Oral History Interview with Lloyd Winkler, July 30, 2011

Oral History Interview with Lloyd Winkler, July 30, 2011

Jump to Track:

Track One 0:46:26

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Lloyd Winkler. Winkler joined the Navy in 1943 and received basic training at Farragut, Idaho. He was treated for meningitis during boot camp and upon recovery was assigned to the USS Enterprise (CV-6). Winkler’s battle station was a 40-millimeter antiaircraft gun. As a pointer, he turned two cranks to aim the gun and fired the gun with a foot pedal trigger. It quickly became evident in battle that dive bombers were proving too difficult to target, so the position of gun director was added and given to Winkler. … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (46 min., 25 sec.)

Creation Information

Winkler, Lloyd July 30, 2011.

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

Winkler, Lloyd

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 Lloyd Winkler. Winkler joined the Navy in 1943 and received basic training at Farragut, Idaho. He was treated for meningitis during boot camp and upon recovery was assigned to the USS Enterprise (CV-6). Winkler’s battle station was a 40-millimeter antiaircraft gun. As a pointer, he turned two cranks to aim the gun and fired the gun with a foot pedal trigger. It quickly became evident in battle that dive bombers were proving too difficult to target, so the position of gun director was added and given to Winkler. Planes would strafe the deck, sending fragments everywhere, while Winkler had to stay focused on targeting dive bombers and torpedo bombers. His most unsettling experience in the war was when a bomb was dropped so low over the deck that rather than detonating, it rolled down the deck and landed beside him. He also recalls that friendly fire was a concern for everyone, and that his crew shot into the wing of one of their own planes. Kamikazes proved unpredictable, and at Okinawa, Winkler was sure his crew was about to hit one that looked like it would fly over the ship. At the last minute, the pilot flipped the plane upside-down and crashed into the number one elevator, putting the Enterprise out of commission. Winkler returned home and was discharged in the fall of 1945.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (46 min., 25 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: OH03297
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1609819

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Lloyd Winkler, July 30, 2011, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1606012

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.

Related Items