Interview conducted by Eileen Hurst. Edward J. Bartek enlisted in the US Navy, in 1939, at the age of 18 after spending two years in the Civilian Conservation Corps. He joined the navy in order to see the world, but in fact spend the majority of his six years in service under the deck of a boat. He went to boot camp in Rhode Island, and then went to Norfolk, VA for additional training. Bartek was stationed on the USS Ranger, the first aircraft carrier, for two and half years. He was trained as an electrician and worked under the deck for the majority of his time on ship. The United States had not yet entered into World War II, so the first six months on the ship were spent doing patrols of the Atlantic Ocean. Their mission was to watch for German submarines, and to transport troops to Africa. Bartek describes his time on the ship as being much like sensory deprivation, as he very rarely was above the water line, and the sailors only left the ship for land once every six months. The bombing of Pearl Harbor took place while the Ranger was patrolling, and they were immediately sent back to Norfolk, VA (their home port) to begin training for the war in the Pacific. Bartek was then transferred to the USS Beale, a destroyer, where he became the supervising electrician for the next two and half years. The Beale was part of 11 invasions, 2 sea battles, and was the target for numerous air and shore attacks. The Beale played a part in the Invasion of the Philippines, and the ...
Keywords: CCSU, VHP, WWII, WW2, Navy, veteran, interview, oral history, Interactive transcript, ccsuvhp
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