Preparing for the invasion of Japan

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Higgins, Archibald 494th Bombardment Group Operations
Archibald Higgins was in the Palau Islands with the mission of keeping those islands neutralized and flying missions to...
Burrus, William Accordions and Mortars
William Burrus and his outfit [Annotator's Note: Company C, 1st Battalion, 347th Infantry Regiment, 87th Infantry...
Moret, Calvin Advanced Flight Training
After ten weeks of flying the BT-13 [Annotator’s Note: Vultee BT-13 Valiant two seat trainer aircraft], Calvin Moret...
Ferris, Robert Aerial Bombardment Missions Over Japan
[Annotator's Note: Robert J. Ferris was pilot in Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron 232 (VMTB-232) and took part in combat...
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...
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...
Beck, Carl Alsace-Lorraine
On 5 January 1945, Carl Beck and his unit [Annotator's Note: Company H, 2nd Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry...
Segal, Harvey Assault into Germany
Harvey Segal knew nothing of the concentration camps before he entered Germany. When he and his battalion [Annotator's...
Bethard, Orville Assignments After the USS St. Lo (CVE-63)
[Annotator's Note: Orville Bethard served as an Electrician’s Mate aboard the USS St. Lo (CVE-63) which was sunk during...
Kolesa, Thomas Atomic Bombs
Thomas Kolesa was told to clean up his area and get everything ship shape. General MacArthur [Annotator's Note: General...
Brignac, Martin Atomic Bombs
Martin Brignac was building an airfield on New Guinea. The work was mostly just leveling the land. On Ie-Shima, Japan,...
Schlenger, Donald Atomic Bombs and Tinian Island
We [Annotator's Note: the United States] were fire-bombing Japan with 800 B-29s [Annotator's Note: Boeing B-29...
Stiles, John Atomic Bombs Dropped
[Annotator's Note: John Stiles was stationed on Okinawa, Japan with Marine Fighting Squadron 312 (VMF-312) when the...
Bucksell, Norris Attending Mass and Racial Discrimination
While Norris Bucksell was in Naples, Italy, the churches that had not been bombed stayed open and he was able to attend...
Samuelson, Daniel Back Home and The Atomic Bombs
Daniel Samuelson finished his 35 missions. He had flown over from Florida to Scotland and then went to England. After...
Slay, Charles Battle of the Bulge
When Charles Slay joined the military he was assigned to Cannon Company [Annotator's Note: Cannon Company, 415th...
Cohn, Major Becoming a Sailor
Major Cohn joined the Navy and originally thought of becoming a submariner. He mistakenly thought it would be romantic...
Taylor, Claude Becoming a Sailor and Going to War
When Claude Taylor turned 18, he enlisted in the Navy. His father had been in the Army in France in World War 1. The...
Rogers, John Becoming Company Commander, Interactions with German Civilians and Going Home
John Rogers was fighting on Christmas Day [Annotator's Note: 25 December 1944] during the Battle of the Bulge. They...
Puissegur, Baptiste Being a Staff Car Driver and Nightmares After the War
Baptiste Puissegur was a staff car driver during the war. He liked the officers he served with. He enjoyed the duty...
Hughes, Lowell Being Discharged and the Ruptured Duck
Lowell Hughes got new uniforms when he returned to Fort Devens [Annotator's Note: Ayer and Shirley, Massachusetts]. He...
Baile, Richard Being Promoted and Firebombing Tokyo
To fill personnel losses resulting from accidents and combat, Richard Baile's crew was broken up. He was made the...
Garbo, William Being Wounded
After a narrow escape from a deadly Japanese ambush, and a tragic friendly fire casualty that night, William Garbo and...
Spera, George Being Wounded
George Spera's first wound in combat was a small injury to his left hand in November [Annotator's Note: November 1944...
Carlson, Clarence Belgium, Home and VJ-Day
Clarence Carlson enjoyed Belgium. He was able to communicate better than he did in France. They had good-looking people...
Payne, Robert Berchtesgaden and Home
Robert Payne was at the Rhine [Annotator's Note: Rhine River] for about three weeks. His job was to fly observation...
Price, John Bulge to Discharge
[Annotator’s Note: John H. Price, Jr. commanded a tank destroyer in Company B, 609th Tank Destroyer Battalion...
Nolan, Warren Burial at Sea and Discharge
Warren Nolan was helping to gather the dead after two kamikaze aircraft hit the USS Bunker Hill (CV-17). They tried to...
Pierce, William "Bill" Burning Sea Bags
William Pierce tells the story of his duty on Guam while he was training for the invasion of the Japanese home islands...
Payne, Robert Camps and Paris
Robert Payne went to one concentration camp and it was as has been described. He never saw any Americans who had been...
Feldman, Henry Combat Actions
On his second day in France, Henry Feldman saw his captain and a private killed in action. He was nearby when it...
Harris, Oran Combat and Occupation Duty
Oran Harris maintains that after having walked for 67 days, 2,000 people from the Bataan Death March were transferred...
McCool, William Combat in Germany
William McCool and his unit [Annotator's Note: Company E, 2nd Battalion, 355th Infantry Regiment, 89th Infantry...
King, Rivers Combat, Training, then Back to Combat
Rivers Richardson King was assigned to Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 233 (VMSB-233) and headed to Guadalcanal [...
Garbo, William Conclusions
Once William Garbo returned to G Troop, 2nd Squadron, 112th Cavalry Regiment, he resumed command of his machine gun...

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