The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bill Lane. Lane was attending the University of Texas and tried joining the Marine Corps, but did not pass the physical. He instead opted for the Army, which accepted him. He trained at Fort Custer, Michigan. There he trained as a military policeman and was soon shipped to a prisoner of war camp housing German submarine sailors in New Mexico. After being sent to west coast, Lane boarded a ship and sailed 23 days to New Caledonia, where he was assigned to the Americal Division. From there, Lane went to Guadalcanal in late 1942 and relieved and replaced a Marine unit on the front line. Lane recalls his experiences fighting he Japanese at the Tenaru River on Guadalcanal. He was armed with a Browning Automatic Rifle. Lane also describes some experiences while on R & R in Australia before he headed for Bougainville. After a brief amount of time in the Palau Islands, Lane headed for the invasion of Leyte. Later on, he moved to Luzon and fought in Manila. Lane backtracks and shares some anecdotes about being a personal river for General Douglas MacArthur in Sydney while …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Barrington Buetell. Buetell grew up in Georgia and was drafted when he turned 18 in 1944. He trained in Georgia before being shipped to Europe in early 1945. He was attached to a headquarters company and recalls liberating a concentration camp at Mulhausen, Austria. When th ewar ended, Buetell rotated back to tUS where he enrolled in college. While there, he completed the Air Force ROTC course and was commissioned just prior to the outbreak of the war in Korea. He eventually was reassigned to occupation duty in Germany, where he served in a constabulary force in Wiesbaden.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Joseph Ramos. Ramos joined the Army Air Forces in June of 1942. He served with a troop carrier squadron aboard a C-47, as a radio operator. He attended a number of USO shows. They traveled to northern Morocco, where he was in charge of an identification, friend or foe (IFF) system box. He traveled on to Algeria, Sicily, North Africa, Iran delivering drop tanks. Ramos flew with a photo reconnaissance unit aboard a B-17. His troop carrier squadron supported the invasion of Southern France in August of 1944. Ramos was discharged in September of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Tina Burnham. Burnham was born in Sulpher Springs, Texas and graduated from high school in 1940. She attended a trade school in Texarkana, Texas to become a riveter. She was then employed at Spartan Aircraft Industries in Tulsa, Oklahoma as a riveter. On this job she manufactured wings on Grumman Wildcat aircraft. In January 1944 she joined the Coast Guard Women’s Reserve (SPARS) and went to Palm Beach, Florida for six weeks of intensive training. She describes the clothing she was issued and the training she received. Upon completion of boot camp she went to Philadelphia working as a pharmacist’s mate in the St. Agnes Hospital. She was then selected to attend the College of Pharmacy at Columbia University. She graduated 31 December 1944. After spending a short time in the SPARS barracks sick bay in Norfolk, Virginia she was transferred to the Marine Hospital in Norfolk. While at the hospital she rotated through the various departments. She states that surgery was her favorite. She was then sent to the Elizabeth City, North Carolina, Coast Guard Air Station where she served until being discharged 20 May 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bill Lane. Lane was attending the University of Texas and tried joining the Marine Corps, but did not pass the physical. He instead opted for the Army, which accepted him. He trained at Fort Custer, Michigan. There he trained as a military policeman and was soon shipped to a prisoner of war camp housing German submarine sailors in New Mexico. After being sent to west coast, Lane boarded a ship and sailed 23 days to New Caledonia, where he was assigned to the Americal Division. From there, Lane went to Guadalcanal in late 1942 and relieved and replaced a Marine unit on the front line. Lane recalls his experiences fighting he Japanese at the Tenaru River on Guadalcanal. He was armed with a Browning Automatic Rifle. Lane also describes some experiences while on R & R in Australia before he headed for Bougainville. After a brief amount of time in the Palau Islands, Lane headed for the invasion of Leyte. Later on, he moved to Luzon and fought in Manila. Lane backtracks and shares some anecdotes about being a personal river for General Douglas MacArthur in Sydney while …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Barrington Buetell. Buetell grew up in Georgia and was drafted when he turned 18 in 1944. He trained in Georgia before being shipped to Europe in early 1945. He was attached to a headquarters company and recalls liberating a concentration camp at Mulhausen, Austria. When th ewar ended, Buetell rotated back to tUS where he enrolled in college. While there, he completed the Air Force ROTC course and was commissioned just prior to the outbreak of the war in Korea. He eventually was reassigned to occupation duty in Germany, where he served in a constabulary force in Wiesbaden.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Joseph Ramos. Ramos joined the Army Air Forces in June of 1942. He served with a troop carrier squadron aboard a C-47, as a radio operator. He attended a number of USO shows. They traveled to northern Morocco, where he was in charge of an identification, friend or foe (IFF) system box. He traveled on to Algeria, Sicily, North Africa, Iran delivering drop tanks. Ramos flew with a photo reconnaissance unit aboard a B-17. His troop carrier squadron supported the invasion of Southern France in August of 1944. Ramos was discharged in September of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents and oral interview with Douglas A. Skinner. Born 13 January 1923 in Fleetwood, Oklahoma, Skinner joined the Army 1 April 1943 and was sent to Fort Hood, Texas for basic training. Upon completion of basic, he volunteered for the Parachute Infantry and was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia for airborne training. He describes the training they received. Assigned to the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division he was sent to England. On 6 June 1944 the unit participated in the invasion of Normandy. He recalls the plane in which he was aboard being hit by anti-aircraft fire and going down in flames. Skinner was able to bail out before it crashed. He remembers that only he and two others on the plane survived. Briefly discussing the action in which he was involved, Skinner tells of being wounded. As a result of his wound, he spent six months in the hospital. He was discharged from the Army 2 December 1944.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Tina Burnham. Burnham was born in Sulpher Springs, Texas and graduated from high school in 1940. She attended a trade school in Texarkana, Texas to become a riveter. She was then employed at Spartan Aircraft Industries in Tulsa, Oklahoma as a riveter. On this job she manufactured wings on Grumman Wildcat aircraft. In January 1944 she joined the Coast Guard Women’s Reserve (SPARS) and went to Palm Beach, Florida for six weeks of intensive training. She describes the clothing she was issued and the training she received. Upon completion of boot camp she went to Philadelphia working as a pharmacist’s mate in the St. Agnes Hospital. She was then selected to attend the College of Pharmacy at Columbia University. She graduated 31 December 1944. After spending a short time in the SPARS barracks sick bay in Norfolk, Virginia she was transferred to the Marine Hospital in Norfolk. While at the hospital she rotated through the various departments. She states that surgery was her favorite. She was then sent to the Elizabeth City, North Carolina, Coast Guard Air Station where she served until being discharged 20 May 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents and oral interview with Douglas A. Skinner. Born 13 January 1923 in Fleetwood, Oklahoma, Skinner joined the Army 1 April 1943 and was sent to Fort Hood, Texas for basic training. Upon completion of basic, he volunteered for the Parachute Infantry and was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia for airborne training. He describes the training they received. Assigned to the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division he was sent to England. On 6 June 1944 the unit participated in the invasion of Normandy. He recalls the plane in which he was aboard being hit by anti-aircraft fire and going down in flames. Skinner was able to bail out before it crashed. He remembers that only he and two others on the plane survived. Briefly discussing the action in which he was involved, Skinner tells of being wounded. As a result of his wound, he spent six months in the hospital. He was discharged from the Army 2 December 1944.