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Oral History Interview with Charles Allen, October 9, 2004 transcript

Oral History Interview with Charles Allen, October 9, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles Allen. Mr Allen went into the Marine Corps in September 1942, took boot camp in San Diego, and then was stationed in Santa Anna at the lighter-than-air base as a guard. In September 1943, he was sent to Noumea, New Caledonia and from there to New Guinea where he was put in the First Marine Division, HQ Company, 1st Battalion. His first introduction to combat was when they landed on the southern tip of New Britain. Allen provides a good description of the fighting and the conditions on New Britain; they were wet and in the swamps. It took them about four months to go through New Britain. They had a brief respite on Johnson Islands before they landed on Peleliu. Allen talks about shooting their 75mm guns, point-blank at the steel and concrete doors the Japanese had built. He states that Peleliu was real rough. After going to a camp on Pavuvu, they went to Okinawa. He describes the day that Lt Gen Buckner was killed, by a sniper. Allen also talks about the Japanese using women and children as shields. He states that Ernie Pyle …
Date: October 9, 2004
Creator: Allen, Charles E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Louis Glist, October 9, 2004 transcript

Oral History Interview with Louis Glist, October 9, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Louis Glist. Mr Glist enlisted in the military November 3, 1942; the War Department, Ordnance Section which became a part of the U. S. Army. He didn't really go to boot camp because the ordnance department had specific technical assignments. Glist's first duty assignment was in medium maintenance (through 37mm weapons). Then, they sent him to school at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, he came back, took a test and ended up going to the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP). He was shipped to Oregon State College where he spent ten months studying to be a mechanical engineer. After that he went back to Aberdeen where he went to OCS, graduating as a 2nd Lieutenant. From there he went to Wilmington, California where he went aboard the General Morton, a troop transport, which sailed on February 8, 1945; going over as a casualty replacement. They were on their way to Calcutta; it took them forty days and nights. He was assigned to the Chinese Combat Command. The mission of the Chinese Combat Command was to act as liaison between the Chinese Army and the American Army. They were to ensure …
Date: October 9, 2004
Creator: Glist, Louis
System: The Portal to Texas History