Oral History Interview with Alphonsis Stockdale, December 8, 2001 All Tracks

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.

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