The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with George Reed. Reed was born in Alice, Texas on 28 August 1922. Prior to joining the US Army Air Corps in 1942, he participated in the Civilian Pilot Training program. Upon entering the Air Corps he was sent to California and after testing, he was selected for pilot training. He tells of the various phases of flight training and the types of aircraft he flew. After graduating and receiving his wings, he was sent to Albuquerque, New Mexico for multi-engine transitional training in the B-24 bomber. Upon completing the training he was ordered to Fresno, California to pick up a crew. The newly formed crew flew numerous training missions until June, 1944, when they picked up a new B-24 and flew to Foggia, Italy. Upon their arrival the crew was assigned to the 456th Bomb Group, 745th Bomb Squadron. He describes in detail the intricacies involved in flying a mission, from the wake-up call through the debriefing following the mission. Reed flew thirty-five missions and was recalled into the service during the Korean War. He served as a B-29 instructor at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas until his …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Floyd Loomis. Loomis joined the Navy in March of 1940. He served as Fireman Second-Class aboard the USS West Virginia (BB-48) and deployed to Pearl Harbor. He then transferred to the USS New Orleans (CA-32). They were moored in Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked. In February of 1942, he was transferred to Treasure Island, in California, placing a converted yacht into commission. They completed patrol missions between Diamond Head and Barber’s Point in Hawaii. He later went aboard USS Mamo YT-325, a yard tugboat, towing barges around Johnston Island and Midway Island. Loomis was discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Walter Autry. Autry left the Merchant Marine and joined the Navy just after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Given his experience, he qualified for steam engineering and was sent to the University of Houston for training in diesel engineering. He briefly entertained the idea of being a Navy diver and received training at Pier 88 in New York City. Ultimately he was assigned to the crew of an LCI that laid smoke screens and made almost 100 landings in the Philippines. As part of his duty, Autry fought fires on ships and rescued the wounded. He bartered with natives on Mindanao and returned home with an intricately carved knife made of volcanic ash. He also met the natives of Luzon and describes their poisonous arrows. He recalls a treacherous typhoon at Okinawa. From there he went to China and recounts the tremendous poverty. He saw atrocious conditions for Filipino women and children at Santo Tomas. When Autry finally returned home, his daughter, who was born while Autry was at sea, was already 18 months old. He joined the Naval Reserve and was sent to the Philippines as a …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Henry Kalinofsky. Kalinofsky grew up in Pennsylvania and joined the Navy in 1941. After training, he joined the destroyer DE 581 McNulty and took several convoys into the North Atlantic and Mediterranean. The destroyer took convoys for the invasion of Normandy. Kalinofsky was a captain on a twin mount 40 mm. He was next on the ship USS LSM (R) 198. He describes being in a truck with German prisoners of war and sharing his cigarettes. Kalinofsky was then transferred into amphibious forces and sent to the Pacific Theater. He was a gunners mate 3rd class. He was involved in action at Le Shima. Next, his ship went to Okinawa. Kalinofsky describes targeting and being targeted by kamikazes. He also saw Baka bombs. After the atomic bombs were dropped, he returned to Guam, Pearl Harbor, and then the United States where he was discharged.

