The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Carlson. Carlson joined the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1938. He joined the Army Air Forces in April of 1943 and served as a B-17 ball turret gunner with the 96th Bomb Group, 338th Bomb Squadron, 8th Air Force. He was sent to England in early 1944. In April, during his fifth mission, his plane was shot down over Belgium. Carlson and his crew were captured and imprisoned in Southern Germany at Stalag Luft 4 and then 6. They were liberated by the Americans on 26 April 1945. He was discharged in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Gordon Lively. Lively joined the Navy in the fall of 1943. He served as Sonarman Third Class aboard the USS Walker (DD-517) in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. They served in the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October of 1944. In March of 1945 they bombarded Kyushu, to neutralize and weaken Japanese air power, and Lively was sent back to the US that same month. He worked in the States for the remainder of his service and was discharged in April of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles A. Thuet. Thuet was born in Wilmington, Delaware 21 August 1921. In 1940 he began working in the local shipyard. In 1942 he volunteered for the Navy and underwent six weeks of boot training at Newport, Rhode Island. Afterward, he was assigned to the USS Wainwright (DD-419) and became served as an orderly for Commodore D.P. Moon. He recalls being in Convoy PQ-17 to Murmansk, Russia that was attacked by German air and naval forces. Twenty-four of the thirty-five cargo ships in the convoy were sunk. In August 1942 he was transferred to the USS Wichita (CA-45) where he flew as the observer aboard SOC aircraft. He describes the landing and takeoff procedures of the planes. He also served as a parachute rigger. During November 1942, the Wichita bombarded Casablanca. The ship received damage from a shore battery and retired to Brooklyn Navy Yard for repairs. The ship then proceeded through the Panama Canal to Noumea, New Caledonia with a convoy. Thuet recalls the Wichita bombarded various islands including Kwajalein, Hollandia and Saipan. In April 1943 the ship was part of the invasion force assigned to retake …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Donald Cullen. Cullen joined the Army Air Forces in February of 1943. In September he was assigned to the 90th Airdrome Squadron. In early 1944 they traveled to North Africa, through the Mediterranean, the Suez Canal and the Arabian Sea aboard HMHS Chantilly (63). He traveled into Upper Assam Valley and later into Jorhat, India, working in a message center at the base headquarters as a teletype repairman. He was discharged in January of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with George Gross. Gross joined the Navy around 1943 and served with the 107th Naval Construction Battalion. They traveled to Ebeye in the Marshall Islands to redevelop and repair an existing seaplane base by assembling a pontoon wharf and pontoon barges for transporting damaged carrier aircraft to repair units ashore. Additionally, they built Quonset huts and installed playing fields and a recreation area for ship crewmen. They traveled to Tinian to construct the biggest airdrome in the world, where B-29s took off for Nagasaki and Hiroshima with the atomic bombs.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Earl Newman. Newman joined the Navy in July of 1941. He graduated from Pensacola Naval Air Station in 1942. He joined Squadron 21 (United States. Navy. Bombing Squadron 2 (VB-2)1) of Air Group 11 on Guadalcanal, conducting patrol, search, spotting and strike operations. Newman also served with Bombing Squadron 19 (VB-19) aboard the USS Lexington (CV-16), participating in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. In October of 1944, his plane was shot down. Newman was discharged in mid-1945, prior to the end of the war.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Don Riel. Riel joined the Navy in 1943 after working in the tool room at a Chevrolet plant. He received basic training at Camp Perry and joined the Seabees as a second class petty officer. On Kwajalein, while operating a truck, he was struck in the shoulder blade by a piece of coral during a controlled explosion. There were no medical facilities there at the time, so Riel was sewn up on the beach. He was then assigned to operate a cement mixer, which is all he could do with his arm in a sling. On Ebeye, he was tasked with maintaining water stills. When he arrived on Tinian, he was a bulldozer operator for the construction of airstrips. Although Tinian had already been secured, Riel survived attacks by snipers and bombers, hiding under his armored dozer. He then served as a fresh water well mechanic until the end of the war. Riel returned home and was discharged in December 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Benjamin Severns. Severns enlisted in the Navy in February of 1943. Prior to entering the service, Severns worked for Allis-Chalmers in LaPorte, Indiana, a former agricultural equipment manufacturer now producing 90mm guns for the war effort. Severns provides some details of his work experience. In November of 1943 Severns became machinist mate in the engine room aboard the USS Enright (DE-216). They traveled to Ireland and he vividly describes the destroyer, including sleeping and eating quarters and day to day life aboard. They convoyed to Londonderry, North Africa and a host of British ports, providing escort support. He describes some of his experiences in Ireland. Severns details a merchant ship that hit the destroyer in April of 1944, and their travels back to New York for repairs. They traveled back to North Africa, where Severns describes some adventures he had in Oran. He was assigned to the USS Fred T. Berry (DD-858) in January of 1945. They traveled to Hawaii. Severns was involved in the occupation of Japan, patrolling the harbors and setting up control towers. He was then transferred to the USS Belet (APD-109). They traveled to the …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Milton Goble. Goble was drafted into the Army Air Forces in 1942. He trained at the San Antonio Air Cadet Center. He was selected to be a pilot. In May of 1944 he went to Ballinger, Texas for pilot training on AT-10 planes. In September of 1944 he went to San Angelo, Texas for secondary flight training. He graduated from the twin engine group, housed in Flight A and describes a photograph of his classmates, providing their names and hometowns. Goble then went to Florida to fly co-pilot on B-24 Liberators. He then completed B-26 training in Frederick, Oklahoma. By then he had enough time in the service for a discharge. He provides some detail of life during these training experiences.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Donald Cullen. Cullen joined the Army Air Forces in February of 1943. In September he was assigned to the 90th Airdrome Squadron. In early 1944 they traveled to North Africa, through the Mediterranean, the Suez Canal and the Arabian Sea aboard HMHS Chantilly (63). He traveled into Upper Assam Valley and later into Jorhat, India, working in a message center at the base headquarters as a teletype repairman. He was discharged in January of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with George Gross. Gross joined the Navy around 1943 and served with the 107th Naval Construction Battalion. They traveled to Ebeye in the Marshall Islands to redevelop and repair an existing seaplane base by assembling a pontoon wharf and pontoon barges for transporting damaged carrier aircraft to repair units ashore. Additionally, they built Quonset huts and installed playing fields and a recreation area for ship crewmen. They traveled to Tinian to construct the biggest airdrome in the world, where B-29s took off for Nagasaki and Hiroshima with the atomic bombs.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Earl Newman. Newman joined the Navy in July of 1941. He graduated from Pensacola Naval Air Station in 1942. He joined Squadron 21 (United States. Navy. Bombing Squadron 2 (VB-2)1) of Air Group 11 on Guadalcanal, conducting patrol, search, spotting and strike operations. Newman also served with Bombing Squadron 19 (VB-19) aboard the USS Lexington (CV-16), participating in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. In October of 1944, his plane was shot down. Newman was discharged in mid-1945, prior to the end of the war.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Don Riel. Riel joined the Navy in 1943 after working in the tool room at a Chevrolet plant. He received basic training at Camp Perry and joined the Seabees as a second class petty officer. On Kwajalein, while operating a truck, he was struck in the shoulder blade by a piece of coral during a controlled explosion. There were no medical facilities there at the time, so Riel was sewn up on the beach. He was then assigned to operate a cement mixer, which is all he could do with his arm in a sling. On Ebeye, he was tasked with maintaining water stills. When he arrived on Tinian, he was a bulldozer operator for the construction of airstrips. Although Tinian had already been secured, Riel survived attacks by snipers and bombers, hiding under his armored dozer. He then served as a fresh water well mechanic until the end of the war. Riel returned home and was discharged in December 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Carlson. Carlson joined the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1938. He joined the Army Air Forces in April of 1943 and served as a B-17 ball turret gunner with the 96th Bomb Group, 338th Bomb Squadron, 8th Air Force. He was sent to England in early 1944. In April, during his fifth mission, his plane was shot down over Belgium. Carlson and his crew were captured and imprisoned in Southern Germany at Stalag Luft 4 and then 6. They were liberated by the Americans on 26 April 1945. He was discharged in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Gordon Lively. Lively joined the Navy in the fall of 1943. He served as Sonarman Third Class aboard the USS Walker (DD-517) in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. They served in the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October of 1944. In March of 1945 they bombarded Kyushu, to neutralize and weaken Japanese air power, and Lively was sent back to the US that same month. He worked in the States for the remainder of his service and was discharged in April of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles A. Thuet. Thuet was born in Wilmington, Delaware 21 August 1921. In 1940 he began working in the local shipyard. In 1942 he volunteered for the Navy and underwent six weeks of boot training at Newport, Rhode Island. Afterward, he was assigned to the USS Wainwright (DD-419) and became served as an orderly for Commodore D.P. Moon. He recalls being in Convoy PQ-17 to Murmansk, Russia that was attacked by German air and naval forces. Twenty-four of the thirty-five cargo ships in the convoy were sunk. In August 1942 he was transferred to the USS Wichita (CA-45) where he flew as the observer aboard SOC aircraft. He describes the landing and takeoff procedures of the planes. He also served as a parachute rigger. During November 1942, the Wichita bombarded Casablanca. The ship received damage from a shore battery and retired to Brooklyn Navy Yard for repairs. The ship then proceeded through the Panama Canal to Noumea, New Caledonia with a convoy. Thuet recalls the Wichita bombarded various islands including Kwajalein, Hollandia and Saipan. In April 1943 the ship was part of the invasion force assigned to retake …