Oral History Interview with Alphonsis Stockdale, December 8, 2001

Oral History Interview with Alphonsis Stockdale, December 8, 2001

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Track One 0:43:22

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Alphonsis Stockdale. Stockdale was born near Morristown, South Dakota 2 August 1915. After graduating from high school, he joined the Navy in 1934 and went to San Diego for boot training. He then trained as a radio operator. In 1940, he joined Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 1 aboard PT-24 and went to Pearl Harbor where he witnessed the Japanese attack. Arriving at Midway Island on 2 June 1942 he was present when the Japanese launched their attack. Afterwards, Stockdale went to Melville, Rhode Island, for training in PT … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (43 min., 22 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 Alphonsis Stockdale. Stockdale was born near Morristown, South Dakota 2 August 1915. After graduating from high school, he joined the Navy in 1934 and went to San Diego for boot training. He then trained as a radio operator. In 1940, he joined Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 1 aboard PT-24 and went to Pearl Harbor where he witnessed the Japanese attack. Arriving at Midway Island on 2 June 1942 he was present when the Japanese launched their attack. Afterwards, Stockdale went to Melville, Rhode Island, for training in PT boats. Completing the course, he was assigned to PT-107 of Squadron 5. Robert Montgomery, the movie actor, served as boat captain. After training in the Galapagos Islands for several months the boat was taken by ship to New Caledonia, then the Solomons, where they began combat patrols. Stockdale recalls PT-107 and three other boats were involved in an operation to land a group of Marines on Vella Lavella. The landing was repelled by the Japanese and the Marines suffered numerous casualties. He developed a severe case of jungle rot, which hospitalized him on New Caledonia. He was then put aboard the USS Matsonia (ID-1589) and taken to Oak Knoll Naval Hospital. Upon release from the hospital, he was assigned to the USS Missouri (BB-63) and went on the initial shakedown cruise. When the ship returned to the United States, he received orders for shore duty in the Federal Building, New Orleans. Stockdale retired in 1954.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (43 min., 22 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: OH00337
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1607646

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Alphonsis Stockdale, December 8, 2001, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1603694

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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