Personal Narrative Film, Video Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Burchall Liles Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Unit of Service: Naval Hospital Bremerton; USS Hart (DD 594)
- Location of Service: Pacific Theater; Philippines; Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands); Seattle, Washington; New Orleans, Louisiana
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/87025
The son of a British medical officer, Navy Lieutenant Burchall Liles was born in Nevis, West Indies, and immigrated to the United States when he was six years old. When World War II broke out, he was a medical student at Louisiana State University. Following the President's instructions to continue his studies, he was eventually commissioned as an officer following his graduation from medical school. As the only doctor aboard the USS Hart, he was responsible for treating minor shipboard injuries and performing emergency surgeries such as appendectomies. Assisted by three Pharmacist's Mates, he often had to improvise in order to carry out medical procedures; at one point, he enlisted engineers and machinists aboard ship to jury-rig surgical retractors and a suction apparatus.
Interview / Recording
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PlayIn medical school when war declared; worked hard to get through school as quickly as possible; made a midshipman; commissioned as Lieutenant Junior Grade; sent to the Naval Hospital in Seattle, Washington, the day after graduation. 00:01:09.8 - 00:02:35.6
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PlayFunny incident involving a visit from Eleanor Roosevelt. 00:06:07.4 - 00:09:05.3
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PlayDuties as only doctor aboard ship; duties of Pharmacist Mates assigned to him; firefighting school; seeing carnage outside Manila; escort duty; Ulithi; seeing the armada of US battleships; different hospital ships; transferring patients. 00:10:16.3 - 00:16:00.1
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PlayHeading to Okinawa; volunteering for radio coding duty; hearing Tokyo Rose single him out by name; importance of securing Okinawa; USS Hart serving as screen around ships attacking island; made it through battle unscathed. 00:17:07.4 - 00:20:22.1
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PlayNot responsible for treating combat injuries; treated minor shipboard injuries; training Pharmacist Mates to handle surgeries; having machinist make retractors; chief engineer constructed portable suction apparatus; appendectomy. 00:23:36.0 - 00:26:40.8
About this Item
Title
- Burchall Liles Collection
Names
- Calloway, Nell
- Chennault Aviation & Military Museum
- Liles, Burchall
Home State
- Louisiana
Headings
- - Liles, Burchall
- - World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Navy.
Form
- DVD
Extent
- 1 item
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Status
- veteran
Service History
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World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Unit of Service: Naval Hospital Bremerton; USS Hart (DD 594)
- Location of Service: Pacific Theater; Philippines; Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands); Seattle, Washington; New Orleans, Louisiana
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Dates of Service: 1943-1946
- Entrance into Service: Commissioned
- Military Status: veteran
Materials
- Video: DVD [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2005-02-16; 2012)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/87025
Cite as
- Burchall Liles Collection (AFC/2001/001/87025), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- image
- video
Additional Metadata Formats
Wars & Conflicts
Service Branch
Location of Service
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands)
- Pacific Theater
- Philippines
- Seattle, Washington