The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Solis. Solis served in the Civilian Conservation Corps from 1939-1941, helping build fences and trails. He joined the Navy in September of 1942. He completed gunnery school, and aircraft recognition training. He was assigned at Barber???s Point in Oahu. He flew aboard the Grumman TBF torpedo bomber and trained as an air crewman. In November of 1944 he was assigned to Composite Squadron 83 (VC-83). They served aboard the USS Sargent Bay (CVE-83. In February of 1945 they began flying combat missions off the carrier over Iwo Jima. From there they participated in the Battle of Okinawa. They arrived back to the U.S. in July of 1945. He was assigned to the Naval Air Technical Training Center for Advanced Combat Air Crewman School, then to the Naval Air Gunnery School for Advanced Gunnery. He was then assigned to Fleet Air Wing 11 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Solis was discharged in September of 1948.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John G. Solis of Irving, Texas. He discusses enlisting in the U.S. Navy on September 17, 1942, and was sent to the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas for bootcamp. In bootcamp Mr. Solis talks about learning to shoot rifles by shooting clay pigeons and presentations held to teach how to identify enemy aircraft. While learning to fly, Mr. Solis was assigned to Bombing Squadron 1. In 1944 Mr. Solis ended up with the Torpedo Squadron 100 flying torpedo planes in Oahu, Hawaii. His squadron never saw combat, but he did witness U.S. ships getting destroyed by Kamikaze planes during the Okinawa invasion. He helped in some Naval strikes in Japan from March to June of 1945 before returning to the states for leave. Mr. Solis was still at home on leave when the war officially ended, and he was discharged on September 14th of 1948 due to signing up for a 6-year contract instead of the normal 4-year one.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John G. Solis of Irving, Texas. He discusses enlisting in the U.S. Navy on September 17, 1942, and was sent to the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas for bootcamp. In bootcamp Mr. Solis talks about learning to shoot rifles by shooting clay pigeons and presentations held to teach how to identify enemy aircraft. While learning to fly, Mr. Solis was assigned to Bombing Squadron 1. In 1944 Mr. Solis ended up with the Torpedo Squadron 100 flying torpedo planes in Oahu, Hawaii. His squadron never saw combat, but he did witness U.S. ships getting destroyed by Kamikaze planes during the Okinawa invasion. He helped in some Naval strikes in Japan from March to June of 1945 before returning to the states for leave. Mr. Solis was still at home on leave when the war officially ended, and he was discharged on September 14th of 1948 due to signing up for a 6-year contract instead of the normal 4-year one.