[Letter from Catherine Davis to Joe Davis - September 25, 1944] (open access)

[Letter from Catherine Davis to Joe Davis - September 25, 1944]

Letter from Catherine to her husband Joe discussing the bombing of the Philippines, as well as news from home, including Mr. Davis' party, the weather, plans for a trip to San Antonio with Mr. Davis, and her concern for Joe's safety.
Date: September 25, 1944
Creator: Davis, Catherine Dawe
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Catherine Davis to Joe Davis - September 25, 1944] (open access)

[Letter from Catherine Davis to Joe Davis - September 25, 1944]

Letter from Catherine to her husband Joe discussing news from home, including her pride at his successful missions, the package she is going to send him, busyness at work, and a going home for the weekend and seeing Jessie and Wootsie.
Date: September 25, 1944
Creator: Davis, Catherine Dawe
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Theron MacKay, September 25, 2001 transcript

Oral History Interview with Theron MacKay, September 25, 2001

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Theron MacKay. MacKay was born in Providence, Rhode Island 13 July 1924 and joined the Navy in June 1943. After completing boot camp at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, Illinois, he was sent to Solomons, Maryland for amphibious training. He received four weeks of training in the duties of each member of a boat crew in various types of large landing craft and graduated as a qualified Coxswain. He then went aboard the USS Samuel Chase (APA-26) for more training. Upon completion, he was assigned to the USS Dorothea L. Dix (AP-67) and participated in the landing in North Africa on 8 November 1942. Upon returning to the US, MacKay reported aboard USS LST-342. After being outfitted with various guns, they departed in March 1943, along with twelve other LSTs, for the Solomon Islands. USS LST-342 was torpedoed by Japanese submarine Ro-106. The explosion blew the ship in half and only five of the 86-man crew survived. Over fifty of the soldiers on board were killed. MacKay was wounded and taken to a field hospital on Guadalcanal for emergency treatment and then to the Noumea, New Caledonia …
Date: September 25, 2001
Creator: MacKay, Theron
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Theron MacKay, September 25, 2001 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Theron MacKay, September 25, 2001

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Theron MacKay. MacKay was born in Providence, Rhode Island 13 July 1924 and joined the Navy in June 1943. After completing boot camp at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, Illinois, he was sent to Solomons, Maryland for amphibious training. He received four weeks of training in the duties of each member of a boat crew in various types of large landing craft and graduated as a qualified Coxswain. He then went aboard the USS Samuel Chase (APA-26) for more training. Upon completion, he was assigned to the USS Dorothea L. Dix (AP-67) and participated in the landing in North Africa on 8 November 1942. Upon returning to the US, MacKay reported aboard USS LST-342. After being outfitted with various guns, they departed in March 1943, along with twelve other LSTs, for the Solomon Islands. USS LST-342 was torpedoed by Japanese submarine Ro-106. The explosion blew the ship in half and only five of the 86-man crew survived. Over fifty of the soldiers on board were killed. MacKay was wounded and taken to a field hospital on Guadalcanal for emergency treatment and then to the Noumea, New Caledonia …
Date: September 25, 2001
Creator: MacKay, Theron
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with William Craig, September 25, 2004 (open access)

Oral History Interview with William Craig, September 25, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Craig. Craig was inducted into the Army Air Forces on 20 October 1942. After basic training at Miami Beach, he was assigned to the 2002nd Ordnance Maintenance Company and sailed across the Atlantic on the RMS Queen Mary arriving in England on 29 July 1943. He was assigned to the 1962nd Ordnance Depot Company (Aviation) a part of the 8th Air Force. His duties included servicing and modifying B-17 and B-24 bombers. Smith was once placed in charge of German POWs tasked with painting military vehicles returned from North Africa. He provides a detailed account of his involvement in the famous truck convoys known as the Red Ball Express. He also recalls his role in cannibalizing bombers which had crash landed in England upon returning from their missions. He remembers returning to the States on the RMS Queen Elizabeth and being discharged on November 10, 1945.
Date: September 25, 2004
Creator: Craig, William
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Haynes Harkey, September 25, 2010 transcript

Oral History Interview with Haynes Harkey, September 25, 2010

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Haynes Harkey. Harkey left law school to volunteer for the Navy in the spring of 1941. He received orders to attend Notre Dame in the fall of 1942 and boarded the USS Indiana (BB-58) at Nouméa, New Caledonia, as an ensign in the spring of 1943. The most frightening event during his service was a collision with the USS Washington (BB-56) in which the bow of the ship tore into his stateroom. He was transferred to the USS Lake Champlain (CV-39). Harkey was responsible for ensuring that the other military branches being transported performed their own KP duties. He recalls one group’s Thanksgiving dinner being thrown overboard because no one assumed responsibility for their meal. Harkey returned home and was discharged in the spring of 1946. He returned to law school, this time on the GI Bill.
Date: September 25, 2010
Creator: Harkey, Haynes
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Haynes Harkey, September 25, 2010 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Haynes Harkey, September 25, 2010

