Oral History Interview with Nelson Howard, December 8, 2001

Oral History Interview with Nelson Howard, December 8, 2001

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Track One 0:36:60

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Nelson Howard. He was born in Everett, Washington, March 17, 1920. Upon graduating from high school, he joined the Navy in 1940. He was sent to Pearl Harbor and assigned to the USS Macdonough (DD-351) where he served as a Gunners Mate. During the attack on Pearl Harbor, he recalls shooting down a Japanese plane. He recalls that the Macdonough steamed out of the harbor that morning and returned the following Wednesday to provision and refuel and sailed with the USS Lexington (CV-2) battle group to the Coral … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (36 min., 59 sec.)

Creation Information

Howard, Nelson December 8, 2001.

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 Nelson Howard. He was born in Everett, Washington, March 17, 1920. Upon graduating from high school, he joined the Navy in 1940. He was sent to Pearl Harbor and assigned to the USS Macdonough (DD-351) where he served as a Gunners Mate. During the attack on Pearl Harbor, he recalls shooting down a Japanese plane. He recalls that the Macdonough steamed out of the harbor that morning and returned the following Wednesday to provision and refuel and sailed with the USS Lexington (CV-2) battle group to the Coral Sea. During April 1942 he recalls observing an action near Rabaul when Edward "Butch" O'Hare shot down five Mitsubishi G4M bombers. In the spring of 1942 he was transferred ashore and then to the crew of the USS Moore (DE-240), which escorted convoys to North Africa. He recounts that his ship returned to Norfolk in 1943 for repairs. He recalls that he was transferred to another destroyer escort (not named) that sailed to the Caroline Islands and then Shanghai, China, where he was transferred back to the States suffering from anxiety neurosis. He recalls that he was subsequently transferred to another ship (not named) and after a six year enlistment, was discharged as Seaman 1st Class.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (36 min., 59 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: OH00345
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1607654

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Nelson Howard, December 8, 2001, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1603715

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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