The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with William Massey. Massey joined the Marine Corps in the spring of 1943. He completed Aviation Administrative School. He served as the Administrative Chief with Marine Aircraft Group 45, and was responsible for personnel reports for their service squadron. They traveled aboard the SS Dashing Wave to Falalop in Ulithi, where they were stationed. Massey returned with his squadron to the US and was discharged.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Lewis R. Hopkins. He begins by describing growing up on a farm in Georgia, then going to college at Berry, then working for Sears and Roebuck and the Royal Typewriter Company before joining the Navy. He ancedotes about joining the Navy so he could go up to New York to see the World's Fair, since he heard the Atlanta Reserve was making a trip up to the Fair. He went into flight training in Florida in December 1940, finishing the next September, then driving cross-country to San Francisco after the Pearl Harbor attack, eventually joining the USS Enterprise in April 1942 and seeing the B-25 bombers in the Doolittle Raid take off. He was part of Bombing Squadron Six, trained under Commander Best learning how to do scouting flights, navigation and dive bombing. He then describes being in the battle of Midway, the hours leading up to taking off, his first view of the Japanese fleet, then flying over and dropping bombs on them. He was later assigned to the USS Hornet and had to fly off to a little island so planes from the USS Wasp could …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Joseph Hanley. Hanley joined the Navy in April of 1942. He trained as a storekeeper and completed midshipman’s school at Navy Pier in Chicago. In December of 1944 he was transferred to Hawaii and served on the CINCPAC staff of Admiral Chester Nimitz. He traveled to Guam in early 1945, working as head over all the stores. He shares a number of anecdotes of his encounters with Nimitz. His discharge was around late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Elbert L. Buegeler. Buegeler was born in New Ulm, Texas 18 May 1918. He quit school after the 7th grade and worked for his father. Drafted in 1940, he went to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training. Upon completing basic, he was sent to the Mojave Desert and assigned to a reconnaissance company in the 703rd Tank Destroyer Battalion. After additional training a Camp Pickett, Virginia and Indian Gap, Pennsylvania the battalion boarded a ship and went by convoy to England. Landing on Omaha Beach several days after the initial invasion of France, they were attached to the 3rd Armored Division. Buegeler discusses his activities in a recon unit consisting of a jeep, a driver, an observer and a gunner. He recalls one occasion when four German soldiers surrendered and others continued to join the group until there were thirty prisoners. On 30 March 1944, Buegler was shot in the back by a sniper. He describes his wound and the surgeries he had in Scotland. After spending a month in hospital in Scotland he was flown to the Army Hospital in Temple, Texas. After nine months of recovery …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Warren Luken. Luken describes life growing up during the Great Depression. He joined the Navy in September of 1942. He completed Radio School in the spring of 1943 and worked as both a radioman and storekeeper. He served aboard USS LST-483 beginning May of 1943 through December of 1945. Luken provides details of his time aboard the ship and his participation during landings and invasions in Alaska, Saipan, Tinian and the Philippines. He served as a pointer on a 20mm gun. He was discharged as 2nd Class Storekeeper in March of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Thomas Walton. Walton joined the Navy in December 1942 and received basic training in San Diego. Upon completion in August 1943, he was then assigned to USS Neches (AO-47) as a seaman. At Okinawa he saw an ammunition ship explode after a kamikaze hit. On the way back to the States, the Neches hit a mine that blew a 15-by-22-foot hole in the side of the ship. After it was repaired, Walton returned to sea until the end of the war. The Neches was in Tokyo Bay during the signing of the armistice, and Walton was close enough to see the Japanese boarding USS Missouri (BB-63). He recalls being treated well by Japanese civilians after the surrender. Walton returned home and was discharged in January 1946. There he finally met for the first time the woman with whom he had been corresponding during the war, and they were soon married.

