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James Richardson

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Why volunteer for an unknown "rugged mission" in an unknown location? James Richardson thought he might get an overdue furlough. That didn't happen and he wound up in India, where the people and the wildlife were unlike anything he'd ever seen. As he marched toward the Himalayas, he was told to drop something he'd carried every day in the Army. (5:33)

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When James Richardson got to the jungles of Burma, he was tapped to be a messenger. He got a little nervous about approaching the lines in the dark, but the communication was good and he was OK on his own in the dark with his Thompson ready to go. The shadowy unit finally found themselves cut off by the Japanese and trapped in the village of Napumga. (6:53)

Willie Weaver

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When the draft came for Willie Weaver, he went to infantry training and prepared to ship out to Okinawa, but he got sick and missed the boat. All his friends were gone and, when he recovered, he was sent to Fort Benning as part of the training cadre. After the war, he began to question why the Army was segregated at the time. (4:55)

Jack Fletcher

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Jack Fletcher recalls some of the odd and unexpected things that happened during the war in the Pacific. Before he deployed, he designed a coded map for his mother to keep track of his whereabouts, then he ran into his brother in the Philippines, who also had the map. We also hear about a search for Japanese gold teeth and some larcenous sailors. (4:17)

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As he was recuperating in a hospital in the Philippines, Jack Fletcher befriended a nurse who made the rounds among the wounded troops. When he found out she was getting married, he made a beautiful gesture that only an aviator could make. (3:14)

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In a war, there always seems to be some humorous things that happen, though they can't always be enjoyed at the time. C-47 crew chief Jack Fletcher recalls some of those including some purloined steaks and a power struggle with a pilot. (3:49)

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Jack Fletcher recalls his interactions with the Filipinos he got to know during the war. He very much enjoyed visiting them and trading for curious souvenirs. (3:55)

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They did what they had to do. That's how Jack Fletcher remembers the war. He credits American can-do spirit with achieving victory over Germany and Japan. (2:32)

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Jack Fletcher recounts the life of a crew chief on a C-47 in the South Pacific. Flying everything from Bataan Death March survivors to crates of eggs, it was a very busy time. Shortly after the Japanese surrender was achieved, he was flying supplies into Japan itself. (6:38)

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There were plenty of interesting sights when Jack Fletcher landed in Japan. The C-47 crew chief was part of the supply effort for the occupation shortly after the war's end. He had no trouble there, but when he got back to Okinawa, he had to spend a long night during a typhoon trying to keep his aircraft safe. (4:44)