Oral History Interview with Paul Wallace, December 5, 2008

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Paul Wallace in memory of his father Paul Eugene Wallace. Wallace joined the Marines in 1927, graduated from Annapolis in 1933 and completed Marine Corps Officer Training in 1934. He was assigned to the USS Maryland (BB-46). Following that he was a China Marine and served with the 4th Marines in Shanghai. He later served aboard the USS Augusta (CA-31) with the Marine detachment. He completed Chemical Warfare School and was transferred to San Diego as commander of a chemical warfare company. He later became Commanding Officer of the Marine detachment aboard the USS Pensacola (CA-24). Paul???s mother was the secretary to the Chief of Naval Intelligence, 14th Naval District and their family was stationed in Pearl Harbor, present on the day of the attack. Paul describes life growing up in Pearl Harbor and what he witnessed that fateful day in December of 1941, including his mother???s and father???s reactions to the attack and their providing help in the weeks that followed. He and his mother were shipped back to California aboard the SS Lurline. His father was transferred back to the Marine Corps School to become a Chief Instructor from 1942 to 1944. In 1945 his father was the Commanding Officer of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines serving in Okinawa and Ie Shima, and was present with journalist Ernie Pyle when he was killed. He did occupation duty in Nagasaki. He reminisces about wartime rationing, the Great Depression and family history. His father retired as a brigadier general in 1958