Transcript of an oral interview with James H. Goemmer. Goemmer begins by describing a three-month trip he took with his family in 1930 in which they traveled all over the US in a Chevrolet. After finishing high school in Yakima, Washington, Goemmer worked various odd jobs before joining the Navy in October, 1942 and going to Farragut, Idaho for basic training. Afterwards, he went to aviation radio school and aerial gunnery school. He qualified as an aircrew member at the naval air station in Daytona, Florida. Eventually, he became a member of a dive bomber unit, VB-3, and was assigned to the USS Yorktown (CV-10) in 1944. While attacking targets in the Philippines, his aircraft was damaged by anti-aircraft fire and was forced to land on the USS Ticonderoga (CV-14), which proceeded to Ulithi. Two weeks later, he and his pilot were back aboard the Yorktown. Before the war ended, Goemmer was stationed to the seaplane base at Kanehoe Bay where he was in charge of repairing radio equipment. He was there when the war ended. He earned enough points by November and returned home, got discharged and became an insurance claims adjuster in Washington state.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Admiral Noel Gayler. Gayler graduated from the Naval Academy in 1935. In 1940 he completed flight training. His first carrier assignment was aboard the USS Saratoga (CV-3). He served as a fighter pilot flying an F4F-3 (Grumman Wildcat). He was transferred to the USS Lexington (CV-2), where in January of 1942 Gayler received the first of 3 Navy Crosses in aerial combat. He received his second Navy Cross escorting torpedo planes in an operation to destroy Japanese amphibious forces en route to conquer northern Australia. In May of 1942 he participated in the Battle of the Coral Sea, where he received his third Navy Cross. He then describes the sinking of the Lexington. He describes his experience as a test pilot and the various planes he flew. In 1944 Gayler returned to combat in the Pacific commanding Fighter Squadron 12. They traveled to Japan. He describes a number of experiences that followed, including serving as operations office under Vice Admiral McCain aboard the USS Randolph (CV-15), being aboard the USS Missouri (BB-63) during the surrender, observing nuclear tests in Eniwetok, serving as deputy director of the Special Devices Center, …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Charles Herlin. Herlin joined the Navy in the fall of 1942. Beginning in late 1943, he served as a Radioman First Class with Composite Squadron Twelve (VC-12) aboard the USS Kadashan Bay (CVE-76). He later transferred to the USS Card (CVE-11). Herlin served with the hunter-killer groups completing offensive operations against German submarines in the Atlantic and North Africa. He continued his service after the war ended through early 1954.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Joseph Nix. Nix joined the Army Air Forces around early 1942. He served as a CG-4A glider pilot with the 29th Troop Carrier Squadron. They worked from base 464 in England. They dropped paratroopers in the invasion of Italy and during Operation Market Garden. He received his discharge around late 1945, though remained in the reserve until 1978.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with William Massey. Massey joined the Marine Corps in the spring of 1943. He completed Aviation Administrative School. He served as the Administrative Chief with Marine Aircraft Group 45, and was responsible for personnel reports for their service squadron. They traveled aboard the SS Dashing Wave to Falalop in Ulithi, where they were stationed. Massey returned with his squadron to the US and was discharged.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Lewis R. Hopkins. He begins by describing growing up on a farm in Georgia, then going to college at Berry, then working for Sears and Roebuck and the Royal Typewriter Company before joining the Navy. He ancedotes about joining the Navy so he could go up to New York to see the World's Fair, since he heard the Atlanta Reserve was making a trip up to the Fair. He went into flight training in Florida in December 1940, finishing the next September, then driving cross-country to San Francisco after the Pearl Harbor attack, eventually joining the USS Enterprise in April 1942 and seeing the B-25 bombers in the Doolittle Raid take off. He was part of Bombing Squadron Six, trained under Commander Best learning how to do scouting flights, navigation and dive bombing. He then describes being in the battle of Midway, the hours leading up to taking off, his first view of the Japanese fleet, then flying over and dropping bombs on them. He was later assigned to the USS Hornet and had to fly off to a little island so planes from the USS Wasp could …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Joseph Hanley. Hanley joined the Navy in April of 1942. He trained as a storekeeper and completed midshipman’s