405 24 26018 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/89f6738c8245bd508f5880ee885d0a5d.m4v 1a8c37feecc0b832a9f23fd1c164f93b https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/05bb5981537234a53cce82e7af0ad76f.pdf 6dfd522f1e7e37d54bb074fafcd585fe PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Seymour Harkema Cold War – Korean War period 42 minutes 28 seconds (00:00:10) Early Life -Born in 1930 on the southeast side of Grand Rapids, Michigan -Father worked as a shoe repairman -Helped his father with work sometimes -Father had some financial troubles during the Great Depression -Lost a few houses during the Great Depression -Seymour was the youngest child in the family -His oldest brother could have been old enough to be his father -Had a scrapbook of airplanes and equipment used during World War II -Four of his brothers were in the military -Graduated from Grand Rapids Christian High School in 1948 -Attended Calvin College for three years (00:02:49) Enlisting in the Air Force -Decided to enlist in the Air Force -Knew he would be drafted, and didn’t want to get drafted into the Army -Being in college meant that he had a better chance of selecting his training -Researched the other military branches -Decided that with the Air Force he’d always sleep under a roof -Enlisted in December 1950 -Allowed to be home for Christmas -Reported to Detroit to be sworn in on December 26, 1950 (00:05:25) Basic Training -Sent to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, for one week -From Lackland he went to Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, for his basic training -Sent to Lackland for processing -Got to stay in a barracks -Training at Sheppard lasted a month -Basic training consisted of a lot of marching and learning how to take orders -Strong emphasis on discipline -Bed had to be made a certain way -He messed up once and had to clean the barracks’ steps with a toothbrush -Trained with a friend from Calvin College -Aside from him, he trained with a diverse mix of men from all over the country (00:08:40) Technical School -Did some testing in basic training and he qualified for technical school -Sent to Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, for technical school �-Good living conditions -Trained there from February to October 1951 -Learned about basic electronics -Mostly classroom work -Started with very basic science courses that he’d already had in college -Aware of the Southern culture -Got to visit New Orleans -Trained with men the same age as him (00:13:14) Stationed at Lowry Air Force Base -Sent to Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado, for specialist school -Training lasted six (or eight) weeks -Became an instructor at Lowry -Focused on gun, bomb, and rocket sights for fighter aircraft -Emphasis on the F-84 and F-86 fighter jets (newest aircraft at the time) -Always felt his work was militarily important -Needed adapt pilots to fight in the Korean War against the Soviet pilots -Had radar-guided sights -Taught operation of sights to the pilots, and maintenance to the technicians -Spent 11 months at Lowry (00:16:50) Mobile Training Unit -He went home on leave, and returned to Lowry only to discover the school had been disbanded -Decided to do an interview for a mobile training unit based out of Chanute Field, Illinois -Got accepted -Continued his gun, bomb, and rocket sight training as well as armaments of the jets -The F-84 and F-86 had machineguns, bombs, and air-ground rockets -Moved around to different bases -First place he went to was Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan -Stationed there for one month -Returned to Chanute Field between assignments -Went to Alpena and Oscoda, Michigan, to work with the National Guard -Went to George Air Force Base, California (00:20:02) Stationed in Japan -Sent to Japan -Note: Possibly Itazuke Air Base or Ashiya Air Base -Interesting experience -Lived in a half-tent/half-walled building -Korean War was still going on -Worked with men who had experience in Korea -Transitioning from the F-80 to the F-86 -Had strong skills coming into Japan -Those men appreciated the training they received -Visited Tokyo -Stationed on Kyushu and was well-acquainted with the Japanese �-They invited him into their homes for dinner -Didn’t notice any hostility from the Japanese -Went to Nagasaki one time -Travelled to different bases in Japan -Allowed to fly from one base to another -Stationed there for three months -Went to Okinawa for three months -More confined than Japan, but very similar -Returned to the same base in Japan for another three months (00:25:35) Going to Korea -He went to Korea at least once a month -If you spent one day in Korea per month you didn’t have to pay income taxes -Flew over and socialized for a day then returned to Japan -Had a pilot friend stationed in Korea -There was a lot of tension felt by the pilots in Korea -Dangerous job and they knew they might not return from missions -The pilots were officers -The reason he could talk to the pilot was because they were college friends (00:28:58) Stationed at Hawaii -He returned to the United States after being stationed in Japan -Went back to Chanute Field for reassignment -Told he could get assigned to Hawaii, but he would need to reenlist for two years -Decided to opt for an early discharge to go back to college -The Air Force then realized they had nobody to send to Hawaii -He was assigned to Hawaii for the last three months of his enlistment -Worked with the National Guard and got to know the Hawaiian people -Stationed at Hickam Field (one of the places attacked on December 7, 1941) -By now, it was 1954 and the Korean War was over (00:31:30) End of Service -Strongly encouraged to reenlist -Wanted to know why he didn’t want to reenlist -He wanted to get out of the Air Force and return to college -Didn’t enjoy the regimentation of the military (00:32:11) Life after Service -Originally went to Calvin College for teaching, but didn’t want to do that after his service -Decided to attend the University of Michigan to study electrical engineering -Studied there for 3 ½ years -GI Bill paid for his college -Got married in January 1955 -Fiancée had stayed in Michigan, but visited him while he was at Lowry -While at Chanute Field he drove up to Michigan to visit her -Regularly wrote to each other during his time in the service -Had a career as an electrical engineer �-Worked for the Martin Company in Baltimore, Maryland -Wanted to get a job transfer to Denver, but that didn’t happen -Worked for them for four years -Got a job with Vitro Laboratories in Silver Spring, Maryland -Worked with them for 23 years -Worked with missiles -Missile launching electronics for submarines -He never got to go on a submarine -Retired from his work in Silver Spring and got a job with the Martin Marietta Corporation -Finally got to move to Denver -Retired fully in 1992 -He and his wife split their time between the mountains of Colorado and Arizona -Moved back and forth between those two places for a few years -Decided to move back to Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 2004 -Both children lived there -Moved into the Holland Home (00:41:28) Reflections on Service -Led to his career in electrical engineering -Confident it influenced him, he just can’t be sure what that effect was � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_HarkemaS1736V Title A name given to the resource Harkema, Seymour (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-03-28 Description An account of the resource Seymour Harkema was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1930. In December 1950, he enlisted in the Air Force and received his basic training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. Upon completion of basic training he went to Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, for electronics training then went to Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado. At Lowry, he learned about and became an instructor for radar-guided weapons sights on the F-84 and F-86 fighter jets. Once he left Lowry he joined a mobile training unit based out of Chanute Field, Illinois, and he served as an instructor at various bases in Michigan with the National Guard. He spent a total of nine months in Japan on Kyushu and Okinawa working with fighter pilots flying during the Korean War, and went to South Korea once a month during the war. After Japan, he returned Chanute Field, and for his final assignment he was stationed at Hickam Field, Hawaii, for three months until his enlistment ended in 1954. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Harkema, Seymour Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American United States. Air Force Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/53c81f35a813b8662309d29ebc7751ec.m4v ae205c9852379f96acdac7ed0174c14d https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e20d803f407e28a550bd4a00580012a1.pdf eda8a9351af6e90afe2eafee83fcc924 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Vietnam War Leigh Freeman Length of interview: (1:22:56) (00:00) Early Life      Leigh was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1950 His father served in the Second World War o He was shot down over Austria and became a prisoner for 18 months o Due to his traumatic experiences, Leigh’s father was volatile towards his five children (Leigh, one other son, and three daughters). Leigh’s father was a business machine repair man; however, he lost his job because he was an alcoholic o In addition to the alcohol, Leigh’s father was also a diabetic o He was warned by his doctor to stop drinking but he refused and died at the age of 47 (after Leigh returned from Vietnam). Leigh attended Omaha North High School and graduated in 1969 o He wanted to go to college but since he didn’t have any the money to pay tuition, he went to Los Angeles to work in his uncle’s warehouse o It was a Teamsters Union warehouse. They refused to allow Leigh to join the union because they figured that he was going to be drafted soon o Leigh returned to Omaha and started to work at another warehouse After a short time working in Omaha, Leigh went to the local draft board and told them to select him during the next round o He figured that after he put in his two years, he would receive the G.I. Bill and be able to attend college (3:35) Military Life    He received his physical examination in Omaha On the day that he was drafted, Leigh met Rick Thomas o They were both sent to Fort Ord, California o Throughout the first day, men continued to arrive from Los Angeles and other areas o The men were put through tests. Leigh and five other men were pulled aside and told that they had scored well enough to become helicopter warrant officer pilots. However, it they chose to accept this, they would have to serve an additional six years after training. Only one of the six men chose to do this, the rest of them wanted to get out after two years The training at Fort Ord lasted for eight weeks �          o They did a lot of physical training and weapons training (which included rifles, grenades, and bayonets) Leigh missed some exercises because he was often selected for KP (kitchen patrol) (7:35) There was a platoon in each of the barracks o The leader of Leigh’s barracks asked Leigh to be a squad leader; however, Leigh felt that he was a better follower than a leader Adjusting to military life was difficult. During the second week of training, a drill sergeant approached Leigh and asked why he didn’t know him. Leigh had done his best to stay under the radar and not make a spectacle of himself At the start of the training, Leigh had a hard time keeping up with the other soldiers. Towards the end, Leigh would help others complete the exercises Almost all of the men training Leigh had been to Vietnam After basic training, Leigh was sent to another part of Fort Ord for Advanced Infantry Training o Most of his time was spent practicing fire missions for mortars o Leigh spent a lot of time doing KP and missed out on more important training such as M60 operation (an important skill that he would need in Vietnam) (11:30) Leigh and his buddies had more freedom during AIT. o They went into the surrounding towns, rented motel rooms, and drank beer o Leigh also traveled to Los Angeles to visit his uncle who owned the warehouse The officers who trained Leigh on mortars told him that the last few groups that came before them were sent to Germany instead of Vietnam o Unfortunately, Leigh’s class received orders to go to Vietnam. One of the men in his class didn’t have to go because his brother was already over there Leigh was sent to Oakland Army Terminal where he was assigned KP duty before boarding the plane to Vietnam o There were anti-war protestors asking them to refuse to go to Vietnam o Leigh’s friend Marcus almost went over the fence to join them. In retrospect, Leigh wishes that Marcus would have because he wouldn’t survive the Ripcord campaign They eventually boarded a charter plane headed toward Vietnam o The plane stopped in Hawaii for 30 minutes and briefly in the Philippines (16:00) Vietnam   When they landed in Long Binh, Vietnam, the heat was almost unbearable o During the bus ride from the airport, Vietnamese children threw firecrackers at the bus. This scared the men who had just arrived and didn’t know what it was like to be fired upon o When Leigh first arrived at the barracks, he was assigned cleaning duty until he was assigned to a unit The men from Fort Ord were assigned to the 101st Airborne Division o They were sent to an airport and boarded a plane to Phu Bai �    When they got to Camp Evans (end of April 1970), they were put through a replacement training program for the division o They learned how to work an M16, M79, LAW, claymore mines, and hand grenades o A defector from the NVA taught them how the enemy got through base perimeters o During a night class, Leigh could see red and green tracer rounds off in the distance Leigh, Rick, and their friend Willy were placed into the 2nd Battalion of the 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division o Willy was assigned to Alpha Company while Leigh and Rick were assigned to Charlie Company o Leigh was designated as a rifleman, though he had been trained on mortars (22:45) Since Leigh and Rick were new to the company, they pulled guard duty on the bunker line of Camp Evans The next morning, Leigh and Rick were sent to Firebase Ripcord and Willy went to Firebase O’Reilly. Leigh never saw Willy again (23:30) Firebase Ripcord         When they approached the firebase on the helicopter, it seemed as though they were going to fall out Leigh and Rick were taken to the west side of the firebase where a man named John was positioned o John (who was also from Omaha, Nebraska) was alone in his fighting position o Ripcord was a round hill with hog and razor wire wrapped around it They had to wrap more wire around their area and dig bunker positions o While they were doing this, they saw aircraft bombing enemy positions Leigh remembers that there was a board that showed how many Americans had been killed or wounded on Ripcord The Charlie Company commander was Captain Vazquez o The first time Leigh met Vazquez was when he stopped at his position to teach him how to properly destroy a boulder with a pickaxe They were on Ripcord for three or four nights before they were taken on a combat assault o Rick became an M60 gunner and Leigh was his assistant gunner o After they landed, their sergeant (Ives) went around to make sure everyone was surviving the heat. Several men were taken out of the field due to heat exhaustion o For the first week or so in the field, Leigh didn’t have a cleaning kit for his M16, a weapon that could easily jam in jungle conditions (30:50) Charlie Company had no contact with the enemy during this trip o Cpt. Vazquez moved very quickly through the jungle. Leigh believes that this kept them from contacting the enemy Sgt. Ives taught them how to dig a foxhole and how to protect it. He also showed them where to place their explosives and other ammunition when they weren’t on the move �       On many occasions, Charlie Company moved from dawn till dusk o The Jungle was frightening during the night. On one occasion, Leigh almost detonated a claymore because he heard a strange noise in the distance o While on guard duty, Leigh had to catch fireflies in order to check the time on his watch When they went to Firebase Gladiator, Leigh and Rick saw a human ribcage lying on the ground o On another occasion a body fell from a chopper and they had to pick it up o Charlie Company got no enemy contact during the first 30 days of Leigh’s time in the field After Leigh got back to Camp Evans, he was sent to a hospital in Phu Bai o He had a severe case of jungle rot on his leg that had developed into cellulitis. His leg as severely swollen and would need to be amputated if he waited any longer o The doctors in Phu Bai operated on his leg and gave him antibiotics. Leigh remained at the hospital for five days before he was flown to Cam Ranh Bay where he stayed for three weeks o Cam Ranh Bay had nice facilities, food, and activities for Leigh to take part in o Leigh’s leg had healed in two weeks but the doctor gave him an extra week in Cam Ranh because he was angry that the army had placed Leigh in the infantry when he was trained as a mortar man The extra week in Cam Ranh allowed Leigh to miss the fighting on Hill 902 o When the men in Leigh’s company returned from 902 on July 2, Leigh found out that several of his friends had been killed (40:00) Shortly after his return to Camp Evans, Leigh’s left arm had swollen up just like his leg o He was put in the Camp Evans hospital and pumped full of penicillin o This stint in the hospital allowed him to miss the fighting on Hill 1000 After Hill 1000, what was left of Charlie Company was sent to Firebase O’Reilly o It was said that Charlie Company was down to 30 men. They soon received replacements o They remained on O’Reilly until June 21st; they pulled guard duty and continued to fortify the firebase After O’Reilly, they took part in a combat assault on Hill 605 o Charlie Company pulled guard while Delta Company (1st Battalion 506) and Delta Company (2nd Battalion 506) got out; Charlie Company was the last unit to leave the hill o The LZ on hill 605 was hot (red smoke) so the men in Leigh’s squad had to get out of their chopper and run for cover. While they waited for the two D companies to evacuate, airstrikes hit the surrounding terrain o At one point, their position was hit with CS Gas and none of them had gas masks. Sgt. Ives told them to get down and take it o The choppers would come in every 30 minutes for the men in Charlie Company. As it got dark, Lt. Campbell put out a strobe light; this made Leigh nervous because he knew that there were NVA positions all around them �      o Leigh forced himself on the second to last chopper because he didn’t want to be on the hill any longer than he had to be (45:55) Shortly after returning to Camp Evans, Charlie Company got orders to go back to the Ripcord area o A Chaplin called all the Catholics and told them that a lot of them probably wouldn’t come back from where they were going. He forgave all of them of their sins o While they were waiting for the choppers, they were told that Col. Andre Lucas had been killed on Ripcord (July 23). Shortly after hearing this news, it was decided that Charlie Company wasn’t going into the field They were sent to Eagle Beach for some training and went into the field on July 29 or 30th near Firebase Catherine o Since there were only five or six men in Leigh’s platoon that had been there prior to Ripcord, they were put in different squads so that they could spread the experience o Since Rick Thomas was wounded and sent back to the U.S., Leigh was no longer an assistant gunner. Instead, he was ordered to walk point; he did this for about 60 days o Leigh didn’t worry about dying anymore because so many of his friends had been killed. He thought it was only a matter of time before he was killed o They went up to Firebase Catherine while it was being closed down. While they were on the firebase, they were sprayed with agent orange o Leigh was ordered to set up an ambush outside of the perimeter. He didn’t know the best way to do this so he just placed his men in a bomb crater. He later learned that this was a bad idea (52:30) After they left Catherine, they conducted operations in areas such as Firebase Helen o They were on Firebase Helen in September when they learned that Janice Joplin and Jimmy Hendrix had died In December, Leigh was put into Echo Company stationed at Camp Evans o Leigh remembers that a lot of soldiers were using drugs. One man had injected himself with so much heroin that he couldn’t pull the needle out of his arm o Leigh was offered heroin but declined because he didn’t want to get hooked on it Prior to his placement in Echo… In Late October, Charlie Company was patrolling when they discovered that they were being followed by NVA troops o The NVA placed booby traps called “toe poppers” that would blow the foot off of whoever stepped on one o On one occasion, Leigh stopped the column because there were empty ration boxes strewn all over the trail that they were on. Shortly after they all stopped, a sergeant stepped on a booby trap and his foot flew through the air. This happened every time the company stopped at a LZ After a few incidences with the booby traps, Echo Company started making their own landing zones �        o While Charlie Company was blowing down trees for an LZ, a handful of NVA soldiers started firing at their position. Leigh and two of his comrades dove for Leigh’s rifle. Leigh was unable to grab his gun before one of the other two did so he took cover from the enemy fire o Leigh couldn’t find his rifle after the incident and had to march for two days without a weapon. The medic also marched with him because he had been severely shaken by the incident (1:02:00) Leigh was eventually sent back to Camp Evans for leadership training o When he arrived, the instructor told the class that a lot of units placed their “duds” in the program to get them out of the field After the training program, he was placed in Echo Company as a mortar man o He had completely forgotten his mortar training Echo Company had access to a lot of marijuana o Leigh and his squad would operate the mortars while they were high. They often forgot to pull the pins out of the mortar rounds; the shells would land but wouldn’t explode After Christmas, he got to go to a Bob Hope show After the Christmas season, Leigh and his unit went to Firebase Jack o One night, he was in a bunker when he discovered a rat chewing on his hair Before Echo Company moved off Jack, they offered Leigh a job pulling permanent KP duty back at Camp Evans o He would do whatever tasks the kitchen workers needed him to do. They made him carry a loaded weapon because the enemy could have attacked at any time o The kitchen workers got angry with Leigh because he started to sleep too late when he should have been at work He was eventually taken off KP duty and placed on the bunker line o Drug use was rampant on the bunker line. Most of the men smoked marijuana and there were some that used heroin o Leigh saw a lot of antagonism between whites and blacks o One night, Leigh was high and sleeping on top of a bunker when the base started to take incoming mortar fire. Leigh refused to move because he didn’t care what happened to him When his time was up, he was flown to Cam Ranh Bay and then to Fort Louis, Washington (1:12:20) Post-Vietnam Life     When he arrived at Fort Louis, he was given a uniform and a ticket to Omaha While he was sitting in the airport, a military policeman ordered him to button his jacket All of his family was waiting for him at the Omaha Airport After a 30-day leave, Leigh reported to Fort Sill, Oklahoma o Leigh got out early in August 1971 so that he could enroll at the University of Nebraska in Omaha o He often had panic attacks in class; he would hide in the library until they passed �    o He decided to become a history teacher; however he was kicked out of his student teaching placement because he would rant about the Vietnam War o After being kicked out of student teaching, he got a degree in English After college, he did a lot of odd jobs because he didn’t get along with others well enough to keep a job (1:17:30) In the mid 1980s, Leigh decided to go back for his teaching degree. He enrolled at Kansas State University and got a degree in English teaching o He also got therapy that allowed him to function in a classroom Leigh got a teaching job in Kansas City, Missouri o After eight years, Leigh’s PTSD led to his transfer to several different schools. By 2010, Leigh couldn’t find an education job Leigh appreciates the chance that the army gave him to get a college education � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_FreemanL1890V Title A name given to the resource Freeman, Leigh (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-10-09 Description An account of the resource Leigh Freeman was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1950 and was the son of a World War Two veteran. He was drafted in 1969 and trained at Fort Ord, California. When he arrived in Vietnam (April 1970), he was placed in Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. Charlie Company was sent to places such as Firebase Ripcord and Gladiator however, Leigh was in the infirmary when the company was heavily engaged on Hill 902 and Hill 1000 in July 1970, but did see action at Hill 605 at the end of the Ripcord campaign. After suffering a traumatic experience in the field, Leigh was moved to Echo Company for the remainder of his tour. After he returned from Vietnam, Leigh got a master's degree in education and held various teaching jobs. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Freeman, Leigh Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/94449d2f90a4b3e644528c4c361dcb6f.m4v f10750e97e91eed13eeab5a096878c28 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/48f38a973136f552fa17cc46cae8a348.pdf 50dd04efefe6eaababa5056450901145 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Jerry Everitt World War II-Postwar 1 hour 6 minutes 8 seconds (00:00:19) Early Life -Born in Big Rapids, Michigan on April 5, 1927 -Grew up in Big Rapids -Mother stayed at home to take care of the family -Father worked for the county road commission as a night watchman (law enforcement) -Also did other odd jobs like build barns and break horses -Had work through the Great Depression -He had seven brothers and sisters -Attended Big Rapids High School through the tenth grade -Did some factory work -Made 25 cents an hour -Made plywood in a dry kiln -Only 15 or 16 years old (00:03:06) Start of the War -Doesn't remember where he was when he learned about the attack on Pearl Harbor -Paid some attention to the fighting in Europe and Asia before Pearl Harbor -Brother was in the Michigan National Guard -When the U.S. entered the war, the national guard was federalized -Part of the 126th Infantry Regiment of the 32nd Infantry Division -Fought in New Guinea -Remembers rationing going into effect -Always had a sweet tooth, so he had to make sure he didn't use up his part of the sugar ration -Neighbors did a little black market trading with used tires -Good people though -The factory he worked at did not have to convert to wartime production (00:07:56) Enlisting in the Navy -Remembers a lot of people he knew were joining the military -One of his friends worked at Ferris Institute (Ferris State University) training servicemen Morse Code -He helped his friend with that work -Friend that worked at Ferris Institute enlisted in the Navy -Told Jerry the Navy had better food than the Army -Enlisted in the Navy on March 20, 1945 -Unconcerned with maybe having to invade Japan -Had his physical exam in Detroit then came home for a bit before reporting for duty (00�:10:47) Basic Training -Went to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois on April 30, 1945 for basic training -Learned how to march and use a variety of firearms -Taught how to recognize Allied and Axis aircraft and ships -High emphasis on discipline -Wasn't difficult for him to adjust -Some men had problems, but he feels they would've had problems anywhere -Contracted pleurisy �-Spent a week in a hospital -Led to him training with men from Missouri -Lasted six weeks -Doesn't remember Victory in Europe Day (May 8, 1945) -Not allowed to go into Chicago (00:14:26) Deployment to the Pacific Theater -Came home for a short leave after basic training -Took a train to Portland, Oregon and boarded a transport -Sailed to Hawaii and gathered supplies -From Hawaii sailed to the Philippines -During the voyage across the Pacific Ocean they received word that Japan surrendered -Doesn't remember any major celebrations on the ship, but there was a sense of relief -Got a little seasick on the voyage -Slow roll of the ship caused it -Found that if he ate something he felt better (00:17:53) Service on the USS LST-457 Pt. 1 -Arrived in the Philippines in late August 1945 -Boarded the USS LST-457 in the Philippines -Note: LST (landing ship tank): landing craft capable of carrying troops, vehicles, and supplies -He served as a regular seaman on the ship -Sailed to Los Negros Island in the Admiralty Islands -Picked up a small load of supplies -Pulled onto the beach and had a bulldozer clearing an area for the ramp -The bulldozer's brakes failed and it went right into the water -Some of the officers wanted jeeps, so they found a few and drove them onto the ship -Told they had to take the jeeps off to make room for the supplies -Still managed to get their jeeps on before they left -Picked up a half dozen soldiers that had gotten separated from their unit -Brought them back to the Philippines -USS LST-457 was slated to return to the United States, so he left the ship (00:22:40) Service on the USS San Clemente (AG-79) -Boarded the USS San Clemente (AG-79) in Manila in late 1945 -Note: Supply ship and it used to be called the USS Wright (AV-1) -Didn't get to go ashore in Manila -Served in the laundry room -Sailed to Shanghai, China from Manila on January 3, 1946 -Anchored in the Huangpu River -Went ashore a lot in Shanghai (00:24:30) Service on the USS LST-457 Pt. 2 -Prior to leaving USS LST-457 they sailed up to Okinawa -Fleet was still assembled there in preparation for the invasion of Japan -Sailed north to Japan -Had to stay in a group when they went ashore -Everything was flattened and devastated -Possibly went ashore at Osaka -Sailed from Japan back to the Philippines and boarded the USS San Clemente (00:26:51) Shanghai, China -While they were in Shanghai they had Chinese civilians come aboard to help work -He had a Chinese boy helping in the laundry room on the USS San Clemente �-Worked 24 hours a day and seven days a week in the laundry room -Worked days for a while, then rotated to nights -Had a heating plate in the laundry room -Allowed to get steak, pies, and bread from the mess hall to make food in the laundry room -Older Chinese man made coffee for him and the other sailors -He never drank any of the coffee, rather, he wanted hot water with sugar in it -The Chinese boy that helped in the laundry room could speak three or four languages -They shrank down a Navy uniform and gave it to him -Noticeable tensions between the Nationalists and the Communists -Rickshaw drivers avoided neighborhoods controlled by the Communists -Visited the European sector -Remembers going into European hotels and ordering whatever food he wanted -Didn't see any British of French residents though -Never had any problems with the Chinese civilians (00:32:18) End of Service (First Time) -Sailed from Shanghai to San Francisco -Sailed through the Panama Canal to New York City -Took a train to Chicago and was discharged on June 5, 1946 (00:33:48) Reenlisting in the Navy -Decided to reenlist in the Navy on August 22, 1947 -Was married -Had gotten married in June 1945 after basic training -Had a job at Calvinator in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Living with wife's family in Grand Rapids -Thought that if he made a 20 year career out of the Navy he could get benefits (00:37:52) Electrician School -Reported to a major Navy base in New Jersey -Either Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst or Naval Weapons Station Earle -Sailed through the Panama Canal to San Diego, California to attend Electrician School -Learned the trade of being an electrician -Trained on a Patrol Craft, Submarine (PCS) -Officer candidates learned how to operate sonar -Learned how to track submarines by chasing American submarines -He worked on the radio -Had trouble doing that because he couldn't hear radio transmissions -Did other jobs on the PCS -Captain liked to go fishing, so they went fishing off the coast of California -Not supposed to go fishing, but they did anyway -Wife lived with him while stationed in San Diego -Lived off the base -Remembers experiencing his first earthquake in San Diego -Thought a man was making the floor shake -Realized that that was impossible because the floor was concrete (00:43:45) Service on the USS Molala (ATF-106) Pt. 1 -Transferred to the USS Molala (ATF-106), an ocean-going tug -Sailed back to the Philippines -Stationed at Subic Bay north of Manila -Used primitive drones for gunnery practice -There was a missionary in the Philippines that needed a wing for his airplane �-They ran the wing over to him -Sailed around the Philippines -Visited Tacloban where his brother fought in the war -Didn't see much damage from the war -Had contact with the Filipinos -Got along well with them (00:48:40) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -Meeting other people taught him that while people are different, they're also largely the same -Believes 80% of people want to just live their lives and get along with each other -Ultimately, the color of one's skin is irrelevant to their humanity; we are all the same (00:49:40) Service on the USS Molala (ATF-106) Pt. 2 -Sailed from the Philippines back to Japan -Remembers the crowded trains in Japan -So many people packed in the train you couldn't fall down -From Japan they sailed back to the Philippines -By the late 1940s the communists had taken control of most of China -There were concerns that the communists would advance on the British colony of Hong Kong -They were sent to Hong Kong as part of a force to deter the communists -Sailed to Guam to pick up a dry dock to bring back to the United States -Took a long time to sail back to America -Used a three inch steel cable to tow the dry dock -At one point they had to get refueled at sea -During the refueling the cable broke -Had to repair the cable before they moved on, and the tanker waited for them -Tanker crew was not happy that they had to wait around -Sailed through the Panama Canal and dropped off the dry dock on the Atlantic side -Passed back through the Panama Canal and sailed to Long Beach, California -Discharged at Long Beach (00:53:57) Visiting Hong Kong -When they were anchored at Hong Kong he was able to go ashore -Only visited the city a couple times -Didn't notice any tension in Hong Kong related to the civil war (00:55:10) End of Service (Second Time) -Discharged at Long Beach, California on March 23, 1950 -Decided not to make a career out of the Navy -Stayed in the inactive Navy Reserve, but never did anything with them (00:56:02) Life after Service -Returned to Grand Rapids, Michigan -Worked at different factories in Grand Rapids -Moved to Lowell, Michigan in 1970 -Lived near a school in Grand Rapids, so it was easy for children to go to school -Busing program began and they didn't want their children scattered all over the city -Decided to move to Lowell so they could decide where their children went to school -Had a job with General Motors -Worked there until he retired (00:59:36) Spirit of Grand Rapids Honor Flight -Went on the May 16, 2015 Spirit of Grand Rapids Honor Flight to Washington DC -Chance for local veterans to be honored and thanked for their service -Thought Washington DC was very interesting �-Had a police escort through Washington DC -He thought the most impressive monument he saw was the Washington Monument (01:02:55) Reflections on Service Pt. 2 -It was a period of his life different than any others -Grew up in the Navy -Made him more worldly -Learned that people of different nationalities are still human beings -Desirous of the same things that all people want in life -Most people just want to get along and live in peace -Showed him that any notions of discrimination are stupid � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_EverittL1931V Title A name given to the resource Everitt, Lawrence Jerry (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-03-03 Description An account of the resource Jerry Everitt was born in Big Rapids, Michigan on April 5, 1927. He enlisted in the Navy on March 20, 1945 and received his basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois. He served aboard the USS LST-457 in the Philippines, Japan and the Admiralty Islands then transferred to the USS San Clemente (AG-79) around the Philippines and in Shanghai, China. They returned to the U.S. on the San Clemente and was discharged in Chicago on June 5, 1946. He reenlisted in the Navy on August 22, 1947 and went to Electrician School in San Diego. He served on the USS Molala (ATF-106) in the Philippines and in Hong Kong. After towing a dry dock back to the United States from Guam he was discharged from the Navy for his second, and final time on March 23, 1950 at Long Beach, California. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Everitt, Lawrence Jerry Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jones, Adam (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c5fadf0331b977a1a1905a3873635689.m4v 55e8f135c75d055ffb189f626e3250f5 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/732f273e05d72f42d6005de727d455f4.pdf cd44038d80d13e18ab2e501c1b4a1e45 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Norris Einertson Cold War (Pre-Vietnam); Vietnam War; Cold War (Post-Vietnam) 28 minutes 3 seconds *Note: Times in the outline correspond with the timecode on the interview (01:12:13) Early Life -Born on August 6, 1930, near Westbrook, Minnesota -Lived in Minnesota for three years during seminary -Spent 24 years on the family farm before going to college -Ultimately returned to Minnesota after 29 years of active duty in the Army -Helped his father on the farm because his father wasn‟t ready to retire -Felt the call to the ministry after graduating from high school -Waited six years before going to college -Attended Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota -Part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (01:14:22) Serving with the 1st Infantry Division -First assignment was with the 1st Infantry Division based out of Fort Riley, Kansas -Served with division artillery for 20 months -Transferred to the 2nd Battalion of the 16th Infantry battle group -Sent to West Germany for seven months -Stationed at Wildflecken, about ten miles from the East German border -Watching the East German and Russian movements -Returned to Fort Riley and he was assigned to support command -Served with the 1st Infantry again in Germany as the division chaplain from 1976-1978 (01:16:08) Tour in Vietnam -Served in the Mekong River Delta with the 34th Engineer Group -Had two combat engineer battalions and three construction battalions -Operated in all of IV Corps (southernmost area of South Vietnam) -Viet Cong were the primary belligerents in the region -Worked with the 9th Infantry Division in My Tho -34th Engineer Group was based out of Can Tho -Stayed with the same unit for his entire tour -Didn‟t see a lot of combat -Had some alerts at night -Grabbed his flak jacket and his helmet and went to the closest bunker (01:17:45) Chaplain’s Advanced Course & Stationed at Fort Ord -Went to the Chaplain‟s Advanced Course after his tour in Vietnam -Sent to Fort Ord, California, after completing the Chaplain‟s Advanced Course -His first assignment was to help deal with riots happening on base �-That assignment lasted seven months -Worked at the personnel control facility (akin to a jail) -Had 1,000 men on record as being held in the facility -Did body counts to account for the men at the facility -Lucky to account for 600 men, the rest were AWOL st -Transferred to the 1 Combat Training Brigade after the personnel control facility (00:19:51) Chaplain’s School -Sent to the Chaplain‟s School as part of the staff and faculty -Sent as a writer and worked as the chief of reserve components (01:21:11) Stationed at Fort Gordon -Sent to Fort Gordon, Georgia -Stationed there for four years -Started as the deputy post chaplain -Promoted to colonel and became the post chaplain (01:21:38) Stationed in Washington D.C. -During his time at Fort Gordon, the Army chief of chaplains met with Norris -Wanted him to come work at the office in Washington D.C. -Norris declined, then 15 months later the chief of chaplains asked again -Norris agreed and relocated to Washington D.C. -Worked as the executive officer in the chief‟s office in Washington D.C. -It was a good job -Saw how the chaplaincy worked from a command level (01:22:44) Chief of Chaplains -Promoted to brigadier general on December 1, 1985 -Promoted to major general and became chief of chaplains on July 1, 1986 -Worked closely with other parts of the Army staff -Defending personnel resources from spending cuts -Grew the chaplaincy by 100 chaplains over the course of his four years as chief -Always striving to keep the Chaplain Corps happy -Enjoyed his time as chief of chaplains (01:26:24) Life after Service -After he left the Army he became a pastor -It felt strange to do assignments that he didn‟t feel met his strengths -In the Army, someone better suited to the task could have done it -As a pastor, he was on his own (01:28:45) Transitions in the Army -During his time as the chief of chaplains the Army was going through a transitional period -Early retirements -Change in policies -Rebuilding the Army‟s morale after the Vietnam War -He worked to restore the proper attitude toward the military within the military -Saw firsthand the lack of morale and discipline in Germany in the „70s -Army had started to recover from Vietnam in the late „70s, but still had work to do �(01:30:45) Drugs & Race Relations -Noticed drugs were becoming a problem in the late 1960s and early 1970s -Dealt with soldiers that had drug problems -Replaced those soldiers with older, married men, and the drug problem disappeared -Replaced those older soldiers with young soldiers, and the drugs returned -Race relations were also tense during the 1960s and 1970s -The chaplains tried to maintain fairness -Race relations improved after Vietnam and the civil unrest of that time -First African-American chief of chaplains succeeded Norris -Chaplains were key in the Army‟s “Garden Plot” -Plan to restore order in cities after significant civil disorder -Reaction to the race riots in Watts, Newark, and Detroit -Army looked to the chaplaincy during times of crisis -Helping with the drug problem, race relations, and family counselling -Drugs were a problem at Fort Ord and he worked with the medical staff to deal with it (01:35:00) Changes in Chaplain Practices -Chaplaincy worked on making religious accommodations for soldiers of specific beliefs -For example, creating specialized rations for certain religious groups -Jewish, Muslim, and Seventh-day Adventist soldiers -These changes in the Army prompted changes in other branches of the military (01:38:05) Fondest Memory -He considers his fondest memory to be when he decided to become a pastor -Wanted to serve as a chaplain, and became one in 1961 -Chance to connect with veterans in the church -Better way to help men <Tape ends before the interview is complete> � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_EinertsonN2058V Title A name given to the resource Einertson, Norris L (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-10-27 Description An account of the resource Norris Einertson was born on August 6, 1930, near Westbrook, Minnesota. He studied at the Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and became a chaplain in the Army in 1961. His first assignment was at Fort Riley, Kansas, where he served with the division artillery for 20 months. Norris was reassigned to the 2nd Battalion of the 16th Infantry Regiment and served at Wildflecken, Germany, for seven months. He returned to Fort Riley and was assigned to support command. His next duty was a year-long tour in Vietnam with the 34th Engineer Group based out of Can Tho in the Mekong River Delta. He returned to the United States and attended the Chaplain's Advanced Course then served at Fort Ord, California. He went on to serve at Fort Gordon, Georgia, and eventually became the post chaplain then went to Washington D.C. to serve as the executive officer in the chief of chaplains' office. Norris was promoted to brigadier general on December 1, 1985, then became the chief of chaplains on July 1, 1986. He served for four years as the chief of chaplains, then retired from the Army. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Einertson, Norris L. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Keizer, Herman Jr. (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/1222973ab43c85a83928248e2b67c531.m4v 77f7e90de6dac0f215f50237d48758f3 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3610982dce5a5086a5ef3c0b0ec2ceec.pdf a3ea90da1764f58f93593e05fa4dedb9 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Gary Doublestein Vietnam War; Cold War; Iraq War; War in Afghanistan 1 hour 56 minutes 6 seconds (00:00:10) Early Life -Born on November 15, 1952, in Plainwell, Michigan -Grew up on a farm in Wayland, Michigan -Attended high school there (00:00:37) Enlisting in the Navy -Everybody was very aware of the draft during the Vietnam War -He wanted to serve his country, and do it in the Navy -He wanted the experience that the Navy offered, and his father had served in the Navy -Didn’t want to kill anyone, so he wanted to enlist as a hospital corpsman -Needed his mother’s permission, because he was only 17 years old -Recruiter tried to dissuade him from becoming a hospital corpsman -He would have gone into the field with the Marines -Mother refused to sign for him if he pursued being a hospital corpsman -Agreed to go in as an aviation recruit to repair aircraft -Took an aptitude test at the start of basic training -Signed up to be a hospital corpsman (00:03:30) Basic Training -Reported for basic training in June 1970 -Graduated high school on June 6, 1970, and reported for duty a couple weeks later -Went to Naval Training Center San Diego, California -Took his physical in Detroit -Given a choice between Great Lakes Naval Station or Naval Training Center San Diego -Chose San Diego so he could ride on an airplane -Saw a lot of men trying to get out of service -Some were extremely happy to be classified as 4-F (unfit for service) -He saw the Navy as an adventure and a chance to pay for college -Landed in San Diego and was picked up by a bus -Upon arrival at the base, drill instructors immediately started screaming orders -Letting recruits know that the drill instructors were in control -Placed in a transit barracks for about three hours of sleep -During processing, the recruits got their heads shaved and were issued uniforms -Purpose of basic training was to break down the individual and rebuild as a sailor -Consisted of two, seven week-long phases -First seven weeks focused on the basics of becoming a sailor -Marching, knot tying, history, rules and regulations, folding clothes, and inspections -At the time, he didn’t understand the purpose of the discipline, but expected it �-At one point during the first seven weeks, he got called to go to the chaplain’s office -Reported to the office and his brother was there waiting for him -He was doing basic training at the same time -Chaplain gave them four hours to go off base and visit San Diego together -During the second seven weeks, the recruits were treated with more respect -Introduced to potential jobs in the Navy -Joined the “Blue Jackets Choir” -Added two weeks to basic training -Went off the base for performances -Became the admiral of the choir (00:13:46) Hospital Corps School -Went to Hospital Corps School at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego -14-week course -Learned the basics of first aid and some more advanced medical skills -Akin to advanced EMT training (00:15:00) Stationed at Camp Pendleton Pt. 1 -Requested several possible duty stations on the East Coast -He was sent to Camp Pendleton, California -Disappointed at the time, but it worked out well for him -Assigned to the Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital -After six months, he met his future wife, a Navy nurse -She was an officer, and he was an enlisted man -They worked together for a while -Took a long time to muster up the courage to ask her on a date -Dated for three months (00:18:16) Deployment to Vietnam & Getting Married -Received orders to go to Vietnam with the USS Kitty Hawk -Decided to ask his girlfriend to marry him, and she said yes -He was only 19 years old at the time -Got married in Whittier, California, and had a short honeymoon -Believes that he got orders for Vietnam as punishment for fraternizing with an officer (00:21:14) Stationed at Camp Pendleton Pt. 2 -Stationed at Camp Pendleton for a year-and-a half -Worked on the surgery floor helping with post-op care -Learned how to use IV catheters because they were new at the time -Worked in the emergency room -Treating marines because of some of their antics -Attached to 1st Fleet Service Regiment -Manned a clinic and worked with a doctor sometimes -Usually worked on his own -Thought he would be sent to Vietnam with the Marines �(00:23:03) Assignment to the USS Kitty Hawk -The USS Kitty Hawk was an aircraft carrier -Decommissioned in 2009 -Carried 100 planes and 5,500 personnel -Excited to go aboard ship until he did -Noisy, hot, humid, smelly, and tedious -Joined the ship in the Philippines -Flew from San Francisco to Clark Air Force Base, Philippines -Took a bus down to Subic Bay and waited a couple weeks -Took a helicopter carrier out to the Kitty Hawk, then flew over -It was extremely hot and humid in Subic Bay -Never visited Olongapo City near Subic Bay -He was just married and didn’t want to risk getting an STD -Never met anyone bound for the Kitty Hawk (00:25:50) Service on the USS Kitty Hawk -Assigned to the medical department -Initially assigned to the medical records section, and fought to get out of it -Reassigned to the lab to help with lab work -Stood watch in the emergency room (00:26:57) USS Kitty Hawk Riot -Near the end of his first cruise, there was a race riot on the Kitty Hawk -In his opinion, it was not solely race motivated -Cruises were supposed to last six months, then return to the United States -Instead, they received orders to go back to Vietnam -Sailors were extremely angry and frustrated with the decision -Came to a head when a black and white sailor got into a fight -The fighting spread through the ship -He treated the crewmen injured in the fighting -One man had to be medically evacuated due to severe head injuries -The Marines rounded up everyone except for the corpsmen -Placed them on the hangar deck -Acted as the shipboard police -He felt the Marines were self-policing -They wouldn’t have tolerated dissent in their ranks -He treated all crewmen regardless of race (00:30:14) Combat Operations -They operated in the South China Sea, about 50 – 100 miles off the South Vietnamese coast -Had flight operations day and night -Always heard the roar and shudder of jets taking off and landing -Longest time on line was 120 days -Conducting combat flights in 1972 -Wasn’t aware of the major offensives taking place in Vietnam -Just followed orders and tried to ignore being hot and miserable �-Operating from April 1972 to November 1972 -Never a day on the line without flight operations (00:33:05) Casualties on the Kitty Hawk -One of his first memories was hearing about a flight crewman getting sucked into a jet engine -Nothing they could do, because there was very little to send home -Some flight crewmen got blown off deck -A resting cable snapped and a cut flight crewman’s legs off -If the crewmen were blown off deck they usually weren’t recovered -12-story drop to the ocean, which was usually fatal -If the fall didn’t kill you, the sharks would have -One man that went overboard was rescued -Ironically, he threw himself overboard -Made Section 8 (mentally unfit for service) (00:35:57) Life on the Kitty Hawk Pt. 1 -He never felt the ship move except in typhoons -The gravity was thrown off, and felt like he was taking a deeper step -Never got seasick (00:37:25) Contact with Home on the Kitty Hawk -Wrote letters every day, but it took weeks to receive mail -Often got a bunch of letters at once -Tried to read them in order and respond in kind -Called his wife on time in the Philippines -Had to wait eight hours and call her at 3 a.m. (00:38:56) Life on the Kitty Hawk Pt. 2 -Had typical shifts on the Kitty Hawk -Worked sick call -Had day shifts and night shifts -There were galleys at the fore and aft (front and back), that operated at all hours -He wound up eating a Milky Way and a Coca Cola for breakfast instead -Worked in the lab -Usually got off work around 5 or 6 p.m. for the day shifts -There were movies at night, and propaganda on the local TV network -He would spend time smoking his pipe and writing letters home -Slept in small beds that were about the size of a coffin -Stacked four high and he had the bottom bunk -Each man had their locker underneath their bunk (00:41:08) Ports of Call on the Kitty Hawk -Stopped in the Philippines a lot -Visited Hong Kong; Singapore; Sasebo, Japan; and Mombasa, Kenya -Most of the ports they stopped at couldn’t accommodate the ship due to its size and crew size -At Mombasa, they anchored offshore and took a ship to shore (00:42:30) Stationed at Naval Air Station Miramar -Returned to the United States in November 1972 �-Learned at an early age how much he valued being with his wife -His wife was still stationed at Camp Pendleton when he got back from his first cruise -Kitty Hawk was bound for Bremerton, Washington, for dry dock repairs -He was technically supposed to go with the ship -Requested a transfer so he could be closer to his wife -Assigned to Naval Air Station Miramar near Camp Pendleton -Worked with Squadron VF-213 -A land and sea-based F-4 squadron -Part of the Kitty Hawk’s complement of fighters -Stationed at Miramar for a year -Did some clinic duties -Went to Fallon, Nevada, for flight exercises -Allowed to bring his wife with him -Got approved for a ride on an F-4, but he never got to do it (00:44:57) Second Cruise on the Kitty Hawk Pt. 1 -Went on the Kitty Hawk for sea trials after its dry dock repairs -Set sail for second cruise -On December 11, 1973, there was an explosion in Number 1 engine room -He was sleeping at the time, and another sailor roused him from his sleep -Had he not been wakened he would have died from smoke inhalation -Everyone moved up to the flight deck until the fire was under control -The explosion caused three of the four ship’s propulsion systems to be shut down -This, in turn, caused the ship to list to portside -Limped to Subic Bay, Philippines, for repairs -He helped treat sailors for minor burns and smoke inhalation -Established a makeshift clinic -Below decks the ship reeked of smoke and the walls were covered in soot -Had to spend a lot of time cleaning up after the fire -*Note: He says nine men died in the fire, but it was only six (00:49:12) End of Navy Service -His second cruise lasted from November 1973 to June 1974 near the end of his enlistment -Got off the ship at Subic Bay and waited to return to the United States -Contracted a gastrointestinal disease -Had to hide it until he got back to the United States -If the Navy knew he was sick, he would’ve had to stay until he recovered (00:51:00) Second Cruise on the Kitty Hawk Pt. 2 -During his second cruise, they went to the Indian Ocean with a task force -Had to sail with supply and fuel ships, since there were no bases -Visited Mombasa, Kenya, during that operation -Did a show of power for the shah of Iran -Found it to be a ridiculous waste of time and resources -Started running low on supplies after a while -Drank Kool Aid without sugar, and had the same meals a few times in a row �-Resupplying at sea was difficult -Ships had to match speed then transfer supplies on a line (00:52:52) Becoming a Doctor & Enlisting in the Air Force -After the Navy, he planned on going to college -Appreciates that his wife, a college-educated nurse, married him, a high school graduate -Planned on attending Lake Superior State College, but there was no housing -He contacted Western Michigan University, and they accepted him -Used his entire GI Bill to study at WMU -Wanted to become a doctor then, but had a lot of difficulty with chemistry -Decided to pursue being a physician’s assistant -Two-year program and he would graduate with a bachelor’s degree -Applied for that program and was accepted -He found work in Cheboygan, Michigan, but wanted to pursue medical school -Michigan State University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine was looking for PAs -He needed to take a physics course to apply -Took it at Lake Superior State College and did the labs at a local high school -Had three children by now, and needed to have a way to provide for them during medical school -He got accepted into medical school, but had no way to pay for it -Joined the Air Force for its Health Professions Scholarship Program -Paid for medical school, supplies, stipend, and rent at Spartan Village -Wife and children came with him -Lived in a two-bedroom apartment -His children loved the community -Finished medical school in three years -Meant he owed the Air Force three years -Went to the Grand Rapids Osteopathic Hospital for his five years of residence -Did some drills with the Air Force, but wasn’t paid during residence -No risk of getting pulled from residency -After residency, he went to Military Indoctrination for Medical Service Officers Timecode starts over at 00:00:00, but the interview continues (00:00:03) Military Indoctrination for Medical Service Officers -Sent to Sheppard Air Force Base, Kansas, for MIMSO -Basic introduction to basic military customs -How to dress and act as a member of the armed forces -He was one of only two Vietnam War veterans -Upon graduation, they went to a fancy restaurant -Fairly uneventful (00:02:03) Stationed at Minot Air Force Base -Offered the chance to be assigned to a base in England or Germany -He declined because his children were young and he wanted to bring his dog -If he brought his dog, it would’ve had to be quarantined for six months �-Assigned to Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota -Never met more decent and friendly people than in Minot -Lived on base -Everyone there was like one big family -Watched each other’s houses when they went on vacation and stocked the fridge -He had a very busy OB/GYN practice -Delivered over 250 babies per year -Did a lot of surgeries -Didn’t have to worry about the business side of things and could focus on his trade -During his first year, he had a great mentor who taught him a lot -Minot was a Strategic Air Command base -Served as headquarters for all the nuclear missile sites in North Dakota -Had at least 10,000 – 15,000 people on the base -Stationed there when the Berlin Wall fell -Had been used to seeing B-52s constantly circling the base -They were always ready for a nuclear mission -After the Wall came down, there were no more B-52s -Good place to raise his children -Sometimes it got down to -40 degrees, but they got used to that -After three years, he appreciated the unique beauty of North Dakota (00:07:42) End of Air Force Service -He was asked to continue his enlistment, but he wanted to return to civilian life -Besides that, his latest work partner was insufferable and hostile -At the time, he didn’t know that as an officer he had to resign his commission -Only way for an officer to leave the service -Went to Grand Haven, Michigan, and started a practice there -Worked with another doctor -Eight months later, the Gulf War began -Started receiving letters that he could be called up for service -One week before the war ended, he received a letter telling him to prepare for service -Contacted the Air Force and told them he couldn’t abandon his practice -Community relied on him -Told that he could resign his commission and be out of the Air Force -Immediately decided to resign his commission -Following the resignation of his commission, he was out of the military for over a decade (00:11:39) Enlisting in the Army Reserve -In 2003, he became an OB/GYN director at Metro Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Debated that decision -Had gotten sick of being on-call with his practice, but it was a long drive -Ultimately decided to take the job -In the interim, he had some time off, and in that time, went to the Muskegon Air Show -Seeing the aircraft and his bitterness about 9/11 made him long to serve -The Army Reserve was represented at the event �-Army Reserve medical unit based out of Walker, Michigan -Two weeks later he joined the Army Reserve -Did basic Army indoctrination -It was a culture shock compared to the Air Force -More gritty -Went into the field for a week of bivouac and training -It was exciting since he’d never done anything like that before (00:15:09) Stationed at Fort Wainwright -His first mobilization was to Fort Lewis, Washington, in 2005 -When he got to Fort Lewis, he received orders for six weeks at Fort Wainwright, Alaska -He was ecstatic since he had always wanted to visit Alaska -Thoroughly enjoyed his time at Fort Wainwright and spent a lot of time fishing -Didn’t want to return to Fort Lewis, but had to do two weeks there (00:16:53) First Tour in Iraq – Stationed at Camp Bucca -Sent to Camp Bucca in southern Iraq in 2006 and near the Persian Gulf -He was an Individual Mobilization Augmentee, which meant he was assigned to a specific unit -Worked at the emergency room at Camp Bucca -Helped with detainee transfers -Got to know what life was like for the infantry -120 to 130-degree heat -Went out with a full medical pack and full body armor -Crossed the desert -Brought prisoners from Baghdad to Camp Bucca, and vice-versa -Formed up convoys at night then moved out -Had to stop at bridges to checked for IEDs -Went to Basra to load detainees on to C-130s -One time they had engine failure and had to make an emergency landing -Another time they took off from Baghdad -Started bobbing, weaving, and he saw red lights in the window -Learned afterward they were avoiding a missile lock -Another time, they started taking mortar fire -Had to circle up the convoy and take cover -The infantry perfectly defended the position -Decided then he would never be captured and executed -There weren’t too many combat casualties in need of treatment at Camp Bucca -There was a prison at Camp Bucca -Shortly after he arrived, there was a riot -Guards were authorized to use lethal force, but they refrained -Able to quell the riot without killing any of the prisoners -Treated detainees when they had medical issues -Some of them faked their complaints -Not a lot of combat operations out of Camp Bucca -His first tour lasted four months, because the Army didn’t want reservists to lose their skills �(00:27:11) Second Tour in Iraq – Stationed in Iraq -In 2008, he was deployed to Tikrit -Stationed at the old Iraqi air force academy -The place was pockmarked with bullet holes -Stayed in an old barracks with very basic accommodations -Attached to a medical unit based in Tikrit -Did sick call and assisted in surgery -Common to get rocket fire, but the insurgents were poor shots -Treated soldiers from combat operations and wounded Iraqi civilians -Felt he did a lot of good -One Iraqi was severely wounded -Had to perform a mastectomy because her breast was severely infected -A lot of civilians wounded by the cross fire -Had Iraqi interpreters and learned a lot about their culture -Had Turkish soldiers in Tikrit -Ate dinner with them once -Forbidden from going outside the base into the city -Always had to carry a weapon -He carried a 9mm pistol for self-defense -Became an annoyance after a while -Whenever he heard multiple incoming helicopters he knew there were a lot of wounded troops -Established a formula for meeting new soldiers -Opened a box of cigars, light one, and wait for people to come and ask for one -This was his way of introducing himself to the unit -Remembers after one operation they lost a few men -The soldiers gathered around, smoked cigars, and no one spoke -He was in Tikrit during the troop “surge” -Lost a lot soldiers defending Tikrit, and it was painful to hear that ISIS took the city in 2014 -Made some close, long-lasting friendships during his time in Tikrit (00:37:08) Catholic Work Overseas -Played guitar for masses at Camp Bucca every week when available -In Tikrit, he did that at least once a week if not more, and had a choir backing him -Worked closely with the Catholic chaplain in Afghanistan and travelled with him (00:38:54) Contact with Home in Iraq War -Did four months in Tikrit -During his time in Iraq, it was easier to communicate with his wife -Had email during his first tour at Camp Bucca -When he got to Tikrit, Skype was available to soldiers -Able to have video contact with his wife almost every day -Never told his wife he did a convoy until after it was done -He couldn’t talk about where he was going anyway -Enjoyed the convenience of the internet, but missed the sentimentality of the letters �(00:40:30) Civilian Life Between Deployments -Worked for Metro Hospital from 2003 – 2008 -Didn’t like driving from Grand Haven to Grand Rapids, and he didn’t want to move -Tried to start an OB/GYN program there, and they denied him that -Mercy Health wanted him to join them, and they wanted him to start his program there -He took the job offer (00:42:25) Stationed at Fort Drum -Sent to Fort Drum, New York, for four months -Located in Watertown, New York -The Army hospital was located downtown -Wife was able to visit him during that mobilization -They both saw the St. Lawrence Seaway (00:43:05) Tour in Afghanistan -Deployed to Afghanistan -Served as the command surgeon for the 865th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) -Supplying a large area of operations -He had to go to outposts and forward operating bases to make sure they had supplies -Flew there, drove there, went with convoys, and took helicopters -More administrative work than medical work -During one flight to FOB Wolverine a group of special operations soldiers got on his helicopter -Flew low, at night, with none of the lights on -Got to FOB Wolverine without incident -Spent the night there, and left the next day -Rocket attacks in Kandahar were a daily problem -Killed a few soldiers relatively often -The alarm was a robotic, British accent that said, “Rocket attack” over and over -Eventually stopped going to the bunker -Learned that if you lived long enough to hear the alarm, you were safe -Those were the worst accommodations he ever had for an overseas tour -Shared a room with four other colonels -Had to share a bunk for a week on rotation until he got his own bunk -Travelled with a priest and met some Afghan tribal leaders -Went to a bazaar in Kandahar -Bought some nice Persian rugs for a good price -Traders were disappointed if you didn’t haggle with them -Went to one of the forward operating bases located up in the mountains -It was beautiful, and there were snow-capped peaks in the distance -When he arrived in February, it was cold and rainy -By March, it was sunny and hot -Spent four months in Afghanistan (00:50:23) Retirement from Army Reserve -Retired from the Army Reserve -Medical school and residency had contributed to his time in active duty �-Retired on November 15, 2015, at the age of 60 years old -Had 16 years of active duty -Retired with the rank of colonel (00:52:13) Reflections on Service -Part of him misses being in the military -He wouldn’t be disappointed if he was called up for service again -Always in the right branch of service at the right time of his life -In the Navy, he matured and met the love of his life -In the Air Force, he gained stability and the chance to become a doctor -In the Army, he could serve as an older man, do something useful, and formally retire -Hopes there isn’t a war that needs his service, but he would gladly go if called � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_DoublesteinG2094V Title A name given to the resource Doublestein, Gary L (Interview outline and video), 2017 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-01-17 Description An account of the resource Gary Doublestein was born on November 15, 1952, in Plainwell, Michigan. In early 1970 he enlisted in the Navy, and in June reported for basic training at Naval Training Center San Diego, California. He went to Hospital Corps School at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego, and was then stationed at Camp Pendleton, California. Gary stayed at Camp Pendleton for a year and was then assigned to the USS Kitty Hawk. His first cruise on the Kitty Hawk lasted from April 1972 to November 1972. In that first cruise, he witnessed combat flights into Vietnam as well as a mutiny on the ship. He returned to the United States and was stationed at Naval Air Station Miramar, California, until he rejoined the Kitty Hawk. His second cruise lasted from November 1973 to June 1974 and he was aboard ship when one of the engine rooms exploded. He left the Navy in June 1974, and enlisted in the Air Force in the late 1970s (c. 1978) to pay for medical school. He was stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, for three years and resigned his commission in 1991. In 2003, he enlisted in the Army Reserve. He served at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, in 2005 at Camp Bucca, Iraq, in 2006 at Tikrit, Iraq, in 2008 and his final deployment was in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. He retired from the Army Reserve on November 15, 2012. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Doublestein, Gary L. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American Iraq War, 2003-2011--Personal narratives, American Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American United States. Army United States. Navy Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3ff30273a8668124be4f59083d343584.m4v 0269687133efbe5c88b92508bd52ff56 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d47fb41ebdeaefd2a78e21d9e676ab01.pdf 08b64a151497289b145a8318d094c77f PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Grover DeVault Cold War (Pre-Vietnam); Vietnam War 22 minutes 13 seconds *Note: Times used in outline are with the time code on the tape (00:49:18) Early Life -Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, on August 20, 1929 -Grew up there (00:49:45) Becoming a Chaplain -Interested in the chaplaincy while in college -Read about a Marine chaplain that had served in the South Pacific in World War II -Part of C Company of the 50th Armored Division of the New Jersey National Guard -Joined the National Guard while in college -Promoted to the rank of corporal because he knew how to use a typewriter -Went to college in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Columbia, South Carolina -Attended seminary at Philadelphia Faith Theological Seminary -Started as American Baptist then moved to the Independent Bible Churches (00:50:57) Stationed at Fort Belvoir -Assigned to Fort Belvoir, Virginia -Initially assigned to the garrison and had a chapel in the community -Reassigned to DeWitt Army Hospital for a year -Received training at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (00:51:23) U.S. Army Polar Research -Assigned to the U.S. Army Polar Research on Greenland -Did two, nine-month periods on the island -Helped with the construction of Camp Century under the ice cap -Had a chapel carved out of the ice -Conducted services at the North Pole for scientists stationed there -Went to the Long-Range Navigation System of the Coast Guard -Conducted services and brought them basic entertainment like board games -Got to take pictures of a polar bear -Befriended the Catholic chaplain during their time on that assignment (00:53:50) Stationed in West Germany -Stationed on the East/West German border with the 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment -Stationed in West Germany for three years -Served as the regimental chaplain at Fulda, Germany -The 14th Armored Cavalry was tasked with defending the line in the event of a Soviet invasion -Had to defend the line until the 3rd Armored Division arrived -The 14th Armored would have been wiped out in the event of an invasion �-General Creighton Abrams told Grover to report directly to him about the 14th Armored -Abrams trusted the chaplains to be honest and direct about issues in the units -Race relations were tense in Germany during his time there (00:55:36) Tour in Vietnam -In Vietnam, race relations were very tense -Remembers a group of black soldiers had captured a military police lieutenant -Grover negotiated for the safe release of the officer without a firefight -Awarded the Legion of Merit for his actions -Deployed to Vietnam after working in the Arctic -Part of the 80th Support Group -Operated out of Da Nang -Worked with two mission agencies -Went to Montagnard tribes to help record their unwritten languages -Built a Catholic orphanage -Ultimately built four churches and eight schools for the Montagnards -Established a good connection with those tribes -Placed a grave marker where four missionaries were killed -Ten days before leaving Vietnam, a close chaplain friend of his was killed-in-action -This chaplain was coming to visit Grover before Grover left -On the way, his truck hit a landmine resulting in his death -Grover went to the mortuary to identify the chaplain -Passed out when he was told it was his friend (00:59:45) Stationed at Fort Detrick -Sent to Fort Detrick, Maryland, to recover from his tour in Vietnam due to PTSD -Made lifelong connections while stationed there -Stationed there for one year (01:00:17) Getting Master’s Degree -Sent to Union Theological Seminary in New York -Studied there for 18 months -Got his master’s degree in arts and education (01:00:30) Stationed at Fort Hood & End of Service -Sent to Fort Hood, Texas -Started there as the post chaplain -Became the religious education director -Completed his service as the 13th Sustainment Command (COSCOM) chaplain -Had civilian workers working for him while at Fort Hood -Retired after his service at Fort Hood (01:01:53) Life after Service -Taught at a college in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for six years -Worked as a minister at a church for six years -Got involved with Cadence International and Malachi Ministries -Providing troops with a “home away from home” -Returned to Lancaster �-Did ministry and mentoring -Started the State Police Chaplaincy which grew to have 48 chaplains -He was a first responder at the West Nickel Mines School Shooting in the Amish community -Arrived on the scene when the shooter killed himself -Met a man whose granddaughter had been killed in the school, but didn’t know it yet -Worked as a liaison to that community after the shooting (01:04:38) Reflections on Service -Totally broadened his outlook on life -Made him more faithful -Made him more understanding of other people -Improved his relations with other races -Taught him to cherish education -There were a few disappointments, but none enough to ruin the entire experience -The training he received at Walter Reed was indispensable -Stayed involved with the chaplaincy after he left the Army -Started scholarships at colleges for chaplains -Part of a chaplains’ association -Marvelous experience working with other chaplains -Had strong and impactful mentors -Wife was involved with the chaplaincy as a civilian -She loved the military and helped with some of his duties as a chaplain � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_DeVaultG2057V Title A name given to the resource DeVault, Grover G (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-10-25 Description An account of the resource Grover DeVault was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, on August 20, 1929. He originally served in the New Jersey National Guard with C Company of the 50th Armored Division before joining the regular Army as a chaplain after studying at Philadelphia Faith Theological Seminary. Grover served at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, as the garrison chaplain and at the DeWitt Army Hospital for a year. He served with the U.S. Army Polar Research at Greenland and helped with the construction of Camp Century, and also went to remote outposts to conduct services. After Greenland, he served in West Germany with the 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment at the Fulda Gap. He was deployed to Vietnam and in Vietnam served with the 80th Support Group. While in Vietnam, he worked with the Army and mission groups to help the Montagnard tribes. He returned to the United States and served at Fort Detrick, Maryland, for one year then studied at Union Theological Seminary. He completed his service at Fort Hood, Texas. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource DeVault, Grover George Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Keizer, Herman Jr. (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0b0e1404e4caf392fd919d764124ac29.m4v 83451062e4469ba7a99cc21e852d6f44 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/323d5f01d45515310478fca54787f43e.pdf af2b90791f44a30bf67835f9114ea9f6 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Tom Cannan World War II 45 minutes 19 seconds (00:00:10) Early Life -Born in Eldorado, Illinois, in 1922 -In southern Illinois near the Kentucky border and the Ohio River -Grew up there -Mother died when he was four years old -Father worked as a car salesman, owned a hardware store, and some plumbing and heating work -Lost everything because of the Great Depression -Eventually found work as a night watchman at a coal mine -Graduated from high school in 1940 (00:01:36) Citizens’ Military Training Camp -Went to Citizens’ Military Training Camp at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin -Received some training with field artillery -One month of training -If you did a month a year, for four years, you were qualified to go to Officer Candidate School -Returned home after completing that -Did that training in 1940 (00:04:10) Start of the War & Enlisting in the Navy -He was in Missouri visiting family when he heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor -Joined the Naval Aviation Cadet School in 1942 -Had originally gone to Marion, Illinois, to try to join the Navy Seabees -Went back and forth for two or three months to get in -Told he didn’t have enough experience to work in construction -Did aptitude testing in Marion and in St. Louis -Needed two years of college to become a pilot, but the Navy had an alternate program -Three months of training, 35 hours of flight time, but no pay -Opted to do that program so he could become a pilot cadet (00:07:36) Training at St. Ambrose College -Sent to St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa, for his pre-cadet training -Had a “ground school” -Learning about aircraft engines, meteorology, and civil air regulations -Got 35 hours of flight time -Upon completion of that course he had his pilot’s license -Learned to fly in a two-passenger, single engine plane -There were about a dozen men in his class -Some washed out, but the majority graduated -Sent home and told to wait to be called for service �(00:10:58) Navy Pre-Flight Training -Sworn in at St. Louis then told to wait for another call to report -Went to the University of Iowa for Navy Pre-Flight Training -Three months of training -Basic indoctrination, radio code training, more meteorology training, and more air regulations -Deeper training than at St. Ambrose (00:12:36) Navy Primary Flight Training -Sent to Naval Air Station Hutchinson, Kansas, for his Primary Flight Training -Worked with larger aircraft and received more detailed training -Flew the Stearman Model 75 biplane -Got 60 hours of flight time -Flew during the day and did two or three nights of night flying -Flew one hour at a time -Started with flying out of the base then returning to it -Moved on to flying from the base, to another base, back to home base -Spent most of his time on the base -One Sunday he went into town and a local family invited him to dinner -Stayed in touch with them (00:16:50) Navy Advanced Flight Training -Went to Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, for Advanced Flight Training -Flew the SNJ (Navy’s version of the T-6) -250 horsepower single engine with retractable landing gear -Started learning how to take off and land on an aircraft carrier -Had the runway marked to be about the same size as a carrier’s flight deck -There were fatal accidents -Bruce Bradford, his former roommate during Pre-Flight Training, was killed in a crash (00:21:20) Discharged from Navy & Enlisting in the Army Air Force -Cadets without two years of college would be discharged or could enlist for six years -Decided to take the discharge -Went to the nearby Army airfield and enlisted in the Army Air Force (00:23:30) Instructing at Parks Air College -Assigned to Parks Air College in St. Louis to train Army pilot cadets -Given one month of instructor training -Served as an instructor for a year-and-a half -Used PT-19s -Low-wing aircraft with fixed landing gear -Taught the cadets maneuvers and basic acrobatics -Rolls, loops, and Immelmann maneuvers -Trained them how to do take offs and landings, and day and night flying -Enjoyed working as an instructor -No cadets were killed during his time as an instructor -Very safe because of strict testing for cadets -The college had been a civilian facility taken over by the Army Air Force �-Had some older civilian instructors -Did six months of instruction before he was sworn into the Army Air Force -Lived with a family in Sikeston, Missouri, near the college -Community had mixed feelings about the military presence -He lived with an elderly couple -Some of the instructors were respectable, and the others were wild -Army eventually closed the training field (00:29:19) Army Cadet Training -Placed into Army Cadet Training at Keesler Field, Mississippi -Did three months of Army basic training -Trained alongside fresh recruits and some instructors from Parks Air College -Basic military indoctrination, and a waste of time for him -Went on bivouacs, did drill, and discipline (00:31:41) Army Flight Training -Sent to various fields around San Antonio for the Army’s version of flight training -Proceeded to Lancaster, California, for more flight training -He had befriended a bomber pilot that led the raid on the Ploesti Oilfields -Helped get Tom into flight training at Lancaster -Did three check rides at Lancaster and was told he was already qualified (00:34:30) Instructing at Marana Army Air Field -Sent to Marana Army Air Field near Tucson, Arizona -Trained returning B-17 pilots how to become instructors in the T-6 -Mix of nice men and cocky men -Remembers a close call when the plane stalled, fortunately, the pilot got them out of it -Some of the men didn’t respect him because he’d never flown a bomber -One experienced pilot was killed when he crashed his plane into a mountain -Escorted the remains back to Atlantic City, New Jersey -Met the pilot’s family -Wife gave birth to a son the day he was killed -Spent two weeks with the family and attended the funeral -By then, Japan had surrendered and the war was over -He saw the Miss America competition (September 8, 1945) (00:41:15) End of Service -Sent to Williams Field, Arizona, for the last couple months of his enlistment -Discharged in late 1945 (00:42:06) Life after the War -Returned to Illinois, got married and lived in Illinois for 69 years -Worked in heating and air conditioning, and owned his own shop -Wife was the bookkeeper and helped at the shop -Consistently worked on the local hospital’s mechanicals (00:43:24) Reflections on Service -Taught him maturity and responsibility -Felt like he did a necessary job during the war, but felt the branch transfer wasted time � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_CannanT2097V Title A name given to the resource Cannan, Thomas (Interview outline and video), 2017 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-01-24 Description An account of the resource Tom Cannan was born in Eldorado, Illinois, in 1922. Prior to military service, he went to the Citizens' Military Training Camp at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, for a month of training with field artillery in 1940. In 1942, he joined the Naval Aviation Cadet School after receiving three months of preliminary flight training at St. Ambrose College, Iowa. He went to the University of Iowa for Navy Pre-Flight Training, then on to Naval Air Station Hutchinson, Kansas, for Primary Flight Training. Tom then went to Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, for Advanced Flight Training, but was discharged from the Naval Aviation Cadet program due to not having two years of college. He enlisted in the Army Air Force and became an instructor at Parks Air College in St. Louis, training Army pilot cadets. He served as an instructor there for a year-and-a half then went to Keesler Field, Mississippi, for three months of Army Cadet Training. After that training he did Army flight training at Army airfields around San Antonio, Texas, and at Lancaster, California. He was selected to be an instructor at Marana Army Air Field, Arizona, and for the last couple months of his enlistment was at Williams Field, Arizona. He was discharged in late 1945. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Cannan, Thomas Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army United States. Navy Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/910c404055ad9cc6aba776fa8261b45f.m4v e3aae25b042c8a6680d13d3d22e5eaaf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3070292a276d4d1f635717a201446d77.pdf 3ff89ef56bbf09e84a415c3b86ca60a2 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Jimmy Butt World War II 46 minutes 51 seconds (00:00:11) Early Life -Born in Tippo, Mississippi, on October 13, 1921 -Lived on a cotton plantation until he was 16 years old when his parents died -Moved in with an uncle living in Wetumpka, Alabama -Graduated from high school there in 1939 -Attended Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama -Great Depression hit Tippah County hard -Virtually every farmer lost their property -Cotton had been estimated to sell for 30 cents, but it only sold for 6 -Farmers had to take out huge loans just to survive -They couldn’t pay them back, and their farms failed -Parents had had a 600-700-acre plantation (00:02:22) Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) -Two years of ROTC was mandatory for male students at Auburn University -Before Pearl Harbor, he didn’t pay attention to the fighting in Europe or Asia -Trained with horse-drawn artillery pieces -Enjoyed drilling and marching -Easy to hitchhike home because of the ROTC uniform -After two years of ROTC, he applied for advanced ROTC -Paid $21 per quarter -Extremely helpful since he was paying his way through college -$400 per year for tuition -Note: In 2017, this would be equivalent to $6,938 (00:04:00) Start of the War -Accepted into advanced ROTC in spring 1941 -After Pearl Harbor, the ROTC cadets knew they would be called for service at any moment -Decided to stop studying and enjoy themselves until they were called to service -Military science professor told them to keep studying -Didn’t get called up until after they had been graduated -Graduated from college in February 1943 -Had been forced to take summer classes to accelerate his education (00:05:11) Officer Candidate School, Survey School, & Extra Training -Upon graduation, he was inducted as a corporal in the Army -Sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, for Officer Candidate School -Also the location of the Field Artillery School -Awful transition for a college graduate �-Had never been in such a strict environment -Total uniformity in everything (the way they stored uniforms and made beds) -Frustrating requirements -Trained with a mix of ROTC graduates and men who had enlisted in the Army -Men with military experience taught ROTC cadets how to dress and assemble rifles -ROTC graduates helped teach the military men about artillery -He had studied artillery during his time in the ROTC -Trained with mechanized artillery at Fort Sill -Had used 75mm guns in ROTC, and trained with mechanized 105mm guns at Fort Sill -After OCS, he was commissioned and sent to Survey School -Had background in surveying in college -As a survey officer, he went out to the field with a piece of paper and an instrument -Figured out where to place guns and how to create an effective field of fire -Got within a few hundred yards of targets to create reference points -Used by forward observers to call in shots -Completed OCS on June 23, 1943 -Went to Survey School for a month -Sent to another school for a month (00:10:30) Stationed at Camp Van Dorn & Assignment to 63rd Infantry Division -Assigned to the 63rd Infantry Division at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi -Being from Mississippi made it easier to rent a room for him and his wife -Got married on June 22 so she could pin the lieutenant bars on him for commissioning -Got to Camp Van Dorn in September 1943 -Group of recruits came and he helped train them -That first group was combat ready by early 1944 and they were deployed -Got another group of recruits and did six more months of training with them -He was in the 863rd Field Artillery Battalion -When the first group deployed, all the enlisted men went over to Europe -Most of the noncommissioned officers went, and a handful of officers too -He was happy to get to stay with his wife for another six months -In the mornings, he did survey and fire direction training -In the afternoon, he went to the field and trained or oversaw gas training -Note: Gas training was to prepare soldiers for the eventuality of gas attacks -Technically, he was only scheduled for one night off the week -Created a system that allowed to go home more than one night a week -Focused on training, but knew the Allies were winning the war (00:14:25) Deployment to European Theatre -In the fall of 1944, he received his deployment orders -Infantry left in October 1944, and he left on Christmas Day 1944 -The infantry fought at the Colmar Pocket (November 1944 – February 1945) -Took heavy casualties -He departed from New York City, sailed south, then sailed across the Atlantic Ocean -Went over on a former luxury liner �-Packed with soldiers -Everyone got seasick on the voyage -No lights allowed at night -The officers took turns going into the hold to be with the regular soldiers -Entire hold smelled of vomit -Stayed in a room with six other officers (only meant to house two people) -Took eight days to reach Europe (00:17:07) Arrival in Europe -Landed at Marseille, France -Had passed through the Gibraltar Straits and was escorted by two destroyers -Supposed to take a torpedo if a U-Boat attacked them -Disembarked at Marseille and taken to a raised area like a plateau -Got to Europe in January 1945 -It was bitter cold, and they set up tents -Had to stay in the tents for a week waiting for their artillery pieces (00:18:39) Fighting in Saar River Area -Once they got their guns, they went north through France to Saarbrucken -Went on the frontline there -Joined the rest of the division there -Started intermittent fire missions immediately -Firing at random positions to disrupt the Germans and keep them awake -Working on straightening out the frontline by eliminating pockets of German resistance -During this time, a forward observer was killed, which led to him becoming one -Stayed in Saarbrucken until early spring 1944 (00:20:23) Fighting on the Siegfried Line -Had perfect maps, so they didn’t need survey officers -Assigned to forward observer duty on March 13, 1945 -Assigned to the lead platoon in an infantry company -Went with them in case they needed artillery support -During one fight, they got pinned down by a machinegun -He called in artillery and neutralized that position -Bracketed that position -Dropping shells to left and right and narrowing down to target -Took several days to punch through the Siegfried Line -Artillery bombardment preceded the ground assault -First long range, then medium range, then short range artillery -The culmination of artillery sounded like a freight train in the sky -Bombardment lasted 30 minutes -Started advancing toward Siegfried Line and encountered a German pillbox -Got pinned down and too close to call in artillery -Felt like an eternity -Still dark and the Germans used flares -He would dig, then stop when a flare went up �-He was about 50 yards away from the pillbox -One soldier tried to charge the pillbox with a white phosphorous grenade -Shot and went down, and the man was engulfed in flame -Germans eventually surrendered -Shot after they surrendered as revenge for the burned soldier -One of the worst firefights he experienced -After the fight at the pillbox, they were allowed to hang back and let other units advance -Germans had fortified the Siegfried Line -Concrete-reinforced pillboxes, trenches, and Dragon’s Teeth (concrete blockades) -Continuous line they had to punch right through -During one firefight, he and another officer figured out they were firing at each other -Took two or three days to get through the Line -Tanks showed up and helped them pursue and disrupt the German retreat (00:28:23) Crossing the Rhine River & Advancing through Germany -Advanced to the Rhine River and crossed it on a pontoon bridge -Occupied as much territory as possible to disrupt the Germans -Turned south and advanced toward Austria -Relieved by the 36th Infantry Division, who captured Hermann Goring -The 63rd Infantry Division liberated the Landsberg Concentration Camp -He wasn’t there to see the liberation -Encountered pockets of resistance as they moved through Germany -Remembers being on a hill overlooking Forchtenberg -Surveyed the area and didn’t see any signs of German movement -Received orders to call in a strike on the center of the town -As soon as he did, the Germans opened fire on his position -Watched the infantry take the town -Passed through the town after it was secured and saw wounded civilians -Got to the Autobahn and found some German jet engines hidden in the woods -Missing their engines -The nearby town had been working on building the engines -Didn’t see many German civilians -Started seeing large numbers of German soldiers that had surrendered near the end of the war -Remembers the mayor of Heidelberg coming to the general of the 63rd and surrendering -Passed through the town without a fight, and left it unscathed -Passed through numerous cities without any organized resistance aside from random snipers -Took weapons and gear from prisoners then directed them toward the rear for processing -Some were in good shape, but many were old men and young boys -Liberated three or four labor camps -Men, women, and children covered in lice -Had a special medical unit to delouse them -Let them leave and go to the rear, but robberies and rapes started to happen -Had to gather them back up and place them in the camp until rear troops arrived -Slave labor from Yugoslavia, Russia, Poland, and France �(00:36:29) Occupation Duty Pt. 1 -After Germany surrendered in May 1945, he became part of the Army of Occupation -Anticipated an organized insurgency led by the SS and Gestapo -Charged with occupation duty in a county -Set up in a German industrialist’s mansion -Huge living room with piano, swimming pool, and horse stables -Went horseback riding in the mountains in the morning -Swam in the pool in the afternoon -Sang around the piano at night -Quartered there for six weeks (00:38:05) Living Conditions in Europe -During the war, he got little to no sleep -Managed to catch an hour or two of sleep if they occupied a house -No baths or showers -Lived on energy bars and the occasional C-ration -Had field kitchens in the Saar area when he joined the rest of the division (00:39:09) Occupation Duty Pt. 2 -After initial occupation duty, they went into the field to prepare for the invasion of Japan -After a day or two of training, the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan -Once the Japanese surrendered, it was just a matter of waiting to go home -Didn’t have enough “points” to be sent home immediately -Note: points awarded based on rank, combat, length of service, and dependents -Transferred to the American military government in Germany -Started in the Food & Agriculture Section in Karlsruhe -Going to food facilities and estimating damage -If there was minor damage, they reported it and got it fixed -If a facility was beyond repair, it was abandoned -Did that for a few months until that section was closed -Assigned to run an Officers’ Club in Karlsruhe -Planned parties and kept the bar stocked -Impressed by the Germans’ cleanliness and their hospitality -Felt like being home -Shocked by the amount of devastation he saw in German cities -Entire cities reduced to rubble -First time he saw that, after the war, was in Stuttgart -Served there as a message center chief until turned over to civilian control -Directing communications since networks had been destroyed -Able to call home -Wrote a letter to his wife telling her the day and time he would call (00:42:55) Coming Home & End of Service -Left Germany in late summer 1946 -Got back to the United States in September 1946 -Travelled on a slow boat filled with returning soldiers �-Left out of a port in northern Germany (possibly Bremerhaven) -Landed at New York City -Took a train to Fort Bragg, North Carolina -Discharged from the Army there (00:44:00) Life after War -Returned to Auburn, Alabama -Wife had bought a house for them and she got a job there -Got his master’s degree at Auburn University on the GI Bill -Joined the research faculty at Auburn University -Did that from 1948 – 1956 -Got a job in Michigan -Has lived there ever since (00:45:15) Reflections on Service -Impressed by the unity of America during the war -Everybody helped in some way -Feels that farmers get overlooked despite how much they contributed to the war effort -Farmed with old equipment -Managed to feed the country, the Allies, and the Soviet Union -After the war, it was a good, economically booming time � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_ButtJ2091V Title A name given to the resource Butt, Jimmy L (Interview outline and video), 2017 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-01-10 Description An account of the resource Jimmy Butt was born in Tippo, Mississippi, on October 13, 1921. He was in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps at Auburn University and graduated in February 1943. He attended the Officer Candidate School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and was commissioned as an officer on June 23, 1943. He completed Survey School a month later. In September 1943, he went to Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi, and joined the 863rd Field Artillery Battalion of the 63rd Infantry Division. On Christmas Day 1944, he sailed to the European Theatre and in January 1945 joined the rest of the 63rd near Saarbrucken. He participated in the fighting on the Siegfried Line and the eventual crossing of the Rhine River into Germany. He was with the division as it advanced through Germany and witnessed the liberation of multiple slave labor camps. After Germany's surrender in May 1945, he was part of the Army of Occupation and served in Karlsruhe and Stuttgart. He left Germany in summer 1946 and was discharged at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in September 1946. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Butt, Jimmy L, Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/fc3f0423fa905e90e4f741c8f31c7651.m4v 6f0f32278e6b863b3c990d2d26015cc3 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/aafa5eab7adee777236e586060dde9b6.pdf a8b51943b773f004f9dd786f917ec385 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Ken Bucy Vietnam War; Cold War; Iraq War 30 minutes 49 seconds *Note: Times in the outline coincide with timecode in interview (00:18:24) Early Life -Born in Anderson, Indiana, on April 25, 1947 -Went to a famous church in Anderson (note: possibly Church of God) -Grew up in Anderson and through two years at Anderson College -Planned on getting a liberal arts degree so he could become an Air Force pilot -Kicked out of the college after his second year because he didn’t have enough money (00:19:19) Enlisting in the National Guard & Assignment to 151st Infantry Regiment -Planned on attending the state college, but received his draft notice -Decided to enlist in the National Guard -Assigned to an airborne infantry unit, the 151st Infantry Regiment of the 38th Infantry Division (00:19:42) Deployment to Vietnam -After basic training and advanced infantry training, the 151st Infantry Regiment was mobilized -Removed from the 38th Infantry Division and became a Ranger unit -Sent to Fort Benning, Georgia, for more training -Deployed to Vietnam in late 1968 after Christmas -Only National Guard unit in Vietnam (00:20:40) Missions in Vietnam -Operated out of a basecamp about 30-40 kilometers north of Long Binh -Established the base when they arrived in Vietnam -Operated as Long-Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) units (Company D, 151st Infantry) -Six-man teams that went into the field for a week -Watched rivers and trails for enemy troop and supply movement -Intelligence they gathered went to II Field Force Vietnam -Sent out large infantry units to intercept and disrupt enemy movement -Primary objective, aside from gather intelligence, was to stay quiet and avoid capture (00:22:17) Casualties & Bond -Lost six men out of his 206-man company -Extremely low compared to other infantry units -His unit was different than any other infantry unit in Vietnam at that time -Comprised of brothers, cousins, brothers-in-law, and friends from school -Formed a close bond, making them more effective -It also meant they took their losses much harder -Still have monthly association meetings at Camp Atterbury, Indiana -140 men still alive as of 2016 �(00:24:42) Returning to United States -Returned to the United States and was placed in the inactive reserves -Arizona State offered him a scholarship, and he accepted -College paid-for by GI Bill and scholarship -Fell in love with the state of Arizona (00:25:25) Reenlisting in the National Guard – Band -Joined the Arizona National Guard after graduating from college -There was a National Guard band near the unit -Wound up spending a total of 17 years with that band (00:26:00) Seminary & Chaplain Assistant -After 12 years in the National Guard, he felt the calling to attend seminary -Went to the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth -There was a National Guard unit four blocks away from the seminary -Headquarters unit for the 2nd Brigade of the 49th Armored Division -They needed a chaplain assistant, and he took the position -Took the chaplain assistant course by correspondence -Introduced to the chaplain -Outstanding man and enjoyed serving with him -Worked together for 3 ½ years (00:28:16) Army Reserve Instructor -Didn’t like the new chaplain, so he became an instructor in Army Reserve school system -Returned to Arizona -Trained noncommissioned officers in the chaplain assistant reclassification course -Served as an instructor for 12 years -Had gotten certified during a conference in San Antonio -Learned that he enjoyed teaching -Got promoted to the rank of E8 (1st sergeant, or master sergeant) -Taught the chaplain assistant course seven or eight times during his 12 years as an instructor -Some of the chaplain assistants he taught went on to become chaplains (00:30:48) Field Exercise at Fort Hood -As a chaplain assistant, he went to Fort Hood, Texas, for a field exercise -Went into the field with the chaplain -Chaplain had to drive the jeep so Ken could offer “protection” from the passenger seat -Turned out, the chaplain enjoyed cross-country driving -One day, they got an order to go into the field because a soldier wanted to see the chaplain -Drove out to that unit’s location and parked under a tree -Walked 300-400 yards, then low-crawled the rest of the way -This was so that they didn’t alert the “enemy” to the unit’s presence -The men of that unit praised Ken for following protocol (00:36:00) Returning to the Band in Arizona -After 12 years, the school he taught at reorganized, and he didn’t like it -Returned to Arizona to resume service with the band in Arizona �(00:36:25) Voluntary Deployment to Iraq -In 2003, his band played for three units called-up for service in Iraq -Deeply moved him -Knew that a chaplain, somewhere, needed an assistant -After a week of deliberation, he decided to volunteer for deployment to Iraq -Contacted the National Guard, and they said they had no opening for him -A few months later they called him and said they had an opening -Assigned to an infantry brigade in Louisiana that needed a chaplain assistant -Spent a total of 19 months with them -One of the most rewarding times during his career in the Army -Knew he was exactly where he needed to be -The chaplain he served with had been in that unit for 19 years -Younger men related to Ken because he had prior combat experience -Trained at Fort Hood, Texas, for six months -Trained at Fort Irwin, California, for five weeks (00:39:52) Tour in Iraq -Travelled from the United States, to Kuwait, to Iraq -Built their own chapel -Originally held services in a tent without air-conditioning -He was picked to supervise the construction of their chapel in Camp Victory -Helped by Army Engineers -Made a baptistry out of 1,000-gallon water tank, cut in half (00:42:08) Retirement & Life After Service -Retired from the Army in 2007 -Taught Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets for three years -Permanently retired after that -Enjoyed teaching, especially with students that wanted to be there -Involved in local politics since 2010 (00:43:33) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -He didn’t become an Air Force pilot, but he made the most out of his experiences -Feels his time in the Army showed the efficacy of a good non-commissioned officer -He was offered the chance to go to Officer Candidate School -Declined, because he wanted to be on the ground with the troops (00:44:22) Basic Training -While in basic training, he knew how to march due to his experience in marching band -Picked to call cadence and lead his training platoon during marches -Sergeant tasked him with “procuring” two new mops from another unit -He, and a few other squad leaders, went out at night and got the mops (00:46:37) Barbeque Party in Vietnam -In Vietnam, they had two or three extra vehicles in their motor pool -During the tour, they lost a copy of their communications/electronics operating instructions -Basically, all the secret call-signs used by units in radio communications -As a result, all the units were called in to the basecamp until they got a new CEOI �-A couple soldiers took one of the extra jeeps and a trailer to Saigon to get meat and beer -The soldiers used six, 55-gallon drums to make a giant barbeque pit -Had a three-day party -Still has no idea where the extra vehicles came from (00:48:47) Reflections on Service Pt. 2 -Company D of the 151st Infantry Rangers were the most decorated infantry company in 1969 -Proud to have served with them � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_BucyK2054V Title A name given to the resource Bucy, Ken (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-10-28 Description An account of the resource Ken Bucy was born in Anderson, Indiana, on April 25, 1947. He enlisted in the Indiana National Guard and was assigned to D Company of the 151st Infantry Regiment of the 38th Infantry Division. Upon completion of basic training and advanced infantry training, the 151st became a Ranger unit. He received more training at Fort Benning, Georgia, and was deployed to Vietnam after Christmas 1968. They conducted long-range reconnaissance patrols out of a base north of Long Binh. After returning to the United States, he was placed in the inactive reserve and studied at Arizona State. He joined the Arizona National Guard after graduating from college and served in a National Guard band for a total of 17 years. After 12 years in the National Guard, he attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and became a chaplain assistant in the 2nd Brigade of the 49th Armored Division. He served with them for 3 1/2 years, then served as an Army Reserve instructor for 12 years. He returned to the National Guard band in Arizona and served with them until he volunteered for service in Iraq in 2003. Ken served in Iraq as a chaplain assistant in a Louisiana infantry brigade. He retired from military service in 2007. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bucy, Ken Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Keizer, Herman Jr. (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Iraq War, 2003-2011--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/54719c67ded5839f1fb1ac5a9b34afca.m4v f5d6815a83bb4bfbbe2a3b07a838eed8 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0319198c314b2b4b58190e8db5730c6f.pdf dc2c41f16f840c4f3482f6e2571de484 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Joe Beyrle World War II 1 hour 25 seconds (00:00:27) Early Life -Born in Muskegon, Michigan on August 25, 1923 -Attended St. Joseph Catholic High School in Muskegon, Michigan -Attended Catholic schools for entire education and taught by Dominican nuns -Had a scholarship to the University of Notre Dame -Registered for college there -19 years old when he graduated from high school -Had been held back during elementary school because he couldn't speak English (00:01:28) Start of the War -Went to a pool hall called “The Hub” after church on December 7, 1941 -Heard about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on the radio (00:01:57) Enlisting in the Army -Enlisted in the Army after coming home from registration at Notre Dame -Note: Mentioned later in the interview, enlisted on September 17, 1942 -Went to Camp Custer, Michigan -Heard a pitch about the paratroopers -Newly formed unit at the time -Decided to join the paratroopers -Approved to join the unit (00:02:57) Training at Camp Toccoa -Sent to Camp Toccoa, Georgia for the first part of training -Army sent psychiatrists to see why soldiers would willingly jump out of airplanes -95% of men joined because they wanted the extra $50 -The first 40 times he rode in an airplane, he jumped out of it -Colonel Robert Sink was his commander -Difficult training -Men usually washed out before getting to Fort Benning, Georgia -Even something as simple as falling behind in a run meant getting kicked out -Men that washed out were placed in W Company (“washed out” company) (00:04:43) Assignment to the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment -Assigned to I Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division -Served with men from all over the United States -Received radio and demolitions training before joining the unit -Joined the 506th at Camp Mackall, North Carolina -Went on maneuvers in Tennessee -Moved to Fort Bragg, North Carolina -Processed there to go overseas (00:05:58) Preparation for D-Day Pt. 1 -Sent to England and arrived there on September 17, 1943 -Exactly one year after he enlisted -Didn't know about the invasion of France until two days before the invasion -Saw a sand table indicating the planned drop zones for the paratroopers �-Note: A sand table is a 3D topographical map for planning purposes -Supposed to land five miles behind Utah Beach -Knew they would have to fight to reach the key bridges -Felt prepared to do the combat jump (00:08:20) Secret Missions in France -Called to the battalion headquarters -He was Technician 4th Grade-Radio Operator at the time -Commanding officer volunteered him for an OSS (predecessor to CIA) mission into occupied France -Briefed in Bournemouth, England by an OSS agent to prepare for the mission in France -Objective was to deliver gold to the French Resistance to fund their resistance efforts -Jumped into France on his own -Most of the Resistance fighters he encountered spoke English -Did two of these missions in France -Both missions were easy thanks to his training -Each mission lasted about two weeks -Moved from safe house to safe house -On one mission he rode on a horse -Ordered to shoot the horse if intercepted by a German patrol -Horse knew how to get to a French Resistance safe house -Flown back to Barmouth, England and then rejoined the 506th -His cover story was that he was visiting his “sick” brother stationed in northern England -Returned to the 506th in early May 1944 (00:14:37) Preparation for D-Day Pt. 2 -Did a few practice jumps in England -Similar terrain to France -Not allowed to make contact with the outside world (write letters, radio, etc.) -British civilians didn't ask any questions -There were 2,000 men in the 506th -Four companies per battalion -5,000 men had originally applied to the 506th -On his third practice jump they were told about the invasion of France -Shown the sand tables, given French francs, and a French-English phrase book -Didn't know the scope of D-Day -Didn't know about the involvement of the beach landings or the other airborne units (00:17:45) D-Day Pt. 1 -Left England out of Exeter late on June 5, 1944 -Landed in France on 1:30 a.m. on June 6 -There were 17 men per C-47 plane (known as a “stick”) -He was part of I Company headquarters unit -Fourth man to jump out of his plane -Jumped with I Company's commander -Objective was to land one mile from key bridges, regroup, and capture the bridges -Jumped five seconds too early -Landed on a church roof in the town of Saint-Come-du-Mont -Had he landed at the intended drop zone he probably would've been killed by artillery -Jumped at 400 feet -Took fire from German troops -Slid off the church roof and fell into a cemetery -Didn't get injured on the jump �-Taught to relax and tumble when he hit the ground -Once he reached the ground he cut himself out of his chute -Carried a 30 pound radio and 125 pounds of other weapons and gear -Thompson sub-machine gun, M1A1 carbine, a belt of .30 caliber ammo, and two rockets -Other paratrooper landed at the house across from the church -Original drop zone was a large field surrounded by hedgerows -Germans had artillery focused on the drop zone -Remembers a lot of noise from the gunfire -Moved out of the cemetery and got onto the railroad tracks -He was by himself and going the wrong way -Saw an electrical substation -Placed explosives on the generator and destroyed it -Improvised attack to help disrupt the Germans -Made his way toward Highway 13 -Ran into a hedgerow and decided to jump over it (00:27:45) Captured-The First Time -Jumped over the hedgerow and fell into a German machine gun nest manned by nine or ten Germans -Germans pointed their guns at him and took his weapons from him -Because he had a Thompson SMG they thought he was an officer -Note: Usually only officers carried the Thompson -Didn't know if he was going to be captured or executed -Taken to an underground headquarters in an orchard -Only gave his name, rank, and serial number as per the Geneva Convention -Female German intelligence officer knew his unit and the unit's details -Mad at him because he hadn't danced with her in England -She was a Nazi spy named Gretchen (00:31:06) Prisoner of War Pt. 1 -Note: He was captured a second time during D-Day -He was taken to an interrogation center and was beaten by regular German soldiers -Hadn't eaten for 15 days -Called a German officer a son of a bitch -Beaten so bad that he lost consciousness and woke up two days later in a hospital (00:32:29) Captured-The Second Time -Had been marched out of Saint-Come-du-Mont toward Carentan with other prisoners -Took artillery fire and got away from his German captors -Took a piece of shrapnel in his butt and two Americans lost their legs -Got separated from the other American soldiers and managed to jump into another German position -This time the German soldiers took his dog tags (00:35:19) Prisoner of War Pt. 2 -Marched to Carentan then to Saint-Lo, onto “Starvation Hill” - “Starvation Hill” was a monastery being used as a collection area for prisoners of war -From “Starvation Hill” he was sent to the interrogation center and then to the hospital after the beating -Once he recovered he was moved to Alencon to Chartres to Paris -Marched through Paris for German propaganda -French civilians were forced to throw garbage at the prisoners of war -Staged by Nazi officials, believes the civilians were held at gunpoint -Prodded with a bayonet to keep moving -Taken to a railroad station and they were loaded onto 40 & 8 boxcars -Note: 40 & 8 boxcars could carry 40 men or 8 horses �-50 prisoners were loaded onto these boxcars -Traveled for seven days and seven nights -Had to defecate in overflowing buckets -Train got strafed on the second day of travel -About a dozen men were killed and a dozen men were wounded -Treated the wounded as best as they could -Reached Lindberg, Germany -Greeted by German soldiers and guard dogs snapping at the prisoners of war -Registered as prisoners of war -Assigned a prisoner of war dog tag with ID #80123 -Deloused and showered -Remembers en route to Saint-Lo they were in unmarked trucks -Resulted in getting strafed by an American plane -A POW in his box car had jumped into an old latrine ditch and stunk -Aware of the genocide being carried out by the Nazis -Didn't know if the showers would produce water, or poison gas -Allowed to keep his American uniform (00:42:01) Prisoner at Stalag IV-B -Transferred to Stalag IV-B (prisoner-of-war camp) in Muhlberg, Germany -Highly organized prison camp -Remembers on September 17, 1944 learning about Operation Market Garden -German soldier told him the 101st Airborne Division dropped into Holland -Knew that France had been liberated (00:43:42) Prisoner at Stalag III-C Pt. 1 -Moved to Stalac III-C (another prisoner-of-war camp) in eastern Germany (now part of Poland) -He was part of the first group of American prisoners-of-war to arrive at the camp -Surrounded by barbed wire -24 men per barracks -Three-high bunk beds -Kept there from September-November 1944 (00:44:30) First Escape & Recaptured -Escaped from Stalag III-C in November 1944 -Started receiving Red Cross care packages once he reached Germany -Each package came with dehydrated food and five (to seven) cigarettes -He didn't smoke, so he collected every pack of cigarettes he received -Bribed a German guard with 40 packs of cigarettes to let him cut the wire -Had walked the camp line and befriended the guard -Learned that a pack of cigarettes on the black market cost equivalent of $50 -Escaped with two other prisoners -Jumped aboard a freight train and wound up in Berlin -Wanted to contact the German Resistance for help -Asked an older railroad worker for help and he refused -Asked another German worker who agreed to help him and the other prisoners -The German turned Joe and the other American prisoners over to the Gestapo -Held at Gestapo headquarters and beaten for two weeks -German Army officials threatened to kill the Gestapo officials to get back the POWs -POWs “belonged” to the military, not the police (00:48:32) Stalag III-C Pt. 2 -Returned to Stalag III-C and placed in solitary confinement for 30 days �-Bread and water diet -Red Cross came to inspect the camp and he was released from solitary confinement -German government didn't want any evidence they were abusing prisoners-of-war (00:49:37) Second Escape -In January 1945 he and a few other prisoners planned a second escape -Knew how the war was going and that the Nazi regime was nearing its end -Worked with a German “ferret” named Schultz -One prisoner faked a heart attack while Joe and another prisoner assisted him -Schultz escorted them to the edge of the camp then started a diversionary fight -Sneaked onto an old man's cart to get out of the camp -Germans realized the prisoners had escaped and sent out a search team with dogs -Two of the prisoners were killed, but he managed to get away from his pursuers (00:51:54) The Red Army -Traveled east for a week and came upon a farmhouse -Asked for food, but the family denied him for fear of retaliation from the Germans -Hid in the barn -Soviet forces camped at the farm and he observed them for a day before coming out -Identified himself as an American and asked to talk to an officer -Requested to fight with the Red Army, and the male officer denied his request -A female officer intervened and said Joe could fight with them -Rode on a Soviet tank across Germany for 30 days -Liberated his old prison camp with Soviet forces -Advanced toward Berlin and en route got attacked by German Stuka dive bombers -He was wounded and was sent to a Soviet hospital for recovery -Met Marshal Georgy Zhukov -Joe needed proof of his American citizenship, but lacked the paperwork -Marshal Zhukov got him the proper paperwork (00:55:53) Getting Back to the United States -Went to Warsaw, Poland to try and find an American embassy -City was destroyed and there was no embassy -Polish man took him to a convent run by the Sisters of St. Joseph -Spent four or five days there getting treated by the nuns -The Polish man visited him every day -Went to the Red Army headquarters in Warsaw and presented his paperwork from Marshal Zhukov -Requested transit to Moscow -Took two weeks to travel by train to Moscow -Taken to the American embassy in Moscow -Explained his situation to the American Marine major at the embassy -Told Joe that the Pentagon believed he'd been killed in action on June 10, 1944 -Meant that he couldn't stay in the embassy because he was “dead” -Moved to the Metropol Hotel in Moscow until the embassy could sort out his records -Once he was confirmed alive then he could return to the embassy -Flown to Odessa, Soviet Union (now Ukraine) and returned to the United States from there � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_BeyrleJ0102V Title A name given to the resource Beyrle, Joseph R (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-11-01 Description An account of the resource Joey Beyrle was born on August 25, 1923 in Muskegon, Michigan. On September 17, 1942 he enlisted in the Army, applied for the paratroopers, and was approved for that unit. He trained at Camp Toccoa and Fort Benning, Georgia receiving Airborne Training and training with radios and demolitions. He joined I Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division at Camp Mackall, North Carolina. He and the rest of the unit left the United States and went to England arriving there on September 17, 1943. He participated in two, secret OSS missions in occupied France prior to the invasion of France. On June 6, 1944 he parachuted into France and was subsequently captured by German forces, twice. He was interred at Stalag IV-B then at Stalag III-C where he escaped. He was recaptured in Berlin and returned to Stalag III-C. He escaped again and linked up with the Red Army. He traveled with them for 30 days before getting wounded. Once he recovered he went to the American embassy in Moscow and returned to the United States by way of Odessa. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Beyrle, Joseph R. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3472a515100db4841e72767c22e79d5f.m4v 66c839d2b3dabffdb247896caf30fe73 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3bde94d64d7c5daa9f00af09471738dc.pdf 877c862dd626aa477b1cbdd4cfc8ce4e PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Lewis Berra Vietnam Era-Cold War 33 minutes 41 seconds (00:00:42) Early Life -Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1942 -Grew up in Detroit -Father worked as an arc welder -Died in an on the job accident when Lewis was five years old -Mother worked domestic jobs while Lewis was in college -Went to St. John Berchmann Catholic School for grade school -Went to Servite Catholic High School for high school (00:01:18) Vietnam War -Aware of the Vietnam War -Interested in being a pilot (00:01:34) University of Detroit & the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) -Went to the University of Detroit -Joined the ROTC with the intention of becoming a pilot -Part of the engineering program at the University of Detroit -After sophomore year he received hands-on training and got paid while doing it -Guaranteed a job after college -Only downside is it took five years as opposed to four years to complete degree -Worked three months on the job and received three months of classwork -Trained as a civil engineer with the State Highway Department -Rotated through the various engineering positions -Since he was studying engineering, that meant he had to do at least two years of ROTC duty -Two additional years were optional, and he decided to opt in for that -Passed the written exam to be a pilot, but failed the eye exam at Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan -Offered chance to be a navigator and considered that -Looked into engineering officer position in the Air Force and decided to go with that (00:04:20) Officer Candidate School & Waiting for Active Duty -Sent to Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio for Officer Candidate School (OCS) -A lot of of physical training and learning how to deal with stressful situations -Similar to basic training for enlisted men -Lasted 60 days -Commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in August 1965 -Had to wait until June 1966 to receive his orders -Between August 1965 and June 1966 he worked for Michigan Consolidated Gas Company -Went through a training program -Rotated through the various divisions of the company -Six month training program -Worked as an engineer for the company -Guaranteed a job with the company after he completed his active duty (00:06:10) Stationed at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base Pt. 1 -Sent to Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming in the summer of 1966 -Strategic Air Command base at the time �-He was part of the base civil engineering squadron with a focus on missile engineering -Working with intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) -Francis E. Warren AFB oversaw ICBMs in three different states -Responsible for maintaining electronics, air conditioning, structures, and launch control facility -He started working at the base as a staff officer -Did that for two years -Promoted to chief of operations -In command of 350 personnel -Very high morale -Half of the personnel were civilians and the other half were military personnel -Stationed there until 1969 (00:08:21) Stationed at Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay -Reassigned to Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Goose Bay in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada -Another Strategic Air Command base -Americans provided the KC-135 refueling planes and the Canadians provided fighter jets -Americans and Canadians were organized and cooperated with each other -Part of base operations -Meant he helped oversee electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and snow-removal personnel -Also responsible for maintaining base infrastructure and base housing -Most of the infrastructure problems stemmed from weather and the age of the buildings -Base opened in late 1941 -Served there until 1970 (00�:11:00) Air Force Reserve Pt. 1 -Active duty with the Air Force ended in 1970 -Considered staying on active duty and making a career out of the Air Force -Decided to get out of active duty so he could get his Master of Business Administration (MBA) -Joined the Air Force Reserve (00�:11:36) Problems in the Military -Had problems as the military, as a whole, transitioned from the draft to an all-volunteer force -Problems with letting men into the Air Force that probably shouldn't be in the Air Force -When he was in the Reserve he encountered a lot of men putting in their time to avoid the draft -Had to motivate those men because they felt pressured to be there -Knew about racial tensions in the Air Force -Tried to manage the recruits that were unprepared for Air Force service -They had trouble with applying what they learned in training -Had skilled non-commissioned officers help the recruits (00:16:40) Air Force Reserve Pt. 2 & Civilian Life -Almost made an active duty career out of the Air Force because he enjoyed active duty -Got his MBA and his law degree at the University of Detroit thanks to the GI Bill -Worked at Michigan Consolidated Gas Company for six months while in the Reserve -The Department of Housing and Urban Development opened an office in Detroit -Needed engineers and wanted him because of his experience in the Air Force -Interested in getting into the management side of engineering which is why he got his MBA -Started as an engineer at the Department of Housing and Urban Development -Once he got his MBA he worked as the chief of construction estimating -Moved to Indianapolis, then Grand Rapids, Michigan; to Chicago, and back to Grand Rapids -In Grand Rapids became the head of the office -Stationed at Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan from 1971 to 1990 -Served as the construction engineer �-In 1978 he became the squadron commander -From 1990 to 1995 he worked in the Office of Civil Engineers in the Pentagon -Promoted to the rank of colonel -Spent two weeks a year in the summer and one weekend a month training and going on deployments -More responsibilities due to having such a high rank (00:19:35) Deployments in the Reserve -Went on construction related deployments with the Reserve -Every third year he went to Europe for NATO support operations -Idea was to be familiar with the NATO bases in the event war broke out in Europe, again -The other two years were spent at various bases in the continental United States -Construction related projects on various bases -Set up support buildings, repaired buildings, and carried out demolition projects -Electrical, mechanical, and structural projects -Went to Germany several times, deployed to Spain, Italy, and England for NATO operations (00:21:15) Air Force Reserve Pt. 3 -The squadron size varied during his time in the Reserve -Maximum number was about 250 men, and 60 men at the minimum -Had men in the Reserve trying to avoid the draft -Also had men with prior military experience that wanted to continue to serve -Had very high morale in the Reserve (00:22:55) Gulf War -His Reserve unit was not called up during the Gulf War -Initially, there was resistance from the active duty leadership to involve Reserve units -Ironically, a lot of Reservists had more experience than younger active duty personnel (00:25:02) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -Proud to have gotten to lead the troops he led during his time in the Air Force -Satisfied to accomplish the missions assigned to him -Bonded more with the men in the Reserves because he spent more time with them -Believes that it made them a more effective unit -They knew their strengths and weaknesses (00:26:52) Service at the Pentagon -Promoted to the rank of full colonel when he served at the Pentagon -Worked in Planning and Resources -Established policy and allocated resources for engineering projects -Managed budgets for civil engineering commands around the country -Near the end of his career he saw more civilian contractors used for engineering projects -There were a lot of base closures after the Cold War ended -Helped consolidate units at the open bases and make sure they had the proper resources -Never noticed any tension between the military personnel and the contractors -Generally good relationship between the two groups (00:31:10) Stationed at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base Pt. 2 -While at Francis E. Warren AFB he never worried about getting hit by a nuclear bomb -Figured that if a nuclear war began it was the end of the world any way -Never dealt with any anti-nuclear protestors -Francis E. Warren AFB oversaw missiles in Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska -Citizens in those states tended to be fairly pro-military -Winters in Wyoming were rough, but survivable (00:32:57) Reflections on Service Pt. 2 -He would serve again if he could �-Felt that he accomplished something for the nation's defense -Developed close friendships with the men he served with -Still in touch with them as of 2016 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_BerraL1883V Title A name given to the resource Berra, Louis (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-08-13 Description An account of the resource Louis Berra was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1942. He attended the University of Detroit and was part of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) there. He received his Officer Candidate School training at Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio and received his commission as a 2nd lieutenant in August 1965. In June 1966 he received orders for Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming where he served as a staff officer and the chief of operations until 1969. He was transferred to Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay in Canada where he helped with base operations until 1970. From 1971 to 1995 he served in the Air Force Reserve at Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan, various bases all over the continental United States, and at NATO bases in Europe. From 1990 to 1995 he served in the Office of Civil Engineers in the Pentagon and reached the rank of colonel. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Berra, Louis Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource McGregor, Michael (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Air Force Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6d7c453b380f512d27f119071857e1f4.m4v 9203954d192cf5cbcdd2f386a3b94bb2 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7bfd1a72b72d42fea24be2a01c9d21ef.pdf b1689ff5989670c0dbbbbe849689ff70 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Joseph Bailey World War II & Korean War 55 minutes 47 seconds (00:00:23) Early Life -Born in Prescott, Arizona, in 1922 -Lived out of town -Went to 13 schools over the course of 11 years -Wrestled, played football, boxed, and ran track (00:01:12) Enlisting in the Navy -The draft began in September 1940 in anticipation of America entering World War II -He was working in a papermill in Oregon City, Oregon -Didn’t want to get drafted into the Army, so he decided to enlist in the Navy -Based on later information, he most likely enlisted in January or February 1941 (00:01:39) Basic Training -Sent to Naval Training Center San Diego for his basic training -Lasted seven weeks -For the first three weeks the recruits were kept on the base -Transferred to North Unit -Trained there for the other four weeks -Learning more about the Navy and its various protocols -Quartered in barracks -Had two-high bunks -Tied sea bag to his bunk -Kept everything he would bring to sea with him in that bag -Mostly Navy-issued clothing -Had good food -Assigned to guard duty sometimes -Issued a rifle, but no ammunition (00:04:18) Metalsmith School -Sent to Metalsmith School for four months -He had experience with welding, which prompted that assignment -Received that training in San Diego -Started off as an apprentice seaman, then got promoted to seaman 2nd class -Pay went from $21 a month to $36 a month -He helped build the Metalsmith School -Learned about the different types of welding -Mostly gas welding and arc welding -Had normal work days, and usually got off work around 5 p.m. -Pulled guard duty when he wasn’t doing any welding �-Usually had enough to work on, so there wasn’t much downtime -If there was downtime, he would go into San Diego -Visited Mission Beach because it was cheap entertainment -On leave, he would hitchhike home -If he had a seven-day leave, he got to spend two or three days with his family -Got into a lot of fights with the Marines in San Diego -Each group was proud of their branch of service and fiercely defended its honor (00:09:49) Service aboard the USS Whitney (AD-4) -His first ship assignment was to the USS Whitney (AD-4) -Joined the crew in July (or August) 1941 at Pearl Harbor -It was an auxiliary ship that tended to destroyers -Took care of 11 destroyers -Supplied them with fresh water, fuel, and various repairs -Had a constant stream of ships in need of service -He was initially assigned to the welding shop, and he slept in a hammock -Transferred to the blacksmith shop because they needed more help -Stayed in Pearl Harbor unless they went to sea for exercises with destroyers -Assisting the destroyers and participating in combat training -Joseph was assigned to the 3in. antiaircraft gun -Fired at tow targets (targets towed by planes) (00:13:20) Service aboard the USS Thomas Jefferson (APA-30) -Transferred to the USS Thomas Jefferson (APA-30) in 1942 -Transport and supply ship -By early 1942, the Japanese had captured a lot of territory in the Pacific -General MacArthur left the Philippines in February 1942 -Transferred command to General Stillwell -Stillwell [MacArthur] pulled U.S. forces to Bataan hoping to hold out until help came -Eventually ran out of supplies and had to surrender -The original plan was for the Thomas Jefferson to run the Japanese blockade -Reach Bataan and get supplies to the besieged troops -When he joined the Thomas Jefferson he was a fireman 2nd class -The Navy needed officers, so he applied for the Naval Academy -Failed the algebra portion of the test -Commander offered to send him to preparatory school for nine months -He could take the test again, but if he failed, he’d be sent to the Army -Decided not to risk it -This led to his assignment to the Thomas Jefferson (00:18:08) Attempted Supply Mission to the Philippines -He joined the Thomas Jefferson at Pearl Harbor -Loaded with food and ammunition bound for the Philippines -Told when they reached Midway they were sailing for the Philippines, alone -The crew voted to wire the ship with explosives �-This was to deny the Japanese the supplies if they were stopped -Stopped at Midway and each man was given two beers and a chance to relax -Sailed on for the Philippines, but someone in the crew sabotaged a propeller shaft -Retuned to Midway for repairs, then set sail again -Sailed for four days then received word that Bataan had fallen to Japanese forces -Plan had been to slip into a Japanese convoy to get to the Philippines -They would have then beached the ship near Bataan to offload their supplies -Returned to Pearl Harbor to unload the supplies, then sailed to San Francisco (00:24:05) Assignment to the USS Annoy (AM-84) -Sent to Naval Station Treasure Island in San Francisco for reassignment -Stayed there for three weeks -Assigned to the USS Annoy (AM-84) being built in Portland, Oregon -Went to Bremerton, Washington, to wait for the ship to be completed *Note: Based on when he left the USS Thomas Jefferson and when the USS Annoy was completed, it’s safe to assume he was assigned to the ship shortly before it was launched in April 1942 -Conducted sea trials aboard the Annoy to see if it was ready for duty (00:25:00) Aleutian Islands Campaign -In June 1942, Japan invaded the outer islands of the Aleutian Islands -They occupied Attu and Kiska, and bombed Dutch Harbor -In response, the United States assembled a force to take back the islands -Sailed to Kiska, and by the time they arrived, Japanese forces had retreated -Conducted minesweeping missions around that island for two months -Participated in the liberation of Attu -Took 11 days to take that island *Note: The liberation