Oral History Interview with George Stroppel, July 14, 2010 (open access)

Oral History Interview with George Stroppel, July 14, 2010

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with George Stroppel. Stroppel joined the Navy in September of 1943. He was sent to gunnery school. He served at an ammunition depot in Hawthorne, Nevada. He describes working munitions including how he was part of a crew tasked with disarming 30 to 40 thousand primers so that the shell casings could be recycled. He was then sent to the Pacific and joined the USS New Jersey (BB-62) and worked as an ammunition handler. Stroppel describes his duties and the munitions that he worked with. He also discusses going through a typhoon and briefly mentions shelling Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Stroppel remained on the New Jersey until the 1946 when a back injury sent him to the hospital. He was discharged soon after his release.
Date: July 14, 2010
Creator: Stroppel, George
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with James Alls, August 14, 2010 (open access)

Oral History Interview with James Alls, August 14, 2010

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Alls. Alls joined the Navy in June 1942. He was only 15 years old at the time. Alls went to submarine school and describes having to go through a depth chamber test. He was sent to diesel school and became a crewman on the USS Flier (SS-250) in early 1943. Alls describes an incident where the sub ran aground at Midway. His sub sank two ships in the Marianas and later endured 118 depth charges dropped by two Japanese destroyers after sinking a freighter. Alls was injured while on shore patrol and was recovering while the Flier was lost on another patrol. He was transferred to another sub. Alls left the Navy in 1948 after his six-year enlistment ended.
Date: August 14, 2010
Creator: Alls, James
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with James Keeffe, December 14, 2010 (open access)

Oral History Interview with James Keeffe, December 14, 2010

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Keeffe. Keeffe joined the Army Air Forces as an aviation cadet in July 1942. He describes his flight training and the planes he flew. Keeffe was then sent to England to become a co-pilot on a B-24. He discusses in detail how he was forced to bail out on his fourth mission over Germany. Keeffe managed to elude capture with the help of the Dutch underground for over four months. He was eventually captured by German counter-intelligence and sent to Stalag Luft III. Keeffe describes how he and his fellow POWs were forced to evacuate due to the Soviet advance and his eventual release and repatriation. He left the service after the war, but soon returned and retired from the Air Force in 1966.
Date: December 14, 2010
Creator: Keeffe, James
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Frank D. Barger, May 14, 2010 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Frank D. Barger, May 14, 2010

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Frank D. Barger. Barger joined the Army Air Corps in 1940. He started his career as an airplane mechanic. In 1941, he became an Air Cadet. After completing training he spent some time near Austin, Texas training cadets on C-46s and evaluating returning pilots. Barger was eventually sent overseas where he completed 170 missions while stationed in India and Burma flying supplies. He left service in 1945.
Date: May 14, 2010
Creator: Barger, Frank D.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with George Stroppel, July 14, 2010 transcript

Oral History Interview with George Stroppel, July 14, 2010

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with George Stroppel. Stroppel joined the Navy in September of 1943. He was sent to gunnery school. He served at an ammunition depot in Hawthorne, Nevada. He describes working munitions including how he was part of a crew tasked with disarming 30 to 40 thousand primers so that the shell casings could be recycled. He was then sent to the Pacific and joined the USS New Jersey (BB-62) and worked as an ammunition handler. Stroppel describes his duties and the munitions that he worked with. He also discusses going through a typhoon and briefly mentions shelling Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Stroppel remained on the New Jersey until the 1946 when a back injury sent him to the hospital. He was discharged soon after his release.
Date: July 14, 2010
Creator: Stroppel, George
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with James Alls, August 14, 2010 transcript

Oral History Interview with James Alls, August 14, 2010

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Alls. Alls joined the Navy in June 1942. He was only 15 years old at the time. Alls went to submarine school and describes having to go through a depth chamber test. He was sent to diesel school and became a crewman on the USS Flier (SS-250) in early 1943. Alls describes an incident where the sub ran aground at Midway. His sub sank two ships in the Marianas and later endured 118 depth charges dropped by two Japanese destroyers after sinking a freighter. Alls was injured while on shore patrol and was recovering while the Flier was lost on another patrol. He was transferred to another sub. Alls left the Navy in 1948 after his six-year enlistment ended.
Date: August 14, 2010
Creator: Alls, James
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with James Keeffe, December 14, 2010 transcript

Oral History Interview with James Keeffe, December 14, 2010

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Keeffe. Keeffe joined the Army Air Forces as an aviation cadet in July 1942. He describes his flight training and the planes he flew. Keeffe was then sent to England to become a co-pilot on a B-24. He discusses in detail how he was forced to bail out on his fourth mission over Germany. Keeffe managed to elude capture with the help of the Dutch underground for over four months. He was eventually captured by German counter-intelligence and sent to Stalag Luft III. Keeffe describes how he and his fellow POWs were forced to evacuate due to the Soviet advance and his eventual release and repatriation. He left the service after the war, but soon returned and retired from the Air Force in 1966.
Date: December 14, 2010
Creator: Keeffe, James
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Frank D. Barger, May 14, 2010 transcript

Oral History Interview with Frank D. Barger, May 14, 2010

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Frank D. Barger. Barger joined the Army Air Corps in 1940. He started his career as an airplane mechanic. In 1941, he became an Air Cadet. After completing training he spent some time near Austin, Texas training cadets on C-46s and evaluating returning pilots. Barger was eventually sent overseas where he completed 170 missions while stationed in India and Burma flying supplies. He left service in 1945.
Date: May 14, 2010
Creator: Barger, Frank D.
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History