The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Thomas Nixon. Nixon joined the Marine Corps shortly after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He trained at San Diego and was assigned as a ground crewman in Marine Bombing Squadron 611 (VMB-611). He went with the squadron to the Philippines and shares several anecdotes of his time among the pilots and crew, and of repairing aircraft.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Guadalupe R. Davila. Davila was born in Brownsville, Texas on 27 February 1923 and worked at a Civilian Conservation Camp in Stafford, Arizona after graduating from high school. He joined the Navy in October 1943 and went to boot camp in Kingsville, Texas where he describes working on various aircraft in addition to the basic training. Upon completing his basic training, he was transferred to Treasure Island, California where he describes working as a longshoreman loading and unloading ships. He provides other details of his time there, including attending several USO shows. He was discharged in December 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Corbisiero. Corbisiero was a freshman on Notre Dame's national champion football team when he was drafted, in 1944. With draft board approval, he joined the Merchant Marine Officer Training School at Alameda, where he was welcomed by officers who would become professional football stars. After running the academy's football team, Corbisiero boarded the SS Clovis Victory (1944), in the spring of 1945. As an engineer cadet, he answered directional commands, maintained the engine log, and operated the captain's gig. At Okinawa, he laid smokescreens, ever alert to the sound of suicide boats. At times, Corbisiero assisted the gun crew in fending off kamikazes. When it seemed safe to go ashore, Corbisiero went on a souvenir-hunting exhibition but soon found himself under enemy fire. With the help of Marines, he made it safely to his ship and soon received orders to return to the academy, at the request of its football coaching staff.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Thomas Warneke. Warneke joined the Navy in December of 1942. He completed Torpedo School and beginning January of 1944, Warneke served as Torpedoman aboard the USS Wesson (DE-184). They traveled to Pearl Harbor, the Philippines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, supporting invasions. He recalls his experiences through a kamikaze attack on their ship. Warneke continued his service after the war ended, receiving his discharge in early 1948.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Clinton Shoppe. Shoppe joined the Navy in 1943. In early 1944 he served on the deck force and the 14-inch guns aboard the USS California (BB-44). They traveled to Pearl Harbor, and participated in bombardments during the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, the Philippines Campaign, and the Battles of Leyte Gulf and Lingayen Gulf. Shoppe shares his experiences through a kamikaze attack on the California. He returned to the US and received his discharge in December of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Donald Rifenbery. Rifenbery joined the Navy in November of 1943. He completed Radio School. Beginning November of 1944, he served as Radioman aboard the USS Wesson (DE-184). They traveled to Pearl Harbor, Leyte and Okinawa, supporting invasions. He recalls his experiences through a kamikaze attack on their ship. He returned to the US and received his discharge in May of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Fred Morgan. Morgan joined the Army in January of 1942. He went to Fort Devens, Massachusetts for basic training. He served with the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment as a medic. Morgan tells of the training he received in jump school. After additional training in North Africa, the unit dropped into Sicily. Morgan describes some of the difficulties they encountered. This was followed by a drop at Salerno, Italy. The unit was then sent to England to prepare for Operation Overlord. Morgan describes in detail the equipment carried and the procedures followed by a medic during a jump. The unit then participated in Operation Market Garden, and the horrendous conditions encountered during the Battle of the Bulge. Morgan returned to the US and received his discharge in September of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Gerald Rehbein. Rehbein joined the Navy in April of 1944. He completed Radio School. In early 1945, he traveled aboard a troop transport ship to Guadalcanal. Rehbein speaks of the manual labor and living conditions while on the island. He was later transferred to Tulagi, loading and unloading supplies and ammunition. He was assigned as Radioman aboard the USS Fieberling (DE-640). They covered landings during the Battle of Okinawa, and operated on escort duty between Okinawa, Guam and Saipan until October of 1945. Rehbein returned to the US and received his discharge in early 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Sidney Duerr. Duerr enlisted in the navy in June, 1945 and trained at Great Lakes. Upon completion, he joined the company aboard the USS Baltimore (CA-68) and worked with the aviation unit and as a gunner. Duerr shares several anecdotes about his time in occupied Japan. He visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He was discharged in June 1946 and decided to use the GI Bill to go to college.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Keener. Keener finished high school and headed for Norfolk, Virginia and worked as a welder in a shipyard. As a result, he could not enlist in the Army. He joined the Navy instead in 1941 and trained as a pilot in Florida. He was transferred to Pearl Harbor in February, 1942 and went aboard the USS Lexington (CV-2) and flew torpedo bombers. After the Battle of the Coral Sea, he was transferred to the USS Essex (CV-9). He was grounded and sent to Station HYPO at Pearl Harbor where he worked in Naval intelligence. His intelligence work took him from Tarawa during the invasion to trying figure out how Tokyo Rose got her information, to Japan during the occupation where he broke up an assassination attempt on MacArthur. Admiral Nimitz also selected him to go with a team on a special intelligence gathering mission to Kwajalein prior to the invasion. After the war, Keener took his discharge in May 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Roy Stevens. Stevens was born 1 November 1924. He joined the Navy in May of 1943. He completed Aviation Radio School and Aerial Gunnery and Radar School by late 1943. Stevens served as a Radioman Gunner aboard a TBF torpedo bomber. In the spring of 1944, he joined a composite squadron, which participated in aerial combat operations while attached to USS Shipley Bay (CVE-85). They conducted additional flight missions to and from the Makassar Strait (CVE-91). They conducted anti-submarine patrol off Maui and around Leyte Gulf, and bombing missions over Ishigaki, Japan. They supported the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Stevens returned to the US and received his discharge in late 1945, early 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Edgar Vincent. Vincent was a student at Cal Tech when he enlisted in the Army Air Forces in late 1942 where he went into flight training. He earned his wings and a commission in March, 1944. He was selected to train on a B-29 after training on a B-17. His crew flew to Tinian in December, 1944 where he was assigned to the 40th Bomb Squadron, 6th Bomb Group. He flew on the fire bombing mission over Tokyo on 9-10 March. He flew 32 combat missions, some bombing, others minelaying. He flew his last mission on 14 August and returned to the US in November, 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Richard Overton. Overton joined the Army in 1942. He served with the 1887th Engineer Aviation Battalion, an all-black unit that served on various islands in the Pacific. They participated in the Palau Campaign and the Battle of Okinawa. Their battalion assisted in building an airfield. He returned to the US and was discharged in 1945. He gained fame as the oldest living WWII veteran until his death in 2018.

