Oral History Interview with Avery Willis, December 5, 2008

Oral History Interview with Avery Willis, December 5, 2008

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Track One 1:55:58

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Avery Willis. Willis left the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and joined the Navy in 1935. After training, he was assigned to the engine room of the USS Nevada (BB-36) as a machinist’s mate. On the morning of 7 December, he was filling in as an engineer on the motor launch. When the initial attack passed, he assumed his station in the engine room just before the ship got underway. Thinking he might be safer on a submarine, Willis soon requested a transfer and boarded the USS Tunny (SS-282). … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 55 min., 57 sec.)

Creation Information

Willis, Avery December 5, 2008.

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

Willis, Avery

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 Avery Willis. Willis left the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and joined the Navy in 1935. After training, he was assigned to the engine room of the USS Nevada (BB-36) as a machinist’s mate. On the morning of 7 December, he was filling in as an engineer on the motor launch. When the initial attack passed, he assumed his station in the engine room just before the ship got underway. Thinking he might be safer on a submarine, Willis soon requested a transfer and boarded the USS Tunny (SS-282). Conducting patrols off of Guam, he was at ease under the expert command of Lieutenant Commander John Scott. After five patrols, Willis was transferred to Mare Island, where he ran errands for Admiral Rickover. As the war came to an end, Willis’s last duty was decommissioning 57 submarines, some of them brand new.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (1 hr., 55 min., 57 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: OH02495
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1609350

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Avery Willis, December 5, 2008, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1605541

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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