Oral History Interview with Al Kiracofe, March 6, 2006 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Al Kiracofe, March 6, 2006

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Al Kiracofe. Kiracofe joined the Navy in 1942 and received yeoman training at Great Lakes. Upon completion, he was assigned to CASU-22 at Quonset Point, helping to prepare squadrons for overseas deployment. He was then assigned to Carrier Air Group 41, which was just beginning to use radar for night flying. One of his duties as yeoman was to send letters of regret to the parents of soldiers who were killed in action. The experience upset him to the point that he remembered the date of each letter for the rest of his life. He was transferred to Carrier Air Group 10 aboard the USS Intrepid (CV-11) and helped to set up squadrons in Alameda from January 1943 to September 1944. At Okinawa, a kamikaze hit caused the deaths of eight men on the Intrepid. When the ship returned to Alameda for repairs, Kiracofe was so shaken up that he was ordered to a US Naval hospital for treatment and received a medical discharge in July 1945.
Date: March 6, 2006
Creator: Kiracofe, Al
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Alan Fouts, December 6, 2001 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Alan Fouts, December 6, 2001

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Alan Fouts. Fouts joined the Navy in 1939 and trained in San Diego. Upon completion of basic training, Fouts joined the USS Argonne (AG-31). Later, he was stationed at the submarine base at Pearl Harbor when the war started. He recalls witnessing the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. He managed to get guns operational on the USS Widgeon (AM-22) before it got underway during the attack. Between the attacks, Fouts went alongside the USS Arizona (BB-39) and measured the holes in the hull. He continued serving as a diver at Noumea and Samoa in 1942-1943. He volunteered for submarine duty and was made five war patrols aboard the USS Pogy (SS- 266). Fouts tells several submarine stories. After the war, Fouts remained in the Navy for thirty years.
Date: December 6, 2001
Creator: Fouts, Alan
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Al Kiracofe, March 6, 2006 transcript

Oral History Interview with Al Kiracofe, March 6, 2006

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Al Kiracofe. Kiracofe joined the Navy in 1942 and received yeoman training at Great Lakes. Upon completion, he was assigned to CASU-22 at Quonset Point, helping to prepare squadrons for overseas deployment. He was then assigned to Carrier Air Group 41, which was just beginning to use radar for night flying. One of his duties as yeoman was to send letters of regret to the parents of soldiers who were killed in action. The experience upset him to the point that he remembered the date of each letter for the rest of his life. He was transferred to Carrier Air Group 10 aboard the USS Intrepid (CV-11) and helped to set up squadrons in Alameda from January 1943 to September 1944. At Okinawa, a kamikaze hit caused the deaths of eight men on the Intrepid. When the ship returned to Alameda for repairs, Kiracofe was so shaken up that he was ordered to a US Naval hospital for treatment and received a medical discharge in July 1945.
Date: March 6, 2006
Creator: Kiracofe, Al
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History