Interview with Lowell Dean Cox, a serviceman in the U. S. Navy during World War II. He discusses joining the Navy and serving aboard the USS Indianapolis (CA-35). He was on board when the cruiser was attacked by a Japanese submarine and survived for five days in the water before being rescued.

Interview with Oral interview with Hermi Salas, a U. S. Marine during World War II. Salas was assigned to the Third Marine Division and was present for the invasion of Guam in the Mariana Islands. He was wounded on Guam and evacuated to a hospital ship, the USS Solace. He also participated in the Iwo Jima landings. After a few weeks at Iwo Jima, Salas was wounded again and placed aboard the USS Solace. He discusses his experiences in the hospital recovering from the wounds he received in the Battle of Iwo Jima. Eventually, he made his way back to San Antonio. He also discusses a brief leave at home before he reported to prison guard duty in Corpus Christi. Upon being discharged after the war, Salas went to radio school and worked at Kelly Air Force Base in the Civil Service.

Interview with Gilberto S. Trevino, a U. S. Marine during World War II. He attended Texas A&M before serving in the Marine Corps. He was in the 28th Replacement Battalion when he was assigned to the 3d Marine Division and deployed to Iwo Jima. He discusses his first impressions of landing on the island. He describes the constructed Japanese defenses on the island and the use of Japanese Nisei interpreters to convince defenders to surrender. He returned to Texas A&M where he was in the Corps of Cadets (ROTC) and accepted his commission in the Army in time to serve in Korea. He eventually earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Texas A&M and a doctorate degree in pathology from Michigan State University. He retired from service in 1976 with the rank of colonel.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with L.D. Cox. He discusses joining the Navy and serving aboard the USS Indianapolis (CA-35). He was on board when the cruiser was attacked by a Japanese submarine and survived five days in the water before being rescued.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with R.C. Hyde. Hyde joined the Marine Corps in Lubbock, Texas in June, 1944 and was trained in San Diego. He participated in the invasion of Iwo Jima. He landed with the fifth wave and was wounded in action on the 33rd day. He was transported by air to Guam to recover. Afterwards, he landed at Sasebo, Japan for occupation duty. He had enough points to return home in March, 1946. During the conversation, Hyde relates several experiences he had while fighting on Iwo Jima.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Walter Loyd. Loyd joined the Navy after finishing high school in 1941. He trained at San Diego until he was assigned to the boilers in the main engine room aboard the USS Neosho (AO-23). Loyd was aboard the Neosho at Ford Island when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Loyd's battle station was on the deck near the bow of the ship, so he got a good look at the action around the harbor. In February 1942, Loyd swapped duties with a man at Hickam Field and got off the Neosho. His new assignment was degaussing ships. Also while in Hawaii, he served aboard the USS Skenandoa (YT-336), an ocean going tugboat. In early 1944, Loyd was assigned to the USS Springfield (CL-66). He was aboard her when the war ended.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Hugh Story. Story finished college and immediately went into the Navy to train as an officer at the Midshipman School at Columbia University in January 1943. He volunteered for submarine duty and was assigned to USS Bluegill (SS-242). They started war patrols off New Guinea in April 1944. Story was aboard for 5 out of 6 war patrols and provides details about each: attacking ships with torpedoes and enduring depth charge attacks. When the war ended Story was in Chicago. He remained in the Reserves.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Howard R. Brandenburge. In January 1942 he transferred into the Army Air Force and began basic training at Shepherd Field and finished at Foster Field, graduating in February 1944. He received his wings and commission. He went to California and flew P38s, P39s, P40s and P51s. He loaded the P51s onto a small carrier in Pearl Harbor and moved to Tinian Island in March 1945. After Iwo Jima was secured they flew there to serve as escorts between the islands in their P51s. He discusses his experiences with Japanese bonsai raids, flying missions over Japan, escorting B29s, shooting at Japanese fighters and unfortunate casualties of planes and crew. His first mission as escort began April 1945, and he completed 26 missions overall. After he was discharged he had to stay in the reserves and completed a tour in the Korean War. He joined the reserves unit in San Antonio at Kelly Air Force Base, flying transports: C-46s, C-119s and C-124s.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Paine. When Paine joined the Army in September, 1942, he went into the 955th Engineering Topographic Company. His unit drew maps of islands based on aerial photographs from the Solomons to the Philippines that were used by the other service branches. In 1945, his unit moved to Manila while the city was still being cleared of Japanese, but they were not making maps anymore. They instead performed regular engineering tasks: setting up radio towers, clearing roads, etc. When he arrived in the Philippines, Paine was glad to return to some form civilization. He comments on the damage done in Manila.