Jill Marshall and F. Ray Marshall
Recorded
August 11, 2021
Archived
August 11, 2021
38:43 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id:
ddv001064
Description
Ray Marshall (92) tells his daughter Jill Marshall (62) about his experiences as a Navy radioman in World War II.Subject Log / Time Code
(Track 1) Ray (R) remembers hearing about the attack on Pearl Harbor at age 13. He then explains how he snuck around the age requirements and joined the Navy at age 15.
R shares how he got to bootcamp, and says his father surprised him at the train station before he left.
R recalls moving up north for bootcamp and the different places he was stationed at before getting to the Pacific.
Jill (J) asks R about the messages he received as a radioman, such as that of FDR’s death and the message that the war was over.
R remembers a Japanese engineer he met in Sasebo, Japan and how the encounter made him aware of how he'd been indoctrinated to have anti-Japanese prejudice.
R shares what it was like when his ship returned to San Francisco. He also discusses being in charge of a group of sailors.
R recalls the mistreatment of a Black sailor while stationed in Texas and reflects on the racism he witnessed growing up in Mississippi.
J asks what lessons R learned from the war.
(Track 2) R shares a story about how a Japanese military official guided his crew through a mine field.
R remembers seeing Hiroshima after it was bombed.
Participants
- Jill Marshall
- F. Ray Marshall