The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Glenn Brasell. Brasell joined the Army in November 1940 and went directly to Hawaii for training. He watched the attack on Pearl Harbor from the Punch Bowl on Oahu. His duty included delivering ammunition to various installation guard posts in the hills around Pearl Harbor. He had some contact with Ensign Sakamaki at Fort Shafter after his capture. In December, 1942, he landed on Guadalcanal. Brasell served as a machine gunner protecting the area around Henderson Field. He also invaded New Georgia. He also landed with his unit on Luzon in January 1945. Brasell rotated back to the US in June, 1945 and received his discharge at then end of that month.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Les Skelton. Skelton joined the military in July 1942 after being persuaded by his Polish-American college roommate to fight Nazi Germany. Being of Jewish decent and growing up in a small town with some Nazi sympathizers, Skelton was itching to fight. His training was intense, his instructors harassing him midflight to induce combat-level stress. Hoping to become a P-38 pilot, after flight training he was instead assigned to a B-17 crew. As part of the 8th Air Force, he carried out bombing missions in Europe, often targeting railroads and factories. Between July and December 1944, Skelton had 35 missions. His most harrowing experience was navigating antiaircraft fire over Cologne. During one flight, Skelton was shot in the back of his helmet and rendered unconscious. On other missions, he encountered enemy aircraft and could sometimes spot the trails of V-2 rockets. Once, he was faced with an Me-109 flying straight at him, when enemy aircraft’s wings detached, causing the plane to plummet. Skelton returned home and was discharged in the spring of 1945, having earned seven Air Medals.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Melvin Dusek. Dusek left college to join the Army in May 1943 and received basic training at Camp Maxey. He then received nine months of engineering training, specializing in rebuilding war-torn infrastructure. In September 1944 he was sent to the battlefield in Belgium with the 394th Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division. He was hit by shrapnel from a German tank and was discovered 30 minutes later by German soldiers. He was taken to a German field hospital, but he was not given any pain medication for his wounds. That evening, after the German had tended to their own wounded, Dusek was given surgical treatment. He was transferred to Stalag IVB and was treated very well. Upon recovery, he was sent to Halle, where conditions were fair. An American air raid struck the camp on 1 April 1945, killing all but 10 of the 80 American prisoners. Dusek was liberated by the 8th Armored Division on 25 April and sent to McCloskey Veterans Hospital. He received a medical discharge in September 1945 and returned to college on the GI Bill.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with James Norwood. Norwood joined the Marine Corps in June of 1943. He provides details of his training including Biddle-style bayonet training. He joined Company B, 4th Amphibious Tractor Battalion (Landing Vehicle Tracked), 4th Marine Division. He traveled to the Marshall Islands in January of 1944. Norwood provides some details of the LVT. He participated in the first wave in the Battle of Kwajalein. They traveled to Guadalcanal in May of 1944 for training. In July they were the first wave of amphibious tractors on Guam, fighting side-by-side amphibious tanks. He speaks on the differences between the tractors and tanks, and the casualties that he witnessed during this wave. From there they were the eighth wave into Iwo Jima. Norwood received three Battle Stars. He was discharged in December of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Glenn Brasell. Brasell joined the Army in November 1940 and went directly to Hawaii for training. He watched the attack on Pearl Harbor from the Punch Bowl on Oahu. His duty included delivering ammunition to various installation guard posts in the hills around Pearl Harbor. He had some contact with Ensign Sakamaki at Fort Shafter after his capture. In December, 1942, he landed on Guadalcanal. Brasell served as a machine gunner protecting the area around Henderson Field. He also invaded New Georgia. He also landed with his unit on Luzon in January 1945. Brasell rotated back to the US in June, 1945 and received his discharge at then end of that month.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Les Skelton. Skelton joined the military in July 1942 after being persuaded by his Polish-American college roommate to fight Nazi Germany. Being of Jewish decent and growing up in a small town with some Nazi sympathizers, Skelton was itching to fight. His training was intense, his instructors harassing him midflight to induce combat-level stress. Hoping to become a P-38 pilot, after flight training he was instead assigned to a B-17 crew. As part of the 8th Air Force, he carried out bombing missions in Europe, often targeting railroads and factories. Between July and December 1944, Skelton had 35 missions. His most harrowing experience was navigating antiaircraft fire over Cologne. During one flight, Skelton was shot in the back of his helmet and rendered unconscious. On other missions, he encountered enemy aircraft and could sometimes spot the trails of V-2 rockets. Once, he was faced with an Me-109 flying straight at him, when enemy aircraft’s wings detached, causing the plane to plummet. Skelton returned home and was discharged in the spring of 1945, having earned seven Air Medals.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Melvin Dusek. Dusek left college to join the Army in May 1943 and received basic training at Camp Maxey. He then received nine months of engineering training, specializing in rebuilding war-torn infrastructure. In September 1944 he was sent to the battlefield in Belgium with the 394th Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division. He was hit by shrapnel from a German tank and was discovered 30 minutes later by German soldiers. He was taken to a German field hospital, but he was not given any pain medication for his wounds. That evening, after the German had tended to their own wounded, Dusek was given surgical treatment. He was transferred to Stalag IVB and was treated very well. Upon recovery, he was sent to Halle, where conditions were fair. An American air raid struck the camp on 1 April 1945, killing all but 10 of the 80 American prisoners. Dusek was liberated by the 8th Armored Division on 25 April and sent to McCloskey Veterans Hospital. He received a medical discharge in September 1945 and returned to college on the GI Bill.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with James Norwood. Norwood joined the Marine Corps in June of 1943. He provides details of his training including Biddle-style bayonet training. He joined Company B, 4th Amphibious Tractor Battalion (Landing Vehicle Tracked), 4th Marine Division. He traveled to the Marshall Islands in January of 1944. Norwood provides some details of the LVT. He participated in the first wave in the Battle of Kwajalein. They traveled to Guadalcanal in May of 1944 for training. In July they were the first wave of amphibious tractors on Guam, fighting side-by-side amphibious tanks. He speaks on the differences between the tractors and tanks, and the casualties that he witnessed during this wave. From there they were the eighth wave into Iwo Jima. Norwood received three Battle Stars. He was discharged in December of 1945.