes his education briefly at Ohio State University where he graduated from medical school. Shortly thereafter, he joined the US Army Air Corps, where he examined candidates for jump school. He eventually was assigned as flight surgeon to the 19th Bomb Group and sent with them to Clark Field in the Philippines in October, 1941. After the Japanese invaded, D'Amore and elements of the 19th Bomb Group moved to Mindanao. After the surrender, D'Amore went with fellow prisoners of war to the Davao Internment Camp. Eventually, he was relocated to Cabanatuan where he spent 12 months before leaving aboard a hell ship for Omori Prison Camp in Japan. Upon being liberated after the war, D'Amore was sent to Okinawa, Manila and finally San Francisco. D'Amore also discusses the condition of the returning POWs.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James White. After he graduated from Purdue University in 1940, White pursued a pilot’s license, receiving his training at Purdue Airport. After working for a few months and being evaluated by the Aviation Cadet Evaluation Team, he was accepted into the program and was sworn in at Fort Des Moines, Iowa on 31 October 1941. At that time he was part of the Army Air Corps and took primary flight training in Stamford, Texas. White states that in the weeks after the Pearl Harbor attack about half the class washed out rather than continue training. They were transferred to bombardier and navigator schools. After primary he was transferred to Goodfellow Field in San Angelo, Texas for basic training. From there he went to Lubbock for more training. He received his wings and a commission in May 1942. He became an instructor. White transitioned to B-26s and was transferred to Del Rio, Texas. After less than a year, he volunteered to go overseas, shipping out in January 1944 for England. White became a maintenance officer and chief test pilot of the Fourth Echelon Depot Group that did heavy repair …

Interview with Garvin Kowalke, a pilot during World War II. He discusses joining the Army Air Corps, going to Air Cadet training to become a pilot, and training on various aircraft (AT-17, UC-78, P-36, P-33, T-6, BT-13, B-17, B-29) before becoming a B-29 pilot; he shipped out to Guam and flew standard and fire bombing runs over Japan. He discusses having to ditch the plane on the way back to Guam once when the engines failed, seeing another B-29 crew have to bail out over Toyko Bay and get picked up by a U.S. submarine that was in the Bay, getting pulled down to the fires when they were trying to hide in the smoke to avoid Japanese fighter planes, and getting caught in a storm by Mount Fujiyama, as well as collecting data such wind direction, speed, and temperature over Hiroshima for future bombing runs, which turned out to be for the bombers who dropped the atomic bomb. He also talks about flying over Hiroshima two days after the bombing and gauging how high the radiation levels were at different altitudes. He also talks about being in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, becoming a B-57 pilot, and adopting a …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with George T. Chandler. Chandler was born in Wichita, Kansas on 1 February 1921. Attending Wichita State University, he joined the US Army Aviation Cadet Program November, 1941. He describes his training in various aircraft and graduation from fighter training. In July 1943 he reported to the 347th fighter group on Guadalcanal flying P-38 fighters. In a well narrated tale, he describes various incidents of individual aerial combat missions during which he shot down five enemy aircraft thus qualifying him as a Fighter Ace.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Roland. Roland joined the Marine Corps in November 1943. He arrived in Saipan after the battle and was attached to the Second Marine Division. Roland was finally attached to the 5th Military Police Battalion. He spent most of his time guarding Japanese prisoners of war and overseeing their work details. He shares several anecdotes about experiences with his friends while overseas.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Graves. Graves joined the Marine Corps Reserves while attending the Rice Institute in 1941. After graduation he was sent to Quantico, Virginia in June 1942. He was placed into a candidate?s class, a reserve officer?s class, and then an artillery class. He was sent to Camp Pendleton, California to train artillerymen. In January 1944, he was sent to Hawaii as the Battery Executive Officer of E battery, 2nd Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment of the 4th Marine Division. He recounts his experiences in the Battles of Kwajalein and Saipan. He was injured by a grenade on Saipan. He relates his experiences in a tent hospital on Saipan and naval hospitals in Hawaii and Long Beach, California. As a result of his injury, he spent the remainder of the war on limited duty.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Dickman. Dickman was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1920 and joined the Marine Corps in 1938. After finishing Sea School, he joined the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) as an admiral’s orderly. He was eventually transferred to North Island Naval Air Station. There he began flying as a radio operator/rear gunner. In January 1941 Dickman’s unit boarded the USS Enterprise (CV-6) bound for Ewa, Hawaii. Once there, he had courses in Japanese aircraft identification and rear seat gunnery practice. During sector searches on 5 December 1941, planes from Dickman’s squadron reported seeing submarines of unknown origin. During the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dickman was wounded by aircraft machine gun fire. In March 1942 he was sent to the Mainland to assist in forming a Marine transportation squadron. Assigned as a crew chief aboard a C-47, his squadron flew to New Caledonia where they flew supplies and munitions into Guadalcanal and returned with wounded. On one occasion, their flight was threatened by Japanese fighters and Allied planes under the command of Joe Foss came to their aid. While on New Caledonia, Dickman contracted malaria and was hospitalized in Australia …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Combs. Combs was drafted into the Army Air Corps in 1940 and was in flight school in California when Pearl Harbor was attacked. After graduating and receiving his commission, he was assigned as a flight instructor at West Point in March, 1942. After transitioning from B-17s to B-29s, Combs joined a B-29 crew as a crew commander and headed overseas to Tinian in spring, 1945 and joined the 313th Bomb Wing. When the war ended, Combs returned home and was placed in the reserves. He was recalled for the Korean War and flew supplies from Japan and then VIPs around the theater.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James H. ""Herb"" Macia. He discusses being a navigator/bombardier on the 14th plane in the Doolittle Raid, including the training leading up to the raid, the trip on the USS Hornet, the raid itself, bailing out over China, the weeks spent there before making it out through India and Egypt and stories about other men in the Raiders. He also discusses meeting with Generalissimo and Madam Chiang Kai-Shek, seeing the Egyptian pyramids, crossing Africa then to Brazil before getting back to the US, landing in Miami, his later deployments in North Africa and Europe, his work after the war and reunions the Raiders have had since the war.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bob McMahon. He enrolled in the Flying Cadet program while in college. After completing initial training in San Antonio, he was transferred to the 21st Pursuit Squadron at Hamilton Field in California where he trained in P-36s and P-40s. In November 1941 he embarked on the troop ship, USS Republic (AP-33) which was underway in the South Pacific on December 7. He arrived in Australia on December 21. In February, 1942 his squadron took off from Darwin to Indonesia when they encountered heavy weather and returned to the airfield, where he was attacked by Japanese fighter planes. He shot down three Japanese fighters before being wounded and forced to bail out of his damaged plane. He landed in a mangrove swamp and was rescued. McMahon watched hundreds of Japanese bombers destroy the Darwin airport and the adjacent RAAF field. The Australians evacuated Darwin and he was flown to Brisbane to recover from his wounds. After recovering, he joined the 39th Fighter Squadron operating out of New Guinea. He recalls escorting a B-26 during a flight out of Port Moresby, New Guinea on which Congressman Lyndon Johnson was embarked. …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Edward Kicklighter. Kicklighter attended Armstrong Jr. College in Savannah, Georgia and secured a pilot’s license through the Civilian Pilot Training Program. He had an appointment to the US Naval Academy, but joined the US Marine Corps instead. Selected for flight training, he became one of six marines in the aviation class of 106 at Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Florida. Upon graduation he was assigned to multi-engine training and sent to Meacham Field, Texas for transition instruction. Upon graduation, as a reserve officer, he was assigned to fly for United Airlines. In 1942 he received orders to report to the 9th Aircraft Wing at Cherry Point, North Carolina. He recalls several experiences while in this assignment. In 1944, he became the personal pilot for General Roy Geiger. One experience Kicklighter recalls is hearing a conversation between Ernie Pyle and the general shortly before Pyle’s death. He also tells of escorting the body of General Buckner after his death on Okinawa. Kicklighter stayed in the Marine Corps after World War II and he tells of his career prior to retirement including flying 100 combat missions over Korea, instructing midshipmen at …

