Transcript of an oral interview with Al Heigel. When Heigel finished high school in June, 1944, he joined the Navy at Little Rock, Arkansas and went for boot training at San Diego. He was assigned as a radar operator and reported aboard the USS Independence (CVL-22) at Pearl Harbor. Heigel describes the light carrier and its construction and features. He also speaks of the time the Independence was hit by a torpedo off Tarawa in 1943. Heigel then describes events off Okinawa: watching the USS Franklin (CV-13) being bombed off Okinawa; locating and shooting down kamikazes; describing battle stations; aircraft water landings; being in a typhoon, etc. After the war ended, the Independence served as a troop transport taking GIs back home to the US. He describes bunks in the hangar deck and arriving in Portland, Oregon. As the Independence was being prepared for the Bikini Atoll atomic tests, Heigel got off becuase he had the requisite amount of points allowing him to be discharged. He then entered the lumber business, married and raised family.

Transcript of an oral interview with Charles H. Britten. Britten was drafted into the Marine Corps after he finished high school in June, 1944. He trained at San Diego and at Camp Pendleton as a Marine scout and sniper. He was eventually assigned to the Headquarters Company, First Battalion, Fifth Marines, First Marine Division. He trained more on Guadalcanal in preparation for the invasion of Okinawa. Britten shares several anecdotes about his time in battle on Okinawa. When the war ended, Britten and his unit were sent to China for occupation duty. He returned home in July, 1946 and was discharged.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Howard Schaefer. Schaefer was drafted into the Army in April, 1943. Once in, he passed the exam to become an air cadet. Instead of becoming a pilot, he was trained as a tail gunner and went overseas to Tinian to join the 505th Bomb Group. He flew in B-29s on several missions to Japan mining harbors or dropping bombs. He flew on 13 combat missions before flyting on a few prisoner of war supply missions. When the war ended, Schaefer flew home on a B-29 and attended college on the GI Bill.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Jack Clayton. Clayton was drafted into the United States Navy. After training, he joined the Amphibious Forces and was assigned to USS Alpine (APA-92). His crew made assaults on Guam and the Philippines. He was a yeoman for 2 years. He was aboard the Alpine when it was commissioned and decommissioned. After the war, the Alpine pulled troops out of battle zones in Japan and China. He was discharged in New Orleans.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Santiago Villanueva. Villanueva was born in Helena, Texas 7 February 1922. He was drafted into the Army in 1941and had basic training at Camp Adair, Oregon. Upon being assigned as a gunner in an 81mm mortar squad in the 1st Battalion, 382nd Infantry Regiment, 96th Infantry Division he was sent to Obispo, California for amphibious training. He recalls being sent to Camp Stoneman, California prior to disembarking for overseas. Stopping in Hawaii the unit underwent jungle training for several weeks. The division was part of the invasion force that landed on Leyte in October 1944 and Villanueva remarks than many of his friends were killed during the action. The division also took part in the invasion of Okinawa and Villanueva tells of being subjected to banzai charges by the Japanese. He also witnessed Japanese paratroopers land on Okinawa. After the surrender of Japan he returned to the United States and received his discharge.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Thomas R. Durham. Durham was born in Oklahoma 24 March 1924 and joined the Marine Corps 7 April 1944 and went to boot camp in San Diego, California. He recalls being on board a troop ship with 3000 Marine replacements for the 1st Marine Division after the battle of Peleliu. Landing on Okinawa 1 April 1945 he entered the battle and describes incidents that contributed to high casualty rates. Within his initial group of 43 men, thirteen were killed, the rest were wounded. Durham’s slight wound became very infected requiring a stay in the hospital. Returning to combat with his unit he describes an explosion that killed a close friend and gave him a severe concussion. He was hospitalized for combat fatigue and was sent home on leave. He recounts his experiences on the ship that carried him and sixty-four others who had been wounded twice as well as 1000 Japanese prisoners of war. Stopping in Hawaii, the POWs were taken off the ship and it proceeded to San Francisco. Durham was home on leave when Japan surrendered. Returning to Camp Pendleton, he performed various duties until he …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Warren Tsuneishi. Tsuneishi was living in California when the war started and was soon evacuated to a Japanese-American detention center. He joined his family at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming. He did not stay there long as he was allowed to attend Syracuse University. In 1943, he entered the Military intelligence Language School and studied Japanese to become an interpreter. He participated in the invasion of Leyte Island and worked as a translator and interpreter. Tsuneishi also went to Okinawa as a translator. Tsuneishi provides unique insight from the Japanese American perspective of his time in the Army.