- Collection:
- Veterans History Project: Oral History Interviews
- Title:
- Oral history interview of William F. Owens
- Creator:
- Palmer, Janet
Owens, William F., 1926- - Date of Original:
- 2003-08-20
- Subject:
- World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American
Iwo Jima, Battle of, Japan, 1945
Operation Dragoon, 1944
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Japan--Okinawa Island
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--France--Normandy
B-29 (Bomber)
Boston Navy Yard (Boston, Mass.)
Nevada (Battleship)
United States. Naval Training Center (Bainbridge, Md.)
Emory University
Georgia State University
Normandy Invasion, 1944 (Military operation)
Nevada (Battleship : BB-36)
Boeing B-29 Superfortress (heavy bomber) - Location:
- Algeria, Oran Bay, 35.7032751, -0.6492976
France, Cherbourg, 49.6425343, -1.6249565
France, Marseille, 43.2961743, 5.3699525
France, Toulon, 43.1257311, 5.9304919
Italy, Taranto, 40.54881555, 17.0805801245474
Micronesia, Ulithi, 9.9613889, 139.6036111
Northern Mariana Islands, Tinian, 15.0116123, 145.629297331134
United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, Belfast, 54.5964411, -5.9302761
United States, California, Los Angeles County, Long Beach, 33.76696, -118.18923
United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
United States, Georgia, Atlanta Metropolitan Area, 33.8498, 84.4383
United States, Hawaii, Honolulu County, Honolulu, 21.30694, -157.85833
United States, Maryland, Cecil County, Naval Training Center Bainbridge (historical), 39.6125, -76.09167
United States, New York, New York County, New York, 40.7142691, -74.0059729
United States, South Carolina, Laurens County, Laurens, 34.49901, -82.01426
United States, Virginia, City of Norfolk, 36.89126, -76.26188
United States, Washington, King County, Seattle, 47.60621, -122.33207 - Medium:
- video recordings (physical artifacts)
mini-dv - Type:
- Moving Image
- Format:
- video/quicktime
- Description:
- In this interview, William Owens describes his service in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He describes farming but wanting a better career; there was no money for college so he enlisted in the Navy. He relates his basic training, including learning how to swim and jumping off a high tower. He describes what it was like to encounter the battleship Nevada for the first time, and how their convoy duty worked. Their next assignment was to become part of a task force in preparation for the invasion of Normandy and he recalls in detail their preparations. He reports in great detail the involvement of his ship on D-Day and the invasion of southern France. They returned to the U.S. and he recalls how he felt seeing the Statue of Liberty. From there, they were in dry dock for thirty days. Their next assignment was to the Pacific via the Panama Canal and he describes that transit in detail. Once in the Pacific, they performed gunnery practice with towed air and sea targets and became part of the Iwo Jima Task Force. He recalls that experience in great detail, including the aerial bombardment by the Navy and Army Air Forces and witnessing the flag raising over Mount Suribachi. He compares the cost of taking Iwo Jima with its strategic importance. He recounts the kamikaze hit his ship took and the subsequent burial at sea of the crewmen that were killed. He describes the reaction to the war's end and his duties as a yeoman helping discharge sailors. He describes his post-war education and activities.
William Owens was in the U.S. Navy in the Atlantic and Pacific during World War II. - Metadata URL:
- http://album.atlantahistorycenter.com/cdm/ref/collection/VHPohr/id/277
- Additional Rights Information:
- This material is protected by copyright law. (Title 17, U.S. Code) Permission for use must be cleared through the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center. Licensing agreement may be required.
- Extent:
- 1:06:39
- Original Collection:
- Veterans History Project oral history recordings
Veterans History Project collection, MSS 1010, Kenan Research Center, Atlanta History Center - Holding Institution:
- Atlanta History Center
- Rights:
-
