The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Albert Eshelman. Eshelman was inducted into the Army in February of 1942. He served in the 553rd Air Force Base Unit. In December of 1943 he went to Liverpool, England. His job there was refueling the planes, using two 4,000-gallon trailers and a tanker engine. He also traveled to Metfield while in England, assisting with the closing of a base. He describes this experience, including a near miss from an enemy shell. He was sent to Madrid, Spain to serve as an instructor before returning to the states in September of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Donald Good. Good was drafted into the Army around 1943. He completed basic training at Camp Shelby in Mississippi. He was sent to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey and Washington D.C. for Radio Intelligence Repair school. He traveled to Gouruck, Scotland and served with the 178th Repair Company, connected with the 3rd Army. Their barracks were at the Lord Morley Estate and he provides some detail of living conditions. He then traveled to Normandy aboard an LST, arriving 18 days after the D Day invasion. They traveled to Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge. He provides some details of these experiences. He was discharged in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Joseph Dague. Dague joined the Army Air Forces Cadet Program in May of 1943. He trained on PT-17s, PT-13s, AT-10s, AT-6s and B-25s. He graduated from flying school in 1944 and transferred to the 434th Troop Carrier Command and went to George Field, Illinois. They were trained in pulling gliders and dropping paratroopers and supplies. He pulled Waco gliders and provides some detail of this experience. Dague worked on aircraft and at a railroad shop, filling box cars, though he never shipped out. He was discharged in 1946 as a second lieutenant. Upon being discharged he opted to sign up for active reserves, which he served in for 20 years. He served also in the Vietnam War and provides some details of those experiences.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Hermi Salas. 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 on Iwo Jima, Salas was wounded again and placed aboard the USS Solace. He discusses his experiences in the hospital recovering from wounds received in battle at Iwo Jima. Eventually, he made his way back to San Antonio and discusses a brief leave at home before reporting 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.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Harker. Harker entered the Navy with a direct commission in July 1944. Upon arriving at Pearl harbor, he assumed duties as the engineering officer aboard USS LCI(G)-474, going aboard in November. When Harker’s LCI went close to shore to support the underwater demolition teams prior to the landing at Iwo Jima, his ship was shot up by shore batteries and had to retire from the line. After everyone transferred to a destroyer, the 474 rolled over and sank. Harker was transferred to USS LCI(G)-449 and travelled back to Saipan. Before the war ended, Harker was assigned to LST-226. He shares a few anecdotes about being aboard it. He was recalled for the Korean War.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Glenn G. Morgan. He was a bugler aboard the USS Indianapolis (CA-35) and discusses a kamikaze attack during the Okinawa campaign, carrying a crate to Tinian that contained the first atomic bomb, the ship's sinking, and the four days/five nights he spent in a life raft waiting to be rescued.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Arthur Burry. Burry was born in Rocky Ford, Colorado 28 March 1924. He was inducted into the Army Air Forces in January 1943 and received flight training at various bases. After completing gunnery school, he was assigned to the 45th Fighter Squadron, which flew P-47 fighter planes. Traveling by merchant ship, Burry arrived at Iwo Jima in February 1945. He relates an incident where the Japanese made a banzai attack on the air field resulting in several pilots of the 15th Fighter Group being killed. He describes being on a strafing mission to Japan when his plane suffered engine failure and he bailed out. He tells of tying himself to his rubber dingy and surviving a typhoon. On his sixth day at sea he was picked up by the crew of the submarine USS Trutta (SS-421). He was transferred to the USS Peto (SS-265) and taken to Guam. After going to Hawaii for R & R he returned to Iwo Jima and received orders to return to the United States. He was discharged in September 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with June Brandenberger. Brandenberger finished high school in 1943 and was married later I n1944 to an officer in the Army Air Forces. She worked for a telephone company in San Antonio during the war. Brandenberger shares what it was like to be married with a small child and a husband overseas toward the end of the war. She describes his homecoming and what life was like after the war ended.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Deward Terry. Terry was born in Bristol, Missouri in 1925. After graduating from high school, he attended business school for six months at Southeast Missouri College. He joined the Marine Corps in August 1943 and underwent boot training at San Diego. Upon graduating, he went to Camp Pendleton, where he joined the 5th Marine Division and attended the Communications School. He then went to Camp Tarawa, Hawaii for training with a forward observation team with the artillery. He recalls landing at Red Beach on Iwo Jima and being unable to move for four days due to heavy mortar and artillery fire from the Japanese defenders. He had a close encounter with a Japanese soldier and recalls the death of a close friend. After the surrender of Japan, Terry’s unit went to Japan where they performed guard duties for six months before returning to the United States. Upon his return, Terry was discharged.