Oral History Interview with Richard Feddersen, April 22, 2015

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard Feddersen. After finishing college in Iowa, Feddersen entered the Army with a ROTC commission in May 1941. He received further infantry training at Fort Benning. In March 1943, he went overseas and was assigned to the 162nd Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Division, which was engaged in combat in New Guinea. He stayed with the same outfit throughout the New Guinea campaign and headed for the Philippines with them. He had a few interactions with General MacArthur. When the war ended, he was at Subic Bay studying the plans for the invasion of Japan. His unit went to Japan for occupation duty at Kure. Feddersen was on hand when the Japanese surrendered their naval academy. He also visited Hiroshima and comments on the destruction. He also relates several other stories about being in occupied Japan before returning home in early 1946