National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection - 406 Matching Results

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Oral History Interview with Vernon Oates, October 21, 1942

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Vernon Oates. He discusses his childhood, education and growing up during the great depression. He talks about joining the US Army Air Corps, now called the Air Force, and the experiences he had at various different training camps around the country.
Date: October 21, 1942
Creator: Oates, Vernon
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Philip Cochran, October 21, 1975

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Philip Cochran. Cochran joined the Army Air Corps in 1936 as an aviation cadet. He flew fighters off the British aircraft carrier HMS Archer (D78) against targets in North Africa. Later in the war, he was transferred to Burma to help plan the air portion of the invasion with the First Air Commando Task Force. He was back in Europe making similar plans when the war ended.
Date: October 21, 1975
Creator: Cochran, Philip G
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Ken McCloud, October 19, 1985

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ken McCloud. McCloud, known as Tex by the 339th Fighter Squadron, recounts a dogfight that occurred over Rabaul in which he encountered over a dozen Zeros. He shot down one plane before being hit, causing his right engine to catch fire. He landed in the water and deployed his life raft. He was pursued by sharks and fought an albatross to the death. Using a piece of driftwood and his parachute, he fashioned a sail and rode ou… more
Date: October 19, 1985
Creator: McCloud, Ken
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Clarence Mast, October 15, 1989

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Dr. Clarence Mast. Mast had finished medical school in 1942 before joining the Navy. While serving at Camp Sampson, he treated an outbreak of spinal meningitis. He was then attached as a medical officer to the 112th Naval Construction Battalion and went to Quoddy, Maine before going to Hawaii to serve as a surgeon at Kaneohe. His next station was at Tinian, where his unit built very long runways for B-29 bombers. he was aboa… more
Date: October 15, 1989
Creator: Mast, Clarence S.
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Bob Willig, October 4, 1990

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral monologue by Bob Willig. Willig joined the Navy in 1942 and received basic training in Newport, Rhode Island. He went on to receive flight training in Brunswick, Maine; Charleston, South Carolina; and Yellow Water, Florida. From 1944 to 1945 he served as a flight engineer with Patrol Bombing Squadron 26 in Palau, Ulithi, and Yap. He kept a daily journal and gives detailed accounts of a typhoon, a crash landing, an engine failure, a fuel ex… more
Date: October 4, 1990
Creator: Willig, Bob
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Ben Blaz, October 8, 1994

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ben Blaz. Blaz was born on Guam in 1928 and recalls aspects of his education on the island prior to World War II. He then recounts the arrival of the Japanese forces in December, 1941 and how they treated the Chamorro people. His family fled Agana to some property in the hills outside of town and raised crops during the war years. Blaz was recruited to help build and maintain airfields for the Japanese. He describes his life on G… more
Date: October 8, 1994
Creator: Blaz, Ben
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with David Braden, October 8, 1994

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with David Braden. Braden was called to active duty in the Army Air Forces from his university’s ROTC program in February 1943 and went to Sheppard Field in Wichita Falls, Texas. He trained to be a navigator. In January 1945, he flew to Saipan and joined the 870th Bomb Squadron, 497th Bomb Group. He flew combat missions against the home islands of Japan and comments on the initial poor results. He also describes an incident in which t… more
Date: October 8, 1994
Creator: Braden, David
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with E. B. Potter, October 8, 1994

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with E. B. Potter. Potter was attached to the Intelligence Section of the 14th Naval District in Oahu during World War II. He graduated with an English degree from the University of Richmond in 1929. He completed an advanced degree in English at the University of Chicago, and during this time the war broke out in Europe. He applied for and received a commission in the Navy. Potter was sent to the Naval Academy as a reservist to teach … more
Date: October 8, 1994
Creator: Potter, E. B.
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Martin Allday, October 8, 1994

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Martin Allday. Allday was drafted into the Army in August, 1944. On 1 May 1945, he landed on Okinawa as a replacement in the 96th Infantry Division. Allday describes his experiences in combat at Okinawa. Allday was wounded on 11 May and returned to duty the day the island was declared secure. When the war ended, Allday was transferred to the 81st Infantry Division and went to the Philippines. Allday returned to the US in Septembe… more
Date: October 8, 1994
Creator: Allday, Martin
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Alex Vraciu, October 9, 1994

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Alex Vraciu. Vraciu was born in East Chicago, Indiana on 2 November 1918. He graduated from DePauw University in 1941, where he received civilian pilot training. He joined the Navy and in February 1943. He joined fighter squadron VF-6, flying the Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat as wingman to Lieutenant Commander Edward Henry “Butch” O’Hare. He entered combat in August 1943, flying off the USS Independence (CVL-22) to make strafing run… more
Date: October 9, 1994
Creator: Vraciu, Alex
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Carl Gorman, October 9, 1994

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Carl Gorman. Gorman was working for the US government as a Navajo interpreter when the war started. He heard the Marines needed Navajos for a special assignment, and was among the first 30 selected. After basic training, at Camp Elliott, Gorman and his group codified the Navajo language for communications usage. Once the code was in place, the Navajos were attached to the First and Second Marine divisions and sent to Guadalc… more
Date: October 9, 1994
Creator: Gorman, Carl
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with David Peake, October 9, 1994

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with David Peake. Peake joined the Marine Corps in 1943. After boot camp he went to Camp Tarawa in Hawaii, where he joined the 5th Marine Division, 27th Regiment. In early 1945 they left Hawaii on an LST and traveled to the Marshall Islands, forming up their convoy to invade Iwo Jima. They were involved at Iwo Jima when the preliminary bombardment took place. Peake provides vivid detail of what ensued when they landed. They were a par… more
Date: October 9, 1994
Creator: Peake, David
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with George Duncan, October 9, 1994

