The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Vernon Grim. Grim joined the Army Air Forces in June of 1942. He volunteered as a glider pilot, and trained for one year in Pittsburgh, Kansas. He was then selected to train as an aviation cadet, and served as a B-17 pilot. In March of 1944 he deployed to England. He joined the 92nd Bombardment Group, 407th Bombardment Squadron. He completed 32 missions, including support operations for the Normandy invasion, the Battle of Saint-Lô and advancing ground troops into Germany. Grim returned to the US in October of 1944. He was assigned to Laredo, Texas to fly for the Frangible Bullet Project, and also served as a military surplus officer. Grim continued his service after the war, receiving a discharge in November of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Bill Dingfelder. Dingfelder joined the Army Air Forces in July of 1943. He completed Armament School in early 1944, and served as an armorer-gunner aboard a B-17. He was assigned to the 15th Air Force, 97th Bomb Group, 341st Bomb Squadron. By April of 1945, Dingfelder had completed 35 missions over Italy, France, Czechoslovakia, Austria and Yugoslavia attacking oil refineries, marshalling yards and aircraft factories. He continued his service after the war, receiving his discharge in March of 1952.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Lawrence Barrett. Barrett joined the Marine Corps in December of 1943. He served as an aerial gunner, combat cameraman and ground and motion picture photographer. Barrett worked as a combat aircrewman with Marine Air Group 32 in the Pacific and the Philippines, completing 25 combat missions by 1945. After the war ended, he served with the occupation forces in Tsingtao, North China. He returned to the US and was discharged in May of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Hearol Veteto. Veteto joined the Enlisted Reserve Corps until he was called to active duty in early 1943. He then joined the Army Air Forces and trained as an aerial gunner in Kingman, Arizona. He also trained as a bombardier and was commissioned. Veteto went overseas in December 1944 to England. On a mission over Berlin in February, Veteto’s plane was shot down and he bailed out. On the ground, he met another crewman and they walked out, eventually reaching Poland and contacting the Russians. The Russians took them to Odessa where they boarded a ship and were repatriated in Italy. Upon returning to the US, the war ended and Veteto took his discharge.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Earnest Cochran. Cochran joined the Navy in May, 1940. When he finished boot training, he was sent to North Island Naval Air Station outside San Diego and trained further as an aviation machinist. He moved to Pearl Harbor with Utility Squadron 2 (VJ-2) in August, 1941. Cochran was on Ford Island when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Cochran left Hawaii for a school in Chicago in 1943. Then he moved to New Caledonia to serve in Utility Squadron 9 (VJ-9).

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Fred Lincoln. Lincoln joined the Army Air Forces in February of 1941. He was assigned to the 82nd Bomb Squadron, 12th Bomb Group. He completed training in military correspondence and typing, and served as the Operations Officer for his squadron. In December, they were transferred to Sacramento, California to assist with war games aboard B-18 bombers. In the spring of 1942, they were transferred to Esler Field in Louisiana. During a physical at Camp Livingston Hospital, Lincoln learned he had a pilonidal cyst. After multiple surgeries on the cyst, he did not return to his squadron until 1944. He was assigned to Santa Ana Army Air Base, and completed Flexible Gunnery School, graduating in February of 1945, he served as a bombardier aboard B-29s with the 19th Bombardment Group. They were transferred to Biggs Air Force Base in El Paso, Texas, and went to pick up a new B-29 in Seattle, but the war ended. Lincoln continued his service and retired in 1964.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Paul Davidson. Davidson was drafted into the Army in September of 1941. He was assigned to the 252nd Coast Artillery. He describes basic training, including food and clothing, and the ship he went aboard on his first assignment to Trinidad, the SS Evangeline (II). From February 1942 to March of 1944 they were stationed on the island of Trinidad off the coast of Venezuela. In March of 1944 he was transferred to the 530th Field Artillery Battalion in the 5th Army. They arrived in Italy in March of 1945. He was in charge of the advance detail, where he supervised the layout of the gun position, including moving the guns, leveling and digging out the ground and sandbagging. He describes their maneuvers through Italy, getting shelled heavily in some places, and details some of the people and places he witnessed. He was discharged in October of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Hearol Veteto. Veteto joined the Enlisted Reserve Corps until he was called to active duty in early 1943. He then joined the Army Air Forces and trained as an aerial gunner in Kingman, Arizona. He also trained as a bombardier and was commissioned. Veteto went overseas in December 1944 to England. On a mission over Berlin in February, Veteto’s plane was shot down and he bailed out. On the ground, he met another crewman and they walked out, eventually reaching Poland and contacting the Russians. The Russians took them to Odessa where they boarded a ship and were repatriated in Italy. Upon returning to the US, the war ended and Veteto took his discharge.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Fred Lincoln. Lincoln joined the Army Air Forces in February of 1941. He was assigned to the 82nd Bomb Squadron, 12th Bomb Group. He completed training in military correspondence and typing, and served as the Operations Officer for his squadron. In December, they were transferred to Sacramento, California to assist with war games aboard B-18 bombers. In the spring of 1942, they were transferred to Esler Field in Louisiana. During a physical at Camp Livingston Hospital, Lincoln learned he had a pilonidal cyst. After multiple surgeries on the cyst, he did not return to his squadron until 1944. He was assigned to Santa Ana Army Air Base, and completed Flexible Gunnery School, graduating in February of 1945, he served as a bombardier aboard B-29s with the 19th Bombardment Group. They were transferred to Biggs Air Force Base in El Paso, Texas, and went to pick up a new B-29 in Seattle, but the war ended. Lincoln continued his service and retired in 1964.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Vernon Grim. Grim joined the Army Air Forces in June of 1942. He volunteered as a glider pilot, and trained for one year in Pittsburgh, Kansas. He was then selected to train as an aviation cadet, and served as a B-17 pilot. In March of 1944 he deployed to England. He joined the 92nd Bombardment Group, 407th Bombardment Squadron. He completed 32 missions, including support operations for the Normandy invasion, the Battle of Saint-Lô and advancing ground troops into Germany. Grim returned to the US in October of 1944. He was assigned to Laredo, Texas to fly for the Frangible Bullet Project, and also served as a military surplus officer. Grim continued his service after the war, receiving a discharge in November of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Bill Dingfelder. Dingfelder joined the Army Air Forces in July of 1943. He completed Armament School in early 1944, and served as an armorer-gunner aboard a B-17. He was assigned to the 15th Air Force, 97th Bomb Group, 341st Bomb Squadron. By April of 1945, Dingfelder had completed 35 missions over Italy, France, Czechoslovakia, Austria and Yugoslavia attacking oil refineries, marshalling yards and aircraft factories. He continued his service after the war, receiving his discharge in March of 1952.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Earnest Cochran. Cochran joined the Navy in May, 1940. When he finished boot training, he was sent to North Island Naval Air Station outside San Diego and trained further as an aviation machinist. He moved to Pearl Harbor with Utility Squadron 2 (VJ-2) in August, 1941. Cochran was on Ford Island when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Cochran left Hawaii for a school in Chicago in 1943. Then he moved to New Caledonia to serve in Utility Squadron 9 (VJ-9).

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Lawrence Barrett. Barrett joined the Marine Corps in December of 1943. He served as an aerial gunner, combat cameraman and ground and motion picture photographer. Barrett worked as a combat aircrewman with Marine Air Group 32 in the Pacific and the Philippines, completing 25 combat missions by 1945. After the war ended, he served with the occupation forces in Tsingtao, North China. He returned to the US and was discharged in May of 1946.