[Annotator’s Note: Video begins with interviewee mid-sentence talking about a World War 2 experience.] Mort Oman and his unit were walking down a paved area and realized the enemy was surrounding them. The enemy was hidden in caves and Oman used flamethrowers [Annotator's Note: ranged incendiary device that projects a controllable jet of fire] against them. He collected prisoners as they found Japanese soldiers. He was given a three-day pass [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time] in Manila [Annotator’s Note: Manila, the Philippines] after turning in a Japanese prisoner. Oman did not believe that the war was over because he had heard it so many times, but Japanese soldiers and officers began to surrender after armistice day. He drove in the dark to load ammunition, and then all of a sudden he was picked as an emergency driver. There were no lights except the moon, and the door of the truck would not stay closed. He had ammunition packed up in the truck. He saw a tractor with two prongs that slipped on the coral ground and pinned a truck [Annotator’s Note: Interviewee talked with interviewer at 0:06:50.000.]

[Annotator’s Note: Interviewer and Interviewee talk about how the interview will be conducted at the beginning of this segment.] Mort Oman was a student at Michigan State University [Annotator’s Note: in East Lansing, Michigan] when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941]. He was sitting around in the dormitory listening to the radio when he heard FDR [Annotator's Note: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States] on the radio announcing the attack. A bunch of the men in the dormitory were ready to sign up that day, but were soon told by the university that the government would be in touch with everyone, so to stay home until then. Oman was at home when he received his letter and reported to the service office. After induction, he was sent to Camp Roberts [Annotator’s Note: Camp Roberts, California] for basic training. Oman took to basic training well. On Saturday mornings, the instructors came into the barracks and dropped a coin on everyone’s beds to see if it would bounce. He then went on a 20-mile hike. He was a corporal by the time he finished his training. As a part of a cadre, he was sent to the Presidio [Annotator’s Note: in San Francisco, California] where he spent the next 14 months as an instructor teaching men how to use machine guns, throw grenades, fire a carbine [Annotator's Note: .30 caliber M1 semi-automatic carbine], and run through obstacle courses. Around June 1944, he learned that being an instructor would no longer exempt him from being shipped overseas as a replacement which happened to him shortly after learning about it. It took 21 days for his convoy to cross the Pacific and reach New Guinea. He slept on three-tier bunk, and space was very tight.

After a 21-day voyage across the Pacific, Mort Oman arrived in Buna, New Guinea and was sent to a replacement depot site. When he first arrived, he thought how beautiful the island looked from afar, but as he made his way on the beach, he noticed shot up trees and lots of damage on the island. He was assigned to Headquarters Battery, 251st Field Artillery Battalion. Oman was initially nervous about meeting his group because he had heard they were “rough and tough”. To his pleasant surprise, he adjusted to the group well and everyone appreciated each other’s skills. The weather conditions were very wet and rainy. He trained for six months as a fire controller. He remembered learning, “Fast as you can, but be sure you are right.” He also learned hand-to-hand combat. While at Finschafen [Annotator’s Note: Finschafen, Papua New Guinea], Oman witnessed the formation of the convoy that would take him to Lingayen Gulf for the invasion of Luzon in the Philippines. For Oman, it was the most impressive thing he had even seen.

Mort Oman was sent to New Guinea and joined the 251st Field Artillery Battalion as a fire controller and trained for six months. Right before they left the island, he drove a truck loaded with ammunition. There was an accident because the terrain was so slippery, and a couple of men were killed. [Annotator’s Note: Telephone rings at 0:34:16.000.] A few days later, he loaded onto a ship that was part of the flotilla that followed MacArthur [Annotator's Note: General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area] to return to the Philippines. He enjoyed serving with the men in his unit. His battalion was tasked with supporting other units while in Lingayen Gulf for the invasion of Luzon in the Philippines in January 1945. His unit had to wait three days to receive their heavy equipment, including howitzers, trucks, and jeeps. He slept in a grove of trees. Before they invaded the island, there was a pre-landing bombardment. After several hours of bombardment, Oman descended on rope ladders into a smaller boat, and then invaded the island. He waded through water before making his way on the beach. He noticed that it was very quiet, and saw empty Japanese boats off to the side. He later found out that the commander of the Japanese had retreated because his troops did not have enough fire power to adequately fight the Americans.

Mort Oman [Annotator’s Note: serving with the 251st Field Artillery Battalion as a fire controller] took part in the landing on Luzon, the Philippines [Annotator’s Note: the Battle of Luzon, 9 January to 15 August 1945]. His unit was not met with any resistance when they made the landing because the Japanese had retreated inland due to insufficient ammunition and supplies. One morning, they found some drunk Japanese riding on an ox. Then all of a sudden, firing began. His unit fired all night and Oman could hear the Japanese dying. After three days, Oman and his unit received their heavy supplies and began moving inland. Not long after they traveled in, they saw a truck full of American bodies. He was stunned by the sight. They had to make difficult combat decisions and tried to work diligently to load up the cannons. His unit was able to hit three Japanese tanks. Oman and his commander got in a jeep and drove down to where the tanks were located. When he got down there, he jumped out of the jeep to peer inside the tank. He could see the tank commander dead with a burnt face. Today, he feels that he was a dumb, young kid. [Annotator’s Note: Video break at 0:59:33.000.] For the next 108 days, his unit was in search of the Japanese. He experienced enemy fire every morning because the Japanese were all around them. Some of the Filipino kids from the villages would help them carry supplies and do small tasks. They soon learned that they were firing in the wrong area and changed their direction to the mountains.

Mort Oman [Annotator’s Note: serving with the 251st Field Artillery Battalion as a fire controller] took part in the artillery combat on Luzon, the Philippines [Annotator’s Note: the Battle of Luzon, 9 January to 15 August 1945]. His unit became attached to the 9th Corps [Annotator’s Note: IX Corps]. He soon learned from headquarters that his unit needed to find prisoners of war. Oman was concerned about this task because they were an artillery unit, and now they were supposed to act like infantry. He would have to go on searches based on what some of the Filipino children told them. He jumped in a jeep at seven in the morning, but was pulled out by his colonel. He later learned that the jeep was hit by the enemy and two of the guys in the jeep were wounded, and one was killed. When they made camp, they put their guns, ammunition, and top officers in the center of the perimeter. Surrounding the center were foxholes, mines, and other boobytraps. They set up camp every three or four days. Towards the end of the war, his unit ran patrols everyday as if they were in the infantry, searching for Japanese. They always found them starving and willing to fight to the death. On one occasion, Oman and his friend found a Japanese soldier and took him prisoner. When they turned him into to headquarters, he and his friend received a three-day leave [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time] in Manila, the Philippines.

At the end of the war, Mort Oman [Annotator’s Note: serving with the 251st Field Artillery Battalion as a fire controller] heard the news but did not believe it. A few days later, a Japanese commander came out of hiding with hundreds of his officers to surrender. After the war, Oman was promoted to sergeant major and assigned to military police duty to patrol the area. Oman did not know the first thing about managing a battalion. After three months, the ship for his battalion had arrived and the troops were ready to board. In January 1946, Oman arrived in Washington and then shipped out to Wisconsin. Throughout his time on the Philippines, he never wore his uniform. He only wore fatigues until after the Japanese had surrendered. Oman felt so ashamed for not contributing to the last 60 days of the war and being named sergeant major. He felt he did not manage his battalion properly. When he came home, he brought back several souvenirs including his battalion flag.

