Henry Quinton Pike [Annotator's Note: An announcement interrupts interview from 0:00:19.000 to 0:00:36.000] was born in March 1924 in a mining camp in Fayette County, Alabama. The hospital he was born in was in Howard, Alabama. His father's health was poor due to ingesting gas during World War 1 and could not mine anymore, so his family moved out to the country and worked on a farm. Pike also did a lot of work on the farm and learned how to ride a horse. His mother died when he was only three years old, so he was raised by his uncle and great grandfather. He was taught to bootleg [Annotator's Note: illegally trafficing alcohol], farm, and take care of horses. He walked to school, which was three miles away, with his friends but eventually rode a school bus. Pike's uncle gave him some spending money for his work, so he spent it on Saturday movies. When he was 17 years old, he was out working in the fields with his uncle and realized he wanted to do more than be a farmer. He decided right then that he would join the Marine Corps. [Annotator's Note: The interviewer asks Pike to remove his glasses from his face 0:03:55.000.] He hitchhiked to Birmingham, Alabama to the recruiting office and was turned away by the Army and the Navy. The Marine recruiter brought him in his office and asked if his father would sign for him since he was not yet 18 years old. [Annotator's Note: The lights go out in the room at 0:05:25.000.] His father agreed to let him enlist. He reported to Birmingham for swearing in to the Marine Corps then was sent to San Diego, California by train. He enjoyed the train ride because he was in a sleeper car and got dining tickets. [Annotator's Note: An announcement interrupts the interview at 0:06:51.000.] When he arrived in San Diego, he and some others went around the city for a few hours before they reported in. As soon as he arrived at the depot, a PFC [Annotator's Note: Private First Class] started yelling at everyone to get off the bus and line up. The PFC then asked if anyone knew about marching and answering their superiors. Pike answered that he did. He stayed at the depot for two weeks until there were enough men to make a platoon. Military training was hard, but he enjoyed it. Pike was made Expert on the rifle range and earned three dollars [Annotator's Note: for earning the Expert qualification on the rifle range, he earned an additional three dollars per month]. He learned how to use a map and compass. After he completed his basic training, he was assigned to Mare Island Navy Yard [Annotator's Note: Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California]. After a few days of doing nothing, he asked a superior officer when he would be assigned to a duty. The officer told him he needed to straighten up his uniform before he was given a duty. After two weeks of sharpening up his uniform, he was put on guard detail. Because his uniform was so sharp, he was selected to assist the admiral on base for three weeks. On a Sunday morning he was about to go to a late breakfast when a bugle sounded off. All the men in his group reported to their First Sergeant who informed them that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941].

Henry Quinton Pike was assigned to a gun on the USS Hornet (CV-8) to transport civilians to Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii] to help repair the ships that were damaged from the Japanese attack [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941]. After they delivered the civilians to Pearl Harbor, they received widowed women and their children onto the ship and brought them back to the United States. As soon as they arrived back in port, the Marines were taken off the ship and reported back to Mare Island Navy Yard [Annotator's Note: Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California]. Pike was then assigned to the 22nd Marine Regiment, 1st Provisional Marine Brigade in San Diego [Annotator's Note: San Diego, California]. His regiment did a little training, and then shipped overseas, first to America Samoa [Annotator's Note: American Samoa, United States Territory] for a week, and then to Wallis Islands [Annotator's Note: Wallis, French Overseas Collectivity] for three weeks [Annotator's Note: in November 1943] and joined the 3rd Raider Battalion [Annotator's Note: 3rd Marine Raider Battalion] when they formed. It was very rainy which affected the terrain of the island they were training on. He trained in a submarine. There were 120 men crowded into the hull with bunks seven high. The 2nd Raider Battalion [Annotator's Note: 2nd Marine Raider Battalion] raided Makin Island [Annotator's Note: Raid on Makin Island, part of Gilbert and Marshall Islands Campaign, 17 to 18 August 1942, Makin Atoll, Gilbert Islands]. Most of Pike's missions were to attack small Japanese carriers and collect whatever they had on their bodies. During his service, his regiment [Annotator's Note: 22nd Marine Regiment, 1st Provisional Marine Brigade] was recognized with several decorations including seven Congressional Medals [Annotator's Note: the Medal of Honor is the highest award a United States service member can receive who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor], several Silver Stars [Annotator's Note: the Silver Star Medal is the third-highest award a United States service member can receive for a heroic or meritorious deed performed in a conflict with an armed enemy], and Purple Hearts [Annotator's Note: the Purple Heart Medal is award bestowed upon a United States service member who has been wounded as a result of combat actions against an armed enemy]. His regiment lasted for two years before it was disbanded in March 1944 and became the 4th Marines [Annotator's Note: part of the 4th Marine Regiment]. As they were preparing to invade Japan, he was invited into an officer meeting. He saw the maps of the invasion and was stunned. However, war ended, and he was sent to Japan for occupation duty. When he returned to the United States, he reported to Parris Island [Annotator's Note: Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in Port Royal, South Carolina].

