- Collection:
- Veterans History Project: Oral History Interviews
- Title:
- Oral history interview of Fred Boggs Franklin, part 1 of 2
- Creator:
- Brown, Myers
Franklin, Fred Boggs 1921-2009
Franklin, (Marion) Doreen Peters, 1921-2018 - Publisher:
- Atlanta, Ga. : Kenan Research Center, Atlanta History Center
- Date of Original:
- 2002-04-02
- Subject:
- World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American
World War, 1939-1945--Pacific Area
World War, 1939-1945--Medical care
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Solomon Islands
Guadalcanal, Battle of, Solomon Islands, 1942-1943
United States. Navy
Atlanta (Light cruiser : CL-51)
Solace (Hospital ship)
American Red Cross - People:
- Tunney, Gene, 1897-1978
Koch, Samuel Stuart, 1913-1942 - Location:
- Midway Islands
Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal, -9.59842095, 160.1485117018448
Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal, Henderson Field, -9.429441749999999, 160.04987604652325
United States, California, San Francisco County, San Francisco, 37.77493, -122.41942
United States, Georgia, Fulton County, Fort McPherson, 33.70733, -84.43354
United States, Georgia, Upson County, Thomaston, 32.88819, -84.32659
United States, Hawaii, Honolulu County, Pearl Harbor, 21.34475, -157.97739
Vanuatu, Shefia, Éfaté Island, -17.67899, 168.39415 - Medium:
- Mini-DV
- Type:
- Moving Image
- Format:
- video/mp4
- Description:
- In part one of this two-part interview, Fred Franklin recalls his service in the United States Navy on the USS Atlanta during World War II. He describes growing up in Thomaston, Georgia, working in a cotton mill and in the Civilian Conservation Corps. He served in the Naval Reserves briefly while in school and when it became apparent that he would be drafted, he signed up for active duty in the Navy because he "didn't want to sleep in the rain." He describes his boot camp experience and being sworn into the Navy by former professional boxer Gene Tunney. He explains how men from Georgia were recruited to serve on the newly commissioned USS Atlanta and how he was assigned to the ship's gunnery office because he could type and take shorthand. He describes their "shakedown" (preparatory) cruises off the coast of Maine and how the ship transited the Panama Canal on it's way to Pearl Harbor, arriving there just a few months after the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack. He recalls watching the USS Yorktown sink during the Battle of Midway and later escorting ships to Guadalcanal where the USS Atlanta shelled the beaches and offered fire protection to allied landing forces. He remembers watching aerial dogfights in which American fighter pilots would bail out of their damaged aircraft while Japanese fighters shot up their parachutes. He describes in great detail what happened on November 13th, when the USS Atlanta was shelled by a Japanese destroyer, including how it felt when the ship was hit, how his friend, Samuel Koch, was instantly killed right beside him and another sailor's shoulder was shot away. He describes how he and another sailor evacuated the wounded man without realizing he himself had been badly wounded. A ship's officer stopped him, administered pain medication, and evacuated him from the ship. He describes the nearest island field hospital as "two coconut palms with a hammock between them" and recalls having shrapnel removed from his body that medical staff later gave him in a tobacco pouch. He recalls how he, along with other wounded, were eventually evacuated to the island of Efate, where they removed his left eye, treated his badly damaged leg, but missed his broken shoulder, which never properly healed. He was sent to New Zealand for additional treatment before being sent to San Francisco where he was fitted with a glass eye. His wife, Doreen, joins him in the interview and recalls how she learned about the sinking of the USS Atlanta from letters her brother sent. The couple describe their experiences in San Francisco; his medical discharge; their June 4th marriage; and how the Red Cross assisted the couple in finding housing. Doreen remembers Fred was often asked why he was not in service after his medical discharge, with the implication being that he wasn't doing his patriotic duty. She describes what life was like on the home front during the war and how her father often brought servicemen home for a meal and a place to sleep. They reflect on attending several USS Atlanta Association reunions over the years and how they have maintained contact with the family of Sam Koch ever since his death. The couple describe their family, including their biological children; their adopted children; and the children for whom they have provided foster care over the years. Fred reflects on his military service and the friendships they have made because of it.
USS Atlanta; gunnery office; yeoman; USS Solace;
Fred Franklin served as a Yeoman 3rd Class on the USS Atlanta in the Pacific Theatre of operations during World War II. - External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- http://album.atlantahistorycenter.com/cdm/ref/collection/VHPohr/id/925
- 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:
- 58:41
- 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:
-
