The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Jack M. Lyons. He discusses his childhood and growing up during the Great Depression and what led him to join the Us Naval Aviation program. He describes his experiences in flight school, basic training and fighting in the Pacific Theatre during World War Two.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Marvin Lee Dunlap. He discusses his family and childhood growing up during the Great Depression and what led him to join the US Navy. He describes his experiences in bootcamp and fighting in the Pacific Theatre on the USS Duluth during World War Two.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles H. Tucker from Orange, California. He discusses volunteering for the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943 and going to basic training in Miami Beach, Florida, then going to Aircraft Armament School in Buckley Field, Colorado, and finally air gunnery school in Fort Myers, Florida. In air gunnery school, Mr. Tucker learned to shoot in B-17 by shooting into the Gulf of Mexico. After gunnery school he was sent to the B-25 crew training at Columbia, South Carolina for 5 months. After Mr. Tucker completed his training, he was transferred to Dacca to a B-25 base and joined the 10th Air Force, the 12th Bomb Group. When he arrived his crew pilots were reassigned, and Mr. Tucker was not able to fly much until he was assigned to a regular crew again. Mr. Tucker was put in the 729th bomb squadron tasked with supporting the British 14th Army against the Japanese forces in Burma. The campaign he was involved in ended in May 1945 with the capture of Rangoon, the main city of Burma and Mr. tucker was in one of the squadron planes that flew over the …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Michael W. Deery. He discusses his family, growing up during the Great Depression and what led him to join the US Navy. He describes his experiences during bootcamp and in the Pacific Theatre during World War Two.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Karel Dahmen. Dahmen was born in the Netherlands and witnessed the bombing of Rotterdam in May 1940. He recalls the chaos of fires burning and people being shot. With two friends he quickly manned a vacant boat and carried 45 Jews across the North Sea to England, using only a compass and school atlas for navigation. He joined the Dutch Navy in February 1941 and was assigned to HNLMS Jacob van Heemskerck as a radar operator. He went in convoy to Iceland to dismantle a German weather station. Dahmen recalls picking up Germans who were eager to turn themselves in and become prisoners-of-war. At the end of the year he attended officer school and became an engineer officer. He was then assigned to the Dutch Naval Liaison office in England, where he received messages and delivered news of the attack on Pearl Harbor to the Dutch prime minister. After the war he was sent for training at Camp Lejeune and Camp Endicott to work with Marines and Seabees in preparation for deployment to Indonesia. With the Dutch Marine Corps, he facilitated Indonesia’s transition to independence. Dahmen was reunited …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Jack M. Lyons. He discusses his childhood and growing up during the Great Depression and what led him to join the Us Naval Aviation program. He describes his experiences in flight school, basic training and fighting in the Pacific Theatre during World War Two.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Marvin Lee Dunlap. He discusses his family and childhood growing up during the Great Depression and what led him to join the US Navy. He describes his experiences in bootcamp and fighting in the Pacific Theatre on the USS Duluth during World War Two.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles H. Tucker from Orange, California. He discusses volunteering for the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943 and going to basic training in Miami Beach, Florida, then going to Aircraft Armament School in Buckley Field, Colorado, and finally air gunnery school in Fort Myers, Florida. In air gunnery school, Mr. Tucker learned to shoot in B-17 by shooting into the Gulf of Mexico. After gunnery school he was sent to the B-25 crew training at Columbia, South Carolina for 5 months. After Mr. Tucker completed his training, he was transferred to Dacca to a B-25 base and joined the 10th Air Force, the 12th Bomb Group. When he arrived his crew pilots were reassigned, and Mr. Tucker was not able to fly much until he was assigned to a regular crew again. Mr. Tucker was put in the 729th bomb squadron tasked with supporting the British 14th Army against the Japanese forces in Burma. The campaign he was involved in ended in May 1945 with the capture of Rangoon, the main city of Burma and Mr. tucker was in one of the squadron planes that flew over the …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Michael W. Deery. He discusses his family, growing up during the Great Depression and what led him to join the US Navy. He describes his experiences during bootcamp and in the Pacific Theatre during World War Two.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Maynard Saugstad. Saugstad joined the Navy in July of 1943. He served as Storekeeper 2nd Class, and worked on bases including Pearl Harbor, Palmyra Island and Maui, where he was working when the war ended. Saugstad was in charge of several warehouses, where he distributed supplies. He was discharged in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with David Laughery. Laughery joined the Navy in June of 1943. He served as Seaman 2nd Class aboard the USS Harrison (DD-573), assisting the 20mm gunner and working in the fireroom as a Water Tender 1st Class. They survived 11 encounters with Japanese defenses at Bougainville, Tarawa, New Guinea, Kwajalein, Guam, the Philippines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Laughery was discharged in April of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Murry Storey. Storey joined the Navy in 1939. He served with the deck crew aboard USS Salt Lake City (CA-25). They were with USS Enterprise (CV-6) task group west of Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. They docked in Pearl Harbor on 8 December, and Storey describes the overturned ships and casualties that he witnessed in the harbor. He discusses their involvement in the Doolittle Raid. Storey does not go into great detail about specific places he traveled or battles he fought in aboard Salt Lake City. He provides general details of his experiences serving. He returned to the US after the war ended and received his discharge in late 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Harry W. Borst. Borst joined the Navy on 31 December 1942. Beginning May of 1943, he served as a signalman aboard USS Caperton (DD-650). Beginning in January of 1944, they participated in the Battle of Kwajalein, the invasions of Emirau Island and Hollandia, the battles of the Philippine Sea and Leyte Gulf. They assisted with picket duty off Okinawa through June of 1945. He shares experiences of kamikaze planes attacking ships. After the war ended, he continued service on occupation duty in Tokyo. Borst returned to the US and received his discharge in February 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Couch. Couch joined the Army Air Corps in 1939. He served in the armament section as an aircraft mechanic. Once the war began, he worked as the Chief Armorer of the armament section of the 73rd Bombardment Squadron until 1943. He traveled to New Guinea, Morotai Island and to Clark Field in the Philippines, where he was stationed when the war ended. He continued his service after the war ended, retiring in 1960 as a Master Sergeant, E-7.