Transcript of an oral interview with James H. Goemmer. Goemmer begins by describing a three-month trip he took with his family in 1930 in which they traveled all over the US in a Chevrolet. After finishing high school in Yakima, Washington, Goemmer worked various odd jobs before joining the Navy in October, 1942 and going to Farragut, Idaho for basic training. Afterwards, he went to aviation radio school and aerial gunnery school. He qualified as an aircrew member at the naval air station in Daytona, Florida. Eventually, he became a member of a dive bomber unit, VB-3, and was assigned to the USS Yorktown (CV-10) in 1944. While attacking targets in the Philippines, his aircraft was damaged by anti-aircraft fire and was forced to land on the USS Ticonderoga (CV-14), which proceeded to Ulithi. Two weeks later, he and his pilot were back aboard the Yorktown. Before the war ended, Goemmer was stationed to the seaplane base at Kanehoe Bay where he was in charge of repairing radio equipment. He was there when the war ended. He earned enough points by November and returned home, got discharged and became an insurance claims adjuster in Washington state.

Transcript of an oral interview with James H. Goemmer. Goemmer begins by describing a three-month trip he took with his family in 1930 in which they traveled all over the US in a Chevrolet. After finishing high school in Yakima, Washington, Goemmer worked various odd jobs before joining the Navy in October, 1942 and going to Farragut, Idaho for basic training. Afterwards, he went to aviation radio school and aerial gunnery school. He qualified as an aircrew member at the naval air station in Daytona, Florida. Eventually, he became a member of a dive bomber unit, VB-3, and was assigned to the USS Yorktown (CV-10) in 1944. While attacking targets in the Philippines, his aircraft was damaged by anti-aircraft fire and was forced to land on the USS Ticonderoga (CV-14), which proceeded to Ulithi. Two weeks later, he and his pilot were back aboard the Yorktown. Before the war ended, Goemmer was stationed to the seaplane base at Kanehoe Bay where he was in charge of repairing radio equipment. He was there when the war ended. He earned enough points by November and returned home, got discharged and became an insurance claims adjuster in Washington state.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Thomas Walton. Walton joined the Navy in December 1942 and received basic training in San Diego. Upon completion in August 1943, he was then assigned to USS Neches (AO-47) as a seaman. At Okinawa he saw an ammunition ship explode after a kamikaze hit. On the way back to the States, the Neches hit a mine that blew a 15-by-22-foot hole in the side of the ship. After it was repaired, Walton returned to sea until the end of the war. The Neches was in Tokyo Bay during the signing of the armistice, and Walton was close enough to see the Japanese boarding USS Missouri (BB-63). He recalls being treated well by Japanese civilians after the surrender. Walton returned home and was discharged in January 1946. There he finally met for the first time the woman with whom he had been corresponding during the war, and they were soon married.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Thomas Walton. Walton joined the Navy in December 1942 and received basic training in San Diego. Upon completion in August 1943, he was then assigned to USS Neches (AO-47) as a seaman. At Okinawa he saw an ammunition ship explode after a kamikaze hit. On the way back to the States, the Neches hit a mine that blew a 15-by-22-foot hole in the side of the ship. After it was repaired, Walton returned to sea until the end of the war. The Neches was in Tokyo Bay during the signing of the armistice, and Walton was close enough to see the Japanese boarding USS Missouri (BB-63). He recalls being treated well by Japanese civilians after the surrender. Walton returned home and was discharged in January 1946. There he finally met for the first time the woman with whom he had been corresponding during the war, and they were soon married.