The United States Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program is honored to announce the September 2021 story of the month has been selected to recognize the service of United States Navy Veteran, Captain Richard Zimermann. The United States Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program was privileged to interview Captain Richard Zimermann at the Vinson Hall Retirement Community.

Richard Zimermann was inspired to service in the Armed Forces and receive a appointment to the United States Naval Academy in 1940. His pathway to Annapolis was to join the Naval Reserves and  take the comprehensive competitive exam for selection to the United States Naval Academy. He was overjoyed to learn his hard work and perseverance had opened the way to Annapolis. His time at the Naval Academy would be accelerated with the entry of the United States into World War Two.

Upon receiving his commissioning in June of 1942, Zimermann was assigned to the Gleaves-class destroyer, USS Frankford DD 497. He recalled, "we trained to be ready for whatever was necessary. My primary duty was taking convoys over to Europe." Convoy duty took the USS Frankford across the North Atlantic and to North Africa. Following time off the coast of North Africa, Zimermann shared his memories of preparing for the Invasion of Normandy and events of D-Day. "On June the 6th which was the most important day...we encountered what the Germans called their Atlantic Wall...our job was to eliminate them so that the Army could come in without being shot...by sunset there was not a single German gun was firing."

Following D-Day, Zimermann shared accounts of German efforts to disrupt the invasion fleet by planting mines and also firing new rocket weapons. He recalled, "They dropped bombs on us and also the new radio-controlled bombs... we had the jamming equipment, and the operator would look for the frequencies of the bomb in the air and slam the jammer on it so that it would not hit one of the ships." Zimermann shared war memories as if it was yesterday about his service on the USS Frankford which had a distinguished service record across the Atlantic from Convoy Duty, North Africa, D-Day, the Invasion of Southern France, and Invasion of Italy. When the USS Frankford sailed for home, Zimermann would be ordered to the Pacific on the USS Wadsworth DD 516. His service on the Wadsworth would include the Invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He shared the vital role destroyers played by supporting the Marines through fire support to clear the way for the invasion forces. It was at Okinawa where he encountered Kamikazes and spoke of the new horrors of the final year of the war.

Following his World War Two service, Zimermann continued to serve during the Korean War, and Cold War on a variety of ships ranging from Destroyers, Destroyer Escorts, Mine Sweepers, and a Cruiser. His ships and stations from 1942 to 1972 include the USS Frankford DD 497, USS Wadsworth DD 516, USS Alexander J. Luke DE 577, USS Towhee AM 388. Mine Division 10, USS Hambleton DMS 20, USS Albany CA 123, USS Healy DD 672, USS Corry DDR 817, Landing Ship Squadron 9, Destroyer Division 92, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and more.

TThe United States Navy Memorial honors United States Navy Veteran, Captain Richard Zimermann, featured within this series titled, Tales from the Navy Log, Story of the Month. Each month, this series honors a Veteran’s story recorded by the Stories of Service Program at the Navy Memorial. To learn more about this story and to explore the Navy Memorial archive, visit the Navy Memorial Stories of Service site at https://www.navymemorial.org/stories-of-service.

To view this interview please visit the Vinson Hall Veterans Collection on the Navy Memorial Stories of Service page.