Naval War College (U.S.)

This paper published by NWC's Center for Advanced Research covers the College's history and tradition of responding to American naval need. The paper discusses NWC's struggles to establish its institutional identity, educational outcomes, and while contributing to the development of American naval professionalism.

Cowart, Kenneth K., VADM, USCG, 1905-. USCG Academy, 1926; Assistant Engineer Officer, Mojave; Line duty, Tucker, 1927;Assistant Engineer Officer, Tampa, 1927-1928; Engineering duty, MOJAVE, 1928; Assistant Engineer Offi­ cer/Navigator, Pontchartrain, 1928-1930; Engineer Officer, Herndon, 1930-1932; Student, Na­ val Academy Postgraduate School, Annapolis, Md., 1933; M. S., 1934; Instructor, CG Academy, 1934-1938; Line duty, Saranac, 1938;Administrator/Instructor, U.S. Maritime Service Training, Fort Trumbull, Conn., 1938-1942; Engineer Officer, Campbell, 1942-1943; CO, Campbell, 1943-1944; Chief, Merchant Marine Personnel Division, CGHQ, 1944-1945; CO, USS ADM. E.W. Eberle, 1945-1946; District Engineer Officer, Twelfth CG District Office, San Francisco, Calif.; Assistant Engineer Chief, HQ, Washington, D.C.; Engineer in Chief, CG, 1950-1954; Special As­ sistant to the Commandant of the CG, 1958-1959; Retired, 1959.

Veth, Kenneth L., RADM, USN, 1911-. USNA, 1935; USS Pennsylvania, flagship of the Commander in Chief, United States Fleet, 1935-1937; Assistant Communications Officer, CO, Battleship 2 Division 1937-1938; Gunnery Officer, USS Phoenix, 1938; Mining Officer, USS Ramsey, 1941; Assistant U.S. Naval Attache, London, England, 1941-1942; Office of CNO, and BuOrd, Washington, D.C., 1942-1943; Assis­ tant Gunnery Officer, Staff of CO, Seventh Fleet, 1943; Intelligence and Liaison Officer, Staff of ADM Lord Louis Mountbatten, Royal Navy, Supreme Allied CO, Southeast Asia, 1943-1945; Of­ fice of CNO, 1945-1947; Operations Officer, USS Little Rock, 1947-1949; CO, USS Everett F. Larson, 1949-1950; Office of JCS, Washington, D.C., 1950-192; Student, Naval War College, 1952-1953; CO, Mine Division 2, USS Hannon, 1953-1954; CO, USS Monongahela, 1954-1955; National Security Agency, Washington, D.C., 1955-1958; Staff, CO, Carrier 20 Division 1958- 1959; Fitting out duty, USS Providence, 1959; CO, USS Providence, 1959; CO, Destroyer Flotilla Seven, 1960-1961; CO, Mine Force Pacific, and CO, Naval Base, Long Beach, Calif., 1961-1964; CO, Anti-Submarine Warfare Group Three, 1964-1965; Chief, Legislative Affairs, Navy Depart­ ment, 1965-1967; CO, U.S. Naval Advisory Group, U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, 1967-1968; CO, Fourth Naval District, Philadelphia, Pa., and CO, Naval Base, Philadelphia, 1968-1973; Retired, 1973.

Erickson discusses his WWII service as a yeoman in YMS 180. Includes comments on his basic training at IS Naval Training Station and Yeoman School in Newport, RI, life aboard ship, convoy duty from Key West to Cuba, possible torpedoing of a German submarine, travel to Hawaii through the Panama Canal, duties aboard ship, ship's captains, minesweeping at Ulithi and Pelelieu, rescue of crew of YMS 385, visit to Ngulu, return to Bremerton, attended the University of Idaho on the GI Bill, civilian employment at IBM, Naval Reserves, and significance of WWII service.

Patton, Kennon B. Henderson, 1918-. Youth in Carrollton, Ga.; College and work experience; joined the Officer Corps of the WAVES; Attended U.S. Naval Midshipmen's School (WR),at Mount Holyoke College and Smith College; Assigned to Communications Office, COM 6, Charleston, S.C., and appointed Assistant Mess Treasurer, Officers Mess; Communications Office, COM 14, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Recre­ ation, Social life, V:J Day; Discharged, Memphis, Tenn.; Work in Atlanta, Ga.; Marriage and move to South Carolina; Significance of WAVES service.