Transcript of an oral interview with David Straus. Straus was born in San Antonio in 1923 and finished high school at the Texas Military Institute. From there he attended Trinity University, Dartmouth and Texas A&M before dropping out to enlist in the Marine Corps in 1943. He finished Officer Candidate School in 1944 and was shipped to the Pacific early in 1945 as an officer in he First Marine Division. He eventually landed on Okinawa in May, 1945 as a replacement in charge of a rifle platoon in E Company, Fifth Marines. He describes tactics for attacking caves and the use of supporting arms such as bazookas, flamethrowers and tanks. He was present on Okinawa preparing for the invasion of the home islands of Japan when the atomic bombs were dropped. After the surrender, the First Marine Division went to northern China to disarm the Japanese Army there. Straus was stationed in Beijing at the time. He went home in 1946 and went on the inactive reserve list. He was recalled for the Korean War in 1951 after having gotten married and had a son. He became Executive Officer of Company F, Fifth Marines. After brief training in Korea, his …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Trenton Fowler. Fowler grew up in Corpus Christi and enlisted into the Marine Corps in 1943. Once he finished training, he was assigned to the 4th Marine Raider Battalion and shipped out on the French transport ship Rochambeau to New Caledonia. From there he went to Guadalcanal for training and then to the Emirau, Guam, and Okinawa campaigns, with stops at Guadalcanal in between each campaign. Fowler discusses the pros and cons of the Browning Automatic Rifle versus the M-1 Garand. He tells of the change of his unit's name from the 4th Battalion Raiders to the 6th Marine Division, before he went to Okinawa. He relates the experience of finding out his brother, a fellow Marine, had died at Iwo Jima.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Donald Boots. In December, 1942, Boots joined the Marine Corps. After basic training, Boots attended a small camouflaging school at Camp Lejeune before going to Camp Pendleton. At Pendleton, the 4th Marine Division formed and Boots was assigned to the 4th Pioneer Battalion. His unit's job was to organize a beachhead once Marines had landed. During the Marshall Islands invasion, Boots' unit landed on a small island near Roi-Namur to set up artillery for the larger invasion. After that, the unit went back to Maui. Next, Boots' unit invaded Saipan. He went in on the second or third wave on D-Day. Boots also went to Iwo Jima and landed with the third wave. Once on the beach, he had a hard time finding his outfit because so many of them had been killed already. He helped a friend onto an LCVP that was leaving the beach with wounded and was taken off the beach. He returned for his second landing on Iwo Jima a short time later. He stayed for 31 days. When the war ended, Boots was discharged in November, 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Walter Autry. Autry left the Merchant Marine and joined the Navy just after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Given his experience, he qualified for steam engineering and was sent to the University of Houston for training in diesel engineering. He briefly entertained the idea of being a Navy diver and received training at Pier 88 in New York City. Ultimately he was assigned to the crew of an LCI that laid smoke screens and made almost 100 landings in the Philippines. As part of his duty, Autry fought fires on ships and rescued the wounded. He bartered with natives on Mindanao and returned home with an intricately carved knife made of volcanic ash. He also met the natives of Luzon and describes their poisonous arrows. He recalls a treacherous typhoon at Okinawa. From there he went to China and recounts the tremendous poverty. He saw atrocious conditions for Filipino women and children at Santo Tomas. When Autry finally returned home, his daughter, who was born while Autry was at sea, was already 18 months old. He joined the Naval Reserve and was sent to the Philippines as a …

Transcript of an oral interview with David Straus. Straus was born in San Antonio in 1923 and finished high school at the Texas Military Institute. From there he attended Trinity University, Dartmouth and Texas A&M before dropping out to enlist in the Marine Corps in 1943. He finished Officer Candidate School in 1944 and was shipped to the Pacific early in 1945 as an officer in he First Marine Division. He eventually landed on Okinawa in May, 1945 as a replacement in charge of a rifle platoon in E Company, Fifth Marines. He describes tactics for attacking caves and the use of supporting arms such as bazookas, flamethrowers and tanks. He was present on Okinawa preparing for the invasion of the home islands of Japan when the atomic bombs were dropped. After the surrender, the First Marine Division went to northern China to disarm the Japanese Army there. Straus was stationed in Beijing at the time. He went home in 1946 and went on the inactive reserve list. He was recalled for the Korean War in 1951 after having gotten married and had a son. He became Executive Officer of Company F, Fifth Marines. After brief training in Korea, his …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with George Reed. Reed was born in Alice, Texas on 28 August 1922. Prior to joining the US Army Air Corps in 1942, he participated in the Civilian Pilot Training program. Upon entering the Air Corps he was sent to California and after testing, he was selected for pilot training. He tells of the various phases of flight training and the types of aircraft he flew. After graduating and receiving his wings, he was sent to Albuquerque, New Mexico for multi-engine transitional training in the B-24 bomber. Upon completing the training he was ordered to Fresno, California to pick up a crew. The newly formed crew flew numerous training missions until June, 1944, when they picked up a new B-24 and flew to Foggia, Italy. Upon their arrival the crew was assigned to the 456th Bomb Group, 745th Bomb Squadron. He describes in detail the intricacies involved in flying a mission, from the wake-up call through the debriefing following the mission. Reed flew thirty-five missions and was recalled into the service during the Korean War. He served as a B-29 instructor at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas until his …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Floyd Loomis. Loomis joined the Navy in March of 1940. He served as Fireman Second-Class aboard the USS West Virginia (BB-48) and deployed to Pearl Harbor. He then transferred to the USS New Orleans (CA-32). They were moored in Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked. In February of 1942, he was transferred to Treasure Island, in California, placing a converted yacht into commission. They completed patrol missions between Diamond Head and Barber’s Point in Hawaii. He later went aboard USS Mamo YT-325, a yard tugboat, towing barges around Johnston Island and Midway Island. Loomis was discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Henry Kalinofsky. Kalinofsky grew up in Pennsylvania and joined the Navy in 1941. After training, he joined the destroyer DE 581 McNulty and took several convoys into the North Atlantic and Mediterranean. The destroyer took convoys for the invasion of Normandy. Kalinofsky was a captain on a twin mount 40 mm. He was next on the ship USS LSM (R) 198. He describes being in a truck with German prisoners of war and sharing his cigarettes. Kalinofsky was then transferred into amphibious forces and sent to the Pacific Theater. He was a gunners mate 3rd class. He was involved in action at Le Shima. Next, his ship went to Okinawa. Kalinofsky describes targeting and being targeted by kamikazes. He also saw Baka bombs. After the atomic bombs were dropped, he returned to Guam, Pearl Harbor, and then the United States where he was discharged.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Trenton Fowler. Fowler grew up in Corpus Christi and enlisted into the Marine Corps in 1943. Once he finished training, he was assigned to the 4th Marine Raider Battalion and shipped out on the French transport ship Rochambeau to New Caledonia. From there he went to Guadalcanal for training and then to the Emirau, Guam, and Okinawa campaigns, with stops at Guadalcanal in between each campaign. Fowler discusses the pros and cons of the Browning Automatic Rifle versus the M-1 Garand. He tells of the change of his unit's name from the 4th Battalion Raiders to the 6th Marine Division, before he went to Okinawa. He relates the experience of finding out his brother, a fellow Marine, had died at Iwo Jima.

Interview with David Straus of San Antonio, Texas, a veteran from the United States Marine Corps during World War Two in the Pacific Theater as well as the Korean War. The interview includes some of Straus' background before the war and his personal experiences while in the Marines, including memories of Okinawa, various weapons, what happened at the end of World War Two, and his assignment in Korea.

Interview with David Straus of San Antonio, Texas, a veteran from the United States Marine Corps during World War Two in the Pacific Theater as well as the Korean War. The interview includes some of Straus' background before the war and his personal experiences while in the Marines, including memories of Okinawa, various weapons, what happened at the end of World War Two, and his assignment in Korea.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Henry Kalinofsky of Annapolis, Maryland. He discusses when he was first inducted into the Navy and being a plank owner aboard DE 581. USS MCNULTY. He also discusses his time aboard the USS LSM(R) 198 manning the 40mm Twin Mount and loading rockets in Okinawa, Japan, after the invasion of Normandy. Mr. Kalinofsky describes an attack he was involved in off the coast of Okinawa.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Henry Kalinofsky of Annapolis, Maryland. He discusses when he was first inducted into the Navy and being a plank owner aboard DE 581. USS MCNULTY. He also discusses his time aboard the USS LSM(R) 198 manning the 40mm Twin Mount and loading rockets in Okinawa, Japan, after the invasion of Normandy. Mr. Kalinofsky describes an attack he was involved in off the coast of Okinawa.