The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Earl Morrison. Morrison joined the Navy around 1944. He completed Radio Technician School and was assigned aboard the USS Auriga (AK-98). They traveled to Laguna in the Philippines. In April of 1945 they delivered troops, goods and equipment to Okinawa during the invasion. They also traveled to Kwajalein, Guam and Espiritu Santo where they learned of the Japanese surrendering. Morrison was discharged in 1946.

Transcript of an oral interview with James Jones. He discusses joining the Army, being shipped to France to join the 3rd Army in Germany in early 1945, being in charge of a machine gun section in the 387th infantry regiment of the 97th division, then returning to the States for leave when he heard of Japan's surrender. Then he was shipped to Japan to be part of the occupation force after the war. He ancedotes about having to search the woods in Czechoslovakia for werewolves, riding in boxcars, meeting Russians and German farmers, escorting German prisoners who surrendered to camps and trying to put out a barracks fire while in Japan.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ken Earman. Earman joined the Army Air Forces in 1943. He completed bombardier training, and provides some details of his experiences. As a first lieutenant, he served as an instructor teaching cadets at Big Spring Army Air Field in Texas. He was assigned to the 7th Air Force, 11th Bomb Group, 431st Squadron. In 1944 he flew over 40 combat missions in the Pacific Theater. He shares details of his missions and his experiences on Tawara, Kwajalein, Eniwetok and other Pacific islands. He later taught Chinese cadets at Big Spring in late 1944 into 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Roger A. Ashenbrenner. Ashenbrenner was born 7 June 1922 in Washington D.C. He enlisted in the Navy 15 August 1942. He went to boot camp in Newport, Rhode Island. After brief periods as an armed guard at the Naval War College, amphibious training at Little Creek, Virginia, and a trip to Brooklyn, New York to man a new destroyer, he was finally sent to the merchant ship Mormac Swan as a member of the Navy Armed Guard. Their duty was to man the 3" gun mounted on the bow of the ship. After one trip across the Atlantic, Ashenbrenner was assigned to the Henry A. Wiley (DM-29). In November 1944, the Wiley escorted the battleships Missouri (BB-63), Texas (BB-35), and Arkansas (BB-33), and two escort carriers from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Arriving at Pearl Harbor, she then escorted the New York (BB-34) to join the covering force for the invasion of Iwo Jima. While there, Ashenbrenner witnessed both the original flag raising on Mt. Suribachi and the second raising immortalized by Joe Rosenthal. Once Iwo Jima was secured, the Wiley went to Okinawa to sweep mines. Subsequently …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Henry Tackett. An avid radio hobbyist and proficient in Morse code as a teenager, Tackett joined the US Naval Communications Reserve in 1938. After the war began, he was called to active duty, and served as a Chief Petty Officer Radioman. He worked at two air stations in Pensacola, Florida, maintaining radio equipment on planes. Around mid-1942, Tackett completed Submarine Chaser Training and was assigned to the PC-600. In early 1943, he was assigned to the USS Heermann (DD-532). Tackett was involved in many of the major sea operations of WWII, including the Battle off Samar at Leyte Gulf, the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, the Philippines Campaign, the raids and bombardments of Eniwetok, the landing on Emirau, and the battles of Tarawa, Solomon Islands, Kwajalein, and Palau Islands. Tackett returned to the US and received his discharge in October 1945.

The National museum of the Pacific War presents an ortal interview with Lester Wineland. Wineland joined the Navy in 1944 after finishing high school. After basic training, Wineland reported aboard USS Pringle (DD-477) in San Francisco. He served asa radarman aboard the ship and suffered from no end of seasickness. He recalls the kamikaze attack at Mindoro and was transferred from the ship just prior to it sailing for Okinawa. Wineland reported to officer training school in Pennsylvania. He was there when the war ended. Rahter than take a commission, he chose to be discharged.

United States. Navy; World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Philippines--Luzon.; World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Japan--Okinawa Island; World War, 1939-1945--South Pacific.; LST-747

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ernest Andrus. Andrus joined the Navy in June of 1942. Beginning in November, he served as a medical corpsman in the sick bay aboard USS Rochambeau (AP-63), transporting troops throughout the Pacific islands. Around January of 1944, he transferred to the sick bay aboard USS LST-124 in New Caledonia. Andrus shares his experiences through the Battle of Tinian in July. They traveled to Guadalcanal for ferry duty, and provided transportation for supplies and men throughout the islands. Andrus left USS LST-124 in mid-1945 and went ashore in New Caledonia. He transferred back to the US around August, and recalls the celebration in the streets of downtown Los Angeles when the war ended. He received his discharge in December.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ralph Schultz. Schultz joined the Marine Corps in in late 1942. He completed radio/telephone school. He joined the 3rd Joint Assault Signal Company (JASCO), and was shipped to Guadalcanal and assigned to Headquarters 3rd Marine Division. In July of 1944, they participated in the Battle of Guam. As part of JASCO, Schultz helped coordinate and control naval gunfire and close air support of landings on the island. After receiving injury to his leg, he was shipped back to the US. He received his discharge in July of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Dale Perry. Perry joined the Navy at seventeen in August, 1943 before finishing high school. After basic training, he went to various schools to learn about torpedo operations before going to motor torpedo boat school in Rhode Island. He shipped to the Mediterranean Sea area and was assigned to PT-309. He shares several anectdotes about his time aboard the vessel. In 2020, Perry visiteed the museum and was allowed to go aboard his old boat one more time, PT-309.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Kenneth Smith. Smith joined the Navy and was in boot training when the war ended. After training, he was assigned to USS Rutland (APA-192). He recalls a few anecdotes about being aboard ship, seeing part of Japan and hauling troops home after the war. Smith shares some of his Christian testimony and entered the seminary after returning to college after the war.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Zayda Baron. Baron was born in 1933 in the Philippines. Her father, Leon Oreonez, was the captain of a guerrilla unit. When the Japanese came to her home looking for her father, she fled and was separated from her parents for some time. Eventually, her older brothers worked at resisting the Japanese. When the war ended, Baron returned to school. She comments on the conditions of the Filipino populace during the Japanese occupation.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles Carpenter. Carpenter served aboard USS South Dakota (BB-57), going aboard in early 1942. He was assigned to a 20mm gun. He shares several anecdotes about his experiences aboard the ship. He discusses the Battle of Santa Crus Islands and night action of Guadalcanal.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles Hutton. Hutton joined the Navy in late 1943. After basic training, Hutton went to hospital corpsman school, all at Great Lakes. He then went to Sampson Navy Hospital to serve as a neuropsychiatric technician. He then went to Guam before being assigned to the USS Relief (AH-1). He went to China aboard the ship with the First Marine Division after the war ended. On the return trip, Hutton had several liberated POWs as patients. He was discharged in May, 1946. LuCretea Hutton, his wife, joined the conversation and mentioned her work with the Federal Bureau of Investigation during the war. She worked in the fingerprint ID lab in Washington.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Archibald Rackerby. Rackerby joined the Marine Corps on 27 December 1941 and took basic training at San Diego. From there he went to officer’s training at Quantico and earned a commission in January 1943. At New Caledonia, Rackerby was assigned as a weapons platoon commander in the Third Raider Battalion. He was in combat on Bougainville but was injured in the neck in a training exercise on Guadalcanal in January, 1944. He was sent back to a hospital in the US. Upon recovery, he was sent to command a guard unit at a naval ordnance plant in Idaho. When the war ended, Rackerby stayed in the Reserves, retiring as a colonel.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Lynch. Lynch joined the Army in May of 1945. He completed basic training at Fort Hood, Texas in September. He learned how to drive Army trucks, and qualified as a marksman. In October, he was transferred to Fort Ord in California. Lynch shares details of his training, and his travels to and through California. He deployed to Nagasaki, Japan and served with the 32nd Infantry Division occupation forces. He returned to the US and received a discharge in October of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Paul Hatgil. Hatgil joined the Army Air Forces after working briefly in the defense industry. He received communications training and was assigned to the 505th Bombardment Group. On Tinian, he oversaw the teletype office adjacent to General Curtis LeMay. He recalls seeing the Enola Gay heavily guarded by Marines. Although at the time he was unaware of the atomic bomb, an important message arrived for LeMay, sent to the teletype machines by Colonel Paul Tibbets. Disobeying orders, Hatgil read the message, which was a recap of Tibbets’ instructions, specifically urging him to leave the target area as quickly as possible after dropping his bomb. When the war ended, Hatgil returned home and was discharged. Having spent much of his service decorating planes, sketching portraits, and painting murals in his free time, he enrolled in art school on the G.I. Bill and became a professor of art at the University of Texas. Hatgil kept a scrapbook of his wartime experience, including his artwork and several photos given to him by his unit’s official photographer.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Goolsby. Goolsby was born in Winters, Texas on 29 March 1922 and graduated from high school in 1939. Upon joining the Army in 1941, he underwent basic training at Fort Bliss, Texas. He was assigned to the Army Medical Corps and received training as a medical technician. In 1943 he was sent to Louisiana where he was trained in malaria control. After completion of the training he was assigned to an eleven-man Army Malaria Control Unit and sent to Oran, Algeria. He tells of the workings of the unit and how German prisoner were used to dig ditches for drainage of mosquito infested waters. He recalls that the members of the unit did not carry firearms and wore Red Cross arm bands to indicate they were medical personnel. His unit was then sent to Foggia, Italy and he tells of some of his experiences during his eighteen month stay. He returned to the United States during the latter part of 1945 and was discharged.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Raymond Bunfill. Bunfill went into the Army in September, 1944 and trained at Camp Fannin, Texas. He landed on Leyte in late March where he was assigned to the 108th Infantry Regiment, 40th Infantry Division. While in the Philippines, Bunfill served on Leyte, Mindanao and Panay during operations to clear Japanese resistance. When the war ended, he travelled with his unit to Korea for occupation duty. When the division was sent home in January, 1946, Bunfill did not have enough points so he stayed in Korea. Bunfill returned to the US in September, 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Irma L. Ashenbrenner. Ashenbrenner was born 26 September 1923 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She joined the WAVES in 1943. She attended boot camp at the U.S. Naval Training Center (WR) at Hunter College in the Bronx, New York. While at boot camp she attended radio classes. Following that she was sent for six months for more advanced instruction at the Navy Radio Training School at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. There she learned to copy Morse code. Now a Radioman 3rd Class, she was assigned to the Navy's wireless radio receiving station at Chatham, Massachusetts. There she copied intercepted coded messages from German submarines in the Atlantic. These were then transmitted to Washington, DC to be analyzed. When the war ended, Ashenbrenner was sent first to Seattle and then to San Diego to handle the paperwork involved in discharging Navy personnel. On Christmas Eve 1945 she boarded a train from San Diego to New York. She was discharged from the Navy 27 December 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Earl McWilliams. McWilliams joined the Army in October of 1944. He served as a BAR rifleman with the 25th Infantry Division, 27th Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Company G. McWilliams participated in the Philippines Campaign beginning April of 1945 through the end of the war. He served with occupation forces in Japan. McWilliams returned to the US and received his discharge in February of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Morris Hibbs. Hibbs joined the Marine Corps in November 1943 and received basic training in San Diego. He received field artillery instrument training at Camp Pendleton. Upon completion, he was sent to Hawaii. There he was reassigned to an antiaircraft unit on Kauai, serving as a cook. He was later stationed at a field kitchen on Okinawa, where he remained until the end of the war. Hibbs returned home and was discharged in December 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Neil Berghout. Berghout was born in Holland in 1926. He joined the Dutch resistance as a teenager, hiding downed American pilots and helping them return to England. When his identity was discovered by German officials, Berghout went into hiding in France. Members of the French resistance transported him to England, where he joined an armored division of the British Royal Army and participated in the Normandy invasion. After the war, his unit liberated a concentration camp. He then transferred to the Dutch Royal Army and served four years in Indonesia. In 1957 he became an intelligence instructor for the Dutch Royal Air Force.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Kenny. Kenny joined the Army Air Forces in August 1942. He completed airplane mechanic training at Dallas Aviation School in Texas, and gunnery school in Las Vegas, Nevada. Beginning I 1944, Kenny served as a B-17 Flight Engineer with the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron. They tracked weather in the North Atlantic between North America and Europe, benefitting the European Theater of Operations. Their squadron was coined the Hurricane Hunters. Kenny continued his service after the war ended, receiving his discharge in early 1946.