The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Raymond Swingholm. Swingholm joined the Army Air Forces in early 1942. Beginning in March of 1944, he served as a top turret gunner and flight engineer aboard a B-25 with the 12th Air Force. Swingholm completed 64 bombing missions, over Northern Italy, Belgium and France.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Henry Zapalac. Zapalac joined the Navy in February 1941 and received basic training in San Diego. Upon completion, he was assigned to the Alameda Naval Air Station for ordnance training. While there, he serviced PBYs that were used in flight training. His first assignment in the Pacific was loading ammunition onto an island near Tarawa. He suffered a bout of malaria while there. At Saipan he flew patrols, dropping rafts and supplies to stranded troops. He stayed on Saipan several years, doing odd jobs until he was transferred to Corpus Christi, where he ran the movie projector. Zapalac was discharged in 1947 and became an appliance repairman.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert L. Cook, speaking for his deceased brother Frank E. Cook. Cook served with the National Guard. He was assigned to Panama working as a patrol boat guard. In early 1943, Cook served as Executive Officer aboard PT-170 in Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 10. While traveling from Panama to Noumea, on 3 August 1943, Frank and his crew were caught in a crossfire with the Japanese and Frank died 5 August.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Henry L. Knauber. Knauber joined the Army in January 1942. He completed basic training and Motor Maintenance School in Georgia. He served as a truck driver and mechanic in a service company in the 1st Infantry Division. In August, they went to England. Through May of 1943, they participated in combat through North Africa. In July, the division took part in the Allied invasion of Sicily. Beginning 6 June 1944, they participated in the Battle of Normandy. They continued on through France, Luxembourg, Belgium and into Germany by October, and participated in the Battle of the Bulge through January of 1945. Knauber and his division were in Czechoslovakia when the war ended in May. He returned home and received his discharge on 13 September 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Prevninger. Prevninger was drafted into the Army in June of 1944. He was trained as a tanker and eventually became a gunner on a Stuart tank and was later transferred to a Sherman tank. Prevninger describes crossing the Rhine and advancing across Germany. He discusses how they handled German prisoners at the end of the war. Prevninger served in the occupation and was eventually discharged.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Merle Volding. Volding was born 19 December 1923. He joined the US Army Signal Corps around late 1941. He completed extensive training as a radar technician at the School of Engineering at the University of Iowa. He then completed further engineering and cryptography training through the Army’s Specialized Training Program (ASTP). Around late 1944 through the end of the war, he worked in the SOPAC message center on New Caledonia. He shares details of life on the island. He returned to the US and received his discharge in February of 1946.

The National Museumn of the Pacific War presents an interview with Claribel Hannemann. Hannemann was born in Frederickaburg Texas in 1928. She discusses growing up during the Depression and being a teenager during the war and how the war affected her family.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Arnold Peters. Peters joined the Navy in 1944. He served in the commissary department as a butcher at a Naval Air Base in San Diego. His wife worked as a cook for a children’s nursery at an aircraft factory. He ranked Petty Officer, Third Class, and received his discharge in early 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Lewis Burke. Burke enlisted in the aviation cadet corps and was called up in January 1943. Burke primarily reads a testimony that details his experiences in the Army Air Forces. He also reads details about the combat missions he flew over Europe with the 398th Bomb Group, 603rd Bomb Squadron between November 1944 and April 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Raymond Carden. Carden was born in Oklahoma 15 September 1922. Upon graduating from high school in 1942 he joined the Navy. He was sent to boot camp in San Diego for six weeks before attending diesel engine school in Los Angeles for eight weeks. Upon graduating as a motor machinist mate he was assigned to the engine room aboard the USS Apache (AFT-67). He tells of participating in several invasions, including Guam, in which they assisted LSTs in withdrawing from the beaches. He tells of being attacked by Japanese planes during the invasion of Lingayen Gulf. The crew shot down three enemy planes. The ship returned to the United States prior to the surrender of Japan and Carden was discharged in September 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Eugene N. Fithian. Born in 1925, he joined the Navy in 1943. He describes basic training and living conditions in Great Lakes, Illinois. Following basic training, he was assigned to the Navy Overflow Annex from Treasure Island where he worked in the fleet post office becoming a Mailman, Third Class. He was then assigned to the destroyer, USS Farenholt (DD-491). On the Farenholt, he became a cook and was assigned as a leader on a 20mm and later a 40mm anti-aircraft gun. He shares an anecdote about becoming seasick within two hours after sailing out from San Francisco. He describes screening operations for the landings on Kwajalein and Guam and carrier fleet operations in the Philippine Island area and Peleliu. He comments on the kamikazes, rescuing downed pilots and survivors of damaged or sunken ships, bombarding shore targets and carrier operations in the Sakishima Gunto. He shares a story of taking pictures of the Japanese generals on Okinawa on their way to the peace talks in Manila. After arriving in South Carolina, he was transferred to the USS Caperton (DD-650) prior to its decommissioning. He was discharged from …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Brown. Brown was drafted into the Marines in March of 1944 and served in the 2nd Marine Division. He traveled to Eniwetok and Okinawa. In Okinawa his job was to help service the planes. They also traveled to the Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan. He was discharged in March of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Raymond Swingholm. Swingholm joined the Army Air Forces in early 1942. Beginning in March of 1944, he served as a top turret gunner and flight engineer aboard a B-25 with the 12th Air Force. Swingholm completed 64 bombing missions, over Northern Italy, Belgium and France.