The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William E. Bullard. Bullard joined the Marine Corps in 1938 and received a discharge before the U.S. entered WWII. He then joined the Army Air Forces and trained to become a fighter pilot. He joined the 354th Fighter Group and began flying missions over Europe. Bullard was part of an escort for C-47s that dropped airborne troops on D-Day. His plane was damaged on a mission over Germany and he was captured and became a prisoner of war at Stalag Luft I. He managed to escape after nine months. Bullard stayed in the service after WWII ended.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Carroll Layton. Layton joined the Navy in May of 1944. He completed Electrician School and PT boat training. In April of 1945 he traveled to PT Base 17 in Samar, Philippines and later to Mindoro. He worked out of an electrician shack, serving as a motor mechanic on boat engines, and gunner when needed. He was later switched over from PT boats to a Landing Craft Tank vessel. He was discharged around late 1945 and served in the Naval Reserve for seven years.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles Odell Sears. Sears was drafted into the Army in 1943, a year after finishing high school. He trained at Fort Lewis, Washington. He shares a few humorous anecdotes about basic training. He was attached to the 739th Tank Battalion and learned how to drive the M-4 A-1, the Sherman. He speaks of training in Oregon, Washington, at Bouse, Arizona and at Fort Knox, Kentucky before being shipped overseas to England in August, 1944. His unit landed in Frnace in October, 1944. Sears describes being wounded by an accidental discharge from a comrade with a pistol. Sears also speaks about being a tanker in WWII in general terms. His unit was a special tank unit. Some of the tanks had searchlights (CDL-SP) designed to operate at night and spot for artillery while others had minesweepers attached. Sears describes blowing up a mine in a cabbage field in Germany one day. Sears rejoined his unit after being accidentally shot one day after Germany surrendered. His unit was on its way to California to train for the Pacific Theater when Japan surrendered.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William V. Frushour. Born in Fulton County, Indiana 25 October 1921, Frushour graduated from high school in 1939 and attended St. Joseph’s College for two years. Upon being drafted in 1942, he went to Camp Grant, Illinois for basic training. After completion, he was sent to Camp Carson, Colorado for basic medical training. Upon completion of the medical training he was assigned to the 31st General Hospital. He went aboard a Dutch freighter for a 33 day trip to Noumea, New Caledonia then to Espiritu Santos where they built a hospital. Later he was sent to the Philippines, serving with the 7th Evacuation Hospital, which was near the front lines. He tells of some of his medical experiences while serving in the evacuation hospital. Returning to the United States in December 1945, he was discharged.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Orval W. Burgess. Burgess was born 3 October 1924 in Harrison Township, Indiana. He was drafted soon after graduating in 1943 and sent to Camp Croft, South Carolina for basic training. He contracted scarlet fever and was hospitalized. Upon finishing basic, he took various qualification tests at Fort Dix, New Jersey after which he was sent to Camp Shelby, Mississippi where he joined the 69th Infantry Division and took basic training again. Upon completing basic again he was sent to New York where he boarded the SS Ile de France for England and arrived 26 August 1944. After spending two months in a replacement depot he was assigned to I Company, 15th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division as a Browning automatic rifle assistant. He participated in the Rhineland Campaign and comments on the constant rain and snow they encountered. He did not take his shoes off for fifteen days and developed a severe case of trench foot. On 28 November 1944 he was sent to the 159th General Hospital in Saint Die France where he stayed until January 1945. He was then sent to Convalescent Center E-27 where he …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Fred Zellers. Zellers joined the Navy in March of 1944 and was assigned to the Armed Guard. In August he began serving aboard the SS Oremar (1919), a merchant ship. They transported 500- and 1,000-pound bombs with a convoy to England. Zellers worked as a Gunner’s Mate and mathematical calibration specialist on the ship, and they shuttled bombs between England, France, Belgium and Holland. They returned home in December of 1944. In 1945, they continued transporting supplies to France and Belgium, including officers’ footlockers and food. Zellers was discharged in October of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with William Coble. Coble joined the Navy in May of 1942. He served as Radioman First-Class aboard USS LST-339 and deployed to New Caledonia, transporting cargo. They participated in the New Georgia, Bougainville, New Guinea and Hollandia campaigns. In 1944, Coble transferred to USS Henry T. Allen (APA-15) and deployed to the Philippines. He was discharged in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with C F Bednorz. Bednorz worked for Douglas Aircraft in mid-1941 assembling C-47s. He joined the Aviation Cadet Program and provides some details of his flight training and the planes he flew, including the BT-13, B-17, B-24 and UC-78. He completed training in May of 1944. Bednorz was assigned to the 7th Air Force, 11th Bomb Group, 42nd Bomb Squadron and served as a B-24 pilot. In January of 1945 he traveled to Harmon Field in Guam, where he began his combat flying. In April they were transferred to Yontan Field in Okinawa. He provides details of his 33 missions, including witnessing the mushroom cloud over Nagasaki after the second atomic bomb was dropped, and effects of radiation from the blast. He was discharged in early 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William E. Bullard. Bullard joined the Marine Corps in 1938 and received a discharge before the U.S. entered WWII. He then joined the Army Air Forces and trained to become a fighter pilot. He joined the 354th Fighter Group and began flying missions over Europe. Bullard was part of an escort for C-47s that dropped airborne troops on D-Day. His plane was damaged on a mission over Germany and he was captured and became a prisoner of war at Stalag Luft I. He managed to escape after nine months. Bullard stayed in the service after WWII ended.