Oral Histories

The Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service—better known in history as the WAVES—were the crucial women’s Naval Reserve component of the U.S. fleet during its most epochal years—World War II. The WAVES were in many ways unprecedented, and the obstacles they faced, both minor and significant, were numerous. From 1969 ...

After graduation from the Naval Academy in 1920, Admiral Wellborn served in the USS New Mexico (BB-40) and USS Nevada (BB-36), then in the USS West Virginia (BB-48) as aide and communications officer, Commander Battleships, followed by similar service in the USS California (BB-44). In 1933 he served three years ...

Among early tours, Wertheim served as engineering, communications, and CIC officer in the USS Hyman (DD-732) when she was involved in American occupation forces in Japan, and in the USS Bordelon (DD-881) in operations with Task Force 77 in Far East. In 1964 he received an MS in science from ...

Weschler was not commissioned at the time of his graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1939 because he did not meet the vision standards. Thus he became a merchant marine officer and served until joining the Naval Reserve in 1941 and being recalled to active duty. He taught briefly ...

After graduation in 1916, his first assignment was in the USS Benham (Destroyer No. 49), employed in escort duty in the Atlantic during World War I. He later served in battleships in the Asiatic Station and as flag lieutenant to the Commander U.S. Naval Detachment in Turkish waters. After duty ...

After growing up in Chicago, White got his education in the city, including a law degree from the University of Chicago. Following private practice, he became an assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois in 1939 and remained in that capacity until he enlisted in the Navy in ...

This memoir reveals a great deal about the character and personality of one of the U.S. Navy’s pioneers—the first officer to command a nuclear-powered submarine and the first to command a nuclear-powered surface ship. The interviews reveal Wilkinson's competitiveness, sense of obligation to fulfill commitments, leadership qualities, and his methods ...

This volume describes a remarkable career that began when Williams entered boot camp in 1940 and then went through machinist's mate school at the Ford Motor Company. He served 1941-44 in the seaplane tender USS Matagorda (AVP-22), advancing from fireman to chief machinist's mate. In 1944 he was commissioned an ...

This is a rare volume in the Naval Institute oral history collection in that it deals primarily with a staff corps officer.

This memoir concentrates on Admiral Withington's career in the field of naval ordnance. After graduation from the Naval Academy in 1923, he was assigned to the Bureau of Ordnance (BuOrd) and then was involved in fitting out the new battleship West Virginia (BB-48); he would serve in her for five ...

Rear Admiral Joseph Muse, U.S. Navy (Reitired) served in the Memphis, operating in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Asiatic fleets, then in the USS Tutuila (PR-4) on the Yangtze Patrol. In 1940, while gunnery officer in the heavy cruiser USS Northampton (CA-26), did experimental work in use of radar in ...

After graduation from the Naval Academy in 1932, Wylie served in the heavy cruiser USS Augusta (CA-31) under Captain Chester Nimitz. He had duty in the Naval Academy’s executive department and was in the commissioning crews of three destroyers: USS Reid (DD-369), USS Bristol (DD-453), and USS Fletcher (DD-445). The ...