Oral History Interview with K. O. Dahlgren, May 28, 2002

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Interview with K.O. Dahlgren, civil engineer and Marine Corps veteran. The interview includes Dahlgren's personal experiences about being a PBJ co-pilot in the Southwest Pacific Theater during World War II, enlisting in the Navy, primary and secondary flight training through the Civilian Pilot Training Program, pre-flight training, basic and advanced flight training, and navigation school. Additionally, Dahlgren talks about his early interest in aviation, designation as an Aviation Cadet, the transition to multi-engine planes at Corpus Christi and his transfer to the Marine Corps, transferring to Cherry Point, North Carolina, crew formation and PBJ training at Cherry Point, advanced training, his personal views on combat and the Japanese, stationing to Green Island, "night heckling" missions to Rabaul, his assignment to and living conditions in Emirau, skip-bombing, strafing, and night bombing missions, rest and relaxation in Australia, his rotation back to the states, and his postwar career.
Date: May 28, 2002
Creator: Koontz, Christopher N. & Dahlgren, K. O.
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with Albert Bouley, June 27, 2001 transcript

Oral History Interview with Albert Bouley, June 27, 2001

Interview with Albert Bouley, a U. S. Marine during World War II. He discusses his enlistment in the Marines just after Pearl Harbor; his assignment to the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Division; the battle of Guadalcanal; malaria and dysentery; the battle of Cape Gloucester; the use of Pavuvu as a base; the battle of Peleliu; his return to the United States; guard duty at the Brooklyn Naval Yard and his service as an instructor in a heavy weapons school before the end of the war. He joined the Air Force 2 1/2 years later to be able to fly and work on planes, then retire to become a teacher in California, and finally settled in Texas.
Date: June 27, 2001
Creator: Cox, Floyd & Bouley, Albert
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Albert Day, February 23, 2004 transcript

Oral History Interview with Albert Day, February 23, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Albert Day. Day was born in Olney, Texas 23 September 1921 and graduated from high school in Vivian, Louisiana in 1942. Upon joining the Navy 4 June 1942, he was sent to The Great Lakes Naval Training Station for boot training. Afterwards, Day was assigned to the Amphibious Forces at Solomons, Maryland for training where he learned navigation and signal communications. Completing the course in October 1942 he went to Redwood City, California for further training. Assigned to LCT(5)-62, he describes the size, propulsion, crew compliment and purpose of the craft. Day tells of breaking the LCT into sections that were put aboard an AKA and sailing to New Caledonia arriving in December 1942. On a trip to Guadalcanal he witnessed a Japanese plane dropping a bomb on the USS De Haven (DD-469). He recalls a night trip to New Georgia when he saw St. Elmo’s fire on the railing of his ship. At Tulagi on 7 April 1943, Day personally shot down an attacking Japanese plane. He participated in the invasion of Iwo Jima and tells of being on the USS Estes (ACG-12) and describes an intense …
Date: February 23, 2004
Creator: Day, Albert
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Albert Day, February 23, 2004 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Albert Day, February 23, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Albert Day. Day was born in Olney, Texas 23 September 1921 and graduated from high school in Vivian, Louisiana in 1942. Upon joining the Navy 4 June 1942, he was sent to The Great Lakes Naval Training Station for boot training. Afterwards, Day was assigned to the Amphibious Forces at Solomons, Maryland for training where he learned navigation and signal communications. Completing the course in October 1942 he went to Redwood City, California for further training. Assigned to LCT(5)-62, he describes the size, propulsion, crew compliment and purpose of the craft. Day tells of breaking the LCT into sections that were put aboard an AKA and sailing to New Caledonia arriving in December 1942. On a trip to Guadalcanal he witnessed a Japanese plane dropping a bomb on the USS De Haven (DD-469). He recalls a night trip to New Georgia when he saw St. Elmo’s fire on the railing of his ship. At Tulagi on 7 April 1943, Day personally shot down an attacking Japanese plane. He participated in the invasion of Iwo Jima and tells of being on the USS Estes (ACG-12) and describes an intense …
Date: February 23, 2004
Creator: Day, Albert
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History

Oral History Interview with Ernest Kelley, February 20, 2003

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Interview with Ernest Kelley, a Texas National Guard WWII veteran from Antioch, Texas (now the Red River Army Depot), who served with the 112th Cavalry. Kelley discusses growing up in the Depression, joining the Guard, mobilization and training, horses, the Louisiana Maneuvers, deployment to New Caledonia, landing on Woodlark island and action there, the Battle of Arawe, redeployment to Australia, the Battle of Driniumor River in New Guinea, the Battles of Leyte and Luzon, returning to the United States, and reflections on his time in the Army. In appendix is a list of people and places named in the interview with lat/long coordinates, descriptions of military equipment, and the 112th's WWII service chronicle.
Date: February 20, 2003
Creator: Johnston, Glenn & Kelley, Ernest L.
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with W. G. (Bill) Campbell, April 21, 2000 (open access)

Oral History Interview with W. G. (Bill) Campbell, April 21, 2000

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with W. G. (Bill) Campbell. Campbell grew up in Texas, attended Texas A&M, and married in 1939 before joining the Army in 1943. After training, he went to Australia, Dutch New Guinea, Palu, Leyte, and Mindanao. He describes riding in amphibious vehicles and interacting with the natives. He discusses various illnesses he had during the war and his interactions with his brother, an engineer. He also describes surveying work in some detail. After the war, Campbell eventually became a public school teacher.
Date: April 21, 2000
Creator: Campbell, W. G. (Bill)
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with William C. Beyer, March 14, 2001 (open access)

Oral History Interview with William C. Beyer, March 14, 2001

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William C. Beyer. Beyer grew up in Texas and joined the Marines in January 1942. After training, he was assigned to the third division in artillery. He departed on the USS Mount Vernon for New Zealand. He anecdotes about meeting with some Maori people. Then he departed on the Cresent City for Guadalcanal in May 1943. From Guadalcanal he left for Bougainville in November 1943. He describes being caught in a foxhole for two days without communication. He also listened to Tokyo Rose on the radio. The Army relieved the Marines January 15, 1944, and his unit returned to Guadalcanal. On July 21, 1944, they landed on Guam and went into battle. Next Beyer left for Iwo Jima. The Third Marine Division was assigned to the central area of the island. He witnessed the raising of the flag. On the 50th anniversary of the war, Beyer and his wife returned to New Zealand and Guam.
Date: March 14, 2001
Creator: Beyer, William C.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History