The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ernie Bowdre. Bowdre joined the Navy in mid-1943. He served as a Storekeeper aboard a liberty ship and traveled to Noumea, New Caledonia and Guadalcanal. He was then assigned to USS President Jackson (APA-18). In 1943, they participated in the Bougainville Campaign, transporting troops from island to island. They landed troops in the reinforcement landing at Lingayen Gulf and Iwo Jima. Bowdre recalls the ship being hit by enemy fire at Iwo. In June of 1945, they completed two round-trips to Manila before the cessation of hostilities. Bowdre returned to the US and received his discharge in March of 1946.

Faculty recital presented at the UNT College of Music Voertman Hall.

A faculty recital performed at the UNT College of Music in Voertman Hall.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Roy William Rouch. Born in 1924, he joined the Marine Corps in July, 1942. He describes boot camp in San Diego, California. He was assigned to the 2nd Marine Division. He describes the conditions on board ship en route to Camp Pakarariki, New Zealand. The Division was transported to Guadalcanal in January 1943. He talks about the deplorable living conditions on Guadalcanal and the Battle of the Tenaru River. He describes landing as part of the second wave on Tarawa and how the fighting was up close and personal. He explains how the BAR squads were used and reorganized following Guadalcanal and Tarawa. He also shares a story of the LCTs and LSTs being sunk off of Hawaii during night maneuvers before leaving for Saipan. He then describes the street fighting and banzai charges the 2nd Marine Division endured on Saipan during the Battles of Garapan and Charan Kanoa. He shares an anecdote of being injured on Tinian and his family being informed when in fact it was another Rouch who was injured during the battle. Following his discharge from the Marine Corps in July of 1946, he …