Loading...
Description
Oral history interview of Gary Kikillus. Interview conducted by Molly Macgowan at Cocoa Village, Florida.
Log
0:12 Introductions; 0:30 Family military history; 2:40 Enlistment as terrorism begins in Europe; 3:28 Why I chose the Navy; 4:51 Arriving at Sardinia and the USS Orion; 5:43 Sardinia people and culture; 7:50 Serving in the Mediterranean; 8:42 Least favorite assignment and describing duties; 10:00 Meets CMO winner Mike Thornton; 12:51 Becoming a petty officer; 14:19 Feelings on the decommissioning of Orion; 14:57 Going to Virginia Beach; 16:00 Chernobyl and Libyan terrorism; 17:00 Seeing the American military in action; 17:34 Returning to Libya; 18:50 Its good to work for the Captain, good to be a cook; 21:31 Plans for life after the Navy; 23:00 Readjustment to civilian life; 24:16 Hardest part of leaving the Navy; 24:48 Closure of Sardinia base; 25:32 Cigarette rations; 26:49 Missing a bus and meeting a stranger; 28:40 Recommends joining the Navy; 29:40 Admiration for Special Ops; 30:20 The media and the military; (2) 0:23 Traveling in Europe; 3:15 European relations and WWII connections; 7:29 Meeting the Seals on the beach; 8:00 Female officers in Sardinia; 9:00 The Orion's mission and naval activity in the Mediterranean; 11:13 The Royal Navy and shore leave; 13:13 "Ugly Americans" and European Roots; 14:46 Cultural briefings do's and do not's, on-shore relations; 18:30 On board injuries and medical services; 23:05 Aga Khan's Yaht [YACHT]; 24:40 The captain of the Orion and the XO; 28:48 Cooking in today's Navy; (3) 0:02 Thank you.
Date of Birth
1965-12-14
Place of Birth
Yonkers (N.Y.)
Gender
Male
Race
White - Non Hispanic
Home State
New York
War or Conflict
Cold War Era
Status
Veteran
Begin/End date of Service - 1st
1984-09-24
Type
Audio; Sound
1988-04-24
Entrance into Service
Enlisted
Branch of Service
U.S. Navy
Unit of Service
AS-18 Orion Command Service Squadron 4
Location of Service
Sardena (Italy); Norfolk (Va.)
Highest Rank
Petty Officer 2nd Class; PO2
Prisoner of War
No
Service Related Injury
No
Battles
Unspecified
Medals
Sea Service Deployment Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon
Achievements
See video for details.
Note
Not applicable
City of Birth
Yonkers
Country of Birth
United States
Interviewer
Macgowan, Molly
Interview Date
3-23-2011
Location of Interview
Cocoa Village, FL.
Subjects
Kikillus, Gary W.; Cold War -- Personal Narratives; Sardinia; USS Orion; Mediterranean; Chernobyl; Libya; Terrorism; 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
Macgowan, Molly
Length of Interview
63 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, "Kikillus, Gary William interview" (2011). Veterans Oral Histories. 42.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/42