406 24 26018 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/dce1da87f3e95533c9982698d6166fee.pdf 81effb19a0abfa91b8fac4fc0a15ab4d PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Timothy Hanna United States Army Length of interview: (33:22) Early life (00:00)      (00:30) Born on November 20, 1965 in Grand Rapids, Michigan He has two sisters and one brother He volunteered for the army in 1984 just before graduating high school Timothy trained at Fort Dix, New Jersey, Military life was very strict (4:20) After training, he went to Washington (state) where he was a welder; the work shifts often lasted over ten hours Germany and later life (5:30)              (5:50) Timothy received training in Germany in preparation for any Cold War hostilities that may have occurred (6:30) Many people in Germany were friendly to the American personnel, this had a lot to do with the level of support the Americans gave them (8:40) While in Germany, Timothy was a welder in a motor pool (10:30) On the weekends, Timothy and his friends went sightseeing and visited various bars and restaurants. There was also a large concert that brought together bands such as Scorpions and AC/DC. (12:00) One of his favorite places to visit was Bastogne, a key location during the Battle of the Bulge (13:20) When the Berlin Wall was taken down, Timothy breathed a sigh of relief, for people were hurt trying to get out of East Germany. (14:30) Timothy signed up for four years of active duty and two years of inactive duty. It was during his inactive years that the Berlin Wall came down (15:30) He was at work when he heard about the 9/11 terrorists attacks. Tim did not rejoin the army as a result of the attacks. If they wanted him to rejoin, he figured they would give him a call (18:30) Upon returning from Germany, things were different. He tried to contact people that he had not seen in four years (21:20) On the way back from Germany, he was nervous about how much change had occurred while he was gone (23:20) Food was available at all times, either from the cooks or from the many restaurants near the base. He enjoyed the different ways the Germans prepared food (27:30) After leaving the service, Timothy immediately got a job as a machinist (30:00) He had no fear of Russian aggression after the Berlin Wall was taken down � 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_HannaT1809V Title A name given to the resource Hanna, Timothy Lee (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-14 Description An account of the resource Timothy Hanna was born on November 20, 1965 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 1984, he joined the United States Army and was sent to Germany as a welder in a motor pool. While in Germany, Timothy visited iconic locations from the Second World War. He recounts various events throughout his life such as the fall of the Berlin Wall and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Hanna, Timothy Lee Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Santiago, Erican (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/fd65181d9a4e731f6a4e8b12b5c2ea84.pdf 2a2d13d99230d37ee06640388f0846ba PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Daniel Doane U.S. Army Length of interview (8:16) (1:50) early life and service         (1:00) Born on June 29, 1926. Served in the army Before he entered the service he went to George Davis Technical High School, graduated in 1944 (3:15) He went to college on the G.I. Bill, graduated in 1952 (3:30) he had three siblings in the navy, one was a quarter master on a LST (4:23) He tried joining the navy, air force, and marines but was turned away because of bad vision (4:40) signed up for a chemistry course at Grand Rapids Junior College but on the first day of class he was in Detroit joining the army (September 1945) (5:00) after spending a few weeks in Fort Sheridan, he was sent to Texas and then Mississippi, he was very homesick. Mississippi was much better than Texas because there were more trees (7:20) Daniel was eventually sent to Chitose Air Base in Japan, most of the base was under-ground � 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_DoaneD1803V Title A name given to the resource Doane, Daniel Edward (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-22 Description An account of the resource Daniel Doane was born on June 29, 1926 to a family of six children. He joined the army in September 1945 and was sent to Fort Sheridan Illinois. After spending several months in the United States, Daniel was sent to Chitose Air Base in Japan. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Doane, Daniel Edward Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Doane, Lindsay (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/7525427ed1e0e5af192e06b84d5eecda.pdf 243f82f9573b1a159d1ee274fee54e9d PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Afghan War William Becker Length of interview: (10:48) (00:20) Early Life    (00:20) Born on June 6, 1988 in Hoffman Estates, Illinois (00:30) His father was an accountant and his mother was in sales (00:40) Before joining the service, he was attending college for an associate’s degree in engineering sciences (00:45) Joining the Service         (00:48) He was inspired to enter the service by his grandparents who served during World War II and two uncles that served in Vietnam (1:09) William joined the military because college wasn’t going according to plan. He chose the Marine Corps because he wanted to fight with the best. (1:30) In January of 2008, he spent three months in boot camp, from there they went to Marine Combat Training for one month (1:55) When he was in boot camp, he completed the final test (the Crucible) with a sprained ankle. The drill instructors said that he had more heart than most Marines that went through training. (2:30) William was trained in fire support; his job was to call in mortar and naval gun fire. (3:00) Adapting to military life was difficult at first but he eventually got used to it. The barracks they had were very nice. William was stationed in California at the Twenty-Nine Palms Marine Base. (3:40) Since he was stationed in the middle of a desert, having a social life was difficult if you didn’t have a vehicle (4:05) William was deployed to Afghanistan twice (4:08) First Deployment     (4:08) During his first tour, he stopped in Germany as well as an air base in Kyrgyzstan where he spent several weeks. From Kyrgyzstan he was sent to Helmand Province in Afghanistan. (4:30) His job was to go out with an eight man team for several weeks to a month and report on suspicious activity. If they saw anything, they were to call in mortar support. (5:10) If he wasn’t on patrol, William was on guard duty at his base or helping the one cook that they had make food. (5:30) His job was often difficult because he had to watch his friends fight the enemy while he observed. There were times that he felt that he couldn’t help them. �   (6:00) During Operation Cobra’s Anger, the Marines were attacking the town of Nawzad. William went into the town with a small group of Marines and reported on what was happening during the fight. He communicates regularly with the men he served with. (6:40) When he was in Afghanistan, he had occasional access to internet and phone services, which allowed him to communicate with his family. (7:00) There was little time for recreation during his first deployment. Although a TV was brought in so they could watch the Super Bowl, William was on patrol that night and was unable to watch it. (7:30) Second Deployment and Homecoming        (7:30) During his second deployment, William was stationed at Camp Leatherneck in Helmand Province. His job was to make sure that no friendly aircraft were in the air during an artillery strike. (7:55) William also guarded detainees; additionally, if someone called in with detainees ready to be picked up, William went out to get them and bring them back to base. (8:20) Returning home was strange initially. After spending months with military personnel, it was hard to get used to civilian life. (9:00) When he returned home, there was a small parade and a party at his local VFW. (9:20) Adjusting to civilian life was difficult for a while but he got used to it. (9:40) He keeps in touch with his comrades on social media and pays close attention to them because the suicide rate among veterans is very high. (10:00) The military showed him how the world works and that there really aren’t any rules. You can be killed at any moment, therefore it is crucial to live each day as if it were your last. � 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_BeckerW1811V Title A name given to the resource Becker, William Karl (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-04-25 Description An account of the resource William Becker was born on June 6, 1988 in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. He joined the United States Marine Corps and worked as an observer. William served two tours in Afghanistan, both in the Helmand Province his task was to observe firefights and call in mortar and naval gun support. The missions he took part in include Operation Cobra's Anger, which was the attack on the town of Nawzad, Afghanistan. During his second tour, William was stationed at Camp Leatherneck where he guarded detainees and continued his duties in fire support. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Becker, William Karl Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Becker, Ryan (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American United States. Marine CorpsOral 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/348432f1c070a543045f9bd79e3c05ee.pdf 856eb5923cabb67e1bdb3570c214ca09 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Joseph Filko World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War 1 hour 2 minutes 41 seconds (00:00:06) Early Life and Enlistment -Born in 1921, in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. -Father worked in a steel mill, and mother was a housewife. -Seven siblings. -Joined the military due to the lack of employment in the Depression. -A cousin in the Marines returned from China and this helped convince him to enlist to the Marines. -Entered the military in October 1939 at the age of 17. -Tough “break you down” training style. -Basic training lasted for 12 weeks. -Initially stationed at Fort Mifflin, Philadelphia. -Guarded the fort. -Across the street at the Navy yard the battleship Washington was being built. -Helped inspire him to put in for sea duty. (00:04:35) Mixed Topics: WWII, Korea and Vietnam -First time in combat – August 4th 1942 in Guadalcanal. -Attacked by kamikaze, sunk one of their aircraft carriers. -Personally involved in combat three times. -He was motivated to see the world, and so he desired to be on a ship. -Roughly 1940 at this time before Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan. -The aircraft carrier at the time was using the old catapult takeoff, and a crane to load on planes. -His duration aboard the ship lasted two years. -The carrier travelled around the Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima areas. -Made some good friends, some of which are still in touch with him. -Most memorable experience – an unexpected torpedo attack. -After which they retreated to Pearl Harbor. -Some casualties from the attack. -The men were buried near Pearl Harbor at the Tonga. (00:10:00) -This took place early in his military career. -Life on the ship was pretty good. Barber shop, ice cream, showers. -Life on land was tense, always keeping your guard up. -Left the military after WWII. -Worked for the State Police of Pennsylvania, however it didn’t pay much. -At that time ex-Marines were paid $20 a week for 52 weeks while they searched for a new job. -Eventually he quit because the pay was so low. -Re-enlisted into the Marines and entered into the Korean War. -Did not use his G.I. Bill. �-Got married while he was still in the military. -Worked for the US Post Office later in life for 20 years. (20 years in the Marines as well) -He was considered for an officer position, but they reconsidered due to the fact that he had been in the “brig” in his first enlistment. -Was punished for retaliating against a superior that kicked him. -Ten days punishment in the brig. -Discharged in 1945, returned to the Marines in 1948, and finally discharged again in 1962. -Works with some of the Afghanistan war veterans to help them cope with PTSD. -At that time there was no assistance for PTSD when he suffered some of its consequences. -Symptoms such as restless nights, dreams, etc. -His son wished to enter the military however he wasn’t accepted due to asthma. -Four children. -Went on recruiting duty in Lansing. -Met his wife in Lansing. -She worked for the State of Michigan. -At that point he was in the Marines for about 15 years. -He spent about ten years overseas. Moved often. (00:20:00) -Son was born in North Carolina. -Received about 16 various medals: -Good conduct, American Defense, Korean Defense, WWII Victory, American Campaign, Asiatic Pacific Campaign, National Defense, United Nations Service, Navy Accommodations ribbon, Combat Action ribbon, Honorable Discharge ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation for Republic of Korea and Vietnam. -At the date of this interview he will be 94 as of August. -Taught marksmanship in the service. -At the time of the bombing of Japan, they were positioned to invade if necessary. -He visited Hiroshima after the War had ended. -It was still in a “horrible” state, even then. -Korea: it was “kill or be killed”. -Could be bitterly cold temperatures. -Flamethrowers and white phosphorous was a terrible weapon used in Korea. -His time in Korea was before the 38th parallel. -Reaction to the bombing of Japan – welcomed the fact that the War would be over. -His cousin that was in the Marines retired after a 20 year career as well. (00:30:00) -His parents did not favor his enlistment into the Marines. -Took a couple months of convincing them to sign the papers. -Never experienced sea sickness while on the ship. -Upon enlistment he was three or four months from turning 18. -Frequently communicated with his family by mail. -Military censored their mail for sensitive information. -After being discharged, the first time, they lived in Pennsylvania. -Lived in Lansing once he was discharged the second time. -His parents came from Czechoslovakia in Europe. �-Since they could not write English well his sister helped them write letters. (00:35:00) -Vietnam was the worst combat experiences of the various Wars he engaged in. -The gray blur between friend and foe, combatants and civilians made things difficult. -Went to Vietnam in 1961. -A colonel he knew from WWII was a captain in Vietnam. -This captain sent him back with a special unit to Okinawa. -Korean War was preferable in part because of the strong demarcation. -Everything across the Imjin River was declared to be a threat. -The local South Koreans loved the Americans because the Japanese treated them so badly. -The local Vietnamese were indifferent. Mainly concerned for food. -Ate C-rations for food. -His duration in Korea lasted 14 months. -Intended to be there for 9 originally. -Stationed at the 38th parallel, and crossed through some point. -General McArthur’s firing was frustrating for the troops. (00:44:00) At this point in the interview the discussion shifts to questions from the class. -Sleeping in the field was taken in shifts so someone could keep watch. -Korea was extremely cold. They put alcohol into the anti-freeze to keep it from freezing. -His role on the carrier ship was as an M.P. as well as manning the guns. -Extent of his war injuries – a slight shrapnel wound to the leg. -Leisure time, for fun they would re-assemble guns blindfolded, watch movies, went swimming off the ship in Fiji. -Marines taught them how to scuba dive, however it wasn’t necessary. -Heard about the Pearl Harbor attack while walking through New York. -Going aboard the USS North Carolina. -Believes the carrier that was sunk by their carrier may have been called the Ryujo. -Finds fault with the Japanese internment; the Germans or Italians had not been interned. (52:35:00) -Had the opportunity to become a sniper, however he had no interest. -Marine initiation aboard the carrier. -The “shellbacks” would initiate the “pollywogs”. -Shellbacks were crewman that had crossed the International Dateline. -Pollywogs were those that had not; novices. -If all three of the carrier guns were being fired at once, the decks must be cleared of all people. -20mm guns that were extremely volatile. (01:00:00) At this point various medals, photos, and certificates are displayed to the camera. -Favorite location he travelled to on his tour was Panama. -Spent 30 months in Panama. � 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_FilkoJ1829V Title A name given to the resource Filko, Joseph James (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-03-19 Description An account of the resource Joseph Filko was born in 1921 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His military career would span 20 years and three separate wars. The financial climate of the Great Depression drove him to enlist in the Marines in 1939 at age 17. He wound up at Fort Mifflin, Philadelphia where the sight of the USS Washington inspired him to join on for sea duty. In 1942 his aircraft carrier was attacked by kamikaze at Guadalcanal. Initially Joseph left the military in 1945 after WWII ended, however working for the State Police offered little pay and so he re-enlisted in 1948. In Korea he was stationed at the 38th parallel and lasted for 14 months. As if that weren't enough he was also sent to Vietnam in 1961. After a period of some time he was sent with a special unit to Okinawa. Finally he was discharged for the last time in 1962. Joseph was decorated with a variety of 16 medals and ribbons for his career. Later in life he worked for the US Post Office for 20 years before retiring. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Filko, Joseph James Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Sarna, Lilly (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Marine CorpsOral 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/cdf793ae08d32e7a91a3cc1897f3d8d8.m4v 52e9425c531a55314520b4ff078f01c8 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e9b34bcf5ec08dfe687e133f00812004.pdf 175ab9e34447e6ef3c83d3df59bb25aa PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Dick Hollebeek World War II 1 hour 17 minutes 09 seconds (00:00:11) Early Life -Born in 1924 in Sanborn Iowa. -Father a minister -Moved to Lynden Washington in 5th grade. -Frequently listened to radio, even speeches from Mussolini and Hitler. -Heard about Pearl Harbor attack on the radio at home. -After hearing this news he informed people at the church. No one believed him. -Hadn’t followed world news too closely. -Offered numerous jobs that could keep him out of military. -Refused and instead asked for an early calling from the draft board. -Father was not an isolationist. (00:03:47) Basic Training and the Salvage Repair Company -Entered service on March 17th 1943. -Sent to Camp White Oregon for basic training -Nicknamed “the Alcatraz” of Army camps. -The desert environment made for red clay and rain that kept boots heavy with debris. -Made training difficult. -Drill instructors were previously in Panama. -Some training involved: 80 mile long hikes in four days, swimming across a river, compass work at night. -Captain was around 40 years old. -Training at Camp White lasted about 6 months. -Assigned to the 216th Salvage Repair Company. -As part of a battalion that would repair equipment and materials that could be repurposed. -Received infantry training and repair work. -Training continued once in England. (00:10:00) -His particular specialty was running the sewing machine to repair clothing, tents, etc. -Medford Oregon was nearby. -During downtime many would go to bars. -Went to chapel at Camp White on Sundays. -Congress had recently passed a law requiring a furlough before going overseas to War. -Received a six day furlough. -Informed only his father, and no one else, that he was being sent overseas. -Devised a coded way to send letters to his father that could inform him of his current location. -A certain letter of a certain number word of every third sentence. �-Shipped out from Camp Shanks New York. -Arrived by train, an old coal fired train. -Trip duration of almost five days. -Stopped at North or South Dakota where they were given a drill and fed. -Stopped at Chicago stock yard. -At Camp Shanks about a week and a half. -Speaking about the medical shots he received entering basic training. -Received twelve shots. -Shown a film about hygiene. -At the end of the night he passed out. -Spent one night in New York City in his time at Camp Shanks. (00:18:21) Ocean Crossing and England -Departed on the Queen Elizabeth. -It was next to the Normandy which was damaged. -Crew of 15,000 troops. -Two