Oral History Interview with Ledford Coggeshell, October 6, 2008

Oral History Interview with Ledford Coggeshell, October 6, 2008

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Track One 1:40:44

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ledford Coggeshell. Coggeshell joined the Navy in 1938 as a means of earning money for college. Following boot camp, he boarded the USS California (BB-44) in Long Beach and sailed to the Atlantic. The California sailed back to the Pacific through the Panama Canal, where Coggeshell witnessed President Roosevelt board with South American heads of state. Coggeshell soon transferred into mine warfare and and boarded the USS Preble (DD-345). During the Pearl Harbor attack, the ship was in overhaul and unarmed. Coggeshell assisted the USS Cummings (DM-20) which … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 40 min., 43 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 Ledford Coggeshell. Coggeshell joined the Navy in 1938 as a means of earning money for college. Following boot camp, he boarded the USS California (BB-44) in Long Beach and sailed to the Atlantic. The California sailed back to the Pacific through the Panama Canal, where Coggeshell witnessed President Roosevelt board with South American heads of state. Coggeshell soon transferred into mine warfare and and boarded the USS Preble (DD-345). During the Pearl Harbor attack, the ship was in overhaul and unarmed. Coggeshell assisted the USS Cummings (DM-20) which needed help manning guns, and he also helped survivors of the USS West Virginia (BB-48) escape the fiery waters. But at the battle of Leyte Gulf, Coggeshell felt helpless when the ship could not stop for survivors of burning and sinking ships. Coggeshell was discharged as a chief watertender in August 1945, just days after the second atomic bomb was dropped. He later became an electrical engineer and worked on cruise missiles, the B2 bomber, and outer space weaponry.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 40 min., 43 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: OH02466
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1609324

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Ledford Coggeshell, October 6, 2008, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1605515

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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