The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joseph Eggebeen. Eggebeen was born 29 November 1917 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. One of nine children and tells of family life during the Depression. Graduating from high school in 1935, he held various jobs until drafted into the US Coast Guard in 1942. After undergoing basic training at Curtis Bay, Maryland he attended diesel electrician’s school in New York City. He was assigned to the crew aboard a yacht commandeered by the Coast Guard owned by a Milwaukee businessman. The boat, stationed at Greenport, Long Island, did anti-submarine patrol at the entrance to New York Harbor. He mentions the boat’s crew compliment and armament. After serving aboard the yacht for thirteen months, he was sent to the Coast Guard Academy at New London, Connecticut. After graduating as an ensign in 1944, he was sent to the 9th Naval District in Chicago. While there, he was ordered to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania to pick up USS LST-886. The crew took the new LST through the Panama Canal to San Diego. The ship, loaded with supplies, set sail to participate in the invasion of Leyte. They were recalled and went to Guam. The …

Transcript of an oral interview with Walter E. Bolssen. Born in 1918, he enlisted in the Navy in December, 1939. After training as an airplane engine mechanic, he was sent to Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii in late 1940. He served as a PBY crew plane captain in VP-12. He describes his experiences during and after the attack on Pearl Harbor. In 1943 he was stationed at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal where he flew on night patrols in a “Black Cat” PBY-5. After approximately one year on Guadalcanal, he was sent to New Orleans, Louisiana, where he trained mechanics for the “Yellow Peril” N3N airplane. After the war ended, he was discharged from the Navy, but re-enlisted three months later. He retired in 1960.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Stephen Moulton. Moulton joined the Navy in March 1940 and received basic training in Illinois. Upon completion, he was assigned to the USS San Francisco (CA-38) as a deckhand and traveled to Manila and Cavite. He lived among the villagers and describes their rustic lifestyle. He was then assigned to the USS Trinity (AO-13) in October 1941 and traveled to Tanjong Lobang to load up on oil for the Asiatic Fleet. In 1942 he was sent to Mare Island on account of health problems and eventually had his lung removed, perhaps due to inhaling particles from the ship’s stacks. He was diagnosed with pneumonia and discharged at Mare Island.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Manuel Machado. Machado joined the Navy in August 1942 at the age of 16, forging a birth certificate to appear older. He received basic training near Stanford University, and after spending a year guarding the San Francisco water supply, his forgery was discovered. He was nearly discharged, but after appearing in court, he was sent to another boot camp. Upon completion, he was assigned to the gunnery crew of the USS Enterprise (CV-6). As part of an elite lookout team, he helped prevent several kamikaze attacks. In the Philippines, an inexperienced officer forced Machado to be on the lookout when he should have been resting his eyes, resulting in an enemy aircraft coming close enough to bomb the ship; fortunately, the bomb did not detonate. When the ship’s number one elevator was hit near Okinawa, Machado rescued a gunner who was unconscious and surrounded by flames. After the Enterprise was repaired, Machado participated in its Magic Carpet voyages and eventually returned home. He was discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles Hutton. Hutton joined the Navy in late 1943. After basic training, Hutton went to hospital corpsman school, all at Great Lakes. He then went to Sampson Navy Hospital to serve as a neuropsychiatric technician. He then went to Guam before being assigned to the USS Relief (AH-1). He went to China aboard the ship with the First Marine Division after the war ended. On the return trip, Hutton had several liberated POWs as patients. He was discharged in May, 1946. LuCretea Hutton, his wife, joined the conversation and mentioned her work with the Federal Bureau of Investigation during the war. She worked in the fingerprint ID lab in Washington.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Goodenough. Goodenough was born in Jena, Germany in 1922 to American parents. After being educated in private schools, he attended Yale University receiving his degree in 1944. He entered the United States Army Air Forces in 1943. He was commissioned, after being trained as a meteorologist and was sent to Newfoundland. He worked on weather predictions prior to the Normandy landing. He later served in the Azores. Following his discharge in 1948 he attended the University of Chicago, utilizing the GI Bill to attain a Ph.D. in physics. He recalls his tutelage under noted physicist Clarence Zener. Goodenough discusses his involvement in the development of the lithium-ion battery utilized in the development of the personal computer. He concludes the discussion, telling of his career at the University of Texas and his ultimate retirement. Goodenough was awarded the Novel Prize for Chemistry in 2019.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Kenny. Kenny joined the Army Air Forces in August 1942. He completed airplane mechanic training at Dallas Aviation School in Texas, and gunnery school in Las Vegas, Nevada. Beginning I 1944, Kenny served as a B-17 Flight Engineer with the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron. They tracked weather in the North Atlantic between North America and Europe, benefitting the European Theater of Operations. Their squadron was coined the Hurricane Hunters. Kenny continued his service after the war ended, receiving his discharge in early 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ralph Schultz. Schultz joined the Marine Corps in in late 1942. He completed radio/telephone school. He joined the 3rd Joint Assault Signal Company (JASCO), and was shipped to Guadalcanal and assigned to Headquarters 3rd Marine Division. In July of 1944, they participated in the Battle of Guam. As part of JASCO, Schultz helped coordinate and control naval gunfire and close air support of landings on the island. After receiving injury to his leg, he was shipped back to the US. He received his discharge in July