Interview with H. L. Obermiller, a Pharmacist's Mate during World War II. He discusses his involvement in the Battles of Tarawa, Saipan and Tinian, where he served as a Pharmacist's Mate. He remembers having Spam for Thanksgiving, meeting Navajo code talkers, and writing letters home.

Interview with David Braden, a member of the U.S. Air Force during World War II. He discusses his training in the U.S. to become a navigator; his deployment to Saipan with the 870th Squadron, 497th Bomb Group, 73rd Wing; initial attacks on Tokyo in a B-29 bomber at high altitude (during which the jet stream interfered with the bombing raids); a low-altitude fire-bombing mission over Tokyo in March, 1945; living conditions on base at Saipan; a mission in which the B-29 he was on ditched in the ocean and his subsequent rescue; Victory in Europe (V-E) Day on Saipan; completing 35 missions; and going home.

Interview with Guinn Rasbury, a U. S. Marine during World War II. He discusses joining the Marines, being part of the invasion force at Florida and Tulagi Islands, having multiple malaria attacks, being transferred to Maine to cure his malaria, being transferred around the United States, and finally returning to the Pacific theater. He explains how being sick with malaria and getting bumped from a plane ride home saved his life. He shares anecdotes about sounding "Taps" at a memorial service for President Roosevelt and being chairman of the Second Marine Division Memorial Scholarship Fund Committee.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Walter Gallagher. Gallagher joined the Navy after quitting high school and trained in aviation ordnance. In May, 1944 he was assigned to USS Franklin (CV-13) where he would arm dive bombers. Gallagher describes an injury he sustained while loading bombs as well as various enemy attacks on the Franklin, including a kamikaze. He was aboard when the Japanese bombed the Franklin in March, 1945. Gallagher recalls the attack and was ordered to transfer to USS Santa Fe (CL-60). From there, Gallagher spent six months at Hawaii before going back to the US.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Harold Buell. While attending college in Iowa, Buell took advantage of the Civilian Pilot Training program and earned a pilot's license in 1940. He volunteered for the Navy and went to flight school at Pensacola, Florida, where he earned his wings and a commission in November, 1941. He was assigned to go aboard the USS Yorktown (CV-5) as a member of Scouting Squadron 5 (VS-5) and arrived in time for the Battle of the Coral Sea. His squadron suffered enough damage to be removed from the Yorktown prior to the Battle of Midway. Buell was assigned to the USS Saratoga (CV-3) and flew search and rescue missions from her during the Battle of Midway. After that battle, Buell was transferred to yet another carrier, the USS Enterprise (CV-6), prior to the invasion of Guadalcanal. While flying off the Enterprise, Buell and ten other pilots had to land on Guadalcanal at Henderson Field. They and their dive bombers then became members of the Cactus Air Force. Buell describes the living conditions on Guadalcanal as opposed to those aboard an aircraft carrier. His group finally got off Guadalcanal and returned …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with R. Bruce Porter. After a few years of college at the University of Southern California, Porter joined the Marines as an aviation cadet. After training on the F4F, Porter was assigned to Squadron 111 and shipped out on the USS Garfield to American Samoa. Porter mentions training with and talking with Joe Foss when his squadron passed through Apia. Porter then went to Turtle Bay, New Caledonia. He next flew F4F's in Guadalcanal in 1943. Their squadron then switched to the Corsair plane. Porter then started moving ""up the slot"" toward Japan gradually moving north with his squadron. Later, Porter returned to the states to train on F6F's and joined a night fighter squadron. He was assigned as a squadron commander in Okinawa. He discusses blowing up a plane with a ""baka"" bomb on it. Porter's record is an ace, with five official kills and one probable. Porter witnessed the surrender party preparing for the official surrender. He stayed in Japan for four months after the occupation.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Francis R. Ferry. Ferry grew up in Nebraska and taught for a year before joining the Navy in 1942. He had enrolled in the Civilian Pilot Training Program prior to enlisting. He trained on the N3N, the SNJ, the OS2U, the BT, the SBC3 and other types of aircraft. He was assigned to be a dive-bomber, flying the SB2C Helldiver. Ferry was initially assigned to VB-14 and left aboard the USS Wasp to the coast of Venezuela where he continued training. He was reassigned to VB-82 and left on the USS Bennington (CV-20) for Pearl Harbor. The ship joined Task Force 58.1 for Japan. He flew his first combat mission over Tokyo. He was involved with burning the beaches on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He then was involved in the attack on the Japanese ship Yamato. His air group was the lead group in on the first strike, and Ferry himself dropped rockets and bombs that may have been hits. His wife Genevieve Ferry briefly discusses what her experiences were on the homefront.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Henry Hise. Hise grew up in Texas and enlisted in the Navy in July 1941. He later joined the Marines. He was trained in dive bombers. Hise met Joe Foss during training at San Diego. In 1942 after training, he took the Hilo to Pearl Harbor. Hise flew out to the USS Hornet. He flew day and night intensively. He deployed on the USS Long Island to Guadalcanal. He describes an encounter with Melanesian cops. Next he describes the USS Hornet almost not recognizing two friendly ships. At Guadalcanal, he was hit by a vehicle and broke his pelvis. He was moved from Guadalcanal to Espiritu Santo. While in hospital, he met many men who were dying, including men burned by tannic acid after the sinking of the USS Wasp. He was moved by Dutch ship Japarra to the USS Solace, a hospital ship. From there, he went to Auckland, New Zealand. He went back to Guadalcanal to fly once recovered and then to the United States. He was redeployed twice. He went to fly strikes on Bougainville. He next flew initial strikes into Rabaul. He was stationed …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with E. L. Feightner. Feigtner grew up in Ohio. He got his pilot's license prior to enlisting in the Navy in Michigan in 1941. After flight training, he was assigned to VF-5 squadron. He was reassigned to VF-10 on the USS Enterprise. Feightner flew the F4F Wildcat. His first combat was the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. Next, he flew near Guadalcanal. In April 1943, he transferred to Air Group Eight and joined the USS Bunker Hill and went to the Philippines. Next, he was assigned to Air Group Ninety-eight and sent to the United States where he became a flight instructor. The instruction included skip bombing. Feightner met Joe Foss.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Frederick Chevalier. Chevalier grew up in Texas and was drafted into the Army Air Force in 1941. Once he finished training, he became an instructor. He was told he had a foot condition and offered to stay as an instructor. He turned down the offer. He boarded a tanker at San Francisco in 1944 and took it to New Guinea. From there, he went up to Biak and then Mindoro where he fly 15 missions with the Jolly Rogers. He did radar counter measures. His missions were mostly mid-level with some high enough to use oxygen. From Mindoro Chevalier moved to Luzon. He was part of the 5th Air Force, VBC, 5th Bomber Command. He describes how the teams would verify that they were jamming the signals of the Japaneses. Finally, he moved up to Okinawa. He boarded the Hobo Queen, a B-32, for the Tokyo mission.

Transcript of an oral interview with Elmer Freeman. Mr Freeman graduated from high school in 1938 and joined the Navy in 1939. He had three other brothers in the service during the war. After training at Great Lakes Naval Training Center, he was assigned to Aviation Machinist Mate School in San Diego. Upon completion of that, he was sent to VP-12, a PBY squadron in San Diego for a short while then sent to Patrol Wing 4 in Seattle. He was assigned to VP-41 first and then VP-42, both PBY squadrons; he was there when the war started. On December 8, 1941, they were ordered to Tongue Point, Oregon (in the mouth of the Columbia River) and began flying anti-submarine patrols from there, flying PBY-5s. In Feb 1942, his squadron was ordered to Alaska (Sitka, Kodiak and Dutch Harbor). He was a plane captain/crew chief, flight engineer and gunner. They flew pie-shaped sector searches for around ten hours. The squadron came back to Whidbey Island in Feb 1943 for about a month and then went back to Alaska but changed over to the PVs then (PV-1 Ventura). They operated from a variety of islands in the Aleutian chain. He was …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Earle M. Craig, Jr. Born in 1924, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps. He earned his wings in 1944 at the age of 19. He shares an anecdote about being summoned to see the Base Commander during his basic training in Sherman, Texas. After training and serving as a flight instructor, he was assigned to the 507th Fighter Group. He went overseas on a CVE in early 1945. He flew from Saipan with about 72 other planes in a single mass formation over 1,400 miles of water to Ie Shima. He describes the flying conditions and equipment. He flew combat air patrols and escorted B-24’s, Navy photographic planes, and PBYs. He talks about their instructions in the eventuality that they went down over land. He describes witnessing the atomic bomb at Nagasaki while flying over the east coast of Kyushu. He also witnessed the Japanese Delegation as they were transferred to US C-54 transports on Ie Shima en route to Manila. He provides a general discussion of various planes. He talks in more detail about outbound and return flights as well as navigation techniques, incuding the circular …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral history with Ralph Bissett. Bissett grew up in California and joined the Navy at 18 in 1943. He trained at Farragut, Idaho. He was assigned aboard the USS Cahaba (AO-82) as a gunner’s mate striker just before the ship headed for duty in the Pacific. Bissett describes the mechanics of refueling ships at sea. He also shares a few anecdotes of his time aboard the Cahaba.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Archie Clark. Clark was born May 19, 1920 in Pulaski County, Indiana, drafted into the Army on July 17, 1942 and was transferred to the 80th Infantry Division. In July 1944 he was shipped across the Atlantic on the Queen Mary with 22,000 other people on the ship. The battalion eventually landed at Utah Beach, 58 days following D-Day. His platoon's first engagement was with the retreating Germans at the Battle of the Falaise Pocket, in Argentan, France. His division was part of Patton's Third Army. During a three day pass to Paris, he recalls the MPs informing members of the 101st Airborne to return to camp, where they headed out for Bastogne, Belgium. When he rejoined the 80th, they were already on their way to Bastogne. He recalls several experiences during the siege, including losing 33 of the 39 men in his platoon, and his Battalion being reduced to 96 men. He recalls that, after Bastogne, his unit advanced into Germany, where he was wounded by an artillery shell. After recovering, he rejoined his unit in Vöcklabruck, Austria, where they were tasked with accepting the surrender 200,000 …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Stanley Robertson. Robertson entered the Army Air Forces as a cadet in May 1943 and graduated as a pilot and earned his commission in August, 1944. He started training on B-17 bombers before being assigned to B-29s. He arrived at Tinian in late April 1945 and started combat missions over Japan with the 398th Bomb Squadron, 504th Bomb Group. He names and discusses several missions over various Japanese cities. Robertson returned to the US and was discharged in November 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Wilbur Huston. Huston joined the Navy in August of 1943. He worked as a Hospital Corpsman at the Special Naval Advanced Group (SNAG) Upper 56th Hospital in southern England through October of 1944. He later served as First-Class Hospital Apprentice aboard the USS Navarro (APA-215). They transported troops and cargo to Guadalcanal and for the invasion of Okinawa. They traveled into Yokohama and conducted worked through the allied occupation. Huston returned to the US and was discharged in December of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Marie Castro. As a child, Castro lived in Saipan under Japanese occupation, living with rationing and blackout conditions. As a Chamorro, she received corporal punishment from her teachers, and one of her cousins was beaten to death. When Japanese Marines came to Garapan seeking comfort women, Castro hid in an attic to avoid being taken. She then moved with her family to Marpi Point, but her father was sent to a labor camp. After the United States invaded, Castro and her family hid in a cave, lacking food and water. They were discovered and sent to Camp Susupe, crowded with orphans of those who committed suicide. Initially wary of Americans, the interned were happy to find themselves treated very well. Grateful to Americans for giving their lives to save hers, Castro devoted herself to a teaching career in Kansas City.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ned Simes. Simes joined the Marine Corps in March of 1942. He completed Radio Operators School, and served with 2nd Tank Battalion in light tanks. In October, they deployed to New Zealand and New Caledonia. In 1943 they landed on Saipan. While stationed there, Simes transferred to the artillery battalion, assisting with road construction, and continued to serve as a radio operator at headquarters. He returned to the US in July of 1945, and was in a victory parade tour in Houston, Texas. Simes was discharged in early 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Gallant. Gallant was commissioned as an Army Infantry Officer in 1940 and was transferred to the Army Air Forces to serve as an Administration Officer. He discusses his duties at Randolph and Foster fields as a part of flight training. Gallant once was flown by a WASP and from one field to another. He was sent to China in 1945 to join the 327th Troop Carrier Squadron. Gallant tells how his flight over the Himalaya Mountains was delayed for two weeks due to bad weather. He describes how the Chinese people treated the American servicemen. Gallant discusses how his unit adopted an orphaned Chinese boy and raised a bear. He details the reception that his unit received when returning to the States. Gallant left active duty soon after, but remained in the reserves.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Harry Colson. Colson joined the Navy in December of 1943. He served as Watertender Third-Class aboard the USS Missouri (BB-63). They participated in bombardment support for the invasion landings on Iwo Jima and throughout the Okinawa Campaign. Colson was aboard the Missouri on 2 September 1945 in Tokyo Bay, when the Instrument of Surrender was signed. Colson returned to the US aboard the ship, and was discharged in January of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Trubiano. Trubiano was born in Somerville, Massachusetts on 17 August 1920. Enlisting in the National Guard in February 1939, he joined the 101st Combat Engineers. After the unit was activated, it went to Camp Edwards, Massachusetts for training. On 23 January 1942 they boarded the SS Argentina for a thirty-eight day voyage to Melbourne, Australia. Then they went to Espiritu Santos and built an airstrip. The unit then went to New Caledonia where Trubiano was hospitalized with malaria. Soon after his release from the hospital the unit went to Guadalcanal where they joined the Americal Division becoming the 57th Combat Engineers. He tells of various projects the unit constructed including bridges, piers and an underground hospital. The unit was then sent to Bougainville and he describes seeing air action over the island. While there, he received orders to return to the United States. After a five week sea voyage he arrived in San Francisco and was sent to Camp Edwards. Upon his arrival he was assigned to work in the operating room. Later he was assigned the task of escorting patients to various hospitals throughout the country.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Barg. Barg was born on 20 November 1918 in San Benito, Texas and graduated from high school in 1936. After hearing the Army Air Corps had an excellent school for aircraft maintenance, he joined the Army Air Corps on 20 June 1940 at Chanute Field, Illinois. After completing aircraft maintenance training, he was made an instructor. Barg served as an instructor for several years before he applied for and was accepted to Officer Candidate School at Boca Raton, Florida. He was then sent to Yale University for training as a Maintenance Engineering Officer. Upon completing the course in July 1943, he was commissioned. Barg then reported to the Boeing Aircraft plant in Seattle for additional training. He was then sent to the Pratt, Kansas Air Base where he received more training. The crew then went to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and picked up their B-29 and flew to Chakulia, India where they were assigned to the 20th Air Force, 58th Bomb Wing, 40th Bomb Group, 44th Bomb Squadron. The unit was based there for a year, during which they flew gasoline and other supplies into China as well …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Guinn Rasbury. He discusses joining the Marines, being part of the invasion force at Florida and Tulagi Islands, having multiple malaria attacks, being transferred to Maine to cure his malaria, other transfers around the States, ending up back in the Pacific. He ancedotes how being sick with malaria and getting bumped from a plane ride home saved his life, sounding Taps at a memorial service for President Roosevelt, being Chairman of the Second Marine Division Memorial Scholarship Fund Committee.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with H. L. Obermiller. He discusses his involvement in the Battles of Tarawa, Saipan and Tinian, and being a Pharmacist's Mate. He ancedotes about having Spam for Thanksgiving, meeting a couple Navajo codetalkers, and writing letters back home.