The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Paul Platz. Platz joined the Army in July of 1944. He served with the 77th Infantry Division, 307th Infantry Regiment. He participated in the liberation of the Philippines in late 1944. In the spring of 1945, Platz was in the assault on the Kerama Islands and the Battle of Okinawa, where he was wounded. He returned to the US and received a medical discharge.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Donald Cotner. Cotner joined the Navy in March of 1945. He completed radio operator, anti-aircraft and underwater demolition training. He served aboard the USS General William Mitchell (AP-114). They traveled to Guam, and other Pacific islands to pick up and transport soldiers and Marines. Cotner returned to the US and received his discharge in December of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Max P. Shambaugh. Born in Ft. Wayne, Indiana 16 June 1922, Shambaugh joined the US Army Air Corps in February, 1941. After completing basic training at Keesler Field, Mississippi he was accepted into pilot training. He went to Dickerson College at Carlisle, Pennsylvania for preliminary training. He was then sent to Albany, Georgia where he began basic flight training under the leadership of civilian instructors. He tells of the various bases where he took training and of the type of aircraft he flew. Upon graduating from twin engine school at Columbus, Mississippi he received his wings, was commissioned a second lieutenant and sent to Columbus, Ohio for transition training in a B-17. Completing the advanced training he went to Lincoln, Nebraska to pick up a new B-17 and the assigned crew. They went to Pyote, Texas for crew training. In July 1944 they went by ship to Brighton, England where they were assigned to the 91st Bomb Group, 323nd Bomb Squadron. Shambaugh flew thirty-five before he was shot down. Encountering heavy flak and with the plane damaged, the crew, of which seven were wounded, bailed out. He crash …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Joseph Ramos. Ramos joined the Army Air Forces in June of 1942. He served with a troop carrier squadron aboard a C-47, as a radio operator. He attended a number of USO shows. They traveled to northern Morocco, where he was in charge of an identification, friend or foe (IFF) system box. He traveled on to Algeria, Sicily, North Africa, Iran delivering drop tanks. Ramos flew with a photo reconnaissance unit aboard a B-17. His troop carrier squadron supported the invasion of Southern France in August of 1944. Ramos was discharged in September of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Michael J. Bauman. Bauman was born 14 September 1919 in Star City, Indiana. Joining the Army Air Corps in 1940, he went to Patterson Field in Dayton, Ohio. He was then sent to Langley Field, Virginia where he volunteered for the bombardier program. Bauman and seven others began the training with no written instructions and very little equipment. In January 1941 he began practice bombing missions in a Douglas B-18 bomber. By May, Bauman was training in B-26s. He discusses the various attributes of each type of plane. Remembering 7 December 1941 he tells of being ordered back to the air field where they immediately began mounting machine guns and bomb racks on all the bombers. On 8 December they flew the planes to Muroc, California where he was assigned to the 22nd Bomb Group (Medium), 33rd Squadron. He relates several flying escapades that occurred prior to boarding the USS U.S. Grant (AP-29) for Hawaii. In March 1942 they flew to Townsville, Australia. On 10 April he flew his first bombing mission over Rabaul. He comments on the lack of success of the mission. Bauman flew sixteen combat …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Reynolds. Reynolds joined the Royal Air Force on 4 September 1939 and entered active duty in July of 1940. He completed flight training and received his wings in March of 1941. Reynolds served as a flight instructor in Ontario and returned to England in early 1943 as a pilot officer. He continued serving as an instructor to the 8th Air Force, training Americans in map reading and how to navigate through cloudy, European skies. He later joined the 101st Squadron, piloting Wellington and Lancaster aircraft. They completed five bombing missions over Germany several missions to retrieve British former prisoners of war for repatriation. He recalls his memories of VE-Day.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Reynolds. Reynolds joined the Royal Air Force on 4 September 1939 and entered active duty in July of 1940. He completed flight training and received his wings in March of 1941. Reynolds served as a flight instructor in Ontario and returned to England in early 1943 as a pilot officer. He continued serving as an instructor to the 8th Air Force, training Americans in map reading and how to navigate through cloudy, European skies. He later joined the 101st Squadron, piloting Wellington and Lancaster aircraft. They completed five bombing missions over Germany several missions to retrieve British former prisoners of war for repatriation. He recalls his memories of VE-Day.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Donald Cotner. Cotner joined the Navy in March of 1945. He completed radio operator, anti-aircraft and underwater demolition training. He served aboard the USS General William Mitchell (AP-114). They traveled to Guam, and other Pacific islands to pick up and transport soldiers and Marines. Cotner returned to the US and received his discharge in December of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Michael J. Bauman. Bauman was born 14 September 1919 in Star City, Indiana. Joining the Army Air Corps in 1940, he went to Patterson Field in Dayton, Ohio. He was then sent to Langley Field, Virginia where he volunteered for the bombardier program. Bauman and seven others began the training with no written instructions and very little equipment. In January 1941 he began practice bombing missions in a Douglas B-18 bomber. By May, Bauman was training in B-26s. He discusses the various attributes of each type of plane. Remembering 7 December 1941 he tells of being ordered back to the air field where they immediately began mounting machine guns and bomb racks on all the bombers. On 8 December they flew the planes to Muroc, California where he was assigned to the 22nd Bomb Group (Medium), 33rd Squadron. He relates several flying escapades that occurred prior to boarding the USS U.S. Grant (AP-29) for Hawaii. In March 1942 they flew to Townsville, Australia. On 10 April he flew his first bombing mission over Rabaul. He comments on the lack of success of the mission. Bauman flew sixteen combat …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Joseph Ramos. Ramos joined the Army Air Forces in June of 1942. He served with a troop carrier squadron aboard a C-47, as a radio operator. He attended a number of USO shows. They traveled to northern Morocco, where he was in charge of an identification, friend or foe (IFF) system box. He traveled on to Algeria, Sicily, North Africa, Iran delivering drop tanks. Ramos flew with a photo reconnaissance unit aboard a B-17. His troop carrier squadron supported the invasion of Southern France in August of 1944. Ramos was discharged in September of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Max P. Shambaugh. Born in Ft. Wayne, Indiana 16 June 1922, Shambaugh joined the US Army Air Corps in February, 1941. After completing basic training at Keesler Field, Mississippi he was accepted into pilot training. He went to Dickerson College at Carlisle, Pennsylvania for preliminary training. He was then sent to Albany, Georgia where he began basic flight training under the leadership of civilian instructors. He tells of the various bases where he took training and of the type of aircraft he flew. Upon graduating from twin engine school at Columbus, Mississippi he received his wings, was commissioned a second lieutenant and sent to Columbus, Ohio for transition training in a B-17. Completing the advanced training he went to Lincoln, Nebraska to pick up a new B-17 and the assigned crew. They went to Pyote, Texas for crew training. In July 1944 they went by ship to Brighton, England where they were assigned to the 91st Bomb Group, 323nd Bomb Squadron. Shambaugh flew thirty-five before he was shot down. Encountering heavy flak and with the plane damaged, the crew, of which seven were wounded, bailed out. He crash …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Paul Platz. Platz joined the Army in July of 1944. He served with the 77th Infantry Division, 307th Infantry Regiment. He participated in the liberation of the Philippines in late 1944. In the spring of 1945, Platz was in the assault on the Kerama Islands and the Battle of Okinawa, where he was wounded. He returned to the US and received a medical discharge.