Recital presented at the UNT College of Music Voertman Hall in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree.

Recital presented at the UNT College of Music Voertman Hall in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree.

Recital presented at the UNT College of Music Recital Hall in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree.

Recital presented at the UNT College of Music Recital Hall in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Carey. Carey joined the Naval ROTC at Yale and received his commission in February 1944. Assigned to the USS Loy (DE-160), he was shocked by the poor relations of the captain and executive officer. In one instance, the captain flew into a rage until he was finally subdued by the executive officer's fists. The other officers were kinder to each other, and Carey assisted them with gunnery and communications. Off the Bay of Biscay, he monitored high-speed German transmissions that he recorded so that they could be slowed down and decoded. The transmissions were useful in pinpointing enemy subs. In the summer of 1944, Carey was reassigned to PC-1245. That fall, his family received the devastating news that his brother was killed in the European Theater. After the war, Carey was caught in a typhoon at Okinawa and survived with the help of a passing tugboat. He returned home and was discharged in January 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Jefferson Loyd. Loyd joined the Navy in March of 1944. He served as a 20mm gunner and Third-Class Motor Machinist aboard USS Dewey (DD-349). They escorted convoys to Eniwetok, participated in raids on Ulithi, supported troops in the Luzon, Iwo Jima and Okinawa invasions. He continued his service after the war.

Recital presented at the UNT College of Music Recital Hall in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree.

Recital presented at the UNT College of Music Recital Hall in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree.

Baroque concert performed at the UNT College of Music Winspear Hall.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Russell Santora. Santora was born in Bronx, New York on 4 October 1927. Upon joining the US Merchant Marine in July 1944, he attended boot camp at the US Maritime Training Station. When the training was completed he was sent to Oakland, California. There, he joined the Marine Fireman, Oilers and Water Tenders Union and received his Permit Book and was assigned to a merchant ship. He tells of his duties aboard the various ships to which he was assigned and recalls various trips he made to Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Japan.

Recital presented at the UNT College of Music Voertman Hall in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree.