Survival at sea

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Zamperini, Louis 47 Day Adrift, 18 Months of Torture and Being Born Again
They [Annotator's Note: Louis Zamperini, his pilot and their tail gunner] spent 47 days fighting off sharks, the...
Henleben, Edwin A Week on Attu
Edwin Henlebin described the beachhead as glutted with supplies. The problem was getting the material from the beach to...
Roy, William Abandoning the USS Yorktown (CV-5)
[Annotator's Note: William G. Roy served in the Navy as a Photographer's Mate 2nd Class aboard the aircraft carrier USS...
Yusen, Jack Adrift at Sea and Being Rescued
[Annotator's Note: Jack Yusen served in the Navy as a gunner aboard the USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413). The Samuel B....
Bailey, Raymond After the First Explosion
Raymond Bailey was on the mess deck washing cups when he felt the first shudder caused by the bomb hit [Annotator's...
Nelson, Walter After the Lexington sunk
Walter Nelson was only 19 years old at the time [Annotators Note: at the time of the Battle of the Coral Sea]. The USS...
Marks, James American Samoa
James Marks was on a ship that was carrying people to American Samoa. The ship tied up at the pier and he decided to...
Kopp, Alois Arriving in Burma and Survival
Alois Kopp escaped from a sinking Hell Ship and swam to the beach on Burma only to be recaptured by the Japanese. The...
Riddle, Robert Assignment to the SS Typhoon
Robert Riddle was assigned to the Merchant Marine ship SS Typhoon, transporting supplies and soldiers throughout the...
Spencer, John Assuming Battle Stations on the USS Maryland (BB-46)
John Curtis Spencer said the USS Maryland (BB-46) was inboard of the USS Oklahoma (BB-37), and because the Oklahoma...
Stone, Edward Attack on Pearl Harbor
Edward Stone began his morning duty [Annotator’s Note: 7 December 1941 aboard the USS Pyro (AE-1) in Pearl Harbor] with...
Childs, J. Attack on Pearl Harbor
On the battleship, J. W. Childs said, it was mandatory for a sailor to wear his white hat if he went outside of his...
Davis, Charles Battle of Kula Gulf and Loss of the USS Helena (CL-50)
Charles Davis then went to Kula Gulf. [Annotator's Note: The Battle of Kula Gulf took place in the early hours of 6...
Westcott, Marvin Battle of Midway
Marvin Westcott was aboard the USS Balch (DD-363) while she earned nine battle stars supporting the USS Enterprise (CV-...
Fulton, Robert Battle of Sunda Strait
Robert Fulton and the USS Houston (CA-30) and the HMAS Perth ran into a Japanese landing force late on the night of 28...
Tacket, Henry Battle off Samar
Henry A. Tacket was aboard the USS Heermann (DD-532) when the invasion of the Philippines started. The initial landings...
Edwards, Troy Becoming a Sailor
Troy Edwards entered boot camp in San Diego. It was a lonesome experience for him. He did find a friend to talk to...
Grapes, Opal Becoming an Army Nurse
Opal Grapes joined the Army and reported for duty at Foster General Hospital in Temple, Texas. She underwent training...
Kopp, Alois Being Captured
Alois Kopp was in the water for nine hours before being picked up by Japanese [Annotator’s Note: After his ship, the...
Fox, Howard Bombing of the USS Catoctin (AGC-5)
The night the USS Catoctin (AGC-5) was hit by the bomb, Howard Fox was on the bridge, copying messages and reading...
Yoho, David Boot Camp
When David Yoho went through boot camp, it was great except for his troubled background. He kept getting into trouble...
Gruber, Harper Boot Camp, Joining the USS YMS-339 and Overseas Deployment
Harper Gruber found boot camp very rough, but very beneficial in terms of his physical conditioning. After school, his...
Davis, Charles Burial at Sea
Charles Davis experienced his first burial at sea after the 13 to 15 November battle [Annotator's Note: 13 to 15...
Odom, James Combat and the End of the War
James Odom recalled two big "fracases." In Leyte Bay, his ship was part of what he has been told was the largest...
Collie, C. Combat and Typhoons
C. Charles Collie rejoined his ship [Annotator's Note: USS Blue (DD-744)] after it had become part of the screening...
Varuso, Anthony Combat Duty on a PT boat
Anthony Varuso thought highly of the natives on the island of New Guinea. Even though their clothing was minimal, they...
Swanson, Richard Convoy Escort Duty in the Atlantic
Richard Swanson was assigned to the USCGC Comanche (WPG-76) on escort duty for the convoys crossing the Atlantic to...
Crane, James D-Day and Enemy Torpedo Attack
James Crane was waiting for D-Day in the war zone. They knew it was coming but did not know when. They had departed New...
Olson, David D-Day Invasion
David Olson landed on Utah Beach on D plus 1. Part of his command was on another ship, the Susan B. Anthony [Annotator...
Marovelli, Robert Deadly Patrol and the Loss of PT-363
Robert Marovelli said the PT boats [Annotator's Note: patrol torpedo boats] patrolled every night, and had to be...
Carmody, Martin "Red" Ditching in the Waters off Espiritu Santo
Martin Carmody took a course that would be parallel to the island. He made a good landing in the ocean but the force of...
Inghram, Robert Downed at Dieppe
For Robert Inghram, Dieppe was his big day [Annotator's Note: the Allied raid on Dieppe, France in August 1942]. That...
Jeffrey, Wallace Duty in England and D-Day
Wallace Jeffery arrived in Scotland and was transported by train to his new camp in England. He stayed there for four...
Reale, Albert Duty in the Pacific
Albert Reale remembers that the size of the Pacific impressed him, and there were many days when he saw nothing but...
Flynn, David Early Days of the War and the Battle of the Java Sea
David Flynn has written an account of the events of 7 December 1941. He recorded receiving the announcement of the...
Chester, Daniel Early Life to Deployment
Daniel Chester was born in February 1925 in Lakewood, Ohio, went through grammar and high school there, and lived in a...

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