Interview with J. Glen Cleckler, a U. S. Marine during World War II. He discusses his background, including the day he and seven of his friends skipped school to see a movie. In order to provide a believable excuse for their absence to their principal, they went to a recruiting office to get informational forms. The principal then gave them permission to graduate early to join the Marines. He discusses his experiences in boot camp and other training programs and the Battle of Iwo Jima, including hygiene during the battle and the famous flag-raising there. He shares some stories about one of the flag-raisers, Harlan Block, who had been part of the group that enlisted in the Marines with him. He also recalls returning to the United States on a ship full of Section-8 soldiers (PTSD victims), meeting German prisoners of war, and living with Jim Crow laws.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Vicente Blaz. Blaz was a child during the Japanese occupation of his native Guam. He describes how he and his family lived under constant fear. Blaz discusses how he was forced to join a labor battalion as a young teenager. He talks about how he dug caves and cleared jungle for an airstrip. Blaz describes the hardships endured including lack of food and proper clothing. He discusses the return of the US military and the rapid changes to the island that followed. Blaz describes the profound appreciation that he felt when Guam was liberated. He goes on to describe his later life which included graduating from Notre Dame, becoming a Marine Corps general, and serving two terms as a congressman.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with David Campbell. Campbell joined the Navy in the fall of 1942. He completed Naval Supply Corps School. Beginning July of 1943, he served as Supply Officer aboard the USS Coral Sea (CVE-57). They launched strikes on Makin Island in November, and bombed airfields at Kwajalein. Throughout 1944 and early 1945 they traveled to the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, the Marianas and Iwo Jima providing aircraft in support of forces. He shares experiences of kamikaze airplanes and enduring a typhoon. Campbell was discharged in April of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Buddy McLeroy. McLeroy joined the Navy in 1943 and was sent aboard USS Dallas (DD-199). He was then sent to signalman school in Maine. McLeroy was then assigned to the USS Hilary P. Jones (DD-427). He describes his duties as a signalman, the equipment he used, and shipboard life. McLeroy took part in convoy escort duty in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. He describes the transfer of his ship to the Pacific and mentions some of the activity that it was involved with. McLeroy was at his watch station when he observed the surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay. He left the service when he returned to the US.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Rudy Rodriguez. Rodriguez left high school and joined the Marine Corps in 1943 and received basic training in San Diego. He then received advanced infantry training and was assigned to the 3rd Marine Division as a rifleman. After deploying to Guam with the 21st Marine Regiment, Rodriguez learned that he could get out of mess duty and guard duty if he completed flame-thrower training and advanced to PFC. Upon completion of special weapons training, he joined a three-man flamethrower patrol unit. More than once, he encountered Japanese holdouts who either attacked or committed suicide by way of grenade. In addition to capturing a half-dozen Japanese, Rodriguez discovered an American who had been hiding safely among the natives for years. Rodriguez enjoyed trading with the Chamorros, bringing mangoes and bananas back to camp to curry favor and avoid punishment for his unauthorized bartering. After a year and a half, Rodriguez was transferred to Hawaii. Before his discharge, he earned his high school diploma at the Aiea Military School of the Marine Corps.

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 J. Glen Cleckler. He begins by discussing his background and how he and 7 buddies went to a recruiting offices to get forms to have an excuse for the principal for why they skipped school that day (it was actually to go see a movie) and ended up with the principal allowing them to graduate early to join the Marines. He discusses going through boot camp and other training programs, the battle of Iwo Jima, hygiene during a battle, seeing one of the flags raised on Iwo and a couple stories about Harlan Block, one of the flag raisers and part of the group he joined the Marines with. He ancedotes about getting a ride back to the States on a ship full of Section-8 soldiers (PTSD victims), meeting German prisoners of war and Jim Crow laws.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Bernard Dillon. Dillon joined the Navy in February of 1943. Around December of 1944 he completed radio operator training and was assigned to ACORN-24 in the Admiralty Islands. They constructed an airfield for patrol planes on Los Negros Island. Dillon assisted with construction and with copying Morse Code. He returned to the US in May of 1945, reenlisted and served another 2 years, receiving his discharge in late 1947.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ralph Fette. Fette was born on 28 January 1921 in Germany and immigrated to the United States with his family in 1927. He attended high school in Brooklyn, New York until 1937 at which time he quit to work with his father. He was drafted into the Army Air Corps in 1941. After taking basic training in Georgia, he attended an airframe and engine school in Detroit, Michigan. Upon completion of the school, Fette left for overseas duty near Calcutta, India. After spending some time in India he joined the 9th Bomb Group at Myitkyina, Burma where his group repaired B-24s and P-40s. As a line chief he was responsible for fifteen planes. One of the B-24s assigned to his group was called Home Stretch. He returned to the United States and was discharged in 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Ross. Ross joined the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1939, and joined the Navy in August of 1942. In September he was sent to Bremerton, Washington and helped with refurbishing the USS Nevada (BB-36). In May of 1943 they participated in the capture of Attu in the Aleutian Islands. In April of 1944 they escorted convoys to the United Kingdom, and provided fire support during the Normandy invasion. They supported landings during the Battles of Marseilles, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, where the Nevada came under severe kamikaze attacks. Ross was discharged in November of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Nellis Verhey. Verhey joined the Army in April of 1943. He served with G Company, 3rd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. In 1944 they traveled to England. Verhey parachuted into Normandy on D-Day in June and into Belgium during Operation Market Garden in September. Verhey was discharged in December of 1945. After the war ended, he served on Honor Guard duty for both Eisenhower and Truman.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Frederick Brown. Brown was born 7 January 1921. In 1942, he was drafted into the US Army and underwent basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He was then sent to San Luis Obispo, California for advanced training. Upon completion of the training, his division was sent to New Guinea. He was assigned to the 6th Infantry Division, 1st Infantry Regiment, G Company as a platoon scout and point man. He also recalls a kamikaze attacking a ship he was aboard just prior to landing in the Philippines. Brown witnessed the burial at sea of the seamen killed by the attack. He recalls that the unit was in combat for 112 continuous days. During this time, he contracted malaria and was hospitalized for several weeks. After Japan surrendered, his unit was sent to Korea. He spent three months in Korea before returning to the United States. He was discharged 25 December 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Vicente Blaz. Blaz was a child during the Japanese occupation of his native Guam. He describes how he and his family lived under constant fear. Blaz discusses how he was forced to join a labor battalion as a young teenager. He talks about how he dug caves and cleared jungle for an airstrip. Blaz describes the hardships endured including lack of food and proper clothing. He discusses the return of the US military and the rapid changes to the island that followed. Blaz describes the profound appreciation that he felt when Guam was liberated. He goes on to describe his later life which included graduating from Notre Dame, becoming a Marine Corps general, and serving two terms as a congressman.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with David Campbell. Campbell joined the Navy in the fall of 1942. He completed Naval Supply Corps School. Beginning July of 1943, he served as Supply Officer aboard the USS Coral Sea (CVE-57). They launched strikes on Makin Island in November, and bombed airfields at Kwajalein. Throughout 1944 and early 1945 they traveled to the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, the Marianas and Iwo Jima providing aircraft in support of forces. He shares experiences of kamikaze airplanes and enduring a typhoon. Campbell was discharged in April of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Buddy McLeroy. McLeroy joined the Navy in 1943 and was sent aboard USS Dallas (DD-199). He was then sent to signalman school in Maine. McLeroy was then assigned to the USS Hilary P. Jones (DD-427). He describes his duties as a signalman, the equipment he used, and shipboard life. McLeroy took part in convoy escort duty in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. He describes the transfer of his ship to the Pacific and mentions some of the activity that it was involved with. McLeroy was at his watch station when he observed the surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay. He left the service when he returned to the US.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Rudy Rodriguez. Rodriguez left high school and joined the Marine Corps in 1943 and received basic training in San Diego. He then received advanced infantry training and was assigned to the 3rd Marine Division as a rifleman. After deploying to Guam with the 21st Marine Regiment, Rodriguez learned that he could get out of mess duty and guard duty if he completed flame-thrower training and advanced to PFC. Upon completion of special weapons training, he joined a three-man flamethrower patrol unit. More than once, he encountered Japanese holdouts who either attacked or committed suicide by way of grenade. In addition to capturing a half-dozen Japanese, Rodriguez discovered an American who had been hiding safely among the natives for years. Rodriguez enjoyed trading with the Chamorros, bringing mangoes and bananas back to camp to curry favor and avoid punishment for his unauthorized bartering. After a year and a half, Rodriguez was transferred to Hawaii. Before his discharge, he earned his high school diploma at the Aiea Military School of the Marine Corps.

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 J. Glen Cleckler. He begins by discussing his background and how he and 7 buddies went to a recruiting offices to get forms to have an excuse for the principal for why they skipped school that day (it was actually to go see a movie) and ended up with the principal allowing them to graduate early to join the Marines. He discusses going through boot camp and other training programs, the battle of Iwo Jima, hygiene during a battle, seeing one of the flags raised on Iwo and a couple stories about Harlan Block, one of the flag raisers and part of the group he joined the Marines with. He ancedotes about getting a ride back to the States on a ship full of Section-8 soldiers (PTSD victims), meeting German prisoners of war and Jim Crow laws.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Bernard Dillon. Dillon joined the Navy in February of 1943. Around December of 1944 he completed radio operator training and was assigned to ACORN-24 in the Admiralty Islands. They constructed an airfield for patrol planes on Los Negros Island. Dillon assisted with construction and with copying Morse Code. He returned to the US in May of 1945, reenlisted and served another 2 years, receiving his discharge in late 1947.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ralph Fette. Fette was born on 28 January 1921 in Germany and immigrated to the United States with his family in 1927. He attended high school in Brooklyn, New York until 1937 at which time he quit to work with his father. He was drafted into the Army Air Corps in 1941. After taking basic training in Georgia, he attended an airframe and engine school in Detroit, Michigan. Upon completion of the school, Fette left for overseas duty near Calcutta, India. After spending some time in India he joined the 9th Bomb Group at Myitkyina, Burma where his group repaired B-24s and P-40s. As a line chief he was responsible for fifteen planes. One of the B-24s assigned to his group was called Home Stretch. He returned to the United States and was discharged in 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Ross. Ross joined the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1939, and joined the Navy in August of 1942. In September he was sent to Bremerton, Washington and helped with refurbishing the USS Nevada (BB-36). In May of 1943 they participated in the capture of Attu in the Aleutian Islands. In April of 1944 they escorted convoys to the United Kingdom, and provided fire support during the Normandy invasion. They supported landings during the Battles of Marseilles, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, where the Nevada came under severe kamikaze attacks. Ross was discharged in November of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Nellis Verhey. Verhey joined the Army in April of 1943. He served with G Company, 3rd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. In 1944 they traveled to England. Verhey parachuted into Normandy on D-Day in June and into Belgium during Operation Market Garden in September. Verhey was discharged in December of 1945. After the war ended, he served on Honor Guard duty for both Eisenhower and Truman.