Personal Narrative Film, Video Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Glenn Walter Nelson Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Marine Corps
- Unit of Service: 29th Marine Regiment, 6th Marine Division
- Location of Service: Boulder, Colorado; Quantico, Virginia; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands); Guam (Mariana Islands); North China; Sasebo, Japan; Pacific Theater
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/10653
Glenn Nelson, a product of the plains of Wyoming and Nebraska, made an unusual career choice when he joined the Navy in the early days of World War II; he attended the service's Japanese Language School. His duties were to translate captured documents and interrogate the rare captured Japanese soldier. On Okinawa, he took the difficult assignment of trying to persuade surviving soldiers and civilians to come out from the island's many caves. He was in Pearl Harbor for the surrender, but by that point Nelson had become so fascinated with the Japanese that he spent 20 years after the war in Japan with the Central Intelligence Agency.
Interview / Recording
Share
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PlayHis Japanese language studies at the University of Colorado. 00:09:05.0 - 00:10:29.0
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PlayDuties on Guadalcanal. 00:12:43.0 - 00:13:41.0
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PlayServing on Okinawa; persuading soldiers and civilians to come out of hiding. 00:15:11.0 - 00:19:48.0
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PlayIn Pearl Harbor on VJ Day. 00:30:01.0 - 00:30:48.0
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PlayAssignment in China after the war. 00:31:02.0 - 00:32:20.0
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PlaySaving a Japanese school principal from Chinese authorities. 00:34:29.0 - 00:36:14.0
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PlayHis opinions of the occupation of Japan and the Marshall Plan. 00:39:36.0 - 00:40:55.0
More Resources
About this Item
Title
- Glenn Walter Nelson Collection
Names
- Nelson, Glenn Walter
- Japanese-American Veterans Association (JAVA)
- Shima, Terry T.
Home State
- Virginia
Headings
- - Nelson, Glenn Walter
- - World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Marine Corps.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Status
- veteran
Service History
-
World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Marine Corps
- Unit of Service: 29th Marine Regiment, 6th Marine Division
- Location of Service: Boulder, Colorado; Quantico, Virginia; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands); Guam (Mariana Islands); North China; Sasebo, Japan; Pacific Theater
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Dates of Service: 1942-1947
- Military Status: veteran
Materials
- Video: Digital Betacam [1 item] -- Digitized Copy (collected 2003-10-08)
- Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Transcription of video recording (collected 2003)
- Manuscript: Clippings [3 items] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
- Photograph: Mixed (Multiple types of photographs) [6 items] -- (collected 1945-1990)
- Video: MiniDV [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2003-10-08)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/10653
Cite as
- Glenn Walter Nelson Collection (AFC/2001/001/10653), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- image
- video
Additional Metadata Formats
IIIF Presentation Manifest
Wars & Conflicts
Service Branch
Location of Service
- Boulder, Colorado
- Guam (Mariana Islands)
- North China
- Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands)
- Pacific Theater
- Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
- Quantico, Virginia
- Sasebo, Japan