Grand Valley State University – History
College administrators
Michigan
Geoffrey Smith, Director of Continuing Education
Grand Valley State University. University Communications
University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03)
Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives
Smith, George (Interview outline and video), 2008
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States--History, Military
Michigan--History, Military
Veterans
Video recordings
World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American
United States. Army
George Smith was born in Coopersville, Michigan on April 28, 1922. George was drafted into the Army when he was 20 years old. He was assigned to the 105th Artillery and mostly trained in Georgia. George landed in France and moved into Germany where his job was to support the infantry with artillery. His unit was pulled off the front lines in Germany to help out in Bastone, Belgium where he was wounded by a mortar. George was put in a horse arena that was converted into a hospital and got gas gangrene. He lost his left leg and his big toe on his right foot. George was sent home and spent over a year at a hospital in Texas.
Smith, George
Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives
Spring Lake District Area Library (Spring Lake, Mich.)
In Copyright
Smith, Helen "Gig" (Interview transcript and video), 2009
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League--Personal narratives
Baseball for women--United States
Baseball
Sports for women
World War, 1939-1945
Baseball players--players--Wisconsin
Baseball players--Michigan
Women
Helen "Gig" Smith was born on January 5, 1922 in Richmond, Virginia. She began playing softball at the age of 13. She joined the Women's Army Corps after Pearl Harbor and later was attached on special assignment to the Pentagon to decrypt Japanese codes. In 1947, she joined the AAGPBL's Kenosha Comets and then in 1948 played for the Grand Rapids Chicks. During her time in the league she played the infield. In 1948, she left the league to pursue teaching art in Virginia.
Smith, Helen
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Collection, (RHC-55)
Iraq War, 2003-2011--Personal narratives, American
Jason Smith served in the U.S. Army during operation Iraqi Freedom in the early 2000s. He interacted often with civilians and believes that his service has lead him to appreciate what he has in his own life. He discusses losing close friends while serving.
Smith, Jason
Dion, Sam (Interviewer), Caledonia High School (Caledonia, Mich.)
Smith, Joe (Interview transcript and video), 2019
Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American
Joe Smith was born on April 17th , 1946 in Topeka, Kansas. After graduating from high school, he attended Virginia Military Institute where he graduated with a degree in civil engineering in 1968 and joined the Army. He was then sent to Fort Bragg to join the 82nd Airborne Division, with which he became a platoon leader and General's aid. He later requested a transfer to Vietnam, where he was first stationed at Camp Eagle and saw combat at Firebase Ripcord. In 1971, Smith was stationed at Fort Belvior where he served out the rest of his tour and instructed the student brigade at the engineering school. He retired from the military in 1973 before pursuing a law degree at the University of Virginia Law School.
Smith, Joe O.
Veterans History Project collection, RHC-27
Grand Valley State University Libraries, Special Collections & University Archives, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI, 49401.
Smith, John (Interview outline and video), 2014
John Smith was born in 1946 in Fredericktown Missouri, he later moved to Tennessee. He joined the ROTC in college, then joined the Army in 1969. He trained at the IOBC at Fort Benning, then at Fort Reilly. He served with the D Company, 1st Battalion, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, as platoon leader of 2nd platoon, and was involved in the fighting in early July 1970 around Firebase Ripcord. After he was wounded he served as the properties officer, later air coordinator. After returning to the US he was involved in the training base at Fort Campbell, before leaving the Army in June of 1972.
Smith, John
Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)
Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan
Smith, Mabelle Vincent (Interview outline and video), 2012
United States. Army Air Forces
Mabelle "Barry" Vincent Smith was born in Syracuse, New York in 1920. Her two older brothers were pilots during World War I, and encouraged her to learn to fly. She took flying lessons, and then enlisted in the WASP program during World War II, primarily as a flight instructor at Lackland Army Air Force base in San Antonio, and served with it for a year until it disbanded late in 1944.
Smith, Mabelle Vincent
Byron Area Historic Museum (Byron Center, Mich.)
Smith, Richard LaVern (Interview outline and video), 2005
Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American
Richard Smith enlisted in the United States Army shortly after he graduated from high school. He served in the motor pool at various bases throughout the United States, including Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and Fort Eustis in Virginia. Upon his release from the Army in 1957, he continued his service by way of the active reserves until he was released from that service.
Smith, Richard LaVern
College teachers
Universities and colleges – Faculty
Smith, Zena (Interview transcript and video), 2012
Zena Smith was born in 1926 in Birmingham, England. As a teenager, she experienced the effects of war on her community. She had a job at an office after completing public school that made tanks for the North African Desert War. There were often sirens heard throughout her community to warn them about air raids. She contracted diphtheria at one point and had to stay in a hospital for eight weeks and was there when a bomb hit her hospital. She took a job with a defense plant and saw Winston Churchill and General Montgomery when they visited it. Mrs. Smith met her husband, Ken Smith, in 1944 and dated a year before marrying. Her husband worked at Packington Park and was an assistant during autopsies. After getting married and at the end of the war, she traveled on the Queen Mary to the United States.
