Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO)

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West, Gerald L. Tulagi and the Battle of Savo Island
When he set sail, Gerald West had never heard of Guadalcanal. He didn't learn about it until he was about to attack it...
Bleuler, Jack Tulsa Boy to Army Air Corps
[Annotator’s Notes: There is a lot of background noise throughout this segment.] Jack H. Bleuler was born in 1923 and...
Butler, Barbara Two and Half Years Overseas
Barbara Butler wrote home frequently. She tried to explain to her family what she was going through and to reassure...
Fisher, Clayton Two Emergency Landings
Before that, while instructing in SB2As [Annotator's Note: Brewster SB2A Buccaneer light scout bomber], Clayton Fisher...
Dietzel, Paul Two Rough Missions
[Annotator's Note: Paul Dietzel served in the USAAF as a copilot on Boeing B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombers in the...
Broll, Walter Two Weeks in Bari, Italy
Walter Broll and his ship the Grace Abbott were in the harbor of Bari, Italy for two weeks before the attack took place...
Harris, Rufus Typhoon and Atomic Bomb
The biggest problem on Rufus Harris' ship [Annotator's Note: the USS Miami (CL-89)] was a typhoon [Annotator's Note:...
Duff, Clarence Typhoon Cobra
Clarence Robert Duff remembered that during World War 2, his ship rode out three typhoons. The last one was in December...
Rasmussen, Ervin Typhoon in the Pacific
Ervin Lloyd Rasmussen was on many islands [Annotator's Note: in the Pacific Ocean] but the names escape him. There was...
Scherer, Monroe Typhoon Louise
[Annotator's Note: Monroe Scherer was sent to Okinawa, Japan in July 1945.] There was a sign posted saying that they...
Barnes, Alvin Typhoon off Okinawa
Alvin Barnes rode out a typhoon off Okinawa [Annotator's Note: Okinawa, Japan]. The ship [Annotator's Note: USS Purdy (...
Tizzard, Thomas Typhoon on Okinawa, VJ Day, and Going Back to the United States
The USS Denver (CL-58) was at Okinawa, Japan at the end of the war to protect the hospital ships. Thomas Tizzard...
Bath, Garland Ulithi Atoll
They [Annotator's Note: the Army] lost a gun battalion on 7 August [Annotator's Note: 7 August 1944]. Garland Bath, 11...
Spencer, Wallace "Wallace Smigiro" Under Attack
Wallace Spencer remembers when they were under attack. All the guns were firing. The crew was sitting there watching...
Johnson, John Under Fire at Leyte
John E. Johnson went aboard the USS Liddle (ADP-60) in New York in September 1944, and sailed through the Panama Canal...
Schmittgens, Leo Under Fire on Okinawa
Leo William Schmittgens went on patrols and his Lieutenant, Jaffe [Annotator's Note: US Marine Corps First Lieutenant...
Phillips, Robert Under French Army Command
[Annotator's Note: Robert Philips was separated from his unit during the Battle of the Bulge, or German Ardennes...
Lamm, Allen Underwater Demolition Team 21
Allen Lamm returned to the United States from his duty protecting convoys on a patrol craft [Annotator's Note: Lamm had...
Thrift, Clem Undisclosed Suicide Mission
The Army had not yet finished on Leyte because of bad weather, and Clem Thrift said that in the process of readying to...
Broll, Walter Unexploded Ordnance
Walter Broll saw chaos the next morning after the German attack on the port of Bari, Italy. Live and dead personnel...
Lebow, Cleatus Unions and Reunions
Cleatus Lebow believes that, although the contents of the crate they carried to was top secret, speculation among the...
Peto, George Unique and Frightening Experiences
George Peto had a unique experience there [Annotator's Note: on Okinawa] one time while watching kamikazes hitting...
David, Maynard Unit Assignment and First Combat Mission
[Annotator's Note: Maynard David served in the USAAF as a bombardier on Boeing B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombers in...
Dobbs, Clarence "Jack" Unit Assignment and Overseas Deployment
After gunnery training, Clarence Lee "Jack" Dobbs was sent to a staging area in Lincoln, Nebraska, then to Harvard,...
Keller, Richard Unit Assignment and Training
Richard Keller and the rest of the 37th Division took part in the Louisiana Maneuvers. They were bused into the area...
Aldous, Robert US Air Force versus the US Army Air Corps
[Annotator's Note: The interviewer asks Robert G. Aldous if he was religious when he went to war.] He was and then was...
Twible, Harlan US Naval Academy
After graduating high school, Harlan Twible got a job then started college with the money he earned. During his...
Lynch, James US Naval Academy
James Paul Lynch's father worked for a man running for Congress. Roosevelt [Annotator's Note: Franklin Delano Roosevelt...
Colburn, George USO Shows and the Atomic Bombs
Shows were important to George Colburn. Eddie Bracken [Annotator's Note: Edward Vincent Bracken, American entertainer]...
Snyder, Phillip "PB" USS Arenac (APA-128)
[Annotator's Note: Snyder pauses the interview several times and repeats statements frequently in this segment.] On 10...
Bruner, Lauren USS Arizona (BB-39) and 7 December 1941
Returning to his experiences earlier in his Navy career, Lauren Bruner discusses particulars about his first ship, the...
Goss, Samuel "S. Richard Goss" USS Bladen (APA-63)
Samuel Goss boarded the USS Bladen [Annotator's Note: USS Bladen (APA-63)] as it entered into a trial period prior to...
Rasmussen, Ervin USS Butte (APA-68)
[Annotator's Note: Ervin Lloyd Rasmussen served in the Navy and was assigned to Pier 92 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in...
Newsom, James USS Cole (DD-155) in the MTO
James Newsom was assigned to the USS Cole (DD-155). The Cole left Norfolk for North Africa to land Rangers ashore in...
Frisco, Paul USS Cushing (DD-797) Heritage
Paul J. Frisco served aboard the USS Cushing (DD-797) during the ship's entire wartime cruise. The ship was the fourth...

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