Resource Type

Oral History Interview with Antonio Amador, April 25, 2001 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Antonio Amador, April 25, 2001

Interview with Antonio Amador, a veteran who was wounded in action as a sniper with the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. The transcript includes a list of questions, which include a focus on Amador being shot and his experiences while serving and back at home.
Date: February 22, 2003
Creator: Amador, Y. & Amador, Antonio
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with W. R. Barker, April 25, 2001 (open access)

Oral History Interview with W. R. Barker, April 25, 2001

Interview with W. R. Barker, a veteran who served as a combat engineer with the U.S. Army in the South Pacific during World War II. The transcript includes a conversation with Barker as he talks freely about his time in basic training at Camp Cook, when Bob Hope visited jungle training in Hawaii, and interactions between U.S. soldiers and the native islanders. He also discusses the Marines mission on Pelilu Island and meeting his brother in the Philippines.
Date: February 23, 2003
Creator: Amador, Yacel & Barker, W. R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Vaughn Bercaw, April 22, 2002 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Vaughn Bercaw, April 22, 2002

Interview with Vaughn Bercaw, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force from East Lansing, Michigan who served in Germany during the Cold War and Thailand in the early days of the Vietnam War. Bercaw describes his training in basic aircraft weapon systems and experiences on various missions in both wars, including life upon returning to the United States.
Date: February 28, 2003
Creator: Brown, Chambra & Bercaw, Vaughn
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
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Acencion Fernandez, February 19, 2005 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Acencion Fernandez, February 19, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Acencion Fernandez. Fernandez, a Texas farm boy born in 1924, was drafted when he was 18 years old. He was based in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was assigned to the USS LCI-80 where he served as a loader on a 40-inch gun. At the Mariana Islands of Saipan and Tinian and at Iwo Jima, he was involved in strafing the beaches to enable Marines to land. Later his LCI landed Marines on Okinawa. He briefly mentions the presence of Navajo code talkers on the ship.
Date: February 19, 2005
Creator: Fernandez, Acencion
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Henry Kalinofsky, February 17, 2001 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Henry Kalinofsky, February 17, 2001

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Henry Kalinofsky of Annapolis, Maryland. He discusses when he was first inducted into the Navy and being a plank owner aboard DE 581. USS MCNULTY. He also discusses his time aboard the USS LSM(R) 198 manning the 40mm Twin Mount and loading rockets in Okinawa, Japan, after the invasion of Normandy. Mr. Kalinofsky describes an attack he was involved in off the coast of Okinawa.
Date: February 17, 2001
Creator: Kalinofsky, Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Floyd R. Thomas, February 18, 2009 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Floyd R. Thomas, February 18, 2009

Interview with Floyd R. Thomas of El Paso, Texas, who is a veteran of the United States Armed Forces during World War II. In the interview, Mr. Thomas recalls memories from before the war as well as his time in the military, including his training in Oregon and Hawaii, attacks on Okinawa, and various battle scenes.
Date: February 18, 2009
Creator: Misenhimer, Richard & Thomas, Floyd R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Abe Santos, February 24, 2001 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Abe Santos, February 24, 2001

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Abe Santos. Santos joined the Navy in November of 1939. He served as a Fireman aboard the USS Astoria (CA-34). They participated in the battles of the Coral Sea, Midway and Savo Island, where the ship was sunk. He traveled back to Pearl Harbor aboard the USS Wharton (AP-7). Santos was placed on tugboat duty for six months, then transferred to Johnston Island as a Second-Class Machinist’s Mate. He assisted with airstrip construction. He later transferred back to headquarters at Pearl Harbor, and worked on staff for Admiral Robert L. Ghormley. He continued his service after the war ended.
Date: February 24, 2001
Creator: Santos, Abe
System: The Portal to Texas History