The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Allan Golden. Golden joined the Navy in 1942 and after three weeks of boot training at San Diego, he boarded a ship bound for Noumea, New Caledonia. Upon his arrival he was assigned to the base post office. He was then sent to Fiji to serve as a LCVP driver. He participated in the invasion of Bougainville and describes the procedure of landing troops on the beaches. He returned to the United States in 1944 and was assigned as captain on a tug boat. One of the jobs assigned to his tug was towing targets for F4U fighters to practice strafing.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Melvin Troutman. Troutman provides some details of his family???s experiences through the Great Depression. Troutman joined the Navy in June of 1943. He provides some details of his training. He served as a Seaman aboard LCT-943. Troutman vividly describes the LCT, its weaponry and crew members. In January of 1944 they traveled to Brisbane, Australia. From there they traveled to New Guinea, making more than 10 landings. Troutman???s job was to operate the ramp during each landing. In the fall of 1944 they participated in the invasions of Leyte in the Philippines. Troutman received 3 Battle Stars, one for Asia Pacific and two for Philippine Liberation. He was discharged in March of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with James Norwood. Norwood joined the Marine Corps in June of 1943. He provides details of his training including Biddle-style bayonet training. He joined Company B, 4th Amphibious Tractor Battalion (Landing Vehicle Tracked), 4th Marine Division. He traveled to the Marshall Islands in January of 1944. Norwood provides some details of the LVT. He participated in the first wave in the Battle of Kwajalein. They traveled to Guadalcanal in May of 1944 for training. In July they were the first wave of amphibious tractors on Guam, fighting side-by-side amphibious tanks. He speaks on the differences between the tractors and tanks, and the casualties that he witnessed during this wave. From there they were the eighth wave into Iwo Jima. Norwood received three Battle Stars. He was discharged in December of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Creed Coffee. Coffee was in the Army ROTC at Texas Technological College, now Texas Tech in Lubbock, in 1941 and 1942. He was in the Corps of Engineers. He was on active duty beginning June of 1943. He completed Officers Candidate School in June of 1944 and commissioned a second lieutenant. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1327th Engineer General Service Regiment. Coffee served as a platoon leader and worked on a 200-mile section of the Ledo Road, connecting Ledo to Myitkyina in Burma. He was discharged in May of 1946. In November of 1950 he was recalled for the Korean War and served as a captain in the 183rd Engineer Combat Battalion.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Leon Shook. Shook joined the Navy in July of 1942. That fall he began his service aboard the USS Colorado (BB-45) as a machinist, a loader on 1.1-inch guns and worked with the ammunition supply. In November of 1943 they participated in the Battle of Tarawa. In July of 1944 they participated in the Battle of Tinian, where they were hit by twenty-two 7.7-inch shells, killing 42 men and wounding 365. In the fall of 1944 they participated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, where they were struck by 2 kamikaze suicide bombers, killing 19 men. In January of 1945 they participated in the pre-invasion of Lingayen Gulf. The Colorado was struck by accidental fire from the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38), killing 69 men. Shook received 9 Battle Stars. He provides details of the various battles he participated in. He was discharged in October of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Leslie Collins. Collins joined the Army in 1942. He completed eight weeks of infantry training and then traveled to Australia and New Guinea with the 41st Division and participated in eleven beach landings. While overseas he volunteered to serve as a combat medic, though having had little training. He provides some details of combat in the jungles of New Guinea, the natives and the materials he used as a medic on the island. Collins was one of 33 in his medical outfit, and only 2 were not killed or wounded. They made a landing on Hollandia, where Collins describes the Japanese bombing their outfit. He also served in the Philippines until August of 1945. He was discharged in January of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Herbert Hinckley. Hinckley joined the Navy after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Upon completion of radio school he was assigned to USS LST-391. Shuttling supplies between Oran and Tunisia, he survived extensive bombings which haunted him for some