Loading...
Description
Oral history interview of Lesa Alexandra McComas. Interview conducted by Jessica Oldham via Zoom in Orlando, FL on October 18th, 2021.
Log
:35 Early life and family; 1:00 Family members in service; 1:48 Decision to seek out a commission with the Navy; 2:45 College degree; 2:52 Office Candidate School and Commission; 4:23 Acclimating to military life; 5:10 Standout memories from Officer Candidate School; 5:54 Shore tour in San Diego, CA; 7:25 Memorable experiences from San Diego, CA; 8:25 Surface Warfare Officer School; 9:20 Memories from Surface warfare officer school; 10:06 USS Hector - AR7; 11:05 Duties and responsibilities onboard USS Hector; 12:52 Experience with male senior chiefs; 13:30 On becoming First Lieutenant; 14:50 Tour to Western Pacific; 15:14 Standout ports during tour in Western Pacigfic; 16:00 On being a woman in leadership roles; 17:15 Graduate School - Operations research; 18:50 Recreation during Graduate School; 19:25 Thesis work; 21:00 Department Head School; 21:25 Transfer to Charleston/Experience on Submarine Tender; 22:15 Transfer to USS Sierra; 23:00 Duties of Operations Officer; 24:25 Standout memories from time in Charleston; 25:33 Shore duty tour - Washington, DC; 28:40 Standout memories from time in Washington, DC; 30:15 Transfer to Alameda, CA; 32:45 Standout memories from time at Alameda, CA; 34:30 Misconceptions about women in the Navy; 36:05 More on women in the Navy; 39:15 What her service meant personally; 40:15 On being a mentor to women in the Navy; 41:15 Admiral Staff Tour - Oakland, CA; 42:30 Standout memories from time in Oakland, CA; 43:50 Experience teaching Naval ROTC; 46:07 On becoming a Commander; 49:00 Standout memories from time in service; 51:10 Awards and Commendations received; 51:50 Professional Career after leaving the Navy; 53:40 Transition to civilian life; 54:45 Applying military training to civilian life; 55:38 On working with the DAR
Date of Birth
1958-03-14
Place of Birth
Maryland
Gender
Female
Race
White - Non Hispanic
Home State
Maryland
War or Conflict
Cold War Era
Status
Veteran
Type
Video; MovingImage
Entrance into Service
Commissioned
Branch of Service
U.S. Navy
Unit of Service
FCDSSA SD; USS Hector (AR-&); NPS Monterey; USS Frank Cable (AS-40); USS Sierra (AD-); BUPERS; USS Samuel Gompers; COMCOGGRU One; NROTC; UC Berkeley
Location of Service
San Francisco Bay; Charleston; Washington DC
Highest Rank
Commander
Prisoner of War
No
Service Related Injury
No
Medals
NAM; NCM; MCM; Sea Service
Achievements
SWO
City of Birth
Baltimore
Country of Birth
United States
Interviewer
Jessica Oldham
Interview Date
10-2021
Location of Interview
Virtual using Zoom
Subjects
McComas, Lesa. Cold War Era, 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
Jessica Oldham
Length of Interview
57:31:00
Accessibility Status
Closed captioning is available for the embedded video.
Publisher
Department of History, University of Central Florida
Type
Video; MovingImage
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
Semester
Fall
Recommended Citation
Central Florida, RICHES of, "McComas, Lesa Interview" (2021). Veterans Oral Histories. 709.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/709
Transcript - L. McComas