Oral History Interview with Robert Johnsmiller, January 10, 2011

Oral History Interview with Robert Johnsmiller, January 10, 2011

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Track One 1:50:29

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Johnsmiller. Johnsmiller joined the Marine Corps in April 1942. He was sent to the Solomon Islands and took part in the landing at Tanambogo as a member of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines. Johnsmiller describes aiding a wounded corpsman and providing cover for a demolition man. He also discusses Japanese destroyers using search lights to seek out Marines at night, and an incident where he helped bury a large amount of crewmen from a badly damaged US cruiser. Johnsmiller also landed on Savo Island and then Guadalcanal … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 50 min., 28 sec.)

Publisher

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

Audiences

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Provided By

National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Established in 1967, the Museum honors the 8 million Americans who served in WWII in the Pacific Theater by sharing their stories with the world. Located in Fredericksburg in the restored Nimitz "Steamboat" Hotel, the Museum partners with the Texas Historical Commission to preserve the historical resources of the era.

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Johnsmiller. Johnsmiller joined the Marine Corps in April 1942. He was sent to the Solomon Islands and took part in the landing at Tanambogo as a member of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines. Johnsmiller describes aiding a wounded corpsman and providing cover for a demolition man. He also discusses Japanese destroyers using search lights to seek out Marines at night, and an incident where he helped bury a large amount of crewmen from a badly damaged US cruiser. Johnsmiller also landed on Savo Island and then Guadalcanal where he describes losing a friend to enemy machine gun fire. He almost drowned in a training accident and was saved by another marine. Johnsmiller landed on Tarawa as an assistant squad leader and was wounded in the eye. He goes on to discuss attacking a key bunker in the Japanese defenses and losing many members of his squad. Johnsmiller describes being evacuated and the care that he received on a troop ship and then a hospital ship. His damaged eye was removed and he was assigned to help another marine who was completely blind. Johnsmiller discusses the personal impact of that assignment and how it helped his perspective on his own injury. He describes Admiral Nimitz meeting his charge, summarizes the conversation, and the effect that it had on the marine to whom was assigned. Johnsmiller returned to the US at the end of 1943 and was discharged.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 50 min., 28 sec.)

Subjects

Keywords

Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms

Library of Congress Subject Headings

World War, 1939-1945

University of North Texas Libraries Browse Structure

Language

English

Item Type

Sound

Identifier

Unique identifying numbers for this recording in the Portal or other systems.

Accession or Local Control No: OH03182
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1609718

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Robert Johnsmiller, January 10, 2011, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1605910

Collections

This recording is part of the following collections of related materials.

National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection

This oral history collection depicts an instrumental era in American history. In these transcripts of interviews with World War II veterans are personal experiences with the war, from the Doolittle Raid and D-Day to the Battle for Bataan.

National Museum of the Pacific War Digital Archive

The Digital Archive presents digitized collections from the Center for Pacific War Studies collections at the National Museum of the Pacific War. Collections and material are continuously being added and represent only a small portion of the archives' physical holdings.

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