Oral History Interview with Alfred Rodrigues, December 11, 2003

Oral History Interview with Alfred Rodrigues, December 11, 2003

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Track One 1:29:56

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Alfred Rodriquez. Rodriguez was born in Santa Barbara, California on 9 September 1921 and joined the Navy in 1940. Upon completion of boot training at San Diego in July, he was assigned to the USS Bobolink (AM-20), based at Maui, Hawaii. He recalls the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and his ship’s efforts to keep the heavily damaged USS California (BB-44) afloat. Afterwards, the Bobolink began pulling barges with fuel, ammunition and other supplies, from Tulagi and Gavutu to Guadalcanal. Following major naval engagements the Bobolink towed severely … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 29 min., 55 sec.)

Creation Information

Rodriguez, Alfred December 11, 2003.

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. It has been viewed 16 times. More information about this recording can be viewed below.

Interviewee

Rodriguez, Alfred

Interviewers

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 Alfred Rodriquez. Rodriguez was born in Santa Barbara, California on 9 September 1921 and joined the Navy in 1940. Upon completion of boot training at San Diego in July, he was assigned to the USS Bobolink (AM-20), based at Maui, Hawaii. He recalls the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and his ship’s efforts to keep the heavily damaged USS California (BB-44) afloat. Afterwards, the Bobolink began pulling barges with fuel, ammunition and other supplies, from Tulagi and Gavutu to Guadalcanal. Following major naval engagements the Bobolink towed severely damaged ships to various islands for repair. Among those towed were the USS Atlanta (CL-51), the USS Aaron Ward (DD-483), the USS Portland (CA-33) and the USS Minneapolis (CA-36). In 1943 he returned to the United States and was assigned to the USS Wedderburn (DD-684). While aboard, Rodriquez was involved in various battles including Okinawa. He describes being in the December 1944 typhoon during which three destroyers were sunk. He concludes the discussion by telling of his various assignments until he retired in 1960.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 29 min., 55 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: OH00361
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1607667

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Alfred Rodrigues, December 11, 2003, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1603758

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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