The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Hadwick Thompson. Thompson joined the Navy in 1939 and received basic training in San Diego. Upon completion, he was assigned to steward school because he was African American. He boarded the USS Ramsay (DM-16), which broke down twice en route to Pearl Harbor. Thompson became the number-one loader in charge of a four-inch mid-ship gun. During the attack on Pearl Harbor, he shot at planes while a lieutenant loaded ammunition for him. When the Ramsay laid mines around New Hebrides and Samoa, and Thompson was assigned to sink faulty mines by shooting them, an arduous task. He was transferred to the USS Pollack (SS-180) and made five perilous patrols before being hospitalized and treated for ulcers. On one occasion his sub was surrounded by Japanese destroyers and submerged for 15 hours, running out of oxygen. During another, the sub’s conning tower tore a hole in the bottom of a Japanese destroyer when resurfacing. In the Bungo Channel, the Pollack almost collided with a large Japanese sub when their radarman fell asleep at the screen. For his last duty, Thompson was a steward, second-class, in charge of African American …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Merrill Pierce. Pierce entered the Navy in September, 1941 and was in training when the war started. His assignment was with the Armed Guard and he rode a tanker to Hawaii. He switched ships and hauled molasses up from Chile. On another ship, he carried bombs to Australia and India. Next they hauled a load of jute to New York. He landed at Peleliu and worked as a stevedore. When the war ended, Pierce was tasked with dumping aircraft overboard off Los Negros.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Philip Lapaglia. As an only child, Lapaglia was exempt from the draft, but he enlisted with the Army Air Forces upon learning that they were looking for aviation cadets. After completing pre-flight training, he learned that they were looking for Romance language translators, so he went to Camp Richards for intelligence school as a speaker of French and Italian. The need for translators suddenly dropped following the surrender of Italy, so Lapaglia went into photo intelligence. He learned to use aerial photography to track changes in the terrain and to perform comparative coverage. In the Pacific, Lapaglia traveled extensively to many islands, including New Caledonia, Guadalcanal, Bougainville and the Philippines. While on New Caledonia, his outfit’s portable photo lab was stolen, so they improvised a new one out of an ambulance. Lapaglia traded photos for local supplies, because cameras were exotic in some locales. On Bougainville, he learned that the Japanese had a mortal fear of Fijian warriors, so intelligence was fed to native spies purporting that the allies were sending Fijians to battle. After the war ended, Lapaglia returned home and was discharged in December 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Clarence Kendall. Upon graduating from the University of Missouri in 1942, Kendall enrolled in Naval Reserve Midshipmen’s School at Notre Dame. His first assignment was on the USS Stack (DD-406) as an assistant gunnery officer. He recounts dramatic details of the Battle of Vella Gulf and feels that his success in combat was due to his diligent studies and mastery of technology such as radar. Kendall transferred to the USS Essex (CV-9) as a battery officer, participating in invasions from the Marshall Islands through Okinawa, where a kamikaze flew 20 feet above Kendall’s head before hitting a gun and exploding. Following the war, Kendall transferred to the new USS Juneau (CL-119) and spent 90 days aboard, during which time he wrote the fire control doctrine for the ship. Much to his captain’s chagrin, as Kendall was a valuable asset to the ship, he was discharged thereafter and went on to attend law school.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Edith Scott. Scott graduated from high school in 1942. She began nursing school in October of 1943 at John Sealey College of Nursing (now the University of Texas Nursing School) in Austin. She joined the US Cadet Nurse Corps and graduated in 1946, after the war ended. She describes in detail her experiences through nursing school and corps training. Scott also notes that there were several Japanese ladies going through training with her. She goes on to share her life pursuits after graduation.

The National Museum of the pacific War presents an interview with Jesse Copeland. Copeland joined the Navy in June, 1943. In September, Copeland was assigned to USS Haskell (APA-117) as a radio operator. Copeland made the invasion of Luzon in January, 1945 and provided shore to ship radio communication. He did the same at Okinawa. He remained with the Haskell throughout the war and upon returning to the US, was discharged in December, 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Edith Scott. Scott graduated from high school in 1942. She began nursing school in October of 1943 at John Sealey College of Nursing (now the University of Texas Nursing School) in Austin. She joined the US Cadet Nurse Corps and graduated in 1946, after the war ended. She describes in detail her experiences through nursing school and corps training. Scott also notes that there were several Japanese ladies going through training with her. She goes on to share her life pursuits after graduation.

The National Museum of the pacific War presents an interview with Jesse Copeland. Copeland joined the Navy in June, 1943. In September, Copeland was assigned to USS Haskell (APA-117) as a radio operator. Copeland made the invasion of Luzon in January, 1945 and provided shore to ship radio communication. He did the same at Okinawa. He remained with the Haskell throughout the war and upon returning to the US, was discharged in December, 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Clarence Kendall. Upon graduating from the University of Missouri in 1942, Kendall enrolled in Naval Reserve Midshipmen’s School at Notre Dame. His first assignment was on the USS Stack (DD-406) as an assistant gunnery officer. He recounts dramatic details of the Battle of Vella Gulf and feels that his success in combat was due to his diligent studies and mastery of technology such as radar. Kendall transferred to the USS Essex (CV-9) as a battery officer, participating in invasions from the Marshall Islands through Okinawa, where a kamikaze flew 20 feet above Kendall’s head before hitting a gun and exploding. Following the war, Kendall transferred to the new USS Juneau (CL-119) and spent 90 days aboard, during which time he wrote the fire control doctrine for the ship. Much to his captain’s chagrin, as Kendall was a valuable asset to the ship, he was discharged thereafter and went on to attend law school.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Philip Lapaglia. As an only child, Lapaglia was exempt from the draft, but he enlisted with the Army Air Forces upon learning that they were looking for aviation cadets. After completing pre-flight training, he learned that they were looking for Romance language translators, so he went to Camp Richards for intelligence school as a speaker of French and Italian. The need for translators suddenly dropped following the surrender of Italy, so Lapaglia went into photo intelligence. He learned to use aerial photography to track changes in the terrain and to perform comparative coverage. In the Pacific, Lapaglia traveled extensively to many islands, including New Caledonia, Guadalcanal, Bougainville and the Philippines. While on New Caledonia, his outfit’s portable photo lab was stolen, so they improvised a new one out of an ambulance. Lapaglia traded photos for local supplies, because cameras were exotic in some locales. On Bougainville, he learned that the Japanese had a mortal fear of Fijian warriors, so intelligence was fed to native spies purporting that the allies were sending Fijians to battle. After the war ended, Lapaglia returned home and was discharged in December 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Hadwick Thompson. Thompson joined the Navy in 1939 and received basic training in San Diego. Upon completion, he was assigned to steward school because he was African American. He boarded the USS Ramsay (DM-16), which broke down twice en route to Pearl Harbor. Thompson became the number-one loader in charge of a four-inch mid-ship gun. During the attack on Pearl Harbor, he shot at planes while a lieutenant loaded ammunition for him. When the Ramsay laid mines around New Hebrides and Samoa, and Thompson was assigned to sink faulty mines by shooting them, an arduous task. He was transferred to the USS Pollack (SS-180) and made five perilous patrols before being hospitalized and treated for ulcers. On one occasion his sub was surrounded by Japanese destroyers and submerged for 15 hours, running out of oxygen. During another, the sub’s conning tower tore a hole in the bottom of a Japanese destroyer when resurfacing. In the Bungo Channel, the Pollack almost collided with a large Japanese sub when their radarman fell asleep at the screen. For his last duty, Thompson was a steward, second-class, in charge of African American …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Merrill Pierce. Pierce entered the Navy in September, 1941 and was in training when the war started. His assignment was with the Armed Guard and he rode a tanker to Hawaii. He switched ships and hauled molasses up from Chile. On another ship, he carried bombs to Australia and India. Next they hauled a load of jute to New York. He landed at Peleliu and worked as a stevedore. When the war ended, Pierce was tasked with dumping aircraft overboard off Los Negros.

Letter from Catherine to her husband Joe discussing news from home, including the weather, plans to go to Gonzales for the weekend, and eating dinner with Mr. Davis. Catherine also asks Joe to send a letter to Lorraine congratulating her on her new baby.