The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Jimmie Allman. Allman was born in Churubusco, Indiana on 2 January 1927. Upon being drafted in May 1943, he had basic training at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. He was then sent to Fort Riley, Kansas where he was trained in the use of infantry weapons. In November 1945 he went to Fort Dix, New Jersey where he boarded a troop ship bound for Casablanca, Morocco. Upon his arrival he was assigned as a company clerk. After serving as such for a period of time, he was sent to Algiers, Algeria. There, he was made Sergeant of the Guard. After a short period of time, he was then sent to Bremerhaven, Germany where he remained until returning to the United States.

Recital presented at the UNT College of Music Voertman Hall in partial fulfillment of the Graduate Artist Certificate in Music Performance.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Howard Blackman. Blackman was born in Pulaski County, Indiana 8 December 1922. Born into a family of seven boys and two girls he tells of the living conditions during the depression. He quit school in the ninth grade to get a job. In 1943 he was drafted into the Army and went to Camp Lee, Virginia for six weeks of basic training, including some mechanical training. Upon completing basic he was sent to Chenango, Pennsylvania for additional training. Two weeks later be boarded the Queen Mary bound for England. Upon arrival, he was assigned to the 4th Port Battalion. He describes the duties and tells of further training in the use of rifles, mines and grenades. He landed on Omaha Beach 8 June 1944 and describes activities in which he was involved. At the time of the Battle of the Bulge the 4th Port Battalion had been disbanded and he was sent to Antwerp caring for wounded and assisting in getting them aboard hospital ships. He was then sent to Ghent, Belgium where he was assigned to the 301st Engineers operating various pieces of heavy equipment. He assisted …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Leslie Bray. Bray joined the Army Air Forces in January of 1942. He received his wings and commission as second lieutenant in October. He served as Operations Officer in the 10th Troop Carrier Group at various locations in the US. Bray additionally served as Commander of the 16th Combat Cargo Squadron, 4th Combat Cargo Group, beginning June of 1944 and participated in the China-Burma-India Theater. They transported airport construction materials, men, mules, supplies, and provided logistic support throughout China, Burma and India until the war’s end. Bray returned to the US and continued his service, retiring in 1973.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Donald Buck. Buck joined the Army Air Forces in 1942 and was assigned to a B-24 crew as a nose turret gunner. He flew his first mission with the 376th Bomb Group, 514th Bomb Squadron, in the fall of 1944 while stationed in San Pancrazio. On 7 February 1945 his plane was hit hard over Vienna after bombing an oil refinery. The pilot made a crash landing in a corn field in Yugoslavia, where Tito’s Partisans looked after them for 23 days. When a South African pilot came to evacuate the crew, it took everyone including villagers and oxen to help the plane out of the mud. After returning to his squadron, Buck flew seven more missions and was then sent to train with a B-29 crew in anticipation of going to the Pacific. He returned home and was discharged in November 1945. He attended Iowa State University on the GI Bill, majoring in agriculture. Buck inherited his grandfather’s farm; when he retired, he passed it on to his son.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Stanley Bysiewicz. Bysiewicz joined the Army Air Forces and attended gunnery school and bombardier school in Texas. Upon completion, he was assigned to the 15th Air Force as a replacement bombardier. He flew 50 missions out of San Pancrazio, Italy, disabling oil transportation between Romania and Munich, and damaging oil facilities in Romania. He also occasionally targeted military hardware facilities in Germany and ports in France. Bysiewicz received the Purple Heart for a shrapnel wound, but his B-24 never suffered any serious damage, thanks to excellent support from P-51 fighter escorts.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Carey. Carey joined the Navy in September 1944 and received basic training at Great Lakes and electrician’s mate training in Gulfport. Upon completion, he was assigned to the USS Stanton (DE-247) as an electrician striker, running the ship’s generators under supervision. Four hours after he arrived at Pearl Harbor to begin his overseas duties, the Japanese surrendered. Hickam Air Force Base erupted in celebration, the men howling and throwing their hats in the air. Carey remained there working in a service shop on the submarine base until he was sent to Guam to do the same. En route to Guam, he maintained the ship’s search lights, which he describes as welding irons with mirrors behind them. Suspended from a rope, he would swing over the water and over the lights, attempting to reach and clean the electrical contacts below. After repairing various small motors at the submarine base on Guam, Carey returned home and was discharged.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Richard Dzwigalski. Dzwigalski was born in River Rouge, Michigan on 25 February 1925. He was drafted into the US Army Air Forces in 1943. He graduated from Armament School at Lowry Field in Denver, Colorado, Gunnery School in Harlingen, Texas, and was assigned to a B-24 crew. The crew was assigned to the 512th Bomb Squadron, 376th Heavy Bombardment Group in Bari, Italy during late summer 1944. He served as a ball turret gunner until the end of the war in Europe and was given an honorable discharge in late 1945. After being discharged, Dzwigalski moved to Sacramento, California and obtained work at an airfield rebuilding engines for military and commercial aircraft.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Martin Goldfarb. Goldfarb joined the Army Air Forces in December 1942 and learned to fly at Xavier University. Although he had experienced anti-Semitism during basic training at Fort Pickett, he was impressed with the respectful tone amongst the airmen, including their fair treatment of the Tuskegee Airmen, who saved Goldfarb’s life during a mission over Vienna. Flying with the 376th Bombardment Group (H) as a navigator, Goldfarb’s plane was forced to leave formation after losing two engines to flak. As they descended, they saw four German fighters waiting for them. Seemingly out of nowhere, the Tuskegee Airmen came to their rescue and brought them back safely to their base in Italy. Goldfarb returned home and served as a financial officer at Harvard Army Airfield until his discharge in October 1945, at which time he enrolled in college on the GI Bill.

