Interactions with local populations

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Fagerstrom, Stanley Island Hopping
Stanley Fagerstrom left New Guinea on 15 November 1944. The Japanese came across the Pacific in the beginning. They...
Mestayer, Angus Island hopping
Angus Francis Mestayer remembers the New Zealanders were not too friendly. They had been fighting in South Africa for...
Dawson, Ruffin Island Hopping
Ruffin Walker Dawson [Annotator's Note: with the 51st Defense Battalion] found out he was going overseas in February...
Samet, Judah Israel, Life Lessons and Reparations
Judah Samet had a difficult time connecting with Israel as an Orthodox Jew. He was eight years old at the time he...
Estes, Bruce Italian Campaign & Southern France Invasion
After basic training, Bruce Estes was shipped to Naples, Italy where he joined a 60mm mortar squad [Annotator's Note:...
Golemi, Frank Italian Wine
Frank Golemi was sent to Civitavecchia, Italy where he trained to fly into Southern France. He was sent down to Sicily...
McCowen, William Italians, Home, and War's End
In Italy, William McCowen [Annotator's Note: a member of the US Army Air Forces] would only see Italians when he was...
Cole, Edward Italy
Edward C. Cole and his unit [Annotator's Note: 370th Infantry Regiment, 92nd Infantry Division] never stayed in the...
Romano, Joseph Italy
Joseph Roman was in Africa for a few months before going to Naples, Anzio, Apennines – all over [Annotators Note: Italy...
Hayashi, Shizuya Italy and Returning Home
The terrain in Italy was mountainous. Shiyuza Hayashi wonders how people live in the mountains. It must be a tough life...
Payne, Carl Italy to War's End
Carl Payne went to Italy right after the invasion started. They landed in the Port of Rome [Annotator’s Note: Rome,...
Mikus, John Iwo and Closing Thoughts
John Mikus, Jr.'s rifle [Annotator's Note: .30 caliber M1 semi-automatic rifle, also known as the M1 Garand] did not...
Born, James Iwo Jima and Occupation Duty in Japan
James Born installed water units that changed saltwater to fresh water for various buildings like barracks, bases, and...
Trahan, Horace Iwo Jima and Tokyo
[Annotator's Note: Horace Trahan serevd in the Navy aboard the USS Briscoe (APA 65) in the Pacific.] They stopped in...
Mason, Leslie Jailer to Discharge
Leslie B. Mason, Junior was on MP [Annotator's Note: military police] duty for a while and then became a jailer [...
McMullen, Milton Japan
It took 41 days for Milton L. McMullen, Sr. to reach Kobe, Japan [Annotator's Note: as a prisoner of war or POW]....
Guidry, Edmond Japan and Returning Home
Edmond Guidry wanted to kill the Japanese for what they did. When the war ended, the United States still did not trust...
Rinas, Bruno Japan and War's End
When he arrived in Japan, Bruno S. Rinas was loaded onto a train. He was given some food and Rinas enjoyed it. Rinas...
Warne, Therese Japan Invades the Philippines
Therese Wadsworth Warne [Annotator's Note: an American child living in the Philippines during World War 2] was eating...
Kerchum, Paul Japan Invades the Philippines
After two years in the Army, Paul Kerchum was discharged, but re-enlisted for another overseas deployment. His second...
Scherer, Monroe Japan Surrenders
[Annotator's Note: Monroe Scherer survived Typhoon Louise on Okinawa, Japan on 9 October 1945.] Some groups rebuilt the...
Abadie, Melvin Japan Then Going Home
The ship Melvin Abadie was assigned to [Annotator's Note: USS Appalachian (AGC-1)] was one of 18 ships that took troops...
Delaune, Lawrence Japanese and Filipinos
[Annotator's Note: Lawrence J. Delaune, Sr. served on Luzon, Philippines with the 25th Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized...
McMullen, Milton Japanese Attack on the Philippines
Milton L. McMullen, Sr. heard about the attack at Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor,...
de Jonge, Wim Japanese Coal Mines and Liberation
Wim de Jonge worked in unsafe conditions in the coal mines of Japan. He was there for about a year. That was the...
Devoe, Susan Japanese Invade Manila
Susan Magnuson Devoe was born in Manila [Annotator's Note: Manila, Philippines] in June 1940. Her father worked as an...
Varner, Joel Japanese Kite Flyers
The Americans had captured some bases on the east coast of China and the Army Air Forces were out in the boondocks [...
Poye, Matthew Japanese Locals and Returning Home
Matthew Poye was assigned to the Eigth Army as part of the occupation force in Japan. While stationed in Toyama City [...
Waller, Charles Japanese Strike
Charles A. Waller [Annotator’s Note: assigned to the Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 241 (VMSB-241)] had his first combat...
Bellecci, John Japanese Surrender and Occupation Duty
The war had ended but John Bellecci did not know. His company [Annotator’s Note: 1383rd Engineer Petroleum Distribution...
Ream, John Japanese Takeover
John Ream had to learn what war was. He thought the hike to Camp John Hay [Annotator’s Note: Camp John Hay in Baguio,...
Lauderdale, Dell Japanese War Criminals
Dell Lauderdale was at Sugamo Prison where there were six cell blocks separated by an iron gate. Behind the gate was "...
Shima, Terry Japanese-American Internment
Terry Shima's family was not interned during the war. There was not a mass internment in Hawaii. When President...
Tweedt, Vernon T. Japanese-American Soldiers
Vernon Tweedt does not recall where he was when a trainload of people came through the town. They were packed like...
Sapp, Walter Jets and Nazi Women
Walter Sapp never personally saw a German tank in combat. He could hear them. At the Remagen Bridge [Annotator's Note:...
Mermelstein, Seymour "Cy" Jews and Nazis
Seymour Mermelstein had no idea of how the Jews were being treated by the Nazis. He did know through relatives of his...

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