time after the war. At Sicily, with Army Air Forces paratroopers caught in friendly fire, Hinckley frantically relayed a ceasefire message to an unsympathetic captain who was more concerned with the Stukas overhead. After taking Palermo, Hinckley was sitting at a dinner table when German soldiers arrived, asking to surrender. In Salerno, his LST took badly burned men onboard, and at Naples he was strafed. His LST was then fitted with rails to enable delivery of boxcars to France. Hinckley’s LST brought Patton’s jeep to Normandy. After Hinckley’s LST was sunk three times in Cherbourg, he was reassigned to the Pacific, finishing the war on LST-112. After his discharge in January 1946, he embarked on a career in the Air Force, ultimately becoming chief of flight medicine at Dyess Air Force Base.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Bob Hurmence. Hurmence joined the Navy in May of 1944. Beginning March of 1945, he served as a Radio Operator aboard the USS Iowa (BB-61). They participated in the Battle of Okinawa, and served with occupation forces in Japan after the war. Hurmence returned to the US and was discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Clarence Kendall. Upon graduating from the University of Missouri in 1942, Kendall enrolled in Naval Reserve Midshipmen’s School at Notre Dame. His first assignment was on the USS Stack (DD-406) as an assistant gunnery officer. He recounts dramatic details of the Battle of Vella Gulf and feels that his success in combat was due to his diligent studies and mastery of technology such as radar. Kendall transferred to the USS Essex (CV-9) as a battery officer, participating in invasions from the Marshall Islands through Okinawa, where a kamikaze flew 20 feet above Kendall’s head before hitting a gun and exploding. Following the war, Kendall transferred to the new USS Juneau (CL-119) and spent 90 days aboard, during which time he wrote the fire control doctrine for the ship. Much to his captain’s chagrin, as Kendall was a valuable asset to the ship, he was discharged thereafter and went on to attend law school.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Henry Frank Vojtek. Vojtek joined the Navy in September of 1942. Beginning in April of 1943, he served as a Helmsman aboard the USS Murray (DD-576). They participated in the invasions of Bougainville, Tarawa, Aitape, New Guinea, Saipan, the Philippines and Okinawa. He was discharged in January of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Melvin Troutman. Troutman provides some details of his family???s experiences through the Great Depression. Troutman joined the Navy in June of 1943. He provides some details of his training. He served as a Seaman aboard LCT-943. Troutman vividly describes the LCT, its weaponry and crew members. In January of 1944 they traveled to Brisbane, Australia. From there they traveled to New Guinea, making more than 10 landings. Troutman???s job was to operate the ramp during each landing. In the fall of 1944 they participated in the invasions of Leyte in the Philippines. Troutman received 3 Battle Stars, one for Asia Pacific and two for Philippine Liberation. He was discharged in March of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with James Norwood. Norwood joined the Marine Corps in June of 1943. He provides details of his training including Biddle-style bayonet training. He joined Company B, 4th Amphibious Tractor Battalion (Landing Vehicle Tracked), 4th Marine Division. He traveled to the Marshall Islands in January of 1944. Norwood provides some details of the LVT. He participated in the first wave in the Battle of Kwajalein. They traveled to Guadalcanal in May of 1944 for training. In July they were the first wave of amphibious tractors on Guam, fighting side-by-side amphibious tanks. He speaks on the differences between the tractors and tanks, and the casualties that he witnessed during this wave. From there they were the eighth wave into Iwo Jima. Norwood received three Battle Stars. He was discharged in December of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Creed Coffee. Coffee was in the Army ROTC at Texas Technological College, now Texas Tech in Lubbock, in 1941 and 1942. He was in the Corps of Engineers. He was on active duty beginning June of 1943. He completed Officers Candidate School in June of 1944 and commissioned a second lieutenant. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1327th Engineer General Service Regiment. Coffee served as a platoon leader and worked on a 200-mile section of the Ledo Road, connecting Ledo to Myitkyina in Burma. He was discharged in May of 1946. In November of 1950 he was recalled for the Korean War and served as a captain in the 183rd Engineer Combat Battalion.