Oral History Interview with Herman Heinrich, February 1, 1989

Oral History Interview with Herman Heinrich, February 1, 1989

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Track One 0:42:49

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Herman Heinrich. Heinrich joined the Navy and was assigned to the USS South Dakota (BB-57) in August 1943. He worked in the lower handling room for the five-inch guns and felt only a shudder when the South Dakota was struck by a bomb at the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Heading toward Okinawa, he recalls an American observation plane being accidentally struck by a projectile from his ship. At Okinawa he witnessed the damage that the destroyers sustained from kamikaze attacks as his ship brought casualties aboard. At … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (42 min., 49 sec.)

Creation Information

Heinrich, Herman February 1, 1989.

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

Heinrich, Herman

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 Herman Heinrich. Heinrich joined the Navy and was assigned to the USS South Dakota (BB-57) in August 1943. He worked in the lower handling room for the five-inch guns and felt only a shudder when the South Dakota was struck by a bomb at the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Heading toward Okinawa, he recalls an American observation plane being accidentally struck by a projectile from his ship. At Okinawa he witnessed the damage that the destroyers sustained from kamikaze attacks as his ship brought casualties aboard. At Tokyo Bay, his crew shared Admiral Halsey’s disappointment that the surrender ceremony would not be held on the South Dakota. He remembers Halsey as an easy-going leader who liked to mingle with the crew. Heinrich returned home and was discharged in February 1946.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (42 min., 49 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: OH04874
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1610788

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Herman Heinrich, February 1, 1989, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1607143

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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