Oral History Interview with Jack Hensel, July 21, 2022 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Jack Hensel, July 21, 2022

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Jack Hensel. Hensel was drafted into the Navy in June 1943. He trained as an aerial gunner and was eventually assigned to a crew aboard an Avenger. In early 1945, he went aboard USS Franklin (CV-13). In March, when the Franklin was attacked, Hensel was blown overboard and eventually made it onto a raft before being rescued by USS Hickox (DD-673). He went to a hospital at Ulithi to recover from burns before heading back to the US. He was undergoing more training when the war ended.
Date: September 1, 2022
Creator: Metzler, Ed
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Walter Gallagher, July 21, 2022 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Walter Gallagher, July 21, 2022

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Walter Gallagher. Gallagher joined the Navy after quitting high school and trained in aviation ordnance. In May, 1944 he was assigned to USS Franklin (CV-13) where he would arm dive bombers. Gallagher describes an injury he sustained while loading bombs as well as various enemy attacks on the Franklin, including a kamikaze. He was aboard when the Japanese bombed the Franklin in March, 1945. Gallagher recalls the attack and was ordered to transfer to USS Santa Fe (CL-60). From there, Gallagher spent six months at Hawaii before going back to the US.
Date: August 30, 2022
Creator: Gallagher, Walter
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Jack Hensel, July 21, 2022 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Jack Hensel, July 21, 2022

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Jack Hensel. Hensel was drafted into the Navy in June 1943. He trained as an aerial gunner and was eventually assigned to a crew aboard an Avenger. In early 1945, he went aboard USS Franklin (CV-13). In March, when the Franklin was attacked, Hensel was blown overboard and eventually made it onto a raft before being rescued by USS Hickox (DD-673). He went to a hospital at Ulithi to recover from burns before heading back to the US. He was undergoing more training when the war ended.
Date: July 21, 2022
Creator: Metzler, Ed
Object Type: Video
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Jack Hensel, July 21, 2022 transcript

Oral History Interview with Jack Hensel, July 21, 2022

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Jack Hensel. Hensel was drafted into the Navy in June 1943. He trained as an aerial gunner and was eventually assigned to a crew aboard an Avenger. In early 1945, he went aboard USS Franklin (CV-13). In March, when the Franklin was attacked, Hensel was blown overboard and eventually made it onto a raft before being rescued by USS Hickox (DD-673). He went to a hospital at Ulithi to recover from burns before heading back to the US. He was undergoing more training when the war ended.
Date: July 21, 2022
Creator: Metzler, Ed
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Walter Gallagher, July 21, 2022 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Walter Gallagher, July 21, 2022

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Walter Gallagher. Gallagher joined the Navy after quitting high school and trained in aviation ordnance. In May, 1944 he was assigned to USS Franklin (CV-13) where he would arm dive bombers. Gallagher describes an injury he sustained while loading bombs as well as various enemy attacks on the Franklin, including a kamikaze. He was aboard when the Japanese bombed the Franklin in March, 1945. Gallagher recalls the attack and was ordered to transfer to USS Santa Fe (CL-60). From there, Gallagher spent six months at Hawaii before going back to the US.
Date: July 21, 2022
Creator: Gallagher, Walter
Object Type: Video
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Muriel Usselman, June 13, 2022 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Muriel Usselman, June 13, 2022

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Muriel Usselman. Usselman was a child living in Hawaii when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Her father worked as an electrician and the family lived on base. She recalls what she witnessed during the attack on 7 December as well as her experiences in the following days. She returned with her family to the Mainland in 1944.
Date: June 13, 2022
Creator: Usselman, Muriel
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Rose Dern, March 31, 2022 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Rose Dern, March 31, 2022

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Rose Dern. Dern enlisted in the WAVES and went to Madison Wisconsin to train in communications. After training, Dern was stationed close to home at Floyd Bennett Field in New York City. She then went to a communications station on Maui. Dern was discharged when the war ended.
Date: March 31, 2022
Creator: Dern, Rose
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with James Carnes, March 28, 2022 (open access)

Oral History Interview with James Carnes, March 28, 2022

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with James Carnes. Carnes joined the Navy in 1944 before he finished high school. In the Navy, he became a signalman and was assigned to USS Norton Sound (AVM-1). Carnes was aboard when the ship went to Okinawa, where he describes being attacked by kamikaze aircraft. When the war ended, Carnes went to Japan briefly before returning to the US and receiving his discharge.
Date: March 28, 2022
Creator: Carnes, James
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Robert Warren, March 28, 2022 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Robert Warren, March 28, 2022

