Oral History Interview with Oscar Mitchell, September 9, 2003 transcript

Oral History Interview with Oscar Mitchell, September 9, 2003

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Oscar Mitchell. Mitchell joined the Army in November of 1941. He completed Officer Candidate School and served as commander of an all-black engineer combat battalion. Beginning in 1943, they traveled to North Africa and Calcutta, India, and worked as drivers along the Ledo Road. He returned from India to the US, and was discharged in December of 1945.
Date: September 9, 2003
Creator: Mitchell, Oscar
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Marion Kennedy, September 9, 2003 transcript

Oral History Interview with Marion Kennedy, September 9, 2003

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Marion Kennedy. Kennedy joined the Army as a nurse in late 1941. She was assigned to the 20th General Hospital and traveled to India. Kennedy describes how the hospital supported the workers on the Ledo Road and later troops involved in combat. She describes how malaria was treated. Kennedy discusses the ration and supply situation. She also mentions how Chinese soldiers were fed and housed separately. Kennedy rotated back to the U.S. and was there when the war ended. She left the Army in 1946, but rejoined in 1953 and retired as a colonel in the early 1970s.
Date: September 9, 2003
Creator: Kennedy, Marion
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with James Ramage, September 9, 2004 transcript

Oral History Interview with James Ramage, September 9, 2004

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.
Date: September 9, 2004
Creator: Ramage, James
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Mark Clement, September 9, 2015 transcript

Oral History Interview with Mark Clement, September 9, 2015

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Mark Clement. Clement was born 20 February 1925, graduated from high school in 1941, and joined the Marine Corps at age seventeen. He completed the Special Operations Capability Specialist (SOCS) training, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in mid-1944. Clement served with the 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, and participated in the Battle of Iwo Jima. He shares vivid details of his combat experiences. Clement returned to the US and received his discharge around 1946.
Date: September 9, 2015
Creator: Clement, Mark
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with John Bartuck, September 9, 2001 transcript

Oral History Interview with John Bartuck, September 9, 2001

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Bartuck. Bartuck joined the Navy in 1937. He served as a coxswain aboard the USS Langley (CV-1) until it was scuttled in February of 1942, running whaleboats, motor launces and 60-foot officers’ boats. He later served aboard the YMS-9 minesweeper. He then served aboard an attack cargo ship and made the invasion in North Africa in late 1942. Beginning August of 1943, he served aboard the USS Cowpens (CVL-25). After the war Bartuck continued his work in the Navy until 1957, completing 20 years of service.
Date: September 9, 2001
Creator: Bartuck, John
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with James Donovan, September 9, 1994 transcript

Oral History Interview with James Donovan, September 9, 1994

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Donovan. In January 1943 Donovan served as a member of the 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division as it joined the ongoing battle at Guadalcanal. His unit was withdrawn in February to New Zealand, and after recuperating from widespread malaria, his battalion landed at Tarawa on the day after the initial landing. After Tarawa, Donovan recalls that members of his battalion were put ashore by the USS Nautilus onto the Northern Gilbert island atoll Abemama, to flush out entrenched Japanese soldiers. Donovan was the battalion executive officer during the landing on Saipan. His landing craft was shot up resulting in several casualties but eventually landed. He describes the ferocious action that followed over the next three weeks until Saipan was eventually secured on 9 July. Donovan next describes the landing on Tinian where the 2nd Marine Division landed in support of the 4th Marine Division and secured the island over the following eleven days. At the end of 1944 he was transferred back to Pearl Harbor for a job at Fleet Pacific Headquarters until June 1945 when he was sent to Quantico, Virginia as an instructor.
Date: September 9, 1994
Creator: Donovan, James
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Arwin Bowden, September 9, 2000 transcript

Oral History Interview with Arwin Bowden, September 9, 2000

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Arwin Bowden. He begins by discussing his training in San Diego and New Zealand before the Battle of Tarawa. He describes being wounded in the battle, the casualties he saw and being shipped back to Pearl Harbor for treatment, then joining the battle of Saipan. He ancedotes about Japanese killing themselves rather than surrendering, eating food from a garden watered from rainwater running down from outhouses, the wages he made and the time he had leave.
Date: September 9, 2000
Creator: Bowden, Arwin
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Mark Clement, September 9, 2015 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Mark Clement, September 9, 2015

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Mark Clement. Clement was born 20 February 1925, graduated from high school in 1941, and joined the Marine Corps at age seventeen. He completed the Special Operations Capability Specialist (SOCS) training, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in mid-1944. Clement served with the 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, and participated in the Battle of Iwo Jima. He shares vivid details of his combat experiences. Clement returned to the US and received his discharge around 1946.
Date: September 9, 2015
Creator: Clement, Mark
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with John Bartuck, September 9, 2001 (open access)

