Oral History Interview with James "Jim" Vander-Moere, Jr., September 28, 2010

Transcript of an oral interview with James “Jim” Vander-Moere, Jr. Born in 1925, he joined the Navy in 1943. He talks about boot camp at the Great Lakes Training Station. He describes the living quarters at the Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois where he attended diesel school. He also describes his submarine school training at the Naval Submarine Base New London, Connecticut. He was transported to the Pacific Theater aboard the Liberty ship SS John Bartram. At the Freemantle submarine base in Australia, he was assigned to submarine tenders, USS Orion (AS-18) and USS Euryale (AS-22). He talks about the people, the railway system, and recreation in Australia. In February, 1945 he was assigned to the USS Blenny (SS-324), a submarine that patrolled off the coast of French Indochina. He recounts events of the three patrols in which he participated, including sinking various ships and vessels; experiencing a severe depth charge; and a near-miss with an enemy bomber when surfacing after a trim dive. He describes a tactic used by submarines to avoid being depth charged. He also shares anecdotes about a cockroach infestation and celebrating the war’s end with liquor disguised in a witch hazel bottle. When the war ended the USS Blenny followed the USS Sperry (AS-12) from U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay to Guam. He describes his activities on Guam during the six months prior to his return to the United States. He was discharged in March, 1946