Scope and Contents

Abbott (b. 1923) recalls his childhood in Sutherland, Utah. He joined the Marine Corps in November 194 and took basic training in California. He was assigned to the 2nd Marine Division, 8th Marines, 8th Regiment, E Company. He served in American Samoa and took part in battles on Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, and Tinian. He later became part of a combat training group at Camp Pendleton. Interviewed by Benjamin Bahlmann. 106 pages.

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Felsted (b. 1924) was drafted during his senior year in high school and took basic training at Camp Roberts, California. He was assigned to the 91st Infantry Division, Battery C, 346th Field Artillery. After taking a liberty ship to North Africa and taking part in an amphibious landing at Ranger Beach, New Oran, he was sent to Italy. Interviewed by Joel Calderon. 12 pages.

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Gordon (b. 1919) describes his life in Utah prior to being drafted in August 1944. He served on Okinawa briefly before being wounded and evacuated. Shortly after he returned to his unit the war ended. Interviewed by Benjamin Bahlmann. 68 pages.

Scope and Contents Harris (b. 1922) discusses his childhood, family life, and schooling in Utah. He enlisted in the Navy in January 1942 and was assigned to the V5 flight program associated with the College of Eastern Utah. After additional flight training at Los Alamitos, Corpus Christie, and Cape May, he took carrier landing training and was assigned to the USS Essex VBF-83 Fighter Group. Haris describes combat duties and flights in detail. Interviewed by Benjamin Bahlmann....

Scope and Contents Jenkins (b. 1918) describes his depression-era childhood in Southern Idaho. He participated in ROTC at Utah State University and after graduation was sent to Camp Davis, North Carolina, for anti-aircraft training. He was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant and received additional training at Camp Benning, Georgia. He was shipped to Europe in November 1944, and assigned to the 7th Army, 45th Division, where he was wounded in his first patrol and evacuated to a U. S. hospital in France. Interviewed...

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Johnson (b. 1924) describes his childhood in Springville, Utah, and being inducted into the Army. He was sent to New Caledonia in December 1943 and shortly thereafter went to Guadalcanal as a replacement in the 43rd Infantry Division. He also served in New Guinea and the Philippines, as well as being part of the occupation force in Japan. Interviewed by Benjamin Bahlmann. 120 pages.

Scope and Contents Kennicott (b. 1923) recalls his childhood in Des Plaines, Illinois, and describes his aviation training with the US Navy and Marince Corps. He was part of a replacement squadron formed in New Caledonia and saw action over Bougainville, where his group was eventually based prior to moving to the Solomon Islands. He was involved in carrier training in Hawaii when the war ended. He was discharged from San Francisco, California, and stayed in the Marine Reserves until 1965, achieving the rank of...

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Madsen (b. 1926) discusses his childhood in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was drafted into the army in August 1944 and received basic training at Camp Wolters, Texas. He was shipped to England and crossed the channel in an LST to Le Havre. In January 1945 he was assigned to the 3rd Army, 90th Infantry Division, 359th Infantry Regiment, B, in Belgium. Madsen describes his combat experience and his activities in post-war Europe. Interviewed by Benjamin Bahlmann. 85 pages.

Scope and Contents Mower (b. 1928) recalls his childhood in rural Utah. He received his initial military training from the Utah State Guard, which he joined at the age of fourteen. In 1994, at the age of sixteen, he joined the U.S. Navy, with his parents' permission. He served in the North Pacific and the Aleutian Islands before being sent to Japan. He participated in "Operation Magic Carpet," in which his ship picked up Marines from Iwo Jima and took them back to the states. His ship was also involved in...

Scope and Contents Moy (b. 1921) joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in September 1939, shortly after graduating high school. Because he lacked a college degree, he was ineligible for flight training and became an airplane mechanic. He was assigned to Rio Hato, Canal Zone, Panama, in November 1940, where he maintained B18 aircraft. He was accepted for pilot training as an enlisted man and received his wings and commission in 1944. He describes his participation in the bombing of Europe and recalls retrieving...

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Standiford (b. 1922) grew up in Salt LakeCity and was inducted into the army at Fort Douglas in 1942. He was assigned to the 1266th Combat Engineers and sent to Europe, where he as assigned to the 3rd Army, 523rd Maintenance Company, and provided maintenance on heavy equipment. After the war in Europe ended, he was sent to the Philippine Islands, where he remained until the war ended. He was discharge at Fort Douglas in February 1946. Interviewed by Joel C. Calderon. 20 pages.

Scope and Contents Stevens (b. 1922) recalls his childhood in Idaho during the Depression. He was drafted into the army in September 1942 and received basic training at Buckley Field, Colorado before being assigned to B-17 gunnery school as a ball turret gunner. He flew to England and was assigned to the 401st air base in Deenethorpe. Stevens talks about his crew, his duties, missions flown, and war experiences. He returned stateside in 1945 and was a gunnery instructor at Fort Meyers, Florida, until the war...

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Stewart (b. 1919) describes his early years in Hinckley, Utah, before he attended the Branch Agricultural College in Cedar City, Utah. He joined the National Guard and his unit was activated shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He served in Hawaii, Guadalcanal, New Guinea, and the Philippines. After the war he helped dismantle the Japanese internment camp at Topaz, near Delta, Utah. Interviewed by Benjamin Bahlmann. 54 pages.

Scope and Contents Thiriot (b. 1920) enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a pilot cadet in December 1941. He and his friends were spurred to enlist by the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was trained in B17 and B24 aircraft and flew with actor Jimmy Stewart. He recalls high altitute bombing, being a "carpet bagger," and dropping spies, supplies, and propaganda behind enemy lines. His plane was shot down over Belgium and he stayed with the underground until he could rejoin the American forces. He ended his military...