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Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
  • Branch of Service: Navy
  • Unit of Service: USS Missouri (BB 63)
  • Location of Service: Pacific Theater
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant

View full service history

"We can't have a formal surrender on a general mess table." (Interview, Part 2, 7:13)

Serving as a Disbursing Officer aboard the USS Missouri, Robert Mackey was present for the signing of the peace treaty with Japan on the deck of his ship. He also came up with the right furniture for the ceremony, deftly camouflaging a general mess table big enough to accommodate all the dignitaries and various papers. Mackey's talent for business affairs helped put him in a position to choose among a battleship, destroyer, or carrier for his duty assignment. When he chose the first, the Missouri gave him a front-row seat for many other important events in the Pacific Theater.

Robert G. Mackey Collection
Interview / Recording

Transcript: XML

More Resources

Robert G. Mackey Collection
Interview / Recording

Transcript: XML
View 2 images in sequence.
[ Photo Album ]
View 2 images in sequence.
[ Clipping: "A Member You Should Know Robert G. Mackey" ]

About this Item

Title

  • Robert G. Mackey Collection

Names

  • Mathes, Robert
  • National Court Reporters Association (NCRA)
  • Mackey, Robert G.
  • VA Oak Park Vet Center Readjustment Counseling Service
  • Barbara J. Ulrich

State of Birth

  • IL

Home State

  • IL

Headings

  • -  Mackey, Robert G.
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Navy.

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: USS Missouri (BB 63)
    • Location of Service: Pacific Theater
    • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
    • Dates of Service: 1942-1946
    • Military Status: Veteran

Materials

  • Manuscript: Clippings [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 09/1996)
  • Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 06/06/2003)
  • Photograph: Digital print [2 items] -- Photograph (collected 1945)
  • Audio: Audio Cassette [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 06/06/2003)
  • Audio: CD [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected 03/21/2006)
  • Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Transcription of audio recording (collected 03/11/2007)
  • Computer File: CD [1 item] -- Electronic file of manuscript (collected 03/11/2007)
  • Manuscript: Scrapbooks [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 1942 - 2000)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/10920

Cite as

  • Robert G. Mackey Collection (AFC/2001/001/10920), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Online Format

  • audio
  • image
  • online text

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/xxxx), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

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

Recording:

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

Photograph:

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

Computer file:

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

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), 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:

Mathes, Robert, National Court Reporters Association, Robert G Mackey, Va Oak Park Vet Center Readjustment Counseling Service, and Barbara J. Ulrich. Robert G. Mackey Collection. 1942. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.10920/.

APA citation style:

Mathes, R., National Court Reporters Association, Mackey, R. G., Va Oak Park Vet Center Readjustment Counseling Service & Barbara J. Ulrich. (1942) Robert G. Mackey Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.10920/.

MLA citation style:

Mathes, Robert, et al. Robert G. Mackey Collection. 1942. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.10920/>.