Oral History Interview with John C. Reas, June 23, 1998

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Interview with John Reas, a Navy WWII veteran and POW from New Albany, Indiana, who survived the sinking of the USS Houston (CA-30). Reas discusses his assignment to the Houston and prewar operations in the Pacific, the start of the war and convoy duty, being bombed by 54 Japanese planes, the Battle of Sunda Strait, the sinking, capture by the Japanese, experiences in internment at Bicycle Camp in Batavia, transfer to Thanbyuzayat, work on the Burma Railway, the USS Houston Survivors List, liberation, and life after the war. In appendix is the USS Houston Survivors list, letters of his regarding the list, brief accounts written by Reas of different experiences in the war, a letter by Lanson H. Harris confirming how the list was given to OSS officers, and a photo of Reas' wallet that he carried through the war.
Date: June 23, 1998
Creator: Marcello, Ronald E. & Reas, John C.
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Fred Vogel, August 8, 2001

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Interview with Fred Vogel, a Army WWII veteran from Austin, Minnesota. Vogel discusses his family and upbringing, football and college, working as a lawyer, joining the Army and basic training, attending Officer Candidate School, infantry training, deployment to New Guinea with the 33rd Infantry Division, the invasion of Morotai, combat around Lingayen Gulf in the Philippines, and occupation duty in Japan.
Date: June 13, 2001
Creator: Alexander, William J. & Vogel, Fred
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with Jake Guiles, June 20, 1972 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Jake Guiles, June 20, 1972

Interview with Jake Guiles, a Army Air Corps WWII veteran and POW from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Guiles discusses joining the service, training, being stationed at Nichols Field in the Philippines, the Japanese invasion and American retreat to Bataan, fighting as infantry, surrender at Marivales, the Bataan Death March, experiences in internment at Camp O'Donnell and Cabantuan, transit to Japan, internment at Hitachi mining camp, liberation, and reflections. In appendix is a notebook kept by Guiles, containing names of fellow prisoners, a self-made Japanese dictionary, a diary, and other recordings.
Date: June 20, 1972
Creator: Marcello, Ronald E. & Guiles, Jake
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with Martin J. Rodgers, June 22, 1988 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Martin J. Rodgers, June 22, 1988

Interview with Martin J. Rodgers, a Army WWII veteran from Butler, New Jersey, who was at the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Rodgers discusses joining the Army and training, assignment to coastal artillery at Fort Shafter, operations there, work in communications, alerts, life in the peacetime Army, the morning of December 7th and reaction to the attack, handling communications at battalion HQ, the aftermath and following days, and his subsequent service in the Pacific War. In appendix is a letter by Rodgers to his mother of December 31, 1941, and a journal of his experiences typed during the war.
Date: June 22, 1988
Creator: Marcello, Ronald E. & Rodgers, Martin J.
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with Rufus Smith, June 13, 1989 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Rufus Smith, June 13, 1989

Interview with Rufus Smith, a Marine WWII veteran and POW from Hughes Springs, Texas, who survived the Palawan Massacre. Smith discusses joining the Marines, the bombing of Cavite Naval Yard, his capture at Corregidor and internment at Cabanatuan, transfer to Palawan and experiences in captivity there, the massacre and escaping, rescue by Filipinos and traveling with them, evacuation, returning to the United States, and life after the war.
Date: June 13, 1989
Creator: Burlage, George & Smith, Rufus
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with Alfonso Nava, March 26, 2004 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Alfonso Nava, March 26, 2004

Interview with Alfonso Nava, a technical sergeant in the US Army during WWII. He answers questions about his decision to enlist and his experiences in the military.
Date: June 8, 2005
Creator: Coy, Marisa E. & Nava, Alfonso
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Boyd Lamb, February 28, 2001 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Boyd Lamb, February 28, 2001

Interview with Boyd Lamb. He answers questions about his life before enlisting, life on the USS Tennessee, and his life post-war.
Date: June 18, 2003
Creator: Chamblin, Marie & Lamb, Boyd
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with A. B. Rawlinson, June 25, 2002 transcript

Oral History Interview with A. B. Rawlinson, June 25, 2002

Interview with A. B. Rawlinson, a machine gunner in the US Army during WWII. He answers questions about his life during the war and his experience abroad.
Date: June 25, 2002
Creator: Collins, Kim & Rawlinson, A. B.
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History

Oral History Interview with Frank H. Bigelow, June 13, 2002

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Interview with Navy veteran Frank H. Bigelow, survivor of the siege of Corregidor. The interview includes Bigelow's personal experiences about being a prisoner-of-war of the Japanese during World War II, boyhood in North Dakota, various jobs during the Great Depression, and enlisting in the Navy. Additionally, Bigelow speaks about volunteering for duty in the Philippines and his assignment to the submarine tender USS Canopus, pre-war military life in the Philippines, the Japanese bombing of Cavite Navy Yard and the destruction of the Canopus, retreating to Bataan and to Corregidor, the fall of Corregidor, his confinement in the 92nd Garage area, the forced march down Dewey Boulevard in Manila and confinement at Cabanatuan, hell ship to Japan, coal mining for Mitsui Heavy Industries, the amputation of his leg by fellow prisoners after a mining accident, liberation, and the destruction in Nagasaki due to the atomic bomb. The interview includes an appendix with an article titled "A Soldier's Story."
Date: June 13, 2002
Creator: Alexander, William J. & Bigelow, Frank H., 1921-
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library

Newsmap. For the Armed Forces. V-E Day + 6 weeks, 183rd week of U.S. participation in the war

Front: Text describes Pacific action. Map: Pacific action. Inset maps: Yanks push north on Luzon; Allied troops in New Borneo landings; Japs fall back toward Fr. Indo-China border. Back: Save : don't help delay V-Day! Illustration of fist raised in V for Victory sign with text admonishing no waste of materials.
Date: June 18, 1945
Creator: [United States.] Army Service Forces. Army Information Branch.
Object Type: Poster
System: The UNT Digital Library

Newsmap. For the Armed Forces. V-E Day + 4 weeks, 181st week of U.S. participation in the war

Front: Text describes action on Okinawa, in Foochow, Tokyo, Mindanao. Maps: Pacific action flares; Okinawa; Foochow; Tokyo; Mindanao. Relief shown by spot heights and hill shading. Back: Paper bullets. Text describes propaganda leaflets as part of psychological warfare. Illustrations and text detail German and Jap Safe-Conduct Surrender Pass instructions.
Date: June 4, 1945
Creator: [United States.] Army Service Forces. Army Information Branch.
Object Type: Poster
System: The UNT Digital Library