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Mel Plate

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When Mel Plate was assigned to an anti-aircraft battery in the Aleutians, the weather conditions were so bad, the Quonset huts had to be buried to resist the wind. Communications were not so great, either, and he tells of the frustration surrounding the news of the birth of his son. (6:08)

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While serving at an anti-aircraft battery in the Aleutians, the closest that Mel Plate ever came to real action was a submarine alert sounded during his trip home for his first furlough. He got a taste of action of a different kind when he decided to try his hand at boxing. (4:32)

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After the danger from the Japanese had passed in the Aleutians, Mel Plate was rotated back to the States and served in an artillery battalion and at Army HQ. He had something to say to the officer who broke the news of Japan's surrender (2:34)

Melvin Smith

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Melvin Smith recalls how his disregard for the rules landed him in the brig, and how that time saved his life. (3:00)

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Melvin Smith goes through his time in Luzon and his experiences during the battle. (2:22)

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While loading up on supplies and ammunition in the Phillipines, Melvin Smith witnesses a terrible accident. (1:54)

Merrill Burroughs

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To draftee Merrill Burroughs, the toughest part of basic training was not knowing when you would be rousted and put to a task, and then not being told what the task was or where you were. He was made a training cadre and offered the option of staying stateside, but after forming a bond with the men he'd trained, he went with them overseas. He met Paul Blair, who's niece became his wife. (5:01)

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They were an Army unit in the midst of a lot of Marines trying to take Saipan. It was an anti-aircraft outfit and Merrill Burroughs was the de facto man in charge, though only a Sergeant. As many Americans learned after landing on Pacific islands, he found out the softening up bombardment had not really done the job. (5:15)

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Just like with Saipan, the men getting ready to storm ashore at Iwo Jima were told the island had been softened up by bombing and shelling. It turned out to be deadly for Marines. Merrill Burroughs headed up an Army Anti-Aircraft unit attached to the Marines and he remembers that Japanese soldiers were everywhere. He still can't believe he wasn't hit when the bullets were "like rain." (3:14)

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Tinian was a little easier time than Saipan and Iwo Jima, says Merrill Burroughs, who was with an Anti-Aircraft battery. He still had close calls when Japanese planes strafed the island. On the way in, he managed to hide a case of pork and beans, which was a precious thing. (3:27)