Mort Oman was born in Chicago, Illinois in September 1923 and moved to Winnetka, Illinois when he was in the sixth grade. His father worked in architecture and built homes and buildings. His education in Winnetka was different than in Chicago. His father died from a stroke while he was in basic training. He was given leave to go home for the funeral. Oman said that the union had caused his father unneeded stress which was the cause of his stroke. Oman enlisted in the Army in 1943. He had wanted to enlist right after Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941], but his college told him to wait. He continued through his sophomore year in college before he received his draft notice. He wanted to enlist because it was necessary, and he wanted to do his part. When he was drafted, the military slated him for the Army. He received four months of basic training and then was assigned to a cadre group from August 1943 to June 1944. He was assigned to go overseas and arrived in New Guinea in June 1944.

Mort Oman was not aware that a large battle had jut taken place when he arrived in Buna, New Guinea in June 1944. He was sent to a replacement depot where he was assigned to Headquarters Battery, 251st Field Artillery Battalion as a fire control man. His battalion was considered the “bastard” unit because it was not attached to any particular unit. They were assigned to different units at any given time. His first fire mission was when he hit three Japanese tanks. Oman’s takeaway from his World War 2 experience is that he learned how important it is to manage and focus on the task at hand. He remarked that Obama [Annotator’s Note: Barack Hussein Obama II, 44th president of the United States] had failed his presidency because he did not know how to manage the country properly and help his race. [Annotator’s Note: Video Break at 1:55:12.000.] His colonel was very excited to see the damage that Oman and his team did to the three tanks. They got a jeep and went down to the site to observe the damage. Oman looks back on that event in his life as a stupid decision that only a young person would make. The bodies in the tank were still smoking and smelled horrible. His unit was given the task of clearing out the caves where Japanese soldiers were hiding. He was then told to take prisoners when they could. [Annotator’s Note: Video break at 2:02:18.000.]

The first time Mort Oman experienced enemy fire was in the Philippines when the Japanese fired upon him, and he did not have his carbine [Annotator's Note: .30 caliber M1 semi-automatic carbine] on him. Towards the end of the war, Oman and his team were becoming lazy. They dug holes into the coral in their perimeter, but they were not very deep. One of the lieutenants began setting mines for security, but he accidentally tripped over the first mine and blew his leg off. Oman volunteered to disarm the second mine so that the others could get to the lieutenant and help him. On another occasion towards the end of the war, Oman and his team had set up the perimeter. All of a sudden, he heard a horn honking and saw tracer bullets coming through the perimeter. Two drunk Japanese men were wearing loin cloths. One held a machine gun while the other held the ammunition. Somehow, they snuck in the perimeter. Everyone was unprepared and surprised by what was happening. Oman reflects that the acts of the Japanese were a form a terrorism and the events that are going on in our world today remind him of that specific World War 2 experience.

Mort Oman [Annotator’s Note: was assigned to Headquarters Battery, 251st Field Artillery Battalion as a fire control man] did not collet Japanese prisoners until the end of the war because it was too dangerous. The Japanese would often be ready to stab someone if an American attempted to go in a cave to capture them. Instead, they used flamethrowers [Annotator's Note: ranged incendiary device that projects a controllable jet of fire] to clear the Japanese out of the caves. Oman shared a story about how he lost a ring that was very special to him, but he later found it being worn by a Filipino. Another time, he heard that one of the Filipino homes had ice cream and made ice cream on Sundays for the soldiers. After he returned home and was discharged from the military, Oman took advantage of 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 went back to college. He met with a Filipino while he was in the Philippines who was a friend of his uncle. After the war, he suffered from post-traumatic stress [Annotator's Note: post traumatic stress disorder; a mental health condition triggered by a terrifying event either experienced or witnessed].

Mort Oman suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder [Annotator's Note: post traumatic stress disorder; a mental health condition triggered by a terrifying event either experienced or witnessed] from his time in combat. His most memorable experience of World War 2 was when a fire started in a small village while he was in the Philippines. Another memorable experience was seeing the invasion fleet on its way to the Philippines. He remarked that you should always be prepared.