TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

A PACIFIC WAR OVERVIEW

1. “A DATE WHICH WILL LIVE IN INFAMY.” PEARL HARBOR, DECEMBER 7, 1941

FIRMAN BALZA, NAVY, USS Maryland, battleship

RUSSELL McCURDY, MARINES, USS Arizona, battleship

EVERETT HYLAND, NAVY, USS Pennsylvania, battleship

DEL ALDRICH, NAVY, USS Ramsey, destroyer-minesweeper

AL BODENLOS, ARMY, Schofield Barracks

HARVEY AND JEAN FRASER, ARMY, Schofield Barracks

WAYNE “JIM” JOHNSON, ARMY AIR FORCE, Hickam Field

BILL AND RUTH COPE, ARMY AIR FORCE, Hickam Field

TOM LARSON, NAVY, Pearl Harbor

LENORE RICKERT, NAVY, Pearl Harbor, nurse

2. THE FALL OF THE PHILIPPINES: CORREGIDOR AND THE BATAAN DEATH MARCH, 1941-42

ALAN HANCOCK, ARMY, Bataan Death March

IRVING STROBING, ARMY, Corregidor

JOHN BRUER, ARMY, Bataan, Corregidor

3. THE DOOLITTLE RAIDERS BOMB TOKYO, APRIL 1942

BILL BOWER, ARMY AIR FORCE, B-25 pilot

4. ISLAND COMBAT BEGINS AT GUADALCANAL, TARAWA, PELELIU, NEW GUINEA, 1942-44

ROBERT MAHOOD, MARINES, Guadalcanal

CARL ALBRITTON, ARMY, New Guinea, Philippines

DAVE BOWMAN, MARINES, Peleliu, Okinawa

5. COPING WITH CASUALTIES: MEDICS AND CORPSMEN, 1942-45

VERN GARRETT, NAVY, corpsman, USS Yorktown, carrier, and Marine invasions: Tarawa, Guam

ROBERT CLACK, NAVY, corpsman, USS Yorktown, carrier

STERLING CALE, NAVY, corpsman, Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal

DAVE GUTTERMAN, ARMY, medic, New Guinea, Philippines, Japan

6. COMMUNICATING WITH THE ENEMY: INTERPRETERS, 1942-45

BOB SHEEKS, MARINES, Japanese language officer, Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian

DAN WILLIAMS, MARINES, Japanese language officer, Saipan, Tinian, Iwo Jima

HARRY FUKUHARA, ARMY, Nisei interpreter, New Guinea, Philippines, Hiroshima

7. MANNING THE PT BOATS, 1942-45

DAVE LEVY, NAVY, PT boat skipper, Solomons, Philippines

AL HAHN, NAVY, PT boat motor machinist mate, Philippines

8. THE WAR IN THE AIR, 1942-45

JOHN BEDDALL, ARMY AIR FORCE, B-25 radio operator and gunner, Marshalls

A.C. KLEYPAS, ARMY AIR FORCE, B-24 radio operator and gunner, New Guinea, Philippines

JIM ROSENBROCK, ARMY AIR FORCE, P-38 and P-51 armorer, New Guinea, Philippines

JOHN W. VINZANT, ARMY AIR FORCE, B-29 pilot

FRED WOLKEN, ARMY AIR FORCE, C-47 troop carrier pilot, New Guinea, Philippines

DON VAN INWEGEN, ARMY AIR FORCE, B-29 tail gunner

BILL MASHAW, NAVY, Naval Air Transport Service pilot

LOUIS MEEHL, ARMY AIR FORCE, gunner

9. THE WAR AT SEA, 1942-45

RUSSELL FRINK, NAVY, USS Fletcher, destroyer, Solomons

WYLIE DAVIS, NAVY, USS Chicago, cruiser

PERRY MAX JOHNSTON, NAVY, LST 958

OZ LEVERENZ, NAVY, destroyer crewman

BILL LEWIS, NAVY, LCSL captain, Okinawa

CLARENCE COOK, NAVY, armed guard, merchant ships

BILL POND, NAVY, USS Tulagi, carrier, deck crew

CLARENCE “DUDE” STORLA, COAST GUARD, LST 831

GEORGE THOMA, NAVY, USS Sperry, submarine tender

MIKE DEBOLT, NAVY, USS Portland, cruiser

LEO DORSEY, NAVY, carrier fighter pilot

JAMES REAVES, NAVY, Underwater Demolition Team

JIM LOCKHART, NAVY, submariner

10. LIFE IN THE REAR AREA ISLANDS, 1942-45

FRED GILES, NAVY, Bora Bora

DOUG McEVOY, NAVY, Midway

REX ALAN SMITH, ARMY ENGINEERS, Canton, Funafuti, Guam, Philippines

CHARLES McNEAL, MARINES, Samoa

ROBERT PHELAN, ARMY, rear area islands

CARL HAMILTON, NAVY, Seabees

11. WAR AS ISLAND NATIVES SAW IT, 1942-45

FALAVI, COAST-WATCHER, Beru, Gilberts

KIMIUO AISEK, Truk

JORGE CRISTOBAL, NAVY, Pearl Harbor, Guam

12. THE VIEW FROM JAPAN, 1942-45

PAUL KURODA, Tokyo

AKIRA KASAHARA, Tokyo

13. THE FINAL PHASE OF ISLAND COMBAT, PHILIPPINES, SAIPAN, GUAM, TINIAN, IWO JIMA, OKINAWA, 1944-45

JIM MILLIFF, MARINES, Bougainville, Guam

HARLAN WALL, ARMY, Philippines

FRED SAIZ, ARMY, New Guinea, Philippines

MILO CUMPSTON, MARINES, Iwo Jima

BILL HASTINGS, MARINES, Iwo Jima

JOE WOODS, MARINES, Saipan, Iwo Jima

14. FACING THE KAMIKAZE, 1944-45

JIM SPRIGGS, NAVY, USS Laffey, destroyer

BOB KARR, NAVY, USS Laffey, destroyer

LARRY DELEWSKI, NAVY, USS Laffey, destroyer

DALE KILLIAN, COAST GUARD, LST 170

15. THE SURRENDER, AND ENTERING JAPAN, 1945

HOADLEY DEAN, ARMY, advance party into Japan

KEN GUENTHER, ARMY, Philippines, Hokkaido

THE PACIFIC WAR IN RETROSPECT

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INDEX