The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Hal La Vine. La Vine was drafted into the Army in February of 1942. He was assigned to the 45th Division, 445th Combat Group. He graduated as an officer from cadet navigation school. He served as an instructor in Monroe, Louisiana. In November of 1942 his unit was assigned to a base in Hethel, England. La Vine served as a navigator aboard B-24s. They served as a lead crew, flying missions out of England in 1943. He describes life at the base in Hethel. They completed 30 missions. He describes some of their more involved missions including Berlin and Stuttgart, Germany. Upon completing his missions, he was sent to Ireland to serve again as a navigation instructor for incoming navigators.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Hal La Vine. La Vine was drafted into the Army in February of 1942. He was assigned to the 45th Division, 445th Combat Group. He graduated as an officer from cadet navigation school. He served as an instructor in Monroe, Louisiana. In November of 1942 his unit was assigned to a base in Hethel, England. La Vine served as a navigator aboard B-24s. They served as a lead crew, flying missions out of England in 1943. He describes life at the base in Hethel. They completed 30 missions. He describes some of their more involved missions including Berlin and Stuttgart, Germany. Upon completing his missions, he was sent to Ireland to serve again as a navigation instructor for incoming navigators.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Hastings. Hastings was drafted into the Army in March 1941. He was sent to radar school and was promoted to an officer in the Signal Corps. Hastings was sent to New Guinea in 1943 and led an autonomous unit that operated on a radio boat disguised as a native fishing boat. He tells of an encounter with head hunters. Hastings was then sent to the 310th Bombardment Wing of the 5th Air Force in the Philippines where he maintained radio equipment. He describes a bombing mission that he joined over China. Hastings helped liberate civilian POWs from Santo Tomas and describes their treatment and condition. He then traveled to Osaka for occupation duty. Hastings talks about his time there as well as flying over Hiroshima. He describes what he saw and discusses his conflicted feelings on the use of the bomb. Hastings stayed in the Reserve and was recalled for the Korean War where he served in Alaska.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Hastings. Hastings was drafted into the Army in March 1941. He was sent to radar school and was promoted to an officer in the Signal Corps. Hastings was sent to New Guinea in 1943 and led an autonomous unit that operated on a radio boat disguised as a native fishing boat. He tells of an encounter with head hunters. Hastings was then sent to the 310th Bombardment Wing of the 5th Air Force in the Philippines where he maintained radio equipment. He describes a bombing mission that he joined over China. Hastings helped liberate civilian POWs from Santo Tomas and describes their treatment and condition. He then traveled to Osaka for occupation duty. Hastings talks about his time there as well as flying over Hiroshima. He describes what he saw and discusses his conflicted feelings on the use of the bomb. Hastings stayed in the Reserve and was recalled for the Korean War where he served in Alaska.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Albert Barton. Barton joined the Navy and was trained as a radioman. He became a crewman on an Avenger torpedo bomber in October 1943. Barton flew off of the USS Mission Bay (CVE-59) and the USS Tripoli (CVE-64) and performed anti-submarine patrols in the North Atlantic. He describes how depth charges were dropped, the armament of the plane, and how they were trained to skip-bomb. Barton was then sent to the Pacific where he flew off of the USS Anzio (CVE-57) for the remainder of the war. He describes an incident where his plane had a failed landing and ended upside-down in the water. Barton had to break some glass in the cockpit to escape. He flew ground support missions over Okinawa. Barton discusses how the radio and radar functioned on his plane. He was discharged several months after the surrender.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Albert Barton. Barton joined the Navy and was trained as a radioman. He became a crewman on an Avenger torpedo bomber in October 1943. Barton flew off of the USS Mission Bay (CVE-59) and the USS Tripoli (CVE-64) and performed anti-submarine patrols in the North Atlantic. He describes how depth charges were dropped, the armament of the plane, and how they were trained to skip-bomb. Barton was then sent to the Pacific where he flew off of the USS Anzio (CVE-57) for the remainder of the war. He describes an incident where his plane had a failed landing and ended upside-down in the water. Barton had to break some glass in the cockpit to escape. He flew ground support missions over Okinawa. Barton discusses how the radio and radar functioned on his plane. He was discharged several months after the surrender.