Kay Atkinson Oral History
Object NameRecording, Video
Transcript
Narrator
Kay Atkinson
Association
USS Intrepid (CV/CVA/CVS-11)
DateJanuary 18, 2018
PeriodVietnam War
MediumMTS, PDF
ClassificationsCommunication Artifacts
Credit LineCollection of the Intrepid Museum. Gift of Kay Atkinson. OHP.155
Object numberOHP.155
DescriptionKay Atkinson was the wife of Gene Atkinson, who served on board the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid (CVS-11) from 1966 to 1967 as a pilot in Attack Squadron 15 (VA-15). The Intrepid Museum recorded her oral history interview on January 18, 2018. See transcript for complete interview. Below is a summary:
Kay Atkinson began her interview describing her childhood in Durham, North Carolina. She and Gene met through church and began dating in high school. She described some of the early challenges of their married life, like a hurricane and strained finances while living on base in Pensacola. She recalled the support that squadron wives gave one another, as well as their shared apprehension about their husbands’ safety.
Atkinson then recalled being pregnant during her husband’s second deployment. She said that communication was difficult and that she once incurred a $200 phone bill talking to him. She shared how she felt after hearing about lost pilots on the news or through squadron communications. She thought that both pilots and their wives used alcohol to deal with stress.
Throughout her interview, Atkinson emphasized the pride she felt for her husband and his career while still acknowledging the burden that fell on her and her family, which she suggested is still true for military families today. She also reflected on the emotional toll that work took on the pilots themselves.
Extent: 1 video file, 5 page transcript
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