of Attu happened before Kiska -Conducted antisubmarine and antiaircraft patrols around the Aleutian Islands -Surveyed other islands in that chain -Spent 19 months sailing around the Aleutian Islands -In September 1943, they escorted a damaged destroyed back to the United States (00:26:42) Assignment to the USS Impeccable (AM-320) -Given seven days of leave, then joined the crew of the USS Impeccable (AM-320) -Fleet minesweeper -Capable of dealing with four types of naval mines: -Contact: mines moored to the ocean floor that are triggered by contact -Cut them loose, then had following ships destroy them -Acoustic: mines triggered by noise from a passing ship -Had an instrument on the bow of the ship to falsely trigger mines -Electric: mines triggered by the electrical field of a passing ship -Ship was degaussed and towed an electric wire to trip those mines -Pressure: mines triggered by the displacement of water -Used depth charges to trip those mines -Only encountered that type during the occupation of Japan �-Each of these mines was capable of sinking, or crippling, a ship -Sailed with convoys -Aside from minesweeping, they conducted antisubmarine and antiaircraft patrols -Mostly did the latter during the Battle of Okinawa -Convoyed with ships to the Marianas Islands -Participated in the liberation of Kwajalein (January 31 – February 3, 1944) -Participated in the liberation of Eniwetok (February 17 – February 23, 1944) -Convoyed ships to Iwo Jima -Mostly escorting “baby flap tops” (otherwise known as escort carriers) -Liberty Ships that had been converted into simpler, smaller aircraft carriers (00:35:23) Overview of Battles -Present for the bombing of Pearl Harbor -First major campaign was at the Aleutian Islands -Saw action at Attu -Stopped the Japanese from establishing a foothold in mainland Alaska -From there, they could have bombed the West Coast -Saw action at the Marianas Islands, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa -Swept mines and searched for Japanese submarines and aircraft at those places (00:36:30) Commendations -Awarded the Pearl Harbor Commemorative Medal with one battle star -Given to service personnel that were present for the bombing of Pearl Harbor -Awarded the American Defense Service Medal -Given to active duty personnel between September 8, 1939, and December 7, 1941 -Awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four battle stars -Given to personnel that fought in the Pacific Theatre -Awarded the Navy Good Conduct Medal -Had four years of service without getting into serious trouble (00:37:47) Life after World War II -Enlistment was slated to end in 1947 -Had accumulated 180 days of leave, but had only used 40 days of leave -Discharged from active duty in December 1946 -Moved to Belding, Michigan -Got a job with a company that made electric appliances -His wife was from Belding, so they decided to move back to Michigan -Worked for the electric appliance factory for two years -Moved back to Oregon City, Oregon, and got a job at the papermill -Placed in inactive reserve for four years, and that was supposed to end in 1951 (00:42:55) Korean War -He was called up for service in the Korean War in September 1950 -Discharged in 1952 -He was a chief motor machinist mate -Placed in command of the engine room on the USS Moctobi (ATF-105) -One of the first duties they did was tow a barracks ship from San Diego to Hawaii �-He was transferred to an oiler based out of Hawaii -Sailed to Kwajalein and stayed there for six months -Went on to Sasebo, Japan, and refueled ships bound for Korea -Finally got enough points and was directed to Yokohama to return to the United States -Note: Points awarded based rank, combat, length of service, and dependents -Sailed from Yokohama to San Francisco, and was discharged there (00:46:11) Life after the Korean War -Returned to work at the papermill in Oregon City -Worked on paper machines -Retired when he was 60 years old (c. 1982) -Had a son and a daughter -Wife was pregnant with their daughter when he was called up for the Korean War (00:47:50) Life in Japan – Korean War -The oiler didn’t have a cook, so they went ashore at Sasebo and hired a local girl to cook -Gave her money to get food, then come back and cook for the sailors -Ate a lot of exotic fish, octopus’ tentacles, and rice (00:49:43) Veterans’ Groups & Reunions -There was a Pearl Harbor Survivors Association meeting in Las Vegas in December 1998 -Went to Hawaii in 2015 for the 74th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor -Stayed for a week -As of the interview, planned on returning in 2016 for the 75th anniversary event -In 2015, there were only 22 survivors able to come to the event -Most had either died or were incapable of making the trip (00:54:17) Reflections on Service -In the Aleutian Islands, they swept a huge number of mines, and it was dangerous work -Ironically, by being in the Aleutian Islands he avoided seeing more combat -Delayed his assignment to a fleet minesweeper, which probably saved his life -Could have been all over the South Pacific in the middle of the action � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_BaileyJ2086V Title A name given to the resource Bailey, Joseph (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-02-26 Description An account of the resource Joseph Bailey was born in Prescott, Arizona, in 1922. He enlisted in the Navy in early 1941. He received his basic training and attended Metalsmith School at San Diego, and was assigned to the USS Whitney (AD-4). He survived the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and shortly thereafter was assigned to the USS Thomas Jefferson (APA-30). After an abortive attempt to bring supplies to American forces on the Philippines, he was transferred to the USS Annoy (AM-84) and participated in the liberation of the Aleutian Islands and subsequent patrols around those islands. He was then reassigned to the USS Impeccable (AM-320) and witnessed the liberation of the Marianas Islands, the invasion of Iwo Jima, and the invasion of Okinawa. His active duty ended in 1947 and he was placed in the inactive reserve. He was called up for duty in September 1950 due to the Korean War and was assigned to the USS Moctobi (ATF-105). He was then transferred to an oiler. For six months they refueled ships at Kwajalein before sailing to Sasebo, Japan, to continue refueling operations. He was discharged in 1952. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bailey, Joseph Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Frost, Elaine Snyder (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2e2dfa8741f6d3fd64cf1a533b06979f.m4v 8686b85f2792c71f2bf8fb91659b004c https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/48b72adeafa7b1332a18447966d0f79e.pdf 3d2b89cde3ed4ec785c3ec130a9bd17d PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Gust Anton Korean War 1 hour 1 minute 24 seconds (00:00:12) Early Life -Born in Chicago on December 17, 1928 -One of four boys -All of them wound up being in the military -Father owned three restaurants in Chicago -Lost all three of them during the Great Depression in 1934 -Worked for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) for six months -Got a job with Derby Foods, a food manufacturer in Chicago -Lived in a Polish neighborhood -They were the only Greek family in the neighborhood -He was bullied because of his Greek heritage -Played soccer in high school -Worked for B&G Studio making photo prints (00:02:27) World War II -He was on a streetcar going to a movie and he heard snippets of talk about Pearl Harbor -When he got home, he learned that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor -Tried to enlist near the end of the war, but he was turned away -Partly because he had a lazy eye, but also because he was only 16 years old (00:04:30) Getting Drafted -Graduated from high school in 1948 -Continued working for B&G Studio -Had started in high school and moved on to more complex work -Taking photos, developing photos, and enlarging photos for high-end displays -Got married on October 21, 1951 -Got drafted in December 1951 -Hadn’t paid any attention to the Korean War, which had begun in June 1950 -Had to report for basic training in January 1952 -Pushed through the draft physical because the Army needed soldiers (00:06:43) Basic Training -Sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky, for basic training -Platoon sergeant was a black man who had fought in Korea -Had visible bullet wounds -Company commander had fought in Korea and had received a battlefield commission -Did a lot of hiking -Received training with machineguns, bazookas, and rifles -There was a high emphasis on discipline �-Taught that listening well in training led to a higher chance of survival in combat -Had trouble with adjusting to getting up at 3 or 4 a.m. -He didn’t have any trouble with following orders or being around different people -There were some recruits who couldn’t adjust to either -Basic training lasted eight weeks (00:09:47) Mechanic Training -Received eight weeks of mechanic training -Offered a chance to go to Officer Candidate School, but he declined -Would have meant signing up for another two years in the Army -Did his Mechanic Training at Fort Knox -Learned how to work on 2 ½ ton trucks and their engines -Taught how to do quick repairs with minimal tools -Very basic truck maintenance training (00:12:00) Deployment to Korea -Sent home for two weeks of leave then went to Fort Lewis, Washington -Flown out to Washington then had to wait for a ship -Eventually boarded the USNS General Simon B. Buckner -Immediately assigned to kitchen duty -Got special quarters since he had to rise early and work late -Took nine days to reach Camp Drake, Japan -The Buckner carried troops as well as troop-dependents (wives and children bound for Japan) -Had good weather on the crossing because they took the Southern Route -He didn’t have to do the “King Neptune Ceremony” because he was in the kitchen -“King Neptune Ceremony”: Hazing for men crossing the Equator -Got off at Camp Drake and waited a few days for further orders in Korea (00:15:45) Arrival in Korea & Assignment to 84th Engineer Battalion -Sailed over to Korea and went ashore at Inchon in amphibious landing craft -By the time he arrived, the fighting had moved to the 38th Parallel -*Note: 38th Parallel had been the border of North and South Korea -Assigned to the 84th Engineer Battalion on the Imjin River near the 38th Parallel -They were working on the Teal bridge -A week after arriving, American planes strafed them -They were mistaken for North Korean or Chinese troops -There was destruction everywhere -Thousands of children without food, parents, or appropriate shelter -American soldiers gave them whatever they could -Many of them suffered from frostbite -Arrived in Korea in December 1952 -Had spent a few months waiting for a ship at Fort Lewis -Passed the time campaigning for General Eisenhower’s presidency -Hoped he would end the war before they’d have to be deployed -Before landing at Inchon, he saw artillery flashes in the distance -Told that he was being sent where he saw the flashes �-Met with the captain of the 84th Engineer Battalion -Asked Gust why he’d been drafted since he had a lazy eye -He had been sent to them as a tank mechanic, but they needed a photographer -Previous soldier was leaving and Gust had experience with photography (00:23:16) Photography in Korea -Issued a jeep with a broken heater -Had winter gear, but was still cold -Luckily, he was familiar with the portable heater and was able to repair it -Allowed him to use his jeep as a mobile photo studio -Started out by using a camera that used film cartridges -Could take two photographs with each cartridge -Took photos of construction, of battle damage, of dead soldiers, and of wounded soldiers -Felt that he did good work -Also had a 35mm camera -CIA heard that he was a good photographer -They took away the older camera and gave him extra film for the 35mm -He took the pictures and turned over the film to the CIA for development -Much easier camera to operate -Had bought the first 35mm for $10 off a soldier returning to America -Wound up getting rid of it after a while -Bought a 35mm Canon camera at the PX (post-exchange) in Seoul (00:28:33) Combat, Battle of Outpost Vegas, Battle on May 28th -There were Marines based near his unit -They cycled on and off the frontline every three days -Worst picture he ever took was of a dead, young Marine -Prior to March 26, 1953, there was sporadic fighting on the frontline -Patrols running into each other and getting into firefights -On March 26, 1953, the Battle of Outpost Vegas took place -3,500 Chinese and North Korean soldiers hit their position -He was pulled off the line because he was considered too valuable to lose -500 yard from the Teal bridge, the Marines were overrun at Outpost Vegas -Watched from a mile as the Marines and Engineers fought and held the bridge -In the end, 214 Marines were killed, 19 taken prisoner, and 801 wounded -Met one of the wounded Marines in 2009 -Thousands of Chinese soldiers killed -*Note: Estimated 1,351 Chinese killed in that battle -They were sent in a suicidal human wave -Soldiers were issued a rifle with two rounds of ammunition -Every third soldier was given a spear -Expected to pick up rifle after riflemen died -After the battle he found a Russian “burp gun” (PPSh-41) -Turned it over to the CIA for examination -Took photos of the dead and wounded after the battle �-Koreans had to break the arms and legs of dead soldiers to be able to transport them -Things quieted down after March 26 -Air Force hit North Korean and Chinese positions with napalm bombs to deter them -There were minor skirmishes after the Battle of Outpost Vegas -On May 28, 1953, there was another battle with the Chinese -He was pulled off the line again and watched the battle from a distance (00:36:20) Daily Life in Korea & Visiting Seoul -On an ordinary day, the sergeant would give him specific photo orders -Mostly taking pictures of damaged vehicles to account for materiel losses -Mostly took mundane pictures for documentation purposes -Once or twice a month he would drive to the PX in Seoul for supplies -During his time in Seoul, he wound up taking over 500 “human interest” photos -City was destroyed save for a few buildings -North Korean snipers stuck behind enemy lines hid in Seoul -Took potshots at American and U.N. troops in the city -The civilians living in Seoul had a very tough life -Visited a family living in a very simple house -Had an underground fire pit to heat their home (00:40:18) Contact with Korean Soldiers -Worked with KATUSAs (Korean Augmentation to the United States Army) -Korean soldiers that were attached to the U.S. Army -They were hardworking and tough soldiers -Fought for the independence of their country -They remembered Japanese oppression and didn’t want North Korean oppression -Some of their officers had studied in America and were well-educated (00:41:45) Morale & Discipline Problems -They spent most of their time on the frontline, so there was no chance for issues to arise -Able to get some Korean moonshine nicknamed “Lucky 7” -Avoided it since it caused one soldier to go blind -In Seoul, there were English teahouses which served alcohol (00:43:07) Weather -In March, it started to get warmer, but it was still cold -In the summer, it wasn’t hot, but it was more tolerable than the winter (00:43:45) International Troops -Had British and Australian troops stationed near his unit -The British and Australian troops hated each other -Australians detested the British because they felt that the British were arrogant -Gust got along well with the Australian and Canadian troops (00:45:00) Fellow Soldiers -His sergeant taught him how to survive the winter in Korea, specifically avoiding frostbite -He was a career soldier who had been in for most of his life -All the enlisted men were draftees -Some of the officers had been in the Reserve and had been called up for active duty �(00:46:28) Armistice -On July 27, 1953, North and South Korea agreed to an armistice -Company commander sent him to Seoul to look for beer, but couldn’t find any -Went to the Air Force base and asked if they had any -They had 20 cases of Korean beer which they allowed Gust to take with him -Went through 20 cases of two-liter bottles in three days -Despite the armistice, there were still snipers and skirmishes with North Korean troops -Technically, the war never ended allowing for tensions to flare occasionally -For example, the “axe murder incident” on August 18, 1976 (00:49:19) Postwar Duty -With the war “over” he was placed in charge of the company PX -Sold candy, cigarettes, and cameras -Had a very small building to work in -Soldiers wanted cigarettes because they were a barter currency in Seoul -Could trade cigarettes for sex or alcohol -He got the job because his predecessor got caught engaging in the black market (00:51:19) Generator Incident & Change of Command -His unit had a large generator on Teal bridge, and it was lost in the Battle of Outpost Vegas -It was either destroyed or knocked into the Imjin River -The captain couldn’t go home until they recovered it or found evidence of it -Gust went to the Canadians and made a deal with them to take their generator -Allowed the captain to go home and the lieutenant to take command -As of the interview, Gust and that lieutenant are still good friends (00:53:08) Korean Civilians -It was heart wrenching to see the suffering Korean children -Inspired him to become a Shriner and help with the Shriners Children’s Hospital -Abandoned and suffering children were everywhere in Korea -Koreans were so desperate for material, they used parachutes for their homes (00:54:19) Coming Home & End of Service -Knew that he would most likely head back to the United States in December 1953 -Could’ve gotten out earlier, but had to wait an additional 28 days -Returned to America on the USNS General R.L. Howze -Rough seas -Encountered a Merchant Marine ship with a man suffering from appendicitis -Sent a doctor from the Howze over in a lifeboat to treat the man -Repaid with Greek liquor -Landed at San Francisco -Everyone was moved to tears when they saw the Golden Gate Bridge -Sent to Fort Sheridan, Illinois, to be discharged -Wanted to be home for Christmas -Discharged on December 25, 1953, with his wife waiting for him at Fort Sheridan (00:57:53) Life after the War -Had a job with Sears repairing washing machines then working in their warehouse �-Had PTSD, but wasn’t diagnosed until 2000 -Didn’t know how to react with people -Had 10 jobs over the course of his working life due to his PTSD -Married for over 50 years until her death -The VA had open enrollment for insurance in Benton Harbor, Michigan -He signed up, got examined, and qualified for help for PTSD -Got terrific help from the VA � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_AntonG2095V Title A name given to the resource Anton, Gust J (Interview outline and video), 2017 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-01-24 Description An account of the resource Gust Anton was born in Chicago on December 17, 1928. He was drafted in December 1951 and reported for duty in January 1952. He went to Fort Knox, Kentucky, for his basic training and mechanic training, then went to Fort Lewis, Washington, to wait for his deployment to Korea. He sailed to Korea aboard the USNS General Simon B. Buckner, and after a brief stop at Camp Drake, Japan, arrived in Korea at Inchon in early December 1952. Gust was assigned to the 84th Engineer Battalion near the 38th Parallel, and due to prior photography experience was made a photographer in that unit. He not only documented equipment damage, but also photographed the dead and wounded. He witnessed the Battle of Outpost Vegas on March 26, 1953, and another major fight on May 28, 1953. Gust also photographed Seoul and the people living in the city during the war. After the armistice was signed on July 27, 1953, he served as the company PX clerk (Army general store) until returning to the United States in December 1953. He was discharged at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, on December 25, 1953. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Anton, Gust J. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4c518581998ba6a4e088bc60542975ec.m4v d31921a93dc65c98bf93ac38d78b9948 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3b24e3d994b13549ae16496c75cf8306.pdf 49b83ca0ba8d78a6023a6353c0d54289 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Raymond Acker Cold War; Vietnam War 17 minutes 57 seconds (00:00:11) Becoming a Chaplain -First served in the Army as an enlisted man -Served overseas with the 549th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion as a radio operator -Returned to the United States and attended Philadelphia College of Bible -Attended the Reformed Episcopal Seminary -Did his graduate work at the Dallas Theological Seminary -Commissioned in the Army as a staff specialist -Received his 1st lieutenant chaplain commission at Fort Wadsworth, New York in 1964 (00:01:14) Pre-Vietnam Service -Went on active duty in July 1965 and served as a chaplain at Fort Polk, Louisiana -Left Fort Polk in 1966 and was stationed at Okinawa (00:01:32) Service in Vietnam -Deployed to Vietnam in March 1969 -Attached to the 159th Transportation Battalion (Boat) -Operated out of Vung Tau -In charge of moving supplies in the Mekong River Delta -He went to various ports in the Delta in the 159th’s area of operations to meet with the troops -Endorsed by the Independent Fundamentalist Chaplains of America -Held services for soldiers -Went to the USNS Corpus Christi Bay (helicopter repair ship), and held services on the ship -Occasionally took enemy rocket attacks at Vung Tau -Remembers during one attack a rocket hit the fuel area -Held some memorial services for soldiers -Mostly noncombat fatalities -Not much contact with the pilots (00:05:29) Stationed at Fort Polk -Before Vietnam, he served at Fort Polk with an advanced infantry training battalion -First battalion to train for combat in Vietnam -Had a mock village -Few noncommissioned officers or officers with prior experience in Vietnam -Changed over time as more men served in Vietnam -Time at Fort Polk was an outstanding part of his military career (00:07:35) Stationed at Okinawa -During his time at Okinawa, Chief of Chaplains Frank Sampson came to visit the troops -At this time, Raymond was with the 96th Ordinance Battalion -A the father of one of the soldiers in the 96th had served with Sampson in WWII �-Flew to a Marine base near where Sampson was visiting an Army unit -On the way to meeting Sampson, Raymond drove his truck into a ditch -The accident resulted in a sprained ankle -Thought it was the end of his Army career -Later attended Sampson’s retirement party in Washington D.C. -He avoided bringing up the incident at Okinawa (00:11:00) Stationed at Fort Hood -He was stationed at Fort Hood with the 1st Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division -The day before his promotion he planned on throwing a promotion party -He was in the chapel offices when he heard a crash and dust filled the hallway -Went down the hall to investigate the source and found a truck in the corner of a room -It was a beer truck that had been delivering to the NCO Club uphill -Brakes had failed causing the truck to roll downhill into the chapel -Fortunately, nobody was in the room when the truck hit the building (00:14:34) Reflections on Service -Joined the chaplaincy because of his time as an enlisted man -Opportunity to meet the spiritual needs of military personnel -Later in life, he encountered numerous men that had heard of him during his time as a chaplain -Didn’t know them at the time, but they remembered him -Feels he made a significant spiritual impact as a chaplain -Accomplished without directly guiding or forcing soldiers � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_AckerR2053V Title A name given to the resource Acker, Raymond A (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-10-26 Description An account of the resource Raymond Acker first served in the Army as a radio operator with the 549th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion. He attended Philadelphia Bible College, the Reformed Episcopal Seminary, and the Dall Theological Seminary and was commissioned in the Army as a staff specialist. He received his 1st lieutenant chaplain commission at Fort Wadsworth, New York, in 1964. He started serving at Fort Polk, Louisiana, in July 1965 before going to Okinawa in 1966. He deployed to Vietnam in March 1969 and was attached to the 159th Transportation Battalion (Boat) out of Vung Tau. He conducted chaplaincy duties in the Mekong River Delta and aboard the USNS Corpus Christi Bay. After his tour in Vietnam he served at Fort Hood, Texas, with the 1st Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Acker, Raymond A. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Keizer, Herman Jr. (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c09644b97dfe4a0f977f8863913b8371.pdf eefb1d4e88f75bd26e0e26e6d9d8550b PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project James Schmehil 2nd interview Peacetime – Gulf War & War on Terror 23 minutes 36 seconds (00:00:10) Early Life -Born on February 25, 1963 in Virginia -Had one brother and one sister -Lived in Virginia for two years then the family moved to Chicago -Grew up in Chicago (00:01:01) Enlisting in the Air Force -Enlisted in the Air Force in October 1981 -Father had served in the military for three or four years -His uncles had served in World War II and the Korean War -He aspired to be a pilot -Made a 24 year career out of the Air Force -18 years old when he enlisted (00:02:35) Nuclear Missiles -From 1982 to 1984 he was a missile crewman for the Titan II nuclear missile -Had to know how to carry out a launch sequence and the guidance system (00:03:09) Air Force Academy -He was accepted into the Air Force Academy Prep School -Studied there in 1983 and 1984 -Completed the Prep School and went to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado -Studied there from 1984 to 1988 -Graduated and was commissioned as a lieutenant (00:04:04) Service as a Flight Instructor -Went to Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, for pilot training -Program took a year to complete -Stayed at Laughlin AFB as an instructor on the Cessna T-37 training jet -Served as an instructor from 1989 to 1992 -Trained pilots to fly jets in the Gulf War -Effectively served as an instructor until 2005 when he retired -Only three years when he flew C-130s and was assigned to Honduras on a remote assignment -Rewarding to serve as an instructor -Had six months to teach a cadet how to actually fly a plane -Had six months after that to teach a cadet how to fly a plane like an Air Force aviator -Sometimes, new pilots didn't understand certain dangers, or why something was dangerous to do -Likens it to a teenager driving a car for the first time -Some of the cadets simply were not capable of being pilots -Had some challenges with cadets that were unacceptable for flight -Flew the Northrop T-38 trainer at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana -Flew with copilots of the aircraft stationed at the base -Cheaper way to get the copilots flight time so they could become pilots (00:10:01) Flying C-130s -In 1995 he was assigned to Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, where he flew C-130 supply planes -Carried paratroopers, personnel, and cargo �-Got a remote assignment to Saudi Arabia -Stationed there from October 1996 to January 1997 -Flew supply missions to bases in the Middle East -Picking up and delivering cargo (food, equipment, and weapons) -Serviced outlying bases that relied on aircraft resupplies -During one intelligence briefing they were told militants were taking potshots at American planes -Saw some planes come back with bullet holes in the fuselage -No one ever shot at his plane (to his knowledge), and he never returned with any damage (00�:12:55) Returning to Service as a Flight Instructor -In 1997 he returned to the United States and was assigned to Randolph Air Force Base, Texas -He was back in the T-37 teaching pilots how to be instructors -He would act as the student on training missions and deliberately make mistakes -Taught the pilots how to correct mistakes -In 2000 he became a trainer on the new T-6 Texan II trainer -Trained at Beechcraft Corporation headquarters in Wichita, Kansas -Did his remote assignment to Honduras in 2002 and returned to the States in 2003 -Continued work with the T-6 Texan II from 2003 until his retirement in 2005 (00:14:38) Personal Relationships in the Air Force -Met his wife at the Air Force Academy during a Valentine's Day Dance -She was the sister of one of his squadron mates -Became incredibly close with the people he trained with and lived with -Sought out people from similar backgrounds with similar personalities -Gained new friends wherever he was assigned -Still in touch with a lot of his friends from the Air Force -Most of them live all over the country, only one lives in Michigan (00:16:53) Life after the Air Force -Moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, after he retired from the Air Force -Excited to move back to a northern state where there were four seasons in a year -Briefly lived in Canada after retiring -Adjusting to the civilian workforce was the most challenging part of returning to civilian life -Lack of accountability with workers -Workplace politics -Works for National Heritage Academies (chartered school system) -Headquarters is in Grand Rapids, Michigan -81 private schools in eight different states -Works as a computer programmer at headquarters -Department IT and developing software for the schools for use by the students -Laptops, digital projectors, and smartboards are becoming more common (00:21:50) Reflections on Service -Air Force career was a great time in his life -Doesn't regret his service and he would do it again -Great adventure -Taught him teamwork -Everyone has abilities and talents to contribute to the larger effort and reaching a common goal � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_SchmehilJ1822V Title A name given to the resource Schmehil, James G (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-25 Description An account of the resource James Schmehil was born on February 25, 1963 in Virginia. He enlisted in the Air Force in October 1981. From 1982 to 1984 he served with a Titan II nuclear missile crew, and from 1983 to 1984 he studied at the Air Force Academy Prep School. In 1984 he attended the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and graduated in 1988 with the rank of lieutenant. He received pilot training at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, and served as an instructor there from 1989 to 1992 and at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. In 1995 he was assigned to Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, where he flew C-130s, and from October 1996 to January 1997 he flew C-130s out of Saudi Arabia. In 1997 he served at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, teaching pilots how to be instructors and in 2000 began working on the T-6 Texan II trainer. From 2002 to 2003 he had a remote assignment to Honduras. Upon returning to the United States he continued working with the T-6 Texan II until his retirement in 2005. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Schmehil, James G. Jr. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Salinas, Jacob (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States. Air Force Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries, Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/49478378bef610c8a5bc979b697a3e08.pdf 21e1fdc2137c1dc28391a58a6ba8c0eb PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Merton Powell World War II 27 minutes 3 seconds (00:00:11) Early Life -Born in Topeka, Kansas in 1924 -Grew up there -Father owned a car dealership -Ultimately moved the business to New York City -Merton, his brother, and his mother stayed in Topeka -Graduated after Pearl Harbor was attacked (00:01:36) Start of the War -Remembers hearing about the attack on Pearl Harbor in the news -Shocking event (00:02:13) Life after the War Pt. 1 -Earned a bachelor’s degree after the war -Studied at the University of Missouri (00:02:30) Enlisting in the Navy -Brother was already in the military -Didn’t want the war to end before he could fight -Enlisted in the Navy in 1943 -Army was never available for enlistment, but the Navy was -Enlisted in Kansas City -Requested the Navy Air Corps -Wanted to be a pilot -Accepted into that program (00:03:44) Basic Training -Sent to Chadron, Nebraska for basic training -Did a lot of classroom work -Learned semaphore -Learned about the different kinds of ships in service and how to recognize them -All of the men got kicked out of Naval Aviation Training -He was able to reapply and get accepted back into the program (00:05:40) Advanced Training -Sent to California -Prior to going to California went to Iowa to do some College Training -On the train ride to California he had to stand the entire way -Traveled with civilians -Got to California in two days -Doesn’t remember eating or sleeping for the entire journey -Started flying the N2S Stearman in California -Biplane -Had two seats: one for the instructor and one for the cadet �-Got a lot of flight time in the Stearman -Happy when he got to fly solo for the first time -Received a lot of classroom training -Progressed through training as an individual, not as a part of a larger unit -Had to be able to identify aircraft and ships in an instant (00:11:20) End of the War & End of Naval Service -He was in California when the war ended -Served in the Navy with the Naval Reserve until 1947 -Discharged from active duty in September 1945 -Note: Japan informally surrendered on August 15, 1945; formally on September 2, 1945 -Discharged from the Naval Reserve in 1947 -Between September 1945 and 1947 he served in the Reserve -Still in the Reserve when he finished college -Met up once a week for drills while he was in the Reserve -Got his degree at the University of Missouri -Eventually, the Navy told him that they no longer needed him -He would have liked to stay in (00:14:09) Service in the Air Force -Enlisted in the Air Force in 1949 -Took general college courses which meant he could become an officer -The catch was he wouldn't be an officer unless he went to war -In the Air Force during the Korean War (00:17:20) Flight Training in the Navy -Enjoyed flying in the Stearman the most -Ended training before he got to fly in any other aircraft -During a solo flight he got lost -Had to land at a local airfield and ask for directions -Had civilian instructors (00:19:46) Reflections on Service -Learned that he was able to take care of himself -Got used to adjusting to changing situations -Whenever he moved to a new base he was on his own (00:20:40) Survival Training -A lot of his training was in the water -Preparing him for service aboard an aircraft carrier -Practiced having to ditch in the ocean -Had a mock-up cockpit and a pool -Sat in the cockpit and the cockpit was submerged in the pool then flipped over -Had to get out of the cockpit then swim to the edge of the pool (00:22:01) Life after the War Pt. 2 -Finished all of his college -Returned to Topeka, Kansas -Worked for Senator Barrett of Wyoming -Went to work in the White House during the Eisenhower Administration -Head of the Correspondents' Section with a half dozen other people -Left the White House after President Eisenhower completed his second term �-Worked as a business professor and taught a variety of schools -Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas -Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan -University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming -Salina Area Technical College in Salina, Kansas -Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College in Michigan -Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan (00:24:50) Spirit of Grand Rapids/Talons Out Honor Flight -Went on the Honor Flight on May 16, 2015 -Opportunity to thank veterans for their service -Chartered flight to Washington DC -Greeted, thanked, and honored by politicians and civilians for their service -Had a personal assistant for the entire trip -Remembers 2,000 people greeting them at East Kentwood High School when they came back -Enjoyed it very much -Treated to dinner � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_PowellM1922V Title A name given to the resource Powell, Merton E (Interview outline), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-02-16 Description An account of the resource Merton Powell was born in Topeka, Kansas in 1924. He grew up in Topeka and enlisted in the Navy in 1943. He received basic training in Chadron, Nebraska then went to Iowa for College Training before going to California for Flight Training. He was accepted into the Naval Aviation Program and was able receive flight training in the N2S Stearman. After the Second World War ended in September 1945 he was discharged from active duty. He remained in the Naval Reserve until 1947. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1949 and served briefly with them. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Powell, Merton E. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy United States. Air Force Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries, Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/23dcc63edbe14fbd107cd1d82c8a07a9.pdf f320422886daa94b204248ed5bdc9b0a PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Bryan Tobias Peacetime 22 minutes 42 seconds (00:00:26) Enlisting in the Air Force Pt. 1 -Graduated from high school -Enlisted six months after graduating from high school on the delayed enlistment program -Graduated in May, and started training the following the following May -Enlisted in the Air Force (00:01:53) Basic Training -Almost missed the bus to get transported to basic training -Didn't know where to pick up the bus in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Flew from Detroit to San Antonio, Texas for basic training -Note: Most likely Lackland Air Force Base -Basic training was a rude awakening -Got screamed at by drill instructors as soon as he and the other recruits got off the bus -He would do basic training again -Remembers his drill instructors scaring all of the recruits -Purpose of basic training was breaking down the recruits and rebuilding them as a unit -Remembers doing physical training and learning military time (24 hour clock) and jargon -Went to the firing range -Learned how to break down and fire the M16 rifle (00:04:10) Advanced Training -Received advanced training in the area of mechanics and materials handling equipment -Worked with forklifts and aircraft loaders -Aircraft loaders were the size of a school bus without the shell -Had a deck that could be elevated to load supplies onto aircraft -Spent 16 weeks training in Illinois -Note: Most likely at Chanute Air Force Base (00:05:06) Adjusting to the Air Force -Adjusted well to the Air Force and enjoyed it -Liked the lack of ambiguity -Believes that Air Force food is the best food in the military -Least demanding physical training in the military -Only had run a mile and a half in 16 to 18 miutes -Made friends easily and quickly in the Air Force (00:06:35) Assignments in the Air Force -After completing training in Rantoul, Illinois he spent eight years in Anchorage, Alaska -Note: Most likely received advanced training at Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois -Note: Most likely stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska -After Anchorage he was reassigned to Fort Walton Beach, Florida in northern Florida -Note: Most likely Eglin Air Force Base -Never stationed outside of the United States -Alaska counted as overseas duty despite being in the United States (00:07:37) Friendships in the Air Force Pt. 1 -Had a brotherly relationship with the other airmen �-Looked out for each other both during duty and off duty -Friendships continued after he got out of the Air Force (00:08:51) Contact with Home -Only allowed to write letters during basic training -When he was two-thirds done with basic training he was allowed to call home -Allowed five minutes of phone time once a week -During advanced training he was allowed unlimited phone time during his downtime (00:09:43) Downtime -Spent his downtime fishing and working on cars with friends -Helped friends with various projects -Helped install a septic system -Helped set up mailboxes (00:10:30) End of Service & Life after Service Pt. 1 -Discharged when he was in Florida -Packed up his belongings -Allowed to fly home, or drive home -Chose to drive home with his precious possessions -Challenging to readjust to civilian life -Lots of ambiguity in civilian life -Civilians could question orders without repercussions (00:12:18) Friendships in the Air Force Pt. 2 -Maintained contact with a friend from Tennessee -Best man at Bryan's friend's wedding -Stood as best man at another Air Force friend's wedding -Still keeps in touch with him via phone calls and spending time with him -Meets with a friend who lives in Ohio (00:13:34) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -It was both a positive and negative experience serving in the Air Force -Hard to understand ambiguity after leaving the service -Taught him how to follow orders without question -Still has a “military personality” without thinking about it -Taught him to be decisive -Do what you mean and say what you mean -Has positive feelings about the military as a whole -Questions the political and military leadership in some instances -Questions America's position as the world police -Understands America's strength and why it's called to do that role -Doesn't always agree with America's actions, but understands the reasoning (00:16:39) Enlisting in the Air Force Pt. 2 -Chose the Air Force because it had the best eduction opportunities and best food in the military -Air Force is the most “civilian” branch of all of the branches of the military -Most civilian atmosphere -Learned how to work with computers, trucks, and infrastructure -Most practical skills to have as a civilian -More beneficial training experience than combat training -Air Force introduced him to computer work -Foreign experience, but good experience (00:19:12) Reflections on Service Pt. 2 -Only enlist in the military if you're committed �-Knew men that enlisted without being committed and wound up in correctional custody -There were a lot of men that refused to conform to military life -Worked in correctional custody for six months and saw a lot of men like that -Have to be physically and emotionally prepared for military service (00:20:54) Life after Service Pt. 2 -Received well by family and his community -By the 1980s, the social perspective about the military had changed since the Vietnam War -Civilians understood troops fought the wars that outside actors started -Treatment of veterans has improved since the Vietnam War -He is comfortable being a veteran � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_TobiasB1847V Title A name given to the resource Tobias, Bryan L (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-04-20 Description An account of the resource Bryan Tobias enlisted in the Air Force six months after he graduated from high school. He received basic training in San Antonio, Texas and received mechanical and material training in Rantoul, Illinois (most likely at Chanute Air Force Base). After training he spent eight years in Anchorage, Alaska (most likely at Elmendorf Air Force Base) and completed his service at Fort Walton Beach, Florida (most likely at Eglin Air Force Base). Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tobias, Bryan L. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Tobias, Timothy (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988--Personal narratives, American Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States. Air Force Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries, Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b4349b7c202e0b5be61c50a1dcc8dc47.pdf 4bf4d9cdb1c86df90164a14815fdc9a4 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Nicholas Wieringa Vietnam War 6 minutes 17 seconds (00:00:05) -Born on December 10th 1948. -Part of the Army infantry as a specialist 4th class. -Born in Grand Rapids. -Nine siblings all lived on a dairy farm. -Went to barbers school. -Drafted about three months after finishing barber school. -One brother was a cook in Colorado for the Army. -Another brother was a Russian translator stationed in Greece. -Learned to adapt to military life well. -Served basic training in Fort Knox, Kentucky. -Served AIT training at Fort Louis, Washington. -In Vietnam the War was hectic. -18 firefights during the year he was there. (00:03:00) -On one occasion after a violent battle they ended up having to pick up the body parts. -Difficult but eventually get used to such things. -Had one long lasting friendship from the military, a friend from St. Thomas. -Communication with family was all done through the mail. -No real recreational time in Vietnam. -Typically sent out on patrol for 21 days at a time. -After returning to the US finished his time at Fort Knox. -Returned to the US on a plane. -Family and friends were supportive once he returned the general public less so. -Didn’t have significant difficulty returning to his civilian lifestyle. -His military experience made him appreciate what he has, friends and family. -Enabled him to value the life that he has. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_WieringaN1850V Title A name given to the resource Wieringa, Nicholas J (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-24 Description An account of the resource Nicholas Wieringa was born in 1948 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was part of the Army infantry as a specialist 4th class. At Fort Knox, Kentucky he undertook basic training, and then had AIT training at Fort Louis, Washington. Nicholas was deployed to Vietnam at an especially hectic time of the War during which 18 firefights broke out. After his return to the US he served the remainder of his enlistment at Fort Knox before being discharged. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Wieringa, Nicholas J. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Skinner, Jordyn (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. ArmyOral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8936776d506282bbadfdaeba1430dc88.pdf cbd22704f6fe405f53bddbdbee0ac3ea PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Claude Robinson World War II, Korean War 33 minutes 3 seconds (00:00:08) Early Life -Born in Detroit Michigan. -Achieved the rank of Major. -A senior in high school when Pearl Harbor was attacked. -Enlisted into the military on October 18th, 1943. (00:01:42) Military Training and WWII -Sent to Jefferson Barracks Missouri for basic training. -Prepared for the aviation cadet program to train for the Air Force. -Educated at the University of Missouri instead of an academy (predated its use). -Continued on to San Antonio Texas for flight training. -At that time it was called the Army Air Corps. -First served in Yuma, Arizona (after a number of special training schools). -Because they had too many potential pilots, they retested and assigned for more specific assignments. -He was sent to Navigational School in Hondo, Texas. -Graduated from Navigational School in June of 1945. -Next, went to Carlsbad, New Mexico for bombadeering school. -After that went Yuma, Arizona for radar school to be a radar specialist. -Assigned to fly B-25 planes. -Went on patrols over the Pacific toward the end of WWII. -Re-assigned to the B-29 plane as an observer and navigator. -Discharged from the Air Force on December 1st 1945. -Re-assigned to South Ridge Air Force base in Detroit to the reserves. -In 1950 he was called into active duty for the Korean War. -Reported to Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. -Initially he was intended to go overseas, however because he was a bridge engineer with Wayne County Road Commission, he was considered necessary to remain in the country and sent back to South Ridge. -Re-assigned to reserves and changed to the Engineering Corps. (00:10:00) -Many of the events his squadron was involved with were deemed classified because it was the squadron that bombed Tokyo. -Did early proto training for what would become landing/taking off from an aircraft carrier. -The Japanese bombing missions were strictly voluntary. -While he was at South Ridge WWII ended. -Pursued his engineering degree after the War. -Two degrees in civil engineering, and a masters in structural engineering. -He was injured in a stateside training accident where another plane misfired upon the plane he �was in. -Many of the men present in his training were injured during the parachute training. -Using heavy nylon parachutes at the time. -Gunnery training: purpose was such that any person on the plane could take over any of the various gun turrets. -During pilot training he trained using the Piper Cub. (00:00:00) -Values his time in the military. -Since he was only 17 and a half when he entered, he believes it helped give him necessary life skills. -After being discharged, returned home after three years away. -Decided to marry his long-time girlfriend. -There was some feeling of being separated from those who hadn’t spent some years in the military. -Further ahead in life and not the same experiences to talk about. -Received a degree from University of Missouri. -Worked on a degree for masters of business administration, but decided not to finish. -Worked for American Seating. -President or CEO of some of their divisions. -Hopes that younger generations don’t have to endure war such as the World Wars. -Grateful for the training and opportunity he received, and to those that died in war. -His father served in WWI. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_RobinsonC1808V Title A name given to the resource Robinson, Claude G (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-24 Description An account of the resource Claude Robinson was born in Detroit, Michigan. After Pearl Harbor he voluntarily enlisted in the military in 1943 and was sent to Jefferson Barracks Missouri for basic training. In Yuma Arizona he was assigned to fly patrols using the B-25, the squadron involved with bombing Japan. Later he would be re-assigned to fly on the B-29. When the War ended he was discharged from the Air Force on December 1st 1945 and put into the reserves. He was considered to join the Korean War in 1950 however his job as an engineer was considered too crucial to be sent overseas. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Robinson, Claude G. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Schantz, Jacob (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Air ForcesOral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/939dec2fb99869eada4272b6183cc2be.pdf 6525dbd4d84f5672e15e83a329ae20ec PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Frank Persico World War II 46 minutes 16 seconds (00:00:24) Early Life -Born and raised in Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts -Full, legal name is Innocent Frank Persico -Called Innocent until high school -Went by Frank from then on -Had three brothers and one sister -Parents were Italian immigrants -Went to public schools growing up -He was the only child in the family, besides his sister, to get a college education -Dreamed of becoming a baseball player when he grew up -Played baseball in high school and was the captain of the team -Tried out for the Boston Braves, but got rejected -Played as the catcher -Attended Hyde Park High School -It was a cooperative-industrial high school that prepared students for trade work -For one week he went to regular classes and one week he did shop work -Did electrical work for a Milwaukee based company that had a shop in Hyde Park -When he graduated he already had a job -Graduated from high school and worked for a year before joining the military (00:05:03) Start of the War & Getting Drafted -Attempted to enlist in the Marines -Rejected due to eyesight -Out of high school when Pearl Harbor happened -At the movies on December 7, 1941 -Came out of the theatre and saw the news boys selling papers about the attack -The draft was in effect for men twenty years old, or older -Draft had been in effect since 1940 -All the young men felt the need to serve their country -Got a draftee number when he registered for the draft -Learned that volunteers were treated with more respect -He had tried to enlist, but was drafted into the Army anyway -The draft board needed to fill their quotas which led to his getting drafted (00:09:02) Basic Training -Excited for basic training -He had only been sixty miles from home before basic training -Went to Fort Devens, Massachusetts for processing and induction -Transported there by cattle car �-Got to the base at 2AM -Assigned to a bunk and only got two hours of sleep -Woke up to a drill sergeant blowing a whistle and picking recruits for kitchen patrol -Learned to be obedient and listen to orders -Issued uniforms by soldiers that had been there for only two days -Got poorly fitting uniforms -Officer made sure you got the right size shoes though -Enjoyed basic training -Young and full of energy -Took basic training in Florida -Went on marches and learned to take orders -Did field training -Shooting rifles -Crawled under barbed wire and they set off fake gas -Taught you to react fast and take combat seriously (00:15:26) Mechanic Training -Took three tests at the end of basic training -Army was trying to figure out what your skills were -He scored highest as a mechanic -Sent to Lincoln, Nebraska for Aircraft Mechanic School -Most likely Lincoln Army Airfield -Did field training in the woods -Army Air Force put an old plane in the woods -Lived in tents and had to work on the plane with minimal resources -His tent was placed in poison oak -Woke up covered in hives -Learned all about aircraft -He excelled in engines and got sent to Chanute Air Field, Illinois for Engine School -Broke down and repaired engines (00:18:07) Assignment to 461st Bombardment Group -Sent to Salt Lake City, Utah -Stayed there for five days -Got assigned to the 461st Bombardment Group -Sent to Wendover Field, Utah -In the middle of the salt flats -Met the noncommissioned officers (corporals and sergeants) he would work with -Moved to Hammer Field in Fresno, California -Got assigned to a squadron, a ground crew, and a bomber -Learned how to work on bombers as a crew -Four mechanics to a bomber -Fourteen planes in the squadron -Made sure that the bombers were ready to go on missions -His job was to inspect the bomber and make sure it was fit for flight -Spent most of his time as an inspector (00:23:52) Deployment to the European Theatre �-Waiting for orders to go overseas -Bomber crews needed to have enough training before deploying -Bombers flew over to Europe in February 1944 -Ground crews went across the country and boarded a Liberty Ship in Newport News, Virginia -Sailed across with a convoy -It took thirty four days to reach Italy -He didn't get seasick -Advised to lie down in your bunk, eat crackers, and drink tea -He listened to the advice and didn't get seasick -The men that didn't listen got violently ill -Had to use hoses to wash away the vomit -If the weather was good he went up on deck (00:28:02 ) Stationed in Italy -Saw a few Italian laborers working around the airfield -Employed the civilians so they could have some money -They cleaned and helped at the mess hall -Once they got established they were able to go into town -Met the Italians, visited shops, and saw what life was like for the Italians -Went to the wineries and got jugs of wine -Remembers planes crashing upon landing -Had an accident where one man was working on a hydraulic system -The line broke and the battery ignited the fluid starting a massive fire -Five planes were destroyed -Watched