Resource Type

Oral History Interview with Ralph L. Cerny, September 18, 2000

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Interview with Army veteran Ralph L. Cerny. The interview includes Cerny's personal experiences about being a combat infantryman in the Southwest Pacific Theater during World War II, joining the Illinois National Guard, federalization of the Illinois National Guard, training at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, shipping to Camp Darwin, Australia, and combat around Mount Austen on Guadalcanal. Additionally, Cerny talks about the formation of the American Division and landings at New Caledonia, transferring of the division to Guadalcanal, the fate of Japanese prisoners-of-war, evacuation to the Fiji islands for rest and recuperation, landings on Bougainville, patrol and reconnaissance activities on Bougainville, his rotation back to the States, stateside duty as a drill instructor at Fort McClellan, and his postwar career.
Date: September 18, 2000
Creator: Lane, Peter B. & Cerny, Ralph L.
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Murray Daniel, March 1, 2000

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Interview with Navy veteran Murray Daniel. The interview includes Daniel's personal experiences about the light cruiser USS Helena, the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor, the antiaircraft cruiser Reno in the Pacific Theater during World War II, boot camp, the peacetime Navy, the immediate aftermath of the Japanese attack, various naval engagements around the Solomon Islands, the sinking of the Helena in the Kula Gulf, a kamikaze hit and torpedoing to the Reno, and postwar effects of his experiences in World War II.
Date: March 1, 2000
Creator: Marcello, Ronald E. & Daniel, Murray
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Carl Gorman, October 9, 1994

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Interview with Marine Corps veteran Carl Gorman. The interview includes Gorman's personal experiences as a Navajo code talker with the 2nd Marines on Guadacanal, Tarawa, and Saipan.
Date: October 9, 1994
Creator: Christman, Calvin & Gorman, Carl
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Lanson B. Ditto, October 11, 1996

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Interview with Lanson B. Ditto, clothier and Navy veteran regarding personal experiences about the Pacific, Atlantic, and Mediterranean Theaters during World War II. Ditto talks about his education, enlistment in the Navy V-7 Program, midshipman training, assignment to the USS Langley, pre-war duty in the Philippines, coming of war and combat around the Philippines and Netherlands East Indies, the sinking of the Langley and his transfer to the USS Pecos, the sinking of the Pecos and his rescue by the USS Whipple, various naval battles and assignments, antisubmarine patrols off the Solomons, various escort duties, and his promotion to captain of the O'Toole.
Date: October 11, 1996
Creator: Alexander, William J. & Ditto, Lanson B.
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Elijah Collins, Jr., December 6, 2001

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Interview with Navy veteran Elijah Collins Jr. The interview includes Collins' personal experiences while aboard the destroyer USS Blue during the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Collins also talks about the Battle of Savo Island and the sinking of the Blue.
Date: December 6, 2001
Creator: Alexander, William J. & Collins, Elijah, Jr.
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Strimple C. Coyle, Aprill 22, 1994

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Interview with Sergeant Major Strimple C. ("Jim") Coyle, a Marine Corps veteran, concerning his experiences Ewa Field with VMF-211 (Marine Fighter Squadron 211) during the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Date: April 22, 1994
Creator: Marcello, Ronald E. & Coyle, Strimple C.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Lyle Specht, May 3, 1993

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Interview with Lyle Specht, a Marine Corps veteran, concerning his combat experiences with the 6th Marines at Guadalcanal, Tarawa, and Okinawa in the Pacific Theater during World War II.
Date: May 3, 1993
Creator: Byrd, Richard & Specht, Lyle
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Geoffrey Bryson Fisken, May 1, 1993

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Interview with Geoffrey Fisken, a veteran of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, concerning his experiences as a combat pilot in the Royal New Zealand Air Force in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Fisken discusses the fall of Singapore, Guadalcanal operations, air combat against Japanese Zeros, and his release from duty in December of 1943.
Date: May 1, 1993
Creator: Daniels, John & Fisken, Geoffrey Bryson
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Baine P. Kerr, May 4, 1993

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Interview with Baine Kerr, an attorney and Marine Corps veteran, concerning his combat experiences with the 3rd Marine Division in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Kerr discusses Guadacanal, his machine gun wound at Guadacanal, Kwajalein, Saipan, and his assignment to a legal office at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
Date: May 4, 1993
Creator: Daniels, John & Kerr, Baine P.
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Anna K. Schelper, October 24, 2007

