Oral History Interview with Harold Johnson, April 16, 2004 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Harold Johnson, April 16, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Harold Johnson. Johnson joined the Navy in April, 1941. After basic training in San Diego, he was assigned to USS Oklahoma (BB-37). During the attack on Pearl Harbor, Johnson was aboard the Oklahoma and at his battle station in one of the turrets when the ship rolled over. He made it into the water and was rescued by a boat. Soon after, Johnson was assigned to USS Worden (DD-352). He was aboard when the Worden sank in the Aleutians in January 1943. He was then assigned to patrol craft escort duty from Cuba to the Panama Canal. He did that for a year before being assigned to an LST, which transited to the Pacific and was involved in the invasion of the Philippines and Okinawa. Johnson rotated back to the US and was home when the war ended. He was recalled for the Korean War and served aboard an auxiliary transport until 1952.
Date: April 16, 2004
Creator: Johnson, Harold
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with John Perry, April 16, 2004 transcript

Oral History Interview with John Perry, April 16, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Perry. Perry joined the Army Air Forces in February of 1943. He completed armament school, and aerial gunner training. He served as a waist gunner aboard a B-17 with the 96th Bomb Group, 338th Bomb Squadron. They deployed to England, and Perry was shot down in March of 1944 during his fourth mission over Brunswick, Germany. He was contained as a prisoner of war in Stalag Luft 4 and 6, and liberated in April of 1945. Perry returned to the US and was discharged in late 1945.
Date: April 16, 2004
Creator: Perry, John
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with John Perry, April 16, 2004 (open access)

Oral History Interview with John Perry, April 16, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Perry. Perry joined the Army Air Forces in February of 1943. He completed armament school, and aerial gunner training. He served as a waist gunner aboard a B-17 with the 96th Bomb Group, 338th Bomb Squadron. They deployed to England, and Perry was shot down in March of 1944 during his fourth mission over Brunswick, Germany. He was contained as a prisoner of war in Stalag Luft 4 and 6, and liberated in April of 1945. Perry returned to the US and was discharged in late 1945.
Date: April 16, 2004
Creator: Perry, John
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Mary Burkett, April 16, 2005 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Mary Burkett, April 16, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Mary Burkett. Burkett completed psychiatry and nurse training at Indianapolis City Hospital in February of 1940. She volunteered and entered the Army in October of 1943. She was assigned to Ashford General Hospital in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. She was assigned to five different wards in the hospital and was assigned to care for the patients. She provides some detail of her experiences working on the neuro-psychiatric floor, and shares stories of some of her patients. She completed additional training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. She traveled on the USS Matsonia (ID-1589) to the South Pacific, and she provides some detail of her travels.
Date: April 16, 2005
Creator: Burkett, Mary
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Eugene W. Davis, April 16, 2008 transcript

Oral History Interview with Eugene W. Davis, April 16, 2008

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Eugene Davis. In the California State Military Reserve, Davis kept watch over the Central Valley, home to many Japanese-American farmers. Having worked with the phone company, he hoped to become a Signal Corps officer, but was not content to wait. He joined the Marine Corps in 1942, becoming a drill instructor. He then joined the V Amphibious Corps in 1943 as an NCO in command of 200 corpsmen. Departing for Hawaii, he was court-martialed for leaving the ship to bid his wife farewell. His rank reduced to private, he was sentenced to 20 days in the brig, which he served in the brig sergeant’s quarters, playing cards with him. At Pearl Harbor, Davis guarded the headquarters, saluting FDR when he arrived. Davis transferred to a salvage platoon on Kwajalein, fighting fires and routinely encountering delay-action bombs. He transferred to Saipan with the 6th Field Depot, later reorganized as the 7th Service Regiment, sighting several Japanese holdouts. He drove a DUKW in the initial assault on Okinawa. After a stint in Tianjin, Davis returned to the States and was discharged in early 1946.
Date: April 16, 2008
Creator: Davis, Eugene W
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Eugene W. Davis, April 16, 2008 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Eugene W. Davis, April 16, 2008

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Eugene Davis. In the California State Military Reserve, Davis kept watch over the Central Valley, home to many Japanese-American farmers. Having worked with the phone company, he hoped to become a Signal Corps officer, but was not content to wait. He joined the Marine Corps in 1942, becoming a drill instructor. He then joined the V Amphibious Corps in 1943 as an NCO in command of 200 corpsmen. Departing for Hawaii, he was court-martialed for leaving the ship to bid his wife farewell. His rank reduced to private, he was sentenced to 20 days in the brig, which he served in the brig sergeant’s quarters, playing cards with him. At Pearl Harbor, Davis guarded the headquarters, saluting FDR when he arrived. Davis transferred to a salvage platoon on Kwajalein, fighting fires and routinely encountering delay-action bombs. He transferred to Saipan with the 6th Field Depot, later reorganized as the 7th Service Regiment, sighting several Japanese holdouts. He drove a DUKW in the initial assault on Okinawa. After a stint in Tianjin, Davis returned to the States and was discharged in early 1946.
Date: April 16, 2008
Creator: Davis, Eugene W
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Maurice P. Pearce, April 16, 2009 transcript

Oral History Interview with Maurice P. Pearce, April 16, 2009

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Maurice P. Pearce. Pearce finished the eighth grade and went to work on the farm on which he was raised. He joined the Arizona National Guard in June, 1940. they were activated later in Spetmenber and shipped to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for training. He evnetually was shipped to Panama for jungle training with the 158th Regimental Combat Team (Pearce was one of the original members of the Bushmasters). From there, Pearce went with the 158th to Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines. While with the Bushmasters, Pearce served as a cook.
Date: April 16, 2009
Creator: Pearce, Maurice P.
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Maurice P. Pearce, April 16, 2009 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Maurice P. Pearce, April 16, 2009

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Maurice P. Pearce. Pearce finished the eighth grade and went to work on the farm on which he was raised. He joined the Arizona National Guard in June, 1940. they were activated later in Spetmenber and shipped to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for training. He evnetually was shipped to Panama for jungle training with the 158th Regimental Combat Team (Pearce was one of the original members of the Bushmasters). From there, Pearce went with the 158th to Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines. While with the Bushmasters, Pearce served as a cook.
Date: April 16, 2009
Creator: Pearce, Maurice P.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History