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 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 interview with John Adams. Adams enlisted in the Marines Corps Officer’s Procurement Program in March 1942. He went into a V-12 detachment in July 1943, and was sent to Notre Dame University. From there he went to Quantico, then into OCS, then to New River, North Carolina where he was in the 67th Replacement Battalion. This battalion served as guards on a train transporting prisoners from Portsmouth Naval Prison to California, then on a ship to Pearl Harbor. Adams was placed in a 60mm mortar platoon. His first action was Iwo Jima. He landed in the fifth wave. He worked with the mortars, carried out many wounded men, and carried ammo. Adams describes the terrain on Iwo Jima. He talks at length about his 27 days on Iwo. After Iwo he went to Maui and upon being discharged, Adams became a self-employed farmer, married and raised 11 children.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Adams. Adams enlisted in the Marines Corps Officer’s Procurement Program in March 1942. He went into a V-12 detachment in July 1943, and was sent to Notre Dame University. From there he went to Quantico, then into OCS, then to New River, North Carolina where he was in the 67th Replacement Battalion. This battalion served as guards on a train transporting prisoners from Portsmouth Naval Prison to California, then on a ship to Pearl Harbor. Adams was placed in a 60mm mortar platoon. His first action was Iwo Jima. He landed in the fifth wave. He worked with the mortars, carried out many wounded men, and carried ammo. Adams describes the terrain on Iwo Jima. He talks at length about his 27 days on Iwo. After Iwo he went to Maui and upon being discharged, Adams became a self-employed farmer, married and raised 11 children.

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 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 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 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.

Transcript of an oral interview with Doug Aitken. When the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred, Aitken was nineteen and in college in California. He remained in college, earned his degree and was commissioned an ensign upon finishing school in 1944. He then went to radar school and trained for a position in the combat information center (CIC) of a destroyer. He soon reported aboard the USS Hugh W. Hadley (DD-774) in San Diego and headed for the Pacific. Soon, the Hadley was escorting other ships to Okinawa fo rthe invasion. Once there, the Hadley went on picket duty north of Okinawa on the lookout for kamikazes. Aitken describes a day in which the Hadley and other destroyers on picket station #15 off Okinawa were attacked by approximately 150 kamikazes in less than two hours. His battle station was inside the CIC. He also describes the Hadley being struck by three kamikazes and the crew abandoning ship. The Hadley was taken under tow to Kerama Retto for repairs, where she tied up alongside the USS Aaron Ward (DM-34), which had also been struck by numerous kamikazes. After repairs, the Hadley was towed to San Francisco. The war ended while she was …

Transcript of an oral interview with Doug Aitken. When the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred, Aitken was nineteen and in college in California. He remained in college, earned his degree and was commissioned an ensign upon finishing school in 1944. He then went to radar school and trained for a position in the combat information center (CIC) of a destroyer. He soon reported aboard the USS Hugh W. Hadley (DD-774) in San Diego and headed for the Pacific. Soon, the Hadley was escorting other ships to Okinawa fo rthe invasion. Once there, the Hadley went on picket duty north of Okinawa on the lookout for kamikazes. Aitken describes a day in which the Hadley and other destroyers on picket station #15 off Okinawa were attacked by approximately 150 kamikazes in less than two hours. His battle station was inside the CIC. He also describes the Hadley being struck by three kamikazes and the crew abandoning ship. The Hadley was taken under tow to Kerama Retto for repairs, where she tied up alongside the USS Aaron Ward (DM-34), which had also been struck by numerous kamikazes. After repairs, the Hadley was towed to San Francisco. The war ended while she was …

