Oral History Interview with Francis Jerome McArdle, January 10, 2015 transcript

Oral History Interview with Francis Jerome McArdle, January 10, 2015

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Francis McArdle. McArdle was born in Swissvale, Pennsylvania on 4 June 1925. Upon joining the Navy in 1943, he was sent to Sampson, New York for boot training. He then went to Quincy, Massachusetts where he was assigned aboard the USS Quincy (CA-71) as a carpenters mate. He recalls a visit to the ship by General Dwight D. Eisenhower prior to the invasion of Normandy. He describes the carnage on Utah Beach and picking up the dead out of the water and putting them into the ships refrigeration units. After participating in the invasion of Southern France, the ship returned to Norfolk, Virginia. Relating that certain modifications were made to the ship, he tells of President Franklin D. Roosevelt being brought aboard accompanied by his daughter Ann Roosevelt Bettinger for a trip to the Yalta Conference and remembers a personal encounter he had with the President. He also recalls Winston Churchill coming on board and comments on his demeanor. After returning the President to Norfolk, the Quincy joined the Pacific Fleet in 1945 and participated in a number of island invasions. McArdle describes the compliment of ships gathered …
Date: January 10, 2015
Creator: McArdle, Francis J.
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Francis Jerome McArdle, January 10, 2015 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Francis Jerome McArdle, January 10, 2015

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Francis McArdle. McArdle was born in Swissvale, Pennsylvania on 4 June 1925. Upon joining the Navy in 1943, he was sent to Sampson, New York for boot training. He then went to Quincy, Massachusetts where he was assigned aboard the USS Quincy (CA-71) as a carpenters mate. He recalls a visit to the ship by General Dwight D. Eisenhower prior to the invasion of Normandy. He describes the carnage on Utah Beach and picking up the dead out of the water and putting them into the ships refrigeration units. After participating in the invasion of Southern France, the ship returned to Norfolk, Virginia. Relating that certain modifications were made to the ship, he tells of President Franklin D. Roosevelt being brought aboard accompanied by his daughter Ann Roosevelt Bettinger for a trip to the Yalta Conference and remembers a personal encounter he had with the President. He also recalls Winston Churchill coming on board and comments on his demeanor. After returning the President to Norfolk, the Quincy joined the Pacific Fleet in 1945 and participated in a number of island invasions. McArdle describes the compliment of ships gathered …
Date: January 10, 2015
Creator: McArdle, Francis J.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History