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Dyches. Dyches joined the Marine Corps in 1943. After boot training, he was assigned to the 4th Marine Division. He landed at Iwo Jima and served as a BAR man carrying the Browning Automatic Rifle. He landed on the first day of the invasion and was wounded and evacuated on the fifth day. His wounds kept in various hospitals for over a year. He was discharged in August, 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charlie Adams. Adams enlisted in the Marine Corps in March, 1943 and after training was assigned to the Fifth Marine Division. He landed late on the first day of the invasion of Iwo Jima. He remained there for 36 days. He served as a radio operator and describes much of the combat conditions he encountered on the island as well as some of the Japanese tactics. He was one of 13 of his original company of 248 men to walk off Iwo Jima unhurt. Adams also describes some of his experiences in Nagasaki, Japan during the occupation. He returned to the US and was discharged in March, 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Bowell. Bowell entered service in the Navy in February 1942 and trained as a signalman and on sonar. In February, 1944 he was assigned to USS Defense (AM-317). Bowell speaks about the relationships he developed aboard ship. He also mentions minesweeping and kamikaze attacks off Okinawa and talks about fire support for the Marines on Iwo Jima. Bowell also recalls going into the water to rescue men from other vessels. When the war ended, Bowell’s ship swept mines off Japan. He remembers a typhoon off Okinawa and being discharged in December, 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral history with Marcus Worde. Worde enlisted in the Army Air Corps in September, 1941. He was in flight school at Uvalde, Texas when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He trained in B-17s, B-24s and B-29s. He served as a flight instructor for B-24s. When, Worde went overseas, he was assigned to the 421st Bomb Squadron, 504th Bomb Group on Tinian. From there, Worde flew combat missions over Japan in a B-29 until he was shot down in May, 1945 and became a prisoner of war. Worde describes his experiences as a Japanese POW and the treatment he endured until the war ended.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Hershel Woodrow ""Woody"" Williams. Williams quit high school I nWest Virginia to join the Civilian Conservation Corps, which assigned him to Montana. He was there when Pearl harbor was attack and resigned from the CCC to joint the Marine Corps. The Marine recruiter told him he was too short, so Williams headed back to West Virginia. When the Marine Corps lifted the height requirement, he enlisted in May, 1943. After boot camp, he joined a newly-established flame thrower demolition special weapons unit in the 1st Battalion, 21st Regiment of the Third Marine Division and began training with them at Guadalcanal. From there, Williams went to recapture Guam. With Guam secure, Williams's unit went to Iwo Jima. He finally got ashore on 21 February. On 23 February, Williams used six flamethrowers to destroy seven fortified enemy-help positions that opened a gap in the Japanese line of defense. This action allowed more Marines and tanks to get farther inland and earned Williams the Medal of Honor. He also speaks of losing his good friend on Iwo Jima and retrieving the man's ring in order t oreturn it to his parents …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Cull W. ?Bud? Forbus. Born in 1924, he joined the Marine Corps in June 1942. He was transported on the USS George F. Elliott (AP-105) to Noumea, New Caledonia in December 1943. He was a Browning Automatic Rifleman in the 3rd Marine Division, 34th Replacement Battalion. He discusses the formation of the 3rd Marine Division and the division colors. He recounts waiting for the 77th Infantry Division to arrive prior to the invasion of Guam. He describes being injured at night by a knife-wielding Japanese soldier as well as his evacuation and medical care. When he recovered from his wounds, he was assigned to the 81st Mortar Section of the 4th Marine Division. He describes the landings on Guam using an LVT (Landing Vehicle, Tracked) and on Iwo Jima using an LST (Landing Ship, Tank). He discusses battleship artillery support at Iwo Jima, the landing at Boat Basin, and the Japanese bunkers and tunnels. He describes being injured on Iwo Jima, his evacuation, and medical treatment. After his recovery, he was assigned to guard duty at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. He was discharged in …

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 George Alden. Alden had just finished Marine Corps boot training in San Diego when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He began clerking in the recruit depot office in San Diego shortly after the war started because he could type. In 1944, Alden was assigned to Company A, 27th Marines at Camp Pendleton. He was in the first wave to land on Iwo Jima. He was wounded and evacuated to USS Pinkney (APH-2), which, when it was full a few days later, shaped course for Guam, the Hawaii. Once recovered, Alden went to Saipan to serve in a military police unit in May, 1945. He returned to the US and was discharged in November, 1945. While attending Southern Methodist University, Alden participated in the Air Force ROTC and took a commission upon graduating. He worked as a procurement officer all over the world retiring as a lieutenant colonel.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Charles Watson. Watson joined the Marine Corps in 1943, and went to San Diego for boot camp training, then to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, then to Camp Pendleton. He trained as an engineer. From Pendleton he was shipped to Eniwetok, then to Guam. He landed on Iwo Jima on the second day of the battle, and remained for thirty days. He recalls the flares coming in over him and how deafening the 105s could be. He went to Sasebo, Japan with the occupation forces for about six months and his job was to supply water. He also went to Nagasaki. He was in the service a total of 3 years and was discharged in San Francisco before going to college to earn a degree in Education.

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 …