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Leon Shook. Shook joined the Navy in July of 1942. That fall he began his service aboard the USS Colorado (BB-45) as a machinist, a loader on 1.1-inch guns and worked with the ammunition supply. In November of 1943 they participated in the Battle of Tarawa. In July of 1944 they participated in the Battle of Tinian, where they were hit by twenty-two 7.7-inch shells, killing 42 men and wounding 365. In the fall of 1944 they participated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, where they were struck by 2 kamikaze suicide bombers, killing 19 men. In January of 1945 they participated in the pre-invasion of Lingayen Gulf. The Colorado was struck by accidental fire from the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38), killing 69 men. Shook received 9 Battle Stars. He provides details of the various battles he participated in. He was discharged in October of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Leslie Collins. Collins joined the Army in 1942. He completed eight weeks of infantry training and then traveled to Australia and New Guinea with the 41st Division and participated in eleven beach landings. While overseas he volunteered to serve as a combat medic, though having had little training. He provides some details of combat in the jungles of New Guinea, the natives and the materials he used as a medic on the island. Collins was one of 33 in his medical outfit, and only 2 were not killed or wounded. They made a landing on Hollandia, where Collins describes the Japanese bombing their outfit. He also served in the Philippines until August of 1945. He was discharged in January of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Herbert Hinckley. Hinckley joined the Navy after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Upon completion of radio school he was assigned to USS LST-391. Shuttling supplies between Oran and Tunisia, he survived extensive bombings which haunted him for some time after the war. At Sicily, with Army Air Forces paratroopers caught in friendly fire, Hinckley frantically relayed a ceasefire message to an unsympathetic captain who was more concerned with the Stukas overhead. After taking Palermo, Hinckley was sitting at a dinner table when German soldiers arrived, asking to surrender. In Salerno, his LST took badly burned men onboard, and at Naples he was strafed. His LST was then fitted with rails to enable delivery of boxcars to France. Hinckley’s LST brought Patton’s jeep to Normandy. After Hinckley’s LST was sunk three times in Cherbourg, he was reassigned to the Pacific, finishing the war on LST-112. After his discharge in January 1946, he embarked on a career in the Air Force, ultimately becoming chief of flight medicine at Dyess Air Force Base.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Bob Hurmence. Hurmence joined the Navy in May of 1944. Beginning March of 1945, he served as a Radio Operator aboard the USS Iowa (BB-61). They participated in the Battle of Okinawa, and served with occupation forces in Japan after the war. Hurmence returned to the US and was discharged in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Clarence Kendall. Upon graduating from the University of Missouri in 1942, Kendall enrolled in Naval Reserve Midshipmen’s School at Notre Dame. His first assignment was on the USS Stack (DD-406) as an assistant gunnery officer. He recounts dramatic details of the Battle of Vella Gulf and feels that his success in combat was due to his diligent studies and mastery of technology such as radar. Kendall transferred to the USS Essex (CV-9) as a battery officer, participating in invasions from the Marshall Islands through Okinawa, where a kamikaze flew 20 feet above Kendall’s head before hitting a gun and exploding. Following the war, Kendall transferred to the new USS Juneau (CL-119) and spent 90 days aboard, during which time he wrote the fire control doctrine for the ship. Much to his captain’s chagrin, as Kendall was a valuable asset to the ship, he was discharged thereafter and went on to attend law school.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Henry Frank Vojtek. Vojtek joined the Navy in September of 1942. Beginning in April of 1943, he served as a Helmsman aboard the USS Murray (DD-576). They participated in the invasions of Bougainville, Tarawa, Aitape, New Guinea, Saipan, the Philippines and Okinawa. He was discharged in January of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Allan Golden. Golden joined the Navy in 1942 and after three weeks of boot training at San Diego, he boarded a ship bound for Noumea, New Caledonia. Upon his arrival he was assigned to the base post office. He was then sent to Fiji to serve as a LCVP driver. He participated in the invasion of Bougainville and describes the procedure of landing troops on the beaches. He returned to the United States in 1944 and was assigned as captain on a tug boat. One of the jobs assigned to his tug was towing targets for F4U fighters to practice strafing.