Peter Schoeffel Oral History
Object NameRecording, Video
Transcript
Narrator
Peter Schoeffel
Association
USS Intrepid (CV/CVA/CVS-11)
DateSeptember 17, 2017
PeriodVietnam War; Cold War
MediumMTS, PDF
ClassificationsCommunication Artifacts
Credit LineCollection of the Intrepid Museum. Gift of Pete Schoeffel. OHP.146
Object numberOHP.146
DescriptionPeter Schoeffel served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid (CVS-11) as an aviator on two separate occasions, first with attack squadron VA-66 during a Mediterranean Cruise from August 1961 to March 1962, and then in attack squadron VA-15 during two cruises to Vietnam, from April 1966 to November 1966 and from May 1967 to October 1967. The Museum recorded his oral history interview on September 17, 2017.See transcript for complete interview. Below is a summary:
Schoeffel began his interview by discussing his childhood in Washington, D.C., one location where his father served as a naval officer. He then recalled his graduation from the United States Naval Academy in 1954, as well as his experiences serving aboard a destroyer minelayer and the USS Wisconsin while he was still in the Academy, noting that “the idea is to understand what it’s like to be a real sailor, instead of a flyboy.” Schoeffel then explained flight training, his selection for attack aircraft, aircraft technology, and how he developed a lifelong enthusiasm for his profession.
The interview then shifted to attack squadron 66, which would be assigned to Intrepid for a Mediterranean Cruise, and Schoeffel discussed life aboard Intrepid and the nuclear missions that were practiced by the squadron. He then noted his return to the United States, which eventually saw him working for the Navy in Washington, D.C., during the Vietnam War.
As the interview continued, Schoeffel explained that he was eventually assigned to attack squadron 15, and that he would once again be serving aboard Intrepid, this time for two cruises to Vietnam in 1966 and 1967. He then described the different missions he flew, including the mission when he was shot down south of Haiphong. Schoeffel stated that he spent five and a quarter years as a prisoner of war and discussed his experience as a POW. After explaining his time as a prisoner of war, Schoeffel recalled when the POWs learned they were going home. He also noted their reactions to this news, before describing their trip back to the United States. Schoeffel then stated that he returned home to his parents in Florida, married, and continued his career in the Navy. Peter Schoeffel ended his interview by discussing the rest of his naval career and stating that he retired from the Navy in 1982.
Extents: 12 media files, 39 page transcript
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