Interview with Richard (Dick) Bennett, a pilot during World War II. He discusses his enlistment in the Army Air Corps, basic training and flight school. He then went to a base in South Carolina to learn to fly B-25s. At Fort Myers, Florida he flew B-26 bombers and trained to fly them off of aircraft carriers so they could drop torpedos on the Japanese fleet during naval battles. He traveled across the Pacific to Brisbane only to be told that they didn't have B-26s for the crews; the colonel there knew nothing about the plan to launch B-26s from aircraft carriers, so they were sent to New Guinea to fly B-17s and supplement the crews for those bombers. From there they made bombing runs or "Washing Machine Charlie"-type runs to keep people awake at night on various Japanese targets in the islands, particularly the base at Rabaul. In fall of 1943, the Army grounded the B-17s due to the damage they had incurred and replaced them with B-24s. The men received manuals and were given only a few days to familiarize themselves with the new planes. They were then sent on bombing runs. He finished his tour of duty at …

Letter from Catherine to her husband Joe discussing news from home, including a visit with Evelyn and plans to stay in and play cards with friends, as well as the winter weather. She also mentions that she has received letters from him and asks about the Air Medal he was awarded.

Letter from Joe to his wife Catherine discussing the rainy weather, receiving the candy Wootsie sent him, and winning $4 in a game of poker.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Trudy Varrs Harris. Harris was born in Buffalo, New York in 1926. She attended Hockaday Private School and graduated in 1941. She joined the American Women’s Voluntary Service during the summer as a 15 year old driver whose job was to pick up military officers in a command car at various locations and take them to defense plants and various offices. During this time her sister worked in a hospital and her mother rolled bandages for the Red Cross. The interview was concluded with members of an audience posing questions concerning Trudy’s opinions about rationing, the surrender of Germany, the atomic bomb, etc.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Forest Rees. Rees was born in Beeville, Texas, 23 May 1926 and was accepted into the Navy’s V-12 Program on 1 July 1943 and enrolled at Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi. Following two semesters, he was sent to basic training at Great Lakes, Illinois and upon graduation, was enrolled in aviation machinist’s school. He was next transferred to the engine overhaul and testing section at Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, Texas. Over the course of the following two years, he describes working on every radial engine used by the Navy. He was separated from the Navy at Camp Wallace, Texas on 20 May 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard (Dick) Bennett. He begins by discussing joining the Army Air Corps, basic training and flight school. Then he went to a base in South Carolina to learn to fly B-25s, then to Fort Myers, Florida to fly B-26 bombers, and train to fly B-26s off aircraft carriers so they could drop torpedos on the Japanese fleet during naval battles, traveling across the Pacific to Brisbane to be told they didn't have B-26s for the crews and the Colonel there knew nothing about the plan to launch B-26s from aircraft carriers so they were sent up to New Guinea to fly B-17s and supplement the crews for those bombers. From there they made bombing runs or ""Washing Machine Charlie""-type runs to keep people awake at night on various Japanese targets in the islands, particularly the base at Rabaul. In Fall of 1943, the Army grounded the B-17s since they were getting very shot up and gave them B-24s to fly, handed them the manuals and gave them a couple days to familiarize themselves with the planes, then sent them back up on bombing runs. He finished his tour …

