Oral History Interview with R. L. Hawkins, November 13, 2014

Oral History Interview with R. L. Hawkins, November 13, 2014

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Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with R.L. Hawkins. Hawkins was born in Springfield, Illinois on 31 May 1924. Upon joining the Navy in February 1943, he attended boot camp at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, in Illinois. After twelve weeks he entered fire control school, also at Great Lakes. From there, he attended advanced fire control school in Washington, DC. Hawkins was then sent to Providence, Rhode Island for gunnery training. In early 1944, he went to the Brooklyn Navy Yard and was assigned to the USS Diphda (AKA-59) as a senior fire … continued below

Physical Description

45 p.

Creation Information

Hawkins, R. L. November 13, 2014.

Publisher

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

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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 R.L. Hawkins. Hawkins was born in Springfield, Illinois on 31 May 1924. Upon joining the Navy in February 1943, he attended boot camp at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, in Illinois. After twelve weeks he entered fire control school, also at Great Lakes. From there, he attended advanced fire control school in Washington, DC. Hawkins was then sent to Providence, Rhode Island for gunnery training. In early 1944, he went to the Brooklyn Navy Yard and was assigned to the USS Diphda (AKA-59) as a senior fire control man. Hawkins describes the mechanisms used in controlling the guns including gyros, fitting systems, motors of the control system and vacuum tubes. In January 1945 the ship participated in the Lingayen Gulf invasion and he describes landing LCVPs and relates the experience of bringing them back on board. Following the ship’s participation in the invasion of Okinawa, during which they came under kamikaze attack, the ship returned to the United States. While they were in the US Japan surrendered.

Physical Description

45 p.

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

Text

Identifier

Unique identifying numbers for this text in the Portal or other systems.

Accession or Local Control No: OH04284
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1606766

Relationships

Oral History Interview with R. L. Hawkins, November 13, 2014 - ark:/67531/metapth1610415

Collections

This text 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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