Oral History Interview with James D. Rothermel, November 11, 2003

Oral History Interview with James D. Rothermel, November 11, 2003

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Track One 0:34:27

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James D. Rothermel. Rothermel was born in Burton, Texas 20 February 1918. Enlisting in the Navy in 1942, he had boot camp at Norfolk, Virginia. After spending a short time at Providence, Rhode Island, he was sent to Treasure Island, California and assigned to the 14th Naval Construction Battalion. During September 1942 he went aboard the M.S. Sommelsdijk, a converted Dutch freighter, and tells of the trip to Noumea, New Caledonia. From there the unit was sent to Guadalcanal, which had not yet been secured. The unit constructed … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (34 min., 27 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 James D. Rothermel. Rothermel was born in Burton, Texas 20 February 1918. Enlisting in the Navy in 1942, he had boot camp at Norfolk, Virginia. After spending a short time at Providence, Rhode Island, he was sent to Treasure Island, California and assigned to the 14th Naval Construction Battalion. During September 1942 he went aboard the M.S. Sommelsdijk, a converted Dutch freighter, and tells of the trip to Noumea, New Caledonia. From there the unit was sent to Guadalcanal, which had not yet been secured. The unit constructed two new airstrips on the island and Rothermel describes the other work completed. He tells of the nightly visits by a Japanese bomber, which would indiscriminately drop bombs every night, primarily for harassment. The bomber was called “Washing Machine Charlie” by all the troops on the island. He recounts the devastating affect that malaria, dengue fever and other jungle diseases had on the members of the 14th Battalion. The unit returned to Camp Parker, California, during November 1943. He recalls that during October 1944 the unit was sent to Saipan where they spent several months before being sent to Okinawa where they built a Marine airfield. Following the surrender of Japan, he was sent home and was discharged in December 1945.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (34 min., 27 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: OH01020
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1608240

Relationships

Oral History Interview with James D. Rothermel, November 11, 2003, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1604431

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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