Transcript of an oral interview with Joseph McGuire. In November, 1940, McGuire joined the Army Air Corps and trained at Randolph Field and at Barksdale for twin-engine training. Upon completion of training, McGuire was assigned to the US Army Air Corps Ferrying Commnad. His job was to get airplanes from factories to air bases. While doing this, he met his future wife, an airline stewardess. In 1943, he received an overseas assignment and reported to Jorhat Air Base in Assam, India. There, he continued ferrying airplanes, this time to air fields in China. He also flew cargo over the Himalaya Mountains to bases in China. McGuire went home in August, 1944 and became a test pilot for jet fighters. He was finally discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Jim Slaughter. He was born in San Antonio 3 November 1923. He joined the Civilians’ Military Training Camp program in 1938 and remained in it until it was disbanded in 1940. After volunteering for the Army Air Corps, he was sent to Santa Ana, California for primary training. Upon graduating as a flight officer, he went to Kingman, Arizona for gunnery training. He was then sent to Roswell, New Mexico, in 1943, to attend bombardier’s school. He then went to Avon Park, Florida where he joined a B-17 crew and spent four months training with his crew. The crew then flew a B-17 to Foggia, Italy where they were assigned to the 464th Bomb Group. He flew missions daily until his aircraft was shot down by German fighter planes over Yugoslavia 7 July 1944. Slaughter and his crew were rescued by a partisan group who delivered them to a C-45 transport plane, which delivered them back to a US base. In august 1944, on his last of 39 missions, Slaughter was shot down again. He was injured during the bail out and his co-pilot administered first aid on …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Wells. Wells joined the Army Air Corps in December of 1940. He provides much detail on his training and received his wings in December of 1941. He was assigned to the 18th Reconnaissance Squadron, attached to the 22nd Bomb Group. He was stationed in Muroc Lake, California and served as co-pilot in the B-26 planes. In January of 1942 he traveled to Hawaii on the USS U. S. Grant (AP-29). He describes Pearl Harbor at that time, after the December attack. He then traveled to Australia in March with a detached service, serving as a co-pilot. He was later transferred out to be a commanding officer of the Army Air Forces detachment at Dugway, Utah, where they tested chemical warfare.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Thomas Loftin. Loftin joined the Army Air Corps in early 1941. He had flight training at various bases all over Texas and earned his wings and commission in August, 1942. His first assignment was at New Orleans where he flew anti-submarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico with the 124th Observation Squadron. IN 1944, he became a flight instructor in Florida. In April, 1945, Loftin went overseas to England and was assigned to the 95th Bomb Group with whom he flew on one bomb mission before moving to operations. He returned home in July, 1945 and was training in B-29s when the war ended. Loftin stayed in the Reserves until 1972.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Lawrence Barrett. Barrett joined the Marine Corps in December of 1943. He served as an aerial gunner, combat cameraman and ground and motion picture photographer. Barrett worked as a combat aircrewman with Marine Air Group 32 in the Pacific and the Philippines, completing 25 combat missions by 1945. After the war ended, he served with the occupation forces in Tsingtao, North China. He returned to the US and was discharged in May of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Joe R. Griffin. Griffin joined the Marine Corps in December of 1942. He served in Company C, 1st Battalion, 24th Marines, 4th Marine Division. They participated in the battles of Kwajalein, Tinian and Saipan. In June of 1944, on Saipan, Griffin received a direct hit, shattering his right arm. He was evacuated and received an honorable discharge in April of 1945.