Oral History Interview with Elliott Ross, May 1, 2001 transcript

Oral History Interview with Elliott Ross, May 1, 2001

Interview with Elliott Ross who joined the U.S. Navy during World War II. He discusses being a landing craft coxswain carrying troops and supplies from ships to the shore in seven invasions: Guam, Leyte, Luzon, Santacristo, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and as an occupation force in Japan after the surrender. He talks mostly about Guam, Leyte, Luzon, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Japan, but also mentions burials at sea and on the beachs, seeing his brother's ship get hit by torpedoes, and the emotional toll of the war.
Date: May 1, 2000
Creator: Cox, Floyd; Misenhimer, Richard & Ross, Elliott
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Lowell Dean Cox, February 1, 2005 transcript

Oral History Interview with Lowell Dean Cox, February 1, 2005

Interview with Lowell Dean Cox, a serviceman in the U. S. Navy during World War II. He discusses joining the Navy and serving aboard the USS Indianapolis (CA-35). He was on board when the cruiser was attacked by a Japanese submarine and survived for five days in the water before being rescued.
Date: February 1, 2005
Creator: Bryk, Clarence & Cox, Lowell Dean
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Peter Chu, November 1, 2003 transcript

Oral History Interview with Peter Chu, November 1, 2003

Interview with Peter Chu regarding his experiences in China during World War II. Peter's son Alan Chu also participates in this interview. Peter Chu discusses the Japanese occupation in Nanking (Nanjing), China in 1937 when he was 10 years old.
Date: November 1, 2003
Creator: Nichols, Chuck & Chu, Peter
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Joe Davis to Catherine Davis - March 1, 1945] (open access)

[Letter from Joe Davis to Catherine Davis - March 1, 1945]

Letter from Joe to his wife Catherine discussing the mail service, his respect for the way Catherine handled her falling out with Mr. Davis, the weather, smoking too many cigarettes, and looking forward to coming home.
Date: March 1, 1945
Creator: Davis, Joseph Emmett
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Joe Davis to Catherine Davis - June 1, 1944] (open access)

[Letter from Joe Davis to Catherine Davis - June 1, 1944]

Letter from Joe to his wife Catherine discussing visiting Honolulu with Graves, appreciating the scenery of the island, and telling Catherine to tell their congregation that he is stationed on an island in the Pacific.
Date: June 1, 1944
Creator: Davis, Joseph Emmett
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Joe Davis to Catherine Davis - July 1, 1944] (open access)

[Letter from Joe Davis to Catherine Davis - July 1, 1944]

Letter from Joe to his wife Catherine discussing the mail service, his thoughts on Tooter and Weston renting Floy and Worth's house while they are away, a reminder to Catherine that she need not send him any packages, and watching Joe DiMaggio play baseball.
Date: July 1, 1944
Creator: Davis, Joseph Emmett
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Joe Davis to Catherine Davis - January 1, 1945] (open access)

[Letter from Joe Davis to Catherine Davis - January 1, 1945]

Letter from Joe to his wife Catherine discussing receiving lots of mail after returning from leave, apologizing for not writing more, and mailing Catherine a pink sweater for her Christmas present.
Date: January 1, 1945
Creator: Davis, Joseph Emmett
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Catherine Davis to Joe Davis - September 1, 1944] (open access)

[Letter from Catherine Davis to Joe Davis - September 1, 1944]

Letter from Catherine to her husband Joe discussing news from home, including Jack Brown's expected return to the states and a chicken dinner with Baby. Catherine also asks after J.D. and expresses her joy that Joe is seeing a dentist.
Date: September 1, 1944
Creator: Davis, Catherine Dawe
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Joe Davis to Catherine Davis - August 1, 1944] (open access)

[Letter from Joe Davis to Catherine Davis - August 1, 1944]

