Oral History Interview with William Martin, July 2, 2014

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Martin. Martin was born in Burrows, Oklahoma 27 October 1925 and was drafted into the Army in March 1945. He completed basic training at Camp Fannin, Texas. Following other unspecified training in California, Martin shipped out from Fort Ord on the USS James O’Hara (APA-90), bound for Japan in support of the impending invasion. He describes some of his experiences during the early part of the transit, including the Shellback ceremony. He recalls the war came to an end during the transit, and the ship was redirected to the Philippines. He landed in Manila where he viewed considerable war damage and devastation. He took a train to a base in the northern part of Luzon, where he describes his duties as a driver transporting personnel. In December 1945 he was transferred to the 308th Bomber Wing Headquarters motor pool in Seoul, Korea where he repaired vehicles. He visited Hiroshima, which he describes as another devastating scene. He was shipped back to the States in November 1946 and was discharged the following month