United States Naval Institute

Melson, Charles L., VADM, USN, 1904-1981. Education, USNA; Commissioned, 1927; Duty with Asiatic fleet in various ships, 1927-1931; Engineer Officer and Division Officer, USS Dickerson, USS Northampton, USS Patterson, 1932- 1934, and 1937-1940; WWII duties at Headquarters, U.S. Fleet I941-I942; CO, USS Champlin, Invasion of Sicily, 1942-1944; CO, Destroyer 32 Division 1944, participated in invasion ofltaly, 1944; Staff of CO Destroyers, U.S.Fleet, 1944-1945; Sixteenth Fleet, 1945-1947; Student, Naval War College, 1947-1948; CO, Destroyer 20 Squadron 1949-1950; Korean War Service, 1952- 1953; Service with U.S. Atlantic Fleet, 1953-1957; CO, Cruiser Division Forces, 1957-1958; Super­ intendent, USNA, 1958-1960; CO, First Fleet, 1960-1962; President, Naval War College and CO, Naval Base, Newport, R.I., 1964-1966.

Minter, Charles., Jr., VADM, USN, 1915-. Education, USNA, 1937; USS Houston; Flight Training, Pensacola, Fla., 1940-1941; Squad­ ron 73; XO, Squadron 9-1, Quonset Point, R.I.; Assistant Air Officer, USS Randolph, 1944; CO, Patrol Squadron 28, Honolulu, Hawaii; Operations Officer, Fleet Air Wing 2; Student, National War College; CO, USS Albemarle; CO, USS Intrepid.

Minter, Charles., Jr., VADM, USN, 1915-. Commandant and Superintendent, USNA, 1961-1965; Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Plans and Policy, SHAPE, 1965-1967; CO, Carrier 16Division 1967-1969; CO, Fleet Air Wing and CO, Antisubmarine Warfare Force Pacific, 1969-1971; Deputy CNO, 1971-1973; Deputy Chair­ man, NATO Committee Department of the Navy, with commentary on Cyprus, and other crises, 1973--1974; Retired, 1974; President, Retired Officers Association.

Welborn, Charles, Jr., VADM, USN, 1901-1988. Education, USNA 1921; Commissioned, 1920; Duty as Aide and Communications Officer, USS West Virginia and USS California; Gunnery Officer, USS Concord and USS Honolulu, 1938- 1939; Aide to CNO, 1939-1942; CO, Destroyer Division 19 and 16;Aide and Chief of Staff, 1943- 1944; Director of Officer Personnel, 1944-1945; CO, USS Iowa; Chief of Staff and Aide, CO, Fifth Fleet; Chief of Staff and Aide, CIC, Pacific Fleet, 1947; Deputy CNO, Administration, 1947-1951; CO, Second Fleet and Strike Fleet Atlantic, 1955-1957; CO, Armed Forces Staff College, 1957- 1960; CO, Eastern Sea Frontier; CO, Atlantic Reserve Fleet, U.S. Naval Representative, Military Staff Committee, UN; CO, Naval Base, N.Y.; CO, Third Naval District, 1960-1961.

Nimitz, Chester W., ADM, USN 1885-1966. Reminiscences of ADM Nimitz by RADM Chester Burton, his aide during WWII; RADMJ. W. Leverton.Jr.; CAPT S. P. Moncure; VADM L. M. Mustin and RADM 0. D. Waters.Jr.; VADM F. E.M. Whiting, crew members of USS Augusta of which Nimitz was Commanding Officer.

Darden, Colgate W., Jr., 1897-1981. Education, University of Virginia; French Army, 1916; Training in Naval Aviation, 1917-1918; First Squadron, Marines, 1918;Accident in De Havilland DH-4, 1918; Columbia University, 1919- 1922; Member, Naval Affairs Committee, House of Representatives, l930s-l 940s; Commentary on state of U.S. Navy in the 1930s; Attempts by Carl Vinson and President Franklin D. Roosevelt to rearm in preparation for war with Japan; Board of VISitors, U.S. Naval Academy, 1930s; Reminis­ cences of ADM Chester W. Nimitz.

Richardson, David C., VADM, USN, 1914-. Typescript of naval career of VADM Richardson, including his U.S. Naval Academy educa­ tion, flight training, 1939--1940; SeIVice in WWII in the Atlantic and Pacific Theatres and at Guadalcanal; Student, Royal Naval War College, 1946, and Naval War College, 1946-1947; NWC Battle Evaluation Group, 1947-1948; JCS Staff, 1949; EXO, USS Badoeng Strait, 1952-1953; CNO's Office, 1954-1957; CO, USS Cimarron, 1959, CO, USS Hornet, 1960-1961; CO Task Force 77 in Vietnam, 1966-1967; CO, Sixth Fleet, 1968-1970; Deputy CIC, PACFLT, 1970-1972; Retirement, 1972.

This collection represents the Naval War College's collection of oral histories. While some were carried out and recorded by NWC, many others are printed matieral from other institions, including the US Naval Institute, Columbia University, the Library of Congress' Veterans History Project, and the Naval Historical Foundation.

The NWC-created histories that are unique to this repository were collected from alumni, previous faculty/staff, and local veterans. They also represent a concerted effort to collect the stories of women in the armed forces. Oral histories from the female corps of WAVES, SPARS, nurses, as well as military spouses can be found in this collection.

Please note this is a partial listing of NWC's oral histories. Staff are actively inputting the collection into this repository. Contact us for a full listing.

McDonald, David, L., ADM, USN, 1906-1997. Education, USNA, 1928; Flight training, Pensacola, Fla., 1929; Flight Instructor, Pensacola, Fla., 1935-1938; Naval Operational Training Command, 1942-1944; Air Officer and XO, USS Essex, 1944-1945; Staff, CO, Naval Air Forces Pacific, 1946-1947; Aide, Assistant SECNAV Air,J.N. Brown; Student, National War College, 1950-1951; USS Mindoro, 1951-1952; Staff, CINCPAC, 1952-1954; CO, USS Coral Sea, 1954-1955; Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, SHAPE, 1957-1960; CO, Carrier Division 6; CO, Sixth Fleet, 1961-1963;CNO, 1963-1967,with discussion of the Vietnam War and U.S.Forces in Southeast Asia, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and President L. B.Johnson and the JCS. Retired, 1967.

Shelton, Doniphan, RADM, USN (Ret.) 1921-. Youth in Springfield, Mo.:Enlisted in the Navy, 1939; Boot Camp, Naval Training Station, San Diego, Calif.; Graduate, U.S. Naval Academy, 1944; Assigned, USS SL Louis, Pacific, 1944-1945; Battle of Okinawa, 1945; Flight training, 1946; Naval Air Station, Coronado, Calif., 1947; Pio­ neered Night Fighter Operations; Test pilot training and project test pilot, Patuxet River, 1953; Executive Officer, Fighter Squadron, 24; Armed Forces Staff College, 1958; CO, Fighter Squad­ ron, 92, 1961; Naval War College, 1962-1963; CO, Carrier Air Wing 19, 1964; CO, USSParicutin, 1967; CO, USS Tripoli, 1968-1969; Deputy Director & Director, Politico-Military Policy Division, 1971-1972; CO, Naval Base, Subic Bay, PI, 1973; CO, Naval Forces, Philippines, 1973-1975; Direc­ tor of Plans, CIC Pacific, 1977-1979; Retired, 1979.