The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Buster Simmons. Simmons joined the Army National Guard in September of 1940. He served as a combat medic with the 120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division throughout the European theater. He provides some details of his basic and medical training. By 1942 Simmons had worked up to Staff Sergeant and was assigned to Camp Blanding, Florida. After 7 December 1941 their camp began receiving casualties, sending out replacement troops and retraining new recruits for combat. In the fall of 1943 they transferred to Camp Atterbury, Indiana. In February of 1944 they traveled to Scotland aboard the USS Argentina. His detachment was designated to man the ship’s hospital. As First Sergeant at this point, Simmons work was mainly administrative and teaching other medics. His division landed on Omaha Beach in June of 1944 and traveled into Germany, participating in the Battle of the Bulge along the way. He shares vivid details of his experiences traveling through France and Germany, including German counterattacks made upon their group and casualties of fellow servicemen. He was discharged in June of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with G. K. Guennel. Guennel moved to the United States from Germany in 1934. From January of 1933 to September of 1934, prior to moving to the States, he lived under the Hitler regime and provides some details of this experience. While attending Butler University in Indiana Guennel enlisted in the Army Reserve in the summer of 1942. He was called to active duty in June of 1943 after his graduation. He was invited to take Army Intelligence training at Camp Ritchie in Maryland and graduated in July of 1944. He learned all communication systems, Morse Code, semaphore, map reading, learned Italian and more. He was assigned to the Interrogation, Prisoners of War (I.P.W.) Team 124 as a POW Interrogator. In late 1944 he traveled to Scotland and France where he was attached to the 44th Infantry Division. He provides details of his experiences overseas, including surviving the cold winter and interrogating prisoners of war. At the Rhine River crossing they joined the 3rd Infantry Division and arrived in Berchtesgaden, Germany by April of 1945. They posted Eisenhower???s proclamations in every town and village. Upon his discharge in January of …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Howard M. Heisler. Born in 1926, he ran away from home and joined the Army in 1942. He was underage and used an assumed name. He was assigned to a reconnaissance group in the 1st Cavalry Division and sent to Australia in the spring of 1943. He participated in the invasion of the Admiralty Islands, Leyte, and Luzon. He was injured by a mortar shell when his platoon was guarding a bridge outside of Manila. He was evacuated to a hospital ship and received further treatment at a general hospital in New Guinea. He rejoined his unit in Luzon where they were training for the invasion of Japan. They were sent to Tokyo after the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, but before the Japanese surrendered. He describes the city of Tokyo. He shares an anecdote about his parents learning of his whereabouts as the result of his being wounded. He was discharged under his real name in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Howard M. Heisler. Born in 1926, he ran away from home and joined the Army in 1942. He was underage and used an assumed name. He was assigned to a reconnaissance group in the 1st Cavalry Division and sent to Australia in the spring of 1943. He participated in the invasion of the Admiralty Islands, Leyte, and Luzon. He was injured by a mortar shell when his platoon was guarding a bridge outside of Manila. He was evacuated to a hospital ship and received further treatment at a general hospital in New Guinea. He rejoined his unit in Luzon where they were training for the invasion of Japan. They were sent to Tokyo after the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, but before the Japanese surrendered. He describes the city of Tokyo. He shares an anecdote about his parents learning of his whereabouts as the result of his being wounded. He was discharged under his real name in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with G. K. Guennel. Guennel moved to the United States from Germany in 1934. From January of 1933 to September of 1934, prior to moving to the States, he lived under the Hitler regime and provides some details of this experience. While attending Butler University in Indiana Guennel enlisted in the Army Reserve in the summer of 1942. He was called to active duty in June of 1943 after his graduation. He was invited to take Army Intelligence training at Camp Ritchie in Maryland and graduated in July of 1944. He learned all communication systems, Morse Code, semaphore, map reading, learned Italian and more. He was assigned to the Interrogation, Prisoners of War (I.P.W.) Team 124 as a POW Interrogator. In late 1944 he traveled to Scotland and France where he was attached to the 44th Infantry Division. He provides details of his experiences overseas, including surviving the cold winter and interrogating prisoners of war. At the Rhine River crossing they joined the 3rd Infantry Division and arrived in Berchtesgaden, Germany by April of 1945. They posted Eisenhower???s proclamations in every town and village. Upon his discharge in January of …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Buster Simmons. Simmons joined the Army National Guard in September of 1940. He served as a combat medic with the 120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division throughout the European theater. He provides some details of his basic and medical training. By 1942 Simmons had worked up to Staff Sergeant and was assigned to Camp Blanding, Florida. After 7 December 1941 their camp began receiving casualties, sending out replacement troops and retraining new recruits for combat. In the fall of 1943 they transferred to Camp Atterbury, Indiana. In February of 1944 they traveled to Scotland aboard the USS Argentina. His detachment was designated to man the ship’s hospital. As First Sergeant at this point, Simmons work was mainly administrative and teaching other medics. His division landed on Omaha Beach in June of 1944 and traveled into Germany, participating in the Battle of the Bulge along the way. He shares vivid details of his experiences traveling through France and Germany, including German counterattacks made upon their group and casualties of fellow servicemen. He was discharged in June of 1945.