Oral History Interview with Harold Tatsch, October 28, 2005

Oral History Interview with Harold Tatsch, October 28, 2005

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Description

Transcript of an oral interview with Harold Tatsch. Prior to enlisting in the Navy, Tatsch worked as a bellhop in the Nimitz Hotel in Fredericksburg, Texas. In November, 1944, Tatsch joined the Navy. After completing training, Tatsch went aboard the USS Drexler (DD-741) where he served as an ammunition handler for a 40mm antiaircraft gun. Eventually, the Drexler made its way to Ulithi where it joined the armada headed for Okinawa. Tatsch also describes being on picket duty off Okinawa and being attacked by Japanese aircraft. On 28 May 1945, the Drexler was hit by two kamikazes and Tatsch describes … continued below

Physical Description

32 p.

Creation Information

Tatsch, Harold October 28, 2005.

Context

This text 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 text can be viewed below.

Interviewee

Tatsch, Harold

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

Transcript of an oral interview with Harold Tatsch. Prior to enlisting in the Navy, Tatsch worked as a bellhop in the Nimitz Hotel in Fredericksburg, Texas. In November, 1944, Tatsch joined the Navy. After completing training, Tatsch went aboard the USS Drexler (DD-741) where he served as an ammunition handler for a 40mm antiaircraft gun. Eventually, the Drexler made its way to Ulithi where it joined the armada headed for Okinawa. Tatsch also describes being on picket duty off Okinawa and being attacked by Japanese aircraft. On 28 May 1945, the Drexler was hit by two kamikazes and Tatsch describes the impacts and aftermath. He abandoned ship and spent about three hours in the water before being rescued. He was sent back to the US on a 40-day survivor leave. At the end of it, Tatsch re-enlisted, requesting more duty aboard destoryers. In the meantime, the war ended and he was shipped to Guam where he spent 18 months as a shore patrolman. When that was complete, Tatsch was discharged.

Physical Description

32 p.

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

Text

Identifier

Unique identifying numbers for this text in the Portal or other systems.

Accession or Local Control No: OH01546
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1604901

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Harold Tatsch, October 28, 2005 - ark:/67531/metapth1608709

Collections

This text 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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