The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with W. G. (Bill) Campbell. Campbell grew up in Texas, attended Texas A&M, and married in 1939 before joining the Army in 1943. After training, he went to Australia, Dutch New Guinea, Palu, Leyte, and Mindanao. He describes riding in amphibious vehicles and interacting with the natives. He discusses various illnesses he had during the war and his interactions with his brother, an engineer. He also describes surveying work in some detail. After the war, Campbell eventually became a public school teacher.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with C E Simmons. Simmons joined the Navy in October of 1944. Beginning in January of 1945 he served aboard the USS Goshen (APA-108) as coxswain driving Landing Craft, Vehicle Personnel (LCVP) to the beach. They traveled to Hawaii and New Hebrides, and landed the first wave at the Battle of Okinawa. In September of 1945 he was assigned to the US Naval Training Center in Newport, Rhode Island, training new crewmembers for sea duty. He was discharged in October of 1947.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Arvon E Caruthers. Caruthers joined the Navy in 1939. He served as a Gunner’s Mate Second-Class aboard the USS Tanager (AM-5) during the Philippine Campaign in 1941 through the sinking of the ship in May of 1942. Caruthers participated in the Battle of Corregidor, and was captured by Japanese forces. He was imprisoned at Cabanatuan number three and traveled aboard a hell ship, eventually settling at Ōmori. Cauthers was liberated in August of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Giles McCoy. McCoy joined the Marines in June of 1943. He served as a sniper. McCoy was assigned to the 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. He participated in the Invasion of Peleliu in September of 1944, as well as the battles of Okinawa and Iwo Jima. He talks about his experiences with kamikaze planes at Okinawa. He then served as a Marine replacement and a hot shell man aboard the USS Indianapolis (CA-35). McCoy provides vivid details of the ship sinking and his 4 days surviving in the Philippine Sea. He was discharged around late 1945.

