The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Campbell. Campbell was born on 25 November 1920 in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1941, he was an engineering student at the University of Cincinnati and working at the Curtis Wright engine plant. On 12 July 1941, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet. After spending time at a junior college in Little Rock, Arkansas, Campbell was sent to the University of Iowa for cadet pre-flight training. Upon completion of the course he was sent to Hutchinson, Kansas Naval Air Station for preliminary flight training where he flew the N2S trainer. He then entered advance training at Pensacola, Florida where he flew the SNJ (training plane) and F4F (fighter). This was followed by carrier landing training on the Great Lakes. Following carrier training, he was sent to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania for training in aerial photography. In 1944 he joined VC-86 as a replacement aboard the USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95). The squadron took part in the invasion of Leyte Gulf and Lingayen Gulf as well as Iwo Jima. During the invasion of Iwo Jima, the Bismarck Sea was struck by two kamikaze aircraft, which resulted in many …