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 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 oral interview with Rocky Agrusti. Argusti was born on 7 July 1924 in Waterville, New York into a family of nine children. Four of the boys and one of the girls served during World War II. Two of the boys were killed in action during the war. Prior to being drafted, he worked as a steam engine fireman with the New York Central Railroad. Upon entering the US Army in 1943, he was sent to Fort Sam Houston, Texas for basic training. After receiving advanced training at several other bases, he was assigned to the 701st Railway Grand Division, 721st Railway Operations Battalion. In December 1943 the battalion was sent to the West Coast where they boarded the SS Mariposa bound for Bombay, India. Upon their arrival in India, Argusti went by train to Parbatpur, India. He recalls that the barracks, called bashas, were constructed of straw. A fire occurred that burned down the majority of the dwellings. He tells of operating railroad engines transporting supplies to Ledo, India for shipment into the interior of China by air transport or overland by the Ledo Burma Road. Following the surrender of Japan, …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Rocky Agrusti. Argusti was born on 7 July 1924 in Waterville, New York into a family of nine children. Four of the boys and one of the girls served during World War II. Two of the boys were killed in action during the war. Prior to being drafted, he worked as a steam engine fireman with the New York Central Railroad. Upon entering the US Army in 1943, he was sent to Fort Sam Houston, Texas for basic training. After receiving advanced training at several other bases, he was assigned to the 701st Railway Grand Division, 721st Railway Operations Battalion. In December 1943 the battalion was sent to the West Coast where they boarded the SS Mariposa bound for Bombay, India. Upon their arrival in India, Argusti went by train to Parbatpur, India. He recalls that the barracks, called bashas, were constructed of straw. A fire occurred that burned down the majority of the dwellings. He tells of operating railroad engines transporting supplies to Ledo, India for shipment into the interior of China by air transport or overland by the Ledo Burma Road. Following the surrender of Japan, …

Transcript of an oral interview with Bill Armentrout. He begins by describing making a living in south Texas during the Great Depression. He was married and had three children by 1941 and was finally drafted into the Navy in 1944 at 33 years old. When he finished boot camp in San Diego, he wa sassigend to the Amphibious Force and trained at Camp Bradford, Virginia. When Armentrout reached Pearl Harbor, he was assigned to LCT 1221 (Landing Craft, Tank). Armentrout describes always being seasick on his little LCI. He then speaks about landing at Okinawa in late April, 1945. Armentrout describes the role of his LCI - ferrying trucks full of supplies from merchant ships to the beaches. When the war ended, Armentrout was eligible for discharge and opted to go home. His LCI was ruined during a typhoon on Okinawa, so he rode home on a Navy freighter, arriving in Seattle in late October.

Transcript of an oral interview with Bill Armentrout. He begins by describing making a living in south Texas during the Great Depression. He was married and had three children by 1941 and was finally drafted into the Navy in 1944 at 33 years old. When he finished boot camp in San Diego, he wa sassigend to the Amphibious Force and trained at Camp Bradford, Virginia. When Armentrout reached Pearl Harbor, he was assigned to LCT 1221 (Landing Craft, Tank). Armentrout describes always being seasick on his little LCI. He then speaks about landing at Okinawa in late April, 1945. Armentrout describes the role of his LCI - ferrying trucks full of supplies from merchant ships to the beaches. When the war ended, Armentrout was eligible for discharge and opted to go home. His LCI was ruined during a typhoon on Okinawa, so he rode home on a Navy freighter, arriving in Seattle in late October.

Transcript of an oral interview with Jack O. Arnold. Arnold was born in El Paso, Texas on 27 June, 1923. He enlisted in the Army in May 1942 while in his second year at the Texas College of Mines and Metallurgy. After basic training at Camp Maxey, Texas, he joined the 14th Armored Division. Circa 1944-1945, he joined the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment. He participated in the battle for the recapture of Corregidor. He discusses the Japanese defensive network of tunnels on the island. He was awarded the Purple Heart for a shrapnel injury while on Negros Island. Arnold describes the living conditions of the soldiers. He also describes the Japanese practice of binding themselves up with cloth for battle. He was discharged from the Army on 31 December, 1945. After he finished college, he enlisted in the Air Force in 1949 at the age of 26 and served during the Korean War. He recounts stories of flying in an airplane during a typhoon, a bird strike, engine trouble and landing gear failure. He was discharged from the Air Force in 1952. Arnold provides information about his parents and siblings as well as his children.

