National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection - 143 Matching Results

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Oral History Interview with Frank C. Smith, March 12, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Frank C. Smith. Smith was born in Houston, Texas on 7 August 1921. Graduating from high school in 1939, he enrolled in Williams College. After three years he transferred to and graduated from Caltech in 1944. Smith joined the Navy in 1944 and trained in electronics at several universities and Navy bases before being trained in electronic countermeasures, including the IFF (identification friend or foe) set. Just prior to con… more
Date: March 12, 2014
Creator: Smith, Frank C.
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Herb Smith, March 24, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Herb Smith. Smith was born in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1920. In 1940 he entered Centenary College in Shreveport and participated in the Civilian Pilot Training Program. After completing the course he joined the Navy. After receiving his wings in July 1943 he went to Melbourne, Florida where he began training in the Grumman F6F fighter plane. Upon qualifying in carrier landings on Lake Michigan, he was sent to Guadalcanal in … more
Date: March 24, 2014
Creator: Smith, Herb
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Ralph Sparks, April 10, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ralph Sparks. Sparks was drafted into the Army in 1943 and for part of basic training, they went to North Dakota to harvest a bumper wheat crop. He then trained in field artillery before heading for France in July, 1944. Sparks served as a forward observer around Metz. He also recalls moving into Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge. Sparks recalls a story where his unit raided a wine cellar. When the war ended, Sparks made his… more
Date: April 10, 2014
Creator: Sparks, Ralph
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with David Spradling, February 11, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with David Spradling. Spradling graduated with a Bachelor of Divinity from Southern Methodist University in December of 1942. He was ordained in January of 1943 and in February, Spradling was commissioned as a Navy Chaplain. He was assigned to Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida. Later, he worked at Manana Naval Barracks and Kaneohe Bay Naval Air Station in Hawaii. He worked with the African-American community of Navy men, and with… more
Date: February 11, 2014
Creator: Spradling, David
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Velmer Steckman, December 8, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Velmer Steckman. Steckman was born in Mountain Lake, Minnesota on 1 May 1923. After high school, he attended Itasca Junior College in Grand Rapids, Minnesota until 1942. At that time he joined the Army Air Corps and was sent to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. He then went to the University of Minnesota and after six weeks of indoctrination he was selected to attend bombardier school in Texas. Upon graduating, he reported to th… more
Date: December 8, 2014
Creator: Steckman, Velmar
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Herb Stern, December 3, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Herb Stern. Stern was born in Berlin, Germany in October 1919. His father was imprisoned by the Nazis and Stern immigrated to the United States in 1936. After completing high school, he attended the University of Cincinnati for four years. He was drafted into the Army in June 1941 and sent to Camp Lee, Virginia for basic training. From there he was assigned as a medic to the 9th Infantry Division. The division made practice … more
Date: December 3, 2014
Creator: Stern, Herb
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Howard Stoneley, March 14, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Howard Stoneley. Stoneley joined the Navy around mid-1943. From 1943 through mid-1945, he served with the deck force aboard the USS Texas (BB-35). Stoneley shares his experiences through the Normandy Invasion, the Battle of Cherbourg, Operation Dragoon, the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Okinawa. He returned home after the war, and received his discharge around January of 1946.
Date: March 14, 2014
Creator: Stoneley, Howard
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Herman Stoner, March 13, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Herman Stoner. Stoner joined the Navy in July 1945 and received basic training in San Diego. After the war, Stoner was assigned to the USS Texas (BB-35) as a carpenter as part of Operation Magic Carpet. There were only three carpenters aboard ship, and Stoner was on call for damage control 24 hours a day. He did odd jobs such as plugging a hole in the admiral’s barge, replacing boards on deck, building crates for officers’ b… more
Date: March 13, 2014
Creator: Stoner, Herman
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Ivan Toller, November 19, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ivan Toller. Toller joined the Army Air Corps in 1940. He provides some details of his experiences in basic training at Brooks Field, San Antonio. He was assigned to the 64th Airbase Squadron. He took a job at Kelly Field in the transit hangar as an assistant crew chief and trained new Army recruits. His outfit was sent to assist in the building of Goodfellow Field in San Angelo. He describes the changes that occurred in the Army… more
Date: November 19, 2014
Creator: Toller, Ivan
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Lloyd Rex Travis, April 30, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Lloyd Travis. Travis joined the Marine Corps in 1942 and received basic training at Parris Island and further training at Camp Lejeune. Upon completion, he was assigned to the 6th Marine Division and sent to the Pacific. He fought on the north end of Okinawa for more than two weeks. Rather than sleep in a wet foxhole, he stayed in caves that were used as burial sites in peacetime. He left the island on 21 June and awaited fu… more
Date: April 30, 2014
Creator: Travis, Lloyd Rex
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Martin Tschirhart, August 27, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Martin Tschirhart. Tschirhart joined the Navy in March of 1942. He served aboard the USS Shasta (AE-6) as a Seaman on the deck crew, swabbing decks and painting. They traveled to New Caledonia, and moving from island to island they replenished the ammunition supplies of the Fleet. In the spring of 1943, they provided support in the Attu and Kiska operations, as well as campaigns in the western Pacific. He helped bring the HA-19 J… more
Date: August 27, 2014
Creator: Tschirhart, Martin
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Benjamin Tubig, May 3, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Benjamin Tubig. Tubig was born in the Philippines in 1918 and joined the Philippine Scouts in 1941. After the surrender of the American forces on Bataan, he participated in the Bataan Death March. He describes the march to Capas, where they were interned at Camp O’Donnell. Tubig escaped with another prisoner and returned to his home. He did not participate in guerilla activities after his escape. He became a naturalized Amer… more
Date: May 3, 2014
Creator: Tubig, Benjamin
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Earl Tweed, August 16, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Earl Tweed. Tweed joined the Army in November, 1941 and trained to be an officer at Fort Benning. He trained in an anti-tank unit and went to England in time to be attached to the 115th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division prior to landing at Omaha Beach in Normandy on D-Day. Tweed was wounded in November and evacuated. He returned to his unit in January, 1945. Tweed was on hand when Germany surrendered and came back to the … more
Date: August 16, 2014
Creator: Tweed, Earl
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Wilbur Vantine, March 25, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Wilbur Vantine. In June, 1943, Vantine joined the Merchant Marine. He delivered aviation fuel to Milne Bay in New Guinea on his first voyage and bombs to New Caledonia before returning to the Merchant Marine Academy in New York and earning a commission in the Navy Reserve in April, 1945. Once he graduated, Vantine was assigned to a liberty ship and went to Liverpool. He was in New York on VJ Day. In 1957, he became a Panama … more
Date: March 25, 2014
Creator: Vantine, Wilbur
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Robert Vollmer, August 4, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Vollmer. Vollmer was drafted into the Army in March, 1943. As his unit, the 66th Infantry Division, was arriving in France, his ship was torpedoed and hundreds of men from his division drowned. Vollmer stayed with the 66th throughout the France campaign and was still on hand for occupation duty around Koblenz before he went to Austria for occupation duty. He returned home and was discharged in April, 1946.
Date: August 4, 2014
Creator: Vollmer, Robert
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Cecil Warner, November 19, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Cecil Warner. Warner entered the Army Air Forces in February 1942. He trained and served as an airplane mechanic. He was stationed in Africa and shares a few anecdotes. He returned to the US and was discharged in October, 1945.
Date: November 19, 2014
Creator: Warner, Cecil
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with William Webster, November 17, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Webster. Webster volunteered for the Army Air Forces in December 1943. He qualified for pilot training, but was trained in photography instead at Walker Field, Kansas. He was then sent to Tinian and assigned to the 6th Bomb Group, 22nd Photo Lab. He served as an aerial photographer and lab technician. Webster relates several anecdotes from his time in and out of the service.
Date: November 17, 2014
Creator: Webster, William
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Paul Weiblen, November 25, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Paul Weiblen. Weiblen signed up to be a flying cadet in the Army Air Forces when he was almost finished with high school. In May 1945, he was inducted into the Army and trained as an artilleryman. He was still in training when the war ended and was sent to Germany with occupation forces in November, 1945 and worked in a medical dispensary around Nuremburg. Weiblen managed to visit the war crimes trial at Nuremburg one aftern… more
Date: November 25, 2014
Creator: Weiblen, Paul W
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Joe White, October 30, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Joe White. White joined the Navy in June, 1944 and was assigned to the amphibious forces. He became a coxswain on an LCVP. In addition to hauling Marines to the beaches on Okinawa, White spent a lot of time running supplies from ship to shore to support the invasion. White has several anecdotes about his experiences like trading the Seabees beer for showers at his camp and being caught in a typhoon. White returned to the US and w… more
Date: October 30, 2014
Creator: White, Joe B.
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with James Wicker, January 23, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with James Wicker. Wicker joined the Navy in mid-1944. He served with the ship repair crew aboard the USS Corregidor (CVE-58). They traveled to Eniwetok, Guam, Pearl Harbor, conducting anti-submarine patrol, providing air cover and qualifying pilots in carrier operations. Wicker returned to the US and received his discharged in late 1945.
Date: January 23, 2014
Creator: Wicker, James
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with Dean Earl Wilson, April 1, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Dean Earl Wilson. Wilson joined the Army Air Corps in May of 1941. He completed Communications School and Radio School, serving as a Maintenance Technician. Throughout 1942, he served at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, overseeing aircraft and control tower radio maintenance. Wilson shares his experiences living and working on the island. In 1943, he continued his work on New Georgia. In 1944, Wilson completed additional schooling… more
Date: April 1, 2014
Creator: Wilson, Dean Earl
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with David Witmer, November 18, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with David Witmer. Witmer joined the Navy in early 1943. Beginning in late 1943, he served as Second-Class Torpedoman aboard the USS Twiggs (DD-591). They completed training exercises in Bermuda and Pearl Harbor. They escorted convoys operating between Oahu and Eniwetok. Witmer also participated in the Philippines Campaign, and the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He recalls the kamikaze attack at Okinawa that sunk the Twiggs, and he … more
Date: November 18, 2014
Creator: Witmer, David
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Oral History Interview with James Womack, December 10, 2014

Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Womack. Womack was born in Decatur, Texas in October 1924 and graduated from high school in 1941. Upon enlisting in the Army Air Corps in 1942, he went to Sheppard Field, Texas for basic training. This was followed by a two month flight engineer course. In 1943 he was assigned to the 70th Ferrying Command, 20th Ferrying Squadron. Womack ferried B-26 bombers, B-17 bombers, and C-46 transport planes to various destinatio… more
Date: December 10, 2014
Creator: Womack, James
Partner: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation
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