Warren Wimmer, 2000

File — Box: 17, Folder: 4

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Wimmer (b. 1920) recalls his childhood in rural Utah and enlisting in the Navy in July 1941. After basic training he was assigned to the USS Rigal in Hawaii. Upon his arrival he learned that the Rigal had been towed to Hawaii to be converted into a destroyer tender and was in the process of being rebuilt. He gives a long and vivid account of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the aftermath. He served on work parties that recovered bodies before being admitted to the hospital for shrapnel wounds. On December 10 he was evacuated with other wounded from Pearl Harbor on a luxury liner with two coast guard cutters as escort. He was later assigned to the USS Shaw and saw combat at Guadalcanal, Tulagi, Saipan, and Savo Island. 53 pages.

Dates

2000

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.