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Carroll Layton. Layton joined the Navy in May of 1944. He completed Electrician School and PT boat training. In April of 1945 he traveled to PT Base 17 in Samar, Philippines and later to Mindoro. He worked out of an electrician shack, serving as a motor mechanic on boat engines, and gunner when needed. He was later switched over from PT boats to a Landing Craft Tank vessel. He was discharged around late 1945 and served in the Naval Reserve for seven years.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles Odell Sears. Sears was drafted into the Army in 1943, a year after finishing high school. He trained at Fort Lewis, Washington. He shares a few humorous anecdotes about basic training. He was attached to the 739th Tank Battalion and learned how to drive the M-4 A-1, the Sherman. He speaks of training in Oregon, Washington, at Bouse, Arizona and at Fort Knox, Kentucky before being shipped overseas to England in August, 1944. His unit landed in Frnace in October, 1944. Sears describes being wounded by an accidental discharge from a comrade with a pistol. Sears also speaks about being a tanker in WWII in general terms. His unit was a special tank unit. Some of the tanks had searchlights (CDL-SP) designed to operate at night and spot for artillery while others had minesweepers attached. Sears describes blowing up a mine in a cabbage field in Germany one day. Sears rejoined his unit after being accidentally shot one day after Germany surrendered. His unit was on its way to California to train for the Pacific Theater when Japan surrendered.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Fred Zellers. Zellers joined the Navy in March of 1944 and was assigned to the Armed Guard. In August he began serving aboard the SS Oremar (1919), a merchant ship. They transported 500- and 1,000-pound bombs with a convoy to England. Zellers worked as a Gunner’s Mate and mathematical calibration specialist on the ship, and they shuttled bombs between England, France, Belgium and Holland. They returned home in December of 1944. In 1945, they continued transporting supplies to France and Belgium, including officers’ footlockers and food. Zellers was discharged in October of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Orval W. Burgess. Burgess was born 3 October 1924 in Harrison Township, Indiana. He was drafted soon after graduating in 1943 and sent to Camp Croft, South Carolina for basic training. He contracted scarlet fever and was hospitalized. Upon finishing basic, he took various qualification tests at Fort Dix, New Jersey after which he was sent to Camp Shelby, Mississippi where he joined the 69th Infantry Division and took basic training again. Upon completing basic again he was sent to New York where he boarded the SS Ile de France for England and arrived 26 August 1944. After spending two months in a replacement depot he was assigned to I Company, 15th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division as a Browning automatic rifle assistant. He participated in the Rhineland Campaign and comments on the constant rain and snow they encountered. He did not take his shoes off for fifteen days and developed a severe case of trench foot. On 28 November 1944 he was sent to the 159th General Hospital in Saint Die France where he stayed until January 1945. He was then sent to Convalescent Center E-27 where he …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William V. Frushour. Born in Fulton County, Indiana 25 October 1921, Frushour graduated from high school in 1939 and attended St. Joseph’s College for two years. Upon being drafted in 1942, he went to Camp Grant, Illinois for basic training. After completion, he was sent to Camp Carson, Colorado for basic medical training. Upon completion of the medical training he was assigned to the 31st General Hospital. He went aboard a Dutch freighter for a 33 day trip to Noumea, New Caledonia then to Espiritu Santos where they built a hospital. Later he was sent to the Philippines, serving with the 7th Evacuation Hospital, which was near the front lines. He tells of some of his medical experiences while serving in the evacuation hospital. Returning to the United States in December 1945, he was discharged.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with C F Bednorz. Bednorz worked for Douglas Aircraft in mid-1941 assembling C-47s. He joined the Aviation Cadet Program and provides some details of his flight training and the planes he flew, including the BT-13, B-17, B-24 and UC-78. He completed training in May of 1944. Bednorz was assigned to the 7th Air Force, 11th Bomb Group, 42nd Bomb Squadron and served as a B-24 pilot. In January of 1945 he traveled to Harmon Field in Guam, where he began his combat flying. In April they were transferred to Yontan Field in Okinawa. He provides details of his 33 missions, including witnessing the mushroom cloud over Nagasaki after the second atomic bomb was dropped, and effects of radiation from the blast. He was discharged in early 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with William Coble. Coble joined the Navy in May of 1942. He served as Radioman First-Class aboard USS LST-339 and deployed to New Caledonia, transporting cargo. They participated in the New Georgia, Bougainville, New Guinea and Hollandia campaigns. In 1944, Coble transferred to USS Henry T. Allen (APA-15) and deployed to the Philippines. He was discharged in late 1945.