O'Donnell, Daniel Francis

Title: O'Donnell, Daniel Francis
Performer: Daniel Francis O'Donnell
Interviewer: Dawn Smiddy
Description: Daniel O'Donnell enlisted in the Navy when he was 18 years old. He spent eight years in the Regular Navy and five years in the Naval Reserves. After boot camp, Daniel became a gunner controller. He like the Navy in spite of the primitive living quarters. They slept in hammocks. During his time on the Arkansas, they escorted supply ships across the Atlantic. In November of 1944 they took Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Casablanca and Tehran. They also returned him to the United States in December of that year. Daniel was assigned to the USS Iowa which was assigned to support the highly vulnerable "baby carriers." As the war ended, Daniel's ship shelled southern Kyushu Island. When the war ended, Daniel's ship entered Tokyo Bay as part of the surrender ceremonies. Daniel returned home and was discharged. He eventually retired to Fox Run Residential Center in Novi, Michigan.
Date Span: 1939-1947; Dates of Service
Subject: Enlisted; United States Navy; USS Arkansas; USS Iowa; World War, 1939-1945; Second World War - European Theater; Second World War - Pacific Theater; Chief Fire Controller
Publisher: Center for Oral History Research at Eastern Michigan University
Collection Location: 3/28; https://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/bib/loc.natlib.afc2001001.62293
Spatial Coverage: Second World War - European Theater; Second World War - Pacific Theater