The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Paul Platz. Platz joined the Army in July of 1944. He served with the 77th Infantry Division, 307th Infantry Regiment. He participated in the liberation of the Philippines in late 1944. In the spring of 1945, Platz was in the assault on the Kerama Islands and the Battle of Okinawa, where he was wounded. He returned to the US and received a medical discharge.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Todd. Todd enlisted in the Army before World War II, spent some time in the National Guard, went to Prep School and took the exams for West Point. He graduated from West Point in 1944, the first three-year class. After Parachute School at Fort Benning, he was assigned to the 13th Airborne Division and they went overseas (France), becoming the theater reserve. The 13th never saw combat. The 13th was enroute to the Pacific when the atomic bombs were dropped. The 13th was deactivated at Fort Bragg and he joined the 82nd Airborne Division. Todd was part of the 11th Division which stayed in Japan for almost four years as part of the occupation forces (some details). Todd stayed in the Army, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1967.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Floyd Cox. Cox was born in Hutchinson, Kansas on 26 November 1932. Upon graduating from high school in 1950 he joined the US Air Force. He recalls, as a child, hearing a broadcast telling of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and how the war affected a youngster living in a small town during that time. He relates his experiences in participating in scrap iron and grease collections for war time purposes and purchasing War Bond Stamps. Cox alludes to the effects of government enforced rationing on various commodities during this time.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Richard Austin. Austin joined the Army Air Forces in January of 1943 as an Aviation Cadet. He graduated as a pilot in March of 1944 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He went on to train as a B-17 co-pilot. He provides details of his flight training. Austin was assigned to the 335th Bomb Squadron, 95th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force stationed in England. He completed 35 missions from November of 1944 through April of 1945. Austin describes some of their missions over Cologne, Hanover, Hamburg, Berlin, Dusseldorf and Brunswick. He was discharged around November of 1945. Upon returning home he joined the Air Force Reserve and National Guard.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents and oral interview with Thomas Earp. Earp was born in Baltimore 15 November 1923. He joined the Marines and went to Camp Pendleton where he had boot training. He then went to Camp Goettge on New Caledonia and was assigned to the 1st Raider Regiment. In January 1944 he went to Guadalcanal where he had additional combat training before transferring into the 4th Marine Regiment. He was then assigned to the 1st Marine Provisional Brigade. Earp’s unit served as a reserve force during the invasion of Saipan. On 21 July 1944 he participated in the invasion of Guam. He recalls waiting on deck for a Higgins boat and seeing piles of body parts taken on board. His landing craft hung up on a coral reef and the troops had to wade ashore in high water under fire. On his first night on the island, they endured a banzai charge. As the battle moved inland he was assigned to the 53rd Construction Battalion and they began building bridges and roads. They also constructed landing strips for B-29s as well as a headquarters building for Admiral Chester Nimitz. Earp departed Guam November 1945 and …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Brunson. Brunson left engineering school to join the Army Air Forces in December 1941, having already completed the CPTP. After basic training at Fairfax Field, he transferred to the Navy. His night fighter training at Quonset Point with VF(N)-75 emphasized navigating without landmarks. He transferred to VF(N)-101 and joined the USS Enterprise (CV-6) at Majuro, making the first strike on Truk. After the USS Intrepid (CV-11) was torpedoed, Brunson was one of just a few Corsair pilots remaining in the fleet, a group known as the Grasshoppers. He supported the Hollandia landing and participated in the Marianas Turkey Shoot. He also escorted seaplanes on search and rescue missions. Although the F4U was fast, due to faulty radar gear he only once got on the enemy’s tail. Brunson was badly injured when his wing caught the edge of the Enterprise. In July 1944 he returned to the States as a night fighter instructor, stationed at Vero Beach. He was discharged into the Reserves in June 1946 and resumed his studies at Kansas State, with a focus on aeronautical engineering. Brunson began a career in flight testing, but when …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Fred Cardinal. Cardinal joined the Marine Corps after working on a farm and on the railroad. Given his experience, he was given the option of cooks and bakers school or a tank battalion. He opted for cooking and was put to work immediately, without any further training. He deployed to New Zealand with the 3rd Marine Division, emerging victoriously in the Battle of Queen Street, a massive brawl with some men of the British Eighth Army in they fought over women. A few months later he transferred to Guadalcanal, and Cardinal protected himself from holdouts by carrying a rifle and a skillet. At Bougainville, Cardinal’s galley was bombed. When the Army arrived with their own supplies, Cardinal surreptitiously procured new pots and pans. After making a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner, he was promoted to staff sergeant. Cardinal’s next station was in Guam, where he found favorable gardening conditions and narrowly missed being killed by a young Japanese holdout. Cardinal returned home was discharged. He mistrusted anyone of Asian descent after the war, remedied by taking in a foreign exchange student who changed his mind.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bud Pike. Pike went into the Navy in October 1942. After going through boot camp at Great Lakes, Illinois and yeoman school, he went to submarine school in New London, Connecticut. Afterwards, he was assigned to the USS Sailfish (SS-192) at Pearl Harbor. He was aboard for her 10th, 11th and 12th war patrols. Pike provides a good description of the attack on the Japanese carrier (escort) Chuyo. On 7 December 1943 a Japanese plane came in out of the sun, catching them on the surface, and put a bomb close aboard, denting the hull. They finished their patrol but when they got back to Pearl Harbor they were sent state-side for a complete overhaul. After overhaul, the Sailfish went back to Pearl Harbor for her 11th war patrol. They came back to Midway for rest camp and left from there on their 12th patrol in October 1944, part of the invasion fleet for the Philippines. They rescued twelve aviators off Formosa on this patrol but got caught on the surface again by an airplane that damaged their radio antenna. They got back in Pearl around Christmas 1944 …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents and oral interview with Thomas Earp. Earp was born in Baltimore 15 November 1923. He joined the Marines and went to Camp Pendleton where he had boot training. He then went to Camp Goettge on New Caledonia and was assigned to the 1st Raider Regiment. In January 1944 he went to Guadalcanal where he had additional combat training before transferring into the 4th Marine Regiment. He was then assigned to the 1st Marine Provisional Brigade. Earp’s unit served as a reserve force during the invasion of Saipan. On 21 July 1944 he participated in the invasion of Guam. He recalls waiting on deck for a Higgins boat and seeing piles of body parts taken on board. His landing craft hung up on a coral reef and the troops had to wade ashore in high water under fire. On his first night on the island, they endured a banzai charge. As the battle moved inland he was assigned to the 53rd Construction Battalion and they began building bridges and roads. They also constructed landing strips for B-29s as well as a headquarters building for Admiral Chester Nimitz. Earp departed Guam November 1945 and …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Todd. Todd enlisted in the Army before World War II, spent some time in the National Guard, went to Prep School and took the exams for West Point. He graduated from West Point in 1944, the first three-year class. After Parachute School at Fort Benning, he was assigned to the 13th Airborne Division and they went overseas (France), becoming the theater reserve. The 13th never saw combat. The 13th was enroute to the Pacific when the atomic bombs were dropped. The 13th was deactivated at Fort Bragg and he joined the 82nd Airborne Division. Todd was part of the 11th Division which stayed in Japan for almost four years as part of the occupation forces (some details). Todd stayed in the Army, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1967.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Floyd Cox. Cox was born in Hutchinson, Kansas on 26 November 1932. Upon graduating from high school in 1950 he joined the US Air Force. He recalls, as a child, hearing a broadcast telling of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and how the war affected a youngster living in a small town during that time. He relates his experiences in participating in scrap iron and grease collections for war time purposes and purchasing War Bond Stamps. Cox alludes to the effects of government enforced rationing on various commodities during this time.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Richard Austin. Austin joined the Army Air Forces in January of 1943 as an Aviation Cadet. He graduated as a pilot in March of 1944 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He went on to train as a B-17 co-pilot. He provides details of his flight training. Austin was assigned to the 335th Bomb Squadron, 95th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force stationed in England. He completed 35 missions from November of 1944 through April of 1945. Austin describes some of their missions over Cologne, Hanover, Hamburg, Berlin, Dusseldorf and Brunswick. He was discharged around November of 1945. Upon returning home he joined the Air Force Reserve and National Guard.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Paul Platz. Platz joined the Army in July of 1944. He served with the 77th Infantry Division, 307th Infantry Regiment. He participated in the liberation of the Philippines in late 1944. In the spring of 1945, Platz was in the assault on the Kerama Islands and the Battle of Okinawa, where he was wounded. He returned to the US and received a medical discharge.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Fred Cardinal. Cardinal joined the Marine Corps after working on a farm and on the railroad. Given his experience, he was given the option of cooks and bakers school or a tank battalion. He opted for cooking and was put to work immediately, without any further training. He deployed to New Zealand with the 3rd Marine Division, emerging victoriously in the Battle of Queen Street, a massive brawl with some men of the British Eighth Army in they fought over women. A few months later he transferred to Guadalcanal, and Cardinal protected himself from holdouts by carrying a rifle and a skillet. At Bougainville, Cardinal’s galley was bombed. When the Army arrived with their own supplies, Cardinal surreptitiously procured new pots and pans. After making a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner, he was promoted to staff sergeant. Cardinal’s next station was in Guam, where he found favorable gardening conditions and narrowly missed being killed by a young Japanese holdout. Cardinal returned home was discharged. He mistrusted anyone of Asian descent after the war, remedied by taking in a foreign exchange student who changed his mind.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bud Pike. Pike went into the Navy in October 1942. After going through boot camp at Great Lakes, Illinois and yeoman school, he went to submarine school in New London, Connecticut. Afterwards, he was assigned to the USS Sailfish (SS-192) at Pearl Harbor. He was aboard for her 10th, 11th and 12th war patrols. Pike provides a good description of the attack on the Japanese carrier (escort) Chuyo. On 7 December 1943 a Japanese plane came in out of the sun, catching them on the surface, and put a bomb close aboard, denting the hull. They finished their patrol but when they got back to Pearl Harbor they were sent state-side for a complete overhaul. After overhaul, the Sailfish went back to Pearl Harbor for her 11th war patrol. They came back to Midway for rest camp and left from there on their 12th patrol in October 1944, part of the invasion fleet for the Philippines. They rescued twelve aviators off Formosa on this patrol but got caught on the surface again by an airplane that damaged their radio antenna. They got back in Pearl around Christmas 1944 …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Brunson. Brunson left engineering school to join the Army Air Forces in December 1941, having already completed the CPTP. After basic training at Fairfax Field, he transferred to the Navy. His night fighter training at Quonset Point with VF(N)-75 emphasized navigating without landmarks. He transferred to VF(N)-101 and joined the USS Enterprise (CV-6) at Majuro, making the first strike on Truk. After the USS Intrepid (CV-11) was torpedoed, Brunson was one of just a few Corsair pilots remaining in the fleet, a group known as the Grasshoppers. He supported the Hollandia landing and participated in the Marianas Turkey Shoot. He also escorted seaplanes on search and rescue missions. Although the F4U was fast, due to faulty radar gear he only once got on the enemy’s tail. Brunson was badly injured when his wing caught the edge of the Enterprise. In July 1944 he returned to the States as a night fighter instructor, stationed at Vero Beach. He was discharged into the Reserves in June 1946 and resumed his studies at Kansas State, with a focus on aeronautical engineering. Brunson began a career in flight testing, but when …