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

[Photograph of a West Texas Wash on the Sproul Ranch]

Photograph of a West Texas wash on the Sproul Ranch.
Date: August 6, 2005
Creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

Desert Mule Deer, Odocoileus hemionus crooki

Photograph of a Desert Mule Deer, Odocoileus hemionus crooki. It is bending down to inspect something on the ground in front of a tree.
Date: August 6, 2005
Creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

Desert Mule Deer, Odocoileus hemionus crooki

Photograph of a Desert Mule Deer, Odocoileus hemionus crooki, taken at Davis Mountains State Park. It is bending down.
Date: August 6, 2005
Creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

Desert Mule Deer, Odocoileus hemionus crooki

Photograph of a Desert Mule Deer, Odocoileus hemionus crooki, taken at Davis Mountains State Park. It is bending down next to a tree.
Date: August 6, 2005
Creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

West Texas vista

West Texas vista
Date: August 6, 2005
Creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

Sproul Ranch, a NASA weather radar

Photograph of a large, grassy field at Sproul Ranch near Fort Davis, Texas, taken from a curving dirt road. In the center of the image, a NASA satellite dish is pointed at the sky, tilted at an angle to the right. Mountains are visible in the background and the sky is cloudy; a portion of a vehicle sideview mirror is visible in the lower-right corner of the photograph.
Date: August 6, 2005
Creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

Cattle on the Sproul Ranch

Photograph of cattle on the Sproul Ranch. The cattle lays down on the ground near a tree. There is a pile of wood to the right and behind the cattle.
Date: August 6, 2005
Creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Photograph of a West Texas Wash on the Sproul Ranch]

Photograph of a West Texas wash on the Sproul Ranch. A wash is the dry bed of an intermittent creek.
Date: August 6, 2005
Creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

Cattle on the Sproul Ranch

Photograph of a head of cattle standing in front of trees on the Sproul Ranch. It has a roan coat, and a yellow tag with the number "20" in it in its left ear.
Date: August 6, 2005
Creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

Cattle on the Sproul Ranch

Photograph of two cattle on the Sproul Ranch. The red and white cow is laying down. The lighter cow is preparing to lay down.
Date: August 6, 2005
Creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

Cistern at the Sproul Ranch

Photograph of a cistern at the Sproul Ranch. It is behind a barbed wire fence, and there are many plants in the surrounding area.
Date: August 6, 2005
Creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

Deer in brush on Sproul Ranch

Photograph of a deer hidden in the brush on Sproul Ranch. There is a pile of large rocks in front of the deer.
Date: August 6, 2005
Creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Photograph of Madrone tree, Arbutus xalapensis]

Photograph of a tree known as the Texas Madrone, Naked Indian and Lady's Leg. Texas Arbutus, Madrono, Arbutus xalapensis
Date: August 6, 2005
Creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

Sproul Ranch, West Texas view

Sproul Ranch, West Texas view. My family and I were on a jeep tour of the Sproul Ranch.
Date: August 6, 2005
Creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

Sproul Ranch, West Texas view

Sproul Ranch, West Texas view
Date: August 6, 2005
Creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

Sproul Ranch, West Texas view

Sproul Ranch, West Texas view
Date: August 6, 2005
Creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

Sproul Ranch, West Texas view

Sproul Ranch, West Texas view
Date: August 6, 2005
Creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

Sproul Ranch, West Texas view

West Texas view from the Sproul Ranch
Date: August 6, 2005
Creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Photograph of Mount Livermore, as viewed from the Sproul Ranch]

Photograph of Mount Livermore as seen from the Sproul Ranch.
Date: August 6, 2005
Creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Photograph of Mount Livermore]

Photograph of Mount Livermore, elevation 8206 latitude 303759N longitude 1041001W.
Date: August 6, 2005
Creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

Cholla cactus

Photograph of a Cholla cactus on the Sproul Ranch near Fort Davis, Texas.
Date: August 6, 2005
Creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

Sproul Ranch, mesa top view of the ranch

Sproul Ranch, mesa top view of the ranch
Date: August 6, 2005
Creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History