The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Leo Charles Kimble. He discusses his childhood growing up during the great depression and what led him to join the US Navy. He describes his experiences int he Pacific Theatre during World War Two.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Wayne Nelson, where he discusses his childhood and what led him to joining the Navy. He describes his experiences in the Pacific Theatre during World War Two and the lasting impact it had on him.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Cary Salter. Salter learned to fly in the Civilian Pilot Training program before entering the Army Air Forces in June 1942 and entering flight training. He was commissioned in August, 1943 and went to England in September 1944 where he joined the 354th Fighter Group to fly P-51s. Salter describes missions he flew over France and Germany where he attacked various ground targets and engaged in aerial combat. Salter flew over 60 combat missions and, after the war, took a flight in a German fighter. Slater shares several anecdotes from his time overseas. He was discharged in November, 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Raul Treto. Treto was born in Harlingen, Texas 4 November 1921. In September 1942 he was drafted into the Army and sent to Camp Robinson, Arkansas for eighteen weeks of basic training. Upon completion of basic he was assigned to the 98th Signal Battalion and sent to Camp Blanding, Florida for advanced training. In June 1944 the battalion traveled by troop train to Camp Stoneman, California. Boarding a liberty ship, they proceeded on a thirty day voyage to Aitape, Papua New Guinea. Upon arrival in New Guinea, Treto was assigned to a radio platoon. While on New Guinea he saw a USO Show put on by Bob Hope. He tells of going to Morotai as well as taking part in the invasion of Luzon. During August 1945 he was selected to go aboard the USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8) as part of the crew manning the radios and was on board in Tokyo Bay when the surrender of Japan was officially accepted. He returned to his unit which was stationed outside Yokohama. He returned to the United States and was discharged December 1945.

Transcript of an oral interview with Ursula Kramer. Born in 1907 in Königsberg, East Prussia, she talks about her life during World War I as the daughter of a German Army officer. She then recounts her life in Germany and Austria during World War II as the wife of a professor. She describes the living conditions in Germany during and after the war. She talks about the Allied bombing of Berlin. She discusses her husband's involvement in a secret German resistance effort as well as her own anti-Hitler feelings. After the war, her husband spent five months in an American prisoner-of-war camp. Ursula, her husband, and their children immigrated to the United States after the war.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Darrell McFadden. McFadden joined the Merchant Marines in March of 1944. He was traveled to Normandy, France; Antwerp, Belgium; Hull, England and the West Indies. In their convoys they hauled bomb casings and other equipment and supplies. When traveling aboard various liberty and victory ships, he served in utility and as hot shell man on the four-inch gun. He was discharged in 1947.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Craddock. Craddock joined the Marine Corps in May 1942 and attended boot camp at Parris Island. He soon entered the V-12 program and upon completion returned to Parris Island. After further training at Camp Lejeune, he attended platoon commander’s training at Quantico. He then prepared for the invasion of Japan at Camp Pendleton and Hawaii. After the war ended, he was sent to Guam to flush out Japanese holdouts. He was then assigned to China, primarily guarding the railroad from communists. Mostly it was quiet duty, highlighted by a search-and-rescue mission after seven Marines were kidnapped. Craddock returned home and was discharged in July 1946. He enlisted in the Reserves and volunteered for the Korean War.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Evelyn Spencer. Spencer graduated from high school in 1931. She describes life growing up during the Great Depression. Her husband Gene was in the Navy and stationed in Hawaii, where she joined him in September of 1940. She describes life on the island up until, during and after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941. She worked full-time at Pearl Harbor after the attack as a storekeeper, issuing stores to the ships. On her days off she would visit wounded soldiers in the hospital, bringing them flowers, cards and magazines. They left Hawaii in 1947, as her husband was stationed in Key West, Florida.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Eugene Spencer. Spencer joined the Navy in March of 1934. He completed metalsmith school. He was assigned to the Engineer Department in the Fire Room aboard the USS Porter (DD-356). He later moved into the engine room, where he served as water tender. Around 1936 they traveled to South Hampton, England, Stockholm, Sweden, Helsinki, Finland, Amsterdam and Madeira. They experienced a hurricane in the Atlantic. In mid-1940 Spencer was transferred to the USS Shaw (DD-373), where he served as First-Class Metalsmith. He was aboard the Shaw while in dry dock at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. Spencer provides vivid details of his experiences through the attack. From Pearl they joined MacArthur???s forces and traveled to Sydney, Australia to work on ships. Spencer was promoted to Warrant Officer. He was discharged in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with X B Cox. Cox joined the Army in June of 1937. He served with the 81st Airborne Antiaircraft Battalion. In June of 1944 Cox participated in the Normandy landings. In September 1944 Cox participated in Operation Market Garden, including riding a glider into Holland. Later in December 1944 through January 1945 he participated in the Siege of Bastogne and the Battle of the Bulge. He provides details through each of these experiences. In 1967 he completed his 30 years of active and reserve duty.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with George Woods. Woods was born in Phillips County, Montana 9 February 1921. One of nine children, he describes how the Great Depression affected his family. After graduation from high school in 1938, he worked various jobs until joining the Navy 14 December 1940. After completing boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Training Station, Illinois, he entered hospital corpsman school at Norfolk, Virginia for twelve weeks. After working in the diet kitchen at the Annapolis Naval Hospital, Woods was sent to dental school. Upon graduation he became an assistant to a dental surgeon. In 1943 he was assigned to the USS Saunter (AM-295) and recalls several incidents involving attacks by kamikaze aircraft. Woods also recalls going aboard the stricken USS Franklin (CV-13) to assist with the wounded. He remembers seeing the 503rd parachuting on to Corregidor and tells how many were killed by ground fire while still in the air. He also recalls action that took place on Fort Drum and the measures taken to eliminate the enemy. While sweeping mines around Corregidor the Saunter hit a mine which blew off twenty feet of the keel, killing and injuring …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Thompson. One of seven boys, he was born in Dewar, Oklahoma 29 November 1921. Six of the boys served in the military during World War II, with two of them being killed in combat. Thompson describes his family life during the depression telling a touching story of his mother. After graduating from high school in 1938, he attended college for 2 years before going to California to work in a Northrup Aircraft plant. In 1942, he returned home and joined the Army. After completing basic training, he entered Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Field Artillery in March 1943. After attending Ranger School, he went overseas. He tells of his experiences in North Africa and Italy where he was assigned to the 132nd Field Artillery as a forward observer. During August 1944, he went to Southern France, where he was captured by the Germans. He recalls the various POW camps he was moved to including one in Hammelburg, Germany. While there, a US tank column, under the leadership of General George Patton liberated the inmates. Thompson recalls being captured again and …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Frans Doelman. Doelman was born in Brussels, Belgium of Dutch parents but spent most of the years in Nice, France before they left Europe. His family left France after the war started and went to the Dutch East Indies where his father had worked (in the tobacco industry) previously. Doelman discusses in some detail their car trip to Lisbon, boarding a ship bound for New York, their stay in New York for a couple months, and their trip on the Dempo (Holland-American line) through the Panama Canal to Batavia in Java. After the Japanese took over the Dutch East Indies, they rounded up all the Caucasian families and first put them in a restricted area in Malang but then took them to Samarang. They ended up in a huge camp, Karang Panus. This was Doelman's home for the next year and a half and his father died there in August 1944. Then he was sent to Camp Bangkong which was for boys and old men; he was there for about a year. Bangkong was in the vicinity of Samarang. Doelman describes the conditions in the camp, their working …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joseph Meyer. Meyer participated in ROTC in high school. While studying at St. Louis University, he enlisted in the Army Air Forces Reserves. In February 1943, after one semester of college, he was called to active duty and began flight training, earning his wings in March 1944. He was then sent to Karachi, India, to join the 33rd Fighter Group, 59th Squadron. After an unexciting period of time, due to a lack of planes to fly, he finally went on his first mission in the mountains between India and Burma, deterring Japanese planes from attacking transports to China. Later missions involved strafing and dropping bombs or napalm on photographed targets from a P-47. During one flight, he narrowly avoided getting hit as he flew underneath a friendly plane while it released its payload. Although Meyer never engaged in air-to-air combat, he was exposed to antiaircraft fire from the ground. In December 1944, he transitioned to the P-38, as he was preparing for involvement in an invasion of China, which never materialized. Afterward, he transferred to the 58th Squadron in Burma. After the war ended, Meyer had a chance …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Vernon Grim. Grim joined the Army Air Forces in June of 1942. He volunteered as a glider pilot, and trained for one year in Pittsburgh, Kansas. He was then selected to train as an aviation cadet, and served as a B-17 pilot. In March of 1944 he deployed to England. He joined the 92nd Bombardment Group, 407th Bombardment Squadron. He completed 32 missions, including support operations for the Normandy invasion, the Battle of Saint-Lô and advancing ground troops into Germany. Grim returned to the US in October of 1944. He was assigned to Laredo, Texas to fly for the Frangible Bullet Project, and also served as a military surplus officer. Grim continued his service after the war, receiving a discharge in November of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Bill Dingfelder. Dingfelder joined the Army Air Forces in July of 1943. He completed Armament School in early 1944, and served as an armorer-gunner aboard a B-17. He was assigned to the 15th Air Force, 97th Bomb Group, 341st Bomb Squadron. By April of 1945, Dingfelder had completed 35 missions over Italy, France, Czechoslovakia, Austria and Yugoslavia attacking oil refineries, marshalling yards and aircraft factories. He continued his service after the war, receiving his discharge in March of 1952.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Fred Lincoln. Lincoln joined the Army Air Forces in February of 1941. He was assigned to the 82nd Bomb Squadron, 12th Bomb Group. He completed training in military correspondence and typing, and served as the Operations Officer for his squadron. In December, they were transferred to Sacramento, California to assist with war games aboard B-18 bombers. In the spring of 1942, they were transferred to Esler Field in Louisiana. During a physical at Camp Livingston Hospital, Lincoln learned he had a pilonidal cyst. After multiple surgeries on the cyst, he did not return to his squadron until 1944. He was assigned to Santa Ana Army Air Base, and completed Flexible Gunnery School, graduating in February of 1945, he served as a bombardier aboard B-29s with the 19th Bombardment Group. They were transferred to Biggs Air Force Base in El Paso, Texas, and went to pick up a new B-29 in Seattle, but the war ended. Lincoln continued his service and retired in 1964.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Nels Farmer. He was born in Wortham, Texas 24 December 1924 and enlisted in the Navy in 1943. Completing boot camp at San Diego, California, he was sent to Farragut, Idaho as assistant gunnery instructor. After nine months he was assigned to the USS Willard A. Holbrook (AP-44) working in various capacities. After arriving at Hollandia, New Guniea he was assigned as a machine gunner to USS PT-146 in Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 12. He served on board for nine months and saw no action during that time. He returned to the United States and was discharged March 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Lawrence Barrett. Barrett joined the Marine Corps in December of 1943. He served as an aerial gunner, combat cameraman and ground and motion picture photographer. Barrett worked as a combat aircrewman with Marine Air Group 32 in the Pacific and the Philippines, completing 25 combat missions by 1945. After the war ended, he served with the occupation forces in Tsingtao, North China. He returned to the US and was discharged in May of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John McAllister. McAllister joined the Army Reserve at Texas A&M and was called to active duty in February 1943. He received basic training at Camp Sibert and learned to fire a 4.2-inch mortar. He then studied chemical engineering at MIT under the Army Specialized Training Program. Upon completion, he was assigned to Fort Shelby as an acting sergeant. He then attended OCS in Edgewood and graduated as a second lieutenant. There he processed 643 German prisoners of war that had been flown in from the Battle of the Bulge. He was transferred to the 71st Chemical Mortar Battalion as a platoon leader and sent to Okinawa. After the war ended, he went ashore for guard duty and discovered that the island, though secure, still had tens of thousands of Japanese holdouts. He was assigned to a POW camp, where he found the prisoners to be cooperative and in good spirits. McAllister then returned home and joined the Reserves. He earned a degree in chemical engineering and got a job with DuPont. During the Korean War, he was called to active duty and sent to Edgewood to study atomic, …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Edward Swaney. Swaney was born in Linton, North Dakota on 21 September 1920. He describes the hardships he faced during the Depression. After high school, he attended Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa and graduated in 1942. Upon entering the US Navy in September 1942, he went to Columbia University to Midshipman’s School. He graduated as an ensign and reported to Solomon Island, Maryland for amphibious training. There, as captain of an LCT, he and his crew of ten made practice landings. During one of the training sessions, he injured his spine, which resulted in extensive hospitalization. After spending over a year in various hospitals, he reported to the USS Nevada (BB-36) as a division officer of a five-inch gun. Swaney recalls the ship being attacked by kamikazes off Iwo Jima. He describes actions the ship was involved in during the invasion of Okinawa and recalls the ship being hit by a kamikaze. He witnessed the burial at sea of eleven shipmates. Following the end of the war, Swaney participated in preparing the Nevada for Operation Crossroads in 1946. He decided to be discharged from the Navy in …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with David Campbell. Campbell joined the Navy in the fall of 1942. He completed Naval Supply Corps School. Beginning July of 1943, he served as Supply Officer aboard the USS Coral Sea (CVE-57). They launched strikes on Makin Island in November, and bombed airfields at Kwajalein. Throughout 1944 and early 1945 they traveled to the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, the Marianas and Iwo Jima providing aircraft in support of forces. He shares experiences of kamikaze airplanes and enduring a typhoon. Campbell was discharged in April of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with George Gerards. Gerards joined the Army Air Forces in April of 1943. He completed pilot training and aerial gunnery school in June of 1944. He served as first lieutenant B-24 bombardier in the 380th Bomb Group, 531st Bomb Squadron, 5th Air Force. They traveled to Hawaii, Tarawa, Guadalcanal, New Guinea, Leyte and Murtha Field on Mindoro Island. He completed 33 missions over the Philippines, Okinawa, Balikpapan, French Indochina and Japan. They completed combat, weather reconnaissance and POW rescue missions. He was discharged in February of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Albert Finley. Finley joined the Marine Corps around December of 1943. He provides vivid details of his boot camp experiences. He served with Headquarters Company, 4th Marines, as a radar mechanic on Corsairs, repairing radio and radar gear. Beginning in September of 1944 they traveled to Guam, Kwajalein, Pearl Harbor and Majuro in the Marshall Islands. Finley shares a number of anecdotal stories, including working with POWs. He was discharged in the fall of 1946.