The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Harold Buell. While attending college in Iowa, Buell took advantage of the Civilian Pilot Training program and earned a pilot's license in 1940. He volunteered for the Navy and went to flight school at Pensacola, Florida, where he earned his wings and a commission in November, 1941. He was assigned to go aboard the USS Yorktown (CV-5) as a member of Scouting Squadron 5 (VS-5) and arrived in time for the Battle of the Coral Sea. His squadron suffered enough damage to be removed from the Yorktown prior to the Battle of Midway. Buell was assigned to the USS Saratoga (CV-3) and flew search and rescue missions from her during the Battle of Midway. After that battle, Buell was transferred to yet another carrier, the USS Enterprise (CV-6), prior to the invasion of Guadalcanal. While flying off the Enterprise, Buell and ten other pilots had to land on Guadalcanal at Henderson Field. They and their dive bombers then became members of the Cactus Air Force. Buell describes the living conditions on Guadalcanal as opposed to those aboard an aircraft carrier. His group finally got off Guadalcanal and returned …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Al Jowdy. Jowdy enlisted in the Navy in July 1942 at the age of 15, with his parents’ consent. His first assignment was pulling bodies out of sunken ships in Pearl Harbor. At Guadalcanal, his ship was torpedoed. Due to the presence of enemy subs, he could not be rescued initially and spent two weeks floating in a raft. Then he joined a rescue effort to aid the USS Wasp (CV-7), only to be torpedoed again, spending another four days in the water. Jowdy was then assigned to the USS Salt Lake City (CA-25), patrolling the Bering Sea and participating in the Battle of the Komandorski Islands as a second loader on a 40-millimeter. After witnessing the Marianas Turkey Shoot and also seeing MacArthur film his famous return, Jowdy participated in the bombardment of Iwo Jima, amidst kamikazes and suicide boats. After the war, he survived a typhoon and served occupation duty in Japan, later transporting troops as part of the demobilization effort before being discharged in January 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Al Jowdy. Jowdy enlisted in the Navy in July 1942 at the age of 15, with his parents’ consent. His first assignment was pulling bodies out of sunken ships in Pearl Harbor. At Guadalcanal, his ship was torpedoed. Due to the presence of enemy subs, he could not be rescued initially and spent two weeks floating in a raft. Then he joined a rescue effort to aid the USS Wasp (CV-7), only to be torpedoed again, spending another four days in the water. Jowdy was then assigned to the USS Salt Lake City (CA-25), patrolling the Bering Sea and participating in the Battle of the Komandorski Islands as a second loader on a 40-millimeter. After witnessing the Marianas Turkey Shoot and also seeing MacArthur film his famous return, Jowdy participated in the bombardment of Iwo Jima, amidst kamikazes and suicide boats. After the war, he survived a typhoon and served occupation duty in Japan, later transporting troops as part of the demobilization effort before being discharged in January 1946.

Interview with Army veteran Ralph L. Cerny. The interview includes Cerny's personal experiences about being a combat infantryman in the Southwest Pacific Theater during World War II, joining the Illinois National Guard, federalization of the Illinois National Guard, training at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, shipping to Camp Darwin, Australia, and combat around Mount Austen on Guadalcanal. Additionally, Cerny talks about the formation of the American Division and landings at New Caledonia, transferring of the division to Guadalcanal, the fate of Japanese prisoners-of-war, evacuation to the Fiji islands for rest and recuperation, landings on Bougainville, patrol and reconnaissance activities on Bougainville, his rotation back to the States, stateside duty as a drill instructor at Fort McClellan, and his postwar career.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with R. Bruce Porter. After a few years of college at the University of Southern California, Porter joined the Marines as an aviation cadet. After training on the F4F, Porter was assigned to Squadron 111 and shipped out on the USS Garfield to American Samoa. Porter mentions training with and talking with Joe Foss when his squadron passed through Apia. Porter then went to Turtle Bay, New Caledonia. He next flew F4F's in Guadalcanal in 1943. Their squadron then switched to the Corsair plane. Porter then started moving ""up the slot"" toward Japan gradually moving north with his squadron. Later, Porter returned to the states to train on F6F's and joined a night fighter squadron. He was assigned as a squadron commander in Okinawa. He discusses blowing up a plane with a ""baka"" bomb on it. Porter's record is an ace, with five official kills and one probable. Porter witnessed the surrender party preparing for the official surrender. He stayed in Japan for four months after the occupation.

Front: Text describes action on various war fronts: Germany, Russia, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, New Georgia, New Guinea, Marcus Island. Maps show air offensive in western Europe, New Georgia Is., Russian front. Includes photographs: Army Air Forces report on Warnemunde; Tough customer [Gourmiers, Berber fighting men]; The first wave [Yanks at Rendova I.]. Back: Typical German infantry division. Illustration of a division with descriptive text keyed to the illustration. Regiments described including size, officers and enlisted men, types and numbers of weapons.

Front: Text describes action on various war fronts: Russia, Madagascar, New Guinea, North Africa, China, Solomon Islands, Shipping, Galapagos Islands, Western Europe, Iceland. Large world map is keyed to text and illustrates time zones around the world. Inset maps show The push on Port Moresby; The Russian front. Includes photographs: The flag goes up, Marine bombers take off, Badly damged hangar, Inspecting a Flying Fortress at Malta, Memorial services for those killed during the Battle of Midway, Business end of Pom-Pom, Catafighter, U.S. Marines toughen up each other. Back: Maps Are Not True For All Purposes. 15 illustrations are accompanied by text describing some of the methods used to represent the world on a two-dimensional surface.

Front: Text describes action on various war fronts: Russia, Madagascar, Solomon Islands, New Guinea, Aleutians, Far Eastern waters, Midway, China, West Coast, Western Europe, Mediterranean. Large map is keyed to text and illustrates time zones around the world. Inset maps show: Madagascar; Russian front (southern sectors), Madagascar in Africa Includes photographs: Night falls in North Africa; Stinger [twin machine-gun]; It was "impossible" [Capt. Edward Ellsberg's sub salvage work]; Blimps hunt subs. Back: Somewhere in Alaska. 13 photographs are captioned. Text headlined: Alaska's Defenders Go Underground. Includes map labeled: Still Our Northern Frontier.

Front: Text describes action on various war fronts: North Africa, Russia, Madagascar, Solomons, New Guinea, China, Burma, Western Europe. Large world map is keyed to text and illustrates time zones around the world. Inset maps show the drive on Port Moresby, East China, South Russia. Includes photographs: "Jap midget starts new mission", Testing M4 tanks, Japanese target [Port Moresby air field], Russian front-- Kuban sector, Victory fleet. Back: Jungle Warfare. 18 photographs showing scenes of jungle warfare accompanied by text describing the challenges faced by soldiers in that environment.

Front: Text describes action on various war fronts: Russia; North Africa; Mediterranean; Belgian Congo; Western Europe; Solomons; New Guinea; Iceland; China; Siberia. Large world map is keyed to text and illustrates time zones around the world. Inset maps show Battle areas in the Southwest Pacific; the Mediterranean arena. Includes photographs: Well-dressed commando; Pudding for a Panzer; Avro Lancaster bomber; Moving tanks up; Tanks train in the U.S. deserts. Back: Russian Armored Vehicles. Includes text descriptions of 8 tanks and 28 photographs.