The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert W Pearson. Pearson joined the Army Air Forces around 1943. He served as a flight engineer aboard a B-29 with the 20th Air Force, 314th Bomb Wing, 21st Bomb Group. Beginning in February of 1945, they traveled between Guam, Saipan and Tinian. Pearson describes life on Guam and his work aboard their B-29, also referred to by the crew as the Oily Boid. Their mission was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese home islands and the destruction of its war-making capability. They completed both bombardment and search and rescue missions. Pearson returned to the US after the war, receiving his discharge in December.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with R.J. Schneider. Schneider was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on 7 March 1922. After completing high school, he enrolled in Xavier University and was in his senior year when the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred. He volunteered for the Marine Corps and was permitted to return college. Immediately after graduating he went to Parris Island for boot camp. He then went to Camp Lejeune where he received training in artillery, mortars and machineguns. This was followed by Officer Candidate School from which he graduated in late 1942 as a second lieutenant. Soon after being commissioned he boarded a ship bound for Guadalcanal. He recalls malaria being a problem that hindered the process of ridding the jungle of isolated Japanese. After nine months, he was sent to Peleliu for a short period of time before he was sent to Guam. While on Guam, the atomic bomb was dropped on Japan. He tells of his admiration of President Truman for making such a momentous decision and reminisces of having dinner with Truman later in civilian life. After spending four months on Guam, he returned to the United States and resigned his …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Gaffney. Gaffney was born in San Antonio in 1923. He joined the Unites States Coast Guard in 1942. After completing training at Manhattan Beach, New York, he was assigned to USCGC North Star (WPG-59) which proceeded to station off Narsarsuaq, Greenland. He recalls leaving with a detachment of soldiers on a mission to capture and destroy a German weather station located on the coast of Greenland. He also recalls being ice bound for thirty days and the circumstances that allowed for the release of the ship from the ice. He remembers searching for survivors of USCGC Escanaba (WPG-77). Gaffney also tells of his experiences aboard an 83-foot patrol boat during Operation OVERLORD. He concludes the interview with his experiences following his discharge in 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Oris Brehmer. Brehmer was born in Luckenbach, Texas in 1924. Drafted in March, 1943 with a choice of services, he chose the Navy. He went through boot camp and Corpsman School in San Diego, then to Marine Field Medical School. He sailed for the South Pacific and joined the 1st Marine Division in Australia. In December, 1943 the division landed at Cape Gloucester, New Britain. Brehmer's company saw no combat there. From March to September 1944 they were moved to Pavuvu in the Solomons for rest and training. At Peleliu, he stepped off a Higgins boat into chin deep water with all his gear. On the beach, he was wounded in the shoulder by mortar shrapnel and sent to a hospital ship. After five days he returned to his decimated unit that was subsequently sent back to the rest area at Pavuvu. They remained until going to Okinawa in April 1945. There he witnessed both the fighting on the island and the kamikaze attacks on the Navy. After 2 September, the 1st Marines went to mainland China to disarm Japanese troops. Brehmer returned to the States in late …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Jack Fletcher. Fletcher was born in Spur, Texas 21 September 1925. Joining the Navy in 1942 he went to California for boot training. Selected to be a hospital apprentice he was sent to Pensacola, Florida. While there he volunteered for duty with the Fleet Marine Force. He was sent to Camp Elliott, California and after receiving combat training he was placed into the 34th Replacement Battalion and ultimately assigned to the 3rd Marine Division, 3rd Marines, 1st Battalion. After training on Guadalcanal, the division participated in the invasion of Guam in July 1944. As he had been transferred to the headquarters company, Fletcher did not participate in the landing. He shares the guilt of a survivor for many corpsmen were killed or wounded. He recalls a personal encounter he had with Admiral Halsey and the penalty he was given for his inability to cite his rifle’s serial number. He recounts landing on Iwo Jima and vividly describes various types of wounds that were treated and the effect the volcanic ash had on open wounds. Following the Japanese surrender, he went to Japan and was assigned to Operation Magic …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert W Pearson. Pearson joined the Army Air Forces around 1943. He served as a flight engineer aboard a B-29 with the 20th Air Force, 314th Bomb Wing, 21st Bomb Group. Beginning in February of 1945, they traveled between Guam, Saipan and Tinian. Pearson describes life on Guam and his work aboard their B-29, also referred to by the crew as the Oily Boid. Their mission was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese home islands and the destruction of its war-making capability. They completed both bombardment and search and rescue missions. Pearson returned to the US after the war, receiving his discharge in December.