The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Arnold Abbott. Abbott was born in 1924. He dropped out of college to join the US Army in 1942. While undergoing basic training at Camp Wheeler, Georgia, Abbott witnessed practiced segregation and consequently became involved in civil rights issues. He recalls that he did not finish basic training, and was sent to Newport News, Virginia where he was assigned to the 34th Infantry Division. He tells of being involved in action in North Africa, and Italy. Abbott returned to the US after the war.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Alden. Alden was born in San Diego, California on 23 October 1921. While attending Cornell University he entered the US Navy V-7 Program. Upon graduating from Cornell he was ordered to attend Midshipman School at Columbia University. While there he was hospitalized for an extended period of time. Later, Alden was ordered to Midshipman’s School at Notre Dame University. Upon graduating in September 1943, he was sent to Diesel school at Cornell University. When he completed the course, he was selected for the Submarine Service and reported to the Naval Submarine Base in Groton, Connecticut. Alden received training aboard the USS Pike (SS-173) and the USS Cachalot (SS-170) before being assigned as communications officer on the USS Lamprey (SS-372). During January 1945 the boat arrived in Saipan where they began patrol duties. He describes encounters with Chinese junks during these patrols. During their third patrol they were notified the Japanese surrendered and they returned to Subic Bay. The USS Lamprey was then ordered to return to the United States where it was placed into the mothball fleet. Alden concludes the interview by telling of his various assignments …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Alebis. Alebis was born in Detroit, Michigan on 7 February 1926 to immigrant Lithuanian parents. Upon entering the Army Air Forces in May 1944, he was sent to Shepherd Field, Texas for basic training. After three weeks of training he was sent to gunnery school at Las Vegas, Nevada. He describes the training he received as a gunner. Upon completion of gunnery training he was sent to Ellsworth Field, North Dakota where he was assigned to a B-17 bomber crew as right waist gunner. The crew flew a B-17 to Capital Stone, England, arriving on 5 April 1945. Upon arrival Alebis was assigned to the 398th Bomb Group, 605th Bomb Squadron. He flew three bombing missions and describes them from the beginning of the day to the return to base. Following the surrender of Germany the unit began flying survey mission over Europe and he describes the devastation he saw. On 1 June 1945 he returned to the United States and was sent to McDill Field, Florida to begin training as a gunner on a B-29. With the surrender of Japan, his training was curtailed and he …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert O. Andrews where he discusses his childhood and education and what led him to join the Air Force. He describes his experiences in the Pacific Theatre and over Asia during World War two.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Barry Atkins. In 1928, Atkins was appointed to the Naval Academy and graduated in 1932 and was assigned to the USS Tennessee (BB-43). He was aboard at Long Beach, California during the 1933 earthquake. After that, he was transferred to the USS New Mexico (BB-40). his next assignment took him aboard the USS Mahan (DD-364). In 1941, Atkins was assigned to the USS Parrott (DD-218) in Manila Bay. He was aboard the Parrott during the Battle of Balikpapan in January 1942. When Atkins returned to the US in August, 1942, he was assigned as commander of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 8 and sent to New Caledonia that November. His squadron became operational in New Guinea in December. He recalls setting up the PT base at the Morobe River and several patrols and encounters with Japanese shipping. In late 1943, Atkins returned to the US and asked for a destroyer. In October 1944, Atkins was given command of the USS Melvin (DD-680) at Manus Island. From there, the Melvin escorted the Leyte landing forces to the Philippines, then took up station guarding the Surigao Strait. He made a torpedo …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Bill Barrow. Barrow joined the Navy in April of 1944. And, beginning in June, Barrow served aboard the USS Claxton (DD-571). Barrow was assigned to a 40-millimeter gun and served as a deckhand. They went to the Solomon Islands, escorting other ships and the old USS Mississippi (BB-41). He discusses life aboard the Claxton, and his initiation experiences crossing the equator. They participated in the Battle of Peleliu and the Battle of Leyte Gulf in 1944. Barrow was discharged in February of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Frank Breyer. Breyer enlisted in the Army and was attached to the 922nd Field Artillery Battalion after a brief stint in the Army Specialized Training Program (which was discontinued before he could complete the course). He was shipped to India, landing in Bombay (Mumbai) in April, 1944. From there, he went to Burma and fought the Japanese with Merrill’s Marauders. Breyer was evacuated back to India because of an infection. He managed to return to his outfit and continue fighting with them in Burma. He shares several anecdotes about his experiences jungle fighting in Burma. He also traveled to Kunming to train Chinese troops. He also comments on the nationalist and communist Chinese starting to fight after the war ended. Breyer was discharged in December, 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Marcel Bisson. Bisson joined the Marine Corps in 1944 and after training was assigned as a replacement to the 5th Marine Division just prior to invading Iwo Jima. On the twelfth day, Bisson was wounded and evacuated. After some stays in hospitals, he was medically discharged in July 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 interview with Howard Boyd. Boyd was drafted into the Army Air Forces in December, 1942 and took basic training at Wichita Falls. From there, he went to aerial gunnery school at Harlingen. He was then assigned as a ball turret gunner on a B-17 and began training with a crew. Once he got to England, he was assigned to the 339th Bomb Squadron, 96th Bomb Group in England. He flew on 30 combat missions starting in March, 1944. Boyd shares several anecdotes from his combat missions. He returned to the US in August 1944 and became an instructor. Boyd was discharged in October.