Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO)

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Yoho, David Boot Camp
When David Yoho went through boot camp, it was great except for his troubled background. He kept getting into trouble...
Mikus, John Boot Camp
When John Mikus, Jr. enlisted in the Marine Corps, war was different than it is today. The whole country went to war....
Wayne, William Boot Camp
William Wayne was drafted and went to Fort Leonard Wood in Saint Louis [Annotator's Note: Saint Louis, Missouri] for...
Guidry, Edmond Boot Camp
Edmond Guidry joined the Navy in July 1942. He went to boot camp in San Diego [Annotator's Note: San Diego, California...
Templet, Robert Paul Boot Camp and a Year on Prewar Oahu
Robert Templet took his boot camp training in San Diego. The days started early for him. During his first week in...
Bender, Harry Boot Camp and Deployment
Harry Bender enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1944 and went through boot camp, which had him wondering why he decided to...
Chinnis, Edward Boot Camp and Radio School
Edward Chinnis enlisted in the Navy on 11 November [Annotator's Note: 11 November 1942] in Raleigh, North Carolina then...
Thornhill, Jack Boot Camp and Ship Assignment
Jack Thornhill was sent to San Diego for boot camp. There were a lot of guys from the Alexandria [Annotator's Note:...
Moore, Calvin Boot Camp at Montford Point
When Calvin Moore arrived at Camp Lejeune [Annotator's Note: Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North...
Colburn, George Boot Camp at Parris Island
George Colburn had never been away from home until arriving at Parris Island [Annotator's Note: Marine Corps Recruit...
Weber, Ed Boot Camp to 4th Marine Division
Marine Corps boot camp was not bad for Ed Weber. They needed bodies then, so it was not that bad. Today, boot camp is...
Hall, Clayton Boot Camp to a Ship Overseas
[Annotator's Note: This clip starts with Clayton Hall mid-sentence talking about growing up on a farm.] Clayton Hall...
Munch, Melvin Boot Camp to Okinawa
Melvin Munch was introduced to the Navy in boot camp in San Diego. It was rough. Getting up early each morning to begin...
Dyer, Jimmie Boot Camp Training
Jimmie Dyer entered the service in March 1944 after making a deal with his mother to finish high school. He was sworn...
Renstrom, Keith Boot Camp, Deploying to Iceland, and Making PFC
The training Marines receive is to make sure that they are always ready. After boot camp, Keith Renstrom went into...
Gruber, Harper Boot Camp, Joining the USS YMS-339 and Overseas Deployment
Harper Gruber found boot camp very rough, but very beneficial in terms of his physical conditioning. After school, his...
Thrift, Clem Borneo, War’s End and Postwar Life
Clem Thrift's last combat assignment was off of Borneo. There was concern because Japanese soldiers were swimming out...
Toledo, Bill Bougainville
Bill Toledo saw his first combat on 1 November 1943. He landed on the island of Bougainville [Annotator's Note:...
Carson, Benjamin Bougainville
Benjamin Carson assessed the battle for Bougainville to be unique in the sense that the intent was not to capture the...
Gulotta, James Bougainville
After Guadalcanal, James Gulotta went to Bougainville. They did a lot of heavy fighting on Bougainville. The Marines...
Mikus, John Bougainville
John Mikus, Jr. left from Vella Lavella [Annotator's Note: Vella Lavella, Solomon Islands] on Higgins boats [Annotator'...
Powers, Robert Bougainville and Back to Guadalcanal
Robert Powers never saw his comrade who was captured again. He knew that if he were captured he would be killed. If...
Severance, Dave Bougainville and Disbanding the Para-Marines
On 1 December 1943, they [Annotator's Note: Dave Severance and the rest of the 3rd Marine Parachute Battalion] attacked...
Salerno, James Bougainville and Guadalcanal
James Salerno cannot remember a lot of things that happened during the war. He does remember that there was a lot of...
Gaffney, James Bougainville and Okinawa
James Gaffney never spotted any Japanese while patrolling Bougainville. They did observe and report a bright light on...
Wilson, Adolph Bougainville then Back to the United States
Adolph Wilson fought through some of the worse jungles on Bougainville. It had everything imaginable. It rained every...
Shannahan, Claude Bougainville then Back to the US
Claude Shannahan joined the 3rd Marines [Annotator's Note: 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division]. He went with the...
Haslauer, Warren Bougainville to Guam
Eventually, Bougainville was taken [Annotator's Note: Bougainville campaign, part of the Solomon Islands Campaign at...
Tognoli, Paris Bougainville to Leyte
Paris Tognoli and his outfit [Annotator's Note: Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 182nd Infantry Regiment, Americal...
Celaya, Adolfo Bread and Water Homecoming
Adolfo V. Celaya returned to the United States after the war. He was on the aircraft carrier Hollandia [Annotator’s...
Hill, Rawley Breakdown in the Pacific
[Annotator’s Note: Interviewee has difficulty speaking at times throughout this segment.] After a long wait, Rawley R....
Singlaub, John British Training Methods
John Singlaub was asked by OSS [Annotator's Note: Office of Strategic Services, pre-runner of the Central Intelligence...
Rinas, Bruno Building an Air Field
At the end of 1943, the Japanese made Bruno S. Rinas and his comrades build an airport outside of Manila [Annotator's...
Charles, Howard Building the Burma Railway
Howard Robert Charles was part of the prisoner of war force that worked 14 months on building the Burma Railroad from...
Nakagawa, Ittsei Bullied For Being American
[Annotator's Note: Ittsei Nakagawa was in a factory in Hiroshima, Japan when the atomic bomb exploded over the city on...
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...

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