The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ralph Fette. Fette was born on 28 January 1921 in Germany and immigrated to the United States with his family in 1927. He attended high school in Brooklyn, New York until 1937 at which time he quit to work with his father. He was drafted into the Army Air Corps in 1941. After taking basic training in Georgia, he attended an airframe and engine school in Detroit, Michigan. Upon completion of the school, Fette left for overseas duty near Calcutta, India. After spending some time in India he joined the 9th Bomb Group at Myitkyina, Burma where his group repaired B-24s and P-40s. As a line chief he was responsible for fifteen planes. One of the B-24s assigned to his group was called Home Stretch. He returned to the United States and was discharged in 1945.

Transcript of an oral interview with Thomas Koltoniak. He joined the Navy despite being underage. He was assigned to the USS Texas (BB-35), first in the radio division, then in the aerial division. He shares an anecdote about visiting a munitions dump in Iceland on one of the ship's Atlantic crossings. He mentions the radio broadcast of General Dwight Eisenhower?s ?Voice of Freedom? message from the Texas while off the coast of North Africa. He participated in aerial photography missions along the French coast in preparation for the invasion of Normandy, France. He relates that the Texas was hit by two German shells, one of which failed to explode, during the Battle of Cherbourg. He describes the invasion of Iwo Jima. He also describes the processes of taking-off and landing on an aircraft carrier. He discusses attacks by kamikazes at Okinawa as well as the capture of a kamikaze pilot.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with C E Simmons. Simmons joined the Navy in October of 1944. Beginning in January of 1945 he served aboard the USS Goshen (APA-108) as coxswain driving Landing Craft, Vehicle Personnel (LCVP) to the beach. They traveled to Hawaii and New Hebrides, and landed the first wave at the Battle of Okinawa. In September of 1945 he was assigned to the US Naval Training Center in Newport, Rhode Island, training new crewmembers for sea duty. He was discharged in October of 1947.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Henry Gerards. Born in Kennewick, Washington, 3 March 1917, Gerards joined the US Army Air Forces in November 1942. After competing basic training in Santa Maria, California, he entered pilot training. Upon receiving his wings and being commissioned he was sent to Ardmore, Oklahoma for transition to multi-engine aircraft flying the B-17. Upon completion of crew training, the crew flew a new B-17 to Scotland where they were assigned to the 390th Bomb Group, 570th Bomb Squadron. They flew twenty-two missions before being shot down over Magdeburg, Germany on 28 May 1944. Gerards recalls the flight encountering over thirty German fighter planes, which shot down four other bombers as well as their own. He was captured soon after he landed and was interrogated during the ten days he spent in Dulag Luft before being sent to Stalag Luft III in Sagan, Germany. One of the highlights of being a prisoner was receiving Red Cross packages of food. Recalling an attempt to escape by a group of POWs from his barracks, he tells of the deaths of many of the men. The prison camp was liberated by members of …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Arden E. ""Scotty"" Kersey. Kersey was attending the University of Nebraska when he entered the V-12 program. Upon learning to fly, Kersey elected to go into the Marine Corps. Prior to entering the service, Kersey learned to fly through the Civilian Pilot Training Program. He also discusses flight training and the various aircraft he flew. He trained at Cherry Point, North Carolina until January, 1944, when he shipped to California in anticipation of going overseas. Kersey was attached to VMF-313 as part of Marine Air Group 12. They continued traineing on Hawaii before going to Midway Island in April, 1944 for more training. In August, VMF-313 boarded the USS Altamaha (CVE-18) and headed for the Solomon Islands. Their first combat missions were flying as escorts for bombers attacking Rabaul and other targets. He mentions a brief R&R in Australia. He also recalls combat flights in the Philippines and destroying an enemy convoy. Kersey flew 79 combat missions in the Pacific before returning to the US for some ferrying duty prior to being discharged.

Transcript of an oral interview with Thomas Koltoniak. He joined the Navy despite being underage. He was assigned to the USS Texas (BB-35), first in the radio division, then in the aerial division. He shares an anecdote about visiting a munitions dump in Iceland on one of the ship's Atlantic crossings. He mentions the radio broadcast of General Dwight Eisenhower?s ?Voice of Freedom? message from the Texas while off the coast of North Africa. He participated in aerial photography missions along the French coast in preparation for the invasion of Normandy, France. He relates that the Texas was hit by two German shells, one of which failed to explode, during the Battle of Cherbourg. He describes the invasion of Iwo Jima. He also describes the processes of taking-off and landing on an aircraft carrier. He discusses attacks by kamikazes at Okinawa as well as the capture of a kamikaze pilot.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with C E Simmons. Simmons joined the Navy in October of 1944. Beginning in January of 1945 he served aboard the USS Goshen (APA-108) as coxswain driving Landing Craft, Vehicle Personnel (LCVP) to the beach. They traveled to Hawaii and New Hebrides, and landed the first wave at the Battle of Okinawa. In September of 1945 he was assigned to the US Naval Training Center in Newport, Rhode Island, training new crewmembers for sea duty. He was discharged in October of 1947.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Arden E. ""Scotty"" Kersey. Kersey was attending the University of Nebraska when he entered the V-12 program. Upon learning to fly, Kersey elected to go into the Marine Corps. Prior to entering the service, Kersey learned to fly through the Civilian Pilot Training Program. He also discusses flight training and the various aircraft he flew. He trained at Cherry Point, North Carolina until January, 1944, when he shipped to California in anticipation of going overseas. Kersey was attached to VMF-313 as part of Marine Air Group 12. They continued traineing on Hawaii before going to Midway Island in April, 1944 for more training. In August, VMF-313 boarded the USS Altamaha (CVE-18) and headed for the Solomon Islands. Their first combat missions were flying as escorts for bombers attacking Rabaul and other targets. He mentions a brief R&R in Australia. He also recalls combat flights in the Philippines and destroying an enemy convoy. Kersey flew 79 combat missions in the Pacific before returning to the US for some ferrying duty prior to being discharged.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Henry Gerards. Born in Kennewick, Washington, 3 March 1917, Gerards joined the US Army Air Forces in November 1942. After competing basic training in Santa Maria, California, he entered pilot training. Upon receiving his wings and being commissioned he was sent to Ardmore, Oklahoma for transition to multi-engine aircraft flying the B-17. Upon completion of crew training, the crew flew a new B-17 to Scotland where they were assigned to the 390th Bomb Group, 570th Bomb Squadron. They flew twenty-two missions before being shot down over Magdeburg, Germany on 28 May 1944. Gerards recalls the flight encountering over thirty German fighter planes, which shot down four other bombers as well as their own. He was captured soon after he landed and was interrogated during the ten days he spent in Dulag Luft before being sent to Stalag Luft III in Sagan, Germany. One of the highlights of being a prisoner was receiving Red Cross packages of food. Recalling an attempt to escape by a group of POWs from his barracks, he tells of the deaths of many of the men. The prison camp was liberated by members of …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ralph Fette. Fette was born on 28 January 1921 in Germany and immigrated to the United States with his family in 1927. He attended high school in Brooklyn, New York until 1937 at which time he quit to work with his father. He was drafted into the Army Air Corps in 1941. After taking basic training in Georgia, he attended an airframe and engine school in Detroit, Michigan. Upon completion of the school, Fette left for overseas duty near Calcutta, India. After spending some time in India he joined the 9th Bomb Group at Myitkyina, Burma where his group repaired B-24s and P-40s. As a line chief he was responsible for fifteen planes. One of the B-24s assigned to his group was called Home Stretch. He returned to the United States and was discharged in 1945.