Transcript of an oral interview with Clyde Griffin. Griffin graduated from high school in 1937, enlisted in the Army Aviation Air Corps and was commissioned in Jun 1942. He went to Visalia, California for flying school, then to Merced, California for basic training and then to Stockton. When he graduated from Stockton Field Aviation School he was assigned first to a single engine squadron in South Carolina (a P-39 training school) and that's where he washed out with a busted eardrum. In one of the first flights he took, he had a head cold and his eardrum burst. After that, he was transferred to Florida where they lost him (the Army lost his papers). After about six months, they sent him to Amarillo Air Base where he was the Assistant Operations Officer. Amarillo was a Ferry Command stop over for planes that were being ferried back and forth across the country. They also had a general depot. Griffin got to fly a lot of different aircraft while he was there. He received orders to go overseas to New Caledonia where he was stationed for twenty-two months, doing mostly administrative flying. After New Caledonia, he was stationed in Hawaii for six …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert V. Keeffe. Keeffe joined the Navy in the summer of 1943. He became a Seabee and trained as a heavy equipment operator. Keeffe was sent to the Russell Islands with Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 573 where he remained throughout the war. He was a crane operator and tells several stories including one about disposing of military equipment at the end of the war. Keeffe returned to the States in the fall of 1945 and became a reservist.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Don F. Morell. Morell joined the U.S. Navy in January 1944. He was sent to the Pacific and became a submarine relief crewman. Morrell’s crew was responsible for refitting submarines that had returned from a war patrol. He was eventually assigned to the primary crew on the USS Chub (SS-329) and took part in two war patrols. During these patrols the Chub sank several ships and was depth charged. Morell was sent back to the States after the war was over where he helped decommission submarines until his discharge in May 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with William Galvin. Galvin joined the Navy in October of 1942. During boot camp at Great Lakes he was selected to complete Field Medical School at Camp Pendleton. He traveled aboard a Dutch freighter with Merchant Marines picking up and delivering troops. He traveled to Pago Pago in Samoa, New Caledonia, picking up wounded soldiers and delivering them back to the U.S. He continued this work on the SS Lurline. After getting into trouble on leave, he was given an opportunity to join the Marines to have all charges against him dropped. In early 1944 he was assigned to the 5th Marine Division. He provides details of training with the Marines at Camp Tarawa. Galvin was in the second wave going ashore at Iwo Jima. He describes his experiences as a medic through the battle. After getting wounded he was sent on leave, and later returned for duty as a Corpsman at Farragut Hospital. He was discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Clarence LeMieux. LeMieux was born on 16 December 1916 in Virginia, Minnesota. Graduating from high school in 1934, he joined the US Army Air Corps. He was sent to Chanute Field and enrolled in an engine and airframe training course. Upon graduation he was assigned to a B-10 crew and participated in gunnery and bombing practice. He was later, transferred to a B-17 crew and sent to Townsville, Australia. LeMieux tells of a bombing mission over Rabaul, of attacks by enemy fighters and of a forced landing in a swamp in New Guinea. He relates the harrowing trek out of the swamps and arrival at a native village and of being taken to Buna for travel to Australia. He tells of getting malaria and his return to the US. He received a direct commission from enlisted rank in 1943 and he tells of his various assignments and training he received prior to his retirement in 1965. The B-17 that crashed into the swamp was discovered intact in 1972. Given the name Swamp Ghost, it was reclaimed and taken to Honolulu in 2013.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Arthur Liberty. Born in Vermont, Liberty quit high school in 1942 to join the Marine Corps. He took boot training at Parris Island for nine weeks before going to Camp Lejeune where he was assigned to Company M, 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marines. After three more weeks of training, the company boarded a troop train to Camp Pendleton. Liberty boarded a ship bound for Rio-Namur during January 1944. He was in the third wave of the invasion and was wounded one hour after landing. He was taken to Aiea Naval Hospital in Pearl Harbor for treatment and recovery. Upon recovering, he returned to his division in time for the invasion of Saipan in June 1944. He landed with the first wave, endured heavy Japanese artillery and machine gun fire, which killed or wounded several members of his squad. Later, the battalion invaded Tinian where Liberty recalls being in a foxhole with three others when an artillery shell exploded close by wounding one and killing two others leaving him unharmed. Next, Liberty landed on Iwo Jima on 19 February. Of the 350 men in his company who landed on Iwo …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with William Galvin. Galvin joined the Navy in October of 1942. During boot camp at Great Lakes he was selected to complete Field Medical School at Camp Pendleton. He traveled aboard a Dutch freighter with Merchant Marines picking up and delivering troops. He traveled to Pago Pago in Samoa, New Caledonia, picking up wounded soldiers and delivering them back to the U.S. He continued this work on the SS Lurline. After getting into trouble on leave, he was given an opportunity to join the Marines to have all charges against him dropped. In early 1944 he was assigned to the 5th Marine Division. He provides details of training with the Marines at Camp Tarawa. Galvin was in the second wave going ashore at Iwo Jima. He describes his experiences as a medic through the battle. After getting wounded he was sent on leave, and later returned for duty as a Corpsman at Farragut Hospital. He was discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert V. Keeffe. Keeffe joined the Navy in the summer of 1943. He became a Seabee and trained as a heavy equipment operator. Keeffe was sent to the Russell Islands with Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 573 where he remained throughout the war. He was a crane operator and tells several stories including one about disposing of military equipment at the end of the war. Keeffe returned to the States in the fall of 1945 and became a reservist.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Don F. Morell. Morell joined the U.S. Navy in January 1944. He was sent to the Pacific and became a submarine relief crewman. Morrell’s crew was responsible for refitting submarines that had returned from a war patrol. He was eventually assigned to the primary crew on the USS Chub (SS-329) and took part in two war patrols. During these patrols the Chub sank several ships and was depth charged. Morell was sent back to the States after the war was over where he helped decommission submarines until his discharge in May 1946.

