World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American

Abstract

Tennal recalls his experiences as a Marine assigned to duty in the Pacific region during World War II. He describes his early days in the Marine Corps and becoming a member of the Marine Corps Band. He also details many of the battles and offenses he participated in while fighting the Japanese on islands in the South Pacific, including Guadalcanal, the Solomon Islands and Guam, and the effects of the malaria he contracted while stationed there.

Abstract Cronan describes his boot camp experiences and his initial assignment to shore duty patrolling the beach at Nags Head, N.C. during World War II. He details his training in preparation for serving on an LST (Landing Ship Tank), his assignment to LST-762, a newly-commissioned ship built in Pittsburg, and its journey down the Mississippi River, through the Panama Canal, to San Diego picking up troops, on to Pearl Harbor and finally unloading in the Philippines at Leyte. He recalls other...

Abstract Chartier describes his initial enlistment in the Army Air Corps, his efforts to pursue an army career related to airplanes, and his eventual enrollment in the Infantry shortly before being deployed to duty in France. From there he provides a detailed account of being an infantry soldier on the war's front on the Maginot Line. He recalls his initial contact with German soldiers, being the only survivor of a 12-member scouting squad ambushed by the Germans, and recovery in a French hospital as...

Abstract

Fallbach recalls his early years in the Coast Guard and learning how to deep sea dive, specifically his experiences attending the Navy's deep sea diving school in Washington, D.C. He highlights his assignments after school, including diving in the search of torpedoes in Chesapeake Bay, working on a ship that refueled aircraft carriers at sea, and his assignment as a member of the crew on the Nantucket Lightship, anchored off the coast of Nantucket Island.

Abstract Fallbach describes his experiences while living in Sedalia, Colo., including losing his home in a fire, and various experiences of being a member of the West Douglas Fire Dept. for 20 years. He also reminisces about growing up in suburban Chicago, and his early exposure to dog training while in high school. He recalls his training and experiences in diving while in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II, including his firefighting training while assigned to the USS Klickitat refueling...

Abstract Tom Butterfield describes life in the rural Indian Park area southwest of Sedalia, Colo. during the mid-20th century. He recalls residing there originally with his aunt, and his recollections of attending the Indian Park School as a child (originally called the Brown School), and later high school in neighboring Castle Rock. He reminisces about the family's neighbors, and various area activities he remembers during that time, e.g. moonshining and sawmills. The interview then shifts focus as...