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Interview with Major Anna K. Schelper, a Army WWII veteran from San Antonio, Texas. Schelper discusses her parents, growing up, her education and becoming a nurse, joining the Army Nurse Corps, experiences serving throughout the Pacific Theater, service in hospitals after the war, continued education and promoting, and reflections on her career and being a servicewoman. In appendix are Schelper's Army service record, a letter from two former patients to the 23rd Field Hospital, a scan of some of her letters which were printed in a book, and a scan of some sections from The Army Nurse Corps: Yesterday and Today by Mary M. Roberts.
Date: October 24, 2007
Creator: Quick, Janice & Schelper, Anna K.
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Dave C. Sanford, February 25, 1999

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Interview with Dave C. Sanford, a Army WWII veteran from Carter, South Dakota, who served as a mortarman in the 37th Infantry Division. Sanford discusses growing up, his experiences in the Great Depression, being drafted and training, the New Georgia, Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and Philippine campaigns, being wounded and discharged, and life afterwards.
Date: February 25, 1999
Creator: Alexander, William J. & Sanford, Dave C.
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with George Gowen, May 3, 1993

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Interview with George Gowen, a Navy veteran, concerning his experiences aboard the destroyer Chevalier during the Battle of Vella Lavella in January 1943 in the Pacific Theater during World War II, and his naval career after World War II.
Date: May 3, 1993
Creator: Byrd, Richard & Gowen, George
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with John C. ("Jack") Fitch, March 19, 1995

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Fitch begins with a summary of the naval career of his father, Admiral Aubrey Fitch. Fitch joined the Navy in early 1942. He was assigned to the USS Wasp (CV-7) just before it sank, then to the USS Hornet (CV-8) just before it sank. He was finally assigned to CASU-3 and sent to Guadalcanal. He reflects on what it was like for him in the service while having a high-ranking father. In April, 1943, Fitch transferred aboard the USS Nicholas (DD-449). Fitch shares several anecdotes of his experiences aboard the Nicholas while engaged in the fight around the Solomon Islands and in the Slot. During the Battle of Kula Gulf, Fitch went aboard a whaleboat and rescued survivors from the USS Helena (CL-50). Fitch attended a gunnery school at Noumea before reporting aboard the USS La Vallette (DD-448) in October 1943. He describes being at the Marshall Islands invasion. In July 1944 Fitch returned to the US and put the USS Benner (DD-807) into commission. He recalls battling kamikazes while aboard the Benner on station off the coast of Japan toward the end of the war. Fitch returned to the US and was discharged in May 1946. Includes an appendix …
Date: March 19, 1995
Creator: Marcello, Ronald E. & Fitch, John C.
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Norman Benedict, May 7, 1996

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Interview with Norman Benedict, a Navy veteran, concerning his experiences as an engineering officer with Submarine Division 46 and Submarine Division 106 in the Pacific Theater while stationed at Pearl Harbor during World War II. Assignment to the USS Cuttlefish, 1941; transfer to the Engineering and Repair Department, Pearl Harbor, 1942, as a division engineer; comments about submarine maintenance, repair, and modernization.
Date: May 7, 1996
Creator: Maglaughlin, Barry & Benedict, Norman
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with William Coffey, May 20, 1996

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Interview with William Coffey, a Navy WWII veteran from Hopkins County, Texas. Coffey discusses joining the Navy in 1937, boot camp in San Diego, service aboard the USS Oklahoma (BB-37), transfer to submarines in the Philippines, the bombing of Cavite Navy Yard at the start of the war, assignment to the S-41 as a cook, combat around the Solomon Islands, attaining submarine qualifications, patrolling the northern Pacific, the character of the crew, transfer to the USS Sterlet (SS-392), patrols, medical leave, and service postwar.
Date: May 20, 1998
Creator: Maglaughlin, Barry & Coffey, William
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Lloyd C. Cross, April 9, 1997

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Interview with Lloyd C. Cross, a Navy veteran, concerning his experiences while aboard the submarines USS S-45 USS Sunfish, USS Spearfish, USS Pogy in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Pre-war duty aboard the USS California and the heavy cruiser USS Vincennes, 1935-39; Submarine School, New London, Connecticut, 1940; his responsibilities as a fireman; various patrols in the Sea of Japan.
Date: April 9, 1997
Creator: Maglaughlin, Barry & Cross, Lloyd C.
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library