The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Edwin LeBreton. LeBreton was born in Louisiana and was in the Army National Guard stationed in Texas when Pearl Harbor was attacked. He served in an engineering outfit before entering military intelligence. After the war, LeBreton was sent to an engineer depot in Japan. After leaving Japan, he was stationed in France at another supply depot.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with J.R. Closs. Closs was born in Edge, Texas 9 March 1926. In 1944 he was drafted and entered the US Marine Corps boot camp at San Diego. After boot training he was selected to attend Marine Corps Sea School at San Diego. Upon completion of Sea School, he was assigned to the USS Yorktown (CV-10) as an orderly to the executive officer for a period of time and then he was assigned to a 20 millimeter gun. He tells of the Yorktown participating in the invasion of Okinawa and the ship being hit by a Japanese bomb. He also recalls seeing a kamikaze hit the USS Missouri (BB-63) during the invasion. Soon after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, the Marines on board the various ships were brought together on a transport ship, where for several days, they practiced beach landings. Between the Japanese surrender and the signing of the peace accords, the contingent of Marines landed at Yokosuka, Japan. Closs describes the bomb damage he observed and the physical condition of and attitude shown by the Japanese people.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Howard J. Sweeney. Sweeney was born in Eureka, Kansas 17 December 1917 and graduated from high school in 1937. He tells of hopping freight trains and working as an iterate worker until drafted into the US Army 21 February 1941. He was sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky for training and joined the 6th Armored Regiment. He participated in maneuvers in North and South Carolina using broom sticks for guns and telephone poles for artillery pieces due to the acute shortage of weaponry. He trained as a tank driver in medium tanks and was assigned to Company A, 27th Artillery, 1st Armored Division. In April 1942 the company boarded the SS Sea Train Texas landing in Belfast, Ireland. The company, equipped with M4 Sherman tanks, went to Oran, North Africa and two weeks later traveled to Algeria by LST. He tells of being in a night attack and his tank being hit by artillery fire, killing the gunner and putting the tank out of commission. Later, during the Battle of Kasserine Pass, his tank was disabled as it ran out of fuel and ammunition. The crew abandoned the tank …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Eugene Pace. Pace was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania on 14 April 1924. Upon joining the Navy in 1942, he went to boot camp at Sampson, New York. After attending Motor Machinist Mate’s school in Boston, he went to Bath, Maine where he reported aboard the USS Healy (DD-672). In January 1944 the ship joined Task Force 58 and participated in the invasion of the Marshall Islands. Pace tells of participating in various invasions, among them were Guam, Marianas, Leyte, and Iwo Jima. The ship returned to San Francisco in April 1945. He was discharged in November 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with J.R. Closs. Closs was born in Edge, Texas 9 March 1926. In 1944 he was drafted and entered the US Marine Corps boot camp at San Diego. After boot training he was selected to attend Marine Corps Sea School at San Diego. Upon completion of Sea School, he was assigned to the USS Yorktown (CV-10) as an orderly to the executive officer for a period of time and then he was assigned to a 20 millimeter gun. He tells of the Yorktown participating in the invasion of Okinawa and the ship being hit by a Japanese bomb. He also recalls seeing a kamikaze hit the USS Missouri (BB-63) during the invasion. Soon after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, the Marines on board the various ships were brought together on a transport ship, where for several days, they practiced beach landings. Between the Japanese surrender and the signing of the peace accords, the contingent of Marines landed at Yokosuka, Japan. Closs describes the bomb damage he observed and the physical condition of and attitude shown by the Japanese people.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Howard J. Sweeney. Sweeney was born in Eureka, Kansas 17 December 1917 and graduated from high school in 1937. He tells of hopping freight trains and working as an iterate worker until drafted into the US Army 21 February 1941. He was sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky for training and joined the 6th Armored Regiment. He participated in maneuvers in North and South Carolina using broom sticks for guns and telephone poles for artillery pieces due to the acute shortage of weaponry. He trained as a tank driver in medium tanks and was assigned to Company A, 27th Artillery, 1st Armored Division. In April 1942 the company boarded the SS Sea Train Texas landing in Belfast, Ireland. The company, equipped with M4 Sherman tanks, went to Oran, North Africa and two weeks later traveled to Algeria by LST. He tells of being in a night attack and his tank being hit by artillery fire, killing the gunner and putting the tank out of commission. Later, during the Battle of Kasserine Pass, his tank was disabled as it ran out of fuel and ammunition. The crew abandoned the tank …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Edwin LeBreton. LeBreton was born in Louisiana and was in the Army National Guard stationed in Texas when Pearl Harbor was attacked. He served in an engineering outfit before entering military intelligence. After the war, LeBreton was sent to an engineer depot in Japan. After leaving Japan, he was stationed in France at another supply depot.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Eugene Pace. Pace was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania on 14 April 1924. Upon joining the Navy in 1942, he went to boot camp at Sampson, New York. After attending Motor Machinist Mate’s school in Boston, he went to Bath, Maine where he reported aboard the USS Healy (DD-672). In January 1944 the ship joined Task Force 58 and participated in the invasion of the Marshall Islands. Pace tells of participating in various invasions, among them were Guam, Marianas, Leyte, and Iwo Jima. The ship returned to San Francisco in April 1945. He was discharged in November 1945.