The National Museum of the pacific War presents an oral interview with Justin Bible. Bible joined the Army and went to radio school in California before being assigned to the 593rd Joint Assault Signal Company (JASCO). He landed in the Philippines (Leyte and Luzon) with the unit and shares a few anecdotes. He also went to Okinawa. Bible returned to the US in late 1945.

The National Museum of the pacific War presents an oral interview with Justin Bible. Bible joined the Army and went to radio school in California before being assigned to the 593rd Joint Assault Signal Company (JASCO). He landed in the Philippines (Leyte and Luzon) with the unit and shares a few anecdotes. He also went to Okinawa. Bible returned to the US in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Eugene Conklin. Conklin was born on 4 December 1923 in Chanute, Kansas. After graduating from high school he attended junior college and participated in the Civilian Pilot Training Program. Soon after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he entered the Naval Aviator Cadet program. After taking primary training at Norman, Oklahoma he was sent to Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, Texas for advanced training. Upon graduation he was sent to Daytona Beach where he began flying the SBD dive bomber. After six months of training in the SBD he was assigned to Air Group sixteen aboard the USS Lexington (CV-16). He tells of attacking various islands in the Pacific and his participation the Battle of the Philippine Sea. He admired for Admiral Mitscher for turning on the carrier lights, thus allowing many of the returning pilots, including Conklin, to make a night landing. He began flying an F6F Wildcat on photo missions over assigned targets, before and after bombing raids, to ascertain the damage. After a cessation of hostilities was announced, he and three other pilots were assigned the responsibility of photographing Tokyo to facilitate dropping supplies to …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Eugene Conklin. Conklin was born on 4 December 1923 in Chanute, Kansas. After graduating from high school he attended junior college and participated in the Civilian Pilot Training Program. Soon after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he entered the Naval Aviator Cadet program. After taking primary training at Norman, Oklahoma he was sent to Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, Texas for advanced training. Upon graduation he was sent to Daytona Beach where he began flying the SBD dive bomber. After six months of training in the SBD he was assigned to Air Group sixteen aboard the USS Lexington (CV-16). He tells of attacking various islands in the Pacific and his participation the Battle of the Philippine Sea. He admired for Admiral Mitscher for turning on the carrier lights, thus allowing many of the returning pilots, including Conklin, to make a night landing. He began flying an F6F Wildcat on photo missions over assigned targets, before and after bombing raids, to ascertain the damage. After a cessation of hostilities was announced, he and three other pilots were assigned the responsibility of photographing Tokyo to facilitate dropping supplies to …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Harold Mercer. Mercer joined the Navy in October of 1943. He was assigned to the gunnery division aboard the USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95). They transported Marine pilots and their planes to Hawaii. Mercer’s job aboard was ensuring that the 40mm and 20mm guns were in good working order. He describes the guns and how he operated them. They participated in the invasion of Leyte Gulf and Luzon, and he talks about their carrier having several near misses with kamikaze planes. He provides some detail of the flight deck and the catapult to launch the planes. He describes briefly his initiation in becoming a shellback. In February of 1945 they were 20 miles from Iwo Jima and Mercer describes in detail their experiences after getting hit by a kamikaze plane and the carrier sinking. After that he was stationed in California for 15 months and was discharged in the summer of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Harold Mercer. Mercer joined the Navy in October of 1943. He was assigned to the gunnery division aboard the USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95). They transported Marine pilots and their planes to Hawaii. Mercer’s job aboard was ensuring that the 40mm and 20mm guns were in good working order. He describes the guns and how he operated them. They participated in the invasion of Leyte Gulf and Luzon, and he talks about their carrier having several near misses with kamikaze planes. He provides some detail of the flight deck and the catapult to launch the planes. He describes briefly his initiation in becoming a shellback. In February of 1945 they were 20 miles from Iwo Jima and Mercer describes in detail their experiences after getting hit by a kamikaze plane and the carrier sinking. After that he was stationed in California for 