Letter from Joe to his wife Catherine discussing going to the post office to buy stamps, playing catch with his crew, and sharing Williams' wife's address.
Date: August 1, 1944
Creator: Davis, Joseph Emmett
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Joe Davis to Catherine Davis - October 1, 1944] (open access)

[Letter from Joe Davis to Catherine Davis - October 1, 1944]

Letter from Joe to his wife Catherine discussing the mail service, being glad that Catherine has been spending time with Dan, asking after Cope, and missing church.
Date: October 1, 1944
Creator: Davis, Joseph Emmett
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Catherine Davis to Joe Davis - February 1, 1945] (open access)

[Letter from Catherine Davis to Joe Davis - February 1, 1945]

Letter from Catherine to her husband Joe expressing her concern over his safety and loneliness due to not having seen him for nine months. Catherine also discusses news from home, including her work on a letter to the shareholders for Mr. Davis and Mrs. Mieler's heart attack.
Date: February 1, 1945
Creator: Davis, Catherine Dawe
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Catherine Davis to Joe Davis - November 1, 1944] (open access)

[Letter from Catherine Davis to Joe Davis - November 1, 1944]

Letter from Catherine to her husband Joe discussing the letters she has received from him, her tracking the missions he has completed, and Jenny asking after Dan, because he has not written her.
Date: November 1, 1944
Creator: Davis, Catherine Dawe
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Catherine Davis to Joe Davis - July 1, 1944] (open access)

[Letter from Catherine Davis to Joe Davis - July 1, 1944]

Letter from Catherine to her husband Joe discussing news from home, including having her photo taken with their dog, Teddy, mowing the lawn, and Charlotte returning to Galveston.
Date: July 1, 1944
Creator: Davis, Catherine Dawe
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Catherine Davis to Joe Davis - January 1, 1945] (open access)

[Letter from Catherine Davis to Joe Davis - January 1, 1945]

Letter from Catherine to her husband Joe discussing her celebration of the new year with her friends, having the day off work, and plans to go to the post office with Emma.
Date: January 1, 1945
Creator: Davis, Catherine Dawe
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Catherine Davis to Joe Davis - August 1, 1944] (open access)

[Letter from Catherine Davis to Joe Davis - August 1, 1944]

Letter from Catherine to her husband Joe discussing news from home, including extra busyness at her job due to Lorraine's absence, going to Ruth Reeger's house with Evelyn, Jessamon's plans to start teaching at a school in San Antonio, Marjorie's promotion, and R.A. Brown becoming paralyzed due to a diving accident.
Date: August 1, 1944
Creator: Davis, Catherine Dawe
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Joe Davis to Catherine Davis - December 1, 1944] (open access)

[Letter from Joe Davis to Catherine Davis - December 1, 1944]

Letter from Joe to his wife Catherine discussing a slow day, in which he played cards with his crew and saw a Red Skelton film.
Date: December 1, 1944
Creator: Davis, Joseph Emmett
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Joe Davis to Catherine Davis - November 1, 1944] (open access)

[Letter from Joe Davis to Catherine Davis - November 1, 1944]

Letter from Joe to his wife Catherine discussing Joe receiving his paycheck, sending Catherine a local newspaper, the weather, and the improvement of the food.
Date: November 1, 1944
Creator: Davis, Joseph Emmett
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Catherine Davis to Joe Davis - December 1, 1944] (open access)

[Letter from Catherine Davis to Joe Davis - December 1, 1944]

Letter from Catherine to her husband Joe discussing news from home, including turkey dinner with Gladys and Weston, avoiding a ticket from a highway patrolman, and seeing first lieutenant Johnny Watts, an old boyfriend of Catherine's, at dinner.
Date: December 1, 1944
Creator: Davis, Catherine Dawe
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Transcript of Letter from Chester W. Nimitz to his Grandfather, June 1, 1899] (open access)

[Transcript of Letter from Chester W. Nimitz to his Grandfather, June 1, 1899]

