Melvin Feller talks about being stationed in the Philippines, where his US Army Air Corps unit slept on dikes in the rice paddies because they anticipated a Japanese attack in the two weeks prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He speaks about the Japanese attack on US bases in the Philippines the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He describes evacuating from the Philippines on a ship and being most probably the only surviving member of his company. He discusses atrocities committed on all sides in the Philippines conflict. He talks about his positive impressions of the Filipino people. He speaks about the buildup of US and Japanese troops around the Philippines prior to World War II, but the seeming lack of preparedness on the part of US forces prior to Pearl Harbor. He describes working with the Disabled American Veterans to help Vietnam veterans with housing and other issues. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
