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Description
Oral History interview of James L. Long. Interview conducted by Orth, Sue at Village on the Green in Longwood, FL.
Log
0:01 Introduction; 0:43 Childhood; 2:12 Decision to Join Navy; 3:49 Boot Camp Experience; 4:45 Naval Fire Training; 5:47 Temperature and Pressure Maintenance; 6:44 Assignment to the U.S.S. Strong; 8:08 Testing the New Ship; 8:40 Type and Class of the U.S.S. Strong; 9:27 Types of Missions for Destroyers; 9:48 Role in North Africa Campaign; 10:56 Earning the Nickname "Night Raiders"; 12:32 "The Suicide Task Force"; 13:38 Sinking of the U.S.S. Strong; 17:20 Naval Buddy System; 19:32 U.S.S. Chevalier Intentionally Rams Damaged U.S.S. Strong; 20:45 Personal Location and Events During Sinking; 21:30 Abandoning Ship; 22:50 Depth Charge Explosion and Rescue; 25:48 Casualties; 26:41 Personal Injuries; 28:37 "Japanese Charlie"; 28:28 Red Cross Phone Call Home; 30:05 Transfer to New Caledonia; 30:52 Treasure Island and Return to States; 32:17 Observation at Long Island Hospital; 33:20 Discharge from Navy; 33:47 Feelings About the End of the War; 34:44 Becoming an Electrician; 35:47 Navy's Impact on Future Employment; 37:00 Navy Radar's Impact on Naval Warfare; 39:52 Forming Personal Business; 40:18 Casualties in the Engine and Fire Room; 41:44 Final Thoughts and Conclusion.
Date of Birth
1925-04-18
Place of Birth
Orlando (Fla.)
Gender
Male
Race
White - Non Hispanic
Home State
Florida
War or Conflict
World War II
Status
Veteran
Begin/End date of Service - 1st
1942-06-07
Type
Video; MovingImage
1944-12-08
Entrance into Service
Enlisted
Branch of Service
U.S. Navy
Unit of Service
U.S.S. Strong: Commissioned 1942-08-17, Sank 1943-07-05
Location of Service
U.S.S. Strong; Solomon Islands
Highest Rank
Fireman 1st Class; F1
Prisoner of War
Unspecified
Service Related Injury
Yes
Battles
Solomon Islands Campaign; New Georgia Campaign
Medals
Bronze Star Medal
Achievements
Was a member of "The Night Raiders;" Survived the torpedo of the torpedo of his ship by the Japanese.
Note
Was awarded 4 Bronze Battle Stars; Was a member of Task Force Eighteen which consisted of 7 destroyers and 3 light cruisers (Honolulu, Helena, and St. Louis); His ship was in action 6 times in 6 months and was a member of the group called “The Night Raiders“; In a daylight battle, 96 Japanese planes were shot down between Guadalcanal and Tulagi; His ship was the first to be equipped with new SG Surface Radar and latest air search and fire control radars which revolutionized naval warfare; On April 7, he and his group sank a Japanese submarine; On the 4/ 5 of July, he abandoned ship because it was torpedoed on the port side. The explosion made a large hole, sinking the ship within 30 minutes.
City of Birth
Orlando
Country of Birth
United States
Interviewer
Orth, Sue
Interview Date
6-26-2014
Location of Interview
Village on the Green, Longwood, FL.
Subjects
Long, James L.; World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives; United States. Navy
Collection Description
Contains logs, audio and video recordings of interviews with Central Florida's veterans as part of a history class project for the students at the University of Central Florida (UCF). The UCF Community Veterans History Project(CVHP) started in fall 2010. It collects, preserves, and makes accessible to the public the experiences of Central Florida's veterans so that future generations will better understand the realities of conflict. It is a collaborative endeavor supported by multiple departments and offices at UCF. The veterans' histories are archived and made digitally available through the UCF library and selected materials are contributed to the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress.
Contributor Affiliation / Organization
RICHES; University of Central Florida
Contributors
Orth, Sue
Length of Interview
43 Minutes
Publisher
Department of History, University of Central Florida
Type
video
Rights
All rights are held by the respective holding institution. This material is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. For permission to reproduce and/or for copyright information contact Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, (407) 823-2576. http://library.ucf.edu/about/departments/special-collections-university-archives/
Repository
University of Central Florida Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
Contributing Project
UCF Community Veterans History Project
Document Type
Interview
Recommended Citation
Central Florida, RICHES of, "Long, James L. interview" (2014). Veterans Oral Histories. 306.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/306