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Harold Sims. Sims was born in Sanger, Texas on 15 August 1921. He quit school and joined the US Marine Corps in September 1940. After completing boot training at Camp Pendleton, California he was sent to Iceland. After eight months, he returned to San Diego. Soon after his arrival he was among fourteen Marines selected for duty on American Samoa. After sixteen months, they were sent to Pearl Harbor for four months of training. As Sims had contracted elephantiasis while in Samoa, he was put into a hospital in San Francisco. Upon recovering he was sent to the Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, Texas where he performed guard duty for four months. He went to Guam for a short time, was involved in limited action on Eniwetok and was sent to China following the surrender of Japan. He was discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with James Ahr. Ahr joined the Marine Corps at 16 years old in November, 1942. He lied about his age. After training, he went overseas and was assigned to the 9th Marine Regiment. He arrived in time for the invasion of Guam. Ahr also was at Iwo Jima and shares several impressions and anecdotes of the battle.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Johnnie Lee Pechal. Pechal was drafted into the Navy in July 1943 and went to San Diego for boot camp. Pechal’s first assignment was in a Naval hospital in New Orleans, then Camp Lejeune for further training with the Marines, then Camp Pendleton, after which he was attached to Company B in the 5th Medical Battalion in the 5th Marine Division. In January 1945 they boarded a troop ship bound for Iwo Jima where his company did not go in until the fifth day of the invasion. He was on the island 26 days serving as a corpsman before getting wounded on 22 March 1945. He was at home on leave when the Japanese surrendered and then went to Sasebo with occupation forces. They set up a hospital though there was little need for trained corpsmen.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Farritor. Farritor enlisted in the Marine Corps on 2 July 1941 in Des Moines, Iowa. He completed boot camp in San Diego. In July 1942 he joined the Second Marine Division. In September 1942 his unit helped open Camp Pendleton. While there he met Bob Hope, who introduced him to Frances Langford, Jerry Colona, Les Brown and Bing Crosby. They headed to Auckland, New Zealand in January 1943 on the USS Mount Vernon (AP-22). Eleanor Roosevelt visited them in New Zealand and Farritor laughed with her about taking Atabrine tablets, which she took along with the rest of the men. They moved to Guadalcanal in April 1943. He talks about living in six-man tents and anticipating Washing Machine Charlie. He was in Guadalcanal from April to late September 1943. They landed at Bougainville on 1 November 1943. At Bougainville, he encountered Japanese fire. They returned to Guadalcanal and remained there from January until May 1944. Then his group secured Guam. Then, they headed to Iwo Jima, landing there on 26 February 1945 halfway between Hot Rocks and Futatsu Rock. He was at Iwo Jima for thirty-six days of …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Curtis McGowen. McGowen enlisted in the Marine Corps in January, 1944. When finished with basic training, McGowen went to field telephone school. McGowen landed in the fifth wave at Iwo Jima and set up communications between shore and ships. He spotted for naval gunfire with his communications team. When the battle ended, he headed back to Hawaii and was there when the war ended. He then went to Guam to set up telephone communications on the island before leaving for the US. He was discharged in April, 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Chester Ahr. Ahr joined the Marine Corps in December, 1941. He trained in San Diego and shipped overseas in October, 1942 to Guadalcanal where he was attached to a base services unit, which assisted the Seabees and Army engineers in construction projects. He also was in the invasion of Guam, where he was wounded and evacuated. Once he returned to his unit, Ahr got very sick and missed the invasion of Iwo Jima. Shortly afterwards, he was discharged.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Jimmie C. Thomas. Thomas was born in Ada, Oklahoma 1 May 1923. He was attending Texas A&M University when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He joined the Navy and went to Del Monte, California for three months of pre-flight before going to Norman, Oklahoma for three months of advanced training. Upon completion, he was sent to Corpus Christi Naval Air Station where he trained in the SNJ-T6 trainer. After graduation, he was assigned to fly PBYs at Jacksonville, Florida. After returning from a training flight to Guantanamo, Cuba he was transferred to a Patrol Bomber Squadron and sent to Hutchinson, Kansas for advanced training in a PBY4. Afterwards, he went to California where he selected his crew. They went to the Consolidated Aircraft plant to pick up a new PBY4-2. The crew then flew to Hawaii where they spent four weeks before joining a squadron on