Oral History Interview with Elliott Ross, May 1, 2001 transcript

Oral History Interview with Elliott Ross, May 1, 2001

Interview with Elliott Ross who joined the U.S. Navy during World War II. He discusses being a landing craft coxswain carrying troops and supplies from ships to the shore in seven invasions: Guam, Leyte, Luzon, Santacristo, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and as an occupation force in Japan after the surrender. He talks mostly about Guam, Leyte, Luzon, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Japan, but also mentions burials at sea and on the beachs, seeing his brother's ship get hit by torpedoes, and the emotional toll of the war.
Date: May 1, 2000
Creator: Cox, Floyd; Misenhimer, Richard & Ross, Elliott
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Lowell Dean Cox, February 1, 2005 transcript

Oral History Interview with Lowell Dean Cox, February 1, 2005

Interview with Lowell Dean Cox, a serviceman in the U. S. Navy during World War II. He discusses joining the Navy and serving aboard the USS Indianapolis (CA-35). He was on board when the cruiser was attacked by a Japanese submarine and survived for five days in the water before being rescued.
Date: February 1, 2005
Creator: Bryk, Clarence & Cox, Lowell Dean
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Peter Chu, November 1, 2003 transcript

Oral History Interview with Peter Chu, November 1, 2003

Interview with Peter Chu regarding his experiences in China during World War II. Peter's son Alan Chu also participates in this interview. Peter Chu discusses the Japanese occupation in Nanking (Nanjing), China in 1937 when he was 10 years old.
Date: November 1, 2003
Creator: Nichols, Chuck & Chu, Peter
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Voris C. Riley, November 1, 2005 transcript

Oral History Interview with Voris C. Riley, November 1, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Voris C. Riley of Kingland, Texas. He discusses enlisting in the military while living in Abilene, Texas and getting sent to civil service for the Army before being offered to join the Navy. In the Navy he went through basic training in San Diego, California, then to St. Louis Electrical School and finally through firefighting training in Rhode Island. After he completed his training Mr. Riley was assigned to the U.S.S. Lake Champain, CB 39 and went on a shakedown cruise where 16 crewmen were lost for various reasons. In the Navy he was an electrician aboard the ship and dealt with setting up electricity onshore. He also dealt with Prisoners of War, being put in charge of a group of them to build a swimming pool. He was in New York City on temporary leave when the news of the wars end was released by President Truman. Mr. Voris also talks about serving in the Civilian Conservation Corps in New Mexico.
Date: November 1, 2005
Creator: Riley, Voris C.
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Voris C. Riley, November 1, 2005 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Voris C. Riley, November 1, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Voris C. Riley of Kingland, Texas. He discusses enlisting in the military while living in Abilene, Texas and getting sent to civil service for the Army before being offered to join the Navy. In the Navy he went through basic training in San Diego, California, then to St. Louis Electrical School and finally through firefighting training in Rhode Island. After he completed his training Mr. Riley was assigned to the U.S.S. Lake Champain, CB 39 and went on a shakedown cruise where 16 crewmen were lost for various reasons. In the Navy he was an electrician aboard the ship and dealt with setting up electricity onshore. He also dealt with Prisoners of War, being put in charge of a group of them to build a swimming pool. He was in New York City on temporary leave when the news of the wars end was released by President Truman. Mr. Voris also talks about serving in the Civilian Conservation Corps in New Mexico.
Date: November 1, 2005
Creator: Riley, Voris C.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Jack Hensel, July 21, 2022 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Jack Hensel, July 21, 2022

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Jack Hensel. Hensel was drafted into the Navy in June 1943. He trained as an aerial gunner and was eventually assigned to a crew aboard an Avenger. In early 1945, he went aboard USS Franklin (CV-13). In March, when the Franklin was attacked, Hensel was blown overboard and eventually made it onto a raft before being rescued by USS Hickox (DD-673). He went to a hospital at Ulithi to recover from burns before heading back to the US. He was undergoing more training when the war ended.
Date: September 1, 2022
Creator: Metzler, Ed
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History