The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Alfred P Birdwell. Birdwell joined the Army around 1943. He served as a tank driver with the 3rd Armored Division. He deployed to La Havre, France. Birdwell participated in the Battle of the Bulge, traveling through Germany along the Siegfried Line into Berlin. He returned to the US and received his discharge in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Chester Reese. Reese joined the Army in 1936. He was assigned to the First Infantry Regiment in Wyoming. In 1939, Reese did not re-enlist in the Army, but joined the Marine Corps instead. After basic training, Reese was sent to Hawaii, where he was when the Japanese attacked. He unlimbered his machine gun, set it up and defended Hickam Field. Reese served as an enlisted man on the subsequent Board of Inquiry into the attack at Pearl Harbor. His job was to sort out people who wanted to testify to the Board. Later in 1942, Reese was attached to the 6th Marine Regiment and headed for New Zealand, then Guadalcanal. Reese received a battlefield commission on Guadalcanal. After leaving the Solomons, Reese returned to the US for training. In early 1945, he went to the Mariana Islands and cleared out Japanese outpost on some of the outlying islands: Sarigan, Anatahan, and Maug.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard Grimm. Grimm joined the Navy in November 1941. He was sent to USS Maury (DD-401) and served as a signalman and anti-aircraft gunner. Grimm describes seeing Pearl Harbor soon after the attack and participating in the Battle of Coral Sea. He also mentions the signal that he was ordered to fly at the beginning of the Battle of Midway. Grimm describes seeing the USS Porter (DD-356) get hit at Santa Cruz and then taking part in the naval battles in the Solomon Islands where he helped recover casualties from the USS New Orleans (CA-32) and rescue crewman from the USS Helena (CL-50). He goes into detail on a close-call at the Battle of Kolombangara. At Vella Lavella, Grimm spotted the approaching Japanese fleet and describes how his ship launched torpedoes that sank three ships. He also discusses seeing the USS Liscome Bay (CVE-56) get hit by a torpedo that passed under the Maury. Grimm also took part in the landings at Leyte and Lingayen Gulf where the USS Liscome Bay (CVE-56) was damaged by a near miss from a kamikaze. He was in New York at the …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James W. Fisher. Fisher was born in Witt County, Virginia. On 7 February 1939 he joined the Navy and underwent boot camp at Norfolk, Virginia. He was then sent to San Diego where he was assigned to the USS Shaw (DD-373) as a deck hand. After a period of time he transferred to the USS Whitney (AD-4) for on the job training as a torpedo man. Upon completion of his training he was reassigned to the Shaw and sailed to Samoa. Upon the ship’s return to the United States in 1941, Fisher was placed in a hospital while the Shaw returned to Pearl Harbor. Fisher returned to Pearl Harbor aboard a tanker on 8 December and saw the destruction caused by the Japanese attack. On 14 December 1941 he was assigned to the USS Maury (DD-401) as a torpedo man. He was involved in the invasion of Guadalcanal, Tulagi and Iwo Jima as well as night surface action with Japanese ships. He recalls the ship being involved in rescuing survivors of the USS Honolulu after it was torpedoed. Fisher was discharged from the US Navy soon after World …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Olcott. Olcott joined the Navy in the spring of 1941. After training, he was assigned to USS Maury (DD-401) at Pearl Harbor. Olcott was at torpedo school at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked. When Maury returned to port, Olcott went back aboard and was on the ship when it bombarded Wake Island and went to the Solomon Islands. Olcott stayed on Maury through 1944 and went back to torpedo school. Then, he was sent to a post office in New Guinea for a few months before going to the submarine base at Subic Bay. He was there when the war ended.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Howard M. Heisler. Born in 1926, he ran away from home and joined the Army in 1942. He was underage and used an assumed name. He was assigned to a reconnaissance group in the 1st Cavalry Division and sent to Australia in the spring of 1943. He participated in the invasion of the Admiralty Islands, Leyte, and Luzon. He was injured by a mortar shell when his platoon was guarding a bridge outside of Manila. He was evacuated to a hospital ship and received further treatment at a general hospital in New Guinea. He rejoined his unit in Luzon where they were training for the invasion of Japan. They were sent to Tokyo after the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, but before the Japanese surrendered. He describes the city of Tokyo. He shares an anecdote about his parents learning of his whereabouts as the result of his being wounded. He was discharged under his real name in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Peter Hammersen. Hammersen was born at the end of WWI and grew up in California. While going to school for premed in Pasadena, Hammersen joined the California Army National Guard and became a charter member of Company A, 115th Medical Regiment. He worked as a surgical technician in various hospitals until he was assigned to the 48th Station Hospital at Vila, Efate, and later to Henderson Field at Guadalcanal and finally to the 37th Portable Surgical Hospital in New Guinea. Hammersen shares a number of anecdotal stories.