meals a day: stewed tomato, and a “blind robin” (dried fish). -Good weather for the trip. -Route went south of Azores, then straight north to Glasgow Scotland. -Took a train to Wales England. -Stayed in Wales until a place was found for them in Liverpool. -One instance: a drill done in the rain resulted in most the soldiers coming down with a cold. -Next they were sent to Seaforth Barracks near Liverpool England. -Barebones with straw packed mattresses for beds. -Interacted with locals, very nice people, went to church with a local girl. -Liverpool had many British and American troops. -British and American troops didn’t like one another too much. -Damage from German bombings was evident. -Didn’t experience bombings while in Liverpool. -Experienced three air-raids during a furlough in London. -First, in a Red Cross building. -Another at 10 Downing street where there was a crater. -Germans used regular bombs. -Third time, at a theater where he decided to stay for the movie. (00:28:30) France -Travelled to France in July. D+39 -Crossed the channel on the SS Invicta. -Climbed down rope nets to water and waded ashore. -German prisoners of war were being held on shore. -Landed on Utah Beach of France. -He was a rifle grenadier. -Grenades were kept strapped to his legs. -In the confusion of the night the unit was spread out and not collected again until three o’clock the next day after hours of marching. -Estimated to be about 5-6 miles from the front lines at that point. �-After about a week and a half, their trailers arrived and were able to commence salvage repairs. -Digging foxholes during the day. -Took a piece of shrapnel as a memento, one that he still owns. -Timeline of their advance from his personal records: -July 19th landed on Utah Beach. -July 20th in Isigny. -August 3rd at Saint-Lo. -August 20th at Vire. (00:36:26) Belgium -Longest stop on the route in Vivier Belgium. -From October 26th to December 24th 1944. -Stayed in a paper factory that was damaged but out of the weather. -Germans were V1 buzz-bombing the area. -One nearby knocked him against a wall. -Among locals the children were most friendly. -Encountered fleeing locals as the Battle of the Bulge was starting. -Evacuated on December 24th in trucks. -Temperatures were below zero and ~16 inches of snow. -Arrived in Gistoux around 2:30 AM. -Stayed in Gistoux until February. -Worked to return to a normal routine making some repairs. -One instance of a German attack: a plane dropped “butterfly bombs” near a slit trench. -About seven members of their unit were injured. -One suffered severe damage losing both of his feet. -Previous events of injuries: someone diving onto barbed wire, and a suicide. (00:48:52) Germany -Proceeded toward Germany to Aachen. -Went through Aachen after it was captured. -At a paper factory in Duren Germany they were sprayed with DDT to keep rats away. -Proceeded to Castle, Calder, and Hersfeld where they were located when the War ended. -Witnessed thousands of German POWs as they advanced. -Some SS prisoners wished to be perceived as regular military and the other Germans had beaten some to death. -SS members were arrogant. -German military soldiers as young as twelve. -Witnessed a group of Russian women, likely laborers, being sent back to Russia. -Remained in Hersfeld Germany from April 25th to August 6th. (00:55:15) End of the War, Return to the U.S. and Misc. -Once the War ended they no longer needed to do salvage repair work. -Their unit was given various options to go to Switzerland, Paris, England. -Went to Switzerland where he was treated well with respect. -Went to Paris, saw Notre Dame and other cathedrals. -Sent to Camp Boston in France to await orders. �-Secretly they were being considered to be shipped to Japan or the Pacific. -However Japan surrendered four days before embarking. -Bound for Boston once again. -Arrived in Boston on November 22nd, Thanksgiving Day. -The ship ride back to the US was very rough with high winds. (01:00:00) -Arrived in Buchenwald concentration camp about 2-3 weeks after its capture. -By that time it was “cleaned up” although still quite terrible. -Gallows, ovens, just a few remaining prisoners. -Back to the return home Boston in the US. -The one millionth soldier to return home was given the key to the city in celebration. -The man had to be carried considering he was drunk. -Celebration dinner was just about any food you wanted. -After his father’s death, his family moved to Grand Rapids. -And so his discharge came out of Camp Atturbury Indiana. -Father died while he was in Hersfeld Germany. -No viable way to return home at that point. -Wished to see his uncle in the Netherlands but the Army insisted it was too dangerous. -He was granted a day off with his friend where they attended a local church service. -Discharged from Camp Atterbury Indiana and proceeded to Grand Rapids Michigan. -His mother and two sisters were living in upstairs of his aunt’s home. (01:10:00) -Work life: -Found a job at a local factory -Worked with a photographer and went to school for photography. -Went to work at Steelcase for 32 years. -Married in 1948. -Currently married for 66 years. -Appreciates the role of discipline the Army imbued in him. � 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_HollebeekD1881V Title A name given to the resource Hollebeek, Dick David (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-09-17 Description An account of the resource Dick Hollebeek was born Iowa in 1924 but moved to Washington during his youth. He enlisted in the Army in March 1943 and was sent to Camp White Oregon for basic training. Dick became part of the 216th Salvage Repair Company, and his particular focus dealt with patching clothing, tents, and sewing material. When the time came he shipped out from Camp Shanks New York on the Queen Elizabeth. In England he would spend time at Seaforth Barracks near Liverpool, and witnessed a number of air raids. After D-Day his Company traveled to Utah beach in France where he was a rifle grenadier. After a grueling march they spent an extended time in Vivier Belgium, and later Gistoux. Finally their Company made it to Aachen Germany, and all the way to Hersfeld where the European portion of the War was called to a close. This included Buchenwald concentration camp as well. Post-war, Dick was eventually sent to Camp Boston in France where he waited to be sent home. After returning to the US, Dick was discharged from Camp Atturbury and stayed in Grand Rapids as his family had moved there to Michigan. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Hollebeek, Dick David 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 Text Moving Image 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 video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ac7521d7917840d0b1e0805b3780f016.m4v 735911666036a39137b6939a626f45f2 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/600508edbf89ee33cdde6f05357898be.pdf bfdeb6fa6df206ef75d6ffa4b152bd2c PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project David Zylstra World War II 1 hour 44 minutes 40 seconds (00:00:09) Early Life -Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1924 -Has lived in Grand Rapids all his life -Attended West Side Christian High School -After graduating attended Calvin College (prior to service), Brooklyn College (during service), and the University of Michigan (after the service) -He had seven siblings -Father had a sheet metal shop in their backyard -House and shop were located at 1233 Muskegon Ave, Grand Rapids -Got through the Great Depression without much trouble -Father had come to the United States in 1890 at the age of four -Started working in a furniture factory in Grand Rapids when he was twelve (00:02:12) Start of the War -Before Pearl Harbor knew that Congress was split about direct intervention in the war -Knew that the United States was giving supplies to the British and Soviets -On December 7, 1941 the public opinion of the war changed dramatically -Everyone came together with a common purpose -Knew about the fighting happening in Europe -Saw that Hitler was rapidly conquering countries in Europe -Wondered if Germany would try to invade America -Fear that the Nazis were going to take over the world -Remembers coming out church on December 7 and his cousin running up to him -Told David that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor -Went back home and listened to the news on the radio -Knew when he was fifteen (1939/1940) the U.S. would probably get involved -And he'd have to fight in the coming war -War bonds were being advertised -Father bought some -Some people started Victory Gardens -Rationing went into effect -Meat, gasoline, sugar, coffee, and chocolate -There was some black market activity in Grand Rapids -Knew a man that had slaughterhouse and he was probably involved in smuggling (00:08:19) Getting Drafted -Graduated from high school in 1942 and went to Calvin College -All of the young men at Calvin knew that they would eventually be drafted -Had a deferment because he was a student �-It was a strange feeling being deferred -Considered enlisting -Remembers recruiting stations with lines of young men out the door -Had a brother enlist in the Army Air Force -Decided to just wait to get drafted -Got drafted in August 1943 -Reported to Fort Custer, Michigan for processing (00:10:36) Basic Training & Army Specialized Training Program -Sent to the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia -Knew some men at Fort Benning that had gone to Calvin College with him -Got approved for the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) before basic training -Received 17 weeks of basic training -The ASTP sent soldiers to college for engineering, medical, and linguistics training -He was assigned to the ASTP engineering program at Brooklyn College -Took a troop train from Fort Custer to Fort Benning -Took a couple days to go from Michigan to Georgia -People always waved at them as they went south -Civilians gave overwhelming support to the troops -The sergeants were tough and expected obedience from recruits -It was good training -Had to do 15 mile marches in one day with only one canteen full of water -Not allowed to stop for water -Good discipline -If you resisted, you were punished with extra Kitchen Patrol (KP) duty -Learned to never volunteer -Asked by a sergeant if any of the recruits drove a Buick -He and a few other men raised their hands -Brought around to the back of a building where there were wheelbarrows -Each one had "BUICK" written on the side -He had some difficulty with adjusting to the Army -Some men would go out on Saturday nights, drink, then come back and hassle the other recruits -He and the other recruits got sick of it, so they took action -Removed the light fuses and put their footlockers in the middle of the floor -After that the drunks never bothered them again -All men in his section were going to ASTP after basic training -Sent to Brooklyn College in January 1944 -Stayed at Brooklyn College one term then the program was shut down -Had regular engineering courses with professors -After the program was cancelled he became an infantry replacement -Assigned to the 75th Infantry Division when they were on maneuvers -Had weekends off while at Brooklyn College -Explored New York City -Had mathematics and physics classes (00:23:27) Assignment to the 75th Infantry Division �-Joined M Company, 291st Infantry Regiment, of the 75th Infantry Division -M Company was a heavy weapons company -Had water cooled machine guns and heavy mortars -Attached to line companies that were on the attack -His duty was as a gunner -Didn't know where they were headed after maneuvers on the border of Texas and Louisiana -Had rain for three weeks -Split into red and blue teams -Red team was the "enemy" -Got a shipment of bad ham and everyone in M Company got food poisoning -The maneuvers took place in swampland -Had to watch for ticks and snakes -Slept outside in tents -Maneuvers lasted ten weeks -He got there the second week of maneuvers -Received heavy weapons training -Had to learn how to shoot the machine guns and mortars -Had to crawl under barbed wire for 100 yards while a machine gun fired over him -One man got wounded by friendly fire during maneuvers -Sent to Camp Breckenridge, Kentucky for further training -Some of the men in his unit were welcoming and friendly and he respected them -Other men were abrasive and hostile toward the replacements -Stayed at Camp Breckenridge for two, or three, months (00:31:04) Deployment to the European Theatre -Got to go home for a week -He was engaged at the time -Planned on meeting his fiancee in Chicago while stationed in Kentucky -Got delayed due to a visiting general -Finally got to Chicago at 5AM -Went to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey and sailed out on the USAT Edmund B. Alexander -Sailed with twenty one other ships in a convoy -Took ten, or eleven days to reach Europe -Ran into bad weather and a lot of the men got seasick -Had a destroyer escort following them -U-Boats tried to attack the convoy, but were driven away by the destroyer (00:35:37) Arrival in the United Kingdom -Arrived at Swansea, Wales -Received extra training -Got to the United Kingdom on November 2, 1944 -Went on patrols and went into town on the weekends -Went on five, to ten, mile marches -Got to meet and talk with some English civilians (00:37:28) Arrival in France -Received new weapons and got the larger weapons to go overseas -Knew then that they were going to mainland Europe and into combat �-Boarded a British ship and sailed across the English Channel to Le Havre, France -Division landed in France on December 13, 1944 -Harbor was clogged with sunken ships so they had to take a landing craft to shore -It rained nonstop for three days when they arrived -Saw French civilians in the countryside -Learned quickly that the French would urinate on the side of the road -Got to go into Paris -Learned that the French had places called pissoirs (00:39:25) Advance into Belgium & Battle of the Bulge -Moved across France on 40 & 8 box cars -Train only moved 20 to 25 miles per hour -Destination was Belgium -Stopped along the way -French were always friendly and gracious of the American presence -Gave the civilians candy and cigarettes -Heard artillery being fired the closer they got to Belgium -When they arrived in Belgium they arrived next to 155mm howitzer positions -Remembers when they fired it was like lightning striking right next to them -Knew they were going to go into combat -Went to Manhay, Belgium to relieve the 106th Infantry Division -Furthest point of the German advance -106th had suffered heavy losses and numerous men had been captured -Ordered to hold Manhay at all costs -Got heavily shelled the first night there -Germans were only 1000 to 1500 feet away from Manhay -Shelling lasted for an hour -Ground was frozen so they could only dig down six inches -Germans used shells that exploded at tree level producing more shrapnel -The front line near Manhay was incredibly thin -Stayed there for a few days -Moved to a spa town in Belgium (probably Spa itself) -Stayed in a Belgian man's home -Very hospitable and told them he had fought in the Belgian Underground -Had to move from town to town liberating each one from German rule (00:48:35) Fighting in the Ruhr Pocket & Advancing into Germany Pt. 1 -Liberated the suburbs of Essen and Dortmund in Germany -Met stiffer resistance once they got into Germany -Even German children were throwing rocks at them -German soldiers dressed in American uniforms infiltrated their ranks -Wreaked havoc on the supply lines by misdirecting traffic -Didn't move at night unless they absolutely had to -Sent out patrols to capture German soldiers -His job was to carry a radio and go with the forward observer to direct mortar fire -This placed him directly on the frontline and in immediate danger -Moved on to attack a suburb of Dortmund with L Company �-Germans were lying in wait in the rail yard and ambushed them with machine guns -He stayed calm during the attack then ran for cover while still taking fire -Even with the presence of American tanks the Germans held their position -Lost two tanks to well placed hand grenades -Advanced to attack a hill near the suburb -Germans fired indiscriminately killing American troops and civilians -Had to go house to house to neutralize snipers -In the cellar of one house found a group of 30 elderly German civilians in hiding -Germans would deal as much damage as they could then retreat -Went up against the German Tiger tanks -Tiger tanks had thicker armor and more powerful guns than American tanks -Captured an aluminum factory along with several thousand workers -Captured the town of Orsoy on the Rhine River (00:59:15) Interactions with Civilians and Prisoners of War -German civilians tended to retreat before American forces arrived -They would politely evacuate any German civilians that had stayed behind -Had German prisoners of war working in places like Camp Brooklyn and Camp New York -Camps used to send GIs home, confine German POWs, and process freed Allied POWs (01:01:20) End of the War in Europe Pt. 1 -In Westphalia, Germany when Germany surrendered -Had to wait for the Russians to reach the Elbe River before they advanced further -Had to deal with hundreds, if not thousands of displaced persons (DPs) after the war -Many of them were trying to get home to their respective countries -Fed a lot of them -Eventually had to stop DPs from traveling because they clogged the highways -Helped an elderly Polish man and two younger Poles get ready to go home -Had to travel from western Germany to Poland with a horse and wagon -Gave them supplies and a sign that said, "Poland, or Bust!" -At the aluminum factory in Dortmund there were thousands of Polish slave laborers -Found an old mansion and surrounded it -Without firing a shot sixteen German soldiers came out and surrendered -Oldest of the group was sixty years old -Still has a Mauser pistol from that encounter -Found a beautiful Prussian uniform in the mansion -Near the end of the war when they captured the mansion -Thinks that the German soldiers were glad to be taken prisoner (01:09:41) Medic Friend -Had a friend in the Army that was a medic -Remembers one night they were writing letters together �-Medic was called to help a wounded soldier -Didn't receive a bronze star because he already had one from a previous act -In France there were wounded American soldiers, trapped in a town -Put Red Cross arm bands on German POWs -Sent them into the town to retrieve the American soldiers (01:11:35) Christmas 1944 -Spent Christmas 1944 in Belgium -One soldier played a pipe organ and they sang Christmas carols with a Belgian family -On Christmas Eve he watched 22 planes get shot down and only three parachutes emerged -Watched dogfights take place between American planes and German planes (01:13:38) Chaplain -Remembers gathering in a barn before an attack -Chaplain addressed the men, told them with blunt honesty not all of them would survive -Turned out to be right, because the next day there were fewer men (01:14:34) Back Injury -En route to Trois-Ponts, Belgium in a convoy -His vehicle hit a crater in the road sending him and a few other men flying -A 200 pound soldier landed on top of him -Thought that he broke his back -Got a ride to a nearby town where a division was staying -Next day got a ride to a field hospital, then from there to a hospital in Paris -Placed in a bed next to a recently freed American prisoner of war with tuberculosis -David still tests positive for TB 70 years later -Man died the next day -After his hospital stay in Paris he was sent to Etampes, France for rehabilitation (01:17:39) Fighting in the Netherlands -After recovering from his injury he rejoined the 75th in Neer, Netherlands -Could see German soldiers across the Maas River -Saw a German soldier going into a house and fired three mortars at the house -After that the soldier did not emerge -Spent most of February 1945 in the Netherlands (01:19:10) Fighting in the Ruhr Pocket & Advancing into Germany Pt. 2 -Pushed into the Ruhr Pocket in March 1945 -Germans were so desperate they were using horses to pull 88mm artillery guns -If a horse was killed, German civilians would go out and scavenge the meat (01:20:01) Seeing Prime Minister Churchill and General Montgomery -In the Netherlands when he saw Prime Minister Churchill and General Montgomery -Had linked up with British forces -Heard sirens and saw motorcycles coming down the road �-Saw Churchill in his car, with a cigar, giving the V for Victory sign (01:21:17) End of the War in Europe Pt. 2 & Occupation Duties -In a town in Westphalia, Germany when the war ended -German soldiers were happy that the war was over -German troops were replacing their uniforms with civilian clothing to escape getting captured -Contracted hepatitis after the war was over -Had a fever of 102ºF and got sent back to a hospital in Paris to recover -Spent three weeks there -Had to stay in Europe for