NHF_WC_2016_Starr _Arthur
2016 March 8
Lifetime Kent County resident Arthur Starr found himself at the center of the most consequential and dangerous operations of World War II. On April 1, 1945, Starr was one of the roughly 180,000 combat troops to make the initial assault on the Japanese island of Okinawa. Starr and his unit stormed the beach in modified “Alligator Boats”, which were amphibious transport vessels, a variation of the ones used during D-Day. He recalls landing on the beach and being under fire from Japanese planes. Starr recalls that he thought the Allies were going to lose the war because no one was able to shoot the Japanese plane. Later he goes into more detail about what life was like in the jungles of Okinawa. Starr says that it was hard to sleep at night because they were under constant threat of Japanese ambush. The Japanese would use an elaborate series of tunnel systems for surprise attacks which caused problems for the American soldiers. Starr says that they had to resort to using flamethrowers on the tunnels to fend off Japanese assaults. He even recounted a story about how Japanese soldiers would sneak into their camp with uniforms taken off dead Americans and attempt to steal food or set up an attack.
Digital
English
53m 29s
Arthur Starr, Interview, National Home Front Project, Washington College, Chestertown Maryland
Interview was recorded by Joseph Swit for the Starr Center of the American Experience National Homefront Project
C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience (Washington College)
Oral histories
oral histories (literary genre)
World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American
Oral histories
oral histories (literary genre)
World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American