The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Victor Kuhn. Kuhn was born 1 August 1921 into a family of 13 children. He tells of living on a farm and growing up during the Great Depression. In July 1942 he enlisted in the Navy and attended boot camp at Great Lakes, Illinois. Upon completion of boot camp, he was selected to attend radio school at the University of Chicago where he learned Morse code and radio procedures. Before he graduated, his father became sick and was unable to work the farm. Through the efforts of the Red Cross he was temporarily released from the Navy to assist his father. In July 1944 he was called back to active duty. Kuhn went through boot camp again and went to radio school again, this time at Bainbridge, Maryland. Upon completion of the basic radio course he was assigned to Japanese Radio Intercept School at Cheltenham, Maryland. He learned to copy Japanese messages using a typewriter and recalls that the school was considered Top Secret and was heavily guarded by a contingent of US Marines. Upon completing the radio intercept course he was sent to Hawaii. His duty was …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Viola Kaplan. Kaplan was a first-year student at DePaul when the war started. She left the university to join the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) in the spring of 1942 and received basic training in Kansas. Given her background as a math major, she was assigned as a logician to headquarters in New Guinea, where ships were loaded before invasions. Kaplan alone determined how best to fill each ship with troops and supplies. She worked under MacArthur and found him to be an unfriendly, forceful person. Kaplan contracted malaria and was treated on New Guinea. She felt the medical care was excellent, but she was taken off duty and sent home after her third outbreak. Kaplan resumed her studies, this time at UCLA, finishing at Rutgers. At the Northwestern medical school, she was the first woman to become director of finance and administration. In her 90s she was working for the census as a statistician.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Redfearn. Redfearn joined the Marine Corps after studying mechanical engineering at the University of Texas. He received basic training in San Diego. After serving as a drill instructor, he was assigned to the 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. On account of his mathematical aptitude, he was selected as a forward observer, relaying target information to the artillery. Redfearn referred them to aerial photos, directing their attention to specific locations and calling for slight adjustments once firing began. At Bougainville, the enemy was so close that the artillery had to improvise by putting sandbags under their front wheels to adequately elevate gun tubes. Redfearn was injured while handling ammunition and returned to the States, where he was assigned guard duty in Bethesda. He received a medical discharge at the end of the war.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joseph Walker. Walker joined the Navy in September 1943 after taking a course in navigation at Georgia Tech. He then attended midshipmen’s school at Columbia University. Upon completion, he was assigned to the USS Canberra (CA-70), where he served as assistant navigator. He enjoyed seeing the beautiful sunsets on the Pacific before his evening star-sights. His ship supported landings at Kwajalein and Hollandia and first encountered enemy fire at Truk. They bombarded Iwo Jima in preparation for the eventual landing but did not realize the Japanese were untouchable in their underground passageways. Walker held a temporary assignment in the combat information center aboard the USS Shamrock Bay (CVE-84) at Luzon, where a carrier beside them was sunk by kamikazes. He then rejoined the Canberra at Ulithi. While he was away, the Canberra was hit with a torpedo. He attributes its survival to the superb damage-control skills of Captain Early. Walker returned home when the war ended and was discharged in New Orleans.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Leonard Zaehler. Zaehler joined the Marine Corps in early 1942 and received basic training in San Diego. He was assigned to the service squadron of MAG-12, running a mobile machine shop where his primary duty was repairing ground vehicles. He spent a good part of his duty stationed on Emirau Island, where the squadron’s plucky COO would cheerfully bring him Japanese bombs that he had discovered on the island. He would ask to borrow Zaehler’s tools in order to disarm and study the bombs. Zaehler gingerly provided him the tools and then made a polite and speedy exit, in case of an accident, of which there were none. When there were no vehicles to repair, Zaehler towed Corsairs to the line. He often saw the comings and goings of fighter ace Joe Foss and watched Charles Lindbergh teaching New Zealanders how to land the F4U.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Glenn Lane. Lane joined the Navy in February of 1940 and was assigned to the USS Arizona (BB-39) in Pearl Harbor. He worked in the Aviation Division as a Radioman Third Class, flying as an air crewman on the battleship’s Kingfisher scout planes. He was aboard the Arizona on 7 December 1941, when the Japanese attacked. An explosion blew him overboard and he swam to the USS Nevada (BB-36). Lane was then assigned to various squadrons and ships, flying as a crewman in scouts and dive bombers during battles of the Coral Sea, Midway, Santa Cruz, Guadalcanal, Marshall Islands and Tulagi. He was on an aircraft attempting to land aboard the USS Yorktown (CV-5) when it was attacked by the Japanese. His plane was diverted to Midway Island but ran out of fuel and ditched. The crew was eventually picked up by a PBY Amphibian. Lane went on to finish a 30-year naval career, retiring as a Command Master Chief at NAS Whidbey Island in 1969.