Henry F. Mouzon Oral History
Object NameRecording, Video
Transcript
Narrator
Henry F. Mouzon
Association
USS Intrepid (CV/CVA/CVS-11)
DateMay 25, 2015
PeriodWorld War II
MediumMTS, PDF
ClassificationsCommunication Artifacts
Credit LineCollection of the Intrepid Museum. Gift of Henry F. Mouzon.
Object numberOHP.078
DescriptionHenry F. Mouzon served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid (CV-11) as a steward’s mate first class (STM1) during World War II, from 1944 to 1945. While aboard Intrepid, Mouzon also served on a 20mm gun crew and was wounded during a kamikaze attack. He remained aboard ship after the attack, and his duties were altered while he recovered. The Intrepid Museum recorded his oral history interview on May 25, 2015.See transcript for complete interview. Below is a summary:
Mouzon began his interview by stating that he was drafted into the U.S. Navy. He then explained that he ran the family farm for his mother. He was unable to obtain a deferment that would allow him to continue running the farm, as his two brothers, who worked in a shipyard and on a separate farm, had already received deferments. Mouzon noted that, after he entered the Navy, he was able to send his mother an allotment, and she paid someone to work their farm.
As the interview continued, Mouzon discussed his initial experiences in the Navy. He explained that boot camp was in Bainbridge, Maryland. Everyone in his boot camp was Black due to Jim Crow; he said that was used to this because he grew up in the South. After boot camp, Mouzon was sent to California, which was where he first saw Intrepid. He also noted that he had never seen a ship that big, and that after going aboard ship, he was given his assignment as a steward’s mate. Mouzon then recalled his duties as a steward’s mate, discussing how they served the officers’ meals and cleaned their compartments.
Mouzon then recounted that he, and other steward’s mates, were sent to gunnery school. They now had two jobs, one as a steward’s mate and another as a gunner. Mouzon explained that cooks did not receive gunnery training because they had to continue making the officers’ food. Only the steward’s mates who cleaned compartments received gunnery training because they could step away from their job. This led to a brief discussion regarding compartment cleaning, as Mouzon noted that the officers were out of their compartments when they were being cleaned.
At this time, the interview transitioned to the topic of segregation in the Navy. Mouzon stated that there were not many jobs open to African Americans and that he was not happy with his job as a steward’s mate. He then explained that white sailors received training for jobs such as electricians or plumbers. If he could have chosen his job, he would have been a plumber because this was a job he could pursue outside of the Navy. Mouzon also recalled that both white and Black sailors received the same benefits after the war, and that he attended farming school after the war had ended.
The next topic discussed was gunnery. Mouzon briefly noted gunnery school, recalled the type of gun that he manned, and described the tracer rounds they fired at night. He also stated each gun crew member’s job, described how different caliber guns were aimed, and recalled the kamikaze attack that resulted in his injury, explaining that he was shot in the leg and treated in Intrepid’s sick bay. He was given light duty in the kitchen for approximately two months until his treatments were completed. He noted that he enjoyed working in the kitchen more than he enjoyed cleaning the officers’ rooms. He explained that steward’s mates who worked in the officers’ wardroom had to be dressed in whites. Mouzon then recounted how the officers treated him, stating that most were nice, while others occasionally were not. However, he explained that some officers would be kind one day and mean the next, which he attributed to other crew members having given these officers a difficult time.
This topic then led to a discussion on crew interactions. Mouzon explained that Black and white sailors did not eat together, but white sailors would go to the steward’s mates’ compartment to spend time with them and talk with them. Mouzon also stated that he really believed some of the white sailors hated that they were separated, because they visited and spoke with the steward’s mates every chance they had until it was lights out.
The next subject to be covered was the steward’s mate’s work day. Mouzon stated that, if they were cooking, they had to wake up at 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning because the food had to be served at 6:30. He also noted that steward’s mates did not take care of the officers’ laundry, as clothing and linens were placed outside of the officer’s door and someone else brought these items to the laundry. Mouzon then explained that steward’s mates were assigned to specific officers and that he was never assigned to more than three officers. He also recalled that he never saw the officers whose rooms he cleaned, which he initially felt was strange. Mouzon then noted that he did not enjoy cleaning compartments, and to this day, he does not like this type of housework.
The interview soon shifted to a discussion of life aboard ship. Mouzon recalled that he became seasick when he first went aboard. However, you became used to the motion of the ship because you were living on it. He then referenced Jim Crow, stating that Black and white sailors ate the same food but could not eat in the same place. He also agreed with the recollection of Eugene Smith, another steward’s mate, who stated that some white gunners and pilots did not want to have gunnery training with Black gunners. Mouzon then stated that he was disappointed when the war ended because he thought the war would bring Blacks and whites together. However, upon returning home, he saw that the war did not make a difference, and everything was the same as when he left for the war. He also noted that he was happy to leave the ship when the war ended, but he hated leaving some of his friends. Mouzon then provided some additional memories regarding life aboard ship, including: cleaning his own compartment, his bunk’s location, and the food aboard ship. During the discussion on food, Mouzon explained that the officers and the enlisted crew ate the same food and that all of the cooks were Black. He then noted that he stayed out of trouble and never did anything wrong in the service. He recalled his parents telling him before he left, “Don’t ruin the name of the Mouzons.”
As the interview came to an end, Mouzon noted that he does not like to wear his Purple Heart medal, as he does not want people to think he is boasting. He then stated that the steward’s mates who served as gunners and survived the kamikaze attack deserve medals and should not have to fight for their medals, although he noted why he did not fight for his medals. Mouzon also explained that he does not wear his Intrepid hat for the same reason that he does not wear his medals, as he does not want to appear to be boastful. Mouzon then ended his interview by discussing when and how he met his wife.
Extent: 5 media files, 30 page transcript
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