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Alfred P Birdwell. Birdwell joined the Army around 1943. He served as a tank driver with the 3rd Armored Division. He deployed to La Havre, France. Birdwell participated in the Battle of the Bulge, traveling through Germany along the Siegfried Line into Berlin. He returned to the US and received his discharge in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Peter Hammersen. Hammersen was born at the end of WWI and grew up in California. While going to school for premed in Pasadena, Hammersen joined the California Army National Guard and became a charter member of Company A, 115th Medical Regiment. He worked as a surgical technician in various hospitals until he was assigned to the 48th Station Hospital at Vila, Efate, and later to Henderson Field at Guadalcanal and finally to the 37th Portable Surgical Hospital in New Guinea. Hammersen shares a number of anecdotal stories.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Howard M. Heisler. Born in 1926, he ran away from home and joined the Army in 1942. He was underage and used an assumed name. He was assigned to a reconnaissance group in the 1st Cavalry Division and sent to Australia in the spring of 1943. He participated in the invasion of the Admiralty Islands, Leyte, and Luzon. He was injured by a mortar shell when his platoon was guarding a bridge outside of Manila. He was evacuated to a hospital ship and received further treatment at a general hospital in New Guinea. He rejoined his unit in Luzon where they were training for the invasion of Japan. They were sent to Tokyo after the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, but before the Japanese surrendered. He describes the city of Tokyo. He shares an anecdote about his parents learning of his whereabouts as the result of his being wounded. He was discharged under his real name in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Olcott. Olcott joined the Navy in the spring of 1941. After training, he was assigned to USS Maury (DD-401) at Pearl Harbor. Olcott was at torpedo school at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked. When Maury returned to port, Olcott went back aboard and was on the ship when it bombarded Wake Island and went to the Solomon Islands. Olcott stayed on Maury through 1944 and went back to torpedo school. Then, he was sent to a post office in New Guinea for a few months before going to the submarine base at Subic Bay. He was there when the war ended.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Chester Reese. Reese joined the Army in 1936. He was assigned to the First Infantry Regiment in Wyoming. In 1939, Reese did not re-enlist in the Army, but joined the Marine Corps instead. After basic training, Reese was sent to Hawaii, where he was when the Japanese attacked. He unlimbered his machine gun, set it up and defended Hickam Field. Reese served as an enlisted man on the subsequent Board of Inquiry into the attack at Pearl Harbor. His job was to sort out people who wanted to testify to the Board. Later in 1942, Reese was attached to the 6th Marine Regiment and headed for New Zealand, then Guadalcanal. Reese received a battlefield commission on Guadalcanal. After leaving the Solomons, Reese returned to the US for training. In early 1945, he went to the Mariana Islands and cleared out Japanese outpost on some of the outlying islands: Sarigan, Anatahan, and Maug.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard Grimm. Grimm joined the Navy in November 1941. He was sent to USS Maury (DD-401) and served as a signalman and anti-aircraft gunner. Grimm describes seeing Pearl Harbor soon after the attack and participating in the Battle of Coral Sea. He also mentions the signal that he was ordered to fly at the beginning of the Battle of Midway. Grimm describes seeing the USS Porter (DD-356) get hit at Santa Cruz and then taking part in the naval battles in the Solomon Islands where he helped recover casualties from the USS New Orleans (CA-32) and rescue crewman from the USS Helena (CL-50). He goes into detail on a close-call at the Battle of Kolombangara. At Vella Lavella, Grimm spotted the approaching Japanese fleet and describes how his ship launched torpedoes that sank three ships. He also discusses seeing the USS Liscome Bay (CVE-56) get hit by a torpedo that passed under the Maury. Grimm also took part in the landings at Leyte and Lingayen Gulf where the USS Liscome Bay (CVE-56) was damaged by a near miss from a kamikaze. He was in New York at the …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James W. Fisher. Fisher was born in Witt County, Virginia. On 7 February 1939 he joined the Navy and underwent boot camp at Norfolk, Virginia. He was then sent to San Diego where he was assigned to the USS Shaw (DD-373) as a deck hand. After a period of time he transferred to the USS Whitney (AD-4) for on the job training as a torpedo man. Upon completion of his training he was reassigned to the Shaw and sailed to Samoa. Upon the ship’s return to the United States in 1941, Fisher was placed in a hospital while the Shaw returned to Pearl Harbor. Fisher returned to Pearl Harbor aboard a tanker on 8 December and saw the destruction caused by the Japanese attack. On 14 December 1941 he was assigned to the USS Maury (DD-401) as a torpedo man. He was involved in the invasion of Guadalcanal, Tulagi and Iwo Jima as well as night surface action with Japanese ships. He recalls the ship being involved in rescuing survivors of the USS Honolulu after it was torpedoed. Fisher was discharged from the US Navy soon after World …