Interview with Charles Pase, a marine during World War II. He discusses joining the Marines and training on New Zealand and other Pacific islands. He describes landing on Tarawa, the battle of Tarawa itself, and locating and burying the dead bodies after the battle. He also talks about going to Hawaii for more training before going to Saipan, various guns and artillery he used, encountering natives on Saipan and being in Nagasaki after the bomb was dropped. He relates ancedotes about having tonsillitis during the Tarawa attack, fights that some Marines got into with local Hawaiians while training there and prejudices against Japanese-Americans, mistaking a land crab that pinched the back of his neck for a bayonet, getting Dengue Fever, and faking a landing on April Fools' Day.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bill Lewis. Lewis joined the Navy in July 1939 and received basic training in San Diego. Upon completion, he was assigned to the USS Breese (DM-18) where he worked in the engine room. He participated in neutrality patrols and survey trips along the Pacific coast. Ten days before the attack on Pearl Harbor, his ship reported sighting a Japanese submarine outside Pearl Harbor. During the attack, he saw the USS Utah (BB-31) roll over and watched as a destroyed midget submarine came to the surface. The Breese got underway and patrolled for seven days, short of crew, until returning to the harbor. At Midway he took on survivors from the USS Yorktown (CV-5). He describes the process of laying contact mines throughout the South Pacific. Lewis was surprised that the USS Tucker (DD-374) tragically entered one of their minefields. Lewis was transferred to the USS Latimer (APA-152) for the landings at Lingayen Gulf and Okinawa. After the war, he remained in the Navy, making the first landing at Inchon, aboard the USS Thuban (AKA-19). He retired from the Navy in 1962 and joined the Merchant Marines, bringing cargo …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Eberle. Born in 1921, he enlisted in the Navy in 1939. He was assigned to Torpedo Squadron VT-6 of the Enterprise Air Group. He describes events on the USS Enterprise (CV-6) while at sea during the attack on Pearl Harbor. He shares an anecdote about the remains of Admiral Kidd. He relates stories about the Battle of Midway; escorting to the USS Hornet (CV-8) in conjunction with the Doolittle Raid; the sinking of the USS Wasp (CV-7); the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands and the loss of the USS Hornet; and experiencing a typhoon while on an aircraft carrier. He also shares stories about being an aircraft maintenance officer in San Diego, California. He retired from the Navy Reserve in 1976.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with the Reverend Dr. R. Thomas Bousman. Bousman was born in the Manila, Philippines in 1928. His parents were Christian missionaries. He fled to Los Banos with his family, but returned to Manila in late December, 1941. He was interned at Santo Tomas with his family for only a short period of time before being released and placed under house arrest because his parents were missionaries. In 1944, they were transferred to Los Banos and were eventually liberated from there in February, 1945. In May, they returned to California. Bousman also relates how the internee experience affected him throughout his life.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Webb. Webb was born in Houston, Texas on 11 March 1923. He participated in the Civilian Pilot Training Program while attending Sam Houston State University. Upon earning his pilot’s license in 1942, he entered into the Navy Flying Cadet program. After three months of primary flight training at Lambert Field, Missouri he went to Corpus Christi Naval Air Station in Texas for the final phase of training. Upon graduating, he elected to go into the US Marines and was sent to Opa Loca, Florida to begin training in fighters. He was then sent to Santa Barbara, California where he joined VMF-112. After a year of carrier training, VMF-112 was assigned to the USS Bennington (CV-20) where Webb flew F4U fighter planes. He recalls flying missions over Japan as well as participating in the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He also recalls shooting down a Japanese plane. He also cites the experience of crashing into the sea soon after takeoff and being rescued and transferred back to his carrier by a Breeches Buoy. The Bennington went to the Philippines for repair after being damaged during a typhoon …

