The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Jack Butler. Butler joined the Army in March of 1943. He volunteered to join the paratroopers and completed jump school in Fort Benning, Georgia. In June of 1944 he traveled to Sicily. In August he was assigned to Head Quarters Company 509th, Parachute Infantry Regiment. They traveled to Naples where he served in a machine gun squad. They moved on to southern France, then on to Belgium where their job was to hold a cross road in Manhay. Butler shares his experiences through combat with the Germans, working under the commanding officer General James Gavin and fighting in extreme cold weather conditions. Their battalion defended a 7 mile stretch of terrain between Soy and Hutton, beating off repeated attacks by the German 2nd SS Panzer Division. He returned to England in March of 1945 and was discharged in August.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Arthur R. Weller. Weller begins with a brief biography and then an account of his father's actions as Commanding Officer aboard the USS Wasp (CV-18) that resulted in the award of the Navy Cross. Weller attended the University of California, Berkeley, and enrolled inthe Navy's V-12 program. His first assignment upon commissioning was at Fort Pierce, Florida teaching sailors to operate landing craft. At Fort Pierce, Weller volunteered for Underwater Demolition Team (UDT) training. In late 1944, Weller shipped out to Hawaii for more training and then boarded the USS Bates (APD-47) for a ride to Iwo Jima. He was assigned to UDT-12. Weller describes his duties and experiences at Iwo Jima. After the battle, Weller was transferred to the USS Iowa (BB-61). Aboard the Iowa, Weller served as a gunnery officer. He was aboard the Iowa in Tokyo Bay during the surrender ceremony and observed it through his gunsights. Weller also describes going ashore in Tokyo as a shore patrolman and as a tourist on liberty.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joan F. Weller. Weller begins with an account of her father's career in the Navy and her experiences growing up and moving from station to station all over the US. During her high school years , she spent time in San Diego and Honolulu. She was present on Oahu when Pearl Harbor was attacked. She proceeds to read a speech she delivered to high school mates of hers in San Diego shortly after she was evacuated back to the US mainland. In the speech she describes her impressions of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Weller then describes her activities as a college student during the war.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joe Elkington. Elkington joined the Navy in April of 1942. He trained in fire control and radar in San Diego. He was assigned to the USS Chicago (CA-29). His job aboard was fire control. Their ship was in the Pacific, at New Caledonia and Guadalcanal. The Chicago sank in 1943 and Elkington gives detail of this event. He also served aboard the USS Helena (CL-50) and traveled to the Solomon Islands. His job aboard was lookout and operating a searchlight. He describes his experiences aboard this ship, and the events of its sinking. Three of the five battles he was in include the Battle of Kula Gulf, the Battle of Leyte Gulf and the Battle of Surigao Strait. He was discharged in December of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Clarence Bohanan. Bohanan joined the Army in December, 1943 and trained in San Antonio. Once he was assigned to the 724th Railway Operating Battalion, his unit was rushed to France after the invasion of Normandy. He shares several anecdotes about his time in France. He also recalls operating during the Battle of the Bulge and after the war during the occupation. Bohanan was discharged in April 1946 and stayed in Germany working for a decade.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents and oral interview with Charles Liapes. Liapes was born in Newburg, New York 27 November 1921. Five of his brothers were in the service during World War II. Three were wounded and all returned home. In November 1942, Liapes volunteered for the Army and went to Fort McClelland for basic training. Upon completion of basic he traveled to England aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth (R-08) to attend a British Commando school. Completing the commando training he returned to the United States and volunteered for the paratroopers. He was assigned to the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. In May 1944 he made five jumps on three successive days to quickly qualify as a paratrooper. On 6 June 1944 he participated in Operation Overlord by jumping over France. He describes the action during and after the jump, seeing comrades and German soldiers killed. He also describes destroying a German tank during the battle of Sainte-Mere-Eglise. He was wounded but recovered prior to participating in Operation Market Garden. Soon after landing he was seriously wounded and sent to a hospital in England. From there he went to the military hospital in Framingham, Massachusetts and …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Norman DeReese. DeReese joined the Army in January 1942. He was assigned to the 18th Field Artillery and served in the headquarters battalion in communications. He went with his unit to England in early 1943 for further training prior to the Normandy invasion. He landed at Normandy in early July. DeReese's unit was unattached to any larger unit. Instead, his artillery brigade was attached temporarily to several different units throughout the campaign in Western Europe. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge. When the war ended, DeReese was shipped home and was discharged in November, 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Trenton Fowler. Fowler grew up in Corpus Christi and enlisted into the Marine Corps in 1943. Once he finished training, he was assigned to the 4th Marine Raider Battalion and shipped out on the French transport ship Rochambeau to New Caledonia. From there he went to Guadalcanal for training and then to the Emirau, Guam, and Okinawa campaigns, with stops at Guadalcanal in between each campaign. Fowler discusses the pros and cons of the Browning Automatic Rifle versus the M-1 Garand. He tells of the change of his unit's name from the 4th Battalion Raiders to the 6th Marine Division, before he went to Okinawa. He relates the experience of finding out his brother, a fellow Marine, had died at Iwo Jima.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joe Elkington. Elkington joined the Navy in April of 1942. He trained in fire control and radar in San Diego. He was assigned to the USS Chicago (CA-29). His job aboard was fire control. Their ship was in the Pacific, at New Caledonia and Guadalcanal. The Chicago sank in 1943 and Elkington gives detail of this event. He also served aboard the USS Helena (CL-50) and traveled to the Solomon Islands. His job aboard was lookout and operating a searchlight. He describes his experiences aboard this ship, and the events of its sinking. Three of the five battles he was in include the Battle of Kula Gulf, the Battle of Leyte Gulf and the Battle of Surigao Strait. He was discharged in December of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Clarence Bohanan. Bohanan joined the Army in December, 1943 and trained in San Antonio. Once he was assigned to the 724th Railway Operating Battalion, his unit was rushed to France after the invasion of Normandy. He shares several anecdotes about his time in France. He also recalls operating during the Battle of the Bulge and after the war during the occupation. Bohanan was discharged in April 1946 and stayed in Germany working for a decade.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ralph Robinson. Robinson was born in Little Rock, Arkansas 1 September 1919. After graduating from high school in 1937, he began taking evening classes at the University of Houston and continued to do so through 1941. In 1940 he was hired by General Geophysical Company in Houston to work in the laboratory. In 1942 he began working with the Carnegie Institute of Washington, DC in the Terrestrial Magnetism Department. He recalls that the Defense Research Council was established to encourage various universities and scientists to coordinate research and develop devices of war. A special department and section was established for development of the proximity fuze. He tells of the intricacies of proximity sensitive objects and discusses in detail the development and testing of the proximity fuze and delivery mechanism. After the successful tests aboard the USS Cleveland utilizing the fuze against drone aircraft, it was introduced to the Pacific Fleet in 1943. The proximity fuze was first used in the European Theater during the invasion of Sicily. Robinson relates how the fuze was effectively used during the Battle of the Bulge and how the British used the fuze …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Arthur R. Weller. Weller begins with a brief biography and then an account of his father's actions as Commanding Officer aboard the USS Wasp (CV-18) that resulted in the award of the Navy Cross. Weller attended the University of California, Berkeley, and enrolled inthe Navy's V-12 program. His first assignment upon commissioning was at Fort Pierce, Florida teaching sailors to operate landing craft. At Fort Pierce, Weller volunteered for Underwater Demolition Team (UDT) training. In late 1944, Weller shipped out to Hawaii for more training and then boarded the USS Bates (APD-47) for a ride to Iwo Jima. He was assigned to UDT-12. Weller describes his duties and experiences at Iwo Jima. After the battle, Weller was transferred to the USS Iowa (BB-61). Aboard the Iowa, Weller served as a gunnery officer. He was aboard the Iowa in Tokyo Bay during the surrender ceremony and observed it through his gunsights. Weller also describes going ashore in Tokyo as a shore patrolman and as a tourist on liberty.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joan F. Weller. Weller begins with an account of her father's career in the Navy and her experiences growing up and moving from station to station all over the US. During her high school years , she spent time in San Diego and Honolulu. She was present on Oahu when Pearl Harbor was attacked. She proceeds to read a speech she delivered to high school mates of hers in San Diego shortly after she was evacuated back to the US mainland. In the speech she describes her impressions of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Weller then describes her activities as a college student during the war.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Jack Butler. Butler joined the Army in March of 1943. He volunteered to join the paratroopers and completed jump school in Fort Benning, Georgia. In June of 1944 he traveled to Sicily. In August he was assigned to Head Quarters Company 509th, Parachute Infantry Regiment. They traveled to Naples where he served in a machine gun squad. They moved on to southern France, then on to Belgium where their job was to hold a cross road in Manhay. Butler shares his experiences through combat with the Germans, working under the commanding officer General James Gavin and fighting in extreme cold weather conditions. Their battalion defended a 7 mile stretch of terrain between Soy and Hutton, beating off repeated attacks by the German 2nd SS Panzer Division. He returned to England in March of 1945 and was discharged in August.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Norman DeReese. DeReese joined the Army in January 1942. He was assigned to the 18th Field Artillery and served in the headquarters battalion in communications. He went with his unit to England in early 1943 for further training prior to the Normandy invasion. He landed at Normandy in early July. DeReese's unit was unattached to any larger unit. Instead, his artillery brigade was attached temporarily to several different units throughout the campaign in Western Europe. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge. When the war ended, DeReese was shipped home and was discharged in November, 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents and oral interview with Charles Liapes. Liapes was born in Newburg, New York 27 November 1921. Five of his brothers were in the service during World War II. Three were wounded and all returned home. In November 1942, Liapes volunteered for the Army and went to Fort McClelland for basic training. Upon completion of basic he traveled to England aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth (R-08) to attend a British Commando school. Completing the commando training he returned to the United States and volunteered for the paratroopers. He was assigned to the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. In May 1944 he made five jumps on three successive days to quickly qualify as a paratrooper. On 6 June 1944 he participated in Operation Overlord by jumping over France. He describes the action during and after the jump, seeing comrades and German soldiers killed. He also describes destroying a German tank during the battle of Sainte-Mere-Eglise. He was wounded but recovered prior to participating in Operation Market Garden. Soon after landing he was seriously wounded and sent to a hospital in England. From there he went to the military hospital in Framingham, Massachusetts and …

Letter from Joe to his wife Catherine discussing the mail service, apologizing for not telling her the name of their plane, being glad that Catherine received the shirt and necklace he sent her, and hoping that Elaine will be able to stay with Catherine again.

Letter from Catherine to her husband Joe discussing news from home, including that Gale died December 27, playing bridge with friends, Joe being featured in the newspaper, and their new dog, Trailer, chewing up the coffee table.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Trenton Fowler. Fowler grew up in Corpus Christi and enlisted into the Marine Corps in 1943. Once he finished training, he was assigned to the 4th Marine Raider Battalion and shipped out on the French transport ship Rochambeau to New Caledonia. From there he went to Guadalcanal for training and then to the Emirau, Guam, and Okinawa campaigns, with stops at Guadalcanal in between each campaign. Fowler discusses the pros and cons of the Browning Automatic Rifle versus the M-1 Garand. He tells of the change of his unit's name from the 4th Battalion Raiders to the 6th Marine Division, before he went to Okinawa. He relates the experience of finding out his brother, a fellow Marine, had died at Iwo Jima.