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ben Schurmeier. Schurmeier joined the Navy in early 1942. He served as a B-24 pilot with Photographic Squadron 1 (VD-1). Beginning in the spring of 1944 they traveled to their base at the Naval Air Station on Guam. They completed patrol and photo reconnaissance missions around the Pacific Islands, including Truk, Okinawa, Iwo Jima and Japan. Finley was discharged around October of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Frank Chalke. Chalke joined the Navy in June of 1944. Beginning in March of 1945, he was assigned as Radioman 3rd Class aboard the landing craft repair ship USS Pandemus (ARL-18). They traveled to Okinawa, Guam, Saipan, Philippine Islands and China servicing landing and small craft. They encountered kamikaze planes and a typhoon during their travels. They returned to the US in December of 1945. Chalke was discharged in May of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Emmett Prothero. Prothero joined the Citizen Military Training Camp in 1937 for basic flight training, and received his commission into the Army Air Corps in April of 1941. He graduated from Brooks Field with his pilot’s license as second lieutenant. Prothero joined the 2nd Bomb Group, and served as a test pilot, flying B-18s, B-23s, B-26s B-29s and LB-30s. He flew missions throughout the US, over the Atlantic, Australia, India, Panama, the Philippines and Kobe, Japan. He was discharged in June of 1946. He then served with the Naval Reserves until 1962.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Schurmeier. Schurmeier joined the Navy in September of 1944. He completed ordnance training and was stationed at the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi. He served as a gunner aboard PBMs and PBYs, conducting weekly submarine patrols between Corpus and Guantanamo Bay. In late 1945 he was transferred to Camp Shoemaker, California, working in a separation center discharging people out of the Navy. Shurmeier was discharged in August of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Thomas Vaucher. Vaucher joined Citizens Military Training Camp (CMTC) in 1935. In 1939 he earned his civilian pilot license, and enlisted that same year in the Army Air Corps. Vaucher was commissioned as an officer with a pilot rating in April of 1941. On 16 December, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he piloted his first combat patrol mission from Westover Field, Massachusetts in a B-18, searching for German ships and submarines off the east coast. During 46 months of active service, Lieutenant Colonel Vaucher flew nearly 40 different aircraft types for a total of 117 combat patrol, bombing, mining and photography missions in Panama, Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru, Galapagos, India, China and Tinian. Vaucher was discharged from active duty in June of 1946 and remained in the reserves until 1962.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Milton Lackowitz. Lackowitz joined the Navy in mid-1943. He completed Aviation Radioman’s School, and served as a TBF Avenger Radioman/Gunner aboard the USS Santee (CVE-29). He later served as a Gunner’s Mate in the Fire Control Division. They participated in the New Guinea Campaign, the Philippines Campaign, the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Okinawa. Lackowitz returned to the US after the war ended.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Edward Hasty. Hasty joined the Navy in November of 1943. He completed Firefighting School, and served aboard the USS Antietam (CV-36) beginning January of 1945. They conducted training in the Hawaiian Islands through mid-August, then served with occupation forces in Tokyo, Japan. Hasty returned to the US and received his discharge in early 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Marion Peck. Peck entered the Navy WAVES in January 1943. She went to Hunter College in the Bronx, New York for training. She describes in detail what she learned in training and her uniform. She then moved on to Boston to Burdett College for additional training. She served in naval supplies and accounts. Her permanent work station was at the U.S. Naval Reserve Midshipman School at Notre Dame University in Indiana. She was also assigned to the Navy Pier in Chicago to work at the U.S. Naval Expo. She then moved on to the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christ, Texas in 1945. Her rank was DK2C Disbursing Clerk Second Class. She was discharged February 1946. She used her G.I. Bill to attend St. Mary’s College at Notre Dame. She worked as a flight attendant and at Green Giant and as a housewife. She enjoys playing Taps at her local military burials as a member of the American Legion.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Alvino Mendoza. Mendoza was born in Round Rock, Texas on 1 March 1926, and briefly tells of his life before entering the US Navy. After completing boot training at Camp Wallace, Texas he was assigned as a seaman aboard USS St. George (AV-16). His battle station was loader on an anti-aircraft gun. Mendoza describes his experiences during the Battle of Okinawa in which the St. George, as well as USS Curtiss (AV-4), were hit by kamikazes. He tells of being in several typhoons and describes an incident in which he fell into the sea. He served in the occupation of Japan. Mendoza returned to the US and received his discharge in February of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Leon Stath. Stath joined the Navy and volunteered for submarine duty in 1944. After finishing sound school and torpedo school, he was sent to the Pacific and assigned aboard the submarine tender USS Howard W Gilmore (AS-16) at Subic Bay. He also served on submarine skeleton crews ferrying subs as well as aboard USS Requin (SS-481) when Slade Cutter commanded. When the war ended, Stath took his discharge in late 1945.