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Warren. Warren was born in Frisco, Texas in February 1921. After graduating from high school, he attended Texas A&M participating in the ROTC program for two years. Upon graduation in 1942 he applied for a commission in the United States Army Air Forces and was accepted. After participating in various stages of flight training, he was assigned as a C-47 pilot. Flying the Northern Route over Greenland, he joined the 439th Troop Carrier Wing, 94th Squadron, 9th Air Force in England. He tells of being involved in Operation Market Garden and of crossing the Rhine, where he pulled Waco CG-4 gliders, and of the Battle of the Bulge where he hauled fuel for General Patton’s tanks.
Date: March 28, 2022
Creator: Warren, Robert
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Floyd Cox, February 7, 2022 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Floyd Cox, February 7, 2022

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Floyd C. Cox. He tells of organizing a group of volunteers to establish a formal oral history program. Cox also shares the growth of the program from an unorganized collection of less than 200 oral histories in 1999 to an organized and diversified collection of over 5000 stories in 2022. He tells of the progression from analog tape recordings to digital recordings and the advancement of making the collection available to the public through an online digital archive.
Date: February 7, 2022
Creator: Cox, Floyd C.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Floyd Cox, February 7, 2022 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Floyd Cox, February 7, 2022

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Floyd Cox concerning his recollections about the Great Depression and his life as a child during World War II. He recalls the family raising a victory garden and his participation in scrap iron drives. He also tells of the patriotism that existed in the United States and of being subjected to various forms of propaganda.
Date: February 7, 2022
Creator: Cox, Floyd
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Dean Caswell, December 8, 2021 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Dean Caswell, December 8, 2021

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Dean Caswell. Caswell volunteered for the Marine Corps two weeks prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. He eventually went to flight training before being assigned aboard USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) from which he flew Corsairs. Caswell made over 100 combat flights from Bunker Hill, eventually becoming an ace with Marine Fighter Squadron 221 (VMF-221). He shares on anecdote about getting seven enemy planes in one mission. He also shares anecdotes from throughout his long career in the Marine Corps.
Date: December 8, 2021
Creator: Caswell, Dean
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with George Burnet, March 16, 2021 (open access)

Oral History Interview with George Burnet, March 16, 2021

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with George Burnet. He discusses his childhood growing up during the Great Depression and what led him to join the chemical warfare service of the US Army. He describes all the different training camps he was sent to around the US and eventually being deployed in the Pacific Theatre during World War Two.
Date: March 16, 2021
Creator: Burnet, George & Misenhimer, Richard
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with George Burnet, March 16, 2021 transcript

Oral History Interview with George Burnet, March 16, 2021

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with George Burnet. He discusses his childhood growing up during the Great Depression and what led him to join the chemical warfare service of the US Army. He describes all the different training camps he was sent to around the US and eventually being deployed in the Pacific Theatre during World War Two.
Date: March 16, 2021
Creator: Burnet, George & Misenhimer, Richard
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Beverly Bagley, May 3, 2018 transcript

Oral History Interview with Beverly Bagley, May 3, 2018

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Beverly Bagley of Fullerton, California. She discusses where she was when Pearl Harbor was bombed and recalls hearing President Roosevelt's speech about the incident. Mrs. Bagley also talks about how her father wanted to volunteer for the military, but her mother refused to sign off on it, so he was barred from joining the war. Mrs. Bagley recalls having to save everything from aluminum cans to chewing gum wrappers and the war time rationing that occurred. She also recounts her time spent in the hospital during the war, in 1943, due to Polio. Mrs. Bagley tells the interviewer that there was no celebration when Germany surrendered, but there was one when the bombs were dropped over Japan and the peace treaty signed, signifying the real end of World War 2. She also talks about her cousins and her husband who were enlisted in the U.S. Navy.
Date: May 3, 2018
Creator: Bagley, Beverly Kolman
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Beverly Bagley, May 3, 2018 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Beverly Bagley, May 3, 2018

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Beverly Bagley of Fullerton, California. She discusses where she was when Pearl Harbor was bombed and recalls hearing President Roosevelt's speech about the incident. Mrs. Bagley also talks about how her father wanted to volunteer for the military, but her mother refused to sign off on it, so he was barred from joining the war. Mrs. Bagley recalls having to save everything from aluminum cans to chewing gum wrappers and the war time rationing that occurred. She also recounts her time spent in the hospital during the war, in 1943, due to Polio. Mrs. Bagley tells the interviewer that there was no celebration when Germany surrendered, but there was one when the bombs were dropped over Japan and the peace treaty signed, signifying the real end of World War 2. She also talks about her cousins and her husband who were enlisted in the U.S. Navy.
Date: May 3, 2018
Creator: Bagley, Beverly Kolman
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Jack M. Lyons, April 27, 2018 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Jack M. Lyons, April 27, 2018

