Personal Narrative 3D Object Film, Video Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Robert Llewellyn Balfour Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945; Korean War, 1950-1953
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Unit of Service: 3rd Fleet
- Location of Service: Pacific Theater
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Commander
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/2531
He might have been found unfit for service when he enlisted in the wake of Pearl Harbor. But a determined Robert Balfour memorized the eye chart in his first Naval exam room and then managed to disguise a bum knee when he applied to become a Naval officer. He spent his first four months of duty in the Pacific on an LST that MacArthur would later use for his return to the Philippines, and Balfour spent much of the rest of the war working under Admiral Bull Halsey as a communications officer. He was on the deck of the Missouri when the surrender was signed--bad eyes, bad knee, and all.
Interview / Recording
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PlayCheating on his eye exam to get into the Navy. 00:07:22.0 - 00:09:38.0
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PlayA unique encounter with the Japanese near New Orleans. 00:11:50.0 - 00:13:21.0
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PlayConfusing the Japanese; a sniper's near miss of him. 00:17:25.0 - 00:19:53.0
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PlayBad typhoon; a misread message from Nimitz to Halsey. 00:19:55.0 - 00:25:00.0
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PlaySwitching ships and just missing a kamikaze attack. 00:29:55.0 - 00:31:17.0
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PlayCommunicating in code; access to top-secret clearance. 00:32:04.0 - 00:34:46.0
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PlayHalsey on the eve of the surrender; his relationship with MacArthur. 00:36:55.0 - 00:40:37.0
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PlayPartying with the British officers after the end of the war. 00:43:03.0 - 00:44:51.0
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PlayServing on Eisenhower's Presidential campaign staff. Serving on Eisenhower's Presidential campaign staff. 00:46:09.0 - 00:50:52.0
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About this Item
Title
- Robert Llewellyn Balfour Collection
Names
- Balfour, Robert Llewellyn
Home State
- Florida
Headings
- - Balfour, Robert Llewellyn
- - 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: 3rd Fleet
- Location of Service: Pacific Theater
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Commander
- Dates of Service: 1942-1946
- Military Status: veteran
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Korean War, 1950-1953
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Location of Service: Pacific Theater
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Commander
- Dates of Service: 1950-1951
- Military Status: veteran
Materials
- Video: Digital Betacam [2 items] -- Digitized Copy (collected unknown)
- Video: VHS [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected unknown)
- Manuscript: Military papers (orders, personnel/201 files, etc) [8 items] -- (collected unknown)
- Manuscript: Biographical information [2 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 1996-08-23)
- Manuscript: Clippings [10 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 2002)
- Manuscript: Memoirs [18 items] -- (collected unknown)
- Manuscript: Mixed (Multiple types of manuscripts) [2 items] -- (collected unknown)
- Manuscript: Printed matter [1 item] -- (collected unknown)
- Artifact: Artifact photocopy [2 items] -- (collected unknown)
- Photograph: Mixed (Multiple types of photographs) [11 items] -- Photograph (collected unknown)
- Video: VHS [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected unknown)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/2531
Cite as
- Robert Llewellyn Balfour Collection (AFC/2001/001/2531), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- image
- video