Carlos Ralon (1927-), 2009
Summary
Mr. Ralon discusses: decision to join Merchant Marine; training at Sheepshead Bay; life onboard a Liberty Ship; German attack on his convoy in English Channel; navigating a minefield in the Mediterranean Sea; experiences in Karachi, India; V-J Day celebration in Bombay; experiences in Lorenzo Marques; transporting troops across the Mediterranean Sea; lack of recognition for the contributions of the Merchant Marine; volunteering with Project Liberty Ship
Dates
- 2009
Creator
- Ralon, Carlos (Narrator, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research use.
Biographical / Historical
Merchant Mariner, Project Liberty Ship. Mr. Ralon was born on Solomon's Island and is a lifelong Marylander. After WWII began, he enlisted in the Merchant Marine and served onboard liberty ships for several cruises. He is a volunteer with Project Liberty Ship of Baltimore and therefore a crewmember of the SS John W. Brown. He is a graduate of Washington Bible College.
Extent
From the Collection: 50 Items : 50 interviews
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Scope and Contents
Collection contains 11 interviews with Maryland veterans of the Army’s 29th Division, Merchant Mariners and Tuskegee Airmen. There is also a group interview with members of the American Rosie the Riveter Association.
Materials available for this project include audio and video recordings, biographical material, photographs, ephemera and other materials. Transcripts are available for 10 of the interviews. OH 9915, Victor Harvey Hodgin, Sr. has not been transcribed.
There is also a companion booklet containing 14 student research papers examining Maryland’s role during World War II from various aspects. Topics include: Maryland’s prisoner of war camps, the Glenn L. Martin Company, Aberdeen Proving Ground, civil rights activism in wartime Baltimore, and more. The booklet also contains an introduction to the project, photographs, and short biographies of the student interviewers.
Creator
- Ralon, Carlos (Narrator, Person)
- Coleman, Raven (Interviewer, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the H. Furlong Baldwin Library Repository
H. Furlong Baldwin Library
Maryland Center for History and Culture
610 Park Avenue
Baltimore MD 21201 United States
4106853750
specialcollections@mdhistory.org