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Description

Oral History interview of Richard Roberts. Interview conducted by Foster, Jonathan at Veteran's Residence.

Log

0:02 Birthplace; 0:17 Childhood; 0:48 Education; 2:07 Siblings; 2:28 Why Join the Navy; 3:29 Being Shot Down; 5:08 Flight Training; 7:12 Childhood (Continued); 8:40 Favorite Aspects of Service; 10:01 Christmas Eve 1945; 12:17 Being Shot Down (Continued); 16:28 Prisoners of War; 17:07 Naval Engagements; 17:58 Kamikaze Attacks; 18:40 Iwo Jima Experience; 19:50 Pearl Harbor 1940; 20:16 Recreation; 22:28 San Francisco, Getting Married; 24:46 Mail Correspondence; 22:51 Granted Leave; 27:19 Seabees; 29:01 Death; 30:15 Changes; 32:29 Civilian Life; 34:17 Favorite Tour; 35:04 Medals and Citations; 35:52 Reminiscing About the Navy; 37:39 Keeping In Touch; 38:28 Helicopter Training Command; 40:06 Traveling the World; 41:18 Closing Comments; 41:35 End of Interview.

Date of Birth

1914-04-04

Place of Birth

Elizabeth (Pa.)

Gender

Male

Race

Unknown

Home State

Pennsylvania

War or Conflict

World War II

Status

Veteran

Begin/End date of Service - 1st

1937-09-06

Type

Video; MovingImage

1963-12-06

Entrance into Service

Commissioned

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Unit of Service

Patrol 23; 101st Squadron; Air University Staff School; USS San Jacinto Aircraft Carrier

Location of Service

Philippines; New Jersey; Pearl Harbor (Hawaii); Norfolk (Va.); Japan

Highest Rank

Captain; CAPT

Prisoner of War

No

Service Related Injury

No

Battles

Battle of the Philippine Sea; Battle of Guam; Battle of Saipan; Battle of Iwo Jima; Battle of Okinawa

Medals

Bronze Star

Achievements

Shot down on 3rd day of war - landed plane on water and fixed in 2 days; Nine naval battles; flew last plane out of Philippines to Java Christmas Eve 1945; 2500 hrs. flight time; Flew multiple aircraft - fighters, patrol planes, torpedo planes, etc. Helicopter Squadron in NJ Training Squadron; George Bush Sr. was on AC carrier when shot down over Iwo Jima; Command of Fleet Intelligence Unit in charge of targeting. Been to 60 Countries in lifetime. Served on city council post military and traveled with wife.

Note

Legally blind, somewhat hard of hearing.

City of Birth

Elizabeth

Country of Birth

United States

Interviewer

Foster, Jonathan

Interview Date

Fall 11-1-2016

Location of Interview

Veteran's residence

Subjects

Roberts, Richard; 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

Foster, Jonathan

Length of Interview

42 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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