Oral History Interview with Robert de Jong, April 15, 2007

Oral History Interview with Robert de Jong, April 15, 2007

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Track One 1:34:39

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert de Jong. De Jong was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1922 and enlisted in the Navy in 1942. After boot training at the Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois he was sent to school in Boston for training as a yeoman. Upon completion of the training he was assigned to the executive officer aboard the USS Lexington (CV-16). Soon after he went aboard, it proceeded to Pearl Harbor via the Panama Canal. His battle station was as a loader on a 20mm gun. On 4 December 1943 the … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 34 min., 38 sec.)

Creation Information

de Jong, Robert April 15, 2007.

Publisher

National Museum of the Pacific War
Place of Publication: Fredericksburg, Texas

Audiences

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Provided By

National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Established in 1967, the Museum honors the 8 million Americans who served in WWII in the Pacific Theater by sharing their stories with the world. Located in Fredericksburg in the restored Nimitz "Steamboat" Hotel, the Museum partners with the Texas Historical Commission to preserve the historical resources of the era.

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert de Jong. De Jong was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1922 and enlisted in the Navy in 1942. After boot training at the Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois he was sent to school in Boston for training as a yeoman. Upon completion of the training he was assigned to the executive officer aboard the USS Lexington (CV-16). Soon after he went aboard, it proceeded to Pearl Harbor via the Panama Canal. His battle station was as a loader on a 20mm gun. On 4 December 1943 the Lexington was hit by a Japanese torpedo and returned to Bremerton, Washington for repairs. Remembering various actions in which the Lexington was involved, he tells of the momentous decision by Admiral Mitscher to turn on the carrier’s lights to act as a guide for returning aircraft during the Battle of the Philippine Sea. He also recalls a kamikaze hitting the Lexington, which killed every man on the gun on which he had previously been assigned. The ship put into Ulithi for repairs. During February 1945 the Lexington returned to Pearl Harbor at which time de Jong was transferred to yeoman’s school for additional training. He was then sent to Corvallis, Oregon. Soon after the surrender of Japan, he was sent to St Louis and discharged.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 34 min., 38 sec.)

Subjects

Keywords

Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms

Library of Congress Subject Headings

World War, 1939-1945

University of North Texas Libraries Browse Structure

Language

English

Item Type

Sound

Identifier

Unique identifying numbers for this recording in the Portal or other systems.

Accession or Local Control No: OH01952
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1609046

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Robert de Jong, April 15, 2007, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1605236

Collections

This recording is part of the following collections of related materials.

National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection

This oral history collection depicts an instrumental era in American history. In these transcripts of interviews with World War II veterans are personal experiences with the war, from the Doolittle Raid and D-Day to the Battle for Bataan.

National Museum of the Pacific War Digital Archive

The Digital Archive presents digitized collections from the Center for Pacific War Studies collections at the National Museum of the Pacific War. Collections and material are continuously being added and represent only a small portion of the archives' physical holdings.

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