The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John W. Bostian. Bostian joined the service in August 1941 through the V-7 program. He received orders to report to the Naval Academy one day before the attack on Pearl Harbor, as an apprentice seaman. In May 1942 he boarded the USS Arkansas (BB-33) as an ensign in the engineering department and made six round trips across the Atlantic. After a transfer in 1943, he became a plank owner of the USS Franklin (CV-13) as their B Division officer, in charge of the four fire rooms. In March 1945, near Eniwetok, when the Franklin was hit by bombs, resulting in nearly 800 deaths, Bostian became known as one of the 704 Guys, referring to the number of sailors who brought the ship to New York for repair. He notes that at no time during the ordeal did the skipper order men to abandon ship, which was a point of contention among the survivors. The war ended before Bostian could return to the Pacific, and his service ended shortly thereafter, in September 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John W. Bostian. Bostian joined the service in August 1941 through the V-7 program. He received orders to report to the Naval Academy one day before the attack on Pearl Harbor, as an apprentice seaman. In May 1942 he boarded the USS Arkansas (BB-33) as an ensign in the engineering department and made six round trips across the Atlantic. After a transfer in 1943, he became a plank owner of the USS Franklin (CV-13) as their B Division officer, in charge of the four fire rooms. In March 1945, near Eniwetok, when the Franklin was hit by bombs, resulting in nearly 800 deaths, Bostian became known as one of the 704 Guys, referring to the number of sailors who brought the ship to New York for repair. He notes that at no time during the ordeal did the skipper order men to abandon ship, which was a point of contention among the survivors. The war ended before Bostian could return to the Pacific, and his service ended shortly thereafter, in September 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Stephen V. Painter. Painter was born 24 July 1922 in Ellis County Texas. He enlisted in the Army on 29 June 1942 and entered the glider pilot training program taking his pre-flight training in July 1942 in Goodland, Texas. He graduated in February 1943 as a flight officer and glider pilot before attending commando school in Louisville, Kentucky. He then joined the 435th Troop Carrier Group in Sedalia, Missouri and was shipped to England in October 1943 to prepare for the Normandy Invasion. His CG4A glider took off from Newberry on 6 June 1944 at 4:37AM. Flying over Omaha Beach he crash landed inland carrying thirteen 82nd Airborne Division troops and 2,000 pounds of anti-tank mines. He then joined the command post in St. Mere Eglise until he was evacuated to England where he flew as copilot on C-47s picking up wounded on the continent and delivering supplies for General George S. Patton’s advance. He was then sent to the Netherlands during Operation Market Garden with the 101st Airborne. Painter also flew in the Rhine Country crossing with the 17th Airborne and was severely wounded upon landing. After …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Stephen V. Painter. Painter was born 24 July 1922 in Ellis County Texas. He enlisted in the Army on 29 June 1942 and entered the glider pilot training program taking his pre-flight training in July 1942 in Goodland, Texas. He graduated in February 1943 as a flight officer and glider pilot before attending commando school in Louisville, Kentucky. He then joined the 435th Troop Carrier Group in Sedalia, Missouri and was shipped to England in October 1943 to prepare for the Normandy Invasion. His CG4A glider took off from Newberry on 6 June 1944 at 4:37AM. Flying over Omaha Beach he crash landed inland carrying thirteen 82nd Airborne Division troops and 2,000 pounds of anti-tank mines. He then joined the command post in St. Mere Eglise until he was evacuated to England where he flew as copilot on C-47s picking up wounded on the continent and delivering supplies for General George S. Patton’s advance. He was then sent to the Netherlands during Operation Market Garden with the 101st Airborne. Painter also flew in the Rhine Country crossing with the 17th Airborne and was severely wounded upon landing. After …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Clifford E Rice. Rice dropped out of high school when calls for the draft began. Needing his parents’ permission to join the military, he joined the Navy after his father insisted that he eschew the Marine Corps. Rice was assigned to the destroyer USS Dunlap (DD-384). His first mission involved protecting President Roosevelt on a trip to Kiska, Aleutian Islands. As a mere seaman, Rice was initially stationed at a 40mm gun. In late 1943, he learned to clean the guns and was promoted to gunner’s mate. His executive officer treated him like a brother, and they passed time by sketching what they saw during the war. From Alaska, the Dunlap went to the Marshalls for shore bombardment. In the Bonin Islands, the Dunlap destroyed three Japanese ships and rescued prisoners from the water. At Iwo Jima, he snapped photos of the American victory. Despite once being knocked into the water by a typhoon, Rice returned home safely and was discharged at the end of the war.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Clifford E Rice. Rice dropped out of high school when calls for the draft began. Needing his parents’ permission to join the military, he joined the Navy after his father insisted that he eschew the Marine Corps. Rice was assigned to the destroyer USS Dunlap (DD-384). His first mission involved protecting President Roosevelt on a trip to Kiska, Aleutian Islands. As a mere seaman, Rice was initially stationed at a 40mm gun. In late 1943, he learned to clean the guns and was promoted to gunner’s mate. His executive officer treated him like a brother, and they passed time by sketching what they saw during the war. From Alaska, the Dunlap went to the Marshalls for shore bombardment. In the Bonin Islands, the Dunlap destroyed three Japanese ships and rescued prisoners from the water. At Iwo Jima, he snapped photos of the American victory. Despite once being knocked into the water by a typhoon, Rice returned home safely and was discharged at the end of the war.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Norman Sterrie. Sterrie was born 14 November 1917 in St. James, Minnesota and graduated from high school in 1934. Upon graduating from college in 1939 he joined the Navy. He graduated from flight school at Pensacola in 1940 and was assigned to Torpedo Squadron 2 on the USS Lexington (CV-2). His first combat mission occurred in March 1942 when his squadron attacked Japanese shipping at Salamaua, New Guinea. During his next mission, he and eleven others in his flight dropped torpedoes on HIJNS Shokaku. During the Battle of the Coral Sea, as Sterrie prepared to depart the Lexington, the ship was hit by torpedoes. He abandoned ship and was picked up by the USS New Orleans (CA-32). His squadron was taken to New Caledonia where they instructed Army pilots in torpedo warfare. Upon returning to the US, Sterrie was assigned to Torpedo Squadron 16 (VT-16), on the new USS Lexington (CV-16). He describes various missions he flew off until the Lexington was hit by torpedoes on 4 December 1943. After being repaired, the ship returned to the Pacific. He describes other missions he flew including those during the …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Norman Sterrie. Sterrie was born 14 November 1917 in St. James, Minnesota and graduated from high school in 1934. Upon graduating from college in 1939 he joined the Navy. He graduated from flight school at Pensacola in 1940 and was assigned to Torpedo Squadron 2 on the USS Lexington (CV-2). His first combat mission occurred in March 1942 when his squadron attacked Japanese shipping at Salamaua, New Guinea. During his next mission, he and eleven others in his flight dropped torpedoes on HIJNS Shokaku. During the Battle of the Coral Sea, as Sterrie prepared to depart the Lexington, the ship was hit by torpedoes. He abandoned ship and was picked up by the USS New Orleans (CA-32). His squadron was taken to New Caledonia where they instructed Army pilots in torpedo warfare. Upon returning to the US, Sterrie was assigned to Torpedo Squadron 16 (VT-16), on the new USS Lexington (CV-16). He describes various missions he flew off until the Lexington was hit by torpedoes on 4 December 1943. After being repaired, the ship returned to the Pacific. He describes other missions he flew including those during the …