Tinian. The crew named their plane Cover Girl and contacted Milton Caniff to provide them with a sketch for nose art. The squadron was transferred to Iwo Jima where they flew combination missions of air sea rescue while seeking Japanese shipping to …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Larry Hermes. Hermes was attending Rice University when the war started. He enrolled in the Navy’s V-12 program and graduated with a commission in September, 1944. His first assignment was aboard USS LCI(G)-471, which he caught in Guam, and consisted of persuading holdout Japanese to surrender. Next, they headed for Iwo Jima, where they were attacked by shore batteries while supporting underwater demolition team activities two days prior to the invasion. Hermes was asked later to conduct the burial at sea, which he did. He also shares other stories from just off Iwo Jima. Hermes comments on how LCI(G)s were used as gunboats supporting units ashore. When the war ended, he made his way back to the US and took USS LCI(L)-552 from the west coast, through the Panama Canal, to South Carolina where he was in charge of decommissioning it.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Evan Aron Roberts. Roberts was born in November 1933, and joined the Marine Corps Reserve at the Naval Air Station in Dallas in 1951. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division, and was stationed at South Camp Fuji, near Gotemba, Japan. In early 1953, he was deployed to Iwo Jima to clean up unexploded ordinances and other hazards on the island around Mount Suribachi, and participate in training maneuvers. Roberts’ job was to review and log the remains of Japanese fortifications in caves and holes, including food items, ammunition, and cases of rifles, pistols and medical supplies. After review, the items were left, and the caves and holes were detonated and closed up. Roberts also worked in Okinawa and with Task Force 77 off the coast of China. He returned to the US and received his discharge as a corporal in 1955.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Major General Carey Randall. Randall was born in Gloster, Mississippi, 15 November 1912. Entering Louisiana State University In 1930 he participated in ROTC and in 1935 accepted a commission in the United States Marine Corps. Upon acceptance, he was sent to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for additional training. Afterwards, he was assigned to the shipyard at Bremerton, Washington as platoon leader in one of the guardhouses. In 1937 he was sent to Shanghai, China and assigned to the 4th Marine Regiment. Leaving China in 1939, he was assigned as an aid to the commanding general at Quantico, Virginia. In early 1941 Randall received orders to the USS Enterprise (CV-6) as senior marine officer. He recalls 7 December 1941, when he was on temporary shore duty when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Going aboard the Enterprise he served as the anti-aircraft control officer and participated in the battle of Midway. He then received orders to report to San Diego to help organize the 9th Marine Battalion. In January 1943 the unit left California and went to New Zealand where they continued their training. They went to Guadalcanal and assisted in mop-up …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Gene F. Dauer. Dauer joined the Marine Corps and trained at San Diego. While on leave after training, he missed returning in time to join his original unit and shipped out later to Hawaii. Eventually, he landed at Iwo Jima on D+4 four days after the initial assault. His duty on Iwo Jima included driving ambulances and working in the field hospital ward. He was on Hilo when the war ended and describes a tsunami on that island after the war.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Starling. Starling joined the Marine Corps in June 1942. When he went overseas, he joined the 12th Marines on Guadalcanal for more training as an artillery forward observer. He landed on Guam and describes combat there as well as on Iwo Jima. Starling was wounded and evacuated. He was in the hospital when the war ended.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Lambert. Lambert joined the Navy in 1944 and after training was assigned to a personnel carrier (it's unclear which ship he served aboard). He recalls his experiences landing Marines at Iwo Jima. Lambert was discharged in October, 1947.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Gourley. Gourley joined the Navy in 1944. Once he finished boot camp, he was assigned to USS President Adams, (APA-19) bound for the invasion of the Philippines. When he arrived at Iwo Jima, Gourley went ashore for several days to help unload supplies. After the war, Gourley remained aboard and made several trips to Japan to haul troops back home. He took his discharge in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joe Barger. Barger joined the Navy in October 1943 and trained as a motor machinist. He was then assigned to USS LST-716 and went aboard it in Indiana. He rode it down the rivers, through the Panama Canal and into the Pacific. He recalls unloading materials at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He also recalls being caught in the Sea of Japan in a tsunami that grounded his LST miles offshore. He was still aboard when USS LST-716 was handed over to the Chinese in 1946.