Scope and arrangement

Captain Southard comments on his childhood in Maine and his experiences while at the U.S. Naval Academy as part of the Class of 1941. He describes duty on the USS LANG, including cruises out of Charleston and Norfolk, ferrying of British planes from Scapa Flow to Malta, duty in the South Pacific in support of the USS WASP, the Guadalcanal invasion, R& R assignment for the LANG while the WASP was being sunk, and the encounter in Vella Gulf. He comments on leaving the LANG for Fire Control School, commissioning of the USS MC FOX, his presence in Tokyo harbor at the end of the war, and assignments to the USS DORAN and the USS VERMILLION. Other comments pertain to command of Escort Squadron 18, assignment to the Naval Station at Key West, duty as Naval Science professor at Princeton University, command of the USS GRAND CANYON, and assignments to Guantanamo Bay, Boston, and Newport.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

Gift of Pemberton Southard

Processing information

Encoded by Apex Data Services

Copyright notice

Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.

Metadata Rights Declaration

General note

1920s-1960s

Key terms

Personal Names

Southard, Pemberton, 1918-

Corporate Names

Princeton University--Faculty
United States Naval Academy--Students
United States. Navy--Officers--Interviews

Topical

Guadalcanal, Battle of, Solomon Islands, 1942-1943

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