Robert Pino Oral History
Object NameRecording, Video
Transcript
Narrator
Robert S. Pino
Association
USS Intrepid (CV/CVA/CVS-11)
DateSeptember 18, 2014
PeriodCold War
MediumMP4, PDF
ClassificationsCommunication Artifacts
Credit LineCollection of the Intrepid Museum. Gift of Robert S. Pino. OHP.050
Object numberOHP.050
DescriptionRobert S. Pino served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid (CVS-11) from 1963 to 1964 as a lieutenant in S-5 Division, where he was the S-5 Division Officer. The Intrepid Museum recorded his oral history interview on September 18, 2014.See transcript for complete interview. Below is a summary:
Robert Pino began his interview by explaining why he joined the U.S. Navy. He recalled travelling on a tugboat following USS Missouri (BB-63) in a V-J Day celebration in New York City when he was child. He applied to Navy Officer Candidate School during his senior year at New York University. He described this training, first at Navy Officer Candidate School and then Navy Supply Corps School. He applied for Supply Corps because he has color vision deficiency.
Next, Pino described coming on board USS Intrepid and his work in the wardroom, or officer's dining room. He explained the duties and schedules of the enlisted men. He explained why most stewards in his division where Filipino and what challenges they faced by making a career in the Navy. He explained why it was difficult to keep up the level of cleanliness and what relations were like between stewards and officers.
The interview then shifted to the duties of the wardroom officer, including assigning officer staterooms, wardroom mess finances, sourcing supplies and dealing with complaints. He then described living in tight quarters, adjusting to the sounds and smells of a ship, a painting scenes from the Mediterranean on his stateroom walls.
As the interview continued, Pino recounted a time when he had to put a steward on report and explained that formal disciplinary proceedings were rare. He described the attitude of the stewards towards that work; he assumed they found it grating but did not let that affect the quality of their work. He described how the number of stewards shrunk and how some officers were understanding. He noted that one chaplain was not understanding.
Pino then explained Intrepid’s mission and told stories about an emergency mobilization and recovering Mercury and Gemini. The wardroom officer assigned the astronauts a stateroom for their overnight stay, but Pino was not aboard during the recovery missions. Next he described his wife’s duties when she came aboard and his experience with dignitaries on the ship.
At the end of the interview, Pino shared his thoughts on having the Intrepid as a museum, tells a story about inviting his family onto the ship for dinner, and a prank he pulled on a disbursing officer who would leave his safe door open.
Extent: 1 video file, 29 page transcript
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