Oral History Interview with Charles Hawkins, January 23, 2009

Oral History Interview with Charles Hawkins, January 23, 2009

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Track One 2:14:18

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Charles Hawkins. Hawkins joined the Marine Corps in June of 1943. He provides details of boot camp. He completed sea school in San Diego, learning how to live and work aboard a ship. He also completed Naval gunnery school. He was sent to Pearl Harbor in a replacement pool. He and 4 other Marines were then assigned to CINCPAC, serving with Admiral Nimitz???s Marine Detachment. He performed guard duty around the headquarters. Hawkins worked his way up to the Admiral???s office orderly and later served as his personal orderly, … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (2 hr., 14 min., 18 sec.)

Creation Information

Hawkins, Charles January 23, 2009.

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

Hawkins, Charles

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 interview with Charles Hawkins. Hawkins joined the Marine Corps in June of 1943. He provides details of boot camp. He completed sea school in San Diego, learning how to live and work aboard a ship. He also completed Naval gunnery school. He was sent to Pearl Harbor in a replacement pool. He and 4 other Marines were then assigned to CINCPAC, serving with Admiral Nimitz???s Marine Detachment. He performed guard duty around the headquarters. Hawkins worked his way up to the Admiral???s office orderly and later served as his personal orderly, traveling with him around the island ensuring his safety and transporting classified information. In January 1945, Nimitz moved the headquarters of the Pacific Fleet forward from Pearl Harbor to Guam. Hawkins provides many intimate details of his work for Admiral Nimitz, including a day where he swam for recreation alongside Nimitz and Halsey. He shares stories of their time working, hiking, swimming and more in Guam. Hawkins??? last day with Admiral Nimitz was at the signing of the treaty aboard the USS Missouri (BB-63). He was discharged in March of 1946.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (2 hr., 14 min., 18 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: OH02531
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1609371

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Charles Hawkins, January 23, 2009, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1605562

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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