Oral History Interview with Richard Burdrick, November 15, 2007

Oral History Interview with Richard Burdrick, November 15, 2007

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Track One 0:50:37

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard Burdrick. Burdrick joined the Navy in December 1942 through the V-12 program at UCLA. He was then assigned to midshipmen’s school at Columbia University. Upon completion, he was sent aboard the USS Dickens (APA-161), his battle station at a 40-millimeter gun. Burdrick and his crew set a record for embarking troops, capable of getting 26 boats into the water and ready to go ashore in just 22 minutes. At Iwo Jima, by the time he had returned to the ship after embarking the first wave of Marines, … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (50 min., 37 sec.)

Creation Information

Burdrick, Richard November 15, 2007.

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

Burdrick, Richard

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 Richard Burdrick. Burdrick joined the Navy in December 1942 through the V-12 program at UCLA. He was then assigned to midshipmen’s school at Columbia University. Upon completion, he was sent aboard the USS Dickens (APA-161), his battle station at a 40-millimeter gun. Burdrick and his crew set a record for embarking troops, capable of getting 26 boats into the water and ready to go ashore in just 22 minutes. At Iwo Jima, by the time he had returned to the ship after embarking the first wave of Marines, casualties were already returning to the Dickens. Particularly disheartening was the loss of a doctor from their beach party. Throughout his interview, Burdrick reads from his detailed and reflective diary, which includes his eyewitness account of the signing of the surrender. He returned home and was discharged in 1946, resuming his studies at UCLA.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (50 min., 37 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: OH02108
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1609133

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Richard Burdrick, November 15, 2007, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1605323

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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