The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Keith Westphal. Westphal describes growing up during the Great Depression and how it affected his family. He joined the Navy in May of 1945. He provides some details of his boot camp. He completed signal school, though was assigned to Fire Control in the Gunnery Division where he served as Seaman First Class. In December of 1945 he began work overseeing the antiaircraft guns aboard the USS Pocono (AGC-16), an Adirondack class amphibious force command ship. They remained on the Atlantic coast and did not go out to sea. Westphal describes the ship’s interior and weapons on board. He shares his experiences of transporting Admiral Marc Mitscher, and general duties and life aboard the ship. Westphal was discharged in August of 1946, then enlisted in the Naval Reserves.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joseph Malleske. Malleske enlisted in the Navy in January 1944 at Great Lakes, Illinois and took boot camp there. After boot camp, they sent him down to Norfolk (Camp Bradford) for amphibious training where he got picked up to go to radar school. After that he was formed into a crew for LST duty and sent to Little Creek, Virginia for a two week training cruise on the Chesapeake Bay in a LST. In late May 1944, they sent them to Evansville, Indiana to pick up their LST (number 569), a brand-new one from the shipyard there. In late July 1944, they sailed for Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides. From there, they went to Milne Bay, New Guinea, loaded up Seabee troops and then made their way to Tacloban, Leyte, arriving about D+4 (October 24, 1944). After a short stay at Leyte (until the battle was over), they headed back to Hollandia. They made several runs between Hollandia and Leyte and then landed troops on D-Day at Luzon. They also went to the Palawan Islands and Mindanao, landing supplies or troops. After more trips between the Philippines …

Transcript of an oral interview with Charles Voigt. Mr Voigt graduated from high school in May 1942 and entered the service in December 1942. He went to Camp Claiborne, Louisiana where he spent ninety days in basic engineering training. After some time in California and Arizona with the 369th Engineer Special Service Regiment, he was selected to go to school in Los Angeles City College for a program called Army Specialized Training School (ASTP), which was college work. Voigt didn't finish that because he failed chemistry. As a result, he was sent to a replacement depot in Bend, Oregon. The sergeant there looked at his records and sent him to another engineering school at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. He completed that and applied to go into the air corps, was accepted, and went to Carolina for preliminary training. The military decided they had enough pilots so they washed them all out. He decided to stay in the air corps and was subsequently assigned to go to Italy, arriving at Tarantino in May/June 1944. Voigt was assigned to the Forward Intelligence Group which was in Natuna, plotting aerial photographs. The photos were taken by P-38s which flew with two 24-inch focal length …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Wendell Mayes. Mayes joined the Navy on 10 December 1942. He was trained as a radio and radar technician. He completed radar school in Corpus Christi, Texas, which included a course on night fighter radar. He was then assigned to a night fighter squadron in Rhode Island. Mayes served in Fighter Squadron 3, Air Group 3, aboard the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10). He ensured that the radar used on night fighter aircraft was in good working order. They participated in the campaign to retake the Philippines, the Battle for Iwo Jima and the first full-scale air raids on Tokyo by carrier-based planes. He provides details of his experiences traveling aboard the troop trains, and visiting the USO clubs. Mayes was discharged in March of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Glenn Radder. Radder joined the Navy in 1943. He completed Gunner’s Mate School, learning how to care for the various guns aboard ship. He served aboard the USS Laffey (DD-724) where his job was to care for and fire the 20mm mounts on the fantail. Radder provides some detail of life aboard the Laffey. They traveled to England in preparation for the invasion of France. On 3 June 1944 the Laffey went to the Normandy beaches escorting tugs, landing craft, and two Dutch gunboats. On 6 June the group arrived in the assault area off Utah beach at dawn on D-Day. Radder describes their participation in the Normandy landings. On 25 June he provides detail of their shelling the defenses at Cherbourg. In November they conducted airstrikes against