The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Leon Shook. Shook joined the Navy in July of 1942. That fall he began his service aboard the USS Colorado (BB-45) as a machinist, a loader on 1.1-inch guns and worked with the ammunition supply. In November of 1943 they participated in the Battle of Tarawa. In July of 1944 they participated in the Battle of Tinian, where they were hit by twenty-two 7.7-inch shells, killing 42 men and wounding 365. In the fall of 1944 they participated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, where they were struck by 2 kamikaze suicide bombers, killing 19 men. In January of 1945 they participated in the pre-invasion of Lingayen Gulf. The Colorado was struck by accidental fire from the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38), killing 69 men. Shook received 9 Battle Stars. He provides details of the various battles he participated in. He was discharged in October of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Leslie Collins. Collins joined the Army in 1942. He completed eight weeks of infantry training and then traveled to Australia and New Guinea with the 41st Division and participated in eleven beach landings. While overseas he volunteered to serve as a combat medic, though having had little training. He provides some details of combat in the jungles of New Guinea, the natives and the materials he used as a medic on the island. Collins was one of 33 in his medical outfit, and only 2 were not killed or wounded. They made a landing on Hollandia, where Collins describes the Japanese bombing their outfit. He also served in the Philippines until August of 1945. He was discharged in January of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Herbert Hinckley. Hinckley joined the Navy after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Upon completion of radio school he was assigned to USS LST-391. Shuttling supplies between Oran and Tunisia, he survived extensive bombings which haunted him for some time after the war. At Sicily, with Army Air Forces paratroopers caught in friendly fire, Hinckley frantically relayed a ceasefire message to an unsympathetic captain who was more concerned with the Stukas overhead. After taking Palermo, Hinckley was sitting at a dinner table when German soldiers arrived, asking to surrender. In Salerno, his LST took badly burned men onboard, and at Naples he was strafed. His LST was then fitted with rails to enable delivery of boxcars to France. Hinckley’s LST brought Patton’s jeep to Normandy. After Hinckley’s LST was sunk three times in Cherbourg, he was reassigned to the Pacific, finishing the war on LST-112. After his discharge in January 1946, he embarked on a career in the Air Force, ultimately becoming chief of flight medicine at Dyess Air Force Base.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Bob Hurmence. Hurmence joined the Navy in May of 1944. Beginning March of 1945, he served as a Radio Operator aboard the USS Iowa (BB-61). They participated in the Battle of Okinawa, and served with occupation forces in Japan after the war. Hurmence returned to the US and was discharged in 1946.

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 Henry Frank Vojtek. Vojtek joined the Navy in September of 1942. Beginning in April of 1943, he served as a Helmsman aboard the USS Murray (DD-576). They participated in the invasions of Bougainville, Tarawa, Aitape, New Guinea, Saipan, the Philippines and Okinawa. He was discharged in January of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Eberhardt Niemeyer. Niemeyer finished at the University of Texas in 1941 and was at Midshipman’s school at Northwestern when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. When he was commissioned in early 1942, he reported aboard the submarine R-18 and trained the fleet on sounding equipment in the Atlantic Ocean. In early 1944, he put the USS Sea Cat (SS-399) into commission and made four war patrols on her. Niemeyer relates several anecdotes about being aboard submarines during World War II. Niemeyer was discharged in December 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Don Dahlke. Dahlke joined the Navy in January of 1942. He completed torpedo and machine gun schools. He served as Torpedoman aboard the USS Fletcher (DD-445), beginning May of 1942. They participated in the Guadalcanal operation, the Battle of Tassafaronga, the Battle of Leyte Gulf and the Lingayen Gulf Campaign. In February of 1945, they provided fire support during the occupation of Bataan and Corregidor. Dahlke returned to the US after the war ended.