Guantánamo Bay Naval Base (Cuba)

This oral history describes Birchwood's time in the Merchant Marines Service and with the U.S. Border Patrol. He outlines various trips to Europe, South America, and Central America. He details various stories of working in banana boats, catching illegal immigrants, working on a cargo ship, and traveling to Guantanamo Naval Base and the Panama Canal. Some of the locations mentioned within this oral history include Miami, Tampa, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Washington, El Paso, Boston, Cuba, and Aruba.

This collection relates to Archie William Birchwood who served with the U.S. Coast Guard as a border patrolman and the U.S. Merchant Marines during World War II. With the Coast Guard, Birchwood searched for illegal immigrants along the Coast of Florida between Miami and Pensacola. This collection includes an oral history transcript and supporting documents including radio licenses, salary, and a merchant passport.