National Museum of the Pacific War - 34 Matching Results

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Oral History Interview with Dean Caswell, December 8, 2021

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Dean Caswell. Caswell volunteered for the Marine Corps two weeks prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. He eventually went to flight training before being assigned aboard USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) from which he flew Corsairs. Caswell made over 100 combat flights from Bunker Hill, eventually becoming an ace with Marine Fighter Squadron 221 (VMF-221). He shares on anecdote about getting seven enemy planes in one mission. He also shares… more

Date: December 8, 2021

Creator: Caswell, Dean

Item Type: Text

Location: 42.360091 -71.094160

Oral History Interview with Neil Elder, July 6, 2021

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Neil Elder. Elder joined the Navy in 1940. He completed Radio Communications School, and served as an Aviation Radioman. He flew scout missions in the Curtiss SOC Seagull aircraft, catapulted from USS Portland (CA-33). He participated in the battles of the Coral Sea, Midway, Guadalcanal, Tulagi, Savo Island, the Eastern Solomons and Santa Cruz. Elder returned to the US and was discharged in 1946.

Date: July 6, 2021

Creator: Elder, Neil

Item Type: Text

Oral History Interview with Richard Robinette, November 3, 2021

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Richard Robinette. Robinette was born on 27 March 1925. He joined the Navy and completed Basic Engineering School. Beginning in early 1944, Robinette served as a Fireman aboard USS Claxton (DD-571). They aided in the invasion of the Philippines and the Battle of Leyte Gulf, where they received damage from a kamikaze plane. They provided escort duty in the Lingayen Gulf landings in January of 1945. In May, they arrived off Okinawa… more

Date: November 3, 2021

Creator: Robinette, Richard

Item Type: Text

Oral History Interview with Norman Riggsby, March 18, 2021

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Norman Riggsby. Riggsby was drafted into the Army in October of 1943. He served as a bugler at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. In January of 1944, he was deployed to Scotland, then England, and assigned to the 29th Infantry Division, 175th Infantry Regiment. Riggsby trained on the anti-aircraft guns. He participated in the invasion of Normandy, landing at Omaha Beach. He describes the events and combat of this day, and how he got wou… more

Date: March 18, 2021

Creator: Riggsby, Norman

Item Type: Text

Oral History Interview with Dewey Holden, January 8, 2021

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Dewey A. Holden. Holden joined the Navy Coast Guard on December 15, 1941. He was stationed in Mobile, Alabama and served aboard the HMS Larkspur (K82). In 1942, he was assigned to bosun mate training at Manhattan Beach, New York. Later, Holden was assigned to Picket Boat #3836 in New Orleans, LA. He transported bar pilots and ship supplies from the Gulf of Mexico up through the Mississippi River to stations located in Southwest P… more

Date: January 8, 2021

Creator: Holden, Dewey

Item Type: Text

Oral History Interview with Heinz Bachman, March 8, 2021

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Heinz Bachman. Bachman was born in Germany in 1921 and immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1924. Upon graduating from high school in 1939, he joined the Army Air Corps and underwent basic training in Hawaii. Bachman trained as an auto mechanic and was assigned to Hickam Airfield, Hawaii. He tells of his experiences during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Later, he was selected for flight training and recalls the disapp… more

Date: March 8, 2021

Creator: Bachman, Heinz

Item Type: Text

Oral History Interview with Charles Sloan, March 2, 2021

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Charles William Sloan. Sloan joined the Navy in mid-1942. He completed torpedo school in San Diego, California. He landed in Noumea, New Caledonia in January of 1944, then transferred to Tulagi where he worked in a torpedo shop, conducting inspections on Mark 15 torpedoes and preparing them to go aboard submarines and destroyer escorts. Sloan served as Third-Class Torpedoman, working specifically on torpedo engines, air flaps, af… more

Date: March 2, 2021

Creator: Sloan, Charles

Item Type: Text

Oral History Interview with Guy Longshore, March 19, 2021

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with William Guy Longshore. Longshore joined the U.S. Army Forces in 1941, before the attack on Pearl Harbor. He served as a B-29 .50 caliber machine gunner with the 73rd Bombardment Wing, 2nd Air Force. He was stationed in Saipan, Tinian and Guam. He participated in bombing missions and missions to drop supplies to prisoner-of-war camps throughout Japan. His crew was one of the 200 B-29s who flew over Tokyo Bay on the day the surrend… more

