Navy Patrol Bombing Squadrons 102/14 Association

OFFICE OF STEPHEN E. AMBROSE
P.O. Box 1713 - Helena, Montana 59624
Phone:(406) 443-7943 - Fax: (406) 449-4392
office@ambroseoffice.com - http://www.stephenambrose.com

To Veterans of the Pacific War:

I am presently conducting research for a book on the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who served in the Pacific in WWII. This book will be much like the history I wrote of the soldiers in the European Theater called Citizen Soldiers. In order to write about you, I need your help. Please consider sending me a copy of your oral history, memoirs, diary, and/or letters home.

Veterans often say that they don't need to do an oral history because they weren't in combat, or they don't feel that what they did was all that important. Well that's not true. Regardless of what you did or where you were stationed, your history is important. The history of WWII is only now being written. In the coming decades historians will ask lots of new questions. I don't know what those questions will be, but I'm sure they will be focused on a lot more than combat. Please take some time to sit down with a tape recorder and talk about your experiences. It is vitally important.

Veterans often ask me how to do an oral history. The guiding rule is that you talk about whatever was important to you at the time. Begin with a description of who you were before you enlisted; include a discussion of where and when you were born. Then carry forward with your training. What was your specialty? When did you ship overseas and where did you go? Tell me what no one else can: about your emotions, about the taste, touch, and smell of daily life. Tell me all about the people you knew, your buddies, your unit.

As you relate what happened, remember that we are not simply interested in tales of combat. Tell me about your leaves, your recreation, your promotions, about all the days you spent in transit or simply waiting at a base. Tell me what you thought was significant. Tell us about the equipment that you used. Did it work well? Was the enemies' equipment better*? Were you married before you left?

Of course, if you were in combat, I want to know. What happened on your first invasion? When did you get fired at? When did you first fire in anger? What happened in the campaign that followed? What did you eat? Who got wounded? How good was your C.O.? And the other officers? Where and when did you sleep? Charge forward? Receive a counter attack? Where and when did relief come and what did you do? After you've done that, gone on to the next engagement and so forth. Don't forget to add a bit about what you've done since the war and how you feel about your experiences now.

Take your time. Turn on the tape recorder and start talking. It seems to help having a daughter, a grandson, your wife, or an old friend in the room. I find that it usually takes an hour before the memories start flooding back. When you get tired, I suggest that you waft a day, then repeat the process. Pull out old photos; look at maps; call a friend from your unit; you're bound to add some more details.

Aside from appearing in my book, your history will join thousands of others at the Eisenhower Center Archives in New Orleans where it will be available to scholars and film-makers for all time. By leaving this record you will have done your country another good deed. You will serve future generations as they strive to understand their world.

Thank you for considering this request. I remain,

Your biggest fan,

Stephen E. Ambrose