National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection - 88 Matching Results

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Oral History Interview with Abe Santos, February 24, 2001

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Abe Santos. Santos joined the Navy in November of 1939. He served as a Fireman aboard the USS Astoria (CA-34). They participated in the battles of the Coral Sea, Midway and Savo Island, where the ship was sunk. He traveled back to Pearl Harbor aboard the USS Wharton (AP-7). Santos was placed on tugboat duty for six months, then transferred to Johnston Island as a Second-Class Machinist’s Mate. He assisted with airstrip constructi… more
Date: February 24, 2001
Creator: Santos, Abe
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Annie (Amy) May Webb, March 24, 2001

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Annie May Webb. She discusses her husband's service and her experiences on the homefront. She describes delivering word of the birth of their daughter to her husband while he was aboard the USS Bennington serving with VMF-112
Date: March 24, 2001
Creator: Webb, Annie (Amy) May
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Arnold Peters, February 24, 2013

Description: 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.
Date: February 24, 2013
Creator: Peters, Arnold
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Arthur O. Spaulding, February 24, 2012

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Arthur O. Spaulding. Spaulding grew up on his father's lemon farm in California and finished high school in 1943. He then enrolled in the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, but enlisted in the Army after a few months. Eventually, Spaulding served in Europe and recalls coming home after Germany surrendered.
Date: February 24, 2012
Creator: Spaulding, Arthur O.
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Bill Dean, June 24, 2015

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Bill Dean. Dean joined the Army in September of 1944. He served with the 283rd Combat Engineers and was assigned to Lauf, Germany. He assisted in building a pontoon bridge across the Rhine River. After the war ended, Dean served on guard duty atop the bridge. He was later trained on purifying water for the troops. He returned to the US and was discharged in August of 1946.
Date: June 24, 2015
Creator: Dean, Bill
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Billy Dennard, October 24, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Billy Dennard. Dennard was drafted into the Navy in September, 1944 and trained at San Diego before reporting aboard the USS Franklin (CV-13). He was aboard when a Japanese plane attacked the ship 50 miles off the coast of Japan in March, 1945. Dennard was rescued from below decks and stayed aboard the ship all the way back to New York. Dennard was discharged in June, 1946.
Date: October 24, 2014
Creator: Dennard, Billy
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with C. A. Wilkinson, September 24, 1999

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with C A Wilkinson. Wilkinson joined the Naval Reserve in July of 1941. He served as a Storekeeper 3rd Class aboard the USS Tangier (AV-8) beginning September of 1941. He describes in detail life aboard the Tangier, the men he worked alongside, their trip to Pearl Harbor and events leading up to the attack on December 7. He describes some of the events that took place on the Tangier when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Wilkinson details so… more
Date: September 24, 1999
Creator: Wilkinson, C. A.
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Carl Amundson, October 24, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Carl Amundson. Amundson joined the Navy in September 1942 and received basic training at Great Lakes. Upon completion, he was assigned to an APD at Pearl Harbor that transported Marines throughout the South Pacific. He returned to the States and became a plank holder aboard the USS Gambier Bay (CVE-73). After abandoning ship at the Battle of Samar, he survived 40 hours in the water despite not knowing how to swim. Amundson r… more
Date: October 24, 2007
Creator: Amundson, Carl
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Carroll Layton, May 24, 2010

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Carroll Layton. Layton joined the Navy in May of 1944. He completed Electrician School and PT boat training. In April of 1945 he traveled to PT Base 17 in Samar, Philippines and later to Mindoro. He worked out of an electrician shack, serving as a motor mechanic on boat engines, and gunner when needed. He was later switched over from PT boats to a Landing Craft Tank vessel. He was discharged around late 1945 and served in the Nav… more
Date: May 24, 2010
Creator: Layton, Carroll
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Caryl Pingrey, October 24, 2012

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Caryl Pingrey. Pingrey joined the Navy around 1942. He served as a pilot aboard the carriers USS Franklin (CV-13), USS Oriskany (CV-34) and the USS Midway (CV-41). He completed missions over Palau, Guam, and the Philippines. Pingrey continued his service after the war ended, completing 28 years in the Navy.
Date: October 24, 2012
Creator: Pingrey, Caryl
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with CF Bednorz, May 24, 2007

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with C F Bednorz. Bednorz worked for Douglas Aircraft in mid-1941 assembling C-47s. He joined the Aviation Cadet Program and provides some details of his flight training and the planes he flew, including the BT-13, B-17, B-24 and UC-78. He completed training in May of 1944. Bednorz was assigned to the 7th Air Force, 11th Bomb Group, 42nd Bomb Squadron and served as a B-24 pilot. In January of 1945 he traveled to Harmon Field in Guam, … more
Date: May 24, 2007
Creator: Bednorz, C. F.
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Charles Borchers, October 24, 2000

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles Borchers. Borchers joined the Army in September 1944 and received training at Camp Hood and Fort Ord. His first combat duty was in the Luzon campaign, where he was stationed in the mountains north of Manila. There he was assigned to the 112th Cavalry Regiment. His platoon devised an alarm system out of barbed wire and tin cans to alert them to Japanese infiltration. They fired 15,000 rounds when a water buffalo stumb… more
Date: October 24, 2000
Creator: Borchers, Charles
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Charles Boswell, January 24, 2017

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Charles Boswell. Boswell joined the Navy in January of 1941. He served aboard the USS Tennessee (BB-43) and the USS Waller (DD-466) as Water Tender 1st Class. Boswell provides a description of the ships and life aboard. He was aboard the Tennessee in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and provides details of that day and their ship getting hit by the Japanese. He transferred to the USS Waller (DD-466) in September of 1942. They tra… more
Date: January 24, 2017
Creator: Boswell, Charles
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Charles Johnson, January 24, 2020

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Charles Johnson. Johnson joined the Navy as soon as he finished high school in 1943. After training at Farragut, he was assigned to USS Colorado (BB-45). He boarded the Colorado in time for the Marshall Islands campaign and was still aboard for the Mariana Islands campaign. He was aboard when Colorado got hit by shore batteries off Tinian and kamikazes off Leyte. His duty station was in a bloier room or a powder room so he was we… more
Date: January 24, 2020
Creator: Johnson, Charles
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Charles Odell Sears, May 24, 2012

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles Odell Sears. Sears was drafted into the Army in 1943, a year after finishing high school. He trained at Fort Lewis, Washington. He shares a few humorous anecdotes about basic training. He was attached to the 739th Tank Battalion and learned how to drive the M-4 A-1, the Sherman. He speaks of training in Oregon, Washington, at Bouse, Arizona and at Fort Knox, Kentucky before being shipped overseas to England in August… more
Date: May 24, 2012
Creator: Sears, Charles Odell
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Charles Slaten, February 24, 2011

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles Slaten. Slaten joined the Navy at the age of 16 in August 1942. He traveled to New Caledonia as a replacement and joined the crew of the USS Neches (AO-47) in the deck department. Slaten describes standing lookout in the crow’s nest in the Aleutian Islands and the ship running aground in Cold Harbor. He also goes into detail on refueling operations including an incident where a carrier broke away due to a submarine t… more
Date: February 24, 2011
Creator: Slaten, Charles
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Charles Walter Bernhardt, July 24, 2004

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles Walter Bernhardt discussing where he grew up and stories from his childhood. He shares some of his experiences being stationed in Hawaii and fighting in the Pacific Theatre during World War Two, as well as some of the experiences of his friends and people he's met.
Date: July 24, 2004
Creator: Bernhardt, Charles Walter; Tombaug, John & Meter, Peg Van
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Clifford Fritz, August 24, 2017

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Clifford, Fritz. Fritz joined the Navy in August 1945 and trained at Samson, New York. After training, he was shipped to Hawaii and became a motor machinist and was assigned to the USS Buttress (AGC-4). Fritz suffered from seasickness. He stayed in the Navy for one year, being discharged in August, 1946.
Date: August 24, 2017
Creator: Fritz, Clifford
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Dan Daube, January 24, 2012

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Dan Daube. Daube joined the Navy in December 1942 was trained as an aviation radioman. He did so well in gunnery training that he briefly served as an instructor. He was then assigned to VPB-101 as a radioman and waist gunner. His plane was equipped with an airborne early warning and control system, and his crew flew test patrols along the Atlantic Coast until the war ended. Daube returned home and was discharged in 1946. He… more
Date: January 24, 2012
Creator: Daube, Dan
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Dan Hixenbaugh, September 24, 2010

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Dan Hixenbaugh. Hixenbaugh joined the Navy V-7 program on 7 December 1941. After officer training he went to torpedo school. Hixenbaugh then joined the crew of USS Lamson (DD-367) in early 1943. He met John F. Kennedy on the troopship taking them both to the South Pacific. Hixenbaugh also talks about how he knew Kennedy’s executive officer, Lenny Thom, from earlier in life. He details a kamikaze attack in Ormac Bay that dama… more
Date: September 24, 2010
Creator: Hixenbaugh, Dan
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Daniel Clark, June 24, 2004

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Daniel Clark. Clark was born in Morocco, Indiana on 26 June 1916. After graduating from high school in 1934, he worked on the farm until being drafted into the US Army in March 1942. Upon induction, he was sent to Camp Claiborne, Louisiana for six months of basic training. He was then sent to Ft. Bragg, North Carolina where he joined the 82nd Airborne Division’s glider section and was assigned to the 325th Glider Infantry, 2… more
Date: June 24, 2004
Creator: Clark, Daniel C.
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Donald McWilliams, January 24, 2017

Description: The National Museum of the pacific War presents an oral interview with Donald McWilliams. McWilliams finished high school in 1942 and joined the Marine Corps in March, 1943. He went overseas in October and joined the Fifth Marines. At Cape Gloucester, McWilliams served in a headquarters and supply company handling ammunition. He also went to Peleliu and recalls a friend he lost there. McWilliams also went to Okinawa with the First Marine Division. He shares anecdotes about time at Pavuvu and in… more
Date: January 24, 2017
Creator: McWilliams, Donald
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Edward J. Saylor, January 24, 2012

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Lieutenant Colonel Edward J. Saylor. Saylor begins with a brief description of his life on a cattle ranch in Montana during the Depression years. He worked on the ranch until 1939 when he joined the Army Air Corps. After finishing basic training, Saylor went to aircraft mechanic school. He eventually worked as a flight engineer, going wherever his airplane went. Shortly after the war started, Saylor volunteered for a mission… more
Date: January 24, 2012
Creator: Saylor, Edward J.
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Eleanor Brown, April 24, 2000

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Eleanor Brown. From early 1942 through 1944, Brown served as a general mechanics helper at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas, and had completed flight training. In April, she joined the Women’s Air Service Pilots (WASPs) in Sweetwater, Texas. Brown graduated, though WASP was disbanded in December of that same year. She returned to Kelly Field and continued to work as the first woman mechanic at the Air Force Base.
Date: April 24, 2000
Creator: Brown, Eleanor
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation
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