Oral History Interview with John Bartuck, September 9, 2001

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Bartuck. Bartuck joined the Navy in 1937. He served as a coxswain aboard the USS Langley (CV-1) until it was scuttled in February of 1942, running whaleboats, motor launces and 60-foot officers’ boats. He later served aboard the YMS-9 minesweeper. He then served aboard an attack cargo ship and made the invasion in North Africa in late 1942. Beginning August of 1943, he served aboard the USS Cowpens (CVL-25). After the war Bartuck continued his work in the Navy until 1957, completing 20 years of service.
Date: September 9, 2001
Creator: Bartuck, John
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with James Ramage, September 9, 2004 (open access)

Oral History Interview with James Ramage, September 9, 2004

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.
Date: September 9, 2004
Creator: Ramage, James
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with James Donovan, September 9, 1994 (open access)

Oral History Interview with James Donovan, September 9, 1994

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Donovan. In January 1943 Donovan served as a member of the 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division as it joined the ongoing battle at Guadalcanal. His unit was withdrawn in February to New Zealand, and after recuperating from widespread malaria, his battalion landed at Tarawa on the day after the initial landing. After Tarawa, Donovan recalls that members of his battalion were put ashore by the USS Nautilus onto the Northern Gilbert island atoll Abemama, to flush out entrenched Japanese soldiers. Donovan was the battalion executive officer during the landing on Saipan. His landing craft was shot up resulting in several casualties but eventually landed. He describes the ferocious action that followed over the next three weeks until Saipan was eventually secured on 9 July. Donovan next describes the landing on Tinian where the 2nd Marine Division landed in support of the 4th Marine Division and secured the island over the following eleven days. At the end of 1944 he was transferred back to Pearl Harbor for a job at Fleet Pacific Headquarters until June 1945 when he was sent to Quantico, Virginia as an instructor.
Date: September 9, 1994
Creator: Donovan, James
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Oscar Mitchell, September 9, 2003 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Oscar Mitchell, September 9, 2003

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Oscar Mitchell. Mitchell joined the Army in November of 1941. He completed Officer Candidate School and served as commander of an all-black engineer combat battalion. Beginning in 1943, they traveled to North Africa and Calcutta, India, and worked as drivers along the Ledo Road. He returned from India to the US, and was discharged in December of 1945.
Date: September 9, 2003
Creator: Mitchell, Oscar
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Marion Kennedy, September 9, 2003 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Marion Kennedy, September 9, 2003

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Marion Kennedy. Kennedy joined the Army as a nurse in late 1941. She was assigned to the 20th General Hospital and traveled to India. Kennedy describes how the hospital supported the workers on the Ledo Road and later troops involved in combat. She describes how malaria was treated. Kennedy discusses the ration and supply situation. She also mentions how Chinese soldiers were fed and housed separately. Kennedy rotated back to the U.S. and was there when the war ended. She left the Army in 1946, but rejoined in 1953 and retired as a colonel in the early 1970s.
Date: September 9, 2003
Creator: Kennedy, Marion
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Clifford H. West Jr., September 9, 2003 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Clifford H. West Jr., September 9, 2003

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Clifford H. West, Jr. West joined the Marine Corps Reserve while he was in college and was commissioned an officer in October 1943 after he graduated. He joined the Fourth Joint Signal Assault Company (JASCO) where he served as a forward controller for air, artillery, and naval gunfire. West landed on Peleliu. He details the difficult landing, heavy resistance, and the shortage of water. West discusses how he felt when the 1st Marine Division was finally relieved. He also landed on Okinawa and describes the conditions encountered. West describes the nature of combat, the effect of heavy rain, and one particular incident where poor communication caused his unit to come under friendly fire and lose eleven men. He took part in the occupation of China and left active duty in December 1945. West was reactivated in 1950 and later retired from the Marine Corps after 27 years of active service.
Date: September 9, 2003
Creator: West, Clifford H. Jr.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Arwin Bowden, September 9, 2000 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Arwin Bowden, September 9, 2000

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Arwin Bowden. He begins by discussing his training in San Diego and New Zealand before the Battle of Tarawa. He describes being wounded in the battle, the casualties he saw and being shipped back to Pearl Harbor for treatment, then joining the battle of Saipan. He ancedotes about Japanese killing themselves rather than surrendering, eating food from a garden watered from rainwater running down from outhouses, the wages he made and the time he had leave.
Date: September 9, 2000
Creator: Bowden, Arwin
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History