Iraq War, 2003-2011
United States--History, Military
United States. National Guard
Military life
Soldiers
Photographs
FOB Q-West from the air. The white object in the middle ground is water palletized at the end of the runway.
Oakes, Ronald
Ronald Oakes Vietnam and Iraq photographs (RHC-80)
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives
In Copyright
Veterans History Project interviews, RHC-27
AH-64 Apache ready-line at FOB Q-West. Oakes' unit's compound is just off to the right of the picture.
Oakes' superiors and Iraqi commanding general with assistant
Oakes' superiors and Iraqi commanding general with assistant at a dinner at FOB Q-West in September 2005
Spent shell-casings at the firing range at FOB Q-West
Spent shell-casings at the firing range at FOB Q-West. An M-249 LMG (Light Machine Gun) is in the background
IED damage done to a HUMVEE. The HUMVEE is loaded on a truck head south to FOB Balad
Iraqi guards at the rear gate of FOB Q-West looking south
Iraqi guards at the rear gate of FOB Q-West looking south. Notice how flat the terrain is and the lack of distinguishing features.
Oakes at a refueling stop in Iceland on the way to Kuwait
Oakes at a refueling stop in Iceland on the way to Kuwait, the day after Thanksgiving 2004.
SSG Ortiz posing with the Iraqi Army soldiers guarding the rear gate of FOB Q-West
Oakes, Ronald (Interview outline and video, 2 of 2), 2010
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Michigan--History, Military
Veterans
Video recordings
Iraq War, 2003-2011--Personal narratives, American
After returning from Vietnam in 1969, Ron Oakes married, earned a degree in electronics and traveled around the Midwest working. Eventually, he and his family moved back to Michigan, where Oakes joined the National Guard. As part of the Guard, Oakes helped provide security for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia and deployed to Iraq in 2005 for eleven months. While in Iraq, Oakes performed a variety of jobs, including being a property book manager for his entire brigade stationed at FOB "Q-West", a former Iraqi Air Force base between Balad and Mosul. After the eleven-month deployment, Oakes returned to the United States with the rest of his unit and continued serving in the Guard until March 2009, when he retired at the age of sixty.
Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)
Oakes, Ronald (Interview outline and video, 1 of 2), 2010
Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American
United States. Marine Corps
Ron Oakes was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in March 1949. After briefly attending junior college, he enlisted in June 1967 and received training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot and Camp Pendleton, California. He then received instruction in the Vietnamese language before being sent to Vietnam. Once he arrived, he was trained as a radio operator and assigned to a squad in the 27th Marine Regiment in the Da Nang area, soon becoming his platoon's radio operator, and saw extensive combat experience. When the 27th was rotated home, he was reassigned to 4th Marines at Quang Tri, and operated between Quang Tri and Hue before being sent inland toward Khe Sanh. While in this area, he contracted dysentery and was sent to a hospital ship where he spent a month aboard a hospital ship before being returned to his unit. When his tour was over, re was sent home and discharged in 1969.
Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)
Master plan reports
Oakfield Township (Mich.)
Kent County (Mich.)
The Master Plan Update 1986-2000 for Oakfield Township was prepared by the Oakfield Township Planning Commission with the assistance of J. Paul Jones in 1986.
Oakfield Township Planning Commission, Oakfield Township, Kent County, Michigan
Planning and Zoning Center Collection (RHC-240)
No Copyright - United States
Orchard Ridge Cultural Events Winter Dance, January 1982
Indians of North America -- Michigan -- Periodicals
Indians of North America
Michigan
Michigan -- Grand Rapids
Orchard Ridge Cultural Events Winter Dance flyer, Farmington Hills MI, January 16-17, 1982, collected by Edward Gillis included as part of his Native American publication collection.
Oakland Community College Office of Student Activities
Dutch
Netherlands
World War, 1939-1945 -- Netherlands
Netherlands--History--German occupation, 1940-1945
Confirmation of receipt of work application from the Department of Economics, General Commission for Finance and Economics, Reich Commissioner of the Nazi Occupied Dutch Territories, circa 1941. In German.
Occupied Dutch Territories
Adriana B. and Peter N. Termaat collection (RHC-144)
Lucille Pego Memorial Pow-Wow, September 1976
Lucille Pego Memorial Pow-Wow flyer, Hart MI, September 4-5, 1976, collected by Edward Gillis included as part of his Native American publication collection.
Oceana Intertribal Council
Ochs, James (Interview outline and video), 2010
World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American
United States. Army
Born in Charlevoix, Michigan in 1922, Jim Ochs grew up through the Depression. After graduating from high school in 1940, he attended college for a couple of years before receiving his draft notice in late 1942. He received training as a photographer, but was shuttled around between different training programs and eventually wound up with a signal company attached to the 26th Division as a message center runner. His division went to France in the fall of 1944, and was in action around Metz, in the Bulge counterattack, and Patton's advance into Germany. Ochs managed to acquire a camera and improvised a darkroom to develop his pictures while on campaign. After the war, he was able to develop his pictures properly. Ochs donated his photographs and personal papers to GVSU.
Ochs, James
WWII scrapbook compiled by James W. Ochs
World War, 1939-1945
United States. Army. Signal Photo Company, 166th
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
Scrapbooks
Scrapbook of photos, brochures, documents, and memorabilia compiled by James W. Ochs of the 26th Infantry Division of the US Army documenting his WWII service.
Ochs, James W.
James W. Ochs WWII collection, RHC-55
Photograph album containing 524 black and white photographic prints (3"x4", 2"x"2", and 4"x4") documenting the European travels of James W. Ochs during and post- World War II. The album contains a portrait photo of Ochs, as well as images of French cities and countryside, buildings, street scenes, nature, soldiers, Ochs' friends and acquaintances, a parade and entertainment show, skiing in the Alps, planes and ships. Content Warning: Some photographs in this album depict mass burials, death, and human remains.
James W. Ochs WWII collection, RHC-54
Correspondence
Letter from James W. Ochs to his parents, June 6, 1945. Letter reads: "June 6, 1945. Prachtitz, Czech. Dear Mom & Dad, Being just one year ago that the invasion came off, today was a holiday for us so all I did was take a walk and went swimming twice. Where was the river. Well just a small stream that has a dam across it. It was fairly good swimming with the water just cool. The other time I told you I went swimming was in another small stream back near Aigen, Austria. Today I got two letters from you and last night there were a couple too. Also today I got one Free Press and believe it or not but it was for only nine days ago. It came with the air-mail of the same date. Also thanks Dad for renewing the subscription for another three months. The last four letters I have are dated May 25, 27 & 29 are your Mom and yours Dad of May 19. Also the stamps came as always. You asked about how many points I have. Well I have 49 but with the two campaign stars which I should get it will make it a total of 59. No, not too good but there are worse. I hope that my letters are going through better now than they were when you wrote those letters. By the way did I tell you Dad that the money order came through O.K. Thanks a lot. Today I also got a couple of letters from Mary written the 26 and 28. She didn't have anything special to say except the next week-end she was planning on going to Detroit for a few hours she could have there. The old boats sure bring in the money when they come in. That helps anyway. Now Mom here is a little advise. Don't rent our house. We aren't that hard up at any time and they would probably do more damage in the end that it would be worth. And if I did happen to get home this summer remember I'd like to live in our house. Of course that is just speculating but then you never can tell. I'm glad my box got there O.K. with al the winter things in it. Well what do you think of the German Air Corps Jacket. I hope it got there O.K. I'm waiting to hear if it was underneath when you unpack the box. Prove(?) what Doris wrote you Frank must be making a pretty good housekeeper & cook. But then they both got pretty good bargins. About now the spring house cleaning should be just about now so I guess I can come home now for a few days. I only wish I could. Goodnight & Love, Bill." Amended to the letter is a typescript list of cities and towns Ochs visited in Europe.
Oderkirk, Donald (Interview outline and video), 2009
United States. Navy
Donald Oderkirk grew up in upstate New York and attended college at Central Michigan University in the early 60s. He then went to Michigan State University for grad school until he received his draft notice. Rather than being drafted into the Army, Donald enlisted in the Navy and passed the exam for Officer Candidate School. He was sent to Newport, Rhode Island for 90 days of officer training before he was assigned to go overseas. Donald had requested to work in Southeast Asia and he worked back and forth between Japan and Vietnam for about 2 years before being sent back to the United States. His duties in Vietnam included working on a rocket-launching landing craft and serving as an interpreter with Korean forces.
Oderkirk, Donald
Zoning--Michigan
East Bay Charter Township (Mich.)
Grand Traverse County (Mich.)
The East Bay Township Zoning Ordinance was prepared by the Office of Planning and Zoning and was amended through May 23, 2022.
Office of Planning and Zoning, East Bay Charter Township, Grand Traverse County, Michigan
Ohanesian, Albert (Interview outline and video), 2010
Albert Ohanesian was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1924. He wanted to enlist in the Army immediately after Pearl Harbor, but was too young, and was drafted late in 1942. He tried to get into the Army Air Corps, and tested well enough while in basic training at Camp Grant, Illinois, to qualify, and was put into a program to give some college training for flight school candidates and sent to Butler University. He did well there, but his program was shut down and he wound up at Camp Polk, Louisiana, assigned to the 58th Armored Infantry Battalion in the 8th Armored Division. He sailed for England at the end of 1944, then shipped over to France in early 1945. His division passed through Belgium and joined the 9th Army in the Netherlands before crossing the Rhine and proceeding across Germany and into Czechoslovakia.
Ohanesian, Albert