The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with C T Cummings. Cummings joined the Navy in October of 1941. Prior to his enlistment, he had received extensive mechanical training in the Civilian Conservation Corps, working with blueprint layouts, structural steel and mechanical drawings. In January of 1942, Cummings served aboard the USS Lafayette (AP-53). The ship caught fire shortly after his arrival, and had to be scrapped. Around August, he served aboard the USS Jamestown (AGP-3), delivering the 1st Marine Division to Guadalcanal and Tulagi, and providing vital supplies to the troops through the Guadalcanal Campaign. Cummings assisted with servicing PT boats patrolling the Iron Bottom Sound. In February of 1945, they supported the invasion of the Philippines. He returned to the US and was discharged in November of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Thomas McCrea. McCrea joined the Army in September of 1943. He completed an Army Specialized Training Program in Fort Benning, Georgia. He provides vivid details of his training. He served with the 3rd Army, C Company, 1st, Battalion, 376th Infantry Regiment, 94th Infantry Division. McCrea and his group qualified as an Expert Infantry Division. In August of 1944 they traveled to Scotland, then on to England. In September they landed on Utah Beach. They traveled to Brittany to relieve another unit. They endured much 88mm shelling from the Germans. From there they traveled toward Belgium and participated in the Battle of the Bulge, and traveled to the Siegfried Line. McCrea shares many details of his experiences in battle. In February 1945 he was sent to a hospital in England, suffering from frozen feet. He returned to the U.S. due to the condition of his feet and discharged in mid-1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Paul Harless. Harless dropped out of high school to join the Navy in 1939 and received basic training in Norfolk. Upon completion, he was assigned to the presidential yacht, the USS Potomac (AG-25) which brought the Roosevelts to visit Churchill, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, and Princess Martha of Norway. In November 1942 Harless transferred to the USS John Rodgers (DD-574) and oversaw 59 sailors who had never been aboard a ship. Providing shore bombardment throughout the Pacific Theater, they did not lose a single man in their 12 battles. At Okinawa, Harless was credited with shooting down a kamikaze as captain of a twin 40mm gun. After the ship ran into a typhoon and nearly capsized, Harless attended the signing of the surrender in Tokyo Bay and returned home immediately thereafter, with special instructions from Admiral Halsey to prioritize the exemplary crew's discharge.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Neil McBride. McBride was born in Crossingville, Pennsylvania on 20 November 1920. Graduating from high school in 1938, he attended the University of Oklahoma for two years before joining the Navy. After completing five weeks of boot training at Great Lakes Naval Training Station, Illinois he was sent to Pier 92 in New York City where he remained until the USS PC-470 was launched in June 1942. Following the shakedown cruise, the vessel went to the Banana River, Florida dry dock for repairs to the gun mounts. McBride recalls the crew’s attempts to locate a German submarine that had torpedoed a ship in an Atlantic convoy the PC-470 escorting. After spending thirty months based in Panama, PC-470 participated in the invasion of Leyte during which the boat was hit by shelling from a Japanese shore battery. There were several crewmembers wounded as a result. McBride returned to the United States on leave. He was then assigned to the landing craft repair ship USS Achelous (ARL-1), on which he continued to service until he was discharged November 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with C T Cummings. Cummings joined the Navy in October of 1941. Prior to his enlistment, he had received extensive mechanical training in the Civilian Conservation Corps, working with blueprint layouts, structural steel and mechanical drawings. In January of 1942, Cummings served aboard the USS Lafayette (AP-53). The ship caught fire shortly after his arrival, and had to be scrapped. Around August, he served aboard the USS Jamestown (AGP-3), delivering the 1st Marine Division to Guadalcanal and Tulagi, and providing vital supplies to the troops through the Guadalcanal Campaign. Cummings assisted with servicing PT boats patrolling the Iron Bottom Sound. In February of 1945, they supported the invasion of the Philippines. He returned to the US and was discharged in November of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Thomas McCrea. McCrea joined the Army in September of 1943. He completed an Army Specialized Training Program in Fort Benning, Georgia. He provides vivid details of his training. He served with the 3rd Army, C Company, 1st, Battalion, 376th Infantry Regiment, 94th Infantry Division. McCrea and his group qualified as an Expert Infantry Division. In August of 1944 they traveled to Scotland, then on to England. In September they landed on Utah Beach. They traveled to Brittany to relieve another unit. They endured much 88mm shelling from the Germans. From there they traveled toward Belgium and participated in the Battle of the Bulge, and traveled to the Siegfried Line. McCrea shares many details of his experiences in battle. In February 1945 he was sent to a hospital in England, suffering from frozen feet. He returned to the U.S. due to the condition of his feet and discharged in mid-1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Paul Harless. Harless dropped out of high school to join the Navy in 1939 and received basic training in Norfolk. Upon completion, he was assigned to the presidential yacht, the USS Potomac (AG-25) which brought the Roosevelts to visit Churchill, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, and Princess Martha of Norway. In November 1942 Harless transferred to the USS John Rodgers (DD-574) and oversaw 59 sailors who had never been aboard a ship. Providing shore bombardment throughout the Pacific Theater, they did not lose a single man in their 12 battles. At Okinawa, Harless was credited with shooting down a kamikaze as captain of a twin 40mm gun. After the ship ran into a typhoon and nearly capsized, Harless attended the signing of the surrender in Tokyo Bay and returned home immediately thereafter, with special instructions from Admiral Halsey to prioritize the exemplary crew's discharge.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Neil McBride. McBride was born in Crossingville, Pennsylvania on 20 November 1920. Graduating from high school in 1938, he attended the University of Oklahoma for two years before joining the Navy. After completing five weeks of boot training at Great Lakes Naval Training Station, Illinois he was sent to Pier 92 in New York City where he remained until the USS PC-470 was launched in June 1942. Following the shakedown cruise, the vessel went to the Banana River, Florida dry dock for repairs to the gun mounts. McBride recalls the crew’s attempts to locate a German submarine that had torpedoed a ship in an Atlantic convoy the PC-470 escorting. After spending thirty months based in Panama, PC-470 participated in the invasion of Leyte during which the boat was hit by shelling from a Japanese shore battery. There were several crewmembers wounded as a result. McBride returned to the United States on leave. He was then assigned to the landing craft repair ship USS Achelous (ARL-1), on which he continued to service until he was discharged November 1945.