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Annabel Ring. Ring was in college on 7 December 1941, completed one semester and then went to work in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She went into the Navy on 6 May 1943 as a WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) and took boot camp in the Bronx, New York for six weeks. The Navy took over a women’s college there and they stayed in apartments across the street. From there, Ring went to medical school at Great Lakes, Illinois. She had classes and then would work in the ward with the patients. Ring then went to Patuxent River, Maryland where she worked in a hospital on different wards. After two years there, she was sent to dentist school in Quantico, Virginia. Ring was there when the war ended and was discharged in October 1945 as a hospital second class petty officer.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Albert Barton. Barton joined the Navy and was trained as a radioman. He became a crewman on an Avenger torpedo bomber in October 1943. Barton flew off of the USS Mission Bay (CVE-59) and the USS Tripoli (CVE-64) and performed anti-submarine patrols in the North Atlantic. He describes how depth charges were dropped, the armament of the plane, and how they were trained to skip-bomb. Barton was then sent to the Pacific where he flew off of the USS Anzio (CVE-57) for the remainder of the war. He describes an incident where his plane had a failed landing and ended upside-down in the water. Barton had to break some glass in the cockpit to escape. He flew ground support missions over Okinawa. Barton discusses how the radio and radar functioned on his plane. He was discharged several months after the surrender.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Hal La Vine. La Vine was drafted into the Army in February of 1942. He was assigned to the 45th Division, 445th Combat Group. He graduated as an officer from cadet navigation school. He served as an instructor in Monroe, Louisiana. In November of 1942 his unit was assigned to a base in Hethel, England. La Vine served as a navigator aboard B-24s. They served as a lead crew, flying missions out of England in 1943. He describes life at the base in Hethel. They completed 30 missions. He describes some of their more involved missions including Berlin and Stuttgart, Germany. Upon completing his missions, he was sent to Ireland to serve again as a navigation instructor for incoming navigators.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Hastings. Hastings was drafted into the Army in March 1941. He was sent to radar school and was promoted to an officer in the Signal Corps. Hastings was sent to New Guinea in 1943 and led an autonomous unit that operated on a radio boat disguised as a native fishing boat. He tells of an encounter with head hunters. Hastings was then sent to the 310th Bombardment Wing of the 5th Air Force in the Philippines where he maintained radio equipment. He describes a bombing mission that he joined over China. Hastings helped liberate civilian POWs from Santo Tomas and describes their treatment and condition. He then traveled to Osaka for occupation duty. Hastings talks about his time there as well as flying over Hiroshima. He describes what he saw and discusses his conflicted feelings on the use of the bomb. Hastings stayed in the Reserve and was recalled for the Korean War where he served in Alaska.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Betty Blalock. Blalock joined the Navy in 1945 and received basic training in Yonkers. She was assigned to the hospital corps and sent to the amputee ward at Quantico. Once a day, an airplane would arrive with amputees whom Blalock would visit and encourage. She remembers them as having good morale. After the war, she was discharged and married a tech sergeant, Hugh Blalock, who went on to serve in the Air Force for 30 years. She and her husband spent 10 years with Air America in Laos, Saigon, and Bangkok. While there she opened three kindergartens, taking a 12-hour train, a bicycle ride, and a boat taxi twice each week to teach classes. Blalock says that she’s led an interesting life and has gone around the world about five times.

Transcript of an oral interview with Major General John R.D. Cleland. Cleland joined the Army after he finished high school in 1943 because he wanted to be a paratrooper. He took basic training at Fort Hood, Texas and discusses several aspects of it. He eventually was accepted into jump school and describes training to be a paratrooper. After jump school, Cleland went to Parachute demolition school. He graduated top of his class and then went to Officer Candidate School. In November, 1944, he graduated as a second lieutenant from OCS. He finally joined the 503rd Parachute Regimental Combat Team in June, 1945 in the Philippines. He got there aboard the USS Pondera (APA-191). Shortly after arriving on Negros, the Japanese surrendered and Cleland set up and command a prison camp for them. By October, all his prisoners had been shipped out and he went to Japan for occupation duty. While on occupation duty, Cleland was gathered surrendered weapons and demolished ammunition stockpiles. Cleland returned to the US in 1947 and stayed in the service. He describes his participation in the war in Korea. He served as a rifle company commander and was wounded in a night attack. He was evacuated …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ray Pinell. Pinell joined the Navy early in 1943 and received basic training in San Diego. He received training on firing and repairing torpedoes. Upon completion he was assigned to various torpedo squadrons in the Pacific. He worked primarily in field repair units but would occasionally fill in as a torpedoman aboard PT boats. In addition to carrying out night patrols, he would soften landings in the Philippines by firing torpedoes close to shore. Pinell was stationed in Borneo when the war ended. He was startled into his foxhole by many ships firing in celebration. Pinell returned home and was discharged in October 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Walter White. White trained to be an aircraft electrician at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. He was drafted into the Army Air Force and completed gunnery school in Arlington, Texas. He was assigned to the 492nd Bomb Group in Alamogordo, New Mexico. He served as tail gunner on B-24s. He provides description of the plane’s interior and location of tail gunner. In March of 1944 his crew traveled to a base in North Pickenham, England. Their plane was titled the Ruptured Duck. Overall, White flew 30 combat missions. He describes missions flown to Germany and between France and Switzerland. He returned to the States with 1,000 German prisoners aboard a troop ship. He was then assigned as an electrician to a B-17 outfit. He was discharged in October of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Charles Boardman. Boardman joined the Navy in December of 1941. He served aboard the USS Henderson (AP-1). His rank was Seaman Second Class. He flew in a Grumman TBF Avenger, and describes the plane in some detail. He was discharged in October of 1947.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Elijah Collins. Collins joined the Navy in early 1941 and trained in San Diego. He was then assigned to the USS Blue (DD-387). Collins suffered from seasickness in the beginning. He was aboard the Blue at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked. Also, he was aboard when the Blue was sunk off Guadalcanal. After thirteen months ashore in Australia, Collins joined the USS McCord (DD-534) before going to torpedo school. From there, he went to Barbers Point Naval Air Station, where he was when the war ended.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Melvin Brandenburg. Brandenburg joined the US Army in September 1942. He was assigned to the 78th Infantry Division, 310th Infantry Regiment. He provides details of his extensive infantry training. They arrived in England in late October 1944, then crossed to Le Havre, France in late November 1944. They participated in the Battle of the Bulge, where Brandenburg was wounded on 16 December. He provides details of their actions during this battle. They relieved the 82nd Airborne Division during occupation duty in Berlin. Brandenburg returned to the US and was discharged in January 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Travis Budlong. Budlong was born in Gainesville, Texas on 9 September 1922. After high school he entered Gainesville Junior College and earned an associate’s degree in one and a half years. Since his dad would not let him join the Royal Canadian Air Force Budlong took advantage of the CPT (civilian pilot training) program during his time at college and entered the Army Air Corps on 9 May 1942. After 1000 hours of instructing and 120 hours flying a B-24, Budlong was assigned to the 330th Bomb Group training in Cuba in B-29s. Budlong eventually made his way to Guam, via Hawaii and Kwajalein. Budlong flew 23 missions out of North Field with more than one harrowing landing on Iwo Jima with less than four engines. Budlong’s was among the last B-29s to drop bombs on Japan.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Herb Elfering. Elfering was in the California National Guard when it was activated in 1940 and went to Hawaii with the 251st Coast Artillery Regiment. He served in a searchlight battery. He was at Camp Malakole when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and recalls being strafed by planes at his radar installation. Afterwards, Elfering describes heightened security measures on Oahu. Once the war got started, Elfering and his unit went to Fiji in 1942 before going to Bougainville in 1943. He recalls shining his searchlight into the clouds to illuminate attacking Japanese infantry. He also was in on the invasion of Luzon. In July, 1945, he rotated back to the US on leave and was there when the war ended. Elfering was discharged a few days later. During the war, he attended officer candidate school and earned a commission.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Waggoner. Waggoner participated in a Civilian Pilot Training program in Nogales, Arizona. He volunteered in the Air Force Reserves, and trained at various bases throughout the U.S. He provides details of his training experiences. He trained as a tow pilot for gliders in Lubbock, Texas. In the spring of 1945 Waggoner was shipped to England. He was assigned to the 440th Troop Carrier Group and 95th Squadron in Orleans, France. They participated in Operation Varsity in Germany and he provides details of that mission. He also provides detail of the glider pilot museum in Lubbock.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Irving Butler. Butler joined the Navy in October of 1942. He completed Aviation Mechanic School in Memphis, Tennessee, and Gunnery School in Jacksonville, Florida. He was trained as an Air Crewman. In September of 1943 he went to Tarawa, Makin and Guam aboard the USS Enterprise (CV-6). He was made Second Class and placed in charge of 62 men going to the Admiralty Islands. He was later assigned to USS Saginaw Bay (CVE-82) as a gunner in a torpedo plane. He was in Composite Squadron 787 (VC-78). Butler went through 14 battles. He remained in the reserves 2 years after the war ended.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Raymond Swingholm. Swingholm joined the Army Air Forces in early 1942. Beginning in March of 1944, he served as a top turret gunner and flight engineer aboard a B-25 with the 12th Air Force. Swingholm completed 64 bombing missions, over Northern Italy, Belgium and France.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Donald K Cradit. Cradit joined the Navy in November of 1939. He served as Boatswain’s Mate aboard the USS McCook (DD-496), participating in the Normandy invasions. Cradit later served aboard the USS Rogers (DD-876), where he witnessed the signing of the Peace Treaty in Tokyo Harbor. He returned to the US and was discharged in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Alan Fouts. Fouts joined the Navy in 1939 and trained in San Diego. Upon completion of basic training, Fouts joined the USS Argonne (AG-31). Later, he was stationed at the submarine base at Pearl Harbor when the war started. He recalls witnessing the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. He managed to get guns operational on the USS Widgeon (AM-22) before it got underway during the attack. Between the attacks, Fouts went alongside the USS Arizona (BB-39) and measured the holes in the hull. He continued serving as a diver at Noumea and Samoa in 1942-1943. He volunteered for submarine duty and was made five war patrols aboard the USS Pogy (SS- 266). Fouts tells several submarine stories. After the war, Fouts remained in the Navy for thirty years.