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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Capehart and Wherry Housing - Christine Heidenrich Oral Histories 

Dates: 2006

This collection contains copies of transcripts of oral histories done by historian Christine Heidenrich while working on research on military family housing. She interviewed individuals who lived in Capehart and Wherry housing with their families between 1949 and 1962 while they or their spouses were serving in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy.  Capehart and Wherry housing are terms used to describe military housing built under the Capehart housing act of 1955 and its precursor, the Wherry housing act of 1949.   

Bacon, John W.
Date of Interview: 29 August 2006
Topics Discussed: John W Bacon served in the U.S. Air Force from 1950 to 1971 and worked in aircraft fuel system repair. Mr. and Mrs. Bacon and their three children resided in Wherry housing at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, from 1957 to 1960 and Capehart housing at Glasgow Air Force Base, Montana, from 1961 to 1962. 

Clark, Audrey
Date of Interview: 29 August 2006
Topics Discussed: Audrey Clark was the wife of a U.S. Navy lithographer and photographer who served in the Navy from 1948-1969.  She, her husband, and their four children resided in Capehart housing at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California, from 1962 to 1965 while her husband was a chief petty officer and an ensign.

Davison, Roger W.
Date of Interview: 22 August 2006
Topics Discussed: Roger W. Davison served in the U.S. Air Force from 1946-1970. The Davisons resided in Capehart housing at Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois, from 1959-1963 while Mr. Davison held the rank of senior master sergeant.

Evans, William L. and Bette
Date of Interview: 16 August 2006
Topics Discussed: William L. Evans was an aviation electronics technician and avionics weapons officer in the U.S. Navy from 1947 to 1977. Mr. Evans entered the Navy as seaman and retired with the rank of Lieutenant.   The Evans family resided in Wherry housing at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, CA from 1953 to 1955 while Mr. Evans ws in the rank of first class petty officer.  Mr. and Mrs. Evans lived in a duplex building, in a unit consisting of two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, a dining room, and a kitchen.  For one year during their tenancy, Mrs. Evans worked for the contractor who built and was managing the development.

Gentry, George H. Jr.
Date of Interview: 15 August 2006
Topics Discussed: George H. Gentry, Jr. was an infantry officer in the U.W. Marine Corps from 1951-1977.  After receiving a commission from the Navy Reserve Officers' Training Corps at the University of Texas, Mr. Gentry entered the Marines as a second lieutenant. He retired as a colonel.  Mr. Gentry resided in the Tarawa Terrace #2 Wherry housing at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina from 1955-1957 while holding the rank of captain.

Leach, Donald B. 
Date of Interview: 21 August 2006
Topics Discussed: Donald B. Leach served in the U.S. Navy from 1949-1974.  He entered the Navy as a ensigh and retired as a commander.  The Leaches resided in Capehart housing at Naval Facility Cape Hatteras, North Carolina from 1965-1967 while Mr. Leach held the rank of lieutenant commander and was commanding officer of the base. 

Levy, Jerome
Date of Interview: 18 August 2006
Topics Discussed: Jerome Levy served in the Midical Corps in the U.S. Navy from 1944-1947 and 1957-1975. He entered the Navy as an apprentice seaman in the V-12 program and retired as a captain. The Levy's and their three children resided in the Arundel Estates neighborhood of Wherry housing outside Naval Station Annapolis, Maryland from 1959-1960 while Mr. Levy held the rank of lieutenant.

Patton, David L.
Date of Interview: 17 August 2006
Topics Discussed: avid L. Patton was a pilot in the U.S. Air Force from 1952 to 1984. He entered  the Air Force as a pre-cadet and retired as brigadier general. David  Patton, his wife, and his two children resided in Wherry housing at Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio from 1955 to 1984.

Ramsey, Sherry Billings
Date of Interview: 28 August 2006
Topics Discussed: Sherry Billings Ramsey was the daughter of a sonar technician with the U.S. Navy.  She and her family resided in Capehart housing in the Anchorage neighborhood at Newport Naval Bse, Rhode Island, from 1962-1966 while her father was a senior chief petty officer.  The Billings family lived in Wherry housing at Newport Naval Base from spring to fall 1962 while the Capehart housing was being completed.

Trekell, Warren
Date of Interview: 30 August 2006
Topics Discussed: Warren Trekell worked in personnel for the U.S. Air Force from 1946-1974. He enlisted as a private and retired as a senior master sergeant.  Mr. Trekell resided in Wherry housing at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, from 1951-1955 and at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, from 1960-1962., while holding the ranks of technical sergeant and master sergeant.

Waxler, Mary L.
Date of Interview: 28 August 2006
Topics Discussed: Mary L. Waxler was the daughter of a non-commissioned officer, she lived at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas from 1958-1964.

Published: Mon Mar 22 11:10:24 EDT 2021