The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Reas. Reas grew up in Indiana and Ohio and enlisted in the Navy in 1938. After training, he boarded the USS Houston (CA-30) at Charleston, South Carolina. He was assigned to the aviation unit. On February 28, 1942, he survived the bombing and sinking of the ship. He and other survivors in life rafts were picked up by the Japanese the next day and taken to Java as a prisoner of war. He was taken to a ship and then back to an island, where he met survivors of the Australian ship HMAS Perth (D29). They were moved from Serang to Batavia. He was told to record the POW's occupations and those idenitified as skilled were sent to Japan. Inspired by this, he kept a detailed and complete list of the survivors that he kept hidden. From Java, the survivors are put on a cargo ship to Singapore. Then they went to Pynang by train. He then boarded another ship to Burma. Allied forces bombed a ship next to Reas. He describes living in bamboo huts while building the railroad. During one of the routine abuses in …

Postcard sent from William H. Bonn and Effie M. Bonn, Westwood New Jersey, to Cecelia McKie, Sacramento, California, thanking her for the message and stating that they have received 34 other messages. They state that Edward and Marion (Marian) are missionaries in Manila.

Letter sent from Basil B. Brooks, Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, to Cecelia McKie thanking her for the message from his brother. Envelope addressed to Mrs. W. L. McKie, Sacramento, California. Envelope postmarked from Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. Reverse side of envelope has been removed by creator.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Trenton Fowler. Fowler grew up in Corpus Christi and enlisted into the Marine Corps in 1943. Once he finished training, he was assigned to the 4th Marine Raider Battalion and shipped out on the French transport ship Rochambeau to New Caledonia. From there he went to Guadalcanal for training and then to the Emirau, Guam, and Okinawa campaigns, with stops at Guadalcanal in between each campaign. Fowler discusses the pros and cons of the Browning Automatic Rifle versus the M-1 Garand. He tells of the change of his unit's name from the 4th Battalion Raiders to the 6th Marine Division, before he went to Okinawa. He relates the experience of finding out his brother, a fellow Marine, had died at Iwo Jima.

Photograph of Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz standing with Captain Robert T. S. Keith aboard the U.S.S. Missouri. On the left Flt. Adm. Nimitz is wearing a dark Navy uniform with a white undershirt, a tie, a brimmed hat with the Navy's emblem, and four stripes with a band and single star on the sleeves. He is holding a pair of gloves in front of him. Capt. Keith stands on the right in a dark Navy uniform with a white undershirt, a tie, six buttons on the front, ribbon bars above his pocket, a brimmed hat with the Navy's emblem, three stripes and a star on his sleeves. Both of his arms are hanging by his side, and he grips a dark pair of gloves in one hand. In front of them are some chain dividers, and behind them two cranes can be seen in the port.

Letter sent from Harriett Coggeshall to Cecelia McKie thanking her for the message from her son and stating that's it's been nearly two years since she heard from him. Envelope addressed to Mrs. William L. McKie, Sacramento, California from Mrs. C. J. Coggeshall, Hollywood, California. Envelope is postmarked Los Angeles, California.