Chungpu Chongloi, Kimpi Chongloi, and Gunjanei Vaiphei discuss the different villages they have lived in over the years. They are Saihriem elders in their 80s at the time of recording.

Bahpu Saihriem describes the belief of the Saihriems in the existence of ghosts and spirits. He says that the Saihriems believed in different types of ghosts: some are tall, while others are short, and some ghosts have popping eyes that frighten the people who see them. He is a native speaker of Saihriem from Noxa Tila, Cachar District, Assam.

Bahpu Saihriem is a male speaker residing in Bahbahar village of Cachar district of Assam (originally from Nohsa village). He describes the healing rituals practiced by their forefathers in the old days.

Bahpu Saihriem describes the traditional cultivation practices of the Saihriems. He is a native speaker of Saihriem from Noxa Tila, Cachar District, Assam.

Chungpu Chongloi describes Saihriem death ceremonies. He is a native speaker of Saihriem from Noxa Tila, Cachar District, Assam, around 85 years old at the time of recording.

Bahpu Saihriem describes the traditional Saihriem healing rituals practiced by their forefathers. He is a native speaker of Saihriem from Noxa Tila, Cachar District, Assam.

Bahpu Saihriem describes the traditional hunting practices of their forefathers. Now, such hunting practices are no longer used, especially after they have come to live in the plains of Assam. He is a native speaker of Saihriem from Noxa Tila, Cachar District, Assam.

Chongpu Chongloi describes the marriage system of the Saihriem as practiced by their traditional forefathers. He is a native speaker of Saihriem from Noxa Tila, Cachar District, Assam, around 85 years old at the time of recording.

Chungpu Chongloi describes Saihriem religious ceremonies. He is a native speaker of Saihriem from Noxa Tila, Cachar District, Assam, around 85 years old at the time of recording.

Chungpu Chongloi describes Saihriem religious ceremonies. He is a native speaker of Saihriem from Noxa Tila, Cachar District, Assam, around 85 years old at the time of recording.

Chungpu Chongloi describes Saihriem village administration practices for handling conflict and crime within the village. He is a native speaker of Saihriem from Noxa Tila, Cachar District, Assam.

Bahpu Saihriem describes how wine is made and Saihriem rituals associated with wine. He is a native speaker of Saihriem from Noxa Tila, Cachar District, Assam.

Thangjanei Aimol sings a modern song composed in memory of the British. She is a Saihriem speaker living in Noxa Tila, Cachar District, Assam, around 65 years old at the time of recording.

Group performance of a traditional Saihriem song.

Group performance of a traditional Saihriem song.