The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Leonard Lott. Initially exempted from the draft as a farmer, Lott was eventually drafted into the Army in October 1944. After basic training at Camp Fannin, he was assigned to the 6th Infantry Division in Manila. During the invasion at Lingayen Gulf, his unit suffered battle casualties and was plagued by dysentery. Armed with a rifle, Lott waited in foxholes for enemy advancement, at times manning a Thompson submachine gun and targeting snipers. Occasionally working alongside Filipino soldiers, Lott found them to be good fighters. While fighting in the mountains, Lott’s rations were airdropped and intercepted by the enemy. He soon contracted malaria and dengue fever, spending the remainder of the war in a hospital. He then served as a platoon sergeant in the Korean occupation, where his clothing and housing was inadequate for the cold weather. Lot was discharged into the reserves and retired as a warrant officer after 27 years of service.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Roy Burley. Burley was born in Halletsville, Texas 29 October 1923. Following his graduation from high school in San Antonio, he attended Prairie View A & M College. While in college, he served for three years in the Enlisted Reserve Corps. In May 1943 he was called to active duty and went to Camp Maxey at Paris, Texas. Selected to continue his college education, he was sent to Howard University in Washington DC. After completing one semester he was ordered to report to the 1318th Engineer General Service Regiment as a surveyor. After working on the construction of an air strip in North Carolina, he volunteered to attend Officers Candidates School. After ninety days of training at Fort Benning, Georgia, he was commissioned a second lieutenant. He then went to Fort Huachuca, Arizona, where he joined the 372nd Infantry Regiment as a rifle platoon leader in Company C. After the unit had set sail for Hawaii a message was received that the 372nd was deactivated. Upon arrival in Hawaii, he was assigned to the Transportation Corps and sent to the Philippines where he reported to a trucking battalion. …

The National Museum of the pacific War presents an interview with Ira Zautner. Zautner joined the Navy Reserves in late 1939 and went to radio school. He reported aboard USS Wichita (CA-45) in October, 1940. He rode to Iceland a few times on convoy duty before war was declared and recalls operating with the British Home Fleet. He shares stories from the invasions of North Africa, operating around the Solomon Islands and the Aleutian Islands. By this time, Zautner was serving in the aviation section aboard the Wichita, operating the radio on the reconnaissance plane. He shares several anecdotes about his encounters with other people during the war that he met again later in life. In January 1945, Zautner transferred to Kansas to teach at a radio school. He was discharged at the end of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Warren McLellan. McLellan learned to fly as a civilian before joining the Navy in July 1941. Once in the Navy, he qualified for pilot training and went to Pensacola. After training, he was assigned to Torpedo Squadron 16 (VT-16) in January 1943. They reported aboard USS Lexington (CV-16) later in June in time for her shakedown cruise. He describes attacking targets at Tarawa. He crash landed in the water at the Palau Islands and was rescued and returned to the Lexington. He also ended up in the water during the Marianas Turkey Shoot. He describes being in the water prior to rescue and has great admiration for Admiral Marc Mitscher. He returned to the US later in 1944 and had shore duty in Rhode Island.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Mike C. Dillingham. Dillingham was born in Commerce, Texas 18 February 1912. Upon graduating from Texas A&M University in 1935, he was commissioned a lieutenant in the Coast Artillery reserves. Called for active duty 19 April 1941 he reported to the 69th Coast Artillery (anti-aircraft) at Camp Hulen, Texas where he was assigned to Search Light Battery A. In November 1941 the battery went to Midland, Texas to practice using aircraft sound detection and search light equipment. Radar was not available and aircraft detection was made with large horn acoustic receiving devices. On 9 December 1941 the unit moved to San Diego to defend the aircraft production plant. In 1942, Dillingham was sent to Camp Davis, North Carolina to search light school. Upon completing the training he was sent to Fort Bliss, Texas to help establish the 233rd Search Light Battalion (anti- aircraft). In 1943 the battalion was provided with a radar (SCR268) receiving set and went to Fiji in September. In 1944, Dillingham was sent to New Caledonia as executive officer of the 518th Gun Battalion. The battalion arrived at Lingayen Gulf two days after the initial …