The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Alison. Alsion was born in Florida in 1912 and graduated from the University of Florida. Soon after graduation he was accepted into the Army Flying School at Randolph Field, Texas. After competing primary flight training he moved to Kelly Field, Texas for advanced training and was selected to fly fighters. Upon receiving his wings in 1937 he was ordered to report to Langley Field, Virginia where he was assigned to the 8th Pursuit Group flying the PB2A pursuit plane. In 1940 the group moved to Mitchell, Field, New York and the 57th Pursuit Group was formed. Alison was named squadron commander of the 66th Pursuit Squadron. He was directed to demonstrate the Curtis P-40 fighter to General Claire Chennault and a group of Chinese generals. He describes his flight demonstration and the obvious satisfaction of shown by all concerned. In April 1941, he went to England with the Hubert Zemke to assist the Royal Air Force in the integration of the P-40 into the RAF. While there, he was selected to accompany American Ambassador Harry Hopkins as a military attaché of the US Embassy in Moscow. He …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with James Brown. Brown joined the Navy in 1943. He served as an Apprentice Seaman with the deck force aboard the USS Zeilin (APA-3). From September of 1943 through the spring of 1945, he participated in landing troops at Tarawa, Kwajalein Atoll, New Guinea, the Philippines, and Iwo Jima. Brown returned to the US in April of 1945, and was discharged later in the year.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ruth Congram. Congram began taking flight instruction in the late 1930s, earning her private pilot’s license. After the war began in 1941, Congram worked for the Lucas Harold Company building parts for the Norden bombsight. In May of 1944 she enlisted in the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), a civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force. Congram flew on search missions as a pilot and as an observer, flying over farms searching for needed iron in junk piles. Additionally, she operated a Civil Air Patrol Radio station, and served as senior staff at CAP Summer Encampments at various Air Force bases. Congram worked as Administrative Finance Officer and Encampment Commander. She received Civil Air Patrol rank of Lieutenant Colonel in September of 1983. She and her husband operated the Congram Airport on the east side of Monticello, Indiana from 1945-1966, preparing planes for re-license and rebuilt wrecked airplanes. Congram never retired from CAP.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charlie Boswell. Boswell was born in Coryell County, Texas 4 September 1921. He quit high school, joined the Navy and went to boot camp in San Diego. Upon completing boot training he was assigned to the USS Tennessee (BB-43) as a member of the crew in the engine room. During battle stations, he served as an ammunition handler for a five inch gun. He was aboard the ship on 7 December 1941 and he describes his activities during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The Tennessee received two bomb hits during the attack. Boswell recalls being at his battle station for twelve straight hours before being permitted to go topside. The ship went to Bremerton, Washington for repairs. In 1942 Boswell was assigned to the USS Waller (DD-466). The ship supported various landings in the Pacific before returning to the United States in 1944. After refitting, the ship supported landing in the Philippines. When the Japanese surrendered, the Waller went to Shanghai, where various work parties from the ship assisted in disarming the Japanese troops. Returning to the United States in December 1945, Boswell remained aboard as part …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Lee Soucy. Soucy joined the Navy in December 1937. Soucy went to the Hospital Corps School in 1938 and became a medical laboratory technologist, and was with the Fleet Marines. He went to a medical field service school with an emphasis studying poison gas. He went to the naval hospital in San Diego. He was with the Marines for 8 months in San Diego, they conquered San Clemente Island with the 5th Regiment. Later he was on USS Utah (BB-31) in February 1941. He worked as medical service help on the Utah, and treated people from the smaller ships that did not have doctors or dentists. After Pearl Harbor was attacked he was reassigned to the hospital at Pearl Harbor, and in May 1945 he was assigned to Bethesda Naval Medical Center. He also served on the Matsonia in its sick bay and helped deliver burn victims back to the States. After the war he started his own commercial lab in Plainview, Texas.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Margaret Soucy. She completed her nursing training in Salem Hospital School of Nursing, graduating in September 1941. After Pearl Harbor was bombed she joined the Navy in April 1942. She received training at the Brooklyn Naval Hospital through November 1942, then went to the Marine air base in Cherry Point, North Carolina through December 1943. From there Soucy went to Pearl Harbor. She was stationed at Hospital Point in Pearl Harbor. She served in a dermatology ward, and then the psychiatric ward. She was in charge of four wards. She describes a typical day of work, and her experiences at a Seabee camp. She was responsible for handing out medications and coordinated psychiatric counseling for men suffering from combat fatigue. She met Admiral Nimitz at CINPAC headquarters. She left Pearl Harbor in April 1945 for St. Albans, Long Island, and once she received enough points she went back to her home in Massachusetts. She and her mother visited New York City and Times Square on V-J Day.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Michael Yuhas. Yuhas joined the Army in 1939 and went to Schofield Barracks in Hawaii for training in the Field Artillery. He was at Schofield when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Once the attack occurred, Yuhas went with his unit to defensive positions around Oahu. in 1944, Yuhas went to Australia for six months before rotating back to the US. He was in South Carolina on a training assignment when the war ended.