The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Lewis Whitaker. Whitaker joined the Army in May of 1944. He served in Company K, 3rd Battalion, 264th Infantry Regiment, 66th Infantry Division. In the fall he was sent to England, then traveled from Southampton, England to Cherbourg, France aboard the SS Léopoldville (1929), for deployment into the Battle of the Bulge. During their transfer their ship was attacked and sunk by the German submarine U-486. Once ashore, Whitaker served as a rifleman and fought from Northern France to Germany and Austria, receiving a Combat Infantryman Badge. He was discharged in June of 1946.

Recital presented at the UNT College of Music Organ Recital Hall in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree

Recital presented at the UNT College of Music Concert Hall in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree

Lecture recital presented at the UNT College of Music Recital Hall in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree

Solo recital presented at the UNT College of Music Concert Hall in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Searcy Griffin. Griffin joined the Navy in 1942. In October he was assigned to the USS Bull (DE-693). They traveled to Bermuda, Aruba and Northern Ireland. In May of 1943 Griffin was assigned to the minesweeper USS Scuffle (AM-298). In mid-1944 they transported supplies for a convoy to Pearl Harbor, swept mines in French Frigate Shoals, escorted a convoy to Eniwetok and arrived at Leyte in December of 1944. In January of 1945 they participated in the pre-invasion sweeps at Lingayen Gulf. Additionally, they provided antisubmarine and antiaircraft protection for the transports. In February they began pre-invasion sweeps in Manila Bay in preparation for landings at Mariveles and Corregidor, encountering Japanese attacks. In July of 1945 they traveled to Balikpapan and provided support to YMSs performing the pre-invasion sweep. They returned to the United States in April of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Alvin Lerman. Lerman joined the Navy in September 1942. He entered into flight training and earned his wings in March 1944 prior to being assigned to VC-94. His unit boarded the USS Shamrock, Bay (CVE-84). Lerman offers several anecdotes of flying combat missions during the liberation of the Philippines, and the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Loren W. ""Bud"" Gregg. Gregg grew up in Indiana and was attending college in Michigan when he volunteered for service in the Navy late in December, 1941. He was trained at Great lakes and then reported aboard the USS Talbot (DD-114). He recalls being at Dutch Harbor, Alaska when the Japanese attacked. Buetell also speaks of the conversion operation the Talbot underwent in order to transform her into the USS Talbot (APD-7), a high speed transport. From there, the Talbot proceeded to the Solomon islands where Buetell discusses landing troops on beaches. Buetell also discusses working with UDTs and landings in the Philippines. Buetell served asa gun captain and recalls shooting down some Japanese aircraft around Luzon. He also recalls serving aboard the Talbot as she made landings at Okinawa and then was on picket duty in the area just to the north. In October, 1945 Buetell mustered out of the Navy.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Cannon. Cannon served as coxswain of an LCM at Buckner Bay during the initial assault on Okinawa, delivering food and supplies to the beach. LCMs were able to navigate the coral, no matter the tide, so Cannon worked around the clock, laying smoke screens at night and dodging flak and kamikazes during the day. After the war ended, Cannon stayed another six months, delivering cargo from one ship to another. He returned home in February 1946 and became a truck driver.

Solo recital presented at the UNT College of Music Concert Hall in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Arlos L. ""Curly"" Awalt. Curly was drafted into the Army shortly after he finished high school in August, 1944. After basic training, Curly describes getting overseas to Europe. He was shipped to England then sent to France before being assigned to a unit. Once he was in France, he was attached to a heavy mortar section in H Company, 2nd Battalion, 424th Regiment, 106th Infantry Division. Curly arrived as a replacement in the 10th ID during the Battle of the Bulge. Curly mentions the conditions and describes his activities. He also speaks about the death and burial of General George Patton. When the war ended, Curly worked in a displaced persons / prisoner of war camp sorting through the people and returning them to their homes. Curly finishes by speaking about awards he finally received from the Belgian government 60 years after the war ended and some of his experiences speaking as a veteran with local school children in Fredericksburg, Texas.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard Oliver. Oliver was born in Weleetka, Oklahoma on 29 June 1920. After graduating from high school in 1939, he joined the US Army Air Corps and was assigned to the 11th Squadron, 7th Bomb Group as a bombardier. On a January 1943 flight to Canton Island the B-24 in which he was flying crash landed in the sea. Oliver tells of his recovery from the injuries he sustained and his subsequent assignment to a B-17 crew. In February 1943, on a mission over Rabaul the plane was damaged due to fighter intercept and anti-aircraft fire leading to a forced crash landing in a New Guinea swamp. He tells a riveting tale of the harrowing journey through the leech infested swamp and eventual arrival at a native village. The crew was then rescued and hospitalized. The plane was discovered in the New Guinea swamp in 1972. Given the name “Swamp Ghost” it was reclaimed and taken to Honolulu, Hawaii in 2013.

Chamber recital performed at the UNT College of Music Recital Hall

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Albert Dimminger. Dimminger worked for Hammond Aircraft and Consolidated in 1939, building aircraft. He joined the Navy in March of 1942. Beginning in mid-June Dimminger served as Aviation Metalsmith Third Class aboard the USS Hornet (CV-8). From August through October they operated around the Solomon Islands. On 26 October, during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, the ship was struck and sank by a dive bomber and torpedo plane attack. He was transferred to the USS Bougainville (CVE-100), and they transported aircraft to the Marshall, Admiralty and Mariana islands. In February of 1944 he was stationed in Honolulu for shore duty and worked as First Class Petty Officer in charge of the supply depot for plane parts. He was discharged in 1945.

This is an informal conversation between friends and family members. They are talking about a letter which has arrived, and what to send in response. They also discuss traveling and riding the bus, a recent death of someone in the area, and the phases of the moon. There is some code switching to Burmese. Recorded at Tamwe, Christian Center

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Barrington Buetell. Buetell grew up in Georgia and was drafted when he turned 18 in 1944. He trained in Georgia before being shipped to Europe in early 1945. He was attached to a headquarters company and recalls liberating a concentration camp at Mulhausen, Austria. When th ewar ended, Buetell rotated back to tUS where he enrolled in college. While there, he completed the Air Force ROTC course and was commissioned just prior to the outbreak of the war in Korea. He eventually was reassigned to occupation duty in Germany, where he served in a constabulary force in Wiesbaden.