The National Museum of the Pacific War presents and oral interview with Harry Miller. Born 11 September 1922 in Winamac, Indiana, Miller graduated from high school in 1940. Called into the Army in 1943, he took basic training at Fort Hamilton, New York. After fifteen weeks of basic he was assigned to the 13th Major Port Battalion. He was stationed at Perth Amboy, New Jersey and worked long hours loading ammunition and other supplies for overseas shipment. He then went aboard a troop ship and landed at Plymouth, England. There, he was involved in unloading military supplies. Sometime after June 1944, he was pulled from the port battalion and assigned as a replacement with the 29th Infantry Division, 115th Infantry Regiment. He recalls of being in combat at Brest, France and the drive to the Elbe River. Miller also recalls his regiment being confronted by 10,000 Germans surrendering to the Americans to avoid capture by the Russian Army. After Germany surrendered, he was sent to Bremen, as a company clerk. In 1946, he returned to the United States and was discharged.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Tuznik. Tuznik was born near Random, Poland on 24 June 1923. He attended school until 1937 at which time he began working on the farm. He tells of German soldiers occupying the country and of the demands they made on the Polish citizens. In 1942 soldiers of the German Army killed his mother, father and a friend and burned the house down because they were suspected of being members of the Polish underground. He was forced as a slave laborer to work in a munitions plant. He worked in Germany and in 1943 he was sent to Finland where he was forced to work fifteen hour days, seven days a week with meager food and clothing. He was then moved to Norway and was there when liberated by the Russian Army in 1945. Following the war, Tuznik got married and immigrated to the United States with his wife.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Nancy Tuznik. Tuznik was born in Aremark, Norway 30 October 1931. She tells of her life before the German occupation in 1940. The German Army occupied Norway and all farmers were required to furnish a certain percentage of what they raised to the Wehrmacht. She recalls that her father was involved with the underground resistance forces but has no knowledge of the extent of his involvement. She does remember various relatives fleeing the country. Soon after the end of the war, she met and married her husband. She immigrated to the United States in 1954 with him.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Wayburn Hall. Hall was born 9 May 1925 in Gandy, Louisiana. He describes family life during the depression. Joining the Marine Corps 9 February 1943 under the V-12 program he went to the University of South Louisiana in Lafayette. After one semester, Hall was withdrawn from the program and sent to San Diego for boot training. He recalls his training and experiences during boot camp, which included two weeks of firearm training. Upon graduating, he was selected for 81mm mortar training and went to Camp Elliott for training. He describes in detail the crew compliment of a mortar team and the training they received. During February 1944 the graduates boarded a ship for a fifteen day trip to Noumea, New Caledonia. After taking part in intense advanced training, he was sent to Gavutu and assigned to Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines. In September 1944 the division boarded USS LST-607 for a 1500 mile trip to Peleliu. Hall was in the first wave in the invasion of Peleliu. He was wounded soon after landing and was treated by a Navy corpsman prior to being taken to a hospital …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Walden Franzen. Franzen joined the Navy in 1937. He became a plane captain with VB-3 and served on the USS Saratoga (CV-3) and the USS Ranger (CV-4). Franzen mentions life on board ship and the difference between the two carriers. He went on to serve as a crew chief on a PBY in the Caribbean and later as a maintenance supervisor for a utility squadron that served along the East Coast. Franzen remained in the Navy after the war, and retired in 1957.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William A. Gill. Gill was born on 6 April 1921 in Newark, New Jersey and enlisted in the Navy in April 1942. He relates several anecdotes from his time in Great Lakes, Illinois where he attended basic training and quartermaster school. He volunteered for motor torpedo boat training in Melville, Rhode Island. Upon completing his training he was assigned to the commissioning crew of PT-166, which was part of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Ten. He recalls that following training in Panama, the boat was loaded aboard a fleet oiler with other boats in the squadron, and delivered to the Solomon Islands in June 1943. He recalls operating out of Tulagi and a friendly fire incident in which PT-166 was destroyed by a B-25. Gill was then assigned to PT-171 and he recalls his boat’s involvement in supporting the American invasion of New Georgia in July 1943. He recalls searching for survivors the night that PT-109 was cut in half by a Japanese destroyer. In May 1944 he returned to the United States and, after recovering from a bout with malaria, he was sent to a PT boat base …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Custer. Custer joined the Army Air Corps in December, 1942. He attended aerial gunnery school before shipping to England.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with James McKinley. McKinley was in college when the war started and in spite of serious damage to his eyes earlier in life, he was able to serve in the Army as a clerk in the Ordnance branch. He was shipped to New Caledonia and assigned to the 51st Ordnance Ammunition Company, operating an ammo dump outside of Noumea. He arrived there in 1943 and went home after the war and was discharged in early 1946. He used the GI Bill to finish schooling in pharmacy and earned a master's degree before becoming a pharmacist in Houston.