U. S. S. NORTH CAROLINA BATTLESHIP COLLECTION
Jerry S. Gonzales Interview

June. 25, 1975

I am Jerry S. Gonzales and I am from Houston, Texas. I joined the
Navy on April 18, 1942, right after Pearl Harbor. As soon as my brother
got out of the hospital, I joined it right away. I went to boot camp in
San Diego, California. From there I was assigned and commissioned to the

minesweeper U. S. S. Conflict at Portland, Oregon. I was a plank owner

 

at the time on that. We had a shake down cruise and immediately went
over and took the first floating dry dock to the Solomon Islands, the
ARD-5. Then we got the fleet assigned to the New Hebrides Islands just
south of the Guadalcanal. We got off that ship because men were critical
in the South Pacific, and they would try to get as many men as they could

off every ship. I got off the minesweeper Conflict and spent six months

 

in the New Hebrides Islands. When you are young you want to see action.

for
So I asked/a battleship, and after six months in the New Hebrides I went

to New Calejonia and I was assigned to the battleship North Carolina

 

which was the newest. I was a right proud man when they told me that.

[Do you remember which day you were assigned?]

It was approximately July. I was assigned around June of 1943, but
at the time I went to New Caledonia she was out. In the meantime I heard
she was torpedoed and was in Pearl Harbor. So I waited approximately
two months in New Caledonia, Rs 131 Receiving Ship. When the North

Carolina came up alongside I was a proud man. Incidently, when I got

 

aboard the North Carolina , I went aboard with a new draft just in from

 

the states. Iwas the only one that had a sun helmet, dress and khaki