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with R.J. Schneider. Schneider was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on 7 March 1922. After completing high school, he enrolled in Xavier University and was in his senior year when the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred. He volunteered for the Marine Corps and was permitted to return college. Immediately after graduating he went to Parris Island for boot camp. He then went to Camp Lejeune where he received training in artillery, mortars and machineguns. This was followed by Officer Candidate School from which he graduated in late 1942 as a second lieutenant. Soon after being commissioned he boarded a ship bound for Guadalcanal. He recalls malaria being a problem that hindered the process of ridding the jungle of isolated Japanese. After nine months, he was sent to Peleliu for a short period of time before he was sent to Guam. While on Guam, the atomic bomb was dropped on Japan. He tells of his admiration of President Truman for making such a momentous decision and reminisces of having dinner with Truman later in civilian life. After spending four months on Guam, he returned to the United States and resigned his …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Gaffney. Gaffney was born in San Antonio in 1923. He joined the Unites States Coast Guard in 1942. After completing training at Manhattan Beach, New York, he was assigned to USCGC North Star (WPG-59) which proceeded to station off Narsarsuaq, Greenland. He recalls leaving with a detachment of soldiers on a mission to capture and destroy a German weather station located on the coast of Greenland. He also recalls being ice bound for thirty days and the circumstances that allowed for the release of the ship from the ice. He remembers searching for survivors of USCGC Escanaba (WPG-77). Gaffney also tells of his experiences aboard an 83-foot patrol boat during Operation OVERLORD. He concludes the interview with his experiences following his discharge in 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Oris Brehmer. Brehmer was born in Luckenbach, Texas in 1924. Drafted in March, 1943 with a choice of services, he chose the Navy. He went through boot camp and Corpsman School in San Diego, then to Marine Field Medical School. He sailed for the South Pacific and joined the 1st Marine Division in Australia. In December, 1943 the division landed at Cape Gloucester, New Britain. Brehmer's company saw no combat there. From March to September 1944 they were moved to Pavuvu in the Solomons for rest and training. At Peleliu, he stepped off a Higgins boat into chin deep water with all his gear. On the beach, he was wounded in the shoulder by mortar shrapnel and sent to a hospital ship. After five days he returned to his decimated unit that was subsequently sent back to the rest area at Pavuvu. They remained until going to Okinawa in April 1945. There he witnessed both the fighting on the island and the kamikaze attacks on the Navy. After 2 September, the 1st Marines went to mainland China to disarm Japanese troops. Brehmer returned to the States in late …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Jack Fletcher. Fletcher was born in Spur, Texas 21 September 1925. Joining the Navy in 1942 he went to California for boot training. Selected to be a hospital apprentice he was sent to Pensacola, Florida. While there he volunteered for duty with the Fleet Marine Force. He was sent to Camp Elliott, California and after receiving combat training he was placed into the 34th Replacement Battalion and ultimately assigned to the 3rd Marine Division, 3rd Marines, 1st Battalion. After training on Guadalcanal, the division participated in the invasion of Guam in July 1944. As he had been transferred to the headquarters company, Fletcher did not participate in the landing. He shares the guilt of a survivor for many corpsmen were killed or wounded. He recalls a personal encounter he had with Admiral Halsey and the penalty he was given for his inability to cite his rifle’s serial number. He recounts landing on Iwo Jima and vividly describes various types of wounds that were treated and the effect the volcanic ash had on open wounds. Following the Japanese surrender, he went to Japan and was assigned to Operation Magic …