National Museum of the Pacific War - 95 Matching Results

Search Results

Oral History Interview with Walter Buczek, August 9, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Walter Buczek. Buczek joined the Army in 1943 and was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington. He completed Automotive Transport School, repairing trucks. During his schooling he was assigned as a mechanical instructor. In June of 1945 he traveled to Hawaii, then landed on Ie Shima, Okinawa in July. Buczek served with the 1631st Engineer Construction Battalion. He worked with heavy equipment on road construction and building airfield… more

Date: August 9, 2004

Creator: Buczek, Walter

Oral History Interview with Bill Hardin, November 9, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bill Hardin. He was born in Brock, Texas 25 December 1921. His three other brothers served in the military during World War II. Two were killed in action. After graduating from Howard Payne College at Brownwood, Texas, Hardin entered the Naval Officer’s Candidate School program and was sent to Columbia University for sixteen weeks of training. Upon being commissioned, he was sent to San Diego for small boat training. While t… more

Date: November 9, 2005

Creator: Hardin, Bill

Oral History Interview with Hal Lamar, October 9, 1994

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

Oral History Interview with James Ashbaugh, July 9, 2019

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with James Ashbaugh. Ashbaugh joined the Navy in April of 1944. He completed Electrician School. He served as Fireman 1st Class aboard a landing craft tank, the LCT-60. He traveled to Bougainville and Manus. Ashbaugh continued his service after the war ended, and participated in the nuclear testing at Bikini Atoll, for which he provides vivid details. He served for a total of nine years in the Navy.

Date: July 9, 2019

Creator: Ashbaugh, James

Oral History Interview with Vincent Wayne, June 9, 2019

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Vincent Wayne. Wayne joined the Army around late 1942. He served with the 98th Infantry Division. He was deployed to Hawaii. In 1944, they shipped out to Saipan and helped take over an airport with little resistance from the Japanese. After the war ended, they traveled to Honshu, Japan and were stationed at Osaka College. Wayne speaks about his time in Japan after the war and what he witnessed. Wayne and his squad were assigned t… more

Date: June 9, 2019

Creator: Wayne, Vincent

Oral History Interview with Virginia Cumberland, August 9, 2017

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Virginia Cumberland. During World War II, Cumberland worked in a factory in Indiana as a tool and die maker. She also speaks some about a brother of hers that was in the service and stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas and served overseas in France.

Date: August 9, 2017

Creator: Cumberland, Virginia

Oral History Interview with John Lazarich, May 9, 2016

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Lazarich. Lazarich joined the Coast Guard in August 1942 and trained at New York. His first assignment was aboard a patrol boat in New York Harbor. He then went to gunnery school in Florida before shipping out to New Guinea to serve aboard an Amry tug boat. He also participated in the campaign to liberate the Philippines and recalls being in a minefield off Borneo. He also went to Okinawa and eventually Japan before returing… more

Date: May 9, 2016

Creator: Lazarich, John

Oral History Interview with Charles Harter, December 9, 2016

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles Harter. Harter was drafted in December of 1942 into the Army Ordnance Corps. He went to the Ordnance station in Aberdeen, Maryland. His outfit was the 534th Ordnance, Heavy Tank Company. From there they went to Indio, California, and practiced tank maneuvers in the desert. He went to Normandy, where his outfit’s job was to put devices on front of the tanks so they could go through hedgerows so the infantry could foll… more

Date: December 9, 2016

Creator: Harter, Charles

Oral History Interview with Charles Baldwin, August 9, 2016

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Charles Baldwin. Baldwin was learning to fly through the Civilian Pilot Training program when he was called to active duty in January, 1943. After basic training, he went to flight training. He graduated and was commissioned in March, 1944. Baldwin was sent to France in November, 1944 and attached to the 36th Fighter Group, 23rd Fighter Squadron and began flying combat missions in a P-47. He flew 51 combat missions before the war… more

Date: August 9, 2016

Creator: Baldwin, Charles

Oral History Interview with Willard LaCounte, June 9, 2016

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Willard LaCounte. LaCounte was drafted into the Army in September, 1943 and trained as an antiaircraft artilleryman at Camp Haan, California. In late 1943 he was assigned to the 118th Antiaircraft Automatic Weapons Battalion as a jeep driver in an industrial section of England and recalls defending it against German air raids. He landed at Normandy one day after the invasion. His unit eventually set up in Holland and shot down bu… more

Date: June 9, 2016

Creator: LaCounte, Willard

Oral History Interview with Mack Roberson, November 9, 2015

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Mack Roberson. Roberson was born in Three Rivers, Texas in 1926. After attending Schreiner Institute in Kerrville, Texas for several semesters, he joined the US Marine Corps and received boot training as San Diego. Upon completion, he accepted an assignment to train for honor guard duties. In 1944, he was aboard a troop ship bound for Okinawa and he tells of some of his experience aboard ship. He recalls observing kamikazes … more

Date: November 9, 2015

Creator: Roberson, Mack

Oral History Interview with Mark Clement, September 9, 2015

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Mark Clement. Clement was born 20 February 1925, graduated from high school in 1941, and joined the Marine Corps at age seventeen. He completed the Special Operations Capability Specialist (SOCS) training, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in mid-1944. Clement served with the 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, and participated in the Battle of Iwo Jima. He shares vivid details of his combat experiences. Clement … more

Date: September 9, 2015

Creator: Clement, Mark

Oral History Interview with John Ley, February 9, 2015

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Ley. Ley was born in Joliet, Illinois in 1925. When he completed boot training at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, he then trained as a radio operator. In April 1943 he completed his training and was assigned to the USS Murphy (DD-603). In March 1944 they took on provisions and sailed to Londonderry, England. On 5 June 1944 the ship put to sea to lay a smoke screen during the Normandy landings. On D-Day, the ship … more

Date: February 9, 2015

Creator: Ley, John J.

