The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Rufus Johnson. He begins the interview with a summary of his life. Rufus Winfield Johnson was born in Montgomery County, Maryland in 1911. He was in the ROTC at Howard University. He earned his undergraduate degree in 1934 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Reserves. In 1939 he received his LLB degree from the Howard University School of Law. He shares stories from his time working in the White House as lifeguard and personal butler to Franklin Delano Roosevelt prior to entering the armed forces. He served in the 92nd Infantry Division. He shares an anecdote about receiving a ten thousand dollar reward for shooting a bandit that preyed on American sailors in North Africa. He describes the campaigns of Sicily and North Apennines. He recounts an altercation with General Almond after which he was transferred to the 442nd Infantry Division. He describes his role in rescuing Company K of the 71st Infantry. He also recounts his capture and escape from German soldiers. He discusses the treatment of African American soldiers. He also served during the Korean War. He retired from the Army Reserves …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Rufus Johnson. He begins the interview with a summary of his life. Rufus Winfield Johnson was born in Montgomery County, Maryland in 1911. He was in the ROTC at Howard University. He earned his undergraduate degree in 1934 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Reserves. In 1939 he received his LLB degree from the Howard University School of Law. He shares stories from his time working in the White House as lifeguard and personal butler to Franklin Delano Roosevelt prior to entering the armed forces. He served in the 92nd Infantry Division. He shares an anecdote about receiving a ten thousand dollar reward for shooting a bandit that preyed on American sailors in North Africa. He describes the campaigns of Sicily and North Apennines. He recounts an altercation with General Almond after which he was transferred to the 442nd Infantry Division. He describes his role in rescuing Company K of the 71st Infantry. He also recounts his capture and escape from German soldiers. He discusses the treatment of African American soldiers. He also served during the Korean War. He retired from the Army Reserves …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Hulen Hammock. Born in Bentonville, Texas on 5 November 1917, Hammock graduated from William Adams High School in Alice, Texas in 1932. Upon joining the Army Air Corps in December 1941, he was sent to Shepherd Field, Wichita Falls, Texas for basic training. After basic, Hammock went to Tulsa, Oklahoma where he studied aircraft maintenance for six weeks. He was then sent to Barksdale Field, Shreveport, Louisiana where he was assigned to the 319th Bomb Group, 440th Bomb Squadron and began working on B-26A bombers. Later, he was sent to Harding Field, Baton Rouge, Louisiana for advanced training. From there he boarded RMS Queen Mary at New Jersey and recalls an incident in which the ship collided with HMS Curacoa (D41), which was cut in half. Hammock noted that the ship did not slow down or attempt to save survivors. Landing at Gurrock, Scotland he proceeded to Norwich, England. He recalls boarding RMS Mooltan on 27 October 1942 and landing at Algeria. He shares an anecdote involving himself and General Jimmy Doolittle in a B-26. He also tells of servicing a DH98 de Havilland Mosquito aircraft flown by …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Oellerich. Oellerich joined the Navy in 1943 after he finished high school. After basic training, he attended quartermaster school to learn to navigate. Upon completion, he headed for Houston to join USS LSM-2. After training, they shaped course for Hawaii. After loading supplies, they headed for the Philippines to support the various invasions. He also made the invasion of Okinawa where his LSM ferried supplies from ship to shore for one month. He got ashore briefly and witnessed kamikaze attacks. Oellerich was discharged in April, 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert E. Neff. Neff begins with a description of his life growing up during the Great Depression. When Neff finished high school in Illinois in 1940, he worked as an apprentice carpenter. On a lark, he took the test to get into Army Air Forces as a cadet. He passed the test and entered the USAAF in October, 1942. He trained as a navigator and was commissioned in Hondo, Texas in late 1943. From there ,Neff was assigned as a crewmember to a B-24 and headed for Hawaii. From there, Neff and crew flew to Henderson Field on Guadalcanal and started their tour of combat missions. Neff flew 44 combat missions and attacked Japanese targets at Rabaul, Manila, Balikpapan, and other locations around New Guinea, the Philippines and Indonesia. Neff was in the 394th Bomb Squadron, 5th Bomb Group, 13th Air Force. When Neff left the Army, he went back to work as a carpenter.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Prudence Burns Burrell. Burrell was an African American woman who enlisted in the Army Reserve and served as a medical nurse in World War II. She was stationed in Australia, Java, New Guinea and the Philippines. She provides some details of her work in these areas and with the natives. She also shares experiences of racial discrimination. She completed her degree in public health at the University of Minnesota. She then served as a nurse aboard SS America. Upon returning home she became the first black instructor at Mission High School in San Francisco, teaching health and participating with the Future Nurses of America organization.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Oellerich. Oellerich joined the Navy in 1943 after he finished high school. After basic training, he attended quartermaster school to learn to navigate. Upon completion, he headed for Houston to join USS LSM-2. After training, they shaped course for Hawaii. After loading supplies, they headed for the Philippines to support the various invasions. He also made the invasion of Okinawa where his LSM ferried supplies from ship to shore for one month. He got ashore briefly and witnessed kamikaze attacks. Oellerich was discharged in April, 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert E. Neff. Neff begins with a description of his life growing up during the Great Depression. When Neff finished high school in Illinois in 1940, he worked as an apprentice carpenter. On a lark, he took the test to get into Army Air Forces as a cadet. He passed the test and entered the USAAF in October, 1942. He trained as a navigator and was commissioned in Hondo, Texas in late 1943. From there ,Neff was assigned as a crewmember to a B-24 and headed for Hawaii. From there, Neff and crew flew to Henderson Field on Guadalcanal and started their tour of combat missions. Neff flew 44 combat missions and attacked Japanese targets at Rabaul, Manila, Balikpapan, and other locations around New Guinea, the Philippines and Indonesia. Neff was in the 394th Bomb Squadron, 5th Bomb Group, 13th Air Force. When Neff left the Army, he went back to work as a carpenter.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Prudence Burns Burrell. Burrell was an African American woman who enlisted in the Army Reserve and served as a medical nurse in World War II. She was stationed in Australia, Java, New Guinea and the Philippines. She provides some details of her work in these areas and with the natives. She also shares experiences of racial discrimination. She completed her degree in public health at the University of Minnesota. She then served as a nurse aboard SS America. Upon returning home she became the first black instructor at Mission High School in San Francisco, teaching health and participating with the Future Nurses of America organization.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Hulen Hammock. Born in Bentonville, Texas on 5 November 1917, Hammock graduated from William Adams High School in Alice, Texas in 1932. Upon joining the Army Air Corps in December 1941, he was sent to Shepherd Field, Wichita Falls, Texas for basic training. After basic, Hammock went to Tulsa, Oklahoma where he studied aircraft maintenance for six weeks. He was then sent to Barksdale Field, Shreveport, Louisiana where he was assigned to the 319th Bomb Group, 440th Bomb Squadron and began working on B-26A bombers. Later, he was sent to Harding Field, Baton Rouge, Louisiana for advanced training. From there he boarded RMS Queen Mary at New Jersey and recalls an incident in which the ship collided with HMS Curacoa (D41), which was cut in half. Hammock noted that the ship did not slow down or attempt to save survivors. Landing at Gurrock, Scotland he proceeded to Norwich, England. He recalls boarding RMS Mooltan on 27 October 1942 and landing at Algeria. He shares an anecdote involving himself and General Jimmy Doolittle in a B-26. He also tells of servicing a DH98 de Havilland Mosquito aircraft flown by …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joseph M. McDonough. He discusses his childhood growing up during the Great Depression, and what led him to join the Us Navy in 1943. He describes his experiences in the Pacific Theatre during World War Two.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Al Stevens. He graduated from Michigan State University in 1943 as a metallurgical engineer. He enlisted in the Navy in 1944 in Detroit, Michigan. He attended the Navy Electronics School at Harvard University as well as a specialized radar training program organized by MIT at the Harbor Building in Boston, Massachusetts. He received further training in radar countermeasures at Ocracoke Island, North Carolina. He served on the USS Wasatch (ACG-9). When the ship was anchored, he was assigned to deliver orders and mail. He describes the Operation Olympic portion of the plan to invade Japan. He was part of the force that occupied Wakanoura and Nagoya, Japan. He shares an anecdote about obtaining a Japanese sword as a souvenir in Nagoya. In North China he participated in the repatriation of the Japanese, Chinese, and Koreans. He wrote a book, ?Up Close and Personal,? about his World War II experiences.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Al Stevens. He graduated from Michigan State University in 1943 as a metallurgical engineer. He enlisted in the Navy in 1944 in Detroit, Michigan. He attended the Navy Electronics School at Harvard University as well as a specialized radar training program organized by MIT at the Harbor Building in Boston, Massachusetts. He received further training in radar countermeasures at Ocracoke Island, North Carolina. He served on the USS Wasatch (ACG-9). When the ship was anchored, he was assigned to deliver orders and mail. He describes the Operation Olympic portion of the plan to invade Japan. He was part of the force that occupied Wakanoura and Nagoya, Japan. He shares an anecdote about obtaining a Japanese sword as a souvenir in Nagoya. In North China he participated in the repatriation of the Japanese, Chinese, and Koreans. He wrote a book, ?Up Close and Personal,? about his World War II experiences.