Oral History Interview with Tommy W. Shaffer, May 3, 2008

Oral History Interview with Tommy W. Shaffer, May 3, 2008

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Track One 0:46:47

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Tommy Shaffer. Shaffer was born in Florence, Texas 31 August 1926. He received his draft notice in 1944 and joined the United States Navy. After attending boot camp at San Diego, California he went aboard the USS Sangamon (CVE-26) in February 1945 as second loader on a 40mm gun. He describes the attack at Okinawa by Japanese aircraft and tells of one plane dropping a bomb on the ship just before crashing into the flight deck and the actions of the damage control unit. The ship passed through … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (46 min., 47 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 Tommy Shaffer. Shaffer was born in Florence, Texas 31 August 1926. He received his draft notice in 1944 and joined the United States Navy. After attending boot camp at San Diego, California he went aboard the USS Sangamon (CVE-26) in February 1945 as second loader on a 40mm gun. He describes the attack at Okinawa by Japanese aircraft and tells of one plane dropping a bomb on the ship just before crashing into the flight deck and the actions of the damage control unit. The ship passed through the Panama Canal on its way to Newport News, Virginia for repairs. She arrived in June 1945. He tells of his transfer to the moth ball fleet and he describes his duties in this job prior to his discharge.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (46 min., 47 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: OH02220
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1609211

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Tommy W. Shaffer, May 3, 2008, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1605403

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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