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Description

Oral History interview of Bill Whitney. Interview conducted by Webb, Joshua at Cocoa Beach, FL.

Log

0:05 Introduction; 0:25 Birth and growing up; 2:30 Family in the military; 3:26 Education before joining the military; 05:02 Family's reaction to joining the military; 05:18 Boot Camp; 05:52 Advanced Training; 07:11 Communication with Family; 07:28 Chicago vs. Boston growing up; 08:44 First assignment on the USS Guyat; 10:08 Comparison of ships; 10:28 Acclimation to living on the ship; 10:53 Typical day on the USS Guyat; 12:41 Communication with Family (continued); 14:08 Period of time on the USS Guyat; 14:24 Nuclear Power School; 15:00 Memorable moments at Nuclear Power School; 17:11 Leaving Nuclear Power School; 17:45 Coming to the USS Observation Island; 19:00 First impression of the USS Observation Island; 20:15 Duties and memorable experiences on the USS Observation Island; 23:28 Average day on the USS Observation Island; 27:20 Duties and memorable experiences on the USS Observation Island (cont.); 29:28 Electronics Technician School; 31:10 Becoming a Warrant Officer; 36:15 Naval Air Station Adak Alaska; 37:35 USS Eisenhower; 40:15 Naval Air Station Adak Alaska (2nd time); 42:08 USS Coffman; 45:16 Beirut; 48:24 Job after retiring from the Navy; 50:33 Reflection of time in the Service; 51:54 Advice to someone joining the service today; 54:10 Miscellaneous topics and life advice; 55:22 Conclusion.

Date of Birth

1946-05-16

Place of Birth

Boston (Mass.)

Gender

Male

Race

White - Non Hispanic

Home State

Massachusetts

War or Conflict

Cold War Era

Status

Veteran

Begin/End date of Service - 1st

1964-03-03

Type

Video; MovingImage

1988-03-03

Entrance into Service

Enlisted

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Unit of Service

USS Gyatt; USS Observation Island; Naval Air Station ADAK; USS Eisenhower; Naval Air Station ADAK; Naval Training Center Great Lakes (instructor Duty); Foothill College (between commission); USS Coffman

Location of Service

Norfolk (Va.); Florida; Hawaii; California; Chicago (Ill.); Alaska; Mediterranean Sea; Maine

Highest Rank

Chief Warrant Officer 4; CWO4

Prisoner of War

No

Service Related Injury

No

Battles

Unspecified

Medals

Unspecified

Achievements

Being in Beirut when they bombed the barracks; Instructor Duty; Being in Alaska

Note

Originally enlisted then commissioned.

City of Birth

Boston

Country of Birth

United States

Interviewer

Webb, Joshua

Interview Date

3-16-2016

Location of Interview

Cocoa Beach, FL.

Subjects

Whitney, Bill; Cold War -- 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

Webb, Joshua

Length of Interview

56 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

Semester

Spring

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