Oral History Interview with Thomas Alt, August 24, 2004 transcript

Oral History Interview with Thomas Alt, August 24, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Thomas Alt. Alt joined the Aviation Cadet Corps in June of 1942 at the age of 17. By January of 1943, once he turned 18, he was called up for training. In mid-1943 he traveled to Pearl Harbor, and completed Fire Fighting School with the Navy while on the island. In mid-1944 Alt was assigned to the USS Sea Cat (SS-399). He worked as Military Police on night shifts and guard duty in the brig. They traveled to Saipan and the South China Sea where the Sea Cat operated in a wolf pack. He landed on Saipan 7 July 7, as the battle was coming to an end. He served with a firefighting crew on the beach for pilots making emergency or crash landings. Alt remained on Saipan through early 1945. He was stationed on Tinian in July, and recalls when the Enola Gay landed. He returned to the US and was discharged in March of 1945.
Date: August 24, 2004
Creator: Alt, Thomas
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Thomas Alt, August 24, 2004 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Thomas Alt, August 24, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Thomas Alt. Alt joined the Aviation Cadet Corps in June of 1942 at the age of 17. By January of 1943, once he turned 18, he was called up for training. In mid-1943 he traveled to Pearl Harbor, and completed Fire Fighting School with the Navy while on the island. In mid-1944 Alt was assigned to the USS Sea Cat (SS-399). He worked as Military Police on night shifts and guard duty in the brig. They traveled to Saipan and the South China Sea where the Sea Cat operated in a wolf pack. He landed on Saipan 7 July 7, as the battle was coming to an end. He served with a firefighting crew on the beach for pilots making emergency or crash landings. Alt remained on Saipan through early 1945. He was stationed on Tinian in July, and recalls when the Enola Gay landed. He returned to the US and was discharged in March of 1945.
Date: August 24, 2004
Creator: Alt, Thomas
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Wayne Beery, July 24, 2004 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Wayne Beery, July 24, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Wayne T. Beery. Beery joined the US Marine Corps in 1943. After completing boot camp at San Diego, he was assigned guard duty at Mare Island Navy Yard. In 1944 he was assigned to the 1st Marine Division, 7th Marines on Guadalcanal. He tells of landing on Okinawa 1 April 1945 and comments on the stillness on the beach upon landing. Assigned the battalion headquarters company, he describes his responsibilities for the telephone communications. After the surrender of Japan, he was sent to China. He returned to the United States in 1946 and was discharged.
Date: July 24, 2004
Creator: Beery, Wayne
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Charles Walter Bernhardt, July 24, 2004 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Charles Walter Bernhardt, July 24, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles Walter Bernhardt discussing where he grew up and stories from his childhood. He shares some of his experiences being stationed in Hawaii and fighting in the Pacific Theatre during World War Two, as well as some of the experiences of his friends and people he's met.
Date: July 24, 2004
Creator: Bernhardt, Charles Walter; Tombaug, John & Meter, Peg Van
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Robert Bridge, August 24, 2004 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Robert Bridge, August 24, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Bridge. Bridge was inducted into the Army on 10 November 1943. During basic training he volunteered for paratrooper duty, but failed the physical and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne as a glider infantryman. He crossed the Atlantic on a troop carrier and arrived at a camp outside Leicester, England on 24 May 1944. His glider was a Waco CG 4A model. He describes his participation in Operation Market Garden during September 1944. Bridge participated in a glider landing near the city of Grave, Netherlands and secured a bridge over the Waal River. The 82nd Airborne Division retreated to a French army camp in Sissonne following the action in Holland. He describes being involved in the Battle of the Bulge but does not provide details. He recalls his unit made it to Cologne, Germany where they held the west bank of the Rhine River for more than a month. Bridge remembers entering Hamburg, Germany and fighting up the Elbe River where they met up with the Russians. He spent three months on occupation duty in Germany following the war and returned on the RMS Queen Mary arriving …
Date: August 24, 2004
Creator: Bridge, Robert
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Daniel Clark, June 24, 2004 transcript

Oral History Interview with Daniel Clark, June 24, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Daniel Clark. Clark was born in Morocco, Indiana on 26 June 1916. After graduating from high school in 1934, he worked on the farm until being drafted into the US Army in March 1942. Upon induction, he was sent to Camp Claiborne, Louisiana for six months of basic training. He was then sent to Ft. Bragg, North Carolina where he joined the 82nd Airborne Division’s glider section and was assigned to the 325th Glider Infantry, 2nd Battalion, Company F. Upon completion of training the unit boarded the SS Santa Rosa for a twelve day trip to Casa Blanca, North Africa. His narrative is a well told tale of his participation in Operation Overlord, Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge and of the horrific scene found when the unit liberated the Wobbelin Concentration Camp on 5 May 1945.
Date: June 24, 2004
Creator: Clark, Daniel C.
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Daniel Clark, June 24, 2004 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Daniel Clark, June 24, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Daniel Clark. Clark was born in Morocco, Indiana on 26 June 1916. After graduating from high school in 1934, he worked on the farm until being drafted into the US Army in March 1942. Upon induction, he was sent to Camp Claiborne, Louisiana for six months of basic training. He was then sent to Ft. Bragg, North Carolina where he joined the 82nd Airborne Division’s glider section and was assigned to the 325th Glider Infantry, 2nd Battalion, Company F. Upon completion of training the unit boarded the SS Santa Rosa for a twelve day trip to Casa Blanca, North Africa. His narrative is a well told tale of his participation in Operation Overlord, Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge and of the horrific scene found when the unit liberated the Wobbelin Concentration Camp on 5 May 1945.
Date: June 24, 2004
Creator: Clark, Daniel C.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with William Hogg, January 24, 2004 transcript

Oral History Interview with William Hogg, January 24, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Hogg. Born in Louisiana 1 March 1926, Hogg joined the US Army Air Forces in 1944. After basic training at Amarillo, Texas he was selected for gunnery school and tells of training at various locations. Upon completion of gunnery training, he was assigned as a tail gunner on a B-24 bomber. He recalls that at 20 years of age the pilot and co-pilot were the oldest of the 10 crew members. Hogg boarded HMS Queen Elizabeth and sailed to Glasgow, Scotland, where he took a train to Norwich, England. There his crew was assigned to the 93rd Bomb Group. He flew no combat missions during the three months he was in England. Returning to the United States, he was discharged 2 May 1946.
Date: January 24, 2004
Creator: Hogg, William
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with William Hogg, January 24, 2004 (open access)

Oral History Interview with William Hogg, January 24, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Hogg. Born in Louisiana 1 March 1926, Hogg joined the US Army Air Forces in 1944. After basic training at Amarillo, Texas he was selected for gunnery school and tells of training at various locations. Upon completion of gunnery training, he was assigned as a tail gunner on a B-24 bomber. He recalls that at 20 years of age the pilot and co-pilot were the oldest of the 10 crew members. Hogg boarded HMS Queen Elizabeth and sailed to Glasgow, Scotland, where he took a train to Norwich, England. There his crew was assigned to the 93rd Bomb Group. He flew no combat missions during the three months he was in England. Returning to the United States, he was discharged 2 May 1946.
Date: January 24, 2004
Creator: Hogg, William
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Fred Zellers, May 24, 2004 transcript

Oral History Interview with Fred Zellers, May 24, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Fred Zellers. Zellers joined the Navy in March of 1944 and was assigned to the Armed Guard. In August he began serving aboard the SS Oremar (1919), a merchant ship. They transported 500- and 1,000-pound bombs with a convoy to England. Zellers worked as a Gunner’s Mate and mathematical calibration specialist on the ship, and they shuttled bombs between England, France, Belgium and Holland. They returned home in December of 1944. In 1945, they continued transporting supplies to France and Belgium, including officers’ footlockers and food. Zellers was discharged in October of 1945.
Date: May 24, 2004
Creator: Zellers, Fred
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Fred Zellers, May 24, 2004 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Fred Zellers, May 24, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Fred Zellers. Zellers joined the Navy in March of 1944 and was assigned to the Armed Guard. In August he began serving aboard the SS Oremar (1919), a merchant ship. They transported 500- and 1,000-pound bombs with a convoy to England. Zellers worked as a Gunner’s Mate and mathematical calibration specialist on the ship, and they shuttled bombs between England, France, Belgium and Holland. They returned home in December of 1944. In 1945, they continued transporting supplies to France and Belgium, including officers’ footlockers and food. Zellers was discharged in October of 1945.
Date: May 24, 2004
Creator: Zellers, Fred
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History