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Henry Zapalac. Zapalac joined the Navy in February 1941 and received basic training in San Diego. Upon completion, he was assigned to the Alameda Naval Air Station for ordnance training. While there, he serviced PBYs that were used in flight training. His first assignment in the Pacific was loading ammunition onto an island near Tarawa. He suffered a bout of malaria while there. At Saipan he flew patrols, dropping rafts and supplies to stranded troops. He stayed on Saipan several years, doing odd jobs until he was transferred to Corpus Christi, where he ran the movie projector. Zapalac was discharged in 1947 and became an appliance repairman.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert L. Cook, speaking for his deceased brother Frank E. Cook. Cook served with the National Guard. He was assigned to Panama working as a patrol boat guard. In early 1943, Cook served as Executive Officer aboard PT-170 in Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 10. While traveling from Panama to Noumea, on 3 August 1943, Frank and his crew were caught in a crossfire with the Japanese and Frank died 5 August.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Henry L. Knauber. Knauber joined the Army in January 1942. He completed basic training and Motor Maintenance School in Georgia. He served as a truck driver and mechanic in a service company in the 1st Infantry Division. In August, they went to England. Through May of 1943, they participated in combat through North Africa. In July, the division took part in the Allied invasion of Sicily. Beginning 6 June 1944, they participated in the Battle of Normandy. They continued on through France, Luxembourg, Belgium and into Germany by October, and participated in the Battle of the Bulge through January of 1945. Knauber and his division were in Czechoslovakia when the war ended in May. He returned home and received his discharge on 13 September 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Prevninger. Prevninger was drafted into the Army in June of 1944. He was trained as a tanker and eventually became a gunner on a Stuart tank and was later transferred to a Sherman tank. Prevninger describes crossing the Rhine and advancing across Germany. He discusses how they handled German prisoners at the end of the war. Prevninger served in the occupation and was eventually discharged.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Merle Volding. Volding was born 19 December 1923. He joined the US Army Signal Corps around late 1941. He completed extensive training as a radar technician at the School of Engineering at the University of Iowa. He then completed further engineering and cryptography training through the Army’s Specialized Training Program (ASTP). Around late 1944 through the end of the war, he worked in the SOPAC message center on New Caledonia. He shares details of life on the island. He returned to the US and received his discharge in February of 1946.

The National Museumn of the Pacific War presents an interview with Claribel Hannemann. Hannemann was born in Frederickaburg Texas in 1928. She discusses growing up during the Depression and being a teenager during the war and how the war affected her family.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Arnold Peters. Peters joined the Navy in 1944. He served in the commissary department as a butcher at a Naval Air Base in San Diego. His wife worked as a cook for a children’s nursery at an aircraft factory. He ranked Petty Officer, Third Class, and received his discharge in early 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Lewis Burke. Burke enlisted in the aviation cadet corps and was called up in January 1943. Burke primarily reads a testimony that details his experiences in the Army Air Forces. He also reads details about the combat missions he flew over Europe with the 398th Bomb Group, 603rd Bomb Squadron between November 1944 and April 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Raymond Carden. Carden was born in Oklahoma 15 September 1922. Upon graduating from high school in 1942 he joined the Navy. He was sent to boot camp in San Diego for six weeks before attending diesel engine school in Los Angeles for eight weeks. Upon graduating as a motor machinist mate he was assigned to the engine room aboard the USS Apache (AFT-67). He tells of participating in several invasions, including Guam, in which they assisted LSTs in withdrawing from the beaches. He tells of being attacked by Japanese planes during the invasion of Lingayen Gulf. The crew shot down three enemy planes. The ship returned to the United States prior to the surrender of Japan and Carden was discharged in September 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Eugene N. Fithian. Born in 1925, he joined the Navy in 1943. He describes basic training and living conditions in Great Lakes, Illinois. Following basic training, he was assigned to the Navy Overflow Annex from Treasure Island where he worked in the fleet post office becoming a Mailman, Third Class. He was then assigned to the destroyer, USS Farenholt (DD-491). On the Farenholt, he became a cook and was assigned as a leader on a 20mm and later a 40mm anti-aircraft gun. He shares an anecdote about becoming seasick within two hours after sailing out from San Francisco. He describes screening operations for the landings on Kwajalein and Guam and carrier fleet operations in the Philippine Island area and Peleliu. He comments on the kamikazes, rescuing downed pilots and survivors of damaged or sunken ships, bombarding shore targets and carrier operations in the Sakishima Gunto. He shares a story of taking pictures of the Japanese generals on Okinawa on their way to the peace talks in Manila. After arriving in South Carolina, he was transferred to the USS Caperton (DD-650) prior to its decommissioning. He was discharged from …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Brown. Brown was drafted into the Marines in March of 1944 and served in the 2nd Marine Division. He traveled to Eniwetok and Okinawa. In Okinawa his job was to help service the planes. They also traveled to the Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan. He was discharged in March of 1946.