Oral History Interview with Rudy Kiehne, March 3, 1999

Oral History Interview with Rudy Kiehne, March 3, 1999

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Track One 1:02:18

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Rudy Kiehne. Kiehne was born in Fredericksburg, Texas, 25 October 1919 and enlisted in the Navy in 1938 upon graduating from high school. He was assigned to the USS Maryland (BB-46) in Pearl Harbor as a gunner’s mate responsible for a battery of 5-inch/.51-caliber broadside guns. He was aboard the Maryland the morning of 7 December 1941 and watched a Japanese plane drop a torpedo on the USS Oklahoma (BB-37), which was tied up next to the Maryland. He describes his role in manning an anti-aircraft battery, but … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 2 min., 17 sec.)

Creation Information

Kiehne, Rudy March 3, 1999.

Publisher

National Museum of the Pacific War
Place of Publication: Fredericksburg, Texas

Audiences

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Provided By

National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Established in 1967, the Museum honors the 8 million Americans who served in WWII in the Pacific Theater by sharing their stories with the world. Located in Fredericksburg in the restored Nimitz "Steamboat" Hotel, the Museum partners with the Texas Historical Commission to preserve the historical resources of the era.

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Rudy Kiehne. Kiehne was born in Fredericksburg, Texas, 25 October 1919 and enlisted in the Navy in 1938 upon graduating from high school. He was assigned to the USS Maryland (BB-46) in Pearl Harbor as a gunner’s mate responsible for a battery of 5-inch/.51-caliber broadside guns. He was aboard the Maryland the morning of 7 December 1941 and watched a Japanese plane drop a torpedo on the USS Oklahoma (BB-37), which was tied up next to the Maryland. He describes his role in manning an anti-aircraft battery, but does not recall any success against the Japanese aircraft during the attack. He recalls that a bomb penetrated the forward hull of the Maryland but there were a minimum of casualties. Kiehne was transferred to a fleet oiler in October 1942 and describes his new ship’s role as a member of a tanker group located in Ulithi, Caroline Islands, conducting underway replenishments for the fleet preparing for battle in the Philippines. He next recalls before transferred to USS USS LCS-392 and participating in the landing on Okinawa in April 1945. He was discharged at Camp Wallace, Texas after the war.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 2 min., 17 sec.)

Subjects

Keywords

Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms

Library of Congress Subject Headings

World War, 1939-1945

University of North Texas Libraries Browse Structure

Language

English

Item Type

Sound

Identifier

Unique identifying numbers for this recording in the Portal or other systems.

Accession or Local Control No: OH00224
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1607544

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Rudy Kiehne, March 3, 1999, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1603577

Collections

This recording is part of the following collections of related materials.

National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection

This oral history collection depicts an instrumental era in American history. In these transcripts of interviews with World War II veterans are personal experiences with the war, from the Doolittle Raid and D-Day to the Battle for Bataan.

National Museum of the Pacific War Digital Archive

The Digital Archive presents digitized collections from the Center for Pacific War Studies collections at the National Museum of the Pacific War. Collections and material are continuously being added and represent only a small portion of the archives' physical holdings.

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