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Description

Oral History interview of William Whitmire. Interview conducted by Wilt, Ashley at Mr. Whitmire's home in Ocoee, FL.

Log

0:01-0:26 Interviewer's introduction; 0:27-4:00 Childhood leading up to military. Attempt at joining the Air Force, instead joined Navy; 4:01-5:36 Applied for OCS in February 1959; graduated in July and was assigned to USS Exploit, MSO (Mine Sweeper Ocean) 440, 3 years on Exploit, separated from active service during summer of 1962; 5:37-8:13 Returned to Tallahassee from active service. Is hired by Martin Marietta; meets and marries first wife in 1963. In 1965 President Johnson may call upon reserves and so he re-joins the Navy as an active service weapons officer in Okinawa; 8:14-11:29 1st Western Pacific Cruise in beginnings of 1967; 9 amphibious invasions around DMZ; 11:30-17: 19 Remarries and returns to Martin Marietta; discusses feelings about the war, and doing as you are told to do; 17:20-21:55 'No one thinks war is fun.' Discusses losing various military members, Arizona Senior Senator John McCain and his service during the same time and serving as air support for McCain's ship; 21:56 Reflects on military experience; 25:24 Conclusion-no regrets.

Date of Birth

1936-10-16

Place of Birth

Spartanburg (S.C.)

Gender

Male

Race

Unspecified

Home State

South Carolina

War or Conflict

Vietnam Era

Status

Veteran

Begin/End date of Service - 1st

Unspecified

Type

Video; MovingImage

Entrance into Service

Commissioned

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Unit of Service

USS Okinawa LPH 3 Gunnery and Nuclear Weapons Officer

Highest Rank

Lieutenant; LT

Prisoner of War

No

Service Related Injury

No

Battles

Unspecified

Medals

Vietnam Service Medal; Vietnam Campaign Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Meritorious Unit Commendation

Achievements

Sea Detail, Underway Replenishment and General Quarters Officer of the Deck

Note

Not applicable

City of Birth

Spartanburg

Country of Birth

United States

Interviewer

Wilt, Ashley

Interview Date

3-29-2011

Location of Interview

Mr. Whitmire's home in Ocoee, FL.

Subjects

Whitmire, William K.; Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- 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

Wilt, Ashley

Length of Interview

28 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

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