Transcript of an oral interview with Cliff Robertson. Robertson was a crewman on a small, old freighter (SS Admiral Cole) about 150 miles out of Iloilo (in the vicinity of Philippines Islands) when his ship was bombed by a Japanese 4-engine amphibious plane - the same time Pearl Harbor was being bombed. Although their ship was damaged by the bombs, they got to Zamboanga and then were in the China Sea when the USS Houston (CA-30) was sunk. They finally got out down through Tora Straits and then out along the Great Barrier Reef to Sidney, Australia. They went to New Zealand for repairs and then sailed for San Francisco, California which is where they had started. Robertson signed off the ship. He went off to Antioch College and worked for the Springfield Daily News in Springfield, Ohio at the same time. Robertson wanted to fly but his eyesight wasn't good enough so he went into the Merchant Marine. After training on Catalina Island, he was assigned to a tanker. The other ships he remembered being on were SS Craig and SS Jonathan. Robertson made several trips to the South Pacific and contracted malaria on one. Later on, he went …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Wallace Pickard. Pickard was born in New York City on 2 August 1919. In 1940 he was accepted into the US Army Air Corps and tells of the various aircraft in which he trained and the different air fields to which he was assigned. In September 1941 he was assigned to Reconnaissance Squadron Four at Hickam Field, Hawaii. He was awakened by the sounds of explosions on 7 December 1941 as the Japanese launched their attack on Pearl Harbor. During the attack, Pickard received shell fragment wounds to his hand, back and hip. He was transported to Tripler Hospital for treatment. While preparations were being made to amputate his hand a visiting trauma surgeon took interest in his case and ultimately saved it. In February 1942 he was sent to Letterman General Hospital, then to Walter Reed Hospital for treatment. He underwent twenty-two operations for his injuries. In June 1942 he was assigned as aide to General George Marshall. He tells of the circumstances that precluded his assignment and describes his duties. In 1944 he was discharged for medical reasons but was recalled and became an executive officer …

Transcript of an oral interview with Cliff Robertson. Robertson was a crewman on a small, old freighter (SS Admiral Cole) about 150 miles out of Iloilo (in the vicinity of Philippines Islands) when his ship was bombed by a Japanese 4-engine amphibious plane - the same time Pearl Harbor was being bombed. Although their ship was damaged by the bombs, they got to Zamboanga and then were in the China Sea when the USS Houston (CA-30) was sunk. They finally got out down through Tora Straits and then out along the Great Barrier Reef to Sidney, Australia. They went to New Zealand for repairs and then sailed for San Francisco, California which is where they had started. Robertson signed off the ship. He went off to Antioch College and worked for the Springfield Daily News in Springfield, Ohio at the same time. Robertson wanted to fly but his eyesight wasn't good enough so he went into the Merchant Marine. After training on Catalina Island, he was assigned to a tanker. The other ships he remembered being on were SS Craig and SS Jonathan. Robertson made several trips to the South Pacific and contracted malaria on one. Later on, he went …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Wallace Pickard. Pickard was born in New York City on 2 August 1919. In 1940 he was accepted into the US Army Air Corps and tells of the various aircraft in which he trained and the different air fields to which he was assigned. In September 1941 he was assigned to Reconnaissance Squadron Four at Hickam Field, Hawaii. He was awakened by the sounds of explosions on 7 December 1941 as the Japanese launched their attack on Pearl Harbor. During the attack, Pickard received shell fragment wounds to his hand, back and hip. He was transported to Tripler Hospital for treatment. While preparations were being made to amputate his hand a visiting trauma surgeon took interest in his case and ultimately saved it. In February 1942 he was sent to Letterman General Hospital, then to Walter Reed Hospital for treatment. He underwent twenty-two operations for his injuries. In June 1942 he was assigned as aide to General George Marshall. He tells of the circumstances that precluded his assignment and describes his duties. In 1944 he was discharged for medical reasons but was recalled and became an executive officer …