"It's a strange feeling to see the first enemy plane, really." (Audio interview, 24:44)

Ernest M. Phillips

War: World War, 1939-1945 Branch: Marine Corps Unit: USS Northampton Service Location: Pacific; Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands) Rank: Corporal Place of Birth: AR

Ernest Phillips served in the Marine Corps for five years during WWII. A corporal stationed on the USS Northampton, he witnessed many major events, including the attack on Pearl Harbor and many of the naval battles associated with the Guadalcanal campaign. In his interview he vividly describes the night the Northampton was sunk by Japanese torpedoes at the Battle of Tassafaronga, and how he was thrown overboard and forced to swim to shore.