Transcript of an oral interview with Clyde Griffin. Griffin graduated from high school in 1937, enlisted in the Army Aviation Air Corps and was commissioned in Jun 1942. He went to Visalia, California for flying school, then to Merced, California for basic training and then to Stockton. When he graduated from Stockton Field Aviation School he was assigned first to a single engine squadron in South Carolina (a P-39 training school) and that's where he washed out with a busted eardrum. In one of the first flights he took, he had a head cold and his eardrum burst. After that, he was transferred to Florida where they lost him (the Army lost his papers). After about six months, they sent him to Amarillo Air Base where he was the Assistant Operations Officer. Amarillo was a Ferry Command stop over for planes that were being ferried back and forth across the country. They also had a general depot. Griffin got to fly a lot of different aircraft while he was there. He received orders to go overseas to New Caledonia where he was stationed for twenty-two months, doing mostly administrative flying. After New Caledonia, he was stationed in Hawaii for six …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Arthur Liberty. Born in Vermont, Liberty quit high school in 1942 to join the Marine Corps. He took boot training at Parris Island for nine weeks before going to Camp Lejeune where he was assigned to Company M, 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marines. After three more weeks of training, the company boarded a troop train to Camp Pendleton. Liberty boarded a ship bound for Rio-Namur during January 1944. He was in the third wave of the invasion and was wounded one hour after landing. He was taken to Aiea Naval Hospital in Pearl Harbor for treatment and recovery. Upon recovering, he returned to his division in time for the invasion of Saipan in June 1944. He landed with the first wave, endured heavy Japanese artillery and machine gun fire, which killed or wounded several members of his squad. Later, the battalion invaded Tinian where Liberty recalls being in a foxhole with three others when an artillery shell exploded close by wounding one and killing two others leaving him unharmed. Next, Liberty landed on Iwo Jima on 19 February. Of the 350 men in his company who landed on Iwo …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Clarence LeMieux. LeMieux was born on 16 December 1916 in Virginia, Minnesota. Graduating from high school in 1934, he joined the US Army Air Corps. He was sent to Chanute Field and enrolled in an engine and airframe training course. Upon graduation he was assigned to a B-10 crew and participated in gunnery and bombing practice. He was later, transferred to a B-17 crew and sent to Townsville, Australia. LeMieux tells of a bombing mission over Rabaul, of attacks by enemy fighters and of a forced landing in a swamp in New Guinea. He relates the harrowing trek out of the swamps and arrival at a native village and of being taken to Buna for travel to Australia. He tells of getting malaria and his return to the US. He received a direct commission from enlisted rank in 1943 and he tells of his various assignments and training he received prior to his retirement in 1965. The B-17 that crashed into the swamp was discovered intact in 1972. Given the name Swamp Ghost, it was reclaimed and taken to Honolulu in 2013.

Letter from Catherine to her husband Joe discussing news from home, including breakfast with Mammy, car troubles, busyness at work, and Martha gifting her perfume.

Letter from Joe to his wife Catherine discussing seeing a dentist to get his teeth checked, a friend visiting after being in a hospital, listening to Fleming's radio frequently, and plans to go flying that night.

Transcription of letter from Chester Nimitz to his grandfather in Fredericksburg. Nimitz tells of the looming examinations for entrance into the Naval Academy and his confidence in passing and gaining admittance.

Handwritten letter from Chester Nimitz to his grandfather in Fredericksburg. Nimitz tells of the looming examinations for entrance into the Naval Academy and his confidence in passing and gaining admittance.