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Jack M. Lyons. He discusses his childhood and growing up during the Great Depression and what led him to join the Us Naval Aviation program. He describes his experiences in flight school, basic training and fighting in the Pacific Theatre during World War Two.
Date: April 27, 2018
Creator: Lyons, Jack M. & Misenhimer, Richard
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Jack M. Lyons, April 27, 2018 transcript

Oral History Interview with Jack M. Lyons, April 27, 2018

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Jack M. Lyons. He discusses his childhood and growing up during the Great Depression and what led him to join the Us Naval Aviation program. He describes his experiences in flight school, basic training and fighting in the Pacific Theatre during World War Two.
Date: April 27, 2018
Creator: Lyons, Jack M. & Misenhimer, Richard
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Marvin Lee Dunlap, April 26, 2018 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Marvin Lee Dunlap, April 26, 2018

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Marvin Lee Dunlap. He discusses his family and childhood growing up during the Great Depression and what led him to join the US Navy. He describes his experiences in bootcamp and fighting in the Pacific Theatre on the USS Duluth during World War Two.
Date: April 26, 2018
Creator: Dunlap, Marvin Lee & Misenhimer, Richard
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Marvin Lee Dunlap, April 26, 2018 transcript

Oral History Interview with Marvin Lee Dunlap, April 26, 2018

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Marvin Lee Dunlap. He discusses his family and childhood growing up during the Great Depression and what led him to join the US Navy. He describes his experiences in bootcamp and fighting in the Pacific Theatre on the USS Duluth during World War Two.
Date: April 26, 2018
Creator: Dunlap, Marvin Lee & Misenhimer, Richard
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Charles H. Tucker, April 18, 2017 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Charles H. Tucker, April 18, 2017

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles H. Tucker from Orange, California. He discusses volunteering for the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943 and going to basic training in Miami Beach, Florida, then going to Aircraft Armament School in Buckley Field, Colorado, and finally air gunnery school in Fort Myers, Florida. In air gunnery school, Mr. Tucker learned to shoot in B-17 by shooting into the Gulf of Mexico. After gunnery school he was sent to the B-25 crew training at Columbia, South Carolina for 5 months. After Mr. Tucker completed his training, he was transferred to Dacca to a B-25 base and joined the 10th Air Force, the 12th Bomb Group. When he arrived his crew pilots were reassigned, and Mr. Tucker was not able to fly much until he was assigned to a regular crew again. Mr. Tucker was put in the 729th bomb squadron tasked with supporting the British 14th Army against the Japanese forces in Burma. The campaign he was involved in ended in May 1945 with the capture of Rangoon, the main city of Burma and Mr. tucker was in one of the squadron planes that flew over the …
Date: April 18, 2017
Creator: Tucker, Charles H.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Charles H. Tucker, April 18, 2017 transcript

Oral History Interview with Charles H. Tucker, April 18, 2017

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles H. Tucker from Orange, California. He discusses volunteering for the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943 and going to basic training in Miami Beach, Florida, then going to Aircraft Armament School in Buckley Field, Colorado, and finally air gunnery school in Fort Myers, Florida. In air gunnery school, Mr. Tucker learned to shoot in B-17 by shooting into the Gulf of Mexico. After gunnery school he was sent to the B-25 crew training at Columbia, South Carolina for 5 months. After Mr. Tucker completed his training, he was transferred to Dacca to a B-25 base and joined the 10th Air Force, the 12th Bomb Group. When he arrived his crew pilots were reassigned, and Mr. Tucker was not able to fly much until he was assigned to a regular crew again. Mr. Tucker was put in the 729th bomb squadron tasked with supporting the British 14th Army against the Japanese forces in Burma. The campaign he was involved in ended in May 1945 with the capture of Rangoon, the main city of Burma and Mr. tucker was in one of the squadron planes that flew over the …
Date: April 18, 2017
Creator: Tucker, Charles H.
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Robert W. Pratt, August 17, 2016 transcript

Oral History Interview with Robert W. Pratt, August 17, 2016

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert W. Pratt. He discusses his family and his childhood growing up during the great depression. He describes his time in midshipmen's school and his experiences fighting in the Pacific Theatre of World War Two.
Date: August 17, 2016
Creator: Pratt, Robert W. & Misenhimer, Richard
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Robert W. Pratt, August 17, 2016 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Robert W. Pratt, August 17, 2016

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert W. Pratt. He discusses his family and his childhood growing up during the great depression. He describes his time in midshipmen's school and his experiences fighting in the Pacific Theatre of World War Two.
Date: August 17, 2016
Creator: Pratt, Robert W. & Misenhimer, Richard
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History