of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joseph Eggebeen. Eggebeen was born 29 November 1917 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. One of nine children and tells of family life during the Depression. Graduating from high school in 1935, he held various jobs until drafted into the US Coast Guard in 1942. After undergoing basic training at Curtis Bay, Maryland he attended diesel electrician’s school in New York City. He was assigned to the crew aboard a yacht commandeered by the Coast Guard owned by a Milwaukee businessman. The boat, stationed at Greenport, Long Island, did anti-submarine patrol at the entrance to New York Harbor. He mentions the boat’s crew compliment and armament. After serving aboard the yacht for thirteen months, he was sent to the Coast Guard Academy at New London, Connecticut. After graduating as an ensign in 1944, he was sent to the 9th Naval District in Chicago. While there, he was ordered to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania to pick up USS LST-886. The crew took the new LST through the Panama Canal to San Diego. The ship, loaded with supplies, set sail to participate in the invasion of Leyte. They were recalled and went to Guam. The …

Transcript of an oral interview with Walter E. Bolssen. Born in 1918, he enlisted in the Navy in December, 1939. After training as an airplane engine mechanic, he was sent to Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii in late 1940. He served as a PBY crew plane captain in VP-12. He describes his experiences during and after the attack on Pearl Harbor. In 1943 he was stationed at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal where he flew on night patrols in a “Black Cat” PBY-5. After approximately one year on Guadalcanal, he was sent to New Orleans, Louisiana, where he trained mechanics for the “Yellow Peril” N3N airplane. After the war ended, he was discharged from the Navy, but re-enlisted three months later. He retired in 1960.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Stephen Moulton. Moulton joined the Navy in March 1940 and received basic training in Illinois. Upon completion, he was assigned to the USS San Francisco (CA-38) as a deckhand and traveled to Manila and Cavite. He lived among the villagers and describes their rustic lifestyle. He was then assigned to the USS Trinity (AO-13) in October 1941 and traveled to Tanjong Lobang to load up on oil for the Asiatic Fleet. In 1942 he was sent to Mare Island on account of health problems and eventually had his lung removed, perhaps due to inhaling particles from the ship’s stacks. He was diagnosed with pneumonia and discharged at Mare Island.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Manuel Machado. Machado joined the Navy in August 1942 at the age of 16, forging a birth certificate to appear older. He received basic training near Stanford University, and after spending a year guarding the San Francisco water supply, his forgery was discovered. He was nearly discharged, but after appearing in court, he was sent to another boot camp. Upon completion, he was assigned to the gunnery crew of the USS Enterprise (CV-6). As part of an elite lookout team, he helped prevent several kamikaze attacks. In the Philippines, an inexperienced officer forced Machado to be on the lookout when he should have been resting his eyes, resulting in an enemy aircraft coming close enough to bomb the ship; fortunately, the bomb did not detonate. When the ship’s number one elevator was hit near Okinawa, Machado rescued a gunner who was unconscious and surrounded by flames. After the Enterprise was repaired, Machado participated in its Magic Carpet voyages and eventually returned home. He was discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles Hutton. Hutton joined the Navy in late 1943. After basic training, Hutton went to hospital corpsman school, all at Great Lakes. He then went to Sampson Navy Hospital to serve as a neuropsychiatric technician. He then went to Guam before being assigned to the USS Relief (AH-1). He went to China aboard the ship with the First Marine Division after the war ended. On the return trip, Hutton had several liberated POWs as patients. He was discharged in May, 1946. LuCretea Hutton, his wife, joined the conversation and mentioned her work with the Federal Bureau of Investigation during the war. She worked in the fingerprint ID lab in Washington.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Goodenough. Goodenough was born in Jena, Germany in 1922 to American parents. After being educated in private schools, he attended Yale University receiving his degree in 1944. He entered the United States Army Air Forces in 1943. He was commissioned, after being trained as a meteorologist and was sent to Newfoundland. He worked on weather predictions prior to the Normandy landing. He later served in the Azores. Following his discharge in 1948 he attended the University of Chicago, utilizing the GI Bill to attain a Ph.D. in physics. He recalls his tutelage under noted physicist Clarence Zener. Goodenough discusses his involvement in the development of the lithium-ion battery utilized in the development of the personal computer. He concludes the discussion, telling of his career at the University of Texas and his ultimate retirement. Goodenough was awarded the Novel Prize for Chemistry in 2019.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Kenny. Kenny joined the Army Air Forces in August 1942. He completed airplane mechanic training at Dallas Aviation School in Texas, and gunnery school in Las Vegas, Nevada. Beginning I 1944, Kenny served as a B-17 Flight Engineer with the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron. They tracked weather in the North Atlantic between North America and Europe, benefitting the European Theater of Operations. Their squadron was coined the Hurricane Hunters. Kenny continued his service after the war ended, receiving his discharge in early 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ralph Schultz. Schultz joined the Marine Corps in in late 1942. He completed radio/telephone school. He joined the 3rd Joint Assault Signal Company (JASCO), and was shipped to Guadalcanal and assigned to Headquarters 3rd Marine Division. In July of 1944, they participated in the Battle of Guam. As part of JASCO, Schultz helped coordinate and control naval gunfire and close air support of landings on the island. After receiving injury to his leg, he was shipped back to the US. He received his discharge in July of 1945.