Woodside, Clifford Irvin

Item

Title
Woodside, Clifford Irvin
Performer
Clifford Irvin Woodside
Interviewer
William Vollano
Description
Clifford Woodside was born in Masten, PA. on January 22, 1923. Before completing high school, he enlisted in the Navy. This was immediately following Pearl Harbor. He was 17 at the time. Since he had been in the Sea Scouts, he was immediately assigned to training for gunnery. Clifford was eventually assigned to the USS Portland, and later to the USS Yokes. Clifford saw combat at Midway, Guadalcanal, the Solomon Islands, and the Aleutian Islands. At one time he was at sea for 110 straight days. Although he enlisted for eight years, he did not make the Navy a career. He had married by that time and elected discharge in 1947. Clifford and his wife returned to Ypsilanti, Michigan and he eventually went to work as a salesman for a local Ford dealer. Clifford and his wife lived on Ford Lake until he could no longer live independently. He and his wife now live in an assisted living facility in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Date Span
1941-1947
Dates of Service
Subject
Enlisted; United States Navy; USS Portland; USS Yokes; World War, 1939-1945; Second World War - Pacific Theater; Gunner's Mate First Class
Publisher
Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Center for Oral History Research at Eastern Michigan University
Center for Oral History Research at Eastern Michigan University
Collection Location
4/32
https://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/bib/loc.natlib.afc2001001.58414
Spatial Coverage
Second World War - Pacific Theater