The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Jagers. Jagers joined the Navy in June 1942 and received basic training at Great Lakes. He attended signalman and quartermaster school there and received amphibious forces training in Maryland. Upon completion, he was assigned to an LST sent to North Africa, where Jagers was treated for appendicitis in a hospital that was bombed daily. He rejoined his unit for landings at Sicily, Salerno, and Anzio. At Normandy, his LST carried supplies from the USS Davis (DD-395) to Utah Beach. They loaded 1,000 prisoners and 250 paratrooper casualties and brought them back to England. Each day, Jagers spent four hours guarding prisoners, four hours tending to the wounded, and four hours standing watch. After dozens of trips across the Channel, the ship was decommissioned and handed over to the British. Jagers returned to the States in December 1944 and gave boot camp training at Great Lakes before he was discharged. He authored a book about his experiences, entitled Whales of World War II.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Hugh Sheffield. Sheffield joined the Navy when he was 17 years old. He received basic training in Jacksonville and attended electrician’s mate school in Mississippi. Upon completion, was sent to the New Hebrides and then Guam, performing general duties such as digging ditches. At Subic Bay he was taught to engineer an LCVP, in preparation for the invasion of Japan. His crew was a mixture of inexperienced seamen, aviation radiomen, and soldiers fresh out of the brig; Sheffield suspects the motley crew was assigned an old Higgins boat as part of an expendable first wave of attack. After Japan surrendered, Sheffield was sent to Tokyo Bay and worked aboard several different ships. He was discharged and attended college on the GI Bill.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Stephen Carlson. Carlson joined the Navy in 1941. He attended the US Naval Reserve Midshipman’s School and was commissioned in November of 1942, and traveled to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In December he went aboard the USS Mississippi (BB-41). They supported the liberation of the Aleutian Islands in May of 1943. In November, they bombarded Makin. In September of 1944, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, they assisted in defeating the Japanese Southern Force at Surigao Strait. They supported the Lingayen Gulf landings in January of 1945 and the Invasion of Okinawa in May. Carlson was still aboard the Mississippi while docked in Tokyo Bay during the signing of the surrender documents in September. He was discharged in March of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Thomas F. Jordan. Jordan joined the Navy on 8 December 1941. He was assigned to the USS Wichita (CA-45) and worked as a deck seaman. Jordan describes convoy duty, traveling in foggy conditions, and a collision between two British ships. He mentions an incident detailing how the ship was segregated. Jordan discusses taking part in the invasion of North Africa and trading fire with French ships at Casablanca. He then describes taking part in a battle off of Guadalcanal and then bombarding Attu and Kiska before the landings. Jordan transferred to the aviation division and then became a plane captain at Alameda Naval Air Station for the remainder of the war. He remained in the reserves and discusses his experiences during the Korean War.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Hugh Sheffield. Sheffield joined the Navy when he was 17 years old. He received basic training in Jacksonville and attended electrician’s mate school in Mississippi. Upon completion, was sent to the New Hebrides and then Guam, performing general duties such as digging ditches. At Subic Bay he was taught to engineer an LCVP, in preparation for the invasion of Japan. His crew was a mixture of inexperienced seamen, aviation radiomen, and soldiers fresh out of the brig; Sheffield suspects the motley crew was assigned an old Higgins boat as part of an expendable first wave of attack. After Japan surrendered, Sheffield was sent to Tokyo Bay and worked aboard several different ships. He was discharged and attended college on the GI Bill.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Jagers. Jagers joined the Navy in June 1942 and received basic training at Great Lakes. He attended signalman and quartermaster school there and received amphibious forces training in Maryland. Upon completion, he was assigned to an LST sent to North Africa, where Jagers was treated for appendicitis in a hospital that was bombed daily. He rejoined his unit for landings at Sicily, Salerno, and Anzio. At Normandy, his LST carried supplies from the USS Davis (DD-395) to Utah Beach. They loaded 1,000 prisoners and 250 paratrooper casualties and brought them back to England. Each day, Jagers spent four hours guarding prisoners, four hours tending to the wounded, and four hours standing watch. After dozens of trips across the Channel, the ship was decommissioned and handed over to the British. Jagers returned to the States in December 1944 and gave boot camp training at Great Lakes before he was discharged. He authored a book about his experiences, entitled Whales of World War II.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Stephen Carlson. Carlson joined the Navy in 1941. He attended the US Naval Reserve Midshipman’s School and was commissioned in November of 1942, and traveled to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In December he went aboard the USS Mississippi (BB-41). They supported the liberation of the Aleutian Islands in May of 1943. In November, they bombarded Makin. In September of 1944, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, they assisted in defeating the Japanese Southern Force at Surigao Strait. They supported the Lingayen Gulf landings in January of 1945 and the Invasion of Okinawa in May. Carlson was still aboard the Mississippi while docked in Tokyo Bay during the signing of the surrender documents in September. He was discharged in March of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Thomas F. Jordan. Jordan joined the Navy on 8 December 1941. He was assigned to the USS Wichita (CA-45) and worked as a deck seaman. Jordan describes convoy duty, traveling in foggy conditions, and a collision between two British ships. He mentions an incident detailing how the ship was segregated. Jordan discusses taking part in the invasion of North Africa and trading fire with French ships at Casablanca. He then describes taking part in a battle off of Guadalcanal and then bombarding Attu and Kiska before the landings. Jordan transferred to the aviation division and then became a plane captain at Alameda Naval Air Station for the remainder of the war. He remained in the reserves and discusses his experiences during the Korean War.