Transcript of an oral interview with James Avery. Mr Avery was a junior at the University of Illinois when Pearl Harbor was attacked. He signed up with the Army Air Corps since they would let him finish his degree before they would take him. However, the Army Air Corps was not able to honor its commitment since they needed pilots badly. In March 1943, they called him up and sent him to Lackland Air Base for the preflight program. From there, Avery went to Fort Stockton where he learned to fly in a Fairchild PT-19 and then to Goodfellow Field in San Angelo to learn to fly a BT-13. After two months of basic training, he went to Reese Air Base in Lubbock to train in the AT-17 and got his wings there in January 1944. Avery wanted to fly the B-26 and he got his wish; reporting first to Del Rio and then to Barksdale Field where he got his crew assigned. There were six of them in the crew. After about three months at Barksdale, they went to Savannah, Georgia to pick up a brand new airplane. However, they had to wait six weeks for their ship; Martin …

Transcript of an oral interview with Bob Burrell. Eleven days after finishing high school in 1941, Burrell was sworn into the Navy and reported to Newport, Rhode Island for boot camp. After boot camp, he was sent down to the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida and was here on December 7, 1941. He volunteered for submarine duty and was sent to submarine school in New London, Connecticut; finishing in May 1942. Burrell describes his experiences at the school including using the Momsen lung. After graduation, he was shipped to Pearl Harbor and assigned to Submarine Division 42. In September 1942, he went aboard the USS Nautilus as a Third Class Yeoman. He was a sonar and radar operator during combat. The Nautilus rescued 29 men, women and children on New Years Eve 1942 when they snuck into Teop Harbor which was off of Bougainville. In April 1943, the Nautilus went to Dutch Harbor to take on 104 7th Army scouts, training them like they had done with the Marine Raider Battalion earlier. They were training for the invasion of Attu Island and took them there. The Nautilus then headed to Mare Island Naval Yard for overhaul. After overhaul, the …

Transcript of an oral interview with Charles Pase. He discusses joining the Marines, training on New Zealand and other Pacific islands before landing on Tarawa, the battle of Tarawa itself, locating and burying the dead bodies after the battle. He also talks about going to Hawaii for more training before going to Saipan, various guns and artillery he used, encountering natives on Saipan and being in Nagasaki after the bomb was dropped. He ancedotes about having tonsilitis during the Tarawa attack, fights some Marines got into with local Hawaiians while training there and prejudices against Japanese-Americans, mistaking a land crab that pinched the back of his neck for a bayonet, getting Dengue Fever and faking a landing on April Fools' Day.

Transcript of an oral interview with James Avery. Mr Avery was a junior at the University of Illinois when Pearl Harbor was attacked. He signed up with the Army Air Corps since they would let him finish his degree before they would take him. However, the Army Air Corps was not able to honor its commitment since they needed pilots badly. In March 1943, they called him up and sent him to Lackland Air Base for the preflight program. From there, Avery went to Fort Stockton where he learned to fly in a Fairchild PT-19 and then to Goodfellow Field in San Angelo to learn to fly a BT-13. After two months of basic training, he went to Reese Air Base in Lubbock to train in the AT-17 and got his wings there in January 1944. Avery wanted to fly the B-26 and he got his wish; reporting first to Del Rio and then to Barksdale Field where he got his crew assigned. There were six of them in the crew. After about three months at Barksdale, they went to Savannah, Georgia to pick up a brand new airplane. However, they had to wait six weeks for their ship; Martin …

Transcript of an oral interview with Bob Burrell. Eleven days after finishing high school in 1941, Burrell was sworn into the Navy and reported to Newport, Rhode Island for boot camp. After boot camp, he was sent down to the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida and was here on December 7, 1941. He volunteered for submarine duty and was sent to submarine school in New London, Connecticut; finishing in May 1942. Burrell describes his experiences at the school including using the Momsen lung. After graduation, he was shipped to Pearl Harbor and assigned to Submarine Division 42. In September 1942, he went aboard the USS Nautilus as a Third Class Yeoman. He was a sonar and radar operator during combat. The Nautilus rescued 29 men, women and children on New Years Eve 1942 when they snuck into Teop Harbor which was off of Bougainville. In April 1943, the Nautilus went to Dutch Harbor to take on 104 7th Army scouts, training them like they had done with the Marine Raider Battalion earlier. They were training for the invasion of Attu Island and took them there. The Nautilus then headed to Mare Island Naval Yard for overhaul. After overhaul, the …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Thomas Bousman. Bousman was born 9 October 1928 in Manila, Philippines to American missionary parents. He was a seventh-grade student at Bordner School when the attack on the Philippines occurred. He was interned at Santo Tomas January of 1942, and transferred to Los Baños July of 1944. Bousman recalls the raid on Los Baños in February of 1945, with paratroopers dropping outside the camp, and being escorted to safe American-held territory. Following liberation, he returned to the US for college and seminary education.

