The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Wesley Clum. Clum joined the Army Air Forces in February of 1943. He served as a Bombardier aboard a B-24 Liberator with the 484th Bomb Group, 827th Bomb Squadron. In October of 1944 they traveled to Bari, Italy to the headquarters of the 15th Air Force. They completed 25 combat missions, traveling over Germany, Czechoslovakia, northern Italy and Libya. Clum was honorably discharged from active duty as lieutenant in 1945, and honorably discharged as Captain in 1959 from the Air Force Reserves.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Daryl Haerther. Haerther joined the Army in 1944 and was assigned to the 96th Infantry Division a few days after the beginning of the invasion of Okinawa. He was assigned to A Company, 383rd Infantry Regiment. While there, Haerther qualified as a medic and shares several anecdotes from his combat experiences. Eventaully, Haerther was wounded and evacuated to Guam. He was still in the hospital when the war ended and Haerther elected to be discharged in December 1945. Haerther indicates he continues to struggle later in life as a result of some of his combat experiences.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Earl B Barnawell. Barnawell joined the Navy around 1942. He graduated from Hospital Corps School. Beginning April of 1944, Barnawell served as an operating room technician aboard USS Herald of the Morning (AP-173). They traveled to the Marianas, transporting supplies, debarking troops and evacuating the wounded. Barnawell additionally served with occupation forces in the Far East.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Howard Opheim. Opheim joined the Army Air Forces in August, 1942. He qualified for pilot training. He went overseas to England in November, 1944. He recalls ferrying troops and supplies to the continent during the Battle of the Bulge and making a combat drop over the Rhine River area. When the war ended in Europe, Opheim went to Brazil to ferry troops back to the US to prepare for the invasion of Japan.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Amos McGinnis. McGinnis was working in a factory when he was drafted into the Army in December, 1942. He trained as a combat engineer and went to England before heading out for Normandy five days after D-Day. McGinnis shares several anecdotes about his experiences building bridges across Europe. He was in Germany when the war ended and was discharged in December, 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Daniel Henshaw. Henshaw joined the Army Air Forces in March of 1942. He served as a C-47 pilot with the 434th Troop Carrier Group, 19th Bomb Wing. Henshaw was stationed in England, and completed missions over France, including flying combat paratroopers on airborne assaults during the invasion of Normandy. He continued his service after the war ended, serving in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars, retiring as a colonel in 1974.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard Feddersen. After finishing college in Iowa, Feddersen entered the Army with a ROTC commission in May 1941. He received further infantry training at Fort Benning. In March 1943, he went overseas and was assigned to the 162nd Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Division, which was engaged in combat in New Guinea. He stayed with the same outfit throughout the New Guinea campaign and headed for the Philippines with them. He had a few interactions with General MacArthur. When the war ended, he was at Subic Bay studying the plans for the invasion of Japan. His unit went to Japan for occupation duty at Kure. Feddersen was on hand when the Japanese surrendered their naval academy. He also visited Hiroshima and comments on the destruction. He also relates several other stories about being in occupied Japan before returning home in early 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Billy Sherrill. Sherrill was born in Houston, Texas in 1926 and joined the US Marine Corps on 26 December 1941. After undergoing boot training at San Diego, he was assigned to the 1st Marine Defense Battalion stationed on Palmyra Atoll for sixteen months. In 1943 he returned to the United States where he underwent six months of advanced training. Sherrill was then sent to Bougainville where he joined the 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. He describes landing on the beach on Guam in an LVT and recalls combat situations in which he was involved that resulted in large numbers of dead and wounded. After the campaign, the division remained on Guam training for the invasion of Iwo Jima. He tells of landing on Iwo Jima on the third day of the invasion and gives a vivid description of actions in which he was involved. Sherrill was wounded on Iwo Jima and was sent to Oakland Naval Hospital where he spent a year in recovery. In 1946 he received a medical discharge.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Margaret Heartfield. Upon high school graduation in 1939 she completed 3 years of nurse training in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at Allegheny General Hospital. She joined the Army as a nurse in January 1943. She completed basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky and Fort Polk, Louisiana. Heartfield provides detail on her issued Army uniform. She was transported overseas to England on a troop ship in January 1944. She remained in Manchester for one year, volunteering in a British civilian hospital. Her unit was the 101st Evacuation Hospital unit in Patton’s Third Army. After the Battle of Normandy she was moved to the Cherbourg Peninsula in France, and for the remainder of the war assisted in surgeries. She describes her M.A.S.H.-like unit in detail. From there her unit went to Luxembourg, and was involved in the Battle of the Bulge. Her outfit returned to the states November 1945. She married, started a family and went to work for Mobil Oil in 1948 as an Occupational Health Nurse.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Irving Westbrook. Westbrook joined the Civilian Conservation Corps in early 1940 and went to Idaho. He joined the Navy in January 1942. When he finished training, he was assigned to a degaussing unit in New Orleans as a signalman. He asked to go overseas and was then trained to be a beach master with the Marines. After getting to the Southwest Pacific, Westbrook participated in the invasion of Leyte in October 1944. He remained on Leyte until December 1945, eventually serving as harbor master as he set up a communications station. When he left he Navy, Westbrook joined the Air Force.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Wesley Clum. Clum joined the Army Air Forces in February of 1943. He served as a Bombardier aboard a B-24 Liberator with the 484th Bomb Group, 827th Bomb Squadron. In October of 1944 they traveled to Bari, Italy to the headquarters of the 15th Air Force. They completed 25 combat missions, traveling over Germany, Czechoslovakia, northern Italy and Libya. Clum was honorably discharged from active duty as lieutenant in 1945, and honorably discharged as Captain in 1959 from the Air Force Reserves.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Daryl Haerther. Haerther joined the Army in 1944 and was assigned to the 96th Infantry Division a few days after the beginning of the invasion of Okinawa. He was assigned to A Company, 383rd Infantry Regiment. While there, Haerther qualified as a medic and shares several anecdotes from his combat experiences. Eventaully, Haerther was wounded and evacuated to Guam. He was still in the hospital when the war ended and Haerther elected to be discharged in December 1945. Haerther indicates he continues to struggle later in life as a result of some of his combat experiences.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Howard Opheim. Opheim joined the Army Air Forces in August, 1942. He qualified for pilot training. He went overseas to England in November, 1944. He recalls ferrying troops and supplies to the continent during the Battle of the Bulge and making a combat drop over the Rhine River area. When the war ended in Europe, Opheim went to Brazil to ferry troops back to the US to prepare for the invasion of Japan.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Amos McGinnis. McGinnis was working in a factory when he was drafted into the Army in December, 1942. He trained as a combat engineer and went to England before heading out for Normandy five days after D-Day. McGinnis shares several anecdotes about his experiences building bridges across Europe. He was in Germany when the war ended and was discharged in December, 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard Feddersen. After finishing college in Iowa, Feddersen entered the Army with a ROTC commission in May 1941. He received further infantry training at Fort Benning. In March 1943, he went overseas and was assigned to the 162nd Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Division, which was engaged in combat in New Guinea. He stayed with the same outfit throughout the New Guinea campaign and headed for the Philippines with them. He had a few interactions with General MacArthur. When the war ended, he was at Subic Bay studying the plans for the invasion of Japan. His unit went to Japan for occupation duty at Kure. Feddersen was on hand when the Japanese surrendered their naval academy. He also visited Hiroshima and comments on the destruction. He also relates several other stories about being in occupied Japan before returning home in early 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Billy Sherrill. Sherrill was born in Houston, Texas in 1926 and joined the US Marine Corps on 26 December 1941. After undergoing boot training at San Diego, he was assigned to the 1st Marine Defense Battalion stationed on Palmyra Atoll for sixteen months. In 1943 he returned to the United States where he underwent six months of advanced training. Sherrill was then sent to Bougainville where he joined the 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. He describes landing on the beach on Guam in an LVT and recalls combat situations in which he was involved that resulted in large numbers of dead and wounded. After the campaign, the division remained on Guam training for the invasion of Iwo Jima. He tells of landing on Iwo Jima on the third day of the invasion and gives a vivid description of actions in which he was involved. Sherrill was wounded on Iwo Jima and was sent to Oakland Naval Hospital where he spent a year in recovery. In 1946 he received a medical discharge.