Oral History Interview with John Skirvin, February 17, 2007 Metadata

Title

• Main Title Oral History Interview with John Skirvin, February 17, 2007

Creator

• Interviewee: Skirvin, John
  Creator Type: Personal

Contributor

• Interviewer: Cox, Floyd
  Contributor Type: Personal
• Interviewer: Rees, Forest
  Contributor Type: Personal
• Interviewer: Rees, Marjorie
  Contributor Type: Personal

Publisher

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

Date

• Creation: 2007-02-17

Language

• English

Description

• Content Description: The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with John Skirvin. Skirvin was born on a farm in Iowa on 26 January 1922. He dropped out of school after the eighth grade to work on the farm. In 1942 he was drafted into the Army and spent six week of infantry basic training at Camp Robinson, Arkansas. He then went to Fort Bliss, Texas where he was assigned to the Troop G, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He recalls training as cavalry with horses until early 1943 when the horses were taken away and the unit became infantry. Trained as a Browning automatic rifle (BAR) operator, he boarded the USAT Maui with an advance detail bound for Brisbane, Australia. Upon their arrival they began four weeks of intensive jungle training. This was followed by four weeks of amphibious training. Skirvin’s unit went to New Guinea and the Admiralties where they were involved in combat. While there, Skirvin developed a severe case of Shingles, which hospitalized him for two weeks. Eventually, his unit boarded the USS La Salle (AGF-3) and landed on Leyte in October 1944. He recounts various experiences while there, including a banzai charge, loss of friends by friendly fire and spending two weeks in the hospital after being wounded. He recalls close quarters fighting in Manila. He received a stomach wound. Eight weeks of recovery in various hospitals followed. Skirvin rejoined his unit on Luzon and began practicing for the invasion of Japan. When Japan surrendered, he returned to the United States and was discharged in October 1945. Skirvin concludes the interview by telling of his experiences in Korea, where he was seriously wounded.
• Physical Description: 28 p.

Subject

• Library of Congress Subject Headings: World War, 1939-1945
• University of North Texas Libraries Browse Structure: People - Individuals
• University of North Texas Libraries Browse Structure: Military and War - Wars - World War II
• Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms: Interviews
• Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms: Oral histories
• Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms: Personal narratives
• Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms: Autobiographies
• Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms: Biographies
• Keyword: WWII
• Keyword: United States. Army
• Keyword: United States. Army. Cavalry Division, 1st
• Keyword: World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Papua New Guinea -- Admiralty Islands
• Keyword: World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Philippines -- Leyte
• Keyword: Combat
• Keyword: World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Philippines -- Luzon
• Keyword: Korean War, 1950-1953
• Keyword: War wounds

Primary Source

• Item is a Primary Source

Relation

• Oral History Interview with John Skirvin, February 17, 2007 - ark:/67531/metapth1608096

Collection

• Name: National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection
  Code: NMPW
• Name: National Museum of the Pacific War Digital Archive
  Code: NMPWA

Institution

• Name: National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation
  Code: NMPW

Rights

• Rights License: by-nc-nd
• Rights Statement: Commercial use is prohibited without permission from the National Museum of the Pacific War.

Resource Type

• Text

Format

• Text

Identifier

• Accession or Local Control No: OH00835
• Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1604284