school at Navy Pier in Chicago. In December of 1944 he was transferred to Hawaii and served on the CINCPAC staff of Admiral Chester Nimitz. He traveled to Guam in early 1945, working as head over all the stores. He shares a number of anecdotes of his encounters with Nimitz. His discharge was around late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Elbert L. Buegeler. Buegeler was born in New Ulm, Texas 18 May 1918. He quit school after the 7th grade and worked for his father. Drafted in 1940, he went to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training. Upon completing basic, he was sent to the Mojave Desert and assigned to a reconnaissance company in the 703rd Tank Destroyer Battalion. After additional training a Camp Pickett, Virginia and Indian Gap, Pennsylvania the battalion boarded a ship and went by convoy to England. Landing on Omaha Beach several days after the initial invasion of France, they were attached to the 3rd Armored Division. Buegeler discusses his activities in a recon unit consisting of a jeep, a driver, an observer and a gunner. He recalls one occasion when four German soldiers surrendered and others continued to join the group until there were thirty prisoners. On 30 March 1944, Buegler was shot in the back by a sniper. He describes his wound and the surgeries he had in Scotland. After spending a month in hospital in Scotland he was flown to the Army Hospital in Temple, Texas. After nine months of recovery …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Warren Luken. Luken describes life growing up during the Great Depression. He joined the Navy in September of 1942. He completed Radio School in the spring of 1943 and worked as both a radioman and storekeeper. He served aboard USS LST-483 beginning May of 1943 through December of 1945. Luken provides details of his time aboard the ship and his participation during landings and invasions in Alaska, Saipan, Tinian and the Philippines. He served as a pointer on a 20mm gun. He was discharged as 2nd Class Storekeeper in March of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Thomas Walton. Walton joined the Navy in December 1942 and received basic training in San Diego. Upon completion in August 1943, he was then assigned to USS Neches (AO-47) as a seaman. At Okinawa he saw an ammunition ship explode after a kamikaze hit. On the way back to the States, the Neches hit a mine that blew a 15-by-22-foot hole in the side of the ship. After it was repaired, Walton returned to sea until the end of the war. The Neches was in Tokyo Bay during the signing of the armistice, and Walton was close enough to see the Japanese boarding USS Missouri (BB-63). He recalls being treated well by Japanese civilians after the surrender. Walton returned home and was discharged in January 1946. There he finally met for the first time the woman with whom he had been corresponding during the war, and they were soon married.

Transcript of an oral interview with James H. Goemmer. Goemmer begins by describing a three-month trip he took with his family in 1930 in which they traveled all over the US in a Chevrolet. After finishing high school in Yakima, Washington, Goemmer worked various odd jobs before joining the Navy in October, 1942 and going to Farragut, Idaho for basic training. Afterwards, he went to aviation radio school and aerial gunnery school. He qualified as an aircrew member at the naval air station in Daytona, Florida. Eventually, he became a member of a dive bomber unit, VB-3, and was assigned to the USS Yorktown (CV-10) in 1944. While attacking targets in the Philippines, his aircraft was damaged by anti-aircraft fire and was forced to land on the USS Ticonderoga (CV-14), which proceeded to Ulithi. Two weeks later, he and his pilot were back aboard the Yorktown. Before the war ended, Goemmer was stationed to the seaplane base at Kanehoe Bay where he was in charge of repairing radio equipment. He was there when the war ended. He earned enough points by November and returned home, got discharged and became an insurance claims adjuster in Washington state.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Charles Herlin. Herlin joined the Navy in the fall of 1942. Beginning in late 1943, he served as a Radioman First Class with Composite Squadron Twelve (VC-12) aboard the USS Kadashan Bay (CVE-76). He later transferred to the USS Card (CVE-11). Herlin served with the hunter-killer groups completing offensive operations against German submarines in the Atlantic and North Africa. He continued his service after the war ended through early 1954.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Joseph Nix. Nix joined the Army Air Forces around early 1942. He served as a CG-4A glider pilot with the 29th Troop Carrier Squadron. They worked from base 464 in England. They dropped paratroopers in the invasion of Italy and during Operation Market Garden. He received his discharge around late 1945, though remained in the reserve until 1978.