The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ray Smith. Smith joined the Army in April, 1943 and trained asa combat medic. He wasassigned to the 148th Infantry Regiment, 37th Infantry Division. He landed with the division on Bougainville. Smith was wounded on the fifth day at Bougainville and was evacuated. He returned to his unit and was with them when they landed on Luzon in the Philippines. He shares anecdotes from combat expeiriences on Luzon and in Manila. Ray earned two Bronze Star Medals during his service and shares he stories about how he earned them.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Dale Mitchell. Mitchell joined the Army in 1944. He went to Fort Knox, Kentucky. He learned how to drive a tank and had weapons training. He served as an instructor and assisted with training new recruits in Germany. He came home from Europe and was discharged in December 1945. He got married and made his life’s work on the 1200-acre family farm.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Michael Long. Long joined the Marine Corps in 1943. He served as a Private, First Class in E Battery, 2nd Battalion, 14th Marine Artillery, 4th Marine Division. He trained as a machine gunner and was assigned to a 50-caliber machine gun crew as gun captain. His outfit fought at Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands, securing the island. They also participated in battles on Saipan and Tinian in the Mariana Islands beginning in June of 1944. From there they served on Iwo Jima beginning in February of 1945. He provides some detail of fighting on Iwo Jima. Long was discharged in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Clifford, Fritz. Fritz joined the Navy in August 1945 and trained at Samson, New York. After training, he was shipped to Hawaii and became a motor machinist and was assigned to the USS Buttress (AGC-4). Fritz suffered from seasickness. He stayed in the Navy for one year, being discharged in August, 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Albert Stone. Stone joined the Navy in April 1945. He completed boot camp at Great Lakes. From there he went to Gulfport, Mississippi for basic electronic training. In September 1945 he was shipped to Corpus Christi, Texas to train on naval aviation electronics and radar equipment. In June 1946 he was assigned to Operation CROSSROADS at Bikini Atoll in the South Pacific. His rank was AETM-3C, Aviation Electronics Technician Mate 3C. He was assigned to the USS Avery Island (AG-76), though was farmed out to a destroyer escort to fix and test all of their radio-controlled boats. He was discharged October 1946. He received a real estate license and a radio-telephone license and earned his pilot’s license with his G.I. Bill. He finished up at Duke University in 1950 with an electrical engineering degree. He worked for Savannah River Plant for DuPont Construction. He also worked on the Boemark Missile System, the Apollo program, the moon shots, and the Saturn V program.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Joseph Jura. Jura was drafted into the Navy in December of 1944. He was sent to Yerba Buena Island and was considered ship’s company. Jura worked in the barracks office as a Ration Yeoman on the island installation, billeting about 4,000 soldiers. Jura describes life on Treasure Island, and his job in detail. He was discharged in July of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Virginia Cumberland. During World War II, Cumberland worked in a factory in Indiana as a tool and die maker. She also speaks some about a brother of hers that was in the service and stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas and served overseas in France.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Enrique Moncada. Moncada joined the Navy in October of 1944. He served aboard the USS Forrest (DMS-24) minesweeper beginning in December of 1944. He performed regular seaman duties and served as gunner on the 40mm gun. They traveled to Okinawa. They did patrol work, screening with small minesweepers and performed local escort missions. Their ship and crew suffered one kamikaze attack. He provides detail of their endeavors to save the ship. He was discharged in June of 1946, but reenlisted in the Navy in June of 1948 and worked up to Seaman 1st Class. In December of 1950 he served aboard the USS Gloucester (PF-22), a patrol frigate and minesweeper. They traveled to Japan, South Korea, Wonsan, Inchon and Kojo. He was then transferred to the USS Mount Baker (AE-4), an ammunition ship, in February of 1952 as a gunner’s mate. He was discharged in June of 1952.

Podcast from the University of North Texas Music Library highlighting materials from their collections. This episode provides background about the early days of the jazz studies program at UNT. It includes recordings of oral histories by Gene Hall and Walter Hodgson, along with performances from 'Fessor Graham's stage show and 1950s jazz ensembles from UNT, including the Laboratory Dance Band, the forerunner of the One O'Clock Lab Band.