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Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
  • Branch of Service: Navy
  • Unit of Service: Supply Corps, USS Oriskany (CV / CVA 34)
  • Location of Service: United States; Philippines; Pacific Theater
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/2441

View full service history

"As our situation became more grave and more accepted and reality set in, it was one day at a time…" (Audio interview, 17:32)

Fulfilling a lifelong dream of serving in the Navy, Captain Robert Granston accepted his commission in August of 1940, and was eventually assigned to the Cavite Navy Yard in the Philippines. There, he weathered the Japanese attack on December 10, 1941, three days after Pearl Harbor was bombed. Evacuating first to Bataan and then to Corregidor, he was captured and taken to Cabanatuan Prison Camp. He served on work details, first on a farm and then cutting wood, which were a "godsend" in keeping him active and passing the time. After surviving the "death ships" of Oryoku Maru and Enoura Maru--ships transporting American prisoners of war, unidentified as such, that were bombed by the Allies--he was finally liberated in August 1945. His collection also includes a letter written to his fiancée, Norma, from the hospital ship the USS Refuge, on September 9, 1945, in which he describes the overwhelming feelings of being alive, free, and headed home. One month and one day after his release from prison camp, he and Norma were married.

Robert Wyatt Granston Collection
Interview / Recording

Transcript

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Robert Wyatt Granston Collection
Interview / Recording

Transcript

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[ Letter to Norma, September 9, 1945. ]

About this Item

Title

  • Robert Wyatt Granston Collection

Names

  • Kent, Judith J.
  • Flagler County Public Library
  • Granston, Robert Wyatt

Home State

  • Florida

Headings

  • -  Granston, Robert Wyatt
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Navy.
  • -  Prisoner of War -- United States

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Male

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Branch of Service: Navy
    • Unit of Service: Supply Corps, USS Oriskany (CV / CVA 34)
    • Location of Service: United States; Philippines; Pacific Theater
    • Highest Rank: Captain
    • Dates of Service: 1940-1968
    • Prisoner of War: Yes
    • Military Status: veteran

Materials

  • Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
  • Computer File: CD [1 item] -- Multiple types of electronic files (collected 2002-11-06)
  • Computer File: Floppy Disk [1 item] -- Electronic file of manuscript (collected 2002-10-08; 2005-01-26)
  • Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
  • Audio: Audio Cassette [2 items] -- Reference copy (collected 2002-10-08; 2002-01-01)
  • Manuscript: Clippings [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Correspondence [1 item] -- (collected 1945)
  • Audio: Audio Cassette [2 items] -- Oral history interview (collected 2002-10-08)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/2441

Cite as

  • Robert Wyatt Granston Collection (AFC/2001/001/2441), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Online Format

  • audio
  • online text
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Kent, Judith J, Flagler County Public Library, and Robert Wyatt Granston. Robert Wyatt Granston Collection. 1940. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.02441/.

APA citation style:

Kent, J. J., Flagler County Public Library & Granston, R. W. (1940) Robert Wyatt Granston Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.02441/.

MLA citation style:

Kent, Judith J, Flagler County Public Library, and Robert Wyatt Granston. Robert Wyatt Granston Collection. 1940. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.02441/>.