enemy shipping, aircraft, and airfields in the Philippines. In April of 1945, while assigned to radar picket station 1, the Laffey came under heavy attack by the Japanese. He describes this event, including picking up two downed Japanese pilots. He was discharged around the end of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Frank Weston. Weston joined the Navy in June 1942 after graduating high school. Upon completing aviation machinist's mate training, he was assigned to CASU-23. In July 1943, Weston boarded USS Monterey (CVL-26), where he ran into childhood friend Gerald Ford. He was stationed on deck as a carburetor specialist making final engine adjustments just before planes took off. He helped push totaled planes overboard to clear the deck. After sailing through a typhoon that caused extensive damage and claimed three lives, Weston served as a pallbearer for their burial at sea. While the Monterey docked in Bremerton for repairs, Weston performed maintenance for training aircraft at Kitsap County Airport. Returning to combat at Okinawa, he was too busy to be frightened as kamikazes attacked. Weston was discharged in December 1945. As a civilian, he had difficulty finding work as an aircraft mechanic and instead pursued a career in pharmacy.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joseph V. Kight, Jr. Kight was born 21 August 1924 in Pleasanton, Texas. He joined the Marines at age 17 in April 1942 in San Antonio and attended boot camp and radio school in San Diego where he trained as an artillery forward observer (AFO). His permanent unit was 12th Marines, 1st battalion, 3rd Marine Division, although he was temporarily attached to other units as needed. Kight sailed for the Pacific on the Mt. Vernon, and arrived in New Zealand before going to Guadalcanal on 4 July 1943 for artillery practice. On Bougainville, he landed in the initial waves and acted as radio man and AFO. Kight was on the island during the battles of Piva Trail and Grenade Hill. He contracted dengue fever before leaving the island after 72 days on 12 January 1944. On Guam, Kight was involved in a banzai attack and numerous actions against the Japanese including the battle of Finnegayan. Kight arrived on Iwo Jima on 18 February and remained in reserve until 23 February. Upon landing, he helped conduct fire missions on the air strip. He departed Iwo Jima around 10 April …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Wendell Mayes. Mayes joined the Navy on 10 December 1942. He was trained as a radio and radar technician. He completed radar school in Corpus Christi, Texas, which included a course on night fighter radar. He was then assigned to a night fighter squadron in Rhode Island. Mayes served in Fighter Squadron 3, Air Group 3, aboard the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10). He ensured that the radar used on night fighter aircraft was in good working order. They participated in the campaign to retake the Philippines, the Battle for Iwo Jima and the first full-scale air raids on Tokyo by carrier-based planes. He provides details of his experiences traveling aboard the troop trains, and visiting the USO clubs. Mayes was discharged in March of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Glenn Radder. Radder joined the Navy in 1943. He completed Gunner’s Mate School, learning how to care for the various guns aboard ship. He served aboard the USS Laffey (DD-724) where his job was to care for and fire the 20mm mounts on the fantail. Radder provides some detail of life aboard the Laffey. They traveled to England in preparation for the invasion of France. On 3 June 1944 the Laffey went to the Normandy beaches escorting tugs, landing craft, and two Dutch gunboats. On 6 June the group arrived in the assault area off Utah beach at dawn on D-Day. Radder describes their participation in the Normandy landings. On 25 June he provides detail of their shelling the defenses at Cherbourg. In November they conducted airstrikes against enemy shipping, aircraft, and airfields in the Philippines. In April of 1945, while assigned to radar picket station 1, the Laffey came under heavy attack by the Japanese. He describes this event, including picking up two downed Japanese pilots. He was discharged around the end of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Frank Weston. Weston joined the Navy in June 1942 after graduating high school. Upon completing aviation machinist's mate training, he was assigned to CASU-23. In July 1943, Weston boarded USS Monterey (CVL-26), where he ran into childhood friend Gerald Ford. He was stationed on deck as a carburetor specialist making final engine adjustments just before planes took off. He helped push totaled planes overboard to clear the deck. After sailing through a typhoon that caused extensive damage and claimed three lives, Weston served as a pallbearer for their burial at sea. While the Monterey docked in Bremerton for repairs, Weston performed maintenance for training aircraft at Kitsap County Airport. Returning to combat at Okinawa, he was too busy to be frightened as kamikazes attacked. Weston was discharged in December 1945. As a civilian, he had difficulty finding work as an aircraft mechanic and instead pursued a career in pharmacy.