June Hays Oral History
Object NameRecording, Video
Transcript
Narrator
June Hays
Association
USS Intrepid (CV/CVA/CVS-11)
Association
Wesley M. Hays
DateApril 28, 2016
PeriodWorld War II; Museum Era
MediumMTS, PDF
ClassificationsCommunication Artifacts
Credit LineCollection of the Intrepid Museum. Gift of June Hays. OHP.096
Object numberOHP.096
DescriptionJune Hays was married to Wesley Hays, who served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid (CV-11) as an aviator with bomber fighter squadron VBF-10 during World War II. The Museum recorded her oral history interview on April 28, 2016. The Museum also interviewed Wesley on that date (OHP.095).See transcript for complete interview. Below is a summary:
June began her interview by discussing her childhood in Santa Anna, Texas. She also explained how she met Wesley Hays, before recounting when he joined the Navy, they became engaged and later married in Pensacola, and they had their first son, Wes Jr.
As the interview continued, June noted that Wesley was eventually stationed in Groton, Connecticut, and that she drove with their five-month-old son from Texas to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in order to meet him. She also explained a series of events that occurred while in Harrisburg, which almost caused her to return to Texas. June then discussed their travels across the country, including their move to Groton, Connecticut, their return trip to Texas, and their eventual arrival in Alameda, California, where Wesley went aboard Intrepid. She also noted that she had spent a brief moment on board Intrepid because she helped Wesley unpack in his room. June then discussed the experience that she and the other wives had when saying goodbye to their husbands.
After describing her return trip from California to Texas, June discussed life on the home front. She covered topics such as writing letters to, and receiving letters from, Wesley, rationing; taking care of her son; family life and life in Santa Anna during the war. June then recalled how she felt when she heard the war was over, and she described Wesley return home, recalling Wes Jr.’s reaction to seeing his father.
As the interview came to an end, June was asked what she would want a young person to know about her experience at home during the war. In response, she recalled when she picked up the Abilene paper, which read, “The Intrepid Hit by Kamikazes.” June stated that the only thing she could see was Wesley being on the ship, and she described how she felt while he was away, noting that you did not know what to expect next. The interview then ended with June discussing life after the war with Wesley and their four children.
Extent: 5 video files, 17 page transcript
On View
Not on viewCollections
Edward C. McConkey
May 19–September 7, 1966
Object number: A2019.23