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 oral interview with Richard Burdrick. Burdrick joined the Navy in December 1942 through the V-12 program at UCLA. He was then assigned to midshipmen’s school at Columbia University. Upon completion, he was sent aboard the USS Dickens (APA-161), his battle station at a 40-millimeter gun. Burdrick and his crew set a record for embarking troops, capable of getting 26 boats into the water and ready to go ashore in just 22 minutes. At Iwo Jima, by the time he had returned to the ship after embarking the first wave of Marines, casualties were already returning to the Dickens. Particularly disheartening was the loss of a doctor from their beach party. Throughout his interview, Burdrick reads from his detailed and reflective diary, which includes his eyewitness account of the signing of the surrender. He returned home and was discharged in 1946, resuming his studies at UCLA.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Alphior Silverio. Silverio went into the Army in 1942 and trained at Camp Atterbury. He was assigned to the 308th Combat Engineer Battalion attached to the 83rd Infantry Division and went overseas in April, 1944. In August, Silverio went to France with the 83rd. He recalls building bridges across France until he was wounded in early December and evacuated to England. By then he had earned a battlefield commission. He was able to rejoin his unit after recovery and was finally discharged in February 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents and oral interview with Arthur Monaghan. Monaghan was born in Houston in 1922. After attending boot camp, he was assigned to Torpedo school in San Diego. He relates the various aspects of training he underwent and tells of being assigned to the Motor Torpedo Base 16. In 1943 his unit boarded a ship and he tells of the living conditions on board. He relates incidents that occurred while stationed on several island of the Philippines as well as one of the Russell Islands, including the introduction of the Mark 13 Torpedo. He also recalls one of his officers falling victim to monkey fever, which lead to his death. Monaghan was discharged soon after his return to the US in 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Frank J. Nemec. Nemec joined the Marine Corps in early 1942. He received light and medium tanks training, and served with Company B of the 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division. He participated in the invasions at New Britain, Peleliu, and Okinawa. Frank also served at Guadalcanal, New Guinea, Pavuvu, and the Goodenough Islands. He spent 28 months in the war zone, plus a 3-month occupational duty in China after the war. Nemec’s unit was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for the Guadalcanal and the Okinawa operations. He was honorably discharged on 3 July 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Trudy Varrs Harris. Harris was born in Buffalo, New York in 1926. She attended Hockaday Private School and graduated in 1941. She joined the American Women’s Voluntary Service during the summer as a 15 year old driver whose job was to pick up military officers in a command car at various locations and take them to defense plants and various offices. During this time her sister worked in a hospital and her mother rolled bandages for the Red Cross. The interview was concluded with members of an audience posing questions concerning Trudy’s opinions about rationing, the surrender of Germany, the atomic bomb, etc.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Forest Rees. Rees was born in Beeville, Texas, 23 May 1926 and was accepted into the Navy’s V-12 Program on 1 July 1943 and enrolled at Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi. Following two semesters, he was sent to basic training at Great Lakes, Illinois and upon graduation, was enrolled in aviation machinist’s school. He was next transferred to the engine overhaul and testing section at Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, Texas. Over the course of the following two years, he describes working on every radial engine used by the Navy. He was separated from the Navy at Camp Wallace, Texas on 20 May 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard (Dick) Bennett. He begins by discussing joining the Army Air Corps, basic training and flight school. Then he went to a base in South Carolina to learn to fly B-25s, then to Fort Myers, Florida to fly B-26 bombers, and train to fly B-26s off aircraft carriers so they could drop torpedos on the Japanese fleet during naval battles, traveling across the Pacific to Brisbane to be told they didn't have B-26s for the crews and the Colonel there knew nothing about the plan to launch B-26s from aircraft carriers so they were sent up to New Guinea to fly B-17s and supplement the crews for those bombers. From there they made bombing runs or ""Washing Machine Charlie""-type runs to keep people awake at night on various Japanese targets in the islands, particularly the base at Rabaul. In Fall of 1943, the Army grounded the B-17s since they were getting very shot up and gave them B-24s to fly, handed them the manuals and gave them a couple days to familiarize themselves with the planes, then sent them back up on bombing runs. He finished his tour …

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 oral interview with Richard Burdrick. Burdrick joined the Navy in December 1942 through the V-12 program at UCLA. He was then assigned to midshipmen’s school at Columbia University. Upon completion, he was sent aboard the USS Dickens (APA-161), his battle station at a 40-millimeter gun. Burdrick and his crew set a record for embarking troops, capable of getting 26 boats into the water and ready to go ashore in just 22 minutes. At Iwo Jima, by the time he had returned to the ship after embarking the first wave of Marines, casualties were already returning to the Dickens. Particularly disheartening was the loss of a doctor from their beach party. Throughout his interview, Burdrick reads from his detailed and reflective diary, which includes his eyewitness account of the signing of the surrender. He returned home and was discharged in 1946, resuming his studies at UCLA.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Alphior Silverio. Silverio went into the Army in 1942 and trained at Camp Atterbury. He was assigned to the 308th Combat Engineer Battalion attached to the 83rd Infantry Division and went overseas in April, 1944. In August, Silverio went to France with the 83rd. He recalls building bridges across France until he was wounded in early December and evacuated to England. By then he had earned a battlefield commission. He was able to rejoin his unit after recovery and was finally discharged in February 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents and oral interview with Arthur Monaghan. Monaghan was born in Houston in 1922. After attending boot camp, he was assigned to Torpedo school in San Diego. He relates the various aspects of training he underwent and tells of being assigned to the Motor Torpedo Base 16. In 1943 his unit boarded a ship and he tells of the living conditions on board. He relates incidents that occurred while stationed on several island of the Philippines as well as one of the Russell Islands, including the introduction of the Mark 13 Torpedo. He also recalls one of his officers falling victim to monkey fever, which lead to his death. Monaghan was discharged soon after his return to the US in 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Frank J. Nemec. Nemec joined the Marine Corps in early 1942. He received light and medium tanks training, and served with Company B of the 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division. He participated in the invasions at New Britain, Peleliu, and Okinawa. Frank also served at Guadalcanal, New Guinea, Pavuvu, and the Goodenough Islands. He spent 28 months in the war zone, plus a 3-month occupational duty in China after the war. Nemec’s unit was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for the Guadalcanal and the Okinawa operations. He was honorably discharged on 3 July 1946.

Photograph a group of seven inhabitants of the Contractors' Hotel, Honolulu, HI, including two carpenters, a mechanic, and a sheet metal worker. There are four men standing in the back row, all in wrinkled collared shirts, trousers and hats except for the man center right who is shirtless and without a hat. Three men sit on the ground with their lower bodies out of view, they all wear hats and overalls and the two men on the ends wear collared shirts underneath theirs. Above each man is a number written in red ink. On the left side of the men is a small plant and two-story building. Tio their right is two other buildings and smaller groups of men roaming around.