The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with George Deer. Deer joined the Marine Corps in February of 1944, and provides details of his training. He was assigned to communications, working with phones, radios and stringing lines. He was attached to the 11th Gun Battalion at Camp Tarawa, Hawaii and shares his experiences training, living and working on the island, providing a number of anecdotal stories as well. He participated in the Battle of Leyte in October of 1944, where he served in both communications and as infantry. In January of 1945 they completed mopping up exercises on Guam, taking on 19 Japanese prisoners. Deer remained on Guam until the war ended. He was issued a medical discharge in December of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with R.L. Hawkins. Hawkins was born in Springfield, Illinois on 31 May 1924. Upon joining the Navy in February 1943, he attended boot camp at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, in Illinois. After twelve weeks he entered fire control school, also at Great Lakes. From there, he attended advanced fire control school in Washington, DC. Hawkins was then sent to Providence, Rhode Island for gunnery training. In early 1944, he went to the Brooklyn Navy Yard and was assigned to the USS Diphda (AKA-59) as a senior fire control man. Hawkins describes the mechanisms used in controlling the guns including gyros, fitting systems, motors of the control system and vacuum tubes. In January 1945 the ship participated in the Lingayen Gulf invasion and he describes landing LCVPs and relates the experience of bringing them back on board. Following the ship’s participation in the invasion of Okinawa, during which they came under kamikaze attack, the ship returned to the United States. While they were in the US Japan surrendered.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Kenneth Doolittle. Doolittle was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1930. His father was a doctor at the Queen’s Medical Center. He was an 11-year-old boy, living with his family in Hawaii when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Doolittle shares details of his experiences through that fateful day, and his life in general living on the island before, during and after the war. He graduated high school in 1948 and served in the Army with the 101st Airborne Division.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Seldon Prothro. Prothro was born in Texas in 1926. Upon enlisting in the Navy on 22 April 1944, he was sent to San Diego for boot training. Soon after completing boot training he developed mumps and was hospitalized. Upon his release, he was assigned the Armed Guard detachment aboard the SS William Luckenbach (1913) as a gunner/electrician. He delivered goods to Okinawa as well as several other islands. The ship returned to the United States after the Surrender of Japan and Prothro was discharged. Soon thereafter, he reenlisted in the Navy and was assigned to USS LSM-379. He recalls that the ship delivered doctors to various destination including Australia, Japan and China. He was discharged in 1947.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ruben Davis. Davis was born in Texas on 5 July 1926. In 1944 he was inducted into the Navy and sent to San Diego for boot training. Upon completing eight weeks of boot training he was assigned to amphibious training at Coronado Island, California. During training, he covered boat handling, semaphore and Morse code. While in training he developed pneumonia and was hospitalized. Upon recovering, he was assigned to USS LSM-171 as a coxswain. He recalls the ship laying smokescreen during the invasion of Okinawa and being under attack by kamikaze aircraft. He also remembers the ship being in a typhoon in 1945. Following the surrender of Japan the ship went to various islands and picked up and disposed of Japanese weaponry. Davis returned to the United States aboard the USS Wakefield (AP-21) and was discharged in April 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Leon Faddis. Faddis joined the Navy in December of 1943. He completed Fire Control school and was assigned to the gunnery division aboard the USS Alaska (CB-1). His job aboard was a loader on the 5-inch gun. They assisted with the liberation of the Philippines, and provided support at Iwo Jima, and then on to Okinawa. He provides some detail of each of these experiences. He witnessed the USS Franklin (CV-13) ablaze after it was struck by Japanese bombs, and details how the crew aboard the Alaska assisted. From there they went to Inchon, Korea to assist in liberation. After the war they traveled to Tsingtao, China to assist with repatriation of the Japanese. He was discharged in January of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Edward Ferretti. Mike Ferretti, son of Edward, speaks on his father’s behalf. Ferretti was drafted into the Navy in 1944 and received training in Camp Farragut, Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho and Point Loma, San Diego to become a radar operator. He worked aboard the USS Cortland (APA-75) in 1945. His shifts were four hours on the radar screen, eight hours off, seven days a week, working in both surface and sea modes. Over a ten-month period, they shuttled Marines to different islands. Locations include Seattle, Eniwetok, Ulithi, Okinawa, Korea and China. In September 1945 they helped the Nationalist Chinese fight the communists by transporting 800 Chinese troops to Tientsin. Ferretti also went to Manila, Hong Kong and Japan. They arrived back in the States in December 1945. He completed his service in the Navy as Radarman 1st Class and was discharged around January 1946. Ferretti took advantage of the G.I. Bill and studied at Washington University.