Smith, Zena
Smits, Wendall (Interview transcript and video), 2017
United States. Coast Guard
Wendall Smits was born in South Holland, Illinois in 1936. After graduating high school, a friend convinced him to join the Coast Guard Reserve at the age of 17. He completed two weeks of boot camp in 1955 at Cape May, New Jersey and became an engineman for the Coast Guard aboard various ships. He then became a chief engineman and, later, a lieutenant with a unit in Chicago before transferring to a Coast Guard unit in Gary, Indiana. After moving to Cleveland, Ohio, he was promoted to the position of warrant officer, and then to a Lieutenant Junior Grade. Smits primarily worked for port security at the various bases bases he was stationed at and also trained recruits for his Coast Guard units as a training officer. He was later awarded the Coast Guard Achievement Medal for his work rewriting engineering programs and engineering training manuals for the entire 9th district in Gary, Indiana.
Smits, Wendall L.
Smock, Lloyd and Grace (Interview outline and video), 2005
Lloyd and Grace Smock were both born in Wyandot, Michigan. Lloyd served in the Army during World War II. He served in the 56th Signal Repair Battalion. His unit was initially sent to France and Belgium, however after VE day they were sent to the Philippines. Generally, they spent their time destroying enemy electronics stockpiles and equipment. When Lloyd returned, he met and married Grace. Lloyd worked at a bank and Grace worked in the legal business.
Smock, Lloyd
Smock, Grace
Smoke Signal Indian Wedding and Pow Wow, June 1985
Indians of North America -- Michigan -- Periodicals
Indians of North America
Michigan -- Grand Rapids
Smoke Signal Indian Wedding and Pow Wow flyer, Nunica MI, June 22, 1985, collected by Edward Gillis included as part of his Native American publication collection.
Smoker, Robert (Interview outline and video), 2014
Bob Smoker was born in 1949 in York, Pennsylvania. He grew up there and graduated from high school there in 1967. He attended college briefly, and then took a job, which cost him his deferment. In April 1969 he received his draft notice and shortly thereafter began basic training at Fort Dix, New Jersey. After Fort Dix he was sent to Fort Lewis, Washington for Advanced Infantry Training and upon completing that he was deployed to Vietnam in October 1969. He arrived in Bien Hoa and was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division. After completing Screaming Eagle Replacement Training School at Camp Ray (near Saigon) he was sent up to Camp Evans and was assigned to Charlie Company,2nd of the 506th Regiment 101st Airborne Division. During his time in Vietnam he participated in patrols of the Lowlands, in Operation Texas Star (the establishment of Firebase Ripcord in the spring of 1970) and the subsequent Battle of Firebase Ripcord during July 1970. After leaving Vietnam he finished his service at Hunter Army Air Field, Georgia and was discharged from the Army on May 12, 1971. After a professional career, he became a minister and got involved with a group of American missionaries that work in Vietnam to help teach the rural Vietnamese English and to help American Vietnam War veterans find peace with their memories.
Smoker, Robert
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Allegan County (Mich.)
A black and white image of two men. The one closest to the camera sits and has a bottle in his hand. The man in the back stands with a cigarrette in his mouth. A sign in the top right corner appears to read Toadville, and there is a gun hanging under it.
Digital file collected by the Kutsche Office of History as part of the Stories of Summer Project.
Copyright Undetermined
United States. Navy
Military education
Airplanes, Military--Recognition
Slides
Naval recognition slides (RHC-50)
No Copyright - United States
Facilities
Grand Valley State University
Allendale (Mich.)
Universities and colleges
Snow banks along path to Kirkhof Center.
In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted
Book covers
Covers (Illustration)
Graphic arts
Publishers and publishing
Pictorial bindings
Binding of Snow on the Headlight, by C.Y. Warman, published by D. Appleton & Co., 1899.
Snow sculpture of Lake Michigan freighter
Students
Winter carnivals
Students view snow sculpture of freighter at the Winter Carnival.
Snow-covered sand dunes overlooking the Kalamazoo River
Sand dunes
Kalamazoo River (Mich.)
Snow
Photograph featuring snow-covered dunes surrounding the Kalamazoo River in the area that appears to be Oxbow Lagoon. The sky is gray and trees are in the distance. . The handwriting on the back of the photograph reads: "Wed., March 22, '67. Easter, Saugatuck. Lake Behind The Lighthousekeeper's house. Jerry Kelly."
Walsh, Jerri
Digital file contributed by Jerri Walsh as part of the Stories of Summer project.