Oral History Interview with F. J. Whitlock, May 11, 2001
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Oral History Interview with F. J. Whitlock, May 11, 2001 (Sound)
Transcript of an oral interview with F. J. Whitlock. Whitlock was in 1923, in Columbia, South Dakota. He enlisted in the Navy in Los Angeles, California, in June 1942. He attended Basic Training in San Diego and then went to Diesel School. Upon graduation he was promoted from Seaman Second Class to Fireman First Class. He was then ordered to the LST program and proceeded to Treasure Island in San Francisco. His group of Dieselmen were assigned to the Southern Pacific Railroad "Round House" in Oakland in order to gain expertise on diesel engines. They worked on the train "City of San Francisco" which made the run from Chicago to Oakland. He was next assigned to the commissioning crew for USS LST-478. Over the following months the vessel practiced amphibious landings at Point Magu, Coronado and Monterey, California. Next they landed personnel at Attu and Kiska, where the Japanese had pulled out. In September 1943 the vessel embarked a company of Sea Bees. The vessel departed California and steamed to Tarawa via Pearl Harbor. The vessel joined the invasion of Tarawa. He recalls that the LST would open the bow doors, lower the ramp, and the Sea Bees would disembark their road graders and other heavy equipment. He recalls seeing several of the Sea Bees being shot by Japanese snipers. Eventually the vessel departed Tarawa and arrived back at Pearl Harbor in late December 1943. The vessel then took part in the invasion of the Marshall Islands and made a landing at Kwajalein. In June 1944 Whitlock returned to the US for the funeral of his father. Whitlock next volunteered for hazardous duty and was sent to Fort Pierce, Florida for scout and raider training. Upon completion he was ordered to San Pedro, California for duty aboard an APA. The vessel loaded soldiers and sailed for Melbourne, Australia. He recounts how seasick the Army personnel were. The vessel then got underway for Calcutta, India where he was quartered at Camp Shapiro. It was in Calcutta that Whitlock met Captain (soon to be Vice Admiral) Milton E. Miles. From there he was flown by Army Transport Service to Fuchow, China. From Fuchow, he was flown to Chunking in a squadron of eight planes, two of which did not make it to their destination, forcing the crews to bail out. From Chunking he was embarked on one of several Sampans which sailed down the river (name not provided) to Fuchow. After the war he stayed in Fuchow for a short while and eventually returned to the US where he remained in the Navy assigned duties as an Engineman.
Oral History Interview with F. J. Whitlock, May 11, 2001 - ark:/67531/metapth1607442
Oral History Interview with F. J. Whitlock, May 11, 2001, text, May 11, 2001; Fredericksburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1603474/: accessed December 14, 2025), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation.