Gofrido Garcia Oral History
Object NameRecording, Audio
Transcript
Narrator
Gofrido C. Garcia
Association
USS Intrepid (CV/CVA/CVS-11)
DateMarch 4, 2021
PeriodCold War
MediumWAV, PDF
ClassificationsCommunication Artifacts
Credit LineCollection of the Intrepid Museum. Gift of the family of Gofrido Garcia. OHP.215
Object numberOHP.215
DescriptionGofrido Garcia served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid (CVS-11) as a photographer’s mate third class (PH3) from 1971 to 1973. The Intrepid Museum recorded his oral history interview on March 4, 2021.See transcript for complete interview. Below is a summary:
Gofrido Garcia began his interview by discussing his family and upbringing in San Francisco, explaining that his parents were Filipino and that his father joined the Navy during World War II because he wanted to become an American citizen. Garcia then briefly recalled life growing up in San Francisco and stated that his interest in photography began during his last year in high school.
As the interview continued, Garcia recalled why he joined the Navy, before describing boot camp and his initial duty as a compartment cleaner when he reported aboard Intrepid. He then explained how he became a photographer’s mate and discussed the role of the photo lab, the various jobs of a photographer’s mate, the number of men who worked in the photo lab, and the types of cameras and equipment they used. Garcia also recalled some memorable moments, including a lengthy job in the black and white print room and using photographs for cumshaw. He told a story about Admiral George Cassell, who used Intrepid as his flagship. The admiral, who was an amateur photographer, knocked on the door of the photo lab to ask if he could come inside and print some photos.
Garcia then continued to discuss a photographer’s mate’s work, beginning with how they developed film. He also explained how they photographed or recorded aircraft launches and recoveries, as well as how they documented accidents. Garcia then shifted topics, briefly recalling the photos lab’s below decks reefer (refrigerator) where they stored their chemicals and papers, and noting one occasion when their reefer was used to store the body of a crew member who had died. When Garcia returned to the topic of photography, he described aerial reconnaissance photography and explained how they captured photographs for the ship’s cruise book.
The interview soon transitioned to a discussion on life aboard ship, and Garcia recalled his least favorite aspects of life aboard ship, working parties and roving patrols, along with a more enjoyable experience, watching movies in the photo lab. He then momentarily shifted back to the topic of photography, explaining how they processed 35mm film and recalling their views toward the aesthetics of their photos. When Garcia returned to the topic of life aboard ship, he described the interactions between crew members in the photo lab and recalled his experience as a Filipino aboard Intrepid. He also recounted two humorous stories involving a musician’s photo that appeared in place of an officer’s photo and a sailor who slicked back his long hair so he could hide it under a wig, then remove the wig and look like a civilian while on liberty.
As the interview continued, Garcia discussed Intrepid’s decommissioning along with his next duty station at Point Mugu, noting that this was where he met his wife, who was also a Navy photographer. He then stated why he joined the Naval Reserve and recounted his time aboard four additional aircraft carriers. Garcia explained how the photo labs on these newer carriers compared to the photo lab on Intrepid and also recalled that one of these carriers was the East Coast test carrier for having women serve aboard aircraft carriers. Gofrido Garcia then ended his interview by stating what he hopes visitors will learn about photography when they visit Intrepid.
Extent: 1 media file, 30 page transcript
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