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Daniel Henshaw. Henshaw joined the Army Air Forces in March of 1942. He served as a C-47 pilot with the 434th Troop Carrier Group, 19th Bomb Wing. Henshaw was stationed in England, and completed missions over France, including flying combat paratroopers on airborne assaults during the invasion of Normandy. He continued his service after the war ended, serving in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars, retiring as a colonel in 1974.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Margaret Heartfield. Upon high school graduation in 1939 she completed 3 years of nurse training in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at Allegheny General Hospital. She joined the Army as a nurse in January 1943. She completed basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky and Fort Polk, Louisiana. Heartfield provides detail on her issued Army uniform. She was transported overseas to England on a troop ship in January 1944. She remained in Manchester for one year, volunteering in a British civilian hospital. Her unit was the 101st Evacuation Hospital unit in Patton’s Third Army. After the Battle of Normandy she was moved to the Cherbourg Peninsula in France, and for the remainder of the war assisted in surgeries. She describes her M.A.S.H.-like unit in detail. From there her unit went to Luxembourg, and was involved in the Battle of the Bulge. Her outfit returned to the states November 1945. She married, started a family and went to work for Mobil Oil in 1948 as an Occupational Health Nurse.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Earl B Barnawell. Barnawell joined the Navy around 1942. He graduated from Hospital Corps School. Beginning April of 1944, Barnawell served as an operating room technician aboard USS Herald of the Morning (AP-173). They traveled to the Marianas, transporting supplies, debarking troops and evacuating the wounded. Barnawell additionally served with occupation forces in the Far East.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Irving Westbrook. Westbrook joined the Civilian Conservation Corps in early 1940 and went to Idaho. He joined the Navy in January 1942. When he finished training, he was assigned to a degaussing unit in New Orleans as a signalman. He asked to go overseas and was then trained to be a beach master with the Marines. After getting to the Southwest Pacific, Westbrook participated in the invasion of Leyte in October 1944. He remained on Leyte until December 1945, eventually serving as harbor master as he set up a communications station. When he left he Navy, Westbrook joined the Air Force.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Wilbur Simlik. Simlik enlisted in the Marines after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Marine Corps allowed him graduate from college prior to active duty. In May 1943, he headed for Parris Island, South Carolina. After boot camp, he went to Quantico, Virginia for Officer Candidates School (OCS). After graduation and receiving a commission, Simlik’s first assignment was guard officer at a Naval Ammunition Depot on Oahu. He received orders to the 4th Marine Division on Maui. There he was assigned command to about 150 men fresh from boot camp. They soon learned they were going to Iwo Jima. They went ashore as replacement troops on the sixth day. They were guided to an assembly site and parceled out to units in combat. He went to the 25th Marine Regiment, 3rd Battalion, L Company. The only other officer in the unit was wounded and evacuated the next day, leaving Simlik in command of the company. Simlik discusses combat the company faced until they were pulled off the island about 1 5March. He was awarded the Silver Star and went back to Maui to prepare for the next invasion …

Letter from Agnes Langley Niernberger to her family telling them that she misses them and explaining why she could not have written sooner. She tells them that she cannot write much about her travels but that she is eating well, getting a tan, and has not gotten sea sick. She suggests her family pass the letter along, since it is futile to write letters to several people when there is nothing to write about.