Oral History Interview with Leal Langshaw, April 3, 2003

Oral History Interview with Leal Langshaw, April 3, 2003

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Track One 0:48:12

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Leal Langshaw. Langshaw was born in Salina, Kansas 29 December 1918. At 21 he joined the US Navy and underwent boot camp at San Diego. He then attended machinist school and worked in a torpedo shop. He describes defects in the torpedo firing pins. Langshaw was transferred to Pearl Harbor and he describes what he saw when he arrived there on 24 December 1941. He was assigned to the engine room of the USS Plunger (SS-179) and tells of detecting a defect in one of the engines, thus … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (48 min., 12 sec.)

Creation Information

Langshaw, Leal April 3, 2003.

Context

This audio recording is part of the collection entitled: National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection and was provided by the National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation to The Portal to Texas History, a digital repository hosted by the UNT Libraries. More information about this recording can be viewed below.

Interviewee

Langshaw, Leal

Interviewers

Publisher

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

Audiences

Check out our Resources for Educators Site! We've identified this sound as a primary source within our collections. Researchers, educators, and students may find this recording useful in their work.

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 Leal Langshaw. Langshaw was born in Salina, Kansas 29 December 1918. At 21 he joined the US Navy and underwent boot camp at San Diego. He then attended machinist school and worked in a torpedo shop. He describes defects in the torpedo firing pins. Langshaw was transferred to Pearl Harbor and he describes what he saw when he arrived there on 24 December 1941. He was assigned to the engine room of the USS Plunger (SS-179) and tells of detecting a defect in one of the engines, thus saving it from being damaged. As a result of his actions, he was promoted to seaman second class. He made four war patrols on the Plunger and tells of going through the Okhotsk Sea to attack Japanese shipping in the Sea of Japan. In 1944, Langshaw returned to the United States and was sent to Portsmouth, New Hampshire to assist in preparing the USS Scabbardfish (SS-397) for commissioning. He recalls being on a war patrol near Formosa when they encountered a typhoon. After riding out the typhoon, he requested land duty. Upon arriving at Pearl Harbor he taught hydraulics at an auxiliary school. After the surrender of Japan, Langshaw returned to the United States and assisted in decommissioning various submarines.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (48 min., 12 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: OH00836
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1608097

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Leal Langshaw, April 3, 2003, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1604285

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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