Then National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with LaVergne Thomas. Thomas was born in Louisville, Kentucky 31 March 1921. After graduating from high school in 1939 she entered nurse training, which she completed at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Houston, Texas in 1942. Joining the US Army Nurse Corps 7 December 1942 she entered the service as a second lieutenant at Randolph Field, Texas and was sent to Bowman Field, Kentucky for training as a flight nurse. She trained in C-47 aircraft that could hold eighteen patients. She boarded HMS Queen Elizabeth 1 February 1944 with other members of the 814th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron and landed at Firth, Scotland. Her unit flew to various points in Europe with gasoline and supplies and returned with wounded soldiers. She treated German prisoners of war as they were being taken to England. She also treated American casualties, injured during the Battle of the Bulge. After a year of traveling between England and the Continent, Thomas began flying to the United States in C-54 aircraft, which would carry twenty-four patients. These flights took twenty-six hours with an overnight stop in Newfoundland. She continued making these flights until Germany surrendered. …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Melvin Best. Best was born 10 February 1921 in Paducah, Texas. He received his private pilot’s license while enrolled at Texas Tech University. He joined the Army Air Corps on 13 January 1942 and reported to Kelly Field in San Antonio for training. He received his primary flight training at several locations, and then he transferred to Columbia, South Carolina for B-25 training. Upon graduating in October 1942, he was assigned to the 345th Bombardment Group and sent to Australia. His group initially flew missions to New Guinea dropping supplies to Australian troops in the mountains. Best was next sent to Townsville, Australia in August 1943 where he met Colonel Paul Irvin Gunn, a retired Navy pilot commissioned into the Army Air Forces at the start of the war and was instrumental in modifying the B-25 for strafing missions. His first strafing missions were conducted over Rabaul. The modified B-25s made three more strafing runs on Rabaul, resulting in the destruction of 140 Japanese aircraft. Best was escorted during more than half of his strafing raids by Richard Bong. Following the Rabaul raids he returned to Townsville, Australia …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert E. Mills. Mills joined the Marine Corps in 1939 and trained at Parris Island, South Carolina. After training, Mills was assigned to 4th Defense Battalion and sent to Cuba in 1940. Late in 1941, Mills was transferred out to Pealr Harbor and describes the Japanese attack. He manned a machine gun until he ran out of ammunition, then went aboard a small vessel and rescued folks from out of the harbor. Shortly thereafter, Mills was sent to the Solomon Islands where he discusses building an airstrip at Vella Lavella. Mills then speaks about getting communications established at Nagasaki after the war ended. He also shares an anecdote about assisting a chaplain with the baptism of several men on Iwo Jima. He also describes the time he was wounded by a Japanese shell.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles E. Jones. With his father's consent, Jones joined the Marine Corps in Tennessee when he was 15 years old in 1940. When he finished training at Parris Island, South Carolina, he was assigned to the Fourth Defense Battalion at Guantanimo Bay, Cuba. In November, 1941, his unit was assigned to Wake Island. He was at Pearl Harbor en route to Wake Island when the Japanese struck Hawaii on 7 December 1941. Jones describes his activities during the battle. Shortly thereafter, Jones was sent to Efate, New Hebrides where his unit defended an airstrip from which the US was able to attack Guadalcanal. Jones retunred to the US and trained on 155mm artillery guns at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. While at Camp Lejeune, Jones was able to shake President Roosevelt's hand. Jones recalls a story about meeting his brother randomly on Guam. Jones was on Guam when the war ended. He mustered out of the Marines in November, 1945 and eventually reenlisted in the US Air Force. He served in the print shop at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas.

Then National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with LaVergne Thomas. Thomas was born in Louisville, Kentucky 31 March 1921. After graduating from high school in 1939 she entered nurse training, which she completed at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Houston, Texas in 1942. Joining the US Army Nurse Corps 7 December 1942 she entered the service as a second lieutenant at Randolph Field, Texas and was sent to Bowman Field, Kentucky for training as a flight nurse. She trained in C-47 aircraft that could hold eighteen patients. She boarded HMS Queen Elizabeth 1 February 1944 with other members of the 814th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron and landed at Firth, Scotland. Her unit flew to various points in Europe with gasoline and supplies and returned with wounded soldiers. She treated German prisoners of war as they were being taken to England. She also treated American casualties, injured during the Battle of the Bulge. After a year of traveling between England and the Continent, Thomas began flying to the United States in C-54 aircraft, which would carry twenty-four patients. These flights took twenty-six hours with an overnight stop in Newfoundland. She continued making these flights until Germany surrendered. …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Melvin Best. Best was born 10 February 1921 in Paducah, Texas. He received his private pilot’s license while enrolled at Texas Tech University. He joined the Army Air Corps on 13 January 1942 and reported to Kelly Field in San Antonio for training. He received his primary flight training at several locations, and then he transferred to Columbia, South Carolina for B-25 training. Upon graduating in October 1942, he was assigned to the 345th Bombardment Group and sent to Australia. His group initially flew missions to New Guinea dropping supplies to Australian troops in the mountains. Best was next sent to Townsville, Australia in August 1943 where he met Colonel Paul Irvin Gunn, a retired Navy pilot commissioned into the Army Air Forces at the start of the war and was instrumental in modifying the B-25 for strafing missions. His first strafing missions were conducted over Rabaul. The modified B-25s made three more strafing runs on Rabaul, resulting in the destruction of 140 Japanese aircraft. Best was escorted during more than half of his strafing raids by Richard Bong. Following the Rabaul raids he returned to Townsville, Australia …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert E. Mills. Mills joined the Marine Corps in 1939 and trained at Parris Island, South Carolina. After training, Mills was assigned to 4th Defense Battalion and sent to Cuba in 1940. Late in 1941, Mills was transferred out to Pealr Harbor and describes the Japanese attack. He manned a machine gun until he ran out of ammunition, then went aboard a small vessel and rescued folks from out of the harbor. Shortly thereafter, Mills was sent to the Solomon Islands where he discusses building an airstrip at Vella Lavella. Mills then speaks about getting communications established at Nagasaki after the war ended. He also shares an anecdote about assisting a chaplain with the baptism of several men on Iwo Jima. He also describes the time he was wounded by a Japanese shell.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles E. Jones. With his father's consent, Jones joined the Marine Corps in Tennessee when he was 15 years old in 1940. When he finished training at Parris Island, South Carolina, he was assigned to the Fourth Defense Battalion at Guantanimo Bay, Cuba. In November, 1941, his unit was assigned to Wake Island. He was at Pearl Harbor en route to Wake Island when the Japanese struck Hawaii on 7 December 1941. Jones describes his activities during the battle. Shortly thereafter, Jones was sent to Efate, New Hebrides where his unit defended an airstrip from which the US was able to attack Guadalcanal. Jones retunred to the US and trained on 155mm artillery guns at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. While at Camp Lejeune, Jones was able to shake President Roosevelt's hand. Jones recalls a story about meeting his brother randomly on Guam. Jones was on Guam when the war ended. He mustered out of the Marines in November, 1945 and eventually reenlisted in the US Air Force. He served in the print shop at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas.