Oral History Interview with Fred Earl Smith, October 19, 2002

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Fred Earl Smith. Smith was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on 20 April 1923. Joining the Navy soon after graduation in 1941, he completed boot training at San Diego. Upon graduating from fire control school, he reported aboard the USS Tennessee (BB-43) at Pearl Harbor. He experienced the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and retrieved bodies in the aftermath. He was assigned to the USS Hornet (CV-8). After the Hornet sank, Smith was transferred to the USS Saratoga (CV-3) in June 1943. The Saratoga returned to the United States for repairs after being damaged by Japanese torpedoes and Smith received orders to report aboard the USS Hancock (CV-19). In November 1944, the Hancock was hit by a kamikaze and Smith was wounded. After being hospitalized in Hawaii for a short period of time, he was sent to the Naval Hospital at Norman, Oklahoma. He also shares various experiences he had following World War II. Smith retired in 1968 after twenty-seven years of active service