The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.

Monday, December 14, 2020

Life On Board the USS Oklahoma Before That Day-- Part 1: Stay Up Late

From the December  12, 2020,  Examiner-Enterprise  "Goodyear served as signalman on USS Oklahoma"  by Joe Todd.

This was from the second installment of an interview Joe Todd did with Pearl Harbor survivor Paul Goodyear in 2002.  He was aboard the USS Oklahoma in the attack.

It was interesting to find out what life was like aboard the ship before.  His rating was 3rd Class Signalman.

QUESTION:  WHERE WERE YOUR QUARTERS ON THE OKLAHOMA?

ANSWER:  Turret Number 2 came  into our compartment just a couple of feet and we were below the armored deck.  The compartment went from port to starboard.

Radio One was on the port side where the radiomen stood their watches.  It was about ten feet wide and the signalmen had the starboard side of the ship, but we all berthed together in the same compartment.

Since we were below the armored deck, we didn't have darkened ship while at sea.  We could stay up late, write letters, play Acee Deucee or read because we could keep our lights on.

--GreGen


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