The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Hilburn. Hilburn joined the Marine Corps after he graduated from journalism school. He describes his time in boot camp at Paris Island. Hilburn received some assistance from a congressman who recommended he be placed in a correspondent role. He was sent to headquarters in Washington D.C. where he began writing stories about marines who had been awarded medals for home town newspapers. Hilburn was then sent to the 2nd Marine Division to become a Combat Correspondent. He describes some of his fellow correspondents and the equipment that they used. Hilburn landed on Okinawa towards the end of the battle and describes being with General Buckner when he was killed. He also traveled to Nagasaki after the surrender. Hilburn left the service after the war, but continued his career as a journalist. He was in a press vehicle that was part of the motorcade when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Hilburn describes the events and aftermath.

Transcript of an oral interview with Robert A. Heym. When Heym finished high school in 1943 he went into the Army Air Force. He was in pilot training in Arkansas, but was caught doing dangerous aerial stunts and was washed out and sent to radio school in South Dakota. Upon completing that, he was assigned to a B-24 crew as a radio operator in Topeka, Kansas before heading overseas in April, 1944. Heym describes a few missions, being attacked by German fighters, fellow crewmembers getting killed and crash landing. Heym was attached to the 450th Bomb Group in the 15th Air Force and was stationed in Manduria, Italy. In June, 1945 Heym came home aboard the USS Wakefield (AP-21). He was discharged and attended the University of Detroit after the war using his G.I. Bill.

Transcript of an oral interview with Ernest S. Clifford. Clifford enlisted in the Army Air Force in late 1942. For training, he went to Miami, South Dakota and Virginia. There, he was attached to the 45th Infantry Division to facilitate radio communications between the Air Force and the infantry. They sailed for North Africa to train for the invasion of Sicily. Clifford describes his experience on Sicily and was evacuated with several hundred Italian POWs back to North Africa, where he was reassigned to a photo reconnaissance company based in southern Italy. His job was to send coded messages from the photo lab to th eair bases where bomb groups would decide which targets to hit. When the war in Europe ended, Clifford went home on leave and was there when the war in the Pacific ended. He was discharged in September, 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard Youngs. Youngs joined the Navy and was sent to gunnery school. He was then assigned to USS LST-290. Youngs describes getting sea-sick and a collision with a civilian ship in which he was injured. He was reassigned to the commissioning crew of USS LST-947. Youngs describes his duties as a coxswain including an incident where he received a speeding ticket at Pearl Harbor in his LCVP. He discusses how his ship carried equipment and troops for the invasion of Okinawa. Youngs describes coming under attack by kamikazes and a time when his gun jammed. He participated in the occupation of Japan and was discharged in May 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Edward H. Vaughan. Vaughan went into the Army in January 1943. He relates a few amusing stories from his basic training days and at radio operator school. After training, Vaughan was attached to the 574th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion. When he went overseas, he boarded trhe SS Cape Newenham (1943) and headed for New Guinea in 1944 arriving on Biak. Eventually, his unit headed for Palawan, Philippines. When the war was over, Vaughan was mustered out in a hurry because his father had had a bad heart attack and his mother sent for him. He rode a liberty ship back to San Francisco from the Philippines. When he was discharged, Vaughan elected to stay in the Army Reserve and eventually joined the Texas National Guard.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Howard Hollinger. Hollinger joined the Coast Guard in 1941. He completed Radio School and High-Frequency Direction Finder training. Hollinger traveled to the Aleutian Islands, and was stationed at a High-Frequency Direction Finder station on a Navy base in Kodiak, Alaska. He tracked Navy planes that took off from Attu to bomb the Kuril Islands. Hollinger returned to the US and received a discharge around late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Shirley. Shirley joined the Marine Corps in 1943. He was sent to diesel school and then to the Pacific to serve with the 1st Marine Air Wing. Shirley traveled with his radar until to an island off Okinawa to detect incoming aircraft. He spent 6 months in China at the end of the war. Shirley left the Marines when he returned to the US, but rejoined after 6 months. He went on to serve in Korea and describes in detail landing at Pusan and advancing north. Shirley describes the conditions that the Marines faced throughout the conflict.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Shirley. Shirley joined the Marine Corps in 1943. He was sent to diesel school and then to the Pacific to serve with the 1st Marine Air Wing. Shirley traveled with his radar until to an island off Okinawa to detect incoming aircraft. He spent 6 months in China at the end of the war. Shirley left the Marines when he returned to the US, but rejoined after 6 months. He went on to serve in Korea and describes in detail landing at Pusan and advancing north. Shirley describes the conditions that the Marines faced throughout the conflict.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Howard Hollinger. Hollinger joined the Coast Guard in 1941. He completed Radio School and High-Frequency Direction Finder training. Hollinger traveled to the Aleutian Islands, and was stationed at a High-Frequency Direction Finder station on a Navy base in Kodiak, Alaska. He tracked Navy planes that took off from Attu to bomb the Kuril Islands. Hollinger returned to the US and received a discharge around late 1945.

Transcript of an oral interview with Ernest S. Clifford. Clifford enlisted in the Army Air Force in late 1942. For training, he went to Miami, South Dakota and Virginia. There, he was attached to the 45th Infantry Division to facilitate radio communications between the Air Force and the infantry. They sailed for North Africa to train for the invasion of Sicily. Clifford describes his experience on Sicily and was evacuated with several hundred Italian POWs back to North Africa, where he was reassigned to a photo reconnaissance company based in southern Italy. His job was to send coded messages from the photo lab to th eair bases where bomb groups would decide which targets to hit. When the war in Europe ended, Clifford went home on leave and was there when the war in the Pacific ended. He was discharged in September, 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard Youngs. Youngs joined the Navy and was sent to gunnery school. He was then assigned to USS LST-290. Youngs describes getting sea-sick and a collision with a civilian ship in which he was injured. He was reassigned to the commissioning crew of USS LST-947. Youngs describes his duties as a coxswain including an incident where he received a speeding ticket at Pearl Harbor in his LCVP. He discusses how his ship carried equipment and troops for the invasion of Okinawa. Youngs describes coming under attack by kamikazes and a time when his gun jammed. He participated in the occupation of Japan and was discharged in May 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Edward H. Vaughan. Vaughan went into the Army in January 1943. He relates a few amusing stories from his basic training days and at radio operator school. After training, Vaughan was attached to the 574th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion. When he went overseas, he boarded trhe SS Cape Newenham (1943) and headed for New Guinea in 1944 arriving on Biak. Eventually, his unit headed for Palawan, Philippines. When the war was over, Vaughan was mustered out in a hurry because his father had had a bad heart attack and his mother sent for him. He rode a liberty ship back to San Francisco from the Philippines. When he was discharged, Vaughan elected to stay in the Army Reserve and eventually joined the Texas National Guard.

Transcript of an oral interview with Robert A. Heym. When Heym finished high school in 1943 he went into the Army Air Force. He was in pilot training in Arkansas, but was caught doing dangerous aerial stunts and was washed out and sent to radio school in South Dakota. Upon completing that, he was assigned to a B-24 crew as a radio operator in Topeka, Kansas before heading overseas in April, 1944. Heym describes a few missions, being attacked by German fighters, fellow crewmembers getting killed and crash landing. Heym was attached to the 450th Bomb Group in the 15th Air Force and was stationed in Manduria, Italy. In June, 1945 Heym came home aboard the USS Wakefield (AP-21). He was discharged and attended the University of Detroit after the war using his G.I. Bill.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Hilburn. Hilburn joined the Marine Corps after he graduated from journalism school. He describes his time in boot camp at Paris Island. Hilburn received some assistance from a congressman who recommended he be placed in a correspondent role. He was sent to headquarters in Washington D.C. where he began writing stories about marines who had been awarded medals for home town newspapers. Hilburn was then sent to the 2nd Marine Division to become a Combat Correspondent. He describes some of his fellow correspondents and the equipment that they used. Hilburn landed on Okinawa towards the end of the battle and describes being with General Buckner when he was killed. He also traveled to Nagasaki after the surrender. Hilburn left the service after the war, but continued his career as a journalist. He was in a press vehicle that was part of the motorcade when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Hilburn describes the events and aftermath.