The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ellis D. Skidmore. Skidmore joined the Navy in April 1940 after receiving a letter from a friend in the Navy. After basic training, Skidomore went to radio school before being assigned to Patrol Squadron 44 (VP-44). In May, 1942, his unit was transferred to Pearl Harbor and by early June, Skidmore was at Midway Island. He was a PBY-5 crewman and served as a radio operator. Skidmore describes attacking two Japanese battleships during the Battle of Midway. After that, he returned to the US for flight training and earned his wings and a commission in June, 1943. Upon completion of flight training, Skdmore was stationed to the Aleutian Islands. Skidmore finished the war in the Aleutians and shares stories of being aboard the USS Rochester (CA-124) during the Korean War. He mentions he was a courier of secret documents from the Army, Navy and Air Force that got delivered to General MacArthur in Japan. When he retired from the Navy, Skidmore set up an insurance businesswith Rex Barbour (one of the claimants for shooting down Admiral Yamamoto).

Transcript of an oral interview with William Richard Pendleton. Growing up in Utah, his family knew that of Captain Mervyn Bennion, USN (captain of the USS West Virginia (BB-48) awarded the Medal of Honor during the attack on Pearl Harbor). Due to that acquaintance, Pendleton decided to join the Navy in November 1942. He was sent to Farragut, Idaho for basic training. He qualified as an aviation machinist's mate and was assigned to a PBY crew in VP-44. Their job consisted of picking up downed airment, dropping supplies and patrolling for submarines around Truk, Rabaul and Bougainville. Pendleton shares several anecdotes about serving aboard PBY aircraft and being part of the crew. One in particular was a story about making sure one crewmember never fell asleep in the plane on a mission again. He describes everything from rescue missions to beer runs. When the war ended, Pendleton was discharged only to enlist in the US Air Force in time to serve in Korea as a maintenance officer.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Davis. Davis joined the Navy in November, 1943 and trained at Farragut, Idaho. He was then assigned to USS Smalley (DD-565), which escorted troop ships to the Marshall Islands and patrolled in the Aleutian Islands. He recalls seeing kamikazes at Okinawa and rescuing survivors of another destroyer, USS William D. Porter (DD-579). After the war, Davis recalls being aboard the Smalley and dumping large amounts of Japanese weapons into Tokyo Bay. Davis was discharged in March, 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joseph Wallingford. Wallingford enlisted in the Navy in August, 1942. He received very little training before being assigned to USS LST-452 in Washington. They first went to Hawaii, then Australia before getting involved in the campaign for New Guinea. In the Philippines, at Leyte, Wallingford was aboard when the ship received 8 enemy shells while beached and unloading. Toward the end of the war, Wallingford was assigned to USS Kermit Roosevelt (ARG-16) and rode it to China after the war ended. Upon returning from China, Wallingford was discharged in January, 1946.

Transcript of an oral interview with Wesley Visel. Visel joined the Army shortly after war's outbreak and was sent to Texas for training. He ended up as an LVT (Landing Vehicle, Tracked) driver and describes the operation of the amphibious vehicle. Visel describes loading up onto LSTs (Landing Ship. Tank) and invading Luzon, Philippines. He describes dropping infantrymen off, then returning to the side of a liberty ship where cargo was craned over the side into his LVT. Visel then headed back to shore to unload. He would perform this task for 12 hours straight. Visel also describes experiences on Palawan and Mindanao. Visel was still in the Philippines training for the upcoming invasion of Japan when the war ended.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ellis D. Skidmore. Skidmore joined the Navy in April 1940 after receiving a letter from a friend in the Navy. After basic training, Skidomore went to radio school before being assigned to Patrol Squadron 44 (VP-44). In May, 1942, his unit was transferred to Pearl Harbor and by early June, Skidmore was at Midway Island. He was a PBY-5 crewman and served as a radio operator. Skidmore describes attacking two Japanese battleships during the Battle of Midway. After that, he returned to the US for flight training and earned his wings and a commission in June, 1943. Upon completion of flight training, Skdmore was stationed to the Aleutian Islands. Skidmore finished the war in the Aleutians and shares stories of being aboard the USS Rochester (CA-124) during the Korean War. He mentions he was a courier of secret documents from the Army, Navy and Air Force that got delivered to General MacArthur in Japan. When he retired from the Navy, Skidmore set up an insurance businesswith Rex Barbour (one of the claimants for shooting down Admiral Yamamoto).

Transcript of an oral interview with William Richard Pendleton. Growing up in Utah, his family knew that of Captain Mervyn Bennion, USN (captain of the USS West Virginia (BB-48) awarded the Medal of Honor during the attack on Pearl Harbor). Due to that acquaintance, Pendleton decided to join the Navy in November 1942. He was sent to Farragut, Idaho for basic training. He qualified as an aviation machinist's mate and was assigned to a PBY crew in VP-44. Their job consisted of picking up downed airment, dropping supplies and patrolling for submarines around Truk, Rabaul and Bougainville. Pendleton shares several anecdotes about serving aboard PBY aircraft and being part of the crew. One in particular was a story about making sure one crewmember never fell asleep in the plane on a mission again. He describes everything from rescue missions to beer runs. When the war ended, Pendleton was discharged only to enlist in the US Air Force in time to serve in Korea as a maintenance officer.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Davis. Davis joined the Navy in November, 1943 and trained at Farragut, Idaho. He was then assigned to USS Smalley (DD-565), which escorted troop ships to the Marshall Islands and patrolled in the Aleutian Islands. He recalls seeing kamikazes at Okinawa and rescuing survivors of another destroyer, USS William D. Porter (DD-579). After the war, Davis recalls being aboard the Smalley and dumping large amounts of Japanese weapons into Tokyo Bay. Davis was discharged in March, 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joseph Wallingford. Wallingford enlisted in the Navy in August, 1942. He received very little training before being assigned to USS LST-452 in Washington. They first went to Hawaii, then Australia before getting involved in the campaign for New Guinea. In the Philippines, at Leyte, Wallingford was aboard when the ship received 8 enemy shells while beached and unloading. Toward the end of the war, Wallingford was assigned to USS Kermit Roosevelt (ARG-16) and rode it to China after the war ended. Upon returning from China, Wallingford was discharged in January, 1946.

Transcript of an oral interview with Wesley Visel. Visel joined the Army shortly after war's outbreak and was sent to Texas for training. He ended up as an LVT (Landing Vehicle, Tracked) driver and describes the operation of the amphibious vehicle. Visel describes loading up onto LSTs (Landing Ship. Tank) and invading Luzon, Philippines. He describes dropping infantrymen off, then returning to the side of a liberty ship where cargo was craned over the side into his LVT. Visel then headed back to shore to unload. He would perform this task for 12 hours straight. Visel also describes experiences on Palawan and Mindanao. Visel was still in the Philippines training for the upcoming invasion of Japan when the war ended.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Elwyn Becker discussing his childhood and education and how he came to join the Navy. He describes the training process for becoming an Aviation Radioman and his experiences in the Pacific Theatre during World War Two.