James B. Davidson Oral History
Object NameRecording, Video
Transcript
Narrator
James B. Davidson
Association
USS Intrepid (CV/CVA/CVS-11)
DateNovember 2, 2018
PeriodWorld War II
MediumMTS, PDF
ClassificationsCommunication Artifacts
Credit LineCollection of the Intrepid Museum. Gift of James B. Davidson. OHP.184
Object numberOHP.184
DescriptionJames B. Davidson served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid (CV-11) in 1945 as a pilot with Bombing Squadron 10 (VB-10). He was a lieutenant junior grade. The Museum interviewed Davidson for our oral history collection on November 2, 2018.See transcript for complete interview. Below is a summary:
James B. Davidson began his interview with recollections about his family and his decision to join the Navy. Two of his brothers were killed while serving in the Navy before he applied for flight training. He recalled training in several locations, including Corpus Christi and Jacksonville, before joining VB-10. Then he quickly summarized his service on Intrepid.
Then, the interview returned to the beginning of his time in the Navy to explore his career in more depth. Davidson listed the planes he flew in training before he joined Bombing 10 and was trained on the SB2C Helldiver. He shared a story about his section leader, Erling Jacobsen, who got his plane caught in a telephone wire in Korea. Davidson said he had a similar experience in Mexico. Davidson discussed carrier qualifications on USS Bogue, including a time he ditched his plane in the frigid Atlantic Ocean and was picked up by a destroyer.
Next, Davidson moved on to his time on Intrepid. The squadron joined the ship in Alameda, California. He shared memories of the squadron’s commanding officer. He discussed daily life on the ship and the relationship between the squadrons and the ship’s company. Then he recalled bombing Kure, including damage to his plane. He was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions on this strike. He also described ditching his plane after a strike on Wake Island and accidentally bombing a jellyfish on a “show of force” tour. Davidson discussed the strike on Yamato, flying strikes during the invasion of Okinawa, and the April 16, 1945 kamikaze strike on Intrepid.
Towards the end of his interview, he recalled the end of the war, flying “show of force tours” over China and Korea and flying home. He described the food on the ship, catapult takeoffs and celebrating his 21st birthday with his brother. He decided not to remain in the Navy and spent the last 6 months of service in Hawaii. He briefly mentioned life experiences after the Navy and looked through photos of the squadron.
Extent: 5 video files, 20 page transcript
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