Oral History Spotlight: Gladys “Gay” Gallinari Kizziar
On the day that the Japanese surrender documents were signed on the USS Missouri, there were over 300 ships present in Tokyo Bay. Can you imagine what it was like to be on one of those other ships? So close, and yet so far. Today’s edition of our Oral History Spotlight should help answer that question. During 2010, Gladys “Gay” Gallinari Kizziar was recorded by an NMPW interviewer as she recalled memories of WWII. Gay joined the Army Nurse Corps during the last year of the war and was eventually assigned to the 212th Medical Hospital Ship Complement on USAHS Marigold.
After arriving in the Philippines, the USAHS Marigold helped prepare for the arrival of wounded during the expected invasion of Japan. Within weeks, the Japanese surrender changed everything. The ship and its medical personnel were then sent to the Port of Yokohama, Japan to receive recently released P.O.W.s. Not long after, all were present in Tokyo Bay during the surrender signing ceremony. To listen to Gay recall these experiences, Click on the link below. (You'll find many other oral histories in the collection, as well.)