Transcript of an oral interview with Charles Pase. He discusses joining the Marines, training on New Zealand and other Pacific islands before landing on Tarawa, the battle of Tarawa itself, locating and burying the dead bodies after the battle. He also talks about going to Hawaii for more training before going to Saipan, various guns and artillery he used, encountering natives on Saipan and being in Nagasaki after the bomb was dropped. He ancedotes about having tonsilitis during the Tarawa attack, fights some Marines got into with local Hawaiians while training there and prejudices against Japanese-Americans, mistaking a land crab that pinched the back of his neck for a bayonet, getting Dengue Fever and faking a landing on April Fools' Day.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Webb. Webb was born in Houston, Texas on 11 March 1923. He participated in the Civilian Pilot Training Program while attending Sam Houston State University. Upon earning his pilot’s license in 1942, he entered into the Navy Flying Cadet program. After three months of primary flight training at Lambert Field, Missouri he went to Corpus Christi Naval Air Station in Texas for the final phase of training. Upon graduating, he elected to go into the US Marines and was sent to Opa Loca, Florida to begin training in fighters. He was then sent to Santa Barbara, California where he joined VMF-112. After a year of carrier training, VMF-112 was assigned to the USS Bennington (CV-20) where Webb flew F4U fighter planes. He recalls flying missions over Japan as well as participating in the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He also recalls shooting down a Japanese plane. He also cites the experience of crashing into the sea soon after takeoff and being rescued and transferred back to his carrier by a Breeches Buoy. The Bennington went to the Philippines for repair after being damaged during a typhoon …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bill Lewis. Lewis joined the Navy in July 1939 and received basic training in San Diego. Upon completion, he was assigned to the USS Breese (DM-18) where he worked in the engine room. He participated in neutrality patrols and survey trips along the Pacific coast. Ten days before the attack on Pearl Harbor, his ship reported sighting a Japanese submarine outside Pearl Harbor. During the attack, he saw the USS Utah (BB-31) roll over and watched as a destroyed midget submarine came to the surface. The Breese got underway and patrolled for seven days, short of crew, until returning to the harbor. At Midway he took on survivors from the USS Yorktown (CV-5). He describes the process of laying contact mines throughout the South Pacific. Lewis was surprised that the USS Tucker (DD-374) tragically entered one of their minefields. Lewis was transferred to the USS Latimer (APA-152) for the landings at Lingayen Gulf and Okinawa. After the war, he remained in the Navy, making the first landing at Inchon, aboard the USS Thuban (AKA-19). He retired from the Navy in 1962 and joined the Merchant Marines, bringing cargo …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Eberle. Born in 1921, he enlisted in the Navy in 1939. He was assigned to Torpedo Squadron VT-6 of the Enterprise Air Group. He describes events on the USS Enterprise (CV-6) while at sea during the attack on Pearl Harbor. He shares an anecdote about the remains of Admiral Kidd. He relates stories about the Battle of Midway; escorting to the USS Hornet (CV-8) in conjunction with the Doolittle Raid; the sinking of the USS Wasp (CV-7); the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands and the loss of the USS Hornet; and experiencing a typhoon while on an aircraft carrier. He also shares stories about being an aircraft maintenance officer in San Diego, California. He retired from the Navy Reserve in 1976.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with the Reverend Dr. R. Thomas Bousman. Bousman was born in the Manila, Philippines in 1928. His parents were Christian missionaries. He fled to Los Banos with his family, but returned to Manila in late December, 1941. He was interned at Santo Tomas with his family for only a short period of time before being released and placed under house arrest because his parents were missionaries. In 1944, they were transferred to Los Banos and were eventually liberated from there in February, 1945. In May, they returned to California. Bousman also relates how the internee experience affected him throughout his life.