Stephen Gilman was born in Newport, RI and grew up in the Point Section. His mother was born in England and sold her harp to finance her immigration to the US. He collected post cards and early disc records and played the coronet. He worked as a machinist from 1938 to 1972 at the U.S. Naval Torpedo Station in Jamestown and the Quonset Point Naval Air Station. 

In this oral history interview, Stephen Gilman provides detailed recollections of his work at the U.S. Naval Torpedo Station (NTS) in Jamestown, Rhode Island, and the apprenticeships that were part of the training program. He describes the types of torpedoes built at NTS, including "Navol", a hydrogen peroxide torpedo, aerial torpedoes used by the Germans, magnetic field torpedoes and prototypes of battery torpedoes. He gives very detailed descriptions about the construction of torpedo components and how testing was conducted. He recollects some problems with insufficient testing on the magnetic and contact exploders. He mentions the role of the Union and the work ethic of some of the torpedo station workers. He discusses his work on Gould Island and Goat Island, and describes some of the first building on Goat Island and changes made during the war. He briefly recounts the 1938 Hurricane and the destruction to Newport and the Jamestown ferries. A significant portion of the narrative describes Gilman’s childhood growing up in the Point Section of Newport, what life was like living near the docks, and the large presence of naval vessels and dirigibles in the harbor during the 1930s. He collected penny arcade cards from the Newport Beach Arcade. He was a self-taught coronet player, and he collected old phonograph and gramophone records in order to learn how to play the instrument. He was involved with the 1933 Newport music festival of high school bands, which ultimately led to the formation of the Rogers High School band, and he recalls in great detail many of the local music professionals.