Papers (1944-1945) including typescript memoir, destruction of Tokyo, transport of prisoners, disposals of unexploded bombs, combat statistics.
Ronald Vaughn of Brownwood, TX, enlisted in the Navy with his twin brother Donald (January 1944). Vaughn trained at the San Diego Naval Training Station and was assigned to the escort aircraft carrier USS KITKUN BAY (CVE-71).
The collection consists of a narrative memoir that describes Vaughn's experiences before and during his service in World War II in the Pacific Theatre (1944-1945). Prewar activities described include Navy training and classes (pp. 2-3), as well as maintenance and preparations of the KITKUN BAY for duty (pp. 4-5). Once in the Pacific, KITKUN BAY' s activities in escort duty and battle are detailed including actions at Guam, Saipan, and Tinian during the Marianas Islands campaign (June 1944, pp. 7-8) and at Luzon and the Leyte Gulf in the Philippines (pp. 12-17). Specific incidents are described including accidents involving planes landing on KITKUN BAY that caused damage to the ship and a crash landing into the water (pp. 8-9); damage to the KITKUN BAY by a kamikaze at Luzon (pp. 15-16); the disposal of unexploded bombs from the ship's engine room (pp. 18-19); and eluding Japanese mines in the water (p. 22).
The memoir also describes re-supplying the ship at Guam (p. 10); the transport of liberated American prisoners of war after Japan's surrender (pp. 22-23); Tokyo and its destruction (p. 23); the transport of American servicemen back to the United States (p. 24); and typhoons near Guam (p. 10) and Luzon Island (pp. 24-25). At the end of the narrative, combat statistics for the KITKUN BAY are listed (p. 25) and a photograph of the 2nd Division assigned to the ship is included.
Gift of Ronald Vaughn
Processed by M. Burdette; A. Merriman, November 1999
Encoded by Apex Data Services
Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.