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John J. Keenan. Keenan joined the Army in June 1941. He served as a bugler and runner and was quickly promoted due to circumstances and luck. Keenan became a master sergeant in less than 2 years. He served with the 7th Armored Division and landed in France in August 1944. Keenan describes some of the incidents he remembers as his unit advanced across Europe including meeting the Russians at the Elbe River. He was discharged in July 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Alphior Silverio. Silverio went into the Army in 1942 and trained at Camp Atterbury. He was assigned to the 308th Combat Engineer Battalion attached to the 83rd Infantry Division and went overseas in April, 1944. In August, Silverio went to France with the 83rd. He recalls building bridges across France until he was wounded in early December and evacuated to England. By then he had earned a battlefield commission. He was able to rejoin his unit after recovery and was finally discharged in February 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Schneider. Schneider joined the Navy in January 1945. He describes his training at radio school including how he was taught Morse Code and typing. Schneider was assigned to PC-1244 and was based in Guam. He briefly discusses going through two typhoons with his tight-knit crew. Schneider was discharged from the Navy in July 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Harold Collins. Collins was a student at UCSB when he witnessed the bombardment of Ellwood. He was drafted soon after and sent to the University of Colorado. Upon course completion, he was assigned to USS LST-476 as a navigator and gunnery officer. His ship generally transported Marines from secured islands to rest points such as Ulithi. After landing troops on the beach at Okinawa, he pulled back to defend a heavy cruiser. Afterward, he shared a bunk with a Marine major suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Collins brought troops to Tokyo Bay and drove into Nagasaki, which was full of civilian casualties and stunned survivors at the time. He returned home and was recalled to active duty during the Korean War. Collins was sent to an aviation electronics school and later founded an electronics company that employed 350 people.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Norbert Fritz. Fritz joined the Army in 1941 and was sent to radio school in San Antonio and the University of Texas. He received basic training in Amarillo and was reassigned to the Army Air Forces. He completed a radio operator course in Sioux Falls but could not get his Morse code up to speed; so, he was sent to Florida for top-secret radar training and arrived on New Guinea in the spring of 1944. There he serviced B-25 radio equipment, after removing radar equipment so the planes would be light enough for low altitude missions. He continued his work in the Netherlands East Indies, the Philippines, and Okinawa. He sailed through two typhoons on his way back to the States and was discharged in January 1946. Fritz opened a radio repair shop, became a broadcast engineer, and founded several radio stations.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Harry Johnson. Johnson worked with the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1941, in forest preservation in the areas of firefighting and fire prevention. He then joined the Marine Corps prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was stationed at Parris Island, South Carolina, and provides much detail of boot camp. In April of 1942 he went to American Samoa. He describes their uniform and equipment issued to them prior to their trip. He traveled to Guadalcanal in August of 1943 and served as a rifleman. He provides detail of life on Guadalcanal. He also describes the various diseases he witnessed on American Samoa and Guadalcanal. He discusses life in the infantry and his work as a Marine during the war. He was discharged in May of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Lyle White. White joined the Navy in July of 1943. In Pearl Harbor he served as a carpenter, building new officers’ quarters. He talks about military life and provides some stories. He left for the South Pacific in March of 1944 aboard the USS General G. O. Squier (AP-130). He was part of the 123rd Construction Battalion. They went to Midway to empty bunkers of shells and build docks for submarines. He describes these experiences and the island. They also travelled to Samar, Philippines and built runways and Quonset huts. They built a causeway from Samar to Calaguan. White was discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Walter Autry. Autry joined the Navy in 1941. In 1944, he traveled to New Guinea, serving aboard as a cook. He later worked as a Machinist Mate and Chief Engineer aboard an LCI. He participated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf and the Philippines Campaigns. Autry served with occupation forces in Tientsin, China. He returned to the US and was discharged in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with William Furrer. Furrer joined the Navy in November of 1940. He completed Aviation Structural Mechanics School, and was assigned to Utility Squadron 1 at the Naval Station on Ford Island in mid-1941. He conducted aircraft maintenance. Furrer witnessed the first Japanese planes bomb Pearl Harbor. He later served as a Barrier Operator aboard the USS Altamaha (CVE-18) in late 1942, traveling to Funafuti, and continued his service in the South Pacific through mid-1944. He was then assigned to Jacksonville, Florida, continuing aircraft maintenance work, where he remained through the end of the war. Furrer continued his service in the Navy, retiring in 1961.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ross Lowell Kastor. Kastor joined the Navy in the spring of 1944. In September, he was assigned to pre-flight School at Hensley Field in Dallas. He completed flight training in a Boeing-Stearman NS2. He was then transferred to Cuddihy Field in Corpus Christi, and trained aboard a Consolidated PB2Y. He graduated in June of 1945, and served as a flight instructor until December. Kastor was made second lieutenant in the Marine Corps and transferred to a Curtiss R5C Commando transport squadron at the Marine Corps Air Station at Ewa in Oahu. He worked as a command pilot, and delivered cargo from the Ewa base, to smaller Pacific islands, from which he transported military personnel back to Hawaii. Kastor served 14 months in the Pacific.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Charles Sullivan. Sullivan was born 11 November 1923. He joined the Navy in December of 1942. He served as an Electrician’s Mate aboard USS Wesson (DE-184). They traveled to Kwajalein and the Marianas. Sullivan speaks of supporting the Philippine Island operations, and the Okinawa invasion. He returned to the US in late 1945, and received his discharge in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Dorwin Lamkin. Lamkin joined the Navy in 1940. He completed Hospital Corps Training School and served as a corpsman and hospital apprentice aboard the USS Nevada (BB-36), where he was stationed during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Nevada was torpedoed and bombed during the surprise attack. Lamkin later served aboard the USS President Jackson (APA-18) and the USS San Francisco (CA-38). In early 1945, he was assigned to a Naval Hospital in the Philippines. He was discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Jack Carson. Carson joined the Army Air Corps in November of 1940. In December, he was assigned to Hickam Field in Hawaii, working with weapons in a supply squadron. Carson shares his experiences living and working in Hawaii prior to, during and after the attack on Pearl Harbor. In mid-1942, he was sent to Fiji with a small support group, providing fuel and supplies to the war effort in the Pacific. In early 1944, Carson completed Loadmaster School in California and served in North Africa. He traveled to Casablanca, Morocco, supplying the armed forces in Italy. He was discharged in August of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Olen Gaither. Gaither joined the Navy in 1944. He served as First-Class Seaman aboard the USS Wesson (DE-184). They traveled to Pearl Harbor, Guam, Leyte and Okinawa. Gaither served on the 40mm anti-aircraft gun during battle, and was in charge of the galley during his 9-month service aboard the Wesson. He returned to the US and received his discharge in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Edmund Russell. Russell joined the Army Air Corps in 1940. He was stationed at Wheeler Field in Hawaii, serving in the mess hall and with a fatigue unit, assisting with ditch digging, garbage hauling and other manual labor. Russell was in Hawaii during the attack on Pearl Harbor. He later completed Navigator School and served as an A-26 Bombardier/Navigator in India and China, supporting Chinese nationalists. Russell returned to the US in late 1945 and received his discharge.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Carey. Carey joined the Naval ROTC at Yale and received his commission in February 1944. Assigned to the USS Loy (DE-160), he was shocked by the poor relations of the captain and executive officer. In one instance, the captain flew into a rage until he was finally subdued by the executive officer's fists. The other officers were kinder to each other, and Carey assisted them with gunnery and communications. Off the Bay of Biscay, he monitored high-speed German transmissions that he recorded so that they could be slowed down and decoded. The transmissions were useful in pinpointing enemy subs. In the summer of 1944, Carey was reassigned to PC-1245. That fall, his family received the devastating news that his brother was killed in the European Theater. After the war, Carey was caught in a typhoon at Okinawa and survived with the help of a passing tugboat. He returned home and was discharged in January 1946.