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John Hancock

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Fifty years after the Battle of Midway, John Hancock was at a commemoration event that was also attended by some Japanese veterans. He went up and introduced himself to one of them and was in for quite a surprise. (3:32)

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John Hancock explains why the Navy can lay claim to being on Guadalcanal months before the Marines landed. It had to do with two pilots who were low on fuel and who were reprimanded for the incident. (4:41)

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They had joined the Navy together and were serving on the Yorktown during the Battle of Midway. John Hancock saw the bomb falling that hit his friend Clarence Hill's gun mount. He looked down to the lower deck to see what happened and he wished he had not. (2:54)

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In college after the war, John Hancock was asked if he wanted to join the Navy Reserve. The veteran Navy pilot said he hated the reserve. Then he was told it paid money. Where do I sign? A long career followed alongside his successful working life. (5:39)

John Hardin

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Having attended Mississippi State College (now University) prior to joining the Army Air Corps, John Hardin already gained experience flying planes. He knew from a very young age that he wanted to fly, and so he joined the Air Corps even before the start of WWII. He vividly remembers how devastating it was to hear about the Pearl Harbor attack, and how quickly things shifted as the US prepared to join the fight. (This interview made possible with the support of VAN RUSH.) (4:53)

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Following the beginning of American involvement in World War II, Hardin flew out to Europe with his squadron and landed in Prestwick, Scotland. From there he was told to carry out fighter missions over France and Germany, fighting directly against the Germans who would often fire straight on at him and then dip down out of sight. During one of his missions, Hardin had a deadly close call when a German bullet hit right off his plane's wing tip. (This interview made possible with the support of VAN RUSH.) (7:00)

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John Hardin continues with several more details from his World War II missions, and gives an explanation on how they used seat pack parachutes to ensure safe landings. Another incident he had involved a visit from the king and queen of England. He was so dedicated to being in the Army Air Corps that even when his missions concluded he decided to stay in the service. (This interview made possible with the support of VAN RUSH.) (5:27)

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Hardin tells of how he fired at enemy planes during combat, and an interesting story involving a cocker spaniel while he was co-piloting a Douglas DC-3 Airliner. He also briefly recalls the process for buying food while he was in the service and what he ate while at war. Finally, he reflects on his time in the service as a whole and how it felt to revisit Bassingbourn in England all those years later. (This interview made possible with the support of VAN RUSH.) (2:39)

John Harms

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After enlisting and going to basic at Quantico, John Harms left the States to go to Okinawa. From there, he served as a captain in Taiwan for almost 3 years. Serving there, he made great friends that lasted for many years after. (6:23)

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After getting his Master's degree at the University of Virginia, John Harms moved to the headquarters of the Marine Corps for the Assault Amphibian Vehicle command. Here he worked to get the tanks pattern painted for better reconnaissance, thanks a lot to his efforts. (7:52)