The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Holmes. Holmes was born 21 August 1925. He joined the Army in 1943. He served with the 87th Infantry Division, 3rd Army. They were deployed to the European Theater in October of 1944. Arrived Le Havre, France in late November 1944 and into Germany in December, participating in the Battle of the Bulge. They crossed the Rhine in March of 1945, and into Czechoslovakia by the end of the war. Holmes shares a number of his combat experiences, and with the Browning automatic rifle. They returned to the US in late 1945 and Holmes received his discharge.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with George Riddle. Riddle joined the Navy in March of 1943. He served as a Radarman, completing training in radio design, electronics, communications, and on a magnetic air detection system to locate submarines. Riddle was stationed in Florida, training pilots and other operators in radar systems. He was stationed in the US throughout the duration of the war, receiving a discharge in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Bill Dean. Dean joined the Army in September of 1944. He served with the 283rd Combat Engineers and was assigned to Lauf, Germany. He assisted in building a pontoon bridge across the Rhine River. After the war ended, Dean served on guard duty atop the bridge. He was later trained on purifying water for the troops. He returned to the US and was discharged in August of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Harmon Moody. Moody quit high school and joined the Navy when he was 17 in early 1945. After recruit training, Moody was assigned to USS John W. Weeks (DD-701). Moody recalls a kamikaze attack. He also recalls going ashore at Nagasaki. When the war ended, Moody received his discharge and went into radio engineering.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Wickes. Wickes was drafted into the Army in September 1943 and was eventually assigned to the 78th Infantry Division. He landed in France in November, 1944 and moved toward the front in Germany where he experienced his first combat. Right before the Battle of the Bulge, Wickes was captured by German soldiers. Wickes recalls several details about being a POW. Twice he managed to escape but got recaptured each time. After liberation, he returned to the US in June.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Herman Hoffman. Hoffman went into the Navy on 29 July 1944, the day after his 18th birthday, and took boot camp at the naval training station in Bainbridge, Maryland. After boot camp, he went to Fort Pierce, Florida for amphibious training on landing craft. Hoffman trained as a signalman, studying semaphore, Morse code, etc. After this training, he was sent to Baltimore, Maryland where his ship, the USS Valencia (AKA-81), was commissioned. He was in the 3rd Division on board and his battle station was the first loader on a twin 40mm. Hoffman was on the ship for 15 months, 29 days; from the day it was commissioned to the day it was decommissioned. He gives a detailed list of all the places the ship went in those 16 months of service including the battle of Okinawa and taking the first occupation troops to Japan. After leaving Okinawa, they were in a very bad storm; the captain stating that another two degrees and the ship would go over. Hoffman said he lost two friends on other ships during that storm. He also talks about the kamikazes at Okinawa …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Daniel Clark. Clark was born in Morocco, Indiana on 26 June 1916. After graduating from high school in 1934, he worked on the farm until being drafted into the US Army in March 1942. Upon induction, he was sent to Camp Claiborne, Louisiana for six months of basic training. He was then sent to Ft. Bragg, North Carolina where he joined the 82nd Airborne Division’s glider section and was assigned to the 325th Glider Infantry, 2nd Battalion, Company F. Upon completion of training the unit boarded the SS Santa Rosa for a twelve day trip to Casa Blanca, North Africa. His narrative is a well told tale of his participation in Operation Overlord, Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge and of the horrific scene found when the unit liberated the Wobbelin Concentration Camp on 5 May 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Herman Hoffman. Hoffman went into the Navy on 29 July 1944, the day after his 18th birthday, and took boot camp at the naval training station in Bainbridge, Maryland. After boot camp, he went to Fort Pierce, Florida for amphibious training on landing craft. Hoffman trained as a signalman, studying semaphore, Morse code, etc. After this training, he was sent to Baltimore, Maryland where his ship, the USS Valencia (AKA-81), was commissioned. He was in the 3rd Division on board and his battle station was the first loader on a twin 40mm. Hoffman was on the ship for 15 months, 29 days; from the day it was commissioned to the day it was decommissioned. He gives a detailed list of all the places the ship went in those 16 months of service including the battle of Okinawa and taking the first occupation troops to Japan. After leaving Okinawa, they were in a very bad storm; the captain stating that another two degrees and the ship would go over. Hoffman said he lost two friends on other ships during that storm. He also talks about the kamikazes at Okinawa …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Holmes. Holmes was born 21 August 1925. He joined the Army in 1943. He served with the 87th Infantry Division, 3rd Army. They were deployed to the European Theater in October of 1944. Arrived Le Havre, France in late November 1944 and into Germany in December, participating in the Battle of the Bulge. They crossed the Rhine in March of 1945, and into Czechoslovakia by the end of the war. Holmes shares a number of his combat experiences, and with the Browning automatic rifle. They returned to the US in late 1945 and Holmes received his discharge.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with George Riddle. Riddle joined the Navy in March of 1943. He served as a Radarman, completing training in radio design, electronics, communications, and on a magnetic air detection system to locate submarines. Riddle was stationed in Florida, training pilots and other operators in radar systems. He was stationed in the US throughout the duration of the war, receiving a discharge in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Harmon Moody. Moody quit high school and joined the Navy when he was 17 in early 1945. After recruit training, Moody was assigned to USS John W. Weeks (DD-701). Moody recalls a kamikaze attack. He also recalls going ashore at Nagasaki. When the war ended, Moody received his discharge and went into radio engineering.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Bill Dean. Dean joined the Army in September of 1944. He served with the 283rd Combat Engineers and was assigned to Lauf, Germany. He assisted in building a pontoon bridge across the Rhine River. After the war ended, Dean served on guard duty atop the bridge. He was later trained on purifying water for the troops. He returned to the US and was discharged in August of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Wickes. Wickes was drafted into the Army in September 1943 and was eventually assigned to the 78th Infantry Division. He landed in France in November, 1944 and moved toward the front in Germany where he experienced his first combat. Right before the Battle of the Bulge, Wickes was captured by German soldiers. Wickes recalls several details about being a POW. Twice he managed to escape but got recaptured each time. After liberation, he returned to the US in June.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Daniel Clark. Clark was born in Morocco, Indiana on 26 June 1916. After graduating from high school in 1934, he worked on the farm until being drafted into the US Army in March 1942. Upon induction, he was sent to Camp Claiborne, Louisiana for six months of basic training. He was then sent to Ft. Bragg, North Carolina where he joined the 82nd Airborne Division’s glider section and was assigned to the 325th Glider Infantry, 2nd Battalion, Company F. Upon completion of training the unit boarded the SS Santa Rosa for a twelve day trip to Casa Blanca, North Africa. His narrative is a well told tale of his participation in Operation Overlord, Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge and of the horrific scene found when the unit liberated the Wobbelin Concentration Camp on 5 May 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with with William R. Sanchez. Born in Texas in 1918, Sanchez joined the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1938. He was drafted into the Army in 1940 and elected to serve in the Philippines. He was assigned to the 59th Regiment, Coast Artillery, Battery D and later Battery H at Fort Mills (Corregidor). He was then assigned to Army Intelligence in the Harbor Defense Headquarters. He recounts how the Army Intelligence at Corregidor provided advance notification of the Japanese force on its way to attack Pearl Harbor. He describes participating in the battle for Corregidor, being taken prisoner in the Malinta Tunnel, and his role in disposing of an American flag after the surrender to the Japanese. He discusses the treatment and living conditions he experienced as a prisoner of war. He was held captive at Bilibid Prison and Cabanatuan in the Philippines. He was transported aboard the Totorri Maru, a hell ship, to Formosa. He was then relocated to Camp Omori near Tokyo, Japan where he befriended Gregory “Pappy” Boyington and Louis Zamperini; was beaten by “the Wiley Bird” (Mutsuhiro Watanabe); and encountered Premier Tojo. He discusses his …