Johnston, Marvin 2005-04-14
Marvin Johnston talks about his experiences serving in the navy during World War II.
General Interview Information
Interviewee Name: Marvin Johnston
Additional Parties Recorded:
Date: April 14, 2005
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Interviewer: David Marshall
Length: 01:56:19
Abstract
Background; Born at Mexia, Texas; Father in charge of the water department at Lubbock; Parents moved to California; Service background of his brothers; Joined the navy; Attack on Pearl Harbor; President Roosevelt knew about the attack; Obsolete ships were present during the attack; Opinion about the court marshal of the generals; Battle of Midway; Friends with a corporal in communication; He knew before hand about the battle and the strategies; Carrier “U.S.S. Enterprise”; Duties; Types and number of aircraft; Torpedo planes were obsolete; Battle of Midway description; The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands; Near death experience; Letter from mother; Carriers that were sunk; Rivalries; Not between crews of carriers; Present between battleships; Carriers; Cruises converted to carriers; Attack on U.S.S. Enterprise; Battle wounds; Scar on left leg; Battle of Santa Cruz Islands; Recuperated on the Enterprise; Post Enterprise Experiences; Not recruited to be a fighter pilot; Fought in 11 major battles; Obtained license; Aviation Experience; Repairs; Unpleasant experiences; World War II Battles; Part of 3 theaters of war; Experiences of Pacific Theatre; Doolittle’s raid; Ran into Japanese fisherman; Early launch; Chinese aid; Atom bomb; Material sent to Japan from Germany; Recollections of Halsey and Nimitz; Life after navy; Joined police force; Education at Texas Tech; Taught at Southwest Texas State; Courses he taught; Growing up in Lubbock; Childhood games; Schooling; Performance at Tech.
Access Information
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Recording Format Notes:
Transcript: No transcript available
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