Oral History Interview with George O'Brien, December 9, 2014

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with George O'Brien. O'Brien volunteered for service in the Army Air Forces in April, 1944 and trained to be a gunner at Harlingen, Texas. He went overseas to New Guinea in February 1945 and joined the 5th Bomb Group, 72nd Bomb Squadron. He was a nose gunner on a B-24. Soon, he went to Samar with his unit. He started flying combat missions in May over the Philippines. O'Brien flew on about 20 missions bombing refineries, airfield… more

Date: December 9, 2014

Creator: O'Brien, George

Oral History Interview with Bernard McKeone, December 9, 2014

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bernard McKeone. McKeone was born in Omaha, Nebraska on 29 September 1927. In 1944 he joined the Marine Corps and went to San Diego for two months of boot camp followed by a period of training as a mortar man. Assigned to the 2nd Marine Division, 8th Marine Regiment, he boarded the USS Collins (AP-147) bound for Tinian. He landed on the island by means of an LCVP. McKeone recalls a personal encounter where he captured a Japa… more

Date: December 9, 2014

Creator: McKeone, Bernard

Oral History Interview with Utah Hamilton, April 9, 2014

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Utah Hamilton. Hamilton joined the Navy in December, 1941 and trained in Virginia. Afterwards, he was assigned to the USS Southampton (AKA-66). Hamilton was aboard during the invasion of Iwo Jima and recalls seeing the flags raised and watching the beach get cleared of debris. At Okinawa, he participated in the decoy landing. When the war ended, Hamilton shipped a lot of occupation troops to Japan. He returned to the US in N… more

Date: April 9, 2014

Creator: Hamilton, Utah

Oral History Interview with Russell Pitzer, July 9, 2013

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Russell Pitzer. Pitzer was drafted into the Marine Corps in August 1944. In 1945 he traveled aboard USS Iowa (BB-61), fighting in the Battle of Okinawa and participating in the bombardment of Tokyo Bay and Japanese islands. Upon the Japanese surrender, Pitzer was assigned as a bodyguard to Admiral Chester Nimitz, and accompanied the admiral on a post-surrender tour of Japan that included Hiroshima. After the war, he returned home… more

Date: July 9, 2013

Creator: Pitzer, Russell

Oral History Interview with William Cooper, April 9, 2013

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William E. Cooper. Cooper was born in Alameda, California 8 May 1925. Upon completing high school in 1943, he joined the Army and went to Oregon for training with the 13th Combat Engineers. He recalls being sent overseas aboard the USS Hugh L. Scott (AP-43) and arriving at New Caledonia. He took part in the invasion of Leyte and witnessed a kamikaze plane crash into one of the troop ships. Upon landing he was assigned to the… more

Date: April 9, 2013

Creator: Cooper, William E.

Oral History Interview with James G. Graff, January 9, 2013

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James G. Graff. Born in 1925, he was inducted into the Army in 1944. Following basic training in Camp Hood, Texas, he was transferred to Co. C, 1st Battalion, 134th Infantry Regiment of the 35th Infantry Division. The Division was part of the Ardennes Campaign where he shares an anecdote about fighting alongside the 784th Tank Battalion. He describes battles on the banks of the Ruhr River or Maas, the cold weather and proble… more

Date: January 9, 2013

Creator: Graff, James

Oral History Interview with Alex Vraciu, October 9, 1994

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

Oral History Interview with John Lacouture, October 9, 2000

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Lacouture. Lacouture graduated from the Naval Academy in 1940 and was aboard the USS Blue at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked. He was still aboard when the Blue sank off Guadalcanal in August, 1942. Lacouture then went to flight school, earning his wings in May 1943. He then served as the executive officer of Fighter Squadron 5 (VF-5) aboard the USS Franklin (CV-13). After the war, he remained in the Navy and continue… more

Date: October 9, 2000

Creator: Lacouture, John

Oral History Interview with Lucy Overmyer, April 9, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Lucy Overmeyer. Overmyer was born in Culver, Indiana on 21 June 1920 and after graduating from high school in 1938 she went to work for a defense contractor, Bendix Aircraft. She enlisted into the Marine Corps on 12 May 1943, completed basic training at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and enrolled in Quartermaster School at Quantico, Virginia. She describes some of her experiences while at Quantico, where she spent the remainde… more

Date: April 9, 2005

Creator: Overmyer, Lucy

Oral History Interview with Ream Family, March 9, 1989

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents a series of interviews with members of the Ream family: John Ream, Sarah Ream Connelly, Katherine Ream Sobeck, and Nora Ream Kuttner. The Ream family members were children when the Japanese occupied the Philippines and they were interned as civilians at Camp John hay in Baguio. They each in turn discuss the arrival of the Japanese and their subsequent experiences as prisoners of the Japanese. At one point, they were moved to Camp Holmes, also in B… more

Date: March 9, 1989

Creator: Family, Ream

Oral History Interview with Wilbur Trinen, October 9, 2006

The National Museum of the pacific War presents an interview with Wilbur Trinen. Trinen was drafted into the Army in January 1943. After training, he was assigned to the 29th Engineer Topographic Battalion. He went overseas to the Philippines. Trinen and the interviewer review several photographs and comment thereon. They also examine and comment on maps.

Date: October 9, 2006

Creator: Trinen, Wilbur