Henry Quinton Pike returned to the United States to be trained as a platoon instructor but he did not like that duty. The Sergeant Major told him that when he graduated they would promote him but a day later the Colonel informed Pike that he would not receive that promotion. Pike decided to learn how to cook in the mess hall. He went home on a leave [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time] and stayed five days longer than he should. When he returned to base, the officer on duty informed him that he was on the AWOL [Annotator's Note: absent without leave] list. Pike assured him that he returned and could be taken off the list. Pike lost another stripe from the Colonel. Not long after, Pike was discharged from the military and went home. He signed up for the G.I. Bill [Annotator's Note: the G.I. Bill, or Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was enacted by the United States Congress to aid United States veterans of World War 2 in transitioning back to civilian life and included financial aid for education, mortgages, business starts and unemployment] and attended college. He was married but stayed in the men's dorm, while his wife stayed with her mother so they could save money. A friend of his convinced him to join the Army reserves so they could get another paycheck. Not long after, the Korean War [Annotator's Note: Korean War, 25 June 1950 to 27 July 1953] began, and his unit became activated. He reported to Fort Riley, Kansas to join the 1st Infantry Division. He was sent to Korea for some time and then returned to the United States. He then did two tours during the Vietnam War [Annotator's Note: Vietnam War, or Second Indochina War, 1 November 1955 to 30 April 1975] where he was promoted to First Sergeant. [Annotator's Note: A man can be seen in the background at 0:36:26.000.] When he returned to the United States again, he was assigned to Redstone Arsenal [Annotator's Note: Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama] where he turned in his retirement papers.

Henry Quinton Pike was part of the 3rd Raider Battalion [Annotator's Note: 3rd Marine Raider Battalion]. He had two lieutenant colonels who trained his battalion in guerrilla warfare. The training was daily with lots of running up mountains, climbing trees, and close combat. He also learned how to knife fight and use different types of knives. His battalion operated by squad, platoon, and regiment. He was trained to be a sufficient individual and was trained in a variety of weapons. During his campaigns, he only fired a weapon twice, which was a British Boys rifle [Annotator's Note: Rifle, Anti-Tank, .55in, Boys, called the Boys Anti-tank Rifle or the elephant gun]. It was a 55 caliber, bolt action, and held only five rounds. The kickback was strong. While they were on Tulagi [Annotator's Note: Battle of Tulagi and Gavutu-Tanambogo, 7 to 9 August 1942, Tulagi, Solomon Islands], the 2nd Raiders [Annotator's Note: 2nd Marine Raider Battalion] found no intelligence when they invaded the beach. They disappeared behind the lines for 30 days trying to find intel. They survived on what they had on them. When they returned, they found no prisoners. They were able to transport messages back and forth with a pole. Many of the men looked horrible when they returned. Their clothing was worn out and they had grown beards. The only bath they got was in a stream. The 2nd Raiders were out back in other campaigns to support other battalions in the Pacific. The Marines continued up to Bougainville [Annotator's Note: Bougainville, Papua New Guinea]. Pike first saw combat in patrol fighting in the Russell Islands [Annotator's Note: Russell Islands, Solomon Islands].

Henry Quinton Pike was part of the 3rd Raider Battalion [Annotator's Note: 3rd Marine Raider Battalion] which invaded the Russell Islands [Annotator's Note: Russell Islands, Solomon Islands]. They secured the islands and destroyed two radio stations. They found only seven Japanese. They began to put out some patrols and found some cows. The Marines killed one of the cows, butchered it, and began to barbeque the meat. A Navy officer came by and questioned they were doing. Pike's squad leader, Mike Strank [Annotator's Note: US Marine Corps Sergeant Michael Strank], told the man that they were cooking beef. The officer told them that they could not eat the beef because it was not inspected, and they did not know if it was healthy. Strank responded to the officer by saying that they were going to eat it anyway and if he had a problem with it, he can let all the Marines in the Regiment know. Strank eventually became a platoon sergeant and was part of the first raising of the American flag on Iwo Jima [Annotator's Note: United States flag raised on Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima, Japan, 23 February 1943]. While on Bougainville [Annotator's Note: Bougainville, Papua New Guinea], Pike often walked through pea fields. The Japanese dug holes straight down in the field to hide. As Marines came through the field, they would try to pick them off. Pike went through a pea field one day and came in line with a Japanese. As the Japanese pulled his trigger, Pike pulled his BAR [Annotator's Note: M1918A2 Browning Automatic Rifle]. The Japanese soldier missed Pike, but Pike did not miss him. That was as close as it came to a near death experience. He also had a mortar burst almost between his feet while he was sitting in a mud hole in the rain. All he could do was fall back away from the mortar. When he got a safe distance, he took a shot at it. He often heard shells come over his head and hit the ground ahead of him. Pike never received a Purple Heart [Annotator's Note: the Purple Heart Medal is award bestowed upon a United States service member who has been wounded as a result of combat actions against an armed enemy]. He had another incident with a mortar and got some shrapnel in his arm. He was sent to an aid station for treatment. While he was waiting in the jeep, three rounds of shells hit the aid station. Pike and the jeep driver drove off. Pike never got proper treatment on his arm. [Annotator's Note: The video ends while Pike is still talking].