The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with William Starke. Starke joined the Army Air Forces in March of 1942. He completed flight training and graduated at Williams Field, Arizona, in July of 1943 as a P-38 pilot. He provides details of his flight training and the various planes he flew. In November he traveled to Guadalcanal and joined the 44th Fighter Squadron, 13th Air Force. Starke served as a P-38 Lightning pilot and completed 121 missions throughout the Pacific, including Sansapor, Bougainville and Rabaul in Papua New Guinea, Borneo, Luzon and the Philippines. His squadron flew combat missions and escorted B-24 bombers. Starke provides vivid details of several missions and describes how they acquired the name “Vampire Squadron.” He was discharged in July of 1945. He remained in the Reserves for 20 years and retired as a lieutenant colonel.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard Van Klaveren. Despite being colorblind, Van Klaveren joined the Navy in 1944 by cheating on his eye exam. After receiving basic training in San Diego, he trained as an LCVP coxswain and deployed to the Pacific aboard the USS Lenawee (APA-195). He developed a rapport with the storekeeper, who gave him real eggs and fresh bread. Van Klaveren showed the storekeeper a picture of his beautiful sister perched atop a 1936 Ford. At Iwo Jima, a few of the men in Van Klaveren's party were killed immediately. Fearing for his life, he initially defied his commander's orders and attempted to steer his LCVP away from the beach, ducking enemy fire and steering blindly. He eventually landed his party and returned for another load of Marines amidst kamikaze attacks. Okinawa was an easier landing for Van Klaveren, leaving the Marines to contend with the jagged coral. After VJ Day, he was terrified of the throngs of Japanese gathered at1 Tokyo Bay, but they turned out to be friendly. Van Klaveren returned home soon after, and his sister married the storekeeper.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Daron Reedy. Reedy joined the 36th Infantry Division with the Texas National Guard when they mobilized in November of 1940. He served as an assistant supply sergeant. In 1943, he joined the Army Air Forces, completed flight training and worked as a P-39 and P-40 fighter pilot with the 110th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 71st Observation Group. Reedy deployed to the Pacific Theater in New Guinea, flew 158 strafing missions, survived 4 plane crashes, jungle fever and malaria. He flew combat missions against Japanese installations and airfields, while supporting ground forces on New Guinea and Biak. He returned to the US and received his discharge in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Calvin Beem. Beem volunteered for the Navy in September, 1943 and trained at Farragut, Idaho. After training, Beem was assigned to USS LST-454 as a motor machinist. He was aboard in time for the invasion of Cape Gloucester and for several other invasions along New Guinea. He also recalls landings in the Philippines.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with George Bailey. Bailey was a crew chief with the Flying Tigers. He recalls that many of the mechanics in his crew were not well trained when they arrived, but they learned from him quickly. He describes the dangers presented by various landing gears. He discusses the personal lives of the crew, staff, and pilots, both during the war and after.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Peter Schultheiss. Schultheiss grew up in Germany and was a student when the war started. He recasll details about being in a national youth orgaization: Deutsches Jungvolk (the 10-14 year-old branch of the Hitler Youth). Before he finished school, he was recruited to serve within an antiaircraft battery in Halle in 1944. He served on an 88mm gun. In January, 1945, Shultheiss began serving as a horse messenger to German infantry units at the front an was wounded during and artillery barrage. He then wandered just behind German front lines until the war ended. When the war ended, he found work on a farm briefly caring for horses before moving east i nan attempt to get home. When he had to cross over to the Soviet side, he was robbed of everything he had. Schultheiss made his way back home to Erfurt and reunited with his mother and father. They soon fled to the American Zone in Berlin to escape the Russian communists. He studied engineering and in 1955 moved to the US.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Clyde Covey. Covey joined the Navy in October of 1945. He served as a Fireman aboard the patrol craft escort, the PCE-870, in Hawaii, completing patrols around Pearl Harbor, and in between the equator and the Aleutians. They had about nine different posts, where they would send up weather balloons with transmitters, radioing weather information back to Pearl Harbor. Covey later completed motor machinist school, and was assigned to PCE-852 at the Underwater Sound Laboratories in New London, Connecticut, developing underwater communication. He received his discharge in December of 1948.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with William Starke. Starke joined the Army Air Forces in March of 1942. He completed flight training and graduated at Williams Field, Arizona, in July of 1943 as a P-38 pilot. He provides details of his flight training and the various planes he flew. In November he traveled to Guadalcanal and joined the 44th Fighter Squadron, 13th Air Force. Starke served as a P-38 Lightning pilot and completed 121 missions throughout the Pacific, including Sansapor, Bougainville and Rabaul in Papua New Guinea, Borneo, Luzon and the Philippines. His squadron flew combat missions and escorted B-24 bombers. Starke provides vivid details of several missions and describes how they acquired the name “Vampire Squadron.” He was discharged in July of 1945. He remained in the Reserves for 20 years and retired as a lieutenant colonel.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard Van Klaveren. Despite being colorblind, Van Klaveren joined the Navy in 1944 by cheating on his eye exam. After receiving basic training in San Diego, he trained as an LCVP coxswain and deployed to the Pacific aboard the USS Lenawee (APA-195). He developed a rapport with the storekeeper, who gave him real eggs and fresh bread. Van Klaveren showed the storekeeper a picture of his beautiful sister perched atop a 1936 Ford. At Iwo Jima, a few of the men in Van Klaveren's party were killed immediately. Fearing for his life, he initially defied his commander's orders and attempted to steer his LCVP away from the beach, ducking enemy fire and steering blindly. He eventually landed his party and returned for another load of Marines amidst kamikaze attacks. Okinawa was an easier landing for Van Klaveren, leaving the Marines to contend with the jagged coral. After VJ Day, he was terrified of the throngs of Japanese gathered at1 Tokyo Bay, but they turned out to be friendly. Van Klaveren returned home soon after, and his sister married the storekeeper.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Daron Reedy. Reedy joined the 36th Infantry Division with the Texas National Guard when they mobilized in November of 1940. He served as an assistant supply sergeant. In 1943, he joined the Army Air Forces, completed flight training and worked as a P-39 and P-40 fighter pilot with the 110th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 71st Observation Group. Reedy deployed to the Pacific Theater in New Guinea, flew 158 strafing missions, survived 4 plane crashes, jungle fever and malaria. He flew combat missions against Japanese installations and airfields, while supporting ground forces on New Guinea and Biak. He returned to the US and received his discharge in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Calvin Beem. Beem volunteered for the Navy in September, 1943 and trained at Farragut, Idaho. After training, Beem was assigned to USS LST-454 as a motor machinist. He was aboard in time for the invasion of Cape Gloucester and for several other invasions along New Guinea. He also recalls landings in the Philippines.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with George Bailey. Bailey was a crew chief with the Flying Tigers. He recalls that many of the mechanics in his crew were not well trained when they arrived, but they learned from him quickly. He describes the dangers presented by various landing gears. He discusses the personal lives of the crew, staff, and pilots, both during the war and after.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Peter Schultheiss. Schultheiss grew up in Germany and was a student when the war started. He recasll details about being in a national youth orgaization: Deutsches Jungvolk (the 10-14 year-old branch of the Hitler Youth). Before he finished school, he was recruited to serve within an antiaircraft battery in Halle in 1944. He served on an 88mm gun. In January, 1945, Shultheiss began serving as a horse messenger to German infantry units at the front an was wounded during and artillery barrage. He then wandered just behind German front lines until the war ended. When the war ended, he found work on a farm briefly caring for horses before moving east i nan attempt to get home. When he had to cross over to the Soviet side, he was robbed of everything he had. Schultheiss made his way back home to Erfurt and reunited with his mother and father. They soon fled to the American Zone in Berlin to escape the Russian communists. He studied engineering and in 1955 moved to the US.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Clyde Covey. Covey joined the Navy in October of 1945. He served as a Fireman aboard the patrol craft escort, the PCE-870, in Hawaii, completing patrols around Pearl Harbor, and in between the equator and the Aleutians. They had about nine different posts, where they would send up weather balloons with transmitters, radioing weather information back to Pearl Harbor. Covey later completed motor machinist school, and was assigned to PCE-852 at the Underwater Sound Laboratories in New London, Connecticut, developing underwater communication. He received his discharge in December of 1948.