Oral History Interview with Manual Sablan, July 8, 1997 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Manual Sablan, July 8, 1997

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Manual Sablan. Sablan was born in Saipan and became a messenger for the Japanese police when he was a teenager. Japanese troops had occupied his family home by that time. To remain safe during bombardments, Sablan lived in a manmade cave behind the police station. He recalls seeing six American prisoners of war in the jail. When the bombing became very heavy, Sablan went to look for his mother, but fires blocked his way. Without caves to hide in, he used a machete to fashion wooden shovels for digging foxholes. He was hiding near Talofofo, having eaten nothing but sugar cane for two weeks, when he surrendered to Americans. Sablan was sent to Camp Susupe, where conditions were terrible. Eventually he was given a job at the 369th Station Hospital in San Vicente, where badly wounded soldiers from Iwo Jima and Okinawa were given medical treatment. He became a police officer in 1951 and participated in the capture of a Japanese soldier who was discovered in a cave in 1952. He became the sheriff of Saipan and then the director of public safety for the Trust Territory.
Date: July 8, 1997
Creator: Sablan, Manual
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with George Bailey, July 17, 1997 (open access)

Oral History Interview with George Bailey, July 17, 1997

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.
Date: July 17, 1997
Creator: Bailey, George
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with William Schaper, July 19, 1997 (open access)

Oral History Interview with William Schaper, July 19, 1997

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Schaper. Schaper joined the Flying Tigers as a crew chief and was soon promoted to hangar chief, handling all the heavy maintenance that could not be done on the field. Part of his job included salvaging carburetors and engines from crash sites. He recalls that many of the mechanics in his crew were not well trained after transferring in. Finally, he laments that much of the history around the AVG is obscured and forgotten.
Date: July 19, 1997
Creator: Schaper, William
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Manual Sablan, July 8, 1997 transcript

Oral History Interview with Manual Sablan, July 8, 1997

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Manual Sablan. Sablan was born in Saipan and became a messenger for the Japanese police when he was a teenager. Japanese troops had occupied his family home by that time. To remain safe during bombardments, Sablan lived in a manmade cave behind the police station. He recalls seeing six American prisoners of war in the jail. When the bombing became very heavy, Sablan went to look for his mother, but fires blocked his way. Without caves to hide in, he used a machete to fashion wooden shovels for digging foxholes. He was hiding near Talofofo, having eaten nothing but sugar cane for two weeks, when he surrendered to Americans. Sablan was sent to Camp Susupe, where conditions were terrible. Eventually he was given a job at the 369th Station Hospital in San Vicente, where badly wounded soldiers from Iwo Jima and Okinawa were given medical treatment. He became a police officer in 1951 and participated in the capture of a Japanese soldier who was discovered in a cave in 1952. He became the sheriff of Saipan and then the director of public safety for the Trust Territory.
Date: July 8, 1997
Creator: Sablan, Manual
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with George Bailey, July 17, 1997 transcript

Oral History Interview with George Bailey, July 17, 1997

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.
Date: July 17, 1997
Creator: Bailey, George
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with William Schaper, July 19, 1997 transcript

Oral History Interview with William Schaper, July 19, 1997

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Schaper. Schaper joined the Flying Tigers as a crew chief and was soon promoted to hangar chief, handling all the heavy maintenance that could not be done on the field. Part of his job included salvaging carburetors and engines from crash sites. He recalls that many of the mechanics in his crew were not well trained after transferring in. Finally, he laments that much of the history around the AVG is obscured and forgotten.
Date: July 19, 1997
Creator: Schaper, William
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History