15 months and was discharged in the summer of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Archie Roberts. Roberts joined the Army in 1943. He was trained on the 240mm howitzer, and worked in the command center of the artillery operation in the 270th Field Artillery Battalion. They deployed to England, and participated in the pre-invasion of Normandy in June of 1944. They advanced into Belgium, participating in the Battle of the Bulge. Roberts returned to the US and was discharged in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Archie Roberts. Roberts joined the Army in 1943. He was trained on the 240mm howitzer, and worked in the command center of the artillery operation in the 270th Field Artillery Battalion. They deployed to England, and participated in the pre-invasion of Normandy in June of 1944. They advanced into Belgium, participating in the Battle of the Bulge. Roberts returned to the US and was discharged in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Jim Roby. Roby was born in Nocona, Texas on 17 June 1927. After graduating from high school in Cunningham, Texas he signed up for the Army Specialized Training Reserve Program. Upon entering the program he was sent to Las Cruses, New Mexico for training. The program was terminated shortly thereafter and he was sent to Wichita Falls, Texas for basic training. In 1946, following basic training, he was assigned as a teletype operator with US Army Signal Corps. He was sent to Guam where he supervised the fixed communication facility with a personnel crew of fourteen. He describes the purpose and workings of the radio-teletype unit. While on Guam, it was struck by a typhoon and he describes the storm and its aftermath. War crimes trials were held on Guam during 1946 and Roby attended some of these trials. Returning to the United States in 1947 he became a commissioned officer after attending Officers Candidate School. He concludes the interview by telling of his career in the United States Air Force until his retirement in 1972.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Jim Roby. Roby was born in Nocona, Texas on 17 June 1927. After graduating from high school in Cunningham, Texas he signed up for the Army Specialized Training Reserve Program. Upon entering the program he was sent to Las Cruses, New Mexico for training. The program was terminated shortly thereafter and he was sent to Wichita Falls, Texas for basic training. In 1946, following basic training, he was assigned as a teletype operator with US Army Signal Corps. He was sent to Guam where he supervised the fixed communication facility with a personnel crew of fourteen. He describes the purpose and workings of the radio-teletype unit. While on Guam, it was struck by a typhoon and he describes the storm and its aftermath. War crimes trials were held on Guam during 1946 and Roby attended some of these trials. Returning to the United States in 1947 he became a commissioned officer after attending Officers Candidate School. He concludes the interview by telling of his career in the United States Air Force until his retirement in 1972.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard Roper. Roper was born in Atchison, Kansas in 1922. He left college in 1941 and joined the United States Marine Corps. Upon completing boot camp he was sent to Parris Island and assigned to heavy artillery of the 5th Defense Battalion. He landed on Funafuti in the Ellice Islands on 2 October 1941. The only contact with the outside world was with a Navy boat that would come from Samoa weekly. He remembers there were two pontoon airplanes based on the island used for reconnaissance. During one evening patrol the pilot spotted a raft containing Eddie Rickenbacker and two others. The plane picked up the three men and taxied 40 miles before they were put aboard a small yard patrol boat. Others who had been with Rickenbacker when their plane went down were recovered from another atoll. Roper also tells of his life after leaving the Marine Corps, which included writing a book about 37 chaplains who were prisoners of the Japanese.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard Roper. Roper was born in Atchison, Kansas in 1922. He left college in 1941 and joined the United States Marine Corps. Upon completing boot camp he was sent to Parris Island and assigned to heavy artillery of the 5th Defense Battalion. He landed on Funafuti in the Ellice Islands on 2 October 1941. The only contact with the outside world was with a Navy boat that would come from Samoa weekly. He remembers there were two pontoon airplanes based on the island used for reconnaissance. During one evening patrol the pilot spotted a raft containing Eddie Rickenbacker and two others. The plane picked up the three men and taxied 40 miles before they were put aboard a small yard patrol boat. Others who had been with Rickenbacker when their plane went down were recovered from another atoll. Roper also tells of his life after leaving the Marine Corps, which included writing a book about 37 chaplains who were prisoners of the Japanese.