Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO)

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Zamperini, Louis 1936 Berlin Olympics, Military Training and Bombing Wake Island
Louis Zamperini qualified for the 1936 Olympics and went to New York to compete with Don Lash [Annotator's Note: Donald...
Pierce, William "Bill" 37mm Anti-Tank Gun
William Pierce went to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina following his tour in Hingham, Massachusetts. Because he had been...
Zamperini, Louis 47 Day Adrift, 18 Months of Torture and Being Born Again
They [Annotator's Note: Louis Zamperini, his pilot and their tail gunner] spent 47 days fighting off sharks, the...
Freligh, Robert 47 days with geurillas then going home
[Annotators Note: Robert Freligh served as a TBF and TBM Avenger torpedo bomber pilot in Torpedo Squadron 13 (VT-13),...
Killam, Arthur 7 December 1941
Arthur Killam was born in San Francisco and lived there until he was six years old when he moved to San Jose,...
Winter, William A Common Bond
William Winter agrees with the interviewer's statement that many black veterans felt more freedom in the Army than they...
Yusen, Jack A Lost Friend
Jack Yusen still frequently thinks about the men who died [Annotator's Note: when his ship, the USS Samuel B. Roberts (...
Thrift, Clem A New Ship and a Small Miracle
Clem Thrift went to Norfolk, Virginia for turboelectric training. The ship he helped commission, and on which he...
Winter, William A Unique Childhood
William Winter was born in 1923 in Grenada County, Mississippi. He came up during the depression on a cotton and cattle...
Schilling, Ira A Very Dangerous Enemy
As the American advance through the Pacific moved closer and closer to the Japanese mainland, enemy resistance grew...
Henleben, Edwin A Week on Attu
Edwin Henlebin described the beachhead as glutted with supplies. The problem was getting the material from the beach to...
Roy, William Abandoning the USS Yorktown (CV-5)
[Annotator's Note: William G. Roy served in the Navy as a Photographer's Mate 2nd Class aboard the aircraft carrier USS...
Johnsen, Erik Aboard the SS Louis Hennepin
After Erik Johnsen graduated from his final training at Kings Point, [Annotator's Note: US Merchant Marine Academy,...
Rosenzweig, Rollins Action Over Japan
Rollins Rosenzweig departed California aboard the carrier [Annotator's Note: Rosenzweig was a radioman and gunner on a...
Malta, Samuel Adjusting to Civilian Life
Samuel Malta and the men in combat were just kids who were 18 or 19 years old. The combat troops felt they were...
Bronfin, Fred Adjusting to Navy Life, Radar, Training and Friendships
Fred Bronfin adjusted easily to military life but felt he was losing time in his career. To differentiate between...
Malta, Samuel Adjustment Difficulties
Samuel Malta had difficulties after his discharge from the service. He did not like taking orders from civilians. He...
Yusen, Jack Adrift at Sea and Being Rescued
[Annotator's Note: Jack Yusen served in the Navy as a gunner aboard the USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413). The Samuel B....
Weymouth, Ralph Advancements in Carrier Technology
[Annotator's Note: Ralph Weymouth served in the Navy as a dive bomber pilot in Scouting Squadron 3 (VS-3) flying from...
Nicholas, John Aerial Attack
John Nicholas first experienced an aerial attack on his ship [Annotator's Note: the USS Gayety (AM-239)] a few months...
Muri, James After the Battle of Midway
James Muri knew the Navy had sunk four Japanese carriers during the battle [Annotator's Note: during the Battle of...
Bailey, Raymond After the First Explosion
Raymond Bailey was on the mess deck washing cups when he felt the first shudder caused by the bomb hit [Annotator's...
Nelson, Walter After the Lexington sunk
Walter Nelson was only 19 years old at the time [Annotators Note: at the time of the Battle of the Coral Sea]. The USS...
Whitaker, Harold After the Military
Harold Whitaker went back to March Air Force Base [Annotator's Note: when he returned to the United States in December...
Pendleton, Arthur After the Tenaru River and Prisoner Snatches
Arthur Pendleton does not remember who was in the hole with him [Annotator's Note: during the Battle of the Tenaru...
Killam, Arthur After the war
[Annotators Note: Arthur Killam served in the US Navy as an Electricians Mate aboard submarines. After the war he was...
Womack, Charles L. "Red" After the War
Charles Womack and every other Marine on the island were fully aware that they were headed for Japan after the fighting...
LeBlanc, Dale After the War
When Dale LeBlanc heard the news that the battle [Annotator's Note: Battle of Okinawa] was over he was relieved. One...
Dietzel, Paul After the War
Paul Dietzel continued flying in civilian life after the war. When he would fly with the team, the pilots would...
Houston, Jack After the War
Jack Houston returned to the United States around May 1946. He was discharged at the end of May or beginning of June in...
Schoonejans, Emil J. After the War
Emil Schoonejans was in Portsmouth, New Hampshire when the war ended. They had been sent back to the United States for...
Thornhill, Jack After the War and Occupation Duty
Jack Thornhill was discharged on 15 December 1945 in New Orleans. After being discharged, he went back to Alexandria [...
Tillery, Allen After the War and Personal Feelings
For Allen Tillery, returning to civilian life was not much of an adjustment because it happened so fast. He thought for...

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