Oral History Interview with Kenneth Harrell, January 21, 2007 Metadata

Title

• Main Title Oral History Interview with Kenneth Harrell, January 21, 2007

Creator

• Interviewee: Harrell, Kenneth
  Creator Type: Personal

Contributor

• Interviewer: Rabalais, Larry
  Contributor Type: Personal
• Interviewer: Matras, Kathy
  Contributor Type: Personal

Publisher

• Name: National Museum of the Pacific War
  Place of Publication: Fredericksburg, Texas

Date

• Creation: 2007-01-21

Language

• English

Description

• Content Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Kenneth Harrell. Harrell joined the Marine Corps in August 1942 and received basic training in San Diego. He was assigned to the 1st Marine Division as a radio operator with the 1st Amphibious Tractor Battalion and first encountered enemy fire during a practice landing on Goodenough Island. With Chesty Puller, he walked across Cape Gloucester amidst sniper fire. Harrell transferred to the 6th Amphibious Tractor Battalion, landing on Peleliu in the second wave. When his LV-2 Water Buffalo was hit twice in shallow water, Harrell’s shoes were blown off and he crawled ashore, shredding his hands and knees on the reef. After the air strip was secured, Harrell was put on shore patrol, deterring enemy barges. Holdouts remained in caves, and Harrell was bayoneted during a banzai charge. He killed his assailant and boarded a hospital ship. His battalion having been decimated, Harrell rejoined the 1st Amphibious Tractor Battalion at Okinawa, taking fragments when a nearby Japanese soldier committed suicide by grenade and hiding amidst urns in native burial grounds. In September 1945, Harrell transferred to the 1st Motor Transport Battalion in north China, facilitating the disarmament of Japanese tank units. He liberated French Canadian Marines and noted the sizeable population of white émigrés. Harrell returned home and was discharged in February 1946. He reenlisted during the Korean War.
• Physical Description: 1 sound recording (48 min., 11 sec.)

Subject

• Library of Congress Subject Headings: World War, 1939-1945
• University of North Texas Libraries Browse Structure: People - Individuals
• University of North Texas Libraries Browse Structure: Military and War - Wars - World War II
• Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms: Interviews
• Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms: Oral histories
• Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms: Personal narratives
• Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms: Autobiographies
• Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms: Biographies
• Keyword: WWII
• Keyword: United States. Marine Corps. Amphibious Tractor Battalion, 6th
• Keyword: United States. Marine Corps. Amphibious Tractor Battalion, 1st
• Keyword: World War, 1939-1945 -- Amphibious operations
• Keyword: Puller, Chesty, 1898-1971
• Keyword: Peleliu, Battle of, Palau, 1944
• Keyword: Combat
• Keyword: War wounds
• Keyword: World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Japan -- Okinawa Island
• Keyword: China occupation duty

Primary Source

• Item is a Primary Source

Relation

• Has Transcription: Oral History Interview with Kenneth Harrell, January 21, 2007, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1605068

Collection

• Name: National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection
  Code: NMPW
• Name: National Museum of the Pacific War Digital Archive
  Code: NMPWA

Institution

• Name: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation
  Code: NMPW

Rights

• Rights License: by-nc-nd
• Rights Statement: Commercial use is prohibited without permission from the National Museum of the Pacific War.

Resource Type

• Sound

Format

• Audio

Identifier

• Accession or Local Control No: OH01751
• Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1608876