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with R.L. Hawkins. Hawkins was born in Springfield, Illinois on 31 May 1924. Upon joining the Navy in February 1943, he attended boot camp at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, in Illinois. After twelve weeks he entered fire control school, also at Great Lakes. From there, he attended advanced fire control school in Washington, DC. Hawkins was then sent to Providence, Rhode Island for gunnery training. In early 1944, he went to the Brooklyn Navy Yard and was assigned to the USS Diphda (AKA-59) as a senior fire control man. Hawkins describes the mechanisms used in controlling the guns including gyros, fitting systems, motors of the control system and vacuum tubes. In January 1945 the ship participated in the Lingayen Gulf invasion and he describes landing LCVPs and relates the experience of bringing them back on board. Following the ship’s participation in the invasion of Okinawa, during which they came under kamikaze attack, the ship returned to the United States. While they were in the US Japan surrendered.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Kenneth Doolittle. Doolittle was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1930. His father was a doctor at the Queen’s Medical Center. He was an 11-year-old boy, living with his family in Hawaii when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Doolittle shares details of his experiences through that fateful day, and his life in general living on the island before, during and after the war. He graduated high school in 1948 and served in the Army with the 101st Airborne Division.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Leon Faddis. Faddis joined the Navy in December of 1943. He completed Fire Control school and was assigned to the gunnery division aboard the USS Alaska (CB-1). His job aboard was a loader on the 5-inch gun. They assisted with the liberation of the Philippines, and provided support at Iwo Jima, and then on to Okinawa. He provides some detail of each of these experiences. He witnessed the USS Franklin (CV-13) ablaze after it was struck by Japanese bombs, and details how the crew aboard the Alaska assisted. From there they went to Inchon, Korea to assist in liberation. After the war they traveled to Tsingtao, China to assist with repatriation of the Japanese. He was discharged in January of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Edward Ferretti. Mike Ferretti, son of Edward, speaks on his father’s behalf. Ferretti was drafted into the Navy in 1944 and received training in Camp Farragut, Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho and Point Loma, San Diego to become a radar operator. He worked aboard the USS Cortland (APA-75) in 1945. His shifts were four hours on the radar screen, eight hours off, seven days a week, working in both surface and sea modes. Over a ten-month period, they shuttled Marines to different islands. Locations include Seattle, Eniwetok, Ulithi, Okinawa, Korea and China. In September 1945 they helped the Nationalist Chinese fight the communists by transporting 800 Chinese troops to Tientsin. Ferretti also went to Manila, Hong Kong and Japan. They arrived back in the States in December 1945. He completed his service in the Navy as Radarman 1st Class and was discharged around January 1946. Ferretti took advantage of the G.I. Bill and studied at Washington University.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Seldon Prothro. Prothro was born in Texas in 1926. Upon enlisting in the Navy on 22 April 1944, he was sent to San Diego for boot training. Soon after completing boot training he developed mumps and was hospitalized. Upon his release, he was assigned the Armed Guard detachment aboard the SS William Luckenbach (1913) as a gunner/electrician. He delivered goods to Okinawa as well as several other islands. The ship returned to the United States after the Surrender of Japan and Prothro was discharged. Soon thereafter, he reenlisted in the Navy and was assigned to USS LSM-379. He recalls that the ship delivered doctors to various destination including Australia, Japan and China. He was discharged in 1947.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ruben Davis. Davis was born in Texas on 5 July 1926. In 1944 he was inducted into the Navy and sent to San Diego for boot training. Upon completing eight weeks of boot training he was assigned to amphibious training at Coronado Island, California. During training, he covered boat handling, semaphore and Morse code. While in training he developed pneumonia and was hospitalized. Upon recovering, he was assigned to USS LSM-171 as a coxswain. He recalls the ship laying smokescreen during the invasion of Okinawa and being under attack by kamikaze aircraft. He also remembers the ship being in a typhoon in 1945. Following the surrender of Japan the ship went to various islands and picked up and disposed of Japanese weaponry. Davis returned to the United States aboard the USS Wakefield (AP-21) and was discharged in April 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with George Deer. Deer joined the Marine Corps in February of 1944, and provides details of his training. He was assigned to communications, working with phones, radios and stringing lines. He was attached to the 11th Gun Battalion at Camp Tarawa, Hawaii and shares his experiences training, living and working on the island, providing a number of anecdotal stories as well. He participated in the Battle of Leyte in October of 1944, where he served in both communications and as infantry. In January of 1945 they completed mopping up exercises on Guam, taking on 19 Japanese prisoners. Deer remained on Guam until the war ended. He was issued a medical discharge in December of 1946.

First page of an incomplete letter from Catherine to her husband Joe discussing news from home, including the fact that she has been busy but is planning to go visit Jenny after the 7:00 mail and that Mathew has bought half interest in the market.

Letter from Joe to his wife Catherine discussing making food with the other men in his squadron rather than going to the mess hall, the poor mail service, having completed 15 missions, and seeing the movie "Hail the Conquering Hero."