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents and oral interview with Harry Miller. Born 11 September 1922 in Winamac, Indiana, Miller graduated from high school in 1940. Called into the Army in 1943, he took basic training at Fort Hamilton, New York. After fifteen weeks of basic he was assigned to the 13th Major Port Battalion. He was stationed at Perth Amboy, New Jersey and worked long hours loading ammunition and other supplies for overseas shipment. He then went aboard a troop ship and landed at Plymouth, England. There, he was involved in unloading military supplies. Sometime after June 1944, he was pulled from the port battalion and assigned as a replacement with the 29th Infantry Division, 115th Infantry Regiment. He recalls of being in combat at Brest, France and the drive to the Elbe River. Miller also recalls his regiment being confronted by 10,000 Germans surrendering to the Americans to avoid capture by the Russian Army. After Germany surrendered, he was sent to Bremen, as a company clerk. In 1946, he returned to the United States and was discharged.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Tuznik. Tuznik was born near Random, Poland on 24 June 1923. He attended school until 1937 at which time he began working on the farm. He tells of German soldiers occupying the country and of the demands they made on the Polish citizens. In 1942 soldiers of the German Army killed his mother, father and a friend and burned the house down because they were suspected of being members of the Polish underground. He was forced as a slave laborer to work in a munitions plant. He worked in Germany and in 1943 he was sent to Finland where he was forced to work fifteen hour days, seven days a week with meager food and clothing. He was then moved to Norway and was there when liberated by the Russian Army in 1945. Following the war, Tuznik got married and immigrated to the United States with his wife.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Nancy Tuznik. Tuznik was born in Aremark, Norway 30 October 1931. She tells of her life before the German occupation in 1940. The German Army occupied Norway and all farmers were required to furnish a certain percentage of what they raised to the Wehrmacht. She recalls that her father was involved with the underground resistance forces but has no knowledge of the extent of his involvement. She does remember various relatives fleeing the country. Soon after the end of the war, she met and married her husband. She immigrated to the United States in 1954 with him.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Wayburn Hall. Hall was born 9 May 1925 in Gandy, Louisiana. He describes family life during the depression. Joining the Marine Corps 9 February 1943 under the V-12 program he went to the University of South Louisiana in Lafayette. After one semester, Hall was withdrawn from the program and sent to San Diego for boot training. He recalls his training and experiences during boot camp, which included two weeks of firearm training. Upon graduating, he was selected for 81mm mortar training and went to Camp Elliott for training. He describes in detail the crew compliment of a mortar team and the training they received. During February 1944 the graduates boarded a ship for a fifteen day trip to Noumea, New Caledonia. After taking part in intense advanced training, he was sent to Gavutu and assigned to Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines. In September 1944 the division boarded USS LST-607 for a 1500 mile trip to Peleliu. Hall was in the first wave in the invasion of Peleliu. He was wounded soon after landing and was treated by a Navy corpsman prior to being taken to a hospital …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Walden Franzen. Franzen joined the Navy in 1937. He became a plane captain with VB-3 and served on the USS Saratoga (CV-3) and the USS Ranger (CV-4). Franzen mentions life on board ship and the difference between the two carriers. He went on to serve as a crew chief on a PBY in the Caribbean and later as a maintenance supervisor for a utility squadron that served along the East Coast. Franzen remained in the Navy after the war, and retired in 1957.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William A. Gill. Gill was born on 6 April 1921 in Newark, New Jersey and enlisted in the Navy in April 1942. He relates several anecdotes from his time in Great Lakes, Illinois where he attended basic training and quartermaster school. He volunteered for motor torpedo boat training in Melville, Rhode Island. Upon completing his training he was assigned to the commissioning crew of PT-166, which was part of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Ten. He recalls that following training in Panama, the boat was loaded aboard a fleet oiler with other boats in the squadron, and delivered to the Solomon Islands in June 1943. He recalls operating out of Tulagi and a friendly fire incident in which PT-166 was destroyed by a B-25. Gill was then assigned to PT-171 and he recalls his boat’s involvement in supporting the American invasion of New Georgia in July 1943. He recalls searching for survivors the night that PT-109 was cut in half by a Japanese destroyer. In May 1944 he returned to the United States and, after recovering from a bout with malaria, he was sent to a PT boat base …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Custer. Custer joined the Army Air Corps in December, 1942. He attended aerial gunnery school before shipping to England.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with James McKinley. McKinley was in college when the war started and in spite of serious damage to his eyes earlier in life, he was able to serve in the Army as a clerk in the Ordnance branch. He was shipped to New Caledonia and assigned to the 51st Ordnance Ammunition Company, operating an ammo dump outside of Noumea. He arrived there in 1943 and went home after the war and was discharged in early 1946. He used the GI Bill to finish schooling in pharmacy and earned a master's degree before becoming a pharmacist in Houston.