Rep. Greg Steube Announces Veteran History Project Interview Featuring Navy Veteran James O’Dea
Please click here to watch the full interview.
ROTONDA WEST, Fla. — Congressman Greg Steube (R-Fla.) today announced a new interview in the Veterans History Project Series – a way to feature the accomplishments and military careers of Florida’s 17th District veterans. This interview features U.S. Navy Veteran, LCDR James O’Dea of Rotonda West, Florida.
“I thank LCDR O’Dea for this generous account of his time serving throughout the world in the U.S. Navy. I know his Veterans History Project will be a treasured piece of our nation’s history in the Library of Congress and continue to be reflected on for decades to come,” said Congressman Greg Steube.
“The farthest I’d ever traveled in my life before getting on that train to go to Great Lakes Naval Training Station was probably 50 miles from home. It wasn’t easy to leave, but I was also looking forward to seeing the world,” said LCDR O’Dea about joining the Navy.
“I had a some really interesting experiences at Quonset Point,” LCDR O’Dea said of his time stationed in Rhode Island. “In 1961, John F. Kennedy was in the White House and both him and his wife had properties up in Newport, Rhode Island. So, they would fly into Quonset Point Naval Air Station on Air Force One and transfer to one of our small boats. We would ferry them over to Newport. That was the closest I’d ever come to a United States national political figure.”
Please click here to watch Part I of LCDR O’Dea’s interview and click here to watch Part II.
Be sure to check Congressman Steube’s YouTube channel in the future for upcoming interviews.
The Office of Congressman Greg Steube will submit the interview to the Veterans History Project, an initiative of the Library of Congress’s American Folklife Center to collect and retain the oral histories of our nation’s veterans.
Initially started in 2000, the Veterans History Project aims to collect, preserve, and make accessible the personal accounts of the United States military veterans and Gold Star Families so that future generations may hear directly from the veterans and better understand their service. Researchers, scholars, and educators rely upon VHP collections as a primary source. The oral histories, photographs, manuscripts, and other original materials supplement historical texts and valued cultural resources. Veterans from all branches and ranks of the United States military who served in World War I through the more recent conflicts are eligible to participate. For more information on the VHP, please visit https://www.loc.gov/vets/.
If you live in Florida’s 17th congressional district, please visit https://steube.house.gov/services/vhp to participate.
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