Agustin Ramos Jr. Oral History
Object NameRecording, Video
Transcript
Narrator
Agustin Ramos
Association
USS Intrepid (CV/CVA/CVS-11)
DateAugust 18, 2018
PeriodCold War; Vietnam War
MediumMTS, PDF
ClassificationsCommunication Artifacts
Credit LineCollection of the Intrepid Museum. Gift of Agustin Ramos Jr. OHP.181
Object numberOHP.181
DescriptionAgustin Ramos Jr. served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid (CVS-11) as a boatswain’s mate in the 3B Division from 1964 to 1966. The Intrepid Museum recorded his oral history interview on August 18, 2018, during Intrepid’s 75th Anniversary weekend.See transcript for complete interview. Below is a summary:
Ramos began his interview by discussing his upbringing in Salinas, Puerto Rico, and Rochester, New York, before explaining why he joined the Navy. He then recalled coming aboard Intrepid and being assigned to the 3B Division, noting some of the jobs that 3B performed, such as painting the ship and operating the highline for underway replenishment (UNREP).
As the interview continued, Ramos discussed his interactions with other Spanish-speaking crew members. He also recalled that his uncle organized a party for Intrepid sailors of Hispanic or Latino descent when the ship was in New York. This led to a conversation on other experiences while on liberty in New York and other countries, particularly Spain.
The interview then transitioned to life aboard ship. Ramos discussed when Spanish-speaking sailors spoke Spanish to one another. He explained that if only Spanish-speaking sailors were present, they spoke Spanish, or Spanglish, and if other sailors were present, they spoke English. Ramos also recalled the ship’s underground economy, stating that the 3B Division’s duty operating the highline allowed them to obtain items such as milk when the ship was being resupplied. He then states that there were occasional tensions aboard ship, mainly caused by many people being close together. Ramos also explained that he was able to sign up for correspondence courses while aboard Intrepid. He did not want to stay in the Navy, so he obtained his GED and took art courses, as he was trying to determine what he wanted to do after leaving the Navy.
Ramos then discussed leaving Intrepid, recalling how he was flown from Intrepid, in the Tonkin Gulf, to Sasebo, Japan. He also recounted a sad moment when he flew from Sasebo to San Francisco on a hospital plane. He spent the flight helping men who were missing limbs. This recollection prompted Ramos to describe an accident involving toxic gas aboard Intrepid and resulted in casualties. He stated that he had to guard the bodies, which were kept in a refrigerator.
As the interview continued, Ramos provided additional stories from his time aboard ship. He noted that the fantail was a hangout where the men went to smoke. He recalled when he was punished and given mess duty. This led to a humorous story regarding a mishap that occurred while he was on mess duty, as well as an interesting explanation of why his time in the mess was extended.
Ramos then discussed interactions between crew members, specifically gay crew members and crew members of different races. He recalled the different reactions the crew had to gay crew members. Regarding different races, he stated, “... there was a lot of racism in the sense of ignorance more than anything else, among the crew.” He also explained that discrimination on the ship represented society as a whole, as “nonwhites got more punishment, and harsher punishment than regular crew.” Ramos then noted some of the racial tensions and explained how fights occurred in one specific location near the fantail, called the “justice room.”
Ramos recalled memories of friends from his time aboard ship, as well as recollections of Captain Guiseppi Macri. As the interview came to end, Ramos discussed how he feels about Intrepid serving as a museum today. He also described his involvement in social work in Rochester, noting the riots that had occurred. He discussed his feeling toward the Vietnam War and the racial and social issues that were present in the country. Ramos stated that his views, and the world, had changed from the time he first came aboard Intrepid in 1964 to when he left the Navy in 1966.
Extent: 7 media files, 30 page transcript
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