Lee, Kent L., VADM, USN, 1923. Typescript of interview with VADM Lee, including growing up years in South Carolina, enlist­ ment in the Navy in 1940, training as an Aviation Mechanic, Aviation Cadet training and flight training, 1942-1944; Bomber Squadron 15 in USS Essex, 1944; Commentary on WWII aircraft; Education at Columbia University; General Line School, Newport, RI., 1949-1950; Staff Officer and Attack Pilot, Korean War, 1950-1952; Naval PG School, 1953-1954; Air Development 3 Squadron 1954-1956; Instructor, Navy Weapons School, Norfolk, 1956-1958; CO, Attack 46 Squadron 1958-1959; Office of Naval Research, l959-1960;Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff, 1960-1962; USS Enterprise, CO, Carrier Air Group 6, 1962; AEC, 1963-1964; CO, USSALAMO, 1964-1965; Naval Aide to Assistant Secretary of the Navy, 1965-1967.

Lee, Kent L., VADM, USN, 1923. Typescript of oral history with VADM Lee, including his command of USS Enterprise, 1961- 1969; BuPers, 1969; Director, Office of Program Appraisal, 1970-1972; Deputy Director, Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff, 1972-1973; CO, Navy Air Systems Command, 1973-1976; Retire­ ment, 1976. Discussion of various Flag Rank Officers, navy aircraft and naval aviation in general.

Career related correspondence, letters received, undated–1941; Speeches, 1890–1937; Writings including a journal of the USS Modnadnock, 1898, and a holograph and typewritten drafts of Laning’s autobiography, “An Admiral’s Yarn” and articles, 1898–1941; Photographs of Naval career situations, 1891–1937; Miscellany, including programs, menus, invitations, citations, imprints, tickets, cards and newsletters, 1895–1937; Newspaper clippings, 1897–1939, treating naval career.

Correspondence, letters received regarding Naval Institute oral history and Naval War College Chair of Intelligence, 1970–1975; Miscellany, including yearbook, Japanese texts, maps and charts, programs, certificates, USN commissions, and photographs, 1924–1984; Research source materials used in writing And I Was There, including published volumes of Japanese War Series, Senshi Sosho, 1967–1975,Pacific Mobile Radio Intelligence Unit Reports, 1942–1945; Books, Japanese monographs, military intelligence pamphlets, magazines, oral histories and maps; Unpublished materials, including various SRH histories, 1942–1947; SRNS, Japanese Naval Radio Intelligence Summaries, 1942–1945; SRN, Translations of Japanese Naval Messages, 1941–1942; SRNM, Japanese Naval Communications, 1942; CINCPAC messages, 1942; Tapes of interviews conducted by authors,1970–1983; Ships logs and action reports, 1941–1942; Translations of Japanese War History, 1942–1944; Notes and notebooks on WWII events and Japanese Intelligence; Photographs and personal letters; Promotion certificate to Rear Admiral; Drafts, Letters, memoranda and book reviews of And I Was There; Pacific Mobile Radio Intelligence Unit Reports, 1942–1945; Miscellaneous lists of diagrams, maps and biographies.

D'Ostuni, Leonard, 1925-. Reminiscences of service in WWII in the Pacific Theater in Landing Ship Medium 219. Includes biographical information, High School education in Worcester, Mass.; Employment with Quality Paper Prod­ucts; Enlisted in the U.S. Navy in November 1943; Training at U.S. Naval Training Station, New­port, RI.; Electrical Course, Newport, RI.; Amphibious training, Little Creek, Va.; Inspection of LSMs at Wilmington, Del.; Assignment to LSM 219 and Shakedown Cruise in Chesapeake Bay; Transit to South Pacific; Seasickness; Purveyed supplies to various islands; Battle of Lingayen Gulf, 1945; Borneo invasion; Palawan Landing; Returned to United States in November 1945; Postwar employment as engineer in power plants; Involvement in organizing national and local chapters and reunions of LSMs.

Part of History of WWII Oral History program.