The National Museum of the pacific War presents an oral interview with Katherine Ream Sobeck. Sobeck was born in Manila. She was a twelve-year old student at Baguio when the Japanese attacked Luzon. When Baguio was captured, the Japanese Army moved the civilians to Camp John Hay. From there, a large group of civilian internees was moved to Camp Holmes. Sobeck gives details of daily life as experienced by the internees including organizing their camp, education, entertainment and medical care. In December, 1944, Sobeck and her entire camp were moved to Manila. When the Americans arrived in Maila, Sobeck and her people were liberated from Bilibid. From the Philippines, Sobeck went to San Francisco with her family. They settled in the Bay Area and Sobeck went to school in the fall.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ed Kirshenmann. Kirshenmann joined the Navy in 1939 and upon completion of basic training was assigned to USS Saratoga (CV-3), which his brother was already aboard. Kirshenmann worked in fire room, the evaporator room, the engine room, and the pump room (M Division). He lost three firemen when the Saratoga was torpedoed off Wake Island. When the Saratoga was torpedoed again, off Guadalcanal, Kirshenmann saved his brother’s life by ordering him out of the fire room just seconds before impact. In February 1943 Kirshenmann was transferred to USS Bushnell (AS-15) as a machinist’s mate, first class. He was promoted to chief in 1943 but lost his rank after getting into a fight. He was transferred to USS Howard W. Gilmore (AS-16) and stayed in Subic Bay until the end of the war. His time there was peaceful, and he umpired officers’ baseball games, but he heard rumors that sometimes a Japanese soldier would come out of their sequestered posts and kill an American. Upon returning to the States, Kirshenmann was assigned to the Gilmore until he was discharged in 1948. He retired in 1979 as a stationary engineer, …

The National Museum of the pacific War presents an oral interview with Katherine Ream Sobeck. Sobeck was born in Manila. She was a twelve-year old student at Baguio when the Japanese attacked Luzon. When Baguio was captured, the Japanese Army moved the civilians to Camp John Hay. From there, a large group of civilian internees was moved to Camp Holmes. Sobeck gives details of daily life as experienced by the internees including organizing their camp, education, entertainment and medical care. In December, 1944, Sobeck and her entire camp were moved to Manila. When the Americans arrived in Maila, Sobeck and her people were liberated from Bilibid. From the Philippines, Sobeck went to San Francisco with her family. They settled in the Bay Area and Sobeck went to school in the fall.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ed Kirshenmann. Kirshenmann joined the Navy in 1939 and upon completion of basic training was assigned to USS Saratoga (CV-3), which his brother was already aboard. Kirshenmann worked in fire room, the evaporator room, the engine room, and the pump room (M Division). He lost three firemen when the Saratoga was torpedoed off Wake Island. When the Saratoga was torpedoed again, off Guadalcanal, Kirshenmann saved his brother’s life by ordering him out of the fire room just seconds before impact. In February 1943 Kirshenmann was transferred to USS Bushnell (AS-15) as a machinist’s mate, first class. He was promoted to chief in 1943 but lost his rank after getting into a fight. He was transferred to USS Howard W. Gilmore (AS-16) and stayed in Subic Bay until the end of the war. His time there was peaceful, and he umpired officers’ baseball games, but he heard rumors that sometimes a Japanese soldier would come out of their sequestered posts and kill an American. Upon returning to the States, Kirshenmann was assigned to the Gilmore until he was discharged in 1948. He retired in 1979 as a stationary engineer, …