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Oral History Interview with C. James Erickson, August 10, 2018 transcript

Oral History Interview with C. James Erickson, August 10, 2018

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with C James Erickson. Erickson enrolled in the Army Specialized Training Program in January of 1944. He completed radio training. Erickson was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 343rd Regiment, 86th Infantry Division. They completed additional amphibious training in California. His training was complete in the fall of 1944. Soon thereafter his company was sent to Europe to participate in the Battle of the Bulge. They traveled into Germany and replaced the 82nd Airborne Division in Cologne. Erickson provides details of his combat experiences. After the war ended, he remained with the Army of Occupation in Germany, and returned home for discharge in January of 1946.
Date: August 10, 2018
Creator: Erickson, C. James
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Don Stinson, August 18, 2018 transcript

Oral History Interview with Don Stinson, August 18, 2018

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Don Stinson. Stinson was born in 1923 and briefly tells of his childhood. He joined the Army Air Forces in October 1942. He was selected for flight training and tells of the various air fields and aircraft on which he learned to fly. After receiving his commission in 1943, he was assigned to the 2nd Combat Cargo Group. Stinson describes the difficulty in piloting a C-47 due to his size. Soon after organizing, the group was outfitted with new C-46s. In 1944, the group flew to New Guinea where they underwent jungle survival training. In the Philippines, they retrieved a group of nurses who had been prisoners of war for over four years, then transported them to a hospital on the island of Biak. The group was sent to Okinawa, where they were attacked by a kamikaze. Stinson witnessed the Japanese planes, painted white with a green cross, carrying the Japanese surrender delegation to the Philippines. He served in the occupation of Japan, and returned to the US in January of 1946.
Date: August 18, 2018
Creator: Stinson, Don
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Ellison Smith, August 10, 2018 transcript

Oral History Interview with Ellison Smith, August 10, 2018

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ellison Smith. Smith joined the Navy in October of 1942. While stationed in Bermuda, he served as a PBY gunner, conducting search and rescue missions. Smith continued his service after the war ended, receiving his discharge in 1946.
Date: August 10, 2018
Creator: Smith, Ellison
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Richard Andrew, August 3, 2018 transcript

Oral History Interview with Richard Andrew, August 3, 2018

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Richard Andrew. Andrew joined the Army in June of 1943. He served with the 34th Infantry Division, 133rd Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, Company B. Beginning late 1943, Andrew traveled aboard the USS Butler (DD-636) to Africa, participating in additional training. In January of 1944 they traveled to Naples, Italy, and participated in the Italian Campaign on the front line battering the Bernhardt Line defenses. From March through June, they participated in the Battle of Anzio. Andrew was discharged in December of 1945.
Date: August 3, 2018
Creator: Andrew, Richard
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with William Crook, August 10, 2018 transcript

Oral History Interview with William Crook, August 10, 2018

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with William Crook. Upon enlisting into the US Navy in 1944, Crook went to the Great Lakes Naval Training Station for boot camp. Crook then attended a basic engineering course. Following this, he received training in large propulsion engines. He was on board a troop ship bound for the Philippines when the atomic bomb was dropped. Upon his arrival at Leyte, he was assigned to USS LSM-294. He recalls an incident on the high seas that resulted in the loss of several LCTs that his ship was escorting. Crook returned to the US in 1946.
Date: August 10, 2018
Creator: Crook, William
System: The Portal to Texas History