the planes explode from a ditch -Saw an engine fly through the air -No one got hurt, so it all felt like a movie -Salvaged parts if they could -Got very little information about the war's progress -Only news came from the Stars & Stripes -Knew nothing about the war in the Pacific Theatre -Had two brothers serving in the Pacific -Knew that their bombers were flying missions to Romania -Bombing the oil fields to deprive the Germans of fuel -At the end of the war the Germans had no gas and a paralyzed military -Able to bomb planes that were stuck on the ground -English bombers flew missions alongside American bombers (00:33:29) End of the War, End of Service, & Coming Home Pt. 1 -Remaining German forces in Italy surrendered on May 5, 1945 -On May 8, 1945 the remaining German forces surrendered -On May 7, 1945 he was moved south to Torretto Airfield -Assigned to a bomber crew returning to the United States -Boarded their bomber and flew out of Italy -An engine went out and they were forced to land in Sicily -Waited seven days for a new engine -From Sicily flew to Marrakech, Morocco then to Senegal then to Ascension Island �-From Ascension Island to Natal, Brazil then up to Hunter Field, Georgia -Got a leave then reported to Drew Field, Florida -Preparing to move to the Pacific Theatre for the invasion of Japan -On August 6, 1945 the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima -On August 15, 1945 Japan surrendered -Units started to break down and men started going home (00:36:45) Contact with Home during the War -He wasn't homesick during the war -Used V-Mail (Victory Mail) to communicate with home -Form of mail that relied on microfilm for quick and easy transport -Wrote to his parents and a friend in the Navy -Didn't write much though -Some men wrote a lot -Especially the married men -He wrote to his brothers fighting in the Pacific Theatre (00:37:43) End of the War, End of Service, & Coming Home Pt. 2 -Wasn't worried about going to Japan -Just didn't want to do it -Learned later about how bad the invasion could've been -After the war ended he went to Mass and thanked God for getting him through the war alive -Had to wait a week to hear when he was going home -Didn't do anything but sleep, eat, and sit in his bunk waiting to go home -Reported to the supply room and got a new uniform when it was time to go home -Allowed to sign up for benefits through the Red Cross if you were injured during the war -Given $25, a final paycheck, and told to get off the base -Had to wait until the next morning for a train back to Boston -Tried to sleep in an empty barracks on base -Got kicked out because he was now a civilian -Got a hotel room for the night -Took a train back to Boston -Got off at the station and called home to tell his parents he was coming home (00:43:00) Life after the War -Went back to his old job -Government made sure that servicemen had their old job waiting for them -Worked as a machinist -Worked their for three weeks and decided he wanted to get out -Went to work for the Metropolitan District Commission -Started going to college at night -Worked his way up to being an engineer over fifteen years -Got his certificate as a registered professional engineer -Did architectural work and retired from that -Never hated a day of work (00:45:21) Reflections on Service -Doesn't feel that being in the service had much of an impact on his life -Feels that it was just another part of his life �-Does believe that it helped to be more considerate and wordly � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_PersicoI1799V Title A name given to the resource Persico, Innocent Frank (Interview outline), 2005 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2005-10-22 Description An account of the resource Frank Persico was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. He graduated from high school and then Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. He registered for the draft and eventually got drafted and assigned to the Army Air Corps. He was processed at Fort Devens, Massachusetts then received basic training in Florida. He went to Lincoln Army Air Field, Nebraska for Aircraft Mechanic School then to Chanute Army Air Field, Illinois for Engine School. He was assigned to the 461st Bombardment Group in Salt Lake City, Utah and joined the unit at Wendover Field, Utah. He trained with them at Hammer Field, California and deployed to the European Theatre in February 1944. He was stationed in Italy for the duration of the war, and on May 7, 1945 he returned to the United States. He was stationed at Drew Field, Florida until Japan surrendered in August 1945. He was discharged after the war and returned to Boston. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Persico, Innocent Frank Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Staples, Jessica (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Air ForcesOral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b11f91896cbb0cf85847ba0f30b9c88c.pdf 22aa47f8b4cae9a10966d0d6b7dcb353 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Jim Oudman (student interview) Vietnam War 44 minutes 23 seconds (00:00:10) Early Life and Basic Training -Born in California, but “married into” living in Grand Rapids Michigan. -Drafted into the military with two friends. -Had basic training at Fort Knox Kentucky with said friends. -After basic training, one of the friends was sent to Germany, himself and the other sent to Vietnam. -Most were flown to Vietnam, however he was sent on a “nice” trip via a ship. -Trip was 22 days long on a troop ship. -Army, Marines, and Navy all cohabited. -His role on ship: four hours of guard duty, four hours off. -Shipped out from San Francisco, first stop was Pearl Harbor Hawaii. -Next arrived in Vietnam. -Ship was the USS Breckenridge. (00:06:00) Vietnam -Napalm, tracers, and signs of war were observable from the deck where ship docked. -Those going ashore were doing so “Normandy style” – rope ladders and vehicles. -Water was chest height. -Landed at Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. -Desert like environment. -Extreme heat. -Food: WWII C-rations from 1941. -The year was 1965-1966. -Aforementioned friend was assigned to Military Police. -Back at Fort Knox basic training, he was in Fifth Tank Battalion. -After basic training, he went to Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Fort Story Virginia. -On the rifle team. -Someone approached him to go to sniper training before Vietnam. -Disliked the idea of being alone in Vietnam in a sniper role, so declined. -AIT lasted about eight weeks, then sent to Vietnam. -Turned 21 while in Vietnam. -Encountered sniper fire while in Vietnam. -Several incidents during his time in Vietnam: -Bumped (literally) into a man that turned out to be outfitted with explosives. (00:20:00) -Riding with a vehicle that accidentally injured a local. -A man decapitated by pressurizing a tire without the typical restraints. -Incredible monsoons. -His time in Vietnam lasted a year, from 1965-1966. �-Discharged in June of 1966. -After returning to the US he was so acclimated to the heat he was shivering in typical warm weather. -Communication with home usually in the form of letters. -Washed laundry in water in their helmets. -Monsoons did great damage to their encampment. (00:30:00) -Recreation: swimming. The Cam Ranh Bay was so salty it was easy to float. -Required guarding from sharks. -Disassembled a fork lift and created a motor scooter from the parts. -At that time in Vietnam there was no real infrastructure, roads etc. -Affixed Napalm to wing tanks on F-4 Phantom planes. -Received blister scars on the hands from the napalm residue. -Has neuropathy in the legs due to exposure to Agent Orange. (00:35:20) Post War Life and Misc. -Earlier in life, took art throughout high school. -After leaving military used the G.I. bill to attend Kendall School in Grand Rapids. -Studied graphic art and advertisement design. -Got into advertising as a career. -Advice to younger generations: a more victory oriented mindset required in war policy rather than being restricted and prolonged. -Viewing imagery, such as on TV/movies, reminiscent of Vietnam can be difficult because of the instant emotions and memories it may bring up. -One instance: received a warm and unexpected thanking from a local Vietnamese American tailor. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_OudmanE1825V Title A name given to the resource Oudman, Edwin James (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-26 Description An account of the resource Jim Oudman was born in California, and now lives in Grand Rapids Michigan. When he turned 18 he was drafted into the Vietnam War, and received basic training at Fort Knox Kentucky where he was in the Fifth Tank battalion. At Fort Story, Virginia he put his skills to work on the rifle team during Advanced Individual Training. Thereafter, in 1965, he was sent to Cam Rahn Bay Vietnam on the USS Breckenridge. During his time he worked on a number of jobs for the Air Force and Navy such as affixing napalm wing tanks to F-4 Phantom planes. After a year in Vietnam he was discharged from the military in June of 1966. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Oudman, Edwin James Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Mortenson, Sarah Jane (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. ArmyOral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/071340a7c4158c380df8c473a54f2bc7.pdf 745d961489f5ae2a8b2d08984cee932c PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Michael Moloney U.S. Army Length of interview (20:12) (00:00) Early life              (00:10)Born on September 15, 1967 in Detroit, Michigan Dad was a college professor and his mother was a homemaker His father taught math, math history, and Latin. Michael had 11 brothers and sisters Before joining the army, Michael worked in the printing industry, they printed product manuals for companies such as Ford (2:00)Enlisted in 1988, he joined because he wanted to get some direction and financial assistance for college (3:15) when he told his parents he had enlisted, he simply told them that his new boss was Ronald Regan (3:50) Michael left for Fort Sill, Oklahoma on December 31, 1987. It was the only time he was asleep before midnight on New Years When he first got to the fort, everyone was nice and he was surprised (5:06) He was a surveyor for field artillery (5:30) At first, the screaming of the drill instructors was intimidating, but he eventually got used to it (6:00) Even though he tried to physically prepare himself for the army, it was still extremely difficult (7:30) The food was surprisingly good, they could eat whatever they wanted Deployment (8:30)       Went to Germany in 1988, he spent a total of two months there playing war games. Michael remembers being killed on his birthday (9:20) Michael was able to see a lot of historical landmarks from the Second World War (10:40) His favorite memory of Germany was ordering a beer at Burger King. Nuremberg was another nice place to visit (12:20) He met a man who was at one point a prisoner of war in Texas, he was very kind to Michael and his friends (12:50) Michael was never able to visit Berlin, he now wishes that he had (14:20) He kept in touch with his family by writing letters, he estimates that he wrote over 100 letters while in Germany �Home (15:30)     (15:40) His enlistment ended when he was at Fort Riley, Kansas. He took a 17 hour train ride from Kansas to Detroit (17:25) After arriving in Detroit, he returned to his old job in the printing industry for three months until moving to Michigan State University (18:00) Michael is a lifetime member of the Big Red One (First Infantry Division) (18:30) The army taught him patience. Michael thinks about his experiences every day and encourages young people not to take service lightly. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_MoloneyM1806V Title A name given to the resource Moloney, Michael G (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-23 Description An account of the resource Michael Moloney was born in Detroit, Michigan on September 15, 1967 and served in the United States Army as an artillery surveyor in the First Infantry Division. He joined the army in 1987 and trained at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Michael was sent to Germany in 1988 where he spent a period of two months playing war games. He recounts the people he met and the opportunities he had to visit historical locations from the Second World War. After his time in the service, Michael enrolled at Michigan State University. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Moloney, Michael G. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Moloney, Rachel (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. ArmyOral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e8dde90fda421d2504e36d1c8ce59835.pdf d8bfceda2e9990742baf4144b0a6d560 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Donald C. Johnson World War II 1 hour 32 minutes 30 seconds (00:00:08) Early Life -Born in Lindsay, Nebraska in 1922 -Father worked as a contractor -Moved to a farm seven miles from Lindsay in 1924 -Only child -Grew up on the farm -Remembers the Stock Market Crash of 1929 -Came as a shock to his father -Life got harder as the Great Depression continued -Life was a little easier for them at first because his family owned a farm -Able to grow their own crops and raise their own livestock -Had to deal with dust storms caused by the drought -Concerned about whether they could continue to feed themselves and their livestock -Graduated from high school in 1941 -Felt fortunate that he was able to go to school -Went to Oklahoma in the summer of 1941 to help with the harvests -Worked north into Kansas then back to Nebraska -After Nebraska went to South Dakota and worked on the harvests there -Worked into North Dakota all the way up to the Canadian border -Rain hampered the harvest in North Dakota -Returned to Nebraska in late October 1941 to help with the corn harvest -Had to do it on his own because his father had suffered a sun-stroke (00:09:07) Start of the War -On December 7, 1941 Japan bombed Pearl Harbor -Heard about the attack late in the afternoon that Sunday -Went into town and heard the news -Things changed dramatically in the days following the attack on Pearl Harbor -Congress declared war on Japan on December 8 and on Germany on December 11 -Rationing went into effect -On January 1, 1942 he went to Martin Aircraft School in Omaha, Nebraska -Did that so he could get a job working in an aircraft factory for the defense industry -Knew the attack on Pearl Harbor had dealt a significant blow to the Pacific Fleet -Noticed that everyone became focused on the war effort and fighting until the U.S. won -Aircraft school lasted two months -Had to take a physical and learned that he had a hernia -Made him ineligible for work until he got it treated �-Had surgery in Omaha -Took fifteen days to recover and only costed $75 -Got hired by Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company in Buffalo, New York -Went to work on May 1, 1942 -Worked for them for five and a half months (00:16:05) Enlisting in the Army Air Force -On June 30, 1942 he registered for the draft then went back to work -Knew if he was drafted he would get drafted into the infantry -Did not want to get drafted into the infantry -Enlisted in the Army Air Force because he felt it would be a better fit -Reported for duty on October 1, 1942 -Only twenty years old at the time -Needed his parents' permission because he wasn't twenty one years old -Father agreed to it because he didn't want Donald to be an infantryman -Fascinated with planes, but didn't want to become a pilot -Couldn't become a pilot because he startled easily (00:22:12) Basic Training -Went to basic training by train -Went on marches and days started early during basic training -Took basic training in Rome, New York -Most likely Rome Air Depot -Received physical training -Placed on guard duty at night after a few weeks -Ordered to give three warnings to an approaching vehicle then shoot -Armed with a sawed off shotgun -On one occasion he was tested to see if he reacted properly to an approaching vehicle -He reacted well and was commended for it -Took further tests to see what his classification would be (00:26:18) Assignment -Sent to Syracuse Army Air Base in Syracuse, New York after basic training -Classified as an Army Aircraft Mechanic -Meant he would be a flight engineer and a gunner aboard a bomber -At Syracuse between Christmas 1942 and New Year's Eve 1942 (00:30:01) Army Aircraft Mechanic Training -Sent to Tyndall Field, Florida for aerial gunnery training there -Flew in an AT-6 -Fired at tow-targets pulled by another plane -Trained with machine guns -Had painted rounds to see which gunner hit the target -Did well with that except for accidentally severing the tow-target cable once -Trained at Tyndall for three months -Sent to Sheppard Field, Texas for aircraft mechanic school -Received six months of training �-Learned about B-25 and B-26 engines -Wound up assigned to a B-24 in the future (00:34:42) Training with the 461st Bombardment Group Pt. 1 -Sent to Mountain Home Army Air Base, Idaho -Bored and waiting for something to happen -New pilots were training with the B-24 at Mountain Home -He was assigned to a new B-24 crew in the 764th Squadron, 461st Bombardment Group -There were ten men in a B-24 crew -He was assigned to the waist gun position -Did aerial training as a crew during the day and night -Flew training missions as far south as Texas -On one training mission they were returning to base at night and almost hit another B-24 -The prop wash was so strong it cracked their plane's windshield -Had numerous other close calls -Remembers a few crashes while training at Mountain Home -Received two months of training at Mountain Home -First phase and second phase training -Allowed ten days of delayed en route -Meant he could go home for six days to spend time with his family and friends -Reported to Hammer Field in Fresno, California in November 1943 -Completed third phase training at Hammer Field -More training missions during the day and at night -Didn't know whether they were going to the Pacific Theatre or the European Theatre -Assumed they were going to the Pacific Theatre -Didn't want to go to the Pacific after hearing about atrocities committed by the Japanese (00:48:52) Deployment to the European Theatre Pt. 1 -In mid-January 1944 they left Hammer Field in a new B-24 -Flew up to San Francisco (00:49:47) Training with the 461st Bombardment Group Pt. 2 -On one training mission they started leaking gas -Caused a fire on one of the engines -Happened because of a mechanical problem with one of the gas caps on the wing -Able to land and fix the problem without incident (00:54:42) Deployment to the European Theatre Pt. 2 -En route to San Francisco their third engine was running too hot -He was able to fix it -Ordered to fly to Florida -Stopped at Midland, Texas -Knew they were bound of the European Theatre at that point -Hit some bad weather in Texas -Flew to Tennessee then to Florida -Received orders, but they were told not to open their orders until after fifteen minutes -Opened their orders immediately because they wanted to know where they were going �-Learned they were going to be based in Italy -Stopped in the Caribbean then flew to Brazil -Had to do a 500 hour inspection in Brazil -Repairing anything on the B-24 that needed attention -Replaced spark plugs -Flew to Dakar, Senegal -In the middle of the desert -Sand was bad for aircraft engines -Took nearly twelve hours to fly from Brazil to Senegal -Had some navigation problems -Flew to Marrakesh, Morocco then on to Tunis -Flew over the Atlas Mountains -Waited in Tunis for their airfield to be ready (01:03:55) Stationed at Torretto Field, Italy & Flying Missions -Stationed at Torretto Field, Italy near the town of Cerignola -Got to Italy in February 1944 -Rendezvoused with other bombers from the 461st Bombardment Group -Runway was soft at Torretto Field -Caused one bomber to lose its landing gear upon landing -Flew his first mission on April 3, 1944 over Yugoslavia -Easy bombing mission -In June 1944 they bombed a target in Wiener Neustadt, Austria -Bombed factories in southern Germany and Austria -Bombed targets in the Balkans, southern France, and northern Italy -There was a high concentration of German troops in northern Italy -During the raid on Wiener Neustadt they lost their #2 engine -German fighter planes shot down stragglers that fell out of formation -Lost their #3 engine -Dove under the clouds to throw off the German planes -Can only assume the Germans thought they were crashing and left them alone -Bombed targets in Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria -Participated in the bombing of the oil fields at Ploesti, Romania -During the raid at Wiener Neustadt they decided to land at the Partisan strip at island of Vis -They continued to lose engine power -Ordered to dump their auxiliary generator -Would have been suicide because that's the only power they had left -He removed the wires, but didn't ditch the generator -Ordered to reconnect the generator so they could get to Vis -Finally made it to the island of Vis -Watched a B-17 in front of them crash into the mountains -Stayed there for three or four days and a C-47 brought them back to Italy -Continued with missions after getting a new bomber -Last major mission was during the invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944 �-Bombed submarine pens on the coast of southern France -Not much opposition because the Germans had retreated (01:23:37) End of Service & Life after the War -Decided he didn't want to go back into farming -Father sold the family farm and moved into town -Wound up being better since his father was aging and had poor health -Discharged on August 30, 1945 -Went to work in Newman Grove, Nebraska for International Harvester -Married in 1947 -Moved to Omaha with his wife -Worked for Watson Brothers Transportation for fifteen years -Worked for UPS until he was sixty nine years old -Raised a family -Had a daughter and two sons -Both sons are deceased -Both committed suicide, one in 1982 and one in 1996 -One son served in the Air Force in the Vietnam War -Committed suicide because of what he experienced during the war -Served as a cargo pilot delivering assault rifles near the end of the war -Vietnamese civilians tried to board his cargo plane -Got as many of them aboard as he could -People climbed into the wheel wells to escape -Many fell to their death as a result of that -He didn't see the point of doing it when Vietnam was lost -Manufacturers wanted their guns delivered to turn a profit � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_JohnsonD1801V Title A name given to the resource Johnson, Donald C (Interview outline), 2005 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2005-10-21 Description An account of the resource Donald C. Johnson was born in 1922 in Lindsay, Nebraska. Enlisted in the Army Air Force in summer 1942 and reported for duty on October 1, 1942. Received basic training at Rome Air Depot, New York and was classified as an Army Aircraft Mechanic (flight engineer and gunner) at Syracuse Army Air Base, New York. He received Gunner Training at Tyndall Field, Florida and Flight Engineer Training at Sheppard Field, Texas. Sent to Mountain Home Army Air Base, Idaho where he joined a B-24 crew in the 764th Squadron of the 461st Bombardment Group. He trained there then went to Hammer Field where they received more training. In mid-January 1944 they left the U.S. and arrived at Torretto Field, Italy in February 1944. They began flying missions in April 1944 bombing targets in northern Italy, southern Germany, Austria, southern France, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. He was discharged on August 30, 1945. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Johnson, Donald C. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Staples, Jessica (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Air ForcesOral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/20155d6c3f6b76a9f46c8c1e0f054923.pdf 217430b7475451ac9ab062332956d24c PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Robert Howard Vietnam War 15 minutes 33 seconds (00:00:05) -Born on August 3rd, 1942. -Enlisted in the Army from 1962-1965. -Served in Vietnam. -Highest rank achieved was sergeant first class. -Born in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. -At that time the economy was doing well, life was comfortable living there. -Wasn’t enthusiastic about college at Central Michigan University. -Became enthralled with ROTC and decided to join the military. -Enlisted for airborne operations. -Father died while he was in basic training. -Missed candidate school entry, waited 4/5 months to go to the next class. -Assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. -Served in the 187th Airborne Regiment. -Went through jump school to be a paratrooper, and ranger school. -Went to further training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. -Trained for a field artillery data computer. -Sent to Vietnam with the military assistance crew, specifically in order to make maps. -Attached to a Special Forces team. -They were located at the Annam plateau in Vietnam. -Surveyed the drop zone. -Returned to 82nd Airborne division. -Became a Staff Sergeant at a liaison section directing artillery fire. -The computer he was trained to use allowed them to make maps of south east Asia. -At that time there were no usable maps. (05:00) -Granted the capability to map without use of chains and benchmarks. -After returning to the 82nd Airborne division, they were activated to go to the Dominican Republic. -Took a liaison section, including naval artillery fire directed by Marines, Air Force, and his own section of men with seven men and four vehicles. -Politicians insisted they not fire on buildings in Dominican Republic due to the fact that Christopher Columbus landed there and there was historic value. -Ran simulations four times a day in case they needed to be called to action. -One of his crewman was killed, and 28 others. -Part of their purpose was also humanitarian. -Distributed U.N. rice. -Did medical calls, vaccinations, cleaned up remains -Following this he was discharged from the Army. �-Civilian life; everyone was three years ahead in life and felt like he needed to catch up. -Took work in Lansing where he met his wife. -Began having children and starting a family. -Most memorable moments in service: selected for Trooper of the Year. -Also Trainee of the Year in basic training. -Received the American Freedom Medal. (10:00) -Advice to those considering military: join the best. Trusted and highly skilled. -82nd Airborne Division has incredible respect and close bonds. -Does not regret choosing to join the military. -Cites inspiration from JFK’s inaugural address (“Ask not…”). � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_HowardR1833V Title A name given to the resource Howard, Robert E (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-29 Description An account of the resource Robert Howard was born in 1942 in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. His enlistment with the Army lasted from 1962 to 1965 while he was part of the Vietnam War. Robert was assigned to the 82nd airborne division in Fort Bragg, North Carolina where he undertook paratrooper training and ranger school. At Fort Sill, Oklahoma he would continue training in order to use a field artillery data computer. In Vietnam he was attached to a Special Forces team with the purpose to make maps where none yet existed. In the Dominican Republic he directed artillery fire as well as helped to distribute humanitarian aid. After his time there he was discharged from the Army. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Howard, Robert E. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Howard, Adam (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. ArmyOral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf