The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Donovan. In January 1943 Donovan served as a member of the 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division as it joined the ongoing battle at Guadalcanal. His unit was withdrawn in February to New Zealand, and after recuperating from widespread malaria, his battalion landed at Tarawa on the day after the initial landing. After Tarawa, Donovan recalls that members of his battalion were put ashore by the USS Nautilus onto the Northern Gilbert island atoll Abemama, to flush out entrenched Japanese soldiers. Donovan was the battalion executive officer during the landing on Saipan. His landing craft was shot up resulting in several casualties but eventually landed. He describes the ferocious action that followed over the next three weeks until Saipan was eventually secured on 9 July. Donovan next describes the landing on Tinian where the 2nd Marine Division landed in support of the 4th Marine Division and secured the island over the following eleven days. At the end of 1944 he was transferred back to Pearl Harbor for a job at Fleet Pacific Headquarters until June 1945 when he was sent to Quantico, Virginia as an instructor.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Donovan. In January 1943 Donovan served as a member of the 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division as it joined the ongoing battle at Guadalcanal. His unit was withdrawn in February to New Zealand, and after recuperating from widespread malaria, his battalion landed at Tarawa on the day after the initial landing. After Tarawa, Donovan recalls that members of his battalion were put ashore by the USS Nautilus onto the Northern Gilbert island atoll Abemama, to flush out entrenched Japanese soldiers. Donovan was the battalion executive officer during the landing on Saipan. His landing craft was shot up resulting in several casualties but eventually landed. He describes the ferocious action that followed over the next three weeks until Saipan was eventually secured on 9 July. Donovan next describes the landing on Tinian where the 2nd Marine Division landed in support of the 4th Marine Division and secured the island over the following eleven days. At the end of 1944 he was transferred back to Pearl Harbor for a job at Fleet Pacific Headquarters until June 1945 when he was sent to Quantico, Virginia as an instructor.