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Description
Oral History interview of John Coffin. Interview conducted by Green, Ellany at Coffin's Residence.
Log
0:35 Year and place of birth; 0:45 Time before the Navy school; 1:30 Applied to Congressmen for employment in the Navy; 1:40 Commissioned Midshipmen in US Navy; 2:05 Graduated Purdue; 2:29 2nd year at Purdue, apprentice seaman in program V-12; 3:10 Father founded midshipmen school - information about father; 4:00 Went to the Pacific; 4:12 Post-graduate school in Hollywood Beach, Florida; 5:06 Assigned to a Destroyer Escort already in task force to invade Okinawa; 6:00 Looking for the ship since its movements are confidential; 8:25 Roommate in college; 9:00 Reception on ship; 10:00 Action during radar watch; 10:29 Still on that ship when the war ended; 10:40 Radio report about bombing of Hiroshima; 11:08 Peace declared - feelings of safety; 12:30 Discussion on the atom bomb; 13:50 Advanced to Lieutenant (Junior Grade); 14:00 Got married and stationed ashore at San Diego; reasons to get out of Navy; 16:50 Went back to hometown - job after the Navy; 18:02 Start of Korean war, change of missions on Heavy Cruiser St. Paul; 20:15 Ship used to give gunfire support to ROK Capital Division; 23:05 Russians send in Chinese volunteers- Battle of Inchon; 23:33 Evacuation help at Battle of Inchon; 24:50 Amount of time spent in Korea and return fire from the shore; 25:00 Time spent on watch and call for gunfire; 26:13 Daily life on the ship; 27:25 Back in the states - Korean war ended; 28:00 Discussion on ships; 29:00 Test site in Bikini; 30:00 Duty on second ship - training during peacetime; 32:49 Minor injury on second ship during peacetime - no wartime injuries; 33:36 Move to Florida – retirement; 34:00 Family in WWI; 35:00 Friendships in divisions and reunions; 40:00 Battle of Midway - Midshipmen School Reunion; 43:50 Miracle of Midway; 49:30 WWII Roundtable; 52:20 Family and life after the wars.
Date of Birth
1922-01-23
Place of Birth
Indianapolis (Ind.)
Gender
Male
Race
White - Non Hispanic
Home State
Indiana
War or Conflict
World War II
Status
Veteran
Begin/End date of Service - 1st
1940-01-01
Type
Audio; Sound
1954-07-13
Entrance into Service
Commissioned
Branch of Service
U.S. Navy
Unit of Service
USS William E Cole (OE-611)
Highest Rank
Lieutenant Junior Grade; LTJG; Seaman; USN
Prisoner of War
Unspecified
Service Related Injury
Yes
Battles
Unspecified
Medals
Unspecified
Achievements
See video for details.
Note
Atom Bomb tests at Bikini Atoll; USS Saint Paul (CA-73) heavy cruiser during Korean War. Gun fire support for R.O.K Capital Division advancing up the east coast of Korea.
City of Birth
Indianapolis
Country of Birth
United States
Interviewer
Green, Ellany
Interview Date
10-19-2012
Location of Interview
Coffin's Residence
Subjects
Coffin, John S.; World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives; Korean War, 1950-1953 -- 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
Green, Ellany
Length of Interview
56 Minutes
Publisher
Department of History, University of Central Florida
Type
audio
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, "Coffin, John S. interview" (2012). Veterans Oral Histories. 126.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/126