Transcript of an oral interview with Ralph H. Ketcham. Born in 1923, he joined the Marine Corps in September, 1942. He describes boot camp in San Diego, California. He was assigned to the 3rd Division, 19th Marine Regiment, 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion. He describes conditions aboard the MS Bloemfontein en route to New Zealand. He was transported on the USS President Polk (AP-103) to Guadalcanal where he constructed roads and unloaded ammunition. He talks about the fire at the Hell’s Point Ammunition Dump. He describes landing as part of the first wave in the battle for Guam. He shares stories about the time he spent on both Guadalcanal and Guam. He also describes landing and fighting on Iwo Jima. He discusses the use of spider holes and antiaircraft guns by the Japanese. He also describes the weather, terrain, and living conditions on Guam and Iwo Jima. He was hospitalized due to the shock of explosions from 155mm shells. After his hospitalization, he was discharged in July, 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Clyde Dahlin. Dahlin was drafted into the Army in 1943. He was sent to the Pacific and joined the 25th Infantry Division as a replacement rifleman. Dahlin discusses the combat conditions that he faced in Northern Luzon. He tells of an incident where he helped evacuate a wounded soldier and hiding in fox holes from enemy fire. Dahlin was removed from the frontlines toward the end of the war because he was only 18. He became an MP and tells of interactions that he witnessed between Filipinos and Japanese POWs. Dahlin then tells of his experiences during the year that he served in occupied Japan.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Dell Sheftall. Sheftall joined the Army in May 1943 and received basic training at Camp Maxey. Upon completion, he was assigned to the 103rd Infantry Division and sent to France. There he was part of a night combat team, capturing German officers for interrogation. He narrowly escaped the Battle of the Bulge, replaced by a unit that was annihilated by the enemy soon after Sheftall left. While at a rest camp in the Bavarian Alps, he discovered and liberated a makeshift camp made up of prisoners from Dachau. The war ended while Sheftall was stationed in Le Havre awaiting deployment to the Pacific; he returned home shortly thereafter.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ernest W. Sears. When Sears graduated from high school in 1942 he received a farm deferment and did not enter the Navy unitl 1944. He trained as a radioman for beach landings. He was home on leave when his unit shipped out, so he was assigned to the USS Lexington (CV-16) and joined her at Bremerton, Washington in March, 1945. He served in the radio control room aboard the Lexington for the duration of the war and speaks about being on duty during the signing of the peace accords, and dropping food and supplies to the Allied POWs in Japan. Welson Sears (Ernest's son) fills in some details during the interview. When he was dischaerged from the Navy, Sears enrolled at Texas Tech University and went to school using the G.I. Bill.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Louis Wolfort. Wolfort was drafted into the Army in January of 1941. He completed Officer Candidate School at Fort Knox, Kentucky in July of 1942. He was then sent to Camp Funston, Kansas to start the 9th Armored Division. He was a light tank instructor at Camp Funston, then went back to Fort Knox, and provides detail of the equipment he used in training. From there he was sent to the West Coast and shipped out as a replacement officer. He served overseas as a company commander at Headquarters, Southern Islands Area Command under General Robert L. Eichelberger, and provides some detail of that experience. He was discharged in March of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John E Montgomery. Montgomery joined the Army in February 1943. He studied navigation and mathematics at Clarion State Teachers College, Pennsylvania, then graduated from flying school in Douglas, Georgia in May of 1944. He transferred to Sarasota, Florida in September and completed P-51 gunnery school. In early 1945, Montgomery was deployed to Hawaii to join the 20th Air Force. Beginning in April, he traveled to Iwo Jima, Guam, Tokyo and Saipan, completing 10 bombing missions over Japan and Chichi-Jima. He describes living on Iwo Jima and Saipan. He remained in Saipan from December through April of 1946, then returned home and received his discharge.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with W. G. (Bill) Campbell. Campbell grew up in Texas, attended Texas A&M, and married in 1939 before joining the Army in 1943. After training, he went to Australia, Dutch New Guinea, Palu, Leyte, and Mindanao. He describes riding in amphibious vehicles and interacting with the natives. He discusses various illnesses he had during the war and his interactions with his brother, an engineer. He also describes surveying work in some detail. After the war, Campbell eventually became a public school teacher.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with C E Simmons. Simmons joined the Navy in October of 1944. Beginning in January of 1945 he served aboard the USS Goshen (APA-108) as coxswain driving Landing Craft, Vehicle Personnel (LCVP) to the beach. They traveled to Hawaii and New Hebrides, and landed the first wave at the Battle of Okinawa. In September of 1945 he was assigned to the US Naval Training Center in Newport, Rhode Island, training new crewmembers for sea duty. He was discharged in October of 1947.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Arvon E Caruthers. Caruthers joined the Navy in 1939. He served as a Gunner’s Mate Second-Class aboard the USS Tanager (AM-5) during the Philippine Campaign in 1941 through the sinking of the ship in May of 1942. Caruthers participated in the Battle of Corregidor, and was captured by Japanese forces. He was imprisoned at Cabanatuan number three and traveled aboard a hell ship, eventually settling at Ōmori. Cauthers was liberated in August of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Giles McCoy. McCoy joined the Marines in June of 1943. He served as a sniper. McCoy was assigned to the 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. He participated in the Invasion of Peleliu in September of 1944, as well as the battles of Okinawa and Iwo Jima. He talks about his experiences with kamikaze planes at Okinawa. He then served as a Marine replacement and a hot shell man aboard the USS Indianapolis (CA-35). McCoy provides vivid details of the ship sinking and his 4 days surviving in the Philippine Sea. He was discharged around late 1945.