Date: March 19, 2021

Creator: Longshore, Guy

Item Type: Text

Oral History Interview with Richard Byler, April 30, 2021

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Richard E. Byler. Byler joined the Navy on March 12, 1943. He completed radio operator training at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, and became proficient in Morse Code. In 1943, he deployed to Hawaii. In February of 1944, he was transferred to Kwajalein and worked at Navy Base 824. He was on board a transport ship during the Battle of Kwajalein. Once the fighting ceased, he worked as a Radioman Second-Class on the island, translat… more

Date: April 30, 2021

Creator: Byler, Richard

Item Type: Text

Oral History Interview with George Burnet, March 16, 2021

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Dr. George Burnet. Burnet joined the Army on May 16, 1944. He studied chemical warfare, and was trained on the 4.2 inch mortar battalion. He served as a forward observer with the 99th Field Artillery Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. Around mid-1944, they were deployed to the Philippines and participated in the Battle of Leyte. He recovered from malaria around June and July of 1945. Beginning in September, they served in the occup… more

Date: March 16, 2021

Creator: Burnet, George

Item Type: Text

Oral History Interview with Harold Rodin, May 4, 2021

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Harold Z. Rodin. Rodin joined the Navy on May 9, 1944. He completed amphibious training in Coronado, California, and learned how to drive the landing craft, vehicle, personnel, LCVP, and the landing craft mechanized, LCM. He served as pilot on the LCM2 boat crew, aboard the USS Sibley (APA-206). In late 1944, they deployed to Pearl Harbor, then participated in the Battle of Iwo Jima beginning February of 1945. In April, they part… more

Date: May 4, 2021

Creator: Rodin, Harold

Item Type: Text

Oral History Interview with Vernon Ollar, October 12, 2021

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Vernon Ollar. Ollar was working at the Rock Island Arsenal when the war started. He was already married with a child when he was drafted into the Army in late 1942. Ollar was attached to B Company in the 81st Chemical Mortar Battalion and proceeded to train with them. In late 1943, Ollar was shipped to England for more training prior to the invasion of Normandy. He recalls fighting in the hedgerows, fighting at St. Lo and liberat… more

Date: October 12, 2021

Creator: Ollar, Vernon

Item Type: Text

Oral History Interview with Joseph Brown, March 15, 2021

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Joseph Brown. Brown was born in 1925. In 1942, at age seventeen, he joined the US Navy. Following his training as an Electricians Mate he was assigned to USS LST-47 and he tells of participating in the Operation Overlord, at Omaha Beach, as well as Operation Dragoon. He also tells of being at Okinawa and witnessing attacks by kamikazes. Brown returned home after the war ended.

Date: March 15, 2021

Creator: Brown, Joseph

Item Type: Text

Oral History Interview with John East, May 17, 2021

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John L. East. East was born in central Texas in 1920. After graduation from high school in 1937 he worked in the rice fields. He entered the Army Air Forces in 1942, and, following training at various airfields, served as a B-17 co-pilot. In 1944, he was assigned to the 379th Bomb Group at Kimbolton, England. He tells of some of the tactics he used to thwart German fighter attacks as the pilot of a B-17 bomber. He completed missi… more

Date: May 17, 2021

Creator: East, John

Item Type: Text

Oral History Interview with Dietrich Braun, January 1, 2021

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Dietrich Braun. Braun was born in Germany in 1932 and resided there during the war. He tells of housing and shortages during the war years. At age six, Braun was recruited into the Hitler Youth. At the conclusion of the war, his father, a German Rocket scientist, was selected to be a part of Operation Paperclip, a secret United States intelligence program that brought him to the United States. In November of 1946, Braun and his r… more

Date: January 1, 2021

Creator: Braun, Dietrich

Item Type: Text

Oral History Interview with Leroy Joppie, December 2, 2021

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Leroy Joppie. Joppie was the youngest of four boys. His three brothers were in the military, one of whom died in Italy. This lead Joppie to join the Navy in 1944 at the age of seventeen. Upon completing training in electronics at Oceanside, California, Joppie was assigned to a Joint Assault Signal Company (JASCO) as a radioman 3rd class. In early 1945, he was assigned to USS Argonne (AG-31). He recalls the ship being in Typhoon C… more

Date: December 2, 2021

Creator: Joppie, Leroy

Item Type: Text