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MR. REDLE: We lost three destroyers in that. A lot of them were getting low on fuel and they tried to refuel before we got into it. It was just impossible as rough as the sea was to come alongside and refuel. MR. MORRIS: You were on the MC KEAN at this point? MR. REDLE: No, the PRESTON. MR. MORRIS: How big a ship was that? MR. REDLE: The PRESTON was about 340 feet long and there was between 345 and 350 men on there, I think. MR. MORRIS: And what was your top speed? MR. REDLE: We had a top speed of I think on the shakedown we went 42 knots. Working with the carriers you were going 18 to 24 or 25 knots all the time. It was really cutting the water all the time. They had a destination and they wanted to get to a certain place and launch the planes and retrieve the planes and get the hell out of the distance of any Jap reprisal as soon as they could. So we were just banging right along all the time with those carriers. MR. MORRIS: That explains the worn out engine. MR. REDLE: Oh, yeh. MR. MORRIS: You said you stayed out there a couple of months after the war was over. MR. REDLE: Yes. I don't know why but they just made us stay out there. Just in case something happened, a plane going down or something like that between Okinawa and Japan. MR. MORRIS: How did you hear about the war being over? MR. REDLE: They told us. MR. MORRIS: You were on duty?
MR. REDLE: Oh, yeh.. MR. MORRIS: Did they ever tell you anything about when they dropped the bomb or did you hear about that later? MR. REDLE: Oh, yeh, they did. I tell you we were so thankful it was so close to being over with. We figured they would give up because they had sent all of their pilots. They didn't have any good pilots left anymore. All these guys knew how to do was take off with the planes and I think they just gave them enough fuel and the bombs and the plane
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard Reedle. Reedle joined the Navy in January 1942. He served as a boatswain’s mate on the USS McKean (APD-5). Reedle describes how his ship landed Marine Raiders throughout the Solomon Islands. He also discusses being critically hit by an aerial torpedo and being the last man off before it sank. Reedle then joined the crew of the USS Preston (DD-795) and became a captain of one of the five-inch guns. He describes providing gunnery support at Okinawa and screening carrier task groups. Reedle also discusses kamikaze attacks and going through a typhoon. He left the service in November 1945.
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