nine more months after the war to get enough points -Stationed in the Information & Education Office at Camp New York in France -Working with an Army established university network in England and France -Specifically with the Biarritz American University in Biarritz, France -A man tried to recruit him to help sell a damaged jeep to some Frenchmen -David turned it down -A jeep was stolen every day in Paris -French wanted the jeeps after the war, and eventually they were legally sold -Knew that there was a huge black market for cigarettes in France -There was very open prostitution in Paris -A woman set up a pup tent and charged only 300 Francs per customer (about $4) -Trying to provide a living for her daughter -Got 15 college credits at the American University in Biarritz, France -Beautiful town on the Spanish border -Gave local children candy and oranges -Gave civilians any spare food -Stayed there for six months -He played the trombone in the university band -Had a university newspaper (01:33:10) End of Service & Coming Home -In Camp New York when he received word that he could go home -Shipped his Mauser home to avoid it getting stolen -Got discharged on March 10, 1946 at Camp Atterbury, Indiana -Given $300 by the Army and hitchhiked back to Grand Rapids, Michigan -Took a ship back to the United States from France -Took five days to get back to the U.S. and didn't run into any storms -Wanted to kiss the ground when he got home, but there were too many GIs (01:36:40) Life after the War -Prepared to get married upon coming home -Had been dating for three years -Got married on June 1946 -Enrolled in the University of Michigan -Attended the extension school in Grand Rapids -Went to the Ann Arbor, Michigan campus for one year -Got a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration �-During the war became friends with a man from Grand Rapids named Robert Dice -Robert Dice was captured by Germans in Colmar -Ran into each other at the University of Michigan and became friends -David got a job at American Seating Company in Grand Rapids -Robert got a job with the Hartford Insurance Company as an adjuster -After a year and a half got David a job at Hartford as an adjuster (01:42:17) Reflections on Service -Matured a lot during his time in the Army -Realized how prevalent racism still was among the Southern soldiers -Appalled by how the Southerners considered the black soldiers to be subhuman -Shocking coming from a Northern, egalitarian atmosphere -Learned a lot about life -It was a wonderful experience -Believes that there are better ways to learn about life than through war � 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_ZylstraD1785V Title A name given to the resource Zylstra, David B (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-06-24 Description An account of the resource David Zylstra was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1924. In August 1943 he received his draft notice. He was processed at Fort Custer, Michigan and accepted into the Army Specialized Training Program. He received basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia and then went to Brooklyn College, New York for the ASTP engineering course. When the ASTP was cancelled he was sent to join the 75th Infantry Division on their maneuvres in Texas and Louisiana in spring 1944. He was assigned to M Company of the 291st Infantry Regiment and received heavy weapons training. The division left the United States in fall 1944 and arrived at Swansea, Wales on November 2, 1944. In December 1944 the 75th went to France and arrived at Le Havre on December 13, 1944. David saw action in Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge, in the Netherlands, and in the Ruhr Pocket during the advance into Germany in spring 1945. At the end of the war he was in Westphalia, Germany and Camp New York, France helping with the processing of GIs, German prisoners of war, and the Information and Education Office for the American Universities in England and France. He also attended the American University in Biarritz, France. He returned to the United States after nine months of occupation duty and got discharged on March 10, 1946 at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Zylstra, David B. 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 Text Moving Image 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 video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f8ab030f573c52fc0fdd68e3b783b27a.m4v 9812cf0df14b559519c751212146b81c https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/46c449a7730033a55ebaeabd2d07f204.pdf 1123527ed915219fe36dc1c1ba1a893d PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project David Yonts Vietnam War 1 hour 26 minutes 59 seconds (00:00:15) Early Life -Born in West Virginia in February 1950 -Came from a family of coal miners -When he was nine or ten months old his family moved to Kentucky -Grew up in Kentucky -Attended school in Kentucky -Met his wife when they were in high school -Got married when she was still a junior in high school -Got a job working with cars -Graduated from high school in 1968 -Had a job at a Studebaker dealership in high school -Went to work for his uncle at his uncle's Texaco station (00:01:54) Getting Drafted -Married for one year when he got drafted on August 31, 1969 -Wife came home from work and he told her that he had been drafted -Given ten days to report for duty (00:02:53) Knowledge of the Vietnam War -Didn't know a lot about the Vietnam War -Heard stories about soldiers coming back from Vietnam -Knew that he didn't want to go fight in Vietnam -Didn't know the politics of the war (00:03:39) Basic Training -Went to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training -Went from Ashland, Kentucky to Fort Knox by bus -Arrived at Fort Knox at dusk -Greeted by a private first class screaming at the recruits to get off the bus -Assigned a place to sleep -Next day given a haircut, a quick breakfast, vaccinations, uniforms, boots, and clothing -Took an entire day to get processed -Most of the recruits were from Kentucky, West Virginia, and Michigan -In retrospect understands why basic training was done the way it was -Drill instructors were trying to break down individualism -Teaching them discipline and to follow orders -Learned not to be flip with superiors -Taught to work as a unit -Help each other and think as a group rather than as an individual -Received weapons training -Did well with rifle training -Wonders if that led to him getting assigned to the infantry �-Only had two or three recruits that had to start basic training over -Some men were physically and mentally unfit to be soldiers -Completed basic training anyway -Majority of men were capable of being soldiers (00:10:59) Infantry Training -Sent to Fort Ord, California for Infantry Training -Company commander was a Ranger in the 101st Airborne Division -Meant that he was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division -Training lasted eight weeks -More physically demanding than basic training -Learned how to rappel out of helicopters -Received more weapons training -Learned how to read maps -Went through simulated Vietnamese villages -Knew then that he was going to get deployed to Vietnam -Went on a lot of marches -Not allowed to go off base until the seventh week of training -Only thing to do was to go into town and drink (00:14:55) Assignment to Fort Hood -During seventh week of Infantry Training he learned that his wife was pregnant -Wanted to go home, or at least stay in the U.S. until his wife gave birth -Talked to a chaplain who talked to David's superiors -Granted a deferment and assignment to Fort Hood, Texas until his wife gave birth -Worked in the motor pool at Fort Hood -Daughter was born on May 6, 1970 -Able to talk to his wife on the phone -Went to the PX and bought some celebratory cigars -Same day that his daughter was born he received orders for Vietnam (00:17:35) Deployment to Vietnam -Given three and a half weeks of leave home before being deployed -Got to see his wife and his baby daughter -Felt like a part of his heart was torn out knowing he might die in Vietnam -Took a lot of pictures with his wife and daughter -When he was in Vietnam he sent a lot of voice recordings back to her -Went to California and boarded a plane -Stopped in Alaska and picked up more military personnel -Flew to Japan -Flew on a chartered American Airlines jet (00:20:03) Arrival in Vietnam -Landed at Saigon -Went through an in-country orientation process -Explained the assignment process -Did it backwards alphabetically, so his name was the fifth one called (00:21:05) Assignment to the 101st Airborne Division -He was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division operating near Phu Bai -Flew up to Phu Bai in a C-130 �-Gto to Phu Bai on July 1, 1970 -Received more in-country orientation -Cultural awareness training -Told by one sergeant to shoot first and ask questions later -In theory, U.S. troops only shot at someone after being shot at -In reality, if you waited to shoot you would probably get killed -Got assigned to Alpha Company of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne -He had already received air assault training in California, so he didn't need to go through SERTS -Note: SERTS: Screaming Eagle Replacement Training School -Joined Alpha Company on July 7, 1970 at Camp Evans (00:24:35) Siege of Firebase Ripcord Pt. 1 -Note: Since July 1, 1970 the North Vietnamese had been attacking Firebase Ripcord -On July 8, 1970 he went into the field to join Alpha Company -Boarded the third helicopter out of Camp Evans that day -Told that he would be dropped off at Firebase Ripcord and A Company would go there -Couldn't go directly to A Company because they were in a firefight -Remembers the countryside going from green and vibrant to brown and war torn -Thought the firebase didn't look too bad -Immediately assigned to a foxhole on the perimeter with three other soldiers -The three other men had been in the field and told him the situation -Heard a lot of small arms fire around the bottom of the hill Ripcord was on -From July 9 - July 23 (fall of Ripcord) they were under siege -He never got into the field -Assigned to a bunker on the perimeter at night -First night on the perimeter he didn't sleep -Set out land mines at night -The next day they were turned around so the explosion would go toward the bunker -North Vietnamese had gotten that close without being detected (00:30:13) Firebase Ripcord-Details -Ripcord was on the top of a