Transcript of an oral interview with Ralph H. Ketcham. Born in 1923, he joined the Marine Corps in September, 1942. He describes boot camp in San Diego, California. He was assigned to the 3rd Division, 19th Marine Regiment, 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion. He describes conditions aboard the MS Bloemfontein en route to New Zealand. He was transported on the USS President Polk (AP-103) to Guadalcanal where he constructed roads and unloaded ammunition. He talks about the fire at the Hell’s Point Ammunition Dump. He describes landing as part of the first wave in the battle for Guam. He shares stories about the time he spent on both Guadalcanal and Guam. He also describes landing and fighting on Iwo Jima. He discusses the use of spider holes and antiaircraft guns by the Japanese. He also describes the weather, terrain, and living conditions on Guam and Iwo Jima. He was hospitalized due to the shock of explosions from 155mm shells. After his hospitalization, he was discharged in July, 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Clyde Dahlin. Dahlin was drafted into the Army in 1943. He was sent to the Pacific and joined the 25th Infantry Division as a replacement rifleman. Dahlin discusses the combat conditions that he faced in Northern Luzon. He tells of an incident where he helped evacuate a wounded soldier and hiding in fox holes from enemy fire. Dahlin was removed from the frontlines toward the end of the war because he was only 18. He became an MP and tells of interactions that he witnessed between Filipinos and Japanese POWs. Dahlin then tells of his experiences during the year that he served in occupied Japan.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Dell Sheftall. Sheftall joined the Army in May 1943 and received basic training at Camp Maxey. Upon completion, he was assigned to the 103rd Infantry Division and sent to France. There he was part of a night combat team, capturing German officers for interrogation. He narrowly escaped the Battle of the Bulge, replaced by a unit that was annihilated by the enemy soon after Sheftall left. While at a rest camp in the Bavarian Alps, he discovered and liberated a makeshift camp made up of prisoners from Dachau. The war ended while Sheftall was stationed in Le Havre awaiting deployment to the Pacific; he returned home shortly thereafter.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ernest W. Sears. When Sears graduated from high school in 1942 he received a farm deferment and did not enter the Navy unitl 1944. He trained as a radioman for beach landings. He was home on leave when his unit shipped out, so he was assigned to the USS Lexington (CV-16) and joined her at Bremerton, Washington in March, 1945. He served in the radio control room aboard the Lexington for the duration of the war and speaks about being on duty during the signing of the peace accords, and dropping food and supplies to the Allied POWs in Japan. Welson Sears (Ernest's son) fills in some details during the interview. When he was dischaerged from the Navy, Sears enrolled at Texas Tech University and went to school using the G.I. Bill.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Louis Wolfort. Wolfort was drafted into the Army in January of 1941. He completed Officer Candidate School at Fort Knox, Kentucky in July of 1942. He was then sent to Camp Funston, Kansas to start the 9th Armored Division. He was a light tank instructor at Camp Funston, then went back to Fort Knox, and provides detail of the equipment he used in training. From there he was sent to the West Coast and shipped out as a replacement officer. He served overseas as a company commander at Headquarters, Southern Islands Area Command under General Robert L. Eichelberger, and provides some detail of that experience. He was discharged in March of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John E Montgomery. Montgomery joined the Army in February 1943. He studied navigation and mathematics at Clarion State Teachers College, Pennsylvania, then graduated from flying school in Douglas, Georgia in May of 1944. He transferred to Sarasota, Florida in September and completed P-51 gunnery school. In early 1945, Montgomery was deployed to Hawaii to join the 20th Air Force. Beginning in April, he traveled to Iwo Jima, Guam, Tokyo and Saipan, completing 10 bombing missions over Japan and Chichi-Jima. He describes living on Iwo Jima and Saipan. He remained in Saipan from December through April of 1946, then returned home and received his discharge.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Owen Fluckey. He discusses his childhood and family and what led him to join the US navy. He describes his experiences in bootcamp at the Great Lakes Training Station in Indiana and his time in the Pacific Theatre during World War Two.

Transcription of letter from Chester Nimitz to his father in Kerrville. Nimitz mentions taking the USS Decatur (DD-5) to Saigon soon and then Hong Kong. He anticipates getting to go home in August.

Handwritten letter from Chester Nimitz to his father in Kerrville. Nimitz mentions taking the USS Decatur (DD-5) to Saigon soon and then Hong Kong. He anticipates getting to go home in August.

The certificate for a Bronze Star Medal awarded to Captain Clifford R. Baird.