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Haynes Harkey. Harkey left law school to volunteer for the Navy in the spring of 1941. He received orders to attend Notre Dame in the fall of 1942 and boarded the USS Indiana (BB-58) at Nouméa, New Caledonia, as an ensign in the spring of 1943. The most frightening event during his service was a collision with the USS Washington (BB-56) in which the bow of the ship tore into his stateroom. He was transferred to the USS Lake Champlain (CV-39). Harkey was responsible for ensuring that the other military branches being transported performed their own KP duties. He recalls one group’s Thanksgiving dinner being thrown overboard because no one assumed responsibility for their meal. Harkey returned home and was discharged in the spring of 1946. He returned to law school, this time on the GI Bill.
Date: September 25, 2010
Creator: Harkey, Haynes
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Cecil D. Bettes, September 25, 2012 transcript

Oral History Interview with Cecil D. Bettes, September 25, 2012

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Cecil D. Bettes. Bettes joined the Army after finishing high school in Houston, Texas, in 1943. After basic training, Bettes was shipped to Italy and assigned to E Company, 2nd, Battalion,339th Regiment, 85th Infantry Division. He describes the death in combat of a close friend. In Italy, Bettes was wounded severley and sent to the hospital. Instead of allowing himself to be shipped to France, he broke out of the hospital and returned to his unit. He also mentions breaking through the Gothic Line. Bettes also describes a sour experiences he had with the Red Cross while he was hospitalized. Bettes also describes taking a few German soldiers prisoner.
Date: September 25, 2012
Creator: Bettes, Cecil D.
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Cecil D. Bettes, September 25, 2012 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Cecil D. Bettes, September 25, 2012

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Cecil D. Bettes. Bettes joined the Army after finishing high school in Houston, Texas, in 1943. After basic training, Bettes was shipped to Italy and assigned to E Company, 2nd, Battalion,339th Regiment, 85th Infantry Division. He describes the death in combat of a close friend. In Italy, Bettes was wounded severley and sent to the hospital. Instead of allowing himself to be shipped to France, he broke out of the hospital and returned to his unit. He also mentions breaking through the Gothic Line. Bettes also describes a sour experiences he had with the Red Cross while he was hospitalized. Bettes also describes taking a few German soldiers prisoner.
Date: September 25, 2012
Creator: Bettes, Cecil D.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Imogene Hill, September 25, 2014 transcript

Oral History Interview with Imogene Hill, September 25, 2014

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Imogene Hill. Hill joined the Navy in September 1943 and received basic training in New York. Upon completion, she was assigned to San Diego as a telephone operator. She was discharged in January 1946 and later married Raymond Hill, a member of the Air Force stationed at Kelly Field. She lived with him in Morocco while he was stationed abroad between 1955 and 1957. When they returned to the States, she became a telephone operator for Sears.
Date: September 25, 2014
Creator: Hill, Imogene
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Imogene Hill, September 25, 2014 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Imogene Hill, September 25, 2014

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Imogene Hill. Hill joined the Navy in September 1943 and received basic training in New York. Upon completion, she was assigned to San Diego as a telephone operator. She was discharged in January 1946 and later married Raymond Hill, a member of the Air Force stationed at Kelly Field. She lived with him in Morocco while he was stationed abroad between 1955 and 1957. When they returned to the States, she became a telephone operator for Sears.
Date: September 25, 2014
Creator: Hill, Imogene
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Donald Bishop, September 25, 2020 transcript

Oral History Interview with Donald Bishop, September 25, 2020

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Donald Bishop. Bishop joined the Marines late December 1942. He served with K Company, Third Battalion, First Marines. He shares his experiences through the Guadalcanal, New Britain and Peleliu campaigns. He was injured at Peleliu and returned to the US in late 1944. He assisted at West Point and Annapolis, teaching beach landings. He continued his service after the war ended, receiving his discharge on 22 January 1946.
Date: September 25, 2020
Creator: Bishop, Donald
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Donald Bishop, September 25, 2020 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Donald Bishop, September 25, 2020

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Donald Bishop. Bishop joined the Marines late December 1942. He served with K Company, Third Battalion, First Marines. He shares his experiences through the Guadalcanal, New Britain and Peleliu campaigns. He was injured at Peleliu and returned to the US in late 1944. He assisted at West Point and Annapolis, teaching beach landings. He continued his service after the war ended, receiving his discharge on 22 January 1946.
Date: September 25, 2020
Creator: Bishop, Donald
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History