Oral History Interview with Francis Shiner, July 30, 2011

Oral History Interview with Francis Shiner, July 30, 2011

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Track One 0:50:20

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Francis Shiner. Shiner joined the Navy in December 1942 and received basic training in Green Bay. Based on an aptitude test, he was sent to a university for electrician’s mate training. Upon completion, he was assigned to the USS Enterprise (CV-6), tasked with climbing 60-foot ladders to retrieve and recharge batteries from backup generators. It was heavy lifting for a man of his size, so he was reassigned to the power room, where he maintained fuses. He enjoyed his time walking along the deck and seeing porpoises swim … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (50 min., 19 sec.)

Interviewers

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 Francis Shiner. Shiner joined the Navy in December 1942 and received basic training in Green Bay. Based on an aptitude test, he was sent to a university for electrician’s mate training. Upon completion, he was assigned to the USS Enterprise (CV-6), tasked with climbing 60-foot ladders to retrieve and recharge batteries from backup generators. It was heavy lifting for a man of his size, so he was reassigned to the power room, where he maintained fuses. He enjoyed his time walking along the deck and seeing porpoises swim alongside the ship. But it was tense during attacks, and he was dismayed to see the bodies of eight men who were killed by friendly fire after a kamikaze got between two ships. Shiner was aboard the Enterprise for every campaign from November 1943 until it took its last kamikaze hit off Okinawa. His friend was among the crew who drowned in the elevator pump room that day. Shiner returned to Bremerton with the Enterprise and made the acquaintance of a young woman. Five weeks later, on 9 August 1945, they were in a long line of soldiers and their fiancées waiting to get married at the municipal building. Shiner was discharged in November 1945.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (50 min., 19 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: OH03296
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1609818

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Francis Shiner, July 30, 2011, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1606011

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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