Oral History Interview with Bob Floyd, October 23, 2007

Oral History Interview with Bob Floyd, October 23, 2007

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Track One 1:16:17

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bob Floyd. Floyd was on track to become as a ship builder, but was drafted into the Navy before graduating from high school. He was assigned to the USS Midway (CVE-63), which was renamed the USS St. Lo (CVE-63) one year later, without the sailors even knowing it. Floyd’s early voyages were to Australia and Pearl Harbor, and he recounts becoming a shellback. Upon joining a large task force at Pearl Harbor, he sailed to Saipan, Tinian and Guam. Floyd observed the Marianas Turkey Shoot, which felt to … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 16 min., 17 sec.)

Creation Information

Floyd, Bob October 23, 2007.

Context

This audio recording 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 recording can be viewed below.

Interviewee

Floyd, Bob

Interviewers

Publisher

National Museum of the Pacific War
Place of Publication: Fredericksburg, Texas

Audiences

Check out our Resources for Educators Site! We've identified this sound as a primary source within our collections. Researchers, educators, and students may find this recording useful in their work.

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 Bob Floyd. Floyd was on track to become as a ship builder, but was drafted into the Navy before graduating from high school. He was assigned to the USS Midway (CVE-63), which was renamed the USS St. Lo (CVE-63) one year later, without the sailors even knowing it. Floyd’s early voyages were to Australia and Pearl Harbor, and he recounts becoming a shellback. Upon joining a large task force at Pearl Harbor, he sailed to Saipan, Tinian and Guam. Floyd observed the Marianas Turkey Shoot, which felt to him like watching a movie. In general quarters, he was a gun captain on two 20mm guns, passing orders from the bridge to his gunners. Otherwise, he was a 40mm gunner. In the Philippines, Floyd was hit by shell fragments, earning him a Purple Heart. During the Battle of Leyte Gulf, Floyd and crew abandoned ship after a kamikaze strike. Upon being rescued, he felt fine apart from having no appetite, and he consequently lost thirty pounds. During recovery, Floyd was reassigned to an ammunition depot, where he remained until the end of the war.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 16 min., 17 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: OH02082
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1609110

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Bob Floyd, October 23, 2007, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1605300

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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