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Description
Oral history interview of James Cruse. Interview conducted by Michael Richardson at University of Central Florida on October 4th, 2021.
Log
1:44 Early life and family; 2:00 Enlistment in Navy; 2:56 Basic Training experience; 4:00 Transition to Naval Officer; 4:51 Additional basic training memories; 5:31 Advanced training received; 5:51 Navy diving school experience; 6:56 Equipment used; 8:03 Additional diving qualifications; 8:30 Assignments within career; 9:42 Responsibilities during service; 10:48 Experience with additional roles as naval officer and impact on career; 12:15 Transition from active duty to the reserves; 12:38 Unit in Naval reserve; 13:07 Diving salvage operation; 14:01 Second diving salvage operation; 15:08 Anchor recovery operation in Haiti and experience; 16:30 Assistance in exercises for destroyers; 17:18 Impact of assignments on family life; 18:17 Most challenging experiences as a diver; 19:13 time with friends; 19:44 Most important medals and badges; 20:06 Interaction with family while overseas; 20:14 Changes seen in Navy over 22 years of service; 20:42 Camaraderie; 21:00 Last day of service in active duty and reserves; 21:30 Life after hte military; 22:03 Thoughts on service and military experiences impact on civilian life; 22:42 Most memorable diving experience and diving after the Navy; 23:06 Advice to younger people considering joining the military; 23:14 Final thoughts on wanting to stay in the Navy
Date of Birth
1948-09-09
Place of Birth
Detroit (MI)
Gender
Male
Race
White - Non Hispanic
Home State
Michigan
War or Conflict
Vietnam Era
Status
Veteran
Begin/End date of Service - 1st
1968-09-23
1992-11-01
Entrance into Service
Enlisted
Branch of Service
U.S. Navy
Unit of Service
USS Edenton ATS-1 for active duty; Main unit in Naval Reserve was Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 2, Mayport Naval Station, Jacksonville, FL
Location of Service
Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek, Virginia
Highest Rank
Lieutenant Commander
Prisoner of War
No
Service Related Injury
No
Medals
National Defense Medal; Qualified for 45 Cal. Pistol; Qualified Navy deep Sea Diver in Scuba, Hard Hat, Jack Brown Apparatus, Kirby Morgan Apparatus, and The Mark II Diving System
City of Birth
Detroit
Country of Birth
United States
Interviewer
Michael Richardson
Interview Date
1-31-2024
Location of Interview
University of Central Florida
Subjects
Cruse, James William.; Vietnam Era, 1968-1992, 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
Richardson, Michael.
Length of Interview
31:07:00
Accessibility Status
Closed captioning is available for the embedded video.
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 & University Archives
Contributing Project
UCF Community Veterans History Project
Document Type
Interview
Recommended Citation
Central Florida, RICHES of, "Cruse, James William Interview" (2024). Veterans Oral Histories. 698.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/698
Transcript - J. Cruse