hill -Tactical operations center (TOC) was at the top of the hill in the middle of the hill -Artillery batteries surrounded the TOC -Farther down the hill was the perimeter consisting of bunkers and foxholes -Each bunker was 20 to 30 feet apart -Perimeter was 30 feet away from the bottom of the hill -Bunker dugout was the size of a king size bed -Wood made a roof over the dug out -Sandbags went on top of the wood -Each bunker was manned by four men -A trench went out to a collection of foxholes in front of the bunker �-Called the bunker the "house" and the foxhole "his porch" (00:33:30) Siege of Firebase Ripcord Pt. 2 -Bombardment of Ripcord got more intense as July went on -Heard movement beyond the perimeter -Ordered not to fire because it might be American soldiers and not Vietnamese -Took a lot of mortar fire -His bunker never took a direct hit -A lot of shells landed around his bunker though -Later in July they took more small arms fire -Had a nearby bunker that served as their latrine -Couldn't go to the bathroom without worrying about getting hit -Only went if he absolutely had to go -Got resupplied by helicopters during the siege -Helicopters would fly in, quickly drop off supplies, then fly out as fast as they could -On July 18, 1970 a Chinook helicopter was shot down and crashed into an ammunition dump -If the hill was a clock, the helicopter crashed at 3 o'clock and he was at 7 o'clock -Initially thought a B-52 accidentally bombed the firebase -Ordered to stay in his bunker and stay down until all of the ordnance had cooked off -Learned to stay aware, understand that he could get killed, and to look out for himself -Heightened security and put two men on watch instead of just one man -Noticed more Cobra gunships operating around Ripcord -Escorting the "Loach" recon helicopters onto and off of the firebase -On the morning of July 21 things got even worse -Started to seriously consider that he might not survive the battle -Bombardment got even worse -Late on July 22 they saw more enemy movement (00:41:55) Fall of Firebase Ripcord -On the morning of July 23 he actually saw North Vietnamese soldiers beyond the perimeter -On July 23 he received word that Ripcord was going to be evacuated and destroyed -Upset that they were just letting the firebase fall rather than stand and fight -Saw Lieutenant Colonel Lucas get mortally wounded by a mortar shell -Throughout July 23 men were getting pulled off the hill -Told that the bunkers to the left and right of his would go first, then his bunker would go -Had to decide the order of men in his bunker to get evacuated -Pulled straws and he was the third man to go out -Still doesn't know if the fourth man made it out -Had to leave all of his gear and personal possessions behind except for his rifle -Boarded a helicopter with two other combat capable men and two wounded soldiers -Remembers the gunners laying down suppressing fire as they took off (00:48:22) Regrouping & Going into the Field -At Camp Evans learned that Alpha Company had been hit and lost a lot of men -Received more replacements �-He tried to help the new replacements adjust to Vietnam -He was supposed to be a squad leader, but got assigned to the M60 machine gun instead -Didn't want to be on the M60 for too long because it drew too much attention -Once A Company had enough men they returned to the field -Pattern was this: go to the field, make some contact, then retreat from the field -Didn't understand why they retreated from the field -Learned later that the U.S. was pulling out of Vietnam -Became the radio-telephone operator (RTO) for Captain Chuck Hawkins -Called in rations, medical evacuation, and supplies for the company -Hawkins explained that the Army didn't want a repeat of Ripcord -That's why they didn't stay in the field for too long if they made contact -Assigned to be the RTO for a new company commander -He told David that if he stayed in the field two extra weeks he would make him sergeant -Declined because he didn't want to risk getting killed -After Ripcord, A Company took 10 to 15 casualties -Some of them were accidents -Remembers one new man from the Industrial Midwest (Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, etc.) -David tried to watch over him and protect him -Landed on an old landing zone -Never should have used an old LZ -Most likely being watched or booby trapped -David got off the helicopter and ran down to the tree line -New man followed him and tripped a land mine -Killed instantly -Only found a boot and his glasses -Army listed him as missing in action (MIA) -Angered him because the man was dead, not missing (00:59:32) Life after the War Pt. 1 -As of 2015, despite hardships, he and his wife are still married -Had four children -After the war had a quicker temper and his family went through a lot because of his PTSD (01:00:40) Interactions with the Vietnamese -While in the rear they could go into Phu Bai, so he saw some Vietnamese civilians -Had a Vietnamese interpreter known as a chu-hoi -Meant that he was a Viet Cong soldier that defected to South Vietnam -Didn't interact with many civilians -At the time he hated all of the Vietnamese, but now he regrets feeling that way (01:01:55) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -Has no desire to return to Vietnam or see the remains of Firebase Ripcord -Doesn't want to relive the war -Also doesn't want to step on an unexploded land mine near Ripcord -It wasn't always bad in Vietnam, there were some good times -Feels that sometimes you just had to laugh to deal with the stress �(01:02:55) Downtime & R&R -Got to see Bob Hope in Phu Bai -Men from the field were allowed to sit in the rows closest to the stage -Thankful to Bob Hope for doing those shows for the troops -Saved his R&R for the end of his tour in Vietnam -Able to see his wife in Hawaii -It was a good R&R -Got to spend a week together -Difficult to leave his wife again -Took some comfort in the fact that the war was coming to an end -Drank a lot when he was in the rear -Refreshing to go on R&R, but strange to go back into the field so quickly (01:07:25) Leaving Vietnam & End of Service -Left Vietnam on June 15, 1971 -Told he'd be placed in the inactive reserves because he had less than six months of service to do -Flew from Vietnam to Japan to Alaska to Washington -Outprocessed and discharged in Washington -Given a ticket to fly home to Kentucky -Strange to think only a week ago he had been carrying a rifle in Vietnam -Told to travel in civilian clothes to avoid harassment (01:09:26) Treatment of Veterans Pt. 1 -Son served in the Army for 20 years -Deployed to Iraq three times -Made sure that every time his son came home he had a big welcome home party -Didn't want his son to go through what he did upon coming home -When he came home he was ostracized by the public for being a Vietnam veteran -One woman accused him of killing children -Blames some of the harassment on other Vietnam veterans -They came home and talked about raiding villages and executing civilians -As a result of that, people thought all soldiers did that -For most veterans it was difficult to get a job -Fortunately he still had a job with his uncle at the Texaco station -Only 21 years old when he came home from Vietnam -Barely old enough to vote and buy alcohol -Treated like a war criminal despite being so young and not being a war criminal -People asked his wife why she stayed married to a Vietnam veteran (01:12:52) Life after the War Pt. 2 -Continued to work with cars after he came home -Eventually got a job at an Oldsmobile dealership -Moved to Florida in 1982 and worked for a dealership there -Started his own car repair business in Florida -It was successful and he sold it -Went into used cars sales -Owned a used cars lot for 12 years -Helped with a friend's security business �-Had a contract with a hospital -Got him a job at the hospital as the security director -Led to him getting interested in medicine and becoming a nurse -Hospital paid for him to go to Nursing School -Got into a motorcycle accident in 2007 and retired from everything after that (01:15:14) Readjusting to Civilian Life -Worked 70-80 hours a week -Didn't understand why he worked so much until after the motorcycle accident -Realized that he worked so much to distract himself from the war memories -Got treatment for PTSD through the VA -Took a year of classes with other Vietnam veterans -Advised to file for PTSD compensation and Agent Orange compensation -70% physical disability and 30% psychological disability -Diabetes, neropathy, and hypertension from stress and chemical weapons (01:19:36) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -Sees the Vietnam War getting repeated through the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan -Government's reluctance to compensate those veterans for their sacrifice -Politics getting in the way of giving treatment to veterans -Believes the psycholoigcal effects of Vietnam will continue for years, if not generations -The indirect effects will last for the spouses and children of veterans (01:23:05) Treatment of Veterans Pt. 2 -Has just started wearing a Vietnam veteran cap -Still gets negative reactions from people, but it has gotten better -Actually receives thanks from people (01:24:24) Reflections on Service Pt. 2 -Leadership abilities -Respect for people -Accountability for his actions -Would serve again if called and would go to Iraq with his son if he could -Willing to fight for the country and rights if necessary � 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_YontsD1886V Title A name given to the resource Yonts, David (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-10-08 Description An account of the resource David Yonts was born in February 1950 in West Virginia. He grew up in Kentucky and on August 31, 1969 he was drafted. He received basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky and infantry training at Fort Ord, California. Due to his wife being pregnant he was allowed to serve at Fort Hood, Texas until May 6, 1970 when he received his orders for Vietnam. He was deployed to Vietnam and got to Phu Bai on July 1, 1970. He was assigned to Alpha Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division and served at Firebase Ripcord until the firebase fell on July 23, 1970. He served with Alpha Company until he left Vietnam in June 1971. Upon arrival in Washington in late June 1971 he was discharged. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Yonts, David 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 Text Moving Image 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 video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/90b3022c68d9a0ba21369910a09fbee1.m4v f8a717d58c6575186b0faa799d94edbd https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c8dc8e6b24a8d75f3566f3a880e6c1fd.pdf bc69b24a3969107cd08e7bec509a32ef PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project James Wyatt Vietnam War 32 minutes 15 seconds (00:00:06) Early Life, Basic Training and Berlin Wall Crisis -Born December 4th, 1936. -Highest rank achieved was Specialist 4th class. -Drafted into service. -Knowing that drafting was inevitable, he chose to pre-empt the process and enter in 1960. -22 years old at the time of entering military service. -Chosen as a temporary training sergeant during basic training. -Training: 15 mile hikes with a 40lb backpack. -Chose other leaders from the groups. -Encouraged soldiers as their energy waned. -Made friends with squad leaders he worked with. -Flew to Berlin with Military Air Transportation Service (MATS). -Stationed in Mannheim. -Locals were mostly friendly. -During the duration of his time in Berlin, the Berlin Wall was built. -Afterward the locals became noticeably friendlier to their presence. Soldiers became more religious. (00:05:00) -Sent to NATO school. -Dispersed information to troops and trained them in fundamentals. -The Berlin Wall crisis caused extensions on the troop’s service periods. -After his year and a half was up he was extended by a mere few days before he returned to the US. -Communicated with his mother often in the mail during his time abroad. -Limited places to socialize with other English speakers. -Attempted to learn some German. -Due to the Berlin Crisis, there was no ability to take leisurely language classes. -Sent out to the field much more often. -Soviet threat seemed intimidating at the time. -Being somewhat isolated abroad. (00:10:00) -His return from military life was treated by the public with some degree of skepticism and suspicion. -Not anger or derision like some Vietnam veterans. -After returning home he became a police officer. -Had an interest in the job for a long time. -Grand Rapids police were hiring. -Since he was from Grand Rapids he decided to apply. �-Personally believes that the containment in Vietnam was the right thing to do. -In Mannheim he was stationed at what was once a Panzer building. -Remnants of the Polish army were still present at the time. -Due to the fact Russia was present in Poland. (00:16:10) -Believes that Vietnam War was mishandled and hampered by political posturing. -Cuban Missile Crisis was quite scary. -Believes that JFK handled it well. -Thoughts on Watergate scandal: intentions were good, but methods were not. -The fall of the Berlin Wall was emotional and a great moment for him to view on TV. (00:26:00) -His brother was in WWII. -Involved in major battles such as the Philippines -Aboard USS Washington. -Has a rather “military family”. -Older brother in the service. -Uncles and cousins as well. -Father was in Turkey 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_WyattJ1816V Title A name given to the resource Wyatt, James E (Interview outline and video), 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 James Wyatt was born in 1936. At the age of 22 he pre-empted an inevitable drafting by enlisting in 1960. During his military career his highest rank achieved was Specialist 4th class. Although his service was during the Vietnam War era, he was located in Mannheim, Germany in the time of the Berlin Wall Crisis. Wyatt was also sent to NATO school where he was able to train troops in the fundamentals. After being discharged he returned to the US and became a police officer. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Wyatt, James E. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Wyatt, Peyton (Interviewer) Caledonia High School (Caledonia, 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. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image 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 video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d375d7d7595432b67bfaf14e5b9bed12.m4v 0bdb96f4db22b96a573d3cb480cea279 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d1caaf22e80bf10c9cfa835782a733b6.m4v 138164e952aff99e1add3eb7429f509d https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/686a607d0ed1513441d09963e55f4e8f.pdf 777da7229b178286a9f4f5d020424a64 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Ed Wietecha Vietnam War Part 1 – 49 minutes 37 seconds (00:00:47) Early Life -Born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania in 1945 -Mother was living with her parents while father served in North Atlantic Ocean -Almost all of his uncles served in the military during World War II -Father had a career in the Navy -Served in China prior to, and during the Japanese invasion in 1937 -Father was reassigned to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois after the war -Grew up in Waukegan, Illinois -Graduated from high school in 1963 (initially says 1967, but corrects himself later) (00:02:21) Vietnam War, College, and Navy Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) -American presence in Vietnam was gaining attention in 1963 -He wanted to join the Marines and go through Platoon Leader Class -Friends at the University of Illinois suggested he join the Navy ROTC -He decided he'd do that, get commissioned, and join the Marines as an officer -Would still go through Basic School and get sorted for his specialization -Vietnam War accelerated during his time in college -Marines landed in Da Nang in 1965 followed shortly thereafter by the Army -Paid a lot of attention to the war -Major topic of discussion every week -Had classmates fighting in Vietnam -One classmate, a year older than him, was killed in action in Vietnam -Received training between junior and senior year of college -Weeding out men who couldn't physically handle military service -Lasted six weeks -He did well in class -Offered regular commission as opposed to a reserve commission -Reserve officer served for three years -Regular officer served for four years -Able to stay in even if the military downsized -Graduated and received his commission in 1967 (00:06:58) The Basic School -Sent to Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia for the Basic School -Got married in late August 1967 -Married for 48 years as of the time of the interview -He was the most likely to get killed in action -Wife accepted it -Did a lot of physical training -Taught about weapons and tactics -Fired pistols, rifles, flamethrowers, bazookas, anti-tank weapons, and machine guns -Basically, every weapon used by any unit equal to battalion or smaller -Learned how to lead a fire team, a squad, and a platoon -Also learned about tactics used for a company �-Mostly focused on platoon leadership -Excellent training -In Vietnam he was able to react without thinking -Trained by veterans from the Vietnam War -Taught how to lead in Vietnam, but how to lead in other situations outside of Vietnam -Emphasis on jungle combat, but also on urban warfare -The Basic School lasted five months (00:10:43) Artillery Training -Sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for Artillery Training -Main artillery training installation for Army personnel and Marine officers -Main unit was an artillery battery -Consisted of three components: guns, fire direction center, and forward observer -Fire direction center took in coordinates and translated it for gun crews -Forward observer recorded coordinates -Learned how to adjust coordinates as a forward observer -Learned how to do calculations in the fire direction center -Learned how to operate the artillery guns -Trained with the 105mm and 155mm howitzers -Lived off-base with his wife in an apartment -Conducted live-fire exercises -Had minimal contact with the civilian community -Focused on training -Lasted four or five months (00:15:14) Deployment to Vietnam -Flew out of Chicago on April 5, 1968, the day after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination -Shortly after the Tet Offensive in late January and early February 1968 -Resigned to it -Flew out of California -Stopped in Okinawa en route to refuel -Helped inventory on armory for a few days (00:16:46) Arrival in Vietnam -Landed in Da Nang, South Vietnam -Hot and it stank because of the rice paddies -Told he'd be sent north to join an amphibious task force -Traveled with a warrant officer who gathered intelligence in local communities -Taken to Phu Bai -Didn't have any weapons -Landed at a steep descent to avoid mortars -Stayed in Phu Bai for a few days -Went into Dong Ha -He was eating in a restaurant while the warrant officer talked to the owner -Told Ed they needed to leave and get back to base -Had been informed a major attack was being planned in the area -That night, he saw fighting in the hills (00:20:07) Joining Whiskey Battery -Battalion was ashore -Split into battalion forward and battalion rear -Battalion forward was in combat, and battalion rear carried out administrative duties -He was sent to Direct Support Battery �-Told to pick up combat gear -Bloody, damaged, and had bullet holes in helmets -Gear gathered from the wounded or the dead -Drove home the reality that he was in a combat zone -Assigned to Whiskey Battery in BLT 3/1 (Battalion Landing Team 3rd Battalion 1st Marines) -Infantry battalion with artillery unit and tanks -Task force that operated up and down the coast -Went ashore during action, then returned to ship when things calmed down -Battalion had been fighting along the demilitarized zone (DMZ) since the Tet Offensive -Driven out to the unit -Went on the route the French had used in the 1940s and 1950s and had been destroyed -Joined Whiskey Battery at Camp Carroll near Cam Lo -Other lieutenants and the company commander greeted him -Brought him to the fire direction center -He was the lieutenant with the least experience -Minimal amount of combat at the time -Whiskey Battery was a support battery -Had a 4.2 inch mortar mounted a 75mm howitzer carriage -Capable of being transported by helicopter to the field if necessary -Stayed at Camp Carroll for a few weeks (00:26:23) Operating out of Ca Lu -Moved west to Ca Lu Combat Base, east of Khe Sanh -Tasked with salvaging ammunition and occasionally firing support for infantry in the field -Heard firefights a kilometer away from his position -Sometimes bullets flew over his head, but they didn't take rocket fire like at Camp Carroll -Did Fire Direction Center work -Mostly fired harassment & interdiction fire -Firing a specified number of rounds, at random coordinates, at a specified time -Never knew if they hit anything, but the point was to scare off enemy troops (00:28:07) Fire Missions near Da Nang -Returned to Da Nang to join the 2nd Battalion 11th Marines -Stopped en route to conduct fire missions in support of the infantry -Fired multiple missions simultaneously -Breach of protocol, but necessary -Had constant communication with the forward observer in the field -Fired about 300 meters in front of the infantry -Danger close is 600 meters or less -Had more error with the 4.2 inch mortar as opposed to the traditional howitzers -Meant that rounds spent more time in the air and it could alter their trajectory -Meant that rounds were usually 100 meters off of their intended target -Infantry didn't like calling in artillery from Whiskey Battery -4.2in was too inaccurate, wasn't a commentary on the men in the unit -Usually used the 4.2in mortar to clear landing zones before the infantry landed -It was hot and boring, most of the time -Spent the days building up fortifications and occasionally shooting fire missions -Spent four months in the area around Da Nang (00:33:25) Going into the Field Pt. 1 -He complained about the lack of action and about wanting to be a forward observer -Battalion commander said that if he went into the field, and liked it, he could stay �(00:34:15) Daily Routine in Da Nang -Days started by getting up, getting new intelligence, and inspecting the guns -After that he ate breakfast and met with his gun crews -Cleaned guns and filled sandbags -Sent men out for work details, policed the area, and fired a mission or two -He figured out a way to stabilize the mortars so they didn't slide around and affect accuracy -Filled tires with rocks and put those tires under the mortars which fixed the problem (00:36:58) Morale & Discipline Problems -Infantry didn't ask for support from the 4.2 inch guns, which negatively impacted the crews' morale -Felt like they were just going through the motions and just waiting to go home -Prior to this, the men felt like they had a mission and a purpose -Didn't have any issues with drugs or alcohol abuse, at least not when he was there -Didn't notice any racial tensions, at least none that were apparent -No insubordination -Men listened to orders and followed them (00:38:16) Vietnamese Civilians -Some Vietnamese civilians were used for construction projects on base -Had villages outside of the perimeter -Never made contact with each other -Separated by barbed wire and an abandoned French minefield -He and a few other men went beyond the wire to pull weeds -One of the men noticed that the area had been seeded with antipersonnel mines -Carefully worked their way back to base -Fortunately, nobody got hurt or killed -Angry that no one warned them about the presence of landmines (00:39:36) Going into the Field Pt. 2 -New lieutenant came into the unit and was given the forward observer position -Ed thought he would get the forward observer position and be replaced by the new lieutenant -New lieutenant was wounded, and Ed became the new forward observer -Worked with men that had done multiple tours in Vietnam and had experience -Got shot at the first day in the field -Different atmosphere -Remembers eating, communal-style, out of a can of pears -Marched 13 kilometers the second night -Took mortar fire for the first time in the field -Passed a small, Vietnamese village -Saw only women and children -Ordered to put artillery fire on the village -He radioed in the coordinates, and fortunately, the mission didn't go through -Had the same experience two more times -Saw children riding on water buffaloes, and one officer ordered him to fire -He refused, and his commanding officer supported his decision -Went on a few minor operations and conducted a few sweeps -Went into the mountains -Had to be medically evacuated because his boots were doing so much damage to his feet (00:44:12) Recon Outpost -He was assigned to a recon outpost for two weeks where he could direct artillery while his feet healed -Fired on Viet Cong troops and taught the recon soldiers how to fire the artillery -Recon commander wanted him at the outpost if he ever transferred to the infantry �(00:45:12) Going into the Field Pt. 3 -Went back into the field after his feet recovered -During one mission a recon squad (eight men) was pinned down and needed artillery support -Took 25 minutes for the first artillery rounds to land on target -He reported the error to his regimental commander as soon as he could -Felt bad, because the battalion commander was at fault -Felt it needed to be addressed -Battalion commander took it maturely (00:46:47) Operation Meade River -Started a major operation in an area with a railroad line, a road, and two rivers -A four kilometer by six kilometer area surrounded by 13 battalions -He went in with the first wave -One of the helicopters in the subsequent wave got shot down -His commander was severely burned -A piece of fuselage hit him -He was medically evacuated, but was returned to the field -Had unknown hip and spine problems as a result of not being treated -Completed the operation -Saw his first napalm victims -Charred, unrecognizable, and inhuman corpses -Almost got hit by their own napalm -Radioman told the pilot to abort the drop just in time Part 2 – 43 minutes 34 seconds (00:00:03) Operation Meade River -New company commander acted professionally -Always wore his body armor in the field -Got helicoptered out of the field after being injured by the helicopter crash -Remembers their front line taking artillery and machine gun fire -Assaulted the tree line and got 15 meters inside the line when the Vietnamese opened fire -He responded by directing artillery fire on the enemy machine gun positions -Had 105mm, 155mm, and 8 inch howitzers at his disposal -Someone requested 4.2 inch mortar fire -Battery wanted to put a round 100 yards in front of his position -Once the first round hit they would continue to adjust fire toward the enemy -Ed called in the 105mm howitzers instead because they were more accurate -One Marine went down, so Ed called in artillery on the enemy position and as they retreated -Called in 200 rounds of artillery which resulted in 11 confirmed enemy dead -During the operation he only knew the progress of that operation, but not the war at large (00:05:38) Transfer to 1st Recon Battalion -He returned to his battery and was transferred to 1st Recon Battalion and joined a recon platoon -Sent out patrols of six to eight men to look for enemy -Usually consisted of a lieutenant or sergeant, a medic or corpsman, a radioman, and riflemen -Walked four kilometers over the course of a few days, then got extracted -Objective was to find the enemy then call in artillery or airstrikes (00:07:08) Recon Patrols -On his first recon patrol they were walking up a hill when a rock hit the corpsman �-Dislocated his shoulder and he had to be evacuated from the field -On his second patrol the Viet Cong ambushed them -Bullet went straight across his chest, cutting open his shirt and grazing him -Training kicked in and they immediately returned fire -One Marine got hit and went down -The remaining Marines provided suppressing fire while a helicopter came in -Leapfrogged back to the landing zone (00:09:54) Observation Posts -Sent to fixed observation posts where he adjusted artillery fire -Also taught the Marines at the posts how to better adjust artillery fire -Spent the majority of the rest of his tour on observation posts -Knew how to direct accurate artillery fire -Observation posts were manned by 15 men and sparse -Established in the middle of nowhere, foxholes, barbed wire, and maybe a bunker -Observation posts got attacked by enemy forces -At one observation post they lost a man after Ed left -At another post, half of the squad was killed, but they killed 400 enemy troops (00:13:46) Enemy Contact -Spent five months with the 1st Recon Battalion -Enemy contact never slowed down during those five months and they were always busy -1968 was a busy year after the Tet Offensive in late January -High casualty rates and frequent contact with the enemy -Always understrength during 1968 -If a company lost 50% of its men the unit was considered to be in good shape (00:15:20) R&R in Hawaii -Went to Hawaii for R&R to see his wife -Wife was concerned about his safety after she saw his wounds -Spent a week in Hawaii -Checked out of the hotel on Christmas Eve 1968 -Landed in Vietnam on December 26, 1968 (00:17:34) Vietnamese Civilians -They were in the middle of a “free fire zone” (all Vietnamese persons were considered fair targets) -He was in command of one square kilometer -There were Vietnamese civilians in the free fire zone that had been wounded by artillery fire -Called in helicopters to evacuate the Vietnamese civilians to a local hospital -An observation officer flew over the free fire zone and saw the Vietnamese civilians -Wanted artillery fire called in on the Vietnamese -Ed refused to call in a strike on civilians -If the officer pressed the issue Ed would order his men to fire on the plane -He returned to battalion headquarters and expected punishment for insubordination -Nothing happened (00:20:44) Living Conditions in Vietnam -He remembers being at a place called Go Noi Island -He was sitting in a hut and watched a huge snake come in and go out -Drank a lot of coffee in Vietnam, and there were always flies -For a while he would pick the flies out of his coffee before he drank it -He eventually got so tired that he drank the coffee with the flies in it -At night he'd cut a slit trench one foot deep and long enough that he could lay down in it -Put a poncho over the trench to keep the rain out with his rifle next to him �-Remembers the Vietnamese attacked their position one night -He woke up long enough to ask if they needed artillery then fell back asleep (00:24:08) Rear Duty in Da Nang -Near the end of his tour he became the company executive officer -Stationed at the company area in the rear -Slept in cots -He was stationed outside of Da Nang near division headquarters -Went for daily runs on “Freedom Road” -Rarely left the base -Went to the beach one Sunday to cook up some steaks -En route the Vietnamese attacked and blew up an ammunition dump -Civilians and troops panicked while Ed and his friends were stuck in the crowd -Da Nang was a primitive area -Most of the people lived in cardboard and tin shