The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with William Wheless. Wheless joined the Army Air Forces in the summer of 1942. He served as a C-47 pilot in the Air Transport Command in the China-Burma-India Theater. Wheless was assigned to a base in Assam Valley, northeastern India. He and his squadron flew over the Himalaya Mountains supplying General Stilwell and Merrill’s Marauders in Burma, and Allied forces stationed in Yunnan Province in China. He survived many dangerous missions and was awarded the Air Medal on one occasion for a low-level supply drop to surrounded US troops in enemy territory. He returned to the US and was discharged in the spring of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Weston Bonney. Bonney joined the Navy in August of 1943. He served as Chief Storekeeper aboard USS Kendrick (DD-612) beginning in March of 1944. They provided gunfire in support of ground troops advancing northward through Italy. He participated in the invasion of southern France in August, and escorted a convoy to the Mediterranean Sea in November, returning to the US in December. In August of 1945 they traveled to Pearl Harbor, where Bonney transferred to the USS Fred T. Berry (DD-858). They trained with aircraft carriers in the Pacific and completed a tour of occupation duty, traveling to Yokosuka Harbor in Japan, Qingdao in China and Korea. He was discharged in May of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ivan Hammond. Hammond joined the Marine Corps in 1943. After training as an air liaison as a part of Joint Assault Signal Company (JASCO), He became a part of the invasion force for Iwo Jima and describes landing on the beach, trying to dig a foxhole, and moving across the island. He witnessed the flag raisings from the base of Mount Suribachi and saw some of the first B-29s land on the island detailing the battle damage. His enlistment ended in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert V. Keeffe. Keeffe joined the Navy in the summer of 1943. He became a Seabee and trained as a heavy equipment operator. Keeffe was sent to the Russell Islands with Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 573 where he remained throughout the war. He was a crane operator and tells several stories including one about disposing of military equipment at the end of the war. Keeffe returned to the States in the fall of 1945 and became a reservist.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Don F. Morell. Morell joined the U.S. Navy in January 1944. He was sent to the Pacific and became a submarine relief crewman. Morrell’s crew was responsible for refitting submarines that had returned from a war patrol. He was eventually assigned to the primary crew on the USS Chub (SS-329) and took part in two war patrols. During these patrols the Chub sank several ships and was depth charged. Morell was sent back to the States after the war was over where he helped decommission submarines until his discharge in May 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Haynes Harkey. Harkey left law school to volunteer for the Navy in the spring of 1941. He received orders to attend Notre Dame in the fall of 1942 and boarded the USS Indiana (BB-58) at Nouméa, New Caledonia, as an ensign in the spring of 1943. The most frightening event during his service was a collision with the USS Washington (BB-56) in which the bow of the ship tore into his stateroom. He was transferred to the USS Lake Champlain (CV-39). Harkey was responsible for ensuring that the other military branches being transported performed their own KP duties. He recalls one group’s Thanksgiving dinner being thrown overboard because no one assumed responsibility for their meal. Harkey returned home and was discharged in the spring of 1946. He returned to law school, this time on the GI Bill.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with William Wheless. Wheless joined the Army Air Forces in the summer of 1942. He served as a C-47 pilot in the Air Transport Command in the China-Burma-India Theater. Wheless was assigned to a base in Assam Valley, northeastern India. He and his squadron flew over the Himalaya Mountains supplying General Stilwell and Merrill’s Marauders in Burma, and Allied forces stationed in Yunnan Province in China. He survived many dangerous missions and was awarded the Air Medal on one occasion for a low-level supply drop to surrounded US troops in enemy territory. He returned to the US and was discharged in the spring of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Weston Bonney. Bonney joined the Navy in August of 1943. He served as Chief Storekeeper aboard USS Kendrick (DD-612) beginning in March of 1944. They provided gunfire in support of ground troops advancing northward through Italy. He participated in the invasion of southern France in August, and escorted a convoy to the Mediterranean Sea in November, returning to the US in December. In August of 1945 they traveled to Pearl Harbor, where Bonney transferred to the USS Fred T. Berry (DD-858). They trained with aircraft carriers in the Pacific and completed a tour of occupation duty, traveling to Yokosuka Harbor in Japan, Qingdao in China and Korea. He was discharged in May of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert V. Keeffe. Keeffe joined the Navy in the summer of 1943. He became a Seabee and trained as a heavy equipment operator. Keeffe was sent to the Russell Islands with Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 573 where he remained throughout the war. He was a crane operator and tells several stories including one about disposing of military equipment at the end of the war. Keeffe returned to the States in the fall of 1945 and became a reservist.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Don F. Morell. Morell joined the U.S. Navy in January 1944. He was sent to the Pacific and became a submarine relief crewman. Morrell’s crew was responsible for refitting submarines that had returned from a war patrol. He was eventually assigned to the primary crew on the USS Chub (SS-329) and took part in two war patrols. During these patrols the Chub sank several ships and was depth charged. Morell was sent back to the States after the war was over where he helped decommission submarines until his discharge in May 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Haynes Harkey. Harkey left law school to volunteer for the Navy in the spring of 1941. He received orders to attend Notre Dame in the fall of 1942 and boarded the USS Indiana (BB-58) at Nouméa, New Caledonia, as an ensign in the spring of 1943. The most frightening event during his service was a collision with the USS Washington (BB-56) in which the bow of the ship tore into his stateroom. He was transferred to the USS Lake Champlain (CV-39). Harkey was responsible for ensuring that the other military branches being transported performed their own KP duties. He recalls one group’s Thanksgiving dinner being thrown overboard because no one assumed responsibility for their meal. Harkey returned home and was discharged in the spring of 1946. He returned to law school, this time on the GI Bill.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ivan Hammond. Hammond joined the Marine Corps in 1943. After training as an air liaison as a part of Joint Assault Signal Company (JASCO), He became a part of the invasion force for Iwo Jima and describes landing on the beach, trying to dig a foxhole, and moving across the island. He witnessed the flag raisings from the base of Mount Suribachi and saw some of the first B-29s land on the island detailing the battle damage. His enlistment ended in 1946.