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with George Duncan. Duncan graduated from the Naval Academy in 1939. In 1941, he went to flight school at Pensacola after a tour on USS West Virginia (BB-48). He first flew an SOC Seagull in Alaska before transferring to the Solomons, where he caught malaria. Then he was assigned to fighters and boarded USS Hornet (CV-12). He did not stay aboard long before his unit transferred to USS Essex (CV-9) sometime in early 1944. Duncan s… more
Date: October 9, 1994
Creator: Duncan, George
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Gordon Gayle, October 9, 1994

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Gordon D. Gayle. Gayle was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma 13 September 1917. After graduating from high school in 1934 he entered West Point 18 July 1935. Upon graduating in 1939 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He then went to a basic school for newly commissioned officers at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Upon completing the course he was assigned to the 5th Marine Regiment at Quantico, Virginia. Their… more
Date: October 9, 1994
Creator: Gayle, Gordon
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Hal Lamar, October 9, 1994

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Commander Hal Lamar. He discusses his childhood, what led him to join the Naval Academy and how he became an aide to Admiral Chester A. Nimitz. He describes his time working with Admiral Nimitz and his experiences in the Navy during World War Two and what he did after the war.
Date: October 9, 1994
Creator: Lamar, Hal & Christman, Calvin
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Robert Herrick, October 4, 1996

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Herrick. Herrick entered the Naval Academy in 1944 and was graduated in 1944. He first reported aboard the USS Mississippi (BB-41) in time to participate in the Battle of Surigao Strait and support the invasion of Luzon. He was still aboard for the invasion of Okinawa and witnessed the kamikaze attacks on the Mississippi. Herrick remained in the Navy after the war, retiring in 1964.
Date: October 4, 1996
Creator: Herrick, Robert
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Glenn McDole, October 10, 1996

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Glen McDole. McDole was born in Orleans, Nebraska 6 February 1921 and after graduating from high school, enlisted in the Marine Corps in the fall of 1940. Following basic training, he went to Cavite Navy Yard where he performed security guard duties as a member of the 1st Separate Marine Battalion. The battalion was moved to Corregidor Island after the Japanese began attacking the Philippines. There, he was in close contact … more
Date: October 10, 1996
Creator: McDole, Glenn
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Sam Moody, October 10, 1996

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Sam Moody. Moody joined the Air Corps in 1940 to become an aircraft mechanic. He arrived in the Philippines in November, 1941 and when the war broke out, he went to the front at Bataan. After the surrender, he walked out of Bataan and spent 10 days on the Death March. He was moved from Camp O'Donnell to Cabanatuan. From there, he was sent to Manila to a camp near Clark Field. Moody stayed on a work detail in Manila for a whi… more
Date: October 10, 1996
Creator: Moody, Sam B.
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Lanson B. Ditto, October 11, 1996

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Lanson B. Ditto. Ditto grew up in Kentucky. He went to college at Washington and Lee University and then joined the Navy in 1940. After training, Ditto chose to join the Asiatic Fleet. He went to Shanghai, China where he was assigned to the USS Langley (CV-1). The ship went to the Philippines. They were at Manila when the Japanese destroyed all B-17's at the airfield on December 8, 1941. The Langley left Manila Bay that nigh… more
Date: October 11, 1996
Creator: Ditto, Lanson B.
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with David Newton, October 12, 1996

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with David P. Newton. Newton was born in Birmingham, Alabama 2 December 1915. In 1937 he enrolled in the Birmingham School of Law, graduating and passing the bar examination in 1942. He was inducted into the US Army in 1943 and had basic training at Camp Wolters, Texas. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant and assigned to the 346th Harbor Craft Company. Traveling to Finschhafen, New Guinea he was assigned to a port battalion as a… more
Date: October 12, 1996
Creator: Newton, David P.
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Ike Kampmann, October 12, 1996

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ike Kampmann. Kampmann was born in San Antonio, Texas on 2 October 1918 and graduated from the University of Texas, Austin with a law degree. In the spring of 1945 when he was stationed at 6th Army Headquarters at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon Island, Philippines, he was attached to the Staff Officer for Personnel (G-1) as the Army was making its move toward Manila. The commanding general, Lieutenant General Walter Krueger, appointed… more
Date: October 12, 1996
Creator: Kampmann, Ike
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Jean Balch, October 12, 1996

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Jean Balch. Balch was born in Abilene, Texas and was attending Hardin-Simmons University in 1941. On 8 December, he volunteered for duty in the Navy, but was too young. He joined later that spring. He trained as a radioman and gunner before being assigned the USS Yorktown (CV-10) in the fall of 1944. Balch mentions striking targets in the Philippines and on Formosa in late 1944. On one bombing mission over Hong Kong, China, … more
Date: October 12, 1996
Creator: Balch, Jean
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with John Rich, October 12, 1996

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Rich. Rich was born in Cape Elizabeth, Maine on 5 August 1917. He completed high school in 1935 and graduated from Bowdoin College in 1939. Following graduation, he worked as a newspaper reporter and interviewed survivors of the USS Reuben James (DD-245), which was sunk by a German U-boat in 1941. In early 1941, he attended the University of Colorado and spent a year studying the Japanese language. In 1942, he joined th… more
Date: October 12, 1996
Creator: Rich, John
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Robert Donihi, October 13, 1996

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Donihi. Donihi was born in Erie, Pennsylvania. He graduated from high school in 1934. During the Depression, he worked low wage jobs and lost his leg in an automobile accident while hitchhiking to Florida. His experiences influenced him to attend law school. He passed the Bar in 1941 and went to work in Tennessee. He was exempt from the draft, but was motivated to learn to fly under the Civil Air Patrol. He joined the… more
Date: October 13, 1996
Creator: Donihi, Robert
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation
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