Transcription of letter from Chester Nimitz to his grandfather in Fredericksburg. Nimitz mentions learning Spanish from a boarder at the hotel in Kerrville. He also writes of a desire to get ahead in school by studying during the summer. Nimitz also mentions Iago's, his cousin, school ending.
Date: June 1, 1899
Creator: Nimitz, Chester W. (Chester William), 1885-1966
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Voris C. Riley, November 1, 2005 transcript

Oral History Interview with Voris C. Riley, November 1, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Voris C. Riley of Kingland, Texas. He discusses enlisting in the military while living in Abilene, Texas and getting sent to civil service for the Army before being offered to join the Navy. In the Navy he went through basic training in San Diego, California, then to St. Louis Electrical School and finally through firefighting training in Rhode Island. After he completed his training Mr. Riley was assigned to the U.S.S. Lake Champain, CB 39 and went on a shakedown cruise where 16 crewmen were lost for various reasons. In the Navy he was an electrician aboard the ship and dealt with setting up electricity onshore. He also dealt with Prisoners of War, being put in charge of a group of them to build a swimming pool. He was in New York City on temporary leave when the news of the wars end was released by President Truman. Mr. Voris also talks about serving in the Civilian Conservation Corps in New Mexico.
Date: November 1, 2005
Creator: Riley, Voris C.
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Voris C. Riley, November 1, 2005 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Voris C. Riley, November 1, 2005

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Voris C. Riley of Kingland, Texas. He discusses enlisting in the military while living in Abilene, Texas and getting sent to civil service for the Army before being offered to join the Navy. In the Navy he went through basic training in San Diego, California, then to St. Louis Electrical School and finally through firefighting training in Rhode Island. After he completed his training Mr. Riley was assigned to the U.S.S. Lake Champain, CB 39 and went on a shakedown cruise where 16 crewmen were lost for various reasons. In the Navy he was an electrician aboard the ship and dealt with setting up electricity onshore. He also dealt with Prisoners of War, being put in charge of a group of them to build a swimming pool. He was in New York City on temporary leave when the news of the wars end was released by President Truman. Mr. Voris also talks about serving in the Civilian Conservation Corps in New Mexico.
Date: November 1, 2005
Creator: Riley, Voris C.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Jack Hensel, July 21, 2022 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Jack Hensel, July 21, 2022

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Jack Hensel. Hensel was drafted into the Navy in June 1943. He trained as an aerial gunner and was eventually assigned to a crew aboard an Avenger. In early 1945, he went aboard USS Franklin (CV-13). In March, when the Franklin was attacked, Hensel was blown overboard and eventually made it onto a raft before being rescued by USS Hickox (DD-673). He went to a hospital at Ulithi to recover from burns before heading back to the US. He was undergoing more training when the war ended.
Date: September 1, 2022
Creator: Metzler, Ed
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Transcript of Letter from Chester W. Nimitz to William Nimitz, June 1, 1902] (open access)

[Transcript of Letter from Chester W. Nimitz to William Nimitz, June 1, 1902]

Transcription of letter from Chester Nimitz to his father in Kerrville. Nimitz remarks that final exams are that week and that the summer cruise is almost underway. He mentions he will embark on the USS Indiana (BB-1) for the first half of the cruise and the USS Chesapeake (1899), a three-masted sailing bark, for the latter half.
Date: June 1, 1902
Creator: Nimitz, Chester W. (Chester William), 1885-1966
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Transcript of Letter from Chester W. Nimitz to William Nimitz, November 1904] (open access)

[Transcript of Letter from Chester W. Nimitz to William Nimitz, November 1904]

Transcription of letter from Chester Nimitz to his father in Kerrville. Nimitz details his standing in his courses. He mentions the upcoming Army-Navy football game and is anticipating seeing some familiar people from home soon. Nimitz also indicates his class will graduate on 30 January 1905. He also admits to being ready to get out of the Academy and into the service.
Date: 1904-11-01/1904-11-05
Creator: Nimitz, Chester W. (Chester William), 1885-1966
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History