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joseph Malleske. Malleske enlisted in the Navy in January 1944 at Great Lakes, Illinois and took boot camp there. After boot camp, they sent him down to Norfolk (Camp Bradford) for amphibious training where he got picked up to go to radar school. After that he was formed into a crew for LST duty and sent to Little Creek, Virginia for a two week training cruise on the Chesapeake Bay in a LST. In late May 1944, they sent them to Evansville, Indiana to pick up their LST (number 569), a brand-new one from the shipyard there. In late July 1944, they sailed for Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides. From there, they went to Milne Bay, New Guinea, loaded up Seabee troops and then made their way to Tacloban, Leyte, arriving about D+4 (October 24, 1944). After a short stay at Leyte (until the battle was over), they headed back to Hollandia. They made several runs between Hollandia and Leyte and then landed troops on D-Day at Luzon. They also went to the Palawan Islands and Mindanao, landing supplies or troops. After more trips between the Philippines …

Transcript of an oral interview with Charles Voigt. Mr Voigt graduated from high school in May 1942 and entered the service in December 1942. He went to Camp Claiborne, Louisiana where he spent ninety days in basic engineering training. After some time in California and Arizona with the 369th Engineer Special Service Regiment, he was selected to go to school in Los Angeles City College for a program called Army Specialized Training School (ASTP), which was college work. Voigt didn't finish that because he failed chemistry. As a result, he was sent to a replacement depot in Bend, Oregon. The sergeant there looked at his records and sent him to another engineering school at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. He completed that and applied to go into the air corps, was accepted, and went to Carolina for preliminary training. The military decided they had enough pilots so they washed them all out. He decided to stay in the air corps and was subsequently assigned to go to Italy, arriving at Tarantino in May/June 1944. Voigt was assigned to the Forward Intelligence Group which was in Natuna, plotting aerial photographs. The photos were taken by P-38s which flew with two 24-inch focal length …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joseph V. Kight, Jr. Kight was born 21 August 1924 in Pleasanton, Texas. He joined the Marines at age 17 in April 1942 in San Antonio and attended boot camp and radio school in San Diego where he trained as an artillery forward observer (AFO). His permanent unit was 12th Marines, 1st battalion, 3rd Marine Division, although he was temporarily attached to other units as needed. Kight sailed for the Pacific on the Mt. Vernon, and arrived in New Zealand before going to Guadalcanal on 4 July 1943 for artillery practice. On Bougainville, he landed in the initial waves and acted as radio man and AFO. Kight was on the island during the battles of Piva Trail and Grenade Hill. He contracted dengue fever before leaving the island after 72 days on 12 January 1944. On Guam, Kight was involved in a banzai attack and numerous actions against the Japanese including the battle of Finnegayan. Kight arrived on Iwo Jima on 18 February and remained in reserve until 23 February. Upon landing, he helped conduct fire missions on the air strip. He departed Iwo Jima around 10 April …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Keith Westphal. Westphal describes growing up during the Great Depression and how it affected his family. He joined the Navy in May of 1945. He provides some details of his boot camp. He completed signal school, though was assigned to Fire Control in the Gunnery Division where he served as Seaman First Class. In December of 1945 he began work overseeing the antiaircraft guns aboard the USS Pocono (AGC-16), an Adirondack class amphibious force command ship. They remained on the Atlantic coast and did not go out to sea. Westphal describes the ship’s interior and weapons on board. He shares his experiences of transporting Admiral Marc Mitscher, and general duties and life aboard the ship. Westphal was discharged in August of 1946, then enlisted in the Naval Reserves.