Transcript of an interview with Lloyd Gossell, a Marine Corps veteran (A Company, 1st Battalion, 28th Regiment, 5th Marine Division), concerning his experiences during the assault on Iwo Jima, February-March, 1945. Gossell discusses his enlistment and boot camp, San Diego, California, 1942; assignment to the 3rd Marine Parachute Battalion, 1942; jungle training on New Caledonia, 1942-43; transfer to Guadalcanal, 1943; combat on Bougainville, 1943-44; return to the States to help form the 5th Marine Division; final training, Camp Tarawa, Hawaii, 1944-45; briefings and meetings en route to Iwo Jima; the pre-invasion bombardment of Iwo Jima; the initial assault on February 17, 1945; conditions on Green Beach; the assault across terraces to the base of Mount Suribachi; isolating Mount Suribachi from the rest of the island; transfer to the north end of Iwo Jima and combat on Hill 362-A; combat in "Death Valley"; occupation of Japan. Appendix includes a map of the landings for the invasion of Iwo Jima.

Interview with Melvin Harmon, a paratrooper during World War II. He discusses his paratrooper training and his time on Guadalcanal, Bougainville and other battles in the Solomon Islands. He also contracted malaria.