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Herman Rosen [2008]

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
  • Branch of Service: Merchant Marine
  • Location of Service: Atlantic Ocean; Pacific Ocean; Mediterranean Sea; Middle East
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Commander
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/58780

View full service history

"Well, I hoped. I hoped. I think that was one reason I was able to survive. I still retained \\nhope. People ask me, 'Well, how did you survive?' I said, 'If I hadn't come home, my \\nmother would've killed me.'" (Video Interview, 45:27)

Herman Rosen longed to be at sea, and he got his opportunity after he graduated from the Merchant Marine Academy at King's Point, New York. However, his dream became a nightmare after his ship was torpedoed by two Italian submarines off the coast of South Africa, and he was forced to abandon ship to a lifeboat with 23 other men. After capsizing in rough seas on the eighth day, the men survived, but lost all of their supplies, including food. After thirty harrowing days at sea, the survivors--down to five men-- were rescued.

Interview / Recording

About this Item

Title

  • Herman Eric Rosen Collection

Names

  • Bard, Shirley
  • Rosen, Herman Eric
  • AARP, Encinitas, California, Chapter 239

Home State

  • California

Headings

  • -  Rosen, Herman Eric
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Merchant Marine.

Repository

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

Gender

  • Male

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Branch of Service: Merchant Marine
    • Location of Service: Atlantic Ocean; Pacific Ocean; Mediterranean Sea; Middle East
    • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Commander
    • Dates of Service: 1942-1945
    • Entrance into Service: Commissioned
    • Military Status: veteran

Materials

  • Video: MiniDV [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2008-04-01)
  • Video: DVD [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected 2008-04-01; 2008-04-01)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/58780

Cite as

  • Herman Eric Rosen Collection (AFC/2001/001/58780), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Online Format

  • image
  • video

Additional Metadata Formats

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:

Bard, Shirley, Herman Eric Rosen, and Encinitas Aarp. Herman Eric Rosen Collection. 1942. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.58780/.

APA citation style:

Bard, S., Rosen, H. E. & Aarp, E. (1942) Herman Eric Rosen Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.58780/.

MLA citation style:

Bard, Shirley, Herman Eric Rosen, and Encinitas Aarp. Herman Eric Rosen Collection. 1942. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.58780/>.