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Robert Devore [2004]

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945; Korean War, 1950-1953
  • Branch of Service: Navy
  • Unit of Service: Submarine Service
  • Location of Service: Pacific Theater; Atlantic Ocean; Mediterranean Sea; Korea
  • Highest Rank: Chief Petty Officer
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/20773

View full service history

"Our job in the submarine force in World War II was to cut supply lines." (Video interview, 19:22)

After his mother was widowed in 1940, Kentucky farm boy Robert Devore stayed in school until his 17th birthday in 1943, when he decided to drop out and enlist in the Navy. He volunteered for submarine school and sailed aboard the USS Pogy as a torpedo man. Most of their late-war missions involved lifeguard duties for downed fliers. In their most serious action, they took friendly fire from an American Liberator who mistook them for an enemy submarine. Devore's talents extended well beyond those demanded on board the sub; he devised an easy method for distilling alcohol during a memorable R and R stay in Pearl Harbor.

Interview / Recording

About this Item

Title

  • Robert L. Devore, Sr. Collection

Names

  • White, Bud
  • Charlie Bard
  • Matlow, Randy
  • Bullitt County Public Libraries
  • Devore Sr., Robert L.

Home State

  • Kentucky

Headings

  • -  Devore Sr., Robert L.
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Navy.
  • -  Korean War, 1950-1953 -- 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: Submarine Service
    • Location of Service: Pacific Theater; Atlantic Ocean; Mediterranean Sea
    • Highest Rank: Chief Petty Officer
    • Dates of Service: 1943-1966
    • Military Status: veteran
  • Korean War, 1950-1953

    • Branch of Service: Navy
    • Location of Service: Korea
    • Military Status: veteran

Materials

  • Video: DVD [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected 2004-09-28; 2004-09-28)
  • Video: VHS [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2004-09-28)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/20773

Cite as

  • Robert L. Devore, Sr. Collection (AFC/2001/001/20773), 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:

White, Bud, Charlie Bard, Randy Matlow, Bullitt County Public Libraries, and Robert L Devore Sr. Robert L. Devore, Sr. Collection. 1943. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.20773/.

APA citation style:

White, B., Charlie Bard, Matlow, R., Bullitt County Public Libraries & Devore Sr, R. L. (1943) Robert L. Devore, Sr. Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.20773/.

MLA citation style:

White, Bud, et al. Robert L. Devore, Sr. Collection. 1943. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.20773/>.