Audio
Interiew - Ottis Littlejohn
Transcript
Ottis Littlejohn Transcript Summary (full transcript can be downloaded above)
0:00:08.4 Greetings and requesting permission to tape interview
0:01:02.6 Mr. Littlejohn enlisted in 1941
0:01:46.6 Mr. Littlejohn chose to enlist in the Navy
0:02:28.7 Mr. Littlejohn met his wife, got married, and lived in Illinois
0:03:38.5 Moving back to Louisiana in 1954
0:04:33.6 Training at boot camp in San Diego when Pearl Harbor was attacked
0:05:46.0 Patrolling the Hawaiian Islands
0:07:10.0 Description of the USS Long
0:08:23.8 Heading to the Aleutians in 1942 and colliding with another ship
0:10:42.9 A very slow ride to Kodiak to get the ship repaired
0:12:01.1 Trip to San Francisco for repair after collision
0:12:55.6 Going home on leave and visiting family
0:14:26.3 Spending a cold year in the Aleutians
0:17:22.8 Seeing war firsthand while on Attu
0:19:52.6 Signaling the ship while stranded in the ocean
0:21:50.3 Patrolling near Attu for submarines and Japanese planes
0:23:43.5 Mr. Littlejohn describes the miserable weather in the Aleutians
0:25:51.6 Using a mountain as a navigation guide while out in the ocean at night
0:27:46.6 A big storm while awaiting parts in Kodiak
0:29:50.9 Four-hour gun watch shifts outside in the weather
0:30:39.3 Clothing adequacy and preferring Army shoes to Navy ones
0:32:20.2 20-mm gunner duties and defective ammunition
0:34:29.3 An Allied plane signaled to them for coordinates to Adak
0:36:42.3 Ship personnel and sleeping quarters
0:38:42.3 Soldier going AWOL in San Francisco
0:40:10.0 Morale on the ship
0:42:39.3 Playing cards to pass the time
0:43:56.9 Sending his earnings home during the war
0:44:55.6 Trips to the islands to drink beer
0:47:10.9 Refueling at sea in the South Pacific
0:47:56.3 The invasion of Adak after the Japanese left
0:50:34.0 Getting sunburned on the way back to Hawaii
0:52:25.9 Serving in the South Pacific
0:54:32.9 Invading Hollandia and experiencing fear
0:57:39.1 "Okie" and his machinery skills
0:59:48.2 Using code in letters sent home
1:00:53.4 Censoring of outgoing mail
1:02:31.6 Mr. Littlejohn met his wife
1:04:13.6 Profession as a cabinetmaker after leaving the Navy
1:07:18.9 His wife worked 20 years as a registered nurse on the night shift in the emergency room
1:08:36.5 Mr. Littlejohn’s wife passed away
1:09:19.5 Living with his family in a house he helped build
1:10:36.9 His daughter's teaching and administrative career
1:11:58.1 Reflecting on water rescues in Saipan
1:14:15.0 A piece of a parachute that was a souvenir he kept for years
1:15:27.8 Souvenirs he brought home from Guadalcanal
1:17:11.3 Removing powder from shell casings
1:18:30.9 Laundry aboard the ship
1:19:46.0 Sleeping and eating aboard the ship in rough seas
1:21:42.7 Exercising on the docks in Kodiak
1:23:03.6 Aftermath of bombing of Dutch Harbor
1:23:34.6 Encountering Native people in the Aleutians
1:24:11.0 Reflecting on his thoughts when the war ended
1:25:25.0 Transferring to Great Lakes Naval Base where he met his wife
1:27:33.0 Large number of retirees living in Louisiana
1:28:59.1 Janis’ hometown and ages of Mr. Littlejohn and his family
1:30:37.3 Mr. Littlejohn’s daily activity regimen
1:31:56.1 Helping at church
1:33:12.0 Mr. Littlejohn’ appreciation for the things he has received from Janis
1:34:19.9 It was a rough year spent in the Aleutians
1:36:51.6 Highlights and history of Natchitoches
1:38:56.0 Transcription of interview
End of interview at 1:39:21.3
Description
A Boatswains mate on the USS Long DMS-12 Ottis Littlejohn served in Hawaii, the Aleutians, Micronesia and South Pacific and including several invasions.
Duration
1 hour, 39 minutes, 21 seconds
Credit
NPS
Date Created
03/22/2012
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