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Carl Braddock. Braddock was born 1 February 1919 in Big Spring, Texas. Joining the Navy during May 1942, he took boot training in San Diego. He was assigned to range finding school and describes the training he received. Upon graduation he was assigned to the USS Saufley (DD-465), which went to Guadalcanal in December, 1942. He describes the bombardment of the island. In May 1943 he was sent to several schools for additional training. Braddock was assigned to the USS Franklin (CV-13) in January 1944 and he describes various battles in which he participated. He recalls the ship being subjected to attack and damaged by kamikaze aircraft on 9 October 1944 and 30 October 1944 which resulted in many casualties. He tells of being evacuated to the USS Santa Fe (CL-60). The Franklin returned to Bremerton, Washington for repairs and he was sent to school again. While in school he was notified that the ship was hit by several bombs with over 700 killed.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert R. Bridges. Bridges joined the Marine Corps in January of 1942. He completed Officer Candidate School in October of 1943. He served with the 2nd Marine Division, 18th Marine Regiment during the battles of Tarawa, Saipan and Tinian. He returned to Saipan for preparations to invade Japan, where he remained through the end of the war. Bridges received his discharge in January of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Shelby Brown. Brown joined the Navy around 1942. Beginning April of 1943, he served as Seaman Second Class aboard USS Nashville (CL-43). Brown and his division took care of the fantail of the ship and the five turrets in their main battery. In August they traveled to Pearl Harbor to join carrier task forces for strikes on Marcus and Wake islands. They traveled to Espiritu Santo, crossing the equator, and had a shellback initiation. From Espiritu they shelled targets on New Guinea and the Admiralty Islands. They provided support for landings on Bougainville and Leyte. Brown recalls the ship being hit by a kamikaze, off Negros Island in December of 1944. In May of 1945 they provided fire support for the landings on Borneo. He was discharged in December of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Thomas Burke. Burke was born in Kendall, Kentucky 26 March 1917. After graduating from Monroe High School in Rochester, New York in 1935 he attended Union College, Schenectady, New York majoring in electrical engineering. He graduated in 1939. On 1 December 1941 he entered the US Navy at New London, Connecticut. He entered Submarine Officer’s School at New London with three months training on the submarine USS O-6. Upon graduation he was assigned to the USS Flasher (SS-249) as the communications officer. Burke describes four of the six combat patrols the Flasher made while he was aboard and mentions the shipping tonnage sunk by the boat. He also tells an interesting story involving two Chinese seamen who were picked up after the Flasher sank their sampan. After returning to San Francisco for an overhaul, the submarine made a seventh and uneventful patrol from which they were recalled, as Japan had surrendered. The submarine was taken to the New Orleans Navy Depot and Burke was discharged soon thereafter.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Eugene Cain. Cain joined the Indiana national Guard and earned a commission. Cain speaks of following General MacArthur into the Philippines in 1944. Cain was an armored artillery battery commander. He describes the surrender of several hundred Japanese toorps. Apparently, after the war, Cain got into some trouble with a Filipino woman and was transferred out o fthe Philippines to Seoul, Korea, where he ran the officer's club. When Cain got out of the Army, he became an insurance broker.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Billie Campbell. Campbell was born on 10 June 1926 in Oklahoma. He joined the Navy in 1944 and served as a signalman aboard USS Calvert (APA-32) and USS Montour (APA-101). He tells of crossing the equator and undergoing the King Neptune ritual. He recalls arriving at Manus Island and observing the aftermath of the USS Mount Hood (AE-11) explosion. He describes ships being hit by Japanese planes and observing the American flag-raising on Mount Suribachi. He also tells of seeing American dead being buried in trenches near the beaches on Iwo Jima.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Campbell. Campbell joined the Merchant Marine in March of 1942. He began as a wiper working in the engine room. Campbell soon found work on the North Atlantic convoy. His ship was torpedoed and sunk on the way to Murmansk. His next ship hit a mine and was forced to run aground. Campbell was a crewman on a ship that arrived at Cherbourg after the storm that destroyed the Mulberry Harbor. He also manned a diesel engine on a barque that made runs to France. Campbell was forced to spend time in a Naval hospital upon his return to the States for convoy fatigue. Next, he traveled to the Mediterranean where his ship transported a chemical warfare unit. Campbell eventually ended up in the Pacific near the end of the war to transport munitions for the invasion of Japan. He made one final voyage to Brazil after the surrender.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Julius Casarez. Casarez was born in Austin, Texas on 9 May 1920. Upon joining the Army in December 1941, he had basic training in El Paso, Texas. Assigned to a machine gun anti-aircraft unit, he tells of sailing in convoy to Karachi, India. During July 1942, the unit moved to New Delhi. After six months they flew to Kunming, China. He describes traveling on the Burma Road to the Mekong River where they engaged in combat with the Japanese. In February 1945, Casarez returned to the United States.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Cashin. Cashin passed his Foreign Service Officer examinations and was awaiting assignment when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December of 1941. In July of 1942 he joined the Army, 17th Infantry Division. He began Officer Candidate School in December. Upon completion of school he was assigned Platoon Leader in the Cavalry Replacement Training Center. He later served as a lieutenant in the Military Intelligence Center at Fort Ritchie, Maryland. In the fall of 1943 Cashin was stationed in Knutsford, England with the headquarters of the 3rd Army, relaying some anecdotal stories of General Patton. In July of 1944 Cashin went to Utah Beach and Sainte-Mère-Église in France and through Belgium to Bastogne in December. They moved into Renne, Brittany and Paris, France, where he took a job as a military liaison officer after the war ended.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Eunice Marie Valencia Cavajeh. Cavajeh was born 16 October 1927 in Oskosura on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Her father was a Filipino doctor who was trained in the United States and her mother was an American nurse. They were married in the Philippines in 1919. Cavajeh recalls the Japanese invasion beginning 8 December 1941. She also recalls the confusion encountered upon leaving the city. She tells of the Japanese occupying the hospital her father managed. She joined a guerilla group and was assigned the duty of typing up reports that were sent to other guerilla units by runner. She mentions that a number of friends were executed for supporting the guerillas and of the Japanese burning houses as they retreated once the Allies invaded. She also recalls hearing of the surrender of Japan.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ray Christensen. Christensen was born in Henry, South Dakota in December 1917. He joined the Navy in September 1941 and went to Great lakes Naval Training Station, Chicago, Illinois for boot training. Upon completion he reported aboard the USS Colorado (BB-45) at Bremerton, Washington. He tells of the ship taking part in the bombardment of Tarawa. After returning to the United States for overhaul, the ship took part in the invasion of several islands including Tinian. While bombarding Tinian, the ship was hit by Japanese shore batteries resulting in numerous casualties. Christensen recalls that after being repaired in the United States the Colorado participated in the invasion of Leyte. During this time the ship was hit by two kamikaze aircraft, which resulted in numerous deaths and injuries. After repairs at Manus Island the ship participated in the bombardment of Lingayen Gulf. During this operation the ship was hit by accidental shelling by the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) resulting in many casualties. The ship also participated in the invasion of Okinawa and Christensen saw people jumping off cliffs to avoid capture during this operation.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Jetty Cook. Cook enlisted in the Army Air Corps in the aviation cadet program soon after his 18th birthday in 1942. They promised him that if he enlisted he would not be called to active duty until after he finished high school; this didn't turn out to be the case. He was sent to aviation cadet training in California but 'washed out' because of poor eyesight. He still wanted to fly so they said he could be a gunner. After B-17 flight mechanic school in Amarillo, Texas he was sent to aerial gunnery school in Kingman, Arizona, finishing just before Christmas 1943. Afterwards, he went to MacDill Army Airfield for two months of combat crew training. This is where the B-17 crews were formed up. He was selected by the pilot of this aircraft to be the flight engineer and top turret gunner. From there, the crew went to Hunter Army Airfiled, picked up a brand new B-17 out of the factory and received orders to deploy to Bangor, Maine. After arriving at a RAF base in Northern Ireland (after a grueling flight across the North Atlantic) their …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Cooper. Cooper was working for the Indianapolis Fire Department when he was drafted into the Army in 1943. From there, he volunteered for the paratroopers and trained at Camp Toccoa, Georgia. He was assigned to the 517th Parachute Combat Team. Cooper describes much of his training, equipment and uniform. In May, 1944, his unit landed in Italy. He jumped with his unit into Southern France in August, 1944 and served as a scout. Cooper also mentions some about the Battle of the Bulge. He returned home and was discharged in October, 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Cox. Cox was born in Bismarck, Illinois on 3 November 1917. He joined the Army Air Corps in December 1939. Upon completing basic training he was sent to Nichols Field, Manila, Philippines, arriving there in May 1940. Soon after his arrival he was assigned to the 27th Materials Squadron and trained in an aircraft mechanics school. He was selected for a special mission to Port Moresby, New Guinea and was there when the Japanese attacked the Philippines. He was then ordered to report to Townsville, Australia. Cox recalls various experiences while working with the Australian forces. Returning to the United States in 1943 he was promoted to Warrant Officer and assigned as Aircraft Maintenance Officer at Sedalia Army Air Field, Missouri in December 1943. In March 1944, he was sent to Fulbeck, England where he joined the 303rd Troop Carrier Squadron. He describes the loading of the squadron’s planes with troops prior to the launching of Operation Overlord, 6 June 1944. He concludes the interview describing the unit’s involvement in Operation Dragoon August 1944.