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Annabel Ring. Ring was in college on 7 December 1941, completed one semester and then went to work in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She went into the Navy on 6 May 1943 as a WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) and took boot camp in the Bronx, New York for six weeks. The Navy took over a women’s college there and they stayed in apartments across the street. From there, Ring went to medical school at Great Lakes, Illinois. She had classes and then would work in the ward with the patients. Ring then went to Patuxent River, Maryland where she worked in a hospital on different wards. After two years there, she was sent to dentist school in Quantico, Virginia. Ring was there when the war ended and was discharged in October 1945 as a hospital second class petty officer.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Annabel Ring. Ring was in college on 7 December 1941, completed one semester and then went to work in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She went into the Navy on 6 May 1943 as a WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) and took boot camp in the Bronx, New York for six weeks. The Navy took over a women’s college there and they stayed in apartments across the street. From there, Ring went to medical school at Great Lakes, Illinois. She had classes and then would work in the ward with the patients. Ring then went to Patuxent River, Maryland where she worked in a hospital on different wards. After two years there, she was sent to dentist school in Quantico, Virginia. Ring was there when the war ended and was discharged in October 1945 as a hospital second class petty officer.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Glenn Lane. Lane joined the Navy in February of 1940 and was assigned to the USS Arizona (BB-39) in Pearl Harbor. He worked in the Aviation Division as a Radioman Third Class, flying as an air crewman on the battleship’s Kingfisher scout planes. He was aboard the Arizona on 7 December 1941, when the Japanese attacked. An explosion blew him overboard and he swam to the USS Nevada (BB-36). Lane was then assigned to various squadrons and ships, flying as a crewman in scouts and dive bombers during battles of the Coral Sea, Midway, Santa Cruz, Guadalcanal, Marshall Islands and Tulagi. He was on an aircraft attempting to land aboard the USS Yorktown (CV-5) when it was attacked by the Japanese. His plane was diverted to Midway Island but ran out of fuel and ditched. The crew was eventually picked up by a PBY Amphibian. Lane went on to finish a 30-year naval career, retiring as a Command Master Chief at NAS Whidbey Island in 1969.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Glenn Lane. Lane joined the Navy in February of 1940 and was assigned to the USS Arizona (BB-39) in Pearl Harbor. He worked in the Aviation Division as a Radioman Third Class, flying as an air crewman on the battleship’s Kingfisher scout planes. He was aboard the Arizona on 7 December 1941, when the Japanese attacked. An explosion blew him overboard and he swam to the USS Nevada (BB-36). Lane was then assigned to various squadrons and ships, flying as a crewman in scouts and dive bombers during battles of the Coral Sea, Midway, Santa Cruz, Guadalcanal, Marshall Islands and Tulagi. He was on an aircraft attempting to land aboard the USS Yorktown (CV-5) when it was attacked by the Japanese. His plane was diverted to Midway Island but ran out of fuel and ditched. The crew was eventually picked up by a PBY Amphibian. Lane went on to finish a 30-year naval career, retiring as a Command Master Chief at NAS Whidbey Island in 1969.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Leonard Zaehler. Zaehler joined the Marine Corps in early 1942 and received basic training in San Diego. He was assigned to the service squadron of MAG-12, running a mobile machine shop where his primary duty was repairing ground vehicles. He spent a good part of his duty stationed on Emirau Island, where the squadron’s plucky COO would cheerfully bring him Japanese bombs that he had discovered on the island. He would ask to borrow Zaehler’s tools in order to disarm and study the bombs. Zaehler gingerly provided him the tools and then made a polite and speedy exit, in case of an accident, of which there were none. When there were no vehicles to repair, Zaehler towed Corsairs to the line. He often saw the comings and goings of fighter ace Joe Foss and watched Charles Lindbergh teaching New Zealanders how to land the F4U.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Leonard Zaehler. Zaehler joined the Marine Corps in early 1942 and received basic training in San Diego. He was assigned to the service squadron of MAG-12, running a mobile machine shop where his primary duty was repairing ground vehicles. He spent a good part of his duty stationed on Emirau Island, where the squadron’s plucky COO would cheerfully bring him Japanese bombs that he had discovered on the island. He would ask to borrow Zaehler’s tools in order to disarm and study the bombs. Zaehler gingerly provided him the tools and then made a polite and speedy exit, in case of an accident, of which there were none. When there were no vehicles to repair, Zaehler towed Corsairs to the line. He often saw the comings and goings of fighter ace Joe Foss and watched Charles Lindbergh teaching New Zealanders how to land the F4U.