Oral History Interview with Harold Collins, October 19, 2001

Oral History Interview with Harold Collins, October 19, 2001

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Track One 0:38:22

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Harold Collins. Collins was born in Driftwood, Pennsylvania on 24 September 1920. In 1943 he joined the United States Navy and was sent to Camp Peary for eight weeks of boot training. He then went to Camp Parks, California where he was assigned to Company A, 93rd Construction Battalion. In October 1943 the unit boarded the USAT Perida, arriving at Noumea, New Caledonia on 1 November 1943. Just as the ship anchored in the harbor, Collins witnessed an ammunition ship explode at the docks. The accident resulted in … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (38 min., 21 sec.)

Creation Information

Collins, Harold October 19, 2001.

Context

This audio recording is part of the collection entitled: National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection and was provided by the National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation to The Portal to Texas History, a digital repository hosted by the UNT Libraries. More information about this recording can be viewed below.

Interviewee

Collins, Harold

Interviewers

Publisher

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

Audiences

Check out our Resources for Educators Site! We've identified this sound as a primary source within our collections. Researchers, educators, and students may find this recording useful in their work.

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 Harold Collins. Collins was born in Driftwood, Pennsylvania on 24 September 1920. In 1943 he joined the United States Navy and was sent to Camp Peary for eight weeks of boot training. He then went to Camp Parks, California where he was assigned to Company A, 93rd Construction Battalion. In October 1943 the unit boarded the USAT Perida, arriving at Noumea, New Caledonia on 1 November 1943. Just as the ship anchored in the harbor, Collins witnessed an ammunition ship explode at the docks. The accident resulted in many deaths. The battalion went to Banika Island where they built a hospital. They then went to Green Island Atoll where they built two air strips and a hospital. In January 1945, the battalion boarded the USS Cape Johnson (AP-172) and sailed to Samar, Philippines. He describes being under attack by Japanese aircraft. While on Samar, Collins’ unit constructed airstrips and warehouses. During October 1945, Collins returned to the United States and was assigned to the Philadelphia Navy Yard. He had developed a serious ear infection while overseas and was sent to a naval hospital. After receiving treatment for two months, he was discharged from the Navy.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (38 min., 21 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: OH00329
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1607639

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Harold Collins, October 19, 2001, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1603674

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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