The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Louis Weller. Weller was born in Fowler, Michigan on 3 January 1925. In 1943 he joined the US Marine Corps and reported to San Diego for boot camp. Upon completing boot training, he was assigned to the motor pool in Marine Photographic Squadron 154 (VMD-154) at Kearney Naval Air Station, California. In September 1945 he boarded a transport for Zamboanga, Philippines. Upon his arrival he was assigned to VMB-443. After a short period of time he returned to Zamboanga where he joined VMF-115 of Marine Air Group 12. On 13 October 1945, the squadron went aboard the USS Hydrus (AKA-28) and set sail for Taku, China. Arriving there, the equipment was off loaded and moved to Beijing. In the spring of 1946 the squadron was transferred into Marine Air Group 24 and moved to Nanfang Airfield, China. In July 1946, Weller went aboard the USS General J.C. Breckinridge (AP-176) and returned to the United States. He was discharged soon thereafter.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Richard Hamilton. Hamilton joined the Marine Corps in July of 1945. In January of 1946 he was sent overseas as a replacement. He traveled to Tangku in North China, where he remained for the duration of his service. He worked on bridge guard duty, ensuring the bridges remained open. He shares his experiences living and working in China after the war. Hamilton was sent home and discharged in September of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Farneth. Farneth joined the Marine Corps in 1943. He trained as an ordnanceman, and joined fighter squadrons VMF-523 and VMF-524, training pilots to go overseas. In 1945 he joined the 22nd Marine Regiment, 6th Marine Division. They traveled to Guam and trained for the invasion of the mainland of Japan. After the bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki their mission ceased. Farneth was then sent to China to complete his final year of service. He helped repatriate the Japanese from the Chinese mainland. He was discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Kovar. Kovar joined the Marine Corps in the spring of 1945. In February of 1946 he traveled to China aboard the USS President Adams (APA-19). Kovar served as a combat engineer with the 1st Marine Division, 1st Engineer Battalion, Charlie Company 1st Engineers. He worked as an engineer throughout 1946, including building and blowing up structures, making roads and building bridges. They were also responsible for transporting coal to keep the trains running, and assisting with the disarming of the Japanese Army and shipping them back to Japan. Kovar returned to the US in June of 1947, and continued his service with the Marines for 28 years.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with James Ramage. Ramage James D Ramage graduated from the Naval Academy in 1939. In 1943 he joined the USS Enterprise (CV-6), and became executive officer and later commanding officer of Bombing Squadron Ten (United States. Navy. Bombing Squadron 10 (VB-10)), flying the SBD Dauntless dive bomber. He saw his first combat in the Battle of Kwajalein in January 1944, and participated in the attack on Truk in February and landings at Hollandia in April. During the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944, he led 29 aircraft from Enterprise in a maximum-range twilight attack against the Japanese fleet, and was personally credited with crippling a Japanese aircraft carrier. Ramage additionally participated in the Korean and Vietnam wars. He was promoted to rear admiral in June of 1967, and retired in January of 1976.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Tomakazu Kasai. Kasai entered flight training in April, 1942, learning to fly at a field on Hokkaido. When Kasai finished training in November 1943, he was qualified to fly Japanese Zero fighter plane and was asigned to Navy Air Group 263, stationed at Motsuyama City. When Kasai was assigned to the front, he went to Guam. SHortly before the American invasion, he was transferred to Pelelui. At Pelelui, Kasai's task was to intercept American aircraft in the area. Before the Americans invaded the Palaus, Kasai was transferred to Davao, in the Philippines. Kasai was transferred to Air Grpoup 201 and was assigned to bring aircraft back to the Philippines from Japan. During the American invasion of the Philippines, Kasai served as a fighter escort for kamikazes. Kasia indicates the various levels of training the kamikaze pilots received prior to their missions. Kasai was present in Nagasaki Prefecture when the second atomic bomb was dropped. He was stationed at Omura and recalls seeing the mushroom cloud at a distance. After the surrender, Kasai was told simply to go home, which he eventually did. Kasai also recalls ten victories over …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Brinton Turner. Turner joined the Navy in June of 1943. He completed Combat Information Center (CIC) School in St. Simons Island, Georgia. He served as a CIC officer aboard USS Melvin (DD-680). In June of 1944 they traveled to Pearl Harbor and escorted landing personnel to Saipan, provided gunnery support for the troops on the island. They escorted landing ships and troop transports to the Admiralty Islands and to Leyte Gulf. In October they participated in the Battle of Surigao Strait. In January of 1945 they provided illumination and fire support as well as screening services for landings during the Battle of Luzon. In February and April, they provided direct air cover for the Iwo Jima Campaign, and picket duty for the Battle of Okinawa. In August they traveled to Adak, Alaska, and then on to Japan for occupation duty with minesweepers. Turner returned to the US and was discharged in March of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John H. Hoagland. Hoagland finished college in June, 1941 and was working in a war industry plant making machine guns and airplane propellors before he joined the Navy. He trained as a radar man and was assigned to the Pacific Fleet in August, 1944. He served aboard the USS Lewis Hancock (DD-675), then the USS New Jersey (BB-62), where he worked in the combat information center as a radarman. He describes his participation in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and defends Admiral Halsey's actions at Cape Engano. Hoagland also served aboard the USS Brush (DD-745) and experienced a typhoon. Hoagland left the serveic in December, 1945 and returned to Harvard Business School. During his career, he taught in the business school at Michigan State University.

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 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.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Aubrey Felder. Felder joined the Navy in February of 1943. He completed training and served as an Aviation Machinist’s Mate aboard the USS Wolverine (IX-64), a training ship at Naval Station Great Lakes. Beginning January of 1944 Felder worked aboard the USS Kadashan Bay (CVE-76). They participated in the battles of Peleliu, Leyte Gulf, Luzon and the Battle off Samar in the Philippine Sea. Their ship was hit by a kamikaze. Felder returned to the US and was discharged in early 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Dean Moel. Moel joined the Navy in September of 1943. He became a member of the commissioning crew of USS Gambier Bay (CVE-73). Moel was a crewman on a twin 40mm and describes coming under air attack. He describes in detail the Battle off Samar. Moel details seeing his ship get hit by battleship shells and the damage that resulted. He describes abandoning ship and his time in the water. Moel recalls seeing a Japanese ship pass by with its crewman at attention in an apparent sign of respect. He describes his rescue by an LCI and medical treatment that he received on an LST. Moel was eventually reassigned to a seaplane tender and discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Don Mc Nelly. McNelly was born in Brookville, Ohio on 11 November 1920. After graduating from high school he attended the General Motors Institute, studying to be an engineer. Employed in defense work, he received draft deferments until 1944. During June 1944 he joined the US Navy and received a commission, as he was a graduate engineer. He joined the USS Kyne (DE-744) at Ulithi as a deck and engineer officer. The ship’s mission was to escort convoys and perform anti-submarine duties. During December 1944 the ship was involved in Typhoon Cobra. He describes the terror of being in the typhoon, which sank three other American destroyers. Soon after the Japanese surrender, the Kyne was ordered to Tokyo Bay. McNelly went into Tokyo and saw plenty of destruction. Soon after the signing of the Peace Treaty, the Kyne returned to the United States where it was placed in the Mothball Fleet at Green Cove Springs, Florida. Mc Nelly was discharged in May 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Donald Goldstein. He gives overviews of background on the battles of Pearl Harbor and Leyete Gulf.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Doy Duncan. He begins by speaking about finishing high school in Arkansas, looking for work, joining the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), enrolling in junior college, joining the Navy and evetually taking Civilian Pilot Training before being called into the Navy. His battalion commander at Preflight School at Chapel Hill, North Carolina was Gerald R. Ford, the future president. He passed and evetually made it into dive bomber training in Glenview, Illinois where he practiced carrier landings on Lake Michigan. Before shipping out, he was switched to a fighter unit assigned to the USS Kadashan Bay (CVE-76). Duncan speaks of attacking targets on Peleliu with napalm. Next, Duncan describes his actions at the Battle off Samar. He speaks of attacking the ships of the Japanese Fleet pursuing Taffy 3. His plane was damaged and he had to make a water landing. His plane sank too fast for him to retrieve his life raft and he saw sharks beginning to circle. A torpedo bomber flew over and tossed out a life raft for him. Duncan managed managed to paddle to Samar in a few days where he fell in with …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with I.S. Fellner. Fellner joined the Navy in January of 1942. He was trained as a dive bomber pilot and went to Henderson Field on Guadalcanal in 1943. Fellner describes an emergency landing after being hit by flak over Bougainville. He then returned to the US and joined VB-13, attached to the USS Franklin (CV-13). Fellner describes another close call after a collision during a training mission. He discusses flying a photo reconnaissance mission over Peleliu and taking part on missions in support of the landings at Leyte. Fellner participated in an attack on the Japanese fleet at Surigao Straight and describes dive bombing a Japanese ship. He details the process of arming a bomb. Fellner discusses the kamikaze attack that damaged the Franklin. He returned to the US for shore duty and left the service soon after the surrender.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Jack Yusen. Yusen joined the Navy around 1943. Beginning early 1944, he served as Seaman 2nd Class and worked on the deck force aboard the USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413). They traveled to Pearl Harbor to complete additional training, then escorted a thirty-ship convoy to the Marshall Islands. In October of 1944 they participated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, where the ship was badly damaged and sunk. Yusen was one of the surviving crewmembers. He was later transferred to Bremerton Naval Ammunition Depot for a year and half and was discharged.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Michael Bak. Bak was born in Garfield, New Jersey on 14 March 1923. He joined the US Navy Reserve in 1942 and went to the Great Lakes Naval Training Station for ten months. He then attended quartermaster school for four months. Upon graduating, he was assigned to the USS Franks (DD-554). The ship was assigned to Division 94 along with the USS Haggard (DD-555), USS Hailey (DD-556) and USS Johnston (DD-557). After training in bombardment, torpedo and depth charge launching, the division went to Pearl Harbor. Bak was involved in the invasions of Tarawa and Kwajalein, and the Battle of Leyte Gulf. He saw the USS Liscome Bay (CVE-56) get hit by a Japanese torpedo and recalls escorting the USS Washington (BB-56), damaged in a collision with the USS Indiana (BB-58), back to Pearl Harbor. The Franks was often designated a plane guard ship, assigned to rescue downed pilots. Bak describes the procedure. During the invasion of Okinawa, the Franks collided with the USS New Jersey (BB-62). The Franks’ captain died of injuries suffered during the accident and the ship went to Bremerton, Washington for major repairs. Bak …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Paul Austin. Austin was born in Texas and grew up on farms before joining the Texas National Guard. When his unit, the 144th Infantry Regiment, was federalized, he became a member of the 36th Infantry Division. He was training at Camp Bowie, Texas, when he received word Pearl Harbor had been attacked. His unit was detached and went to Fort Lewis, Washington, where it was spread out along the coast watching for a Japanese invasion. Austin eventually went to Officer Candidate School and was commissioned a second lieutenant. He shipped overseas in September 1942. When he arrived in Hawaii, he was attached to the 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. After more training in Australia, his unit moved to New Guinea and participated in the Hollandia invasion. After securing airfields, Austin’s unit was transported to Biak. Their next assignment took them to Leyte for the invasion. After the Leyte campaign, Austin went to Luzon and was attached to the 38th Infantry Division. In May, 1945, Austin returned to the US on leave and was discharged later in October.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard W. Roby. Roby was accepted for aviation cadet training and earned his wings at Pensacola in October, 1941. His first assignment was as a flight instructor at Corpus Christi. When Roby was finally assigned to the Fleet, He joined Composite Squadron 10 (United States. Navy. Composite Squadron 10 (VC-10)) aboard the USS Gambier Bay in April, 1944. He mentions combat missions over Guam, Tinian and Saipan. During the invasion of the Philippines, Roby was aboard the Gambier Bay, with Task Unit 77.4.3 (Taffy 3), in October, 1944. He describes attacking the Japanese Fleet off the coast of Samar. After several runs on the Japanese ships, Roby had to head for the airfield at Tacloban, where he refueld, rearmed and had some engine repairs done. He wasn't able to get back to a carrier for a few days. When he returned, he landed on the USS Fanshaw Bay (CVE-70) and steamed to Pearl Harbor, then San Francisco aboard the USS California (BB-44). From there, he was attached to a squadron in training in Florida. He was finally assigned to a new squadron two days before the war ended. …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Roy. Roy joined the Navy in 1939. He joined the engineering department on the USS Arkansas (BB-33). Roy practiced amphibious landings using the battleship motor launch alongside early Higgins landing craft. He was then sent to school to become a photographer’s mate. Roy was sent to the USS Yorktown (CV-5) where he operated motion picture cameras and worked in the photo lab. He mentions taking part in photo-reconnaissance missions over the Marshall and Gilbert islands. Roy describes his time on the bridge during the Battle of Coral Sea. He discusses how the captain maneuvered the ship to avoid incoming torpedoes. Roy details how the Yorktown was damaged and evacuated during the Battle of Midway. He describes how he was able to save three tins of film during the ordeal. Roy was then assigned as an instructor at the Naval School of Photography in Pensacola. He was then commissioned as an officer and went on to serve in intelligence and in the reserves.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Bob Balch. Balch joined the Navy in August of 1943. He completed Radio School in February of 1944. In June he traveled to Melanie Bay, New Guinea. He speaks on shellback initiation crossing the equator. He was assigned to the USS Blue Ridge (AGC-2), where he served as a radioman. In August of 1945, after the war ended, Balch worked at a communication center on Manus, in the Admiralty Islands. He worked in the China occupation group beginning October of 1945. Balch returned to the US and was discharged in February of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Saunders. Born in 1924, he joined the Navy in 1943. After attending gunnery and electric hydraulic schools, he was assigned to the USS Miami (CL-89). After the shakedown cruise to the Caribbean Sea and Greenland, the ship was sent to join Cruiser Division Fourteen in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii via the Panama Canal. He served as a gunners mate and mount captain. He describes firing star shells during the Mariana Islands Campaign. He also describes experiencing a typhoon near Ulithi which damaged the bow of the ship. He talks about pursuing the Japanese battleship Yamato and sinking a Japanese ship in the San Bernardino Strait. He recounts the story of a kamikaze attack. He describes bombarding Saipan as well as the shore of Iwo Jima. He also participated in the bombardment of the Ryuku Islands and Okinawa. He talks about experiencing the tsunami that resulted from the atomic blast at Hiroshima. He describes conditions in Tokyo after the surrender of Japan. He shares anecdotes about Admiral Halsey; contracting jungle rot; and meeting a Japanese Lieutenant in Truk who was born and educated in the United States. He also …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Milton West. West joined the Navy in January of 1942. He served in communications with several Carrier Divisions, the last of which was Carrier Division 23. West served aboard the USS Kitkun Bay (CVE-71). He served as a lieutenant and was involved in a number of battles, most notably the Battle of Leyte Gulf. He received a Bronze Star for consistent and gallant conduct in the Leyte and Lingayen operations, the Battle off Samar and for action off Luzon.