David L. Byrd Oral History Interview

August 30, 1996
Oral History #OH0157
Creator(s)
Byrd, David L. (Interviewee); Lennon, Donald R. (Interviewer)
Physical description
0.01 Cubic Feet, 2 audiocasssettes, 2 hours, 38 pages
Preferred Citation
David L. Byrd Oral History Interview (#OH0157), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
Repository
ECU Manuscript Collection
Access
No restrictions


Scope and arrangement

Commander Byrd comments on his schooling at the U.S. Naval Academy, his assignment to the USS NEW MEXICO at Pearl Harbor, the NEW MEXICO's service in the North Atlantic on convoy duty, and its return to the Pacific for patrols in the Aleutians. Commander Byrd discusses his assignment to and duty aboard the USS QUINCY, including the Normandy Invasion, support of landings in Southern France, experience of transporting President Franklin D. Roosevelt to and from the Yalta Conference, assignment to the 5th Fleet to support the invasion of Okinawa, and his return to the United States. For the Korean War, he describes service as carrier staff, where planes supported ground forces in Korea, including the Inchon landing and the shooting down of a Russian plane. He comments on a variety of other assignments prior to his retirement in 1961 and his subsequent civilian career in satellite and laser development.


Administrative information
Source of acquisition

Gift of David L. Byrd

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.

General note

1930s-1981


Key terms
Personal Names
Byrd, David L.
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945
Corporate Names
New Mexico (Battleship)
United States Naval Academy--History
United States. Navy--Officers--Interviews
Meeting Names
Yalta Conference (1945 : I︠A︡lta, Ukraine)
Topical
Korean War, 1950-1953--Naval operations
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Atlantic Ocean
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--France--Normandy
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Japan--Okinawa Island
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Pacific Ocean
Places
Aleutian Islands (Alaska)--History, Military--20th century