Stan Simmons was born on February 6, 1917.  Now deceased, Stan Simmons was a lobster fisherman for 65 years.  When he was eleven years old, he moved to Friendship from Bremen, Long Island.  He has one adopted child and three grandchildren.  In addition, he was a pilot and spotted fish for purse and stop seiners for seven or eight years.  When he was asked what else he did, he replied, “You name it--everything but deliver babies.”  He served in the Navy for two stints during World War II in the Pacific, where he delivered guerilla fighters to Japanese Islands, and for two years, he was stationed on the battleship USS Alabama, for which he named his lobster boat. 

Scope and Content Note
This oral history interview conducted by Randall on October 17, 2003, at Stan Simmons' home provides insights into the life and experiences of Stan Simmons, a lobsterman from Friendship, Bremen. Simmons shares details about his early years, his extensive experience as a lobsterman for over six decades, and his involvement in World War II. He describes the tradition of lobstering in his family, the evolution of lobster boats and equipment, and the changes he witnessed in the lobstering industry throughout his career. Simmons also discusses the challenges and rewards of lobstering, including the impact of weather conditions on fishing and the fluctuating prices of lobsters. He describes lobstering in the old days, including building and setting wooden traps, as well as the whole process of lobstering.  He also talks about breaking down off Monhegan Island in a hard blow and describes how he likes to prepare a lobster to eat on the boat, cooking it on the manifold of his gas-burning engine.