The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Kenneth Runkle. Runkle joined the Marines in December of 1942. He provides some details of boot camp in San Diego, including training with the 4th paratrooper battalion for one year. He served with the 2nd Battalion, 26th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division. In January of 1945 they traveled to Eniwetok and Saipan before landing on Iwo Jima on 19 February. Runkle was in the 5th wave. He fired the 81mm mortar. He provides vivid detail of his experiences at Iwo from February through 27 March. Runkle was discharged in January of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Christian W. de Marcken. De Marcken was born 24 January 1928 in Uccle, Brussels, Belgium. His father, Gustave immigrated to the United States, became a citizen and served in the US Army during World War I. Later he worked for the Hammond Organ Company, which sent him to Brussels. In 1939 the US embassy advised he and his family return to the United States. He did not leave Belgium, which was soon occupied by Nazi Germany forces. The de Marckens were American citizens and under the protection of the American embassy. This changed in December 1941 when Germany declared war against the United States. While the children were allowed to attend a private school and the family was permitted to rent a large home, a German guard was placed in the home. De Marcken recalls harboring a young Jewish boy in the home for a year and periodically hiding downed Allied flyers until arrangements could be made for their escape. He describes periodic night visits by the German Secret Service in which they thoroughly searched the home. He tells of the arrest and placement of his father into …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Jerome. Jerome joined the Navy in August of 1944. He was assigned to the engineering division, operating evaporators and other engine room machinery. He served aboard the USS Benevolence (AH-13). In July of 1945 they departed for the Pacific, providing hospital services, preventive medicine and casualty evacuation. They were with the Allied fleet in Tokyo Bay during the surrender of Japan. They processed liberated Allied prisoners of war through November 1945 and returned to the U.S. in December. Jerome was discharged upon returning to the U.S.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Lewis Asher. Asher was born 24 December 1919, in Maywood, Illinois. He graduated from high school in 1937 and was drafted into the Army on 10 December 1941. After basic, he was assigned to the 125th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division as company clerk in the Headquarters company. The regiment was stationed in California and responsible for the defense of the coastline. Asher took the tests for warrant officer and was promoted and assigned to the 67th Signal Repair Company. The company was responsible for repairing all the wire and radio equipment carried by the infantry into battle. In March 1945 his company was transferred to Aix, France where after several weeks they received word of the German surrender. He recalls that the company was then embarked on a ship which transited the Panama Canal en route to Japan as part of the first wave of the planned invasion in November, when word was received in August 1945 that the Japanese had surrendered. He says that his company landed in Japan on September 7, 1945 and travelled to Kobe where they were quartered under the stadium built for …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Christian W. de Marcken. De Marcken was born 24 January 1928 in Uccle, Brussels, Belgium. His father, Gustave immigrated to the United States, became a citizen and served in the US Army during World War I. Later he worked for the Hammond Organ Company, which sent him to Brussels. In 1939 the US embassy advised he and his family return to the United States. He did not leave Belgium, which was soon occupied by Nazi Germany forces. The de Marckens were American citizens and under the protection of the American embassy. This changed in December 1941 when Germany declared war against the United States. While the children were allowed to attend a private school and the family was permitted to rent a large home, a German guard was placed in the home. De Marcken recalls harboring a young Jewish boy in the home for a year and periodically hiding downed Allied flyers until arrangements could be made for their escape. He describes periodic night visits by the German Secret Service in which they thoroughly searched the home. He tells of the arrest and placement of his father into …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Jerome. Jerome joined the Navy in August of 1944. He was assigned to the engineering division, operating evaporators and other engine room machinery. He served aboard the USS Benevolence (AH-13). In July of 1945 they departed for the Pacific, providing hospital services, preventive medicine and casualty evacuation. They were with the Allied fleet in Tokyo Bay during the surrender of Japan. They processed liberated Allied prisoners of war through November 1945 and returned to the U.S. in December. Jerome was discharged upon returning to the U.S.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Lewis Asher. Asher was born 24 December 1919, in Maywood, Illinois. He graduated from high school in 1937 and was drafted into the Army on 10 December 1941. After basic, he was assigned to the 125th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division as company clerk in the Headquarters company. The regiment was stationed in California and responsible for the defense of the coastline. Asher took the tests for warrant officer and was promoted and assigned to the 67th Signal Repair Company. The company was responsible for repairing all the wire and radio equipment carried by the infantry into battle. In March 1945 his company was transferred to Aix, France where after several weeks they received word of the German surrender. He recalls that the company was then embarked on a ship which transited the Panama Canal en route to Japan as part of the first wave of the planned invasion in November, when word was received in August 1945 that the Japanese had surrendered. He says that his company landed in Japan on September 7, 1945 and travelled to Kobe where they were quartered under the stadium built for …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Kenneth Runkle. Runkle joined the Marines in December of 1942. He provides some details of boot camp in San Diego, including training with the 4th paratrooper battalion for one year. He served with the 2nd Battalion, 26th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division. In January of 1945 they traveled to Eniwetok and Saipan before landing on Iwo Jima on 19 February. Runkle was in the 5th wave. He fired the 81mm mortar. He provides vivid detail of his experiences at Iwo from February through 27 March. Runkle was discharged in January of 1946.