Transcript of an oral interview with Jack O. Arnold. Arnold was born in El Paso, Texas on 27 June, 1923. He enlisted in the Army in May 1942 while in his second year at the Texas College of Mines and Metallurgy. After basic training at Camp Maxey, Texas, he joined the 14th Armored Division. Circa 1944-1945, he joined the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment. He participated in the battle for the recapture of Corregidor. He discusses the Japanese defensive network of tunnels on the island. He was awarded the Purple Heart for a shrapnel injury while on Negros Island. Arnold describes the living conditions of the soldiers. He also describes the Japanese practice of binding themselves up with cloth for battle. He was discharged from the Army on 31 December, 1945. After he finished college, he enlisted in the Air Force in 1949 at the age of 26 and served during the Korean War. He recounts stories of flying in an airplane during a typhoon, a bird strike, engine trouble and landing gear failure. He was discharged from the Air Force in 1952. Arnold provides information about his parents and siblings as well as his children.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Arlie Asmussen. Asmussen joined the Navy in 1941, after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He served aboard the USS Owl (AM-2) beginning in February of 1942. His job aboard was to cook and serve as a deck ape, scrubbing the decks and bulkheads, and tying up the boats. In March they traveled to Bermuda and remained for 2 years. They provided target practice for submarines and went out on distress calls, rescuing a torpedoed cargo ship from Argentina. He describes their experiences in Bermuda. They later traveled to England, where they carried breakwaters to Normandy in preparation for D-Day. In June of 1944 Asmussen and the crew participated in D-Day, aiding in the flow of men and equipment to the front. In September he returned to the states on a troop ship carrying 150 German prisoners of war. In the summer of 1945 he served aboard the USS Comstock (LSD-19), where he served as a cook. They traveled to Okinawa and he was discharged in late 1945.

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.

Transcript of an oral interview with Edmund K. Austin. Austin was drafted his junior year in high school (1943) and sent to Camp Greely in Oklahoma for basic training. From there he was sent to the Pacific and went into a heavy artillery unit (155 mm Long Tom outfit) that had been based on Christmas Island at the beginning of the war. Got bad jungle rot in the Philippines. After the Philippine operation (near the end of Luzon), his unit (532nd Field Artillery Battalion) was sent to Okinawa aboard a LST. They landed on Shishi Jima (small island off Naha) a day or so before the big invasion of Okinawa proper. Witnessed kamikaze attacks a saw several Navy ships hit. Japanese tried to invade Shishi Jima but they were not successful. Had a shell land in his gun pit but it was a dud. Later in the operation his unit was loaded on a barge and taken over to Okinawa, somewhere around Naha. Did lots of firing supporting the Army and Marines because their guns had the range. Operated for a while in the rain and mud. Assigned to a USO unit when the war was over. Austin was a …

Transcript of an oral interview with Edmund K. Austin. Austin was drafted his junior year in high school (1943) and sent to Camp Greely in Oklahoma for basic training. From there he was sent to the Pacific and went into a heavy artillery unit (155 mm Long Tom outfit) that had been based on Christmas Island at the beginning of the war. Got bad jungle rot in the Philippines. After the Philippine operation (near the end of Luzon), his unit (532nd Field Artillery Battalion) was sent to Okinawa aboard a LST. They landed on Shishi Jima (small island off Naha) a day or so before the big invasion of Okinawa proper. Witnessed kamikaze attacks a saw several Navy ships hit. Japanese tried to invade Shishi Jima but they were not successful. Had a shell land in his gun pit but it was a dud. Later in the operation his unit was loaded on a barge and taken over to Okinawa, somewhere around Naha. Did lots of firing supporting the Army and Marines because their guns had the range. Operated for a while in the rain and mud. Assigned to a USO unit when the war was over. Austin was a …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Lawrence Barrett. Barrett joined the Marine Corps in December of 1943. He served as an aerial gunner, combat cameraman and ground and motion picture photographer. Barrett worked as a combat aircrewman with Marine Air Group 32 in the Pacific and the Philippines, completing 25 combat missions by 1945. After the war ended, he served with the occupation forces in Tsingtao, North China. He returned to the US and was discharged in May of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Lawrence Barrett. Barrett joined the Marine Corps in December of 1943. He served as an aerial gunner, combat cameraman and ground and motion picture photographer. Barrett worked as a combat aircrewman with Marine Air Group 32 in the Pacific and the Philippines, completing 25 combat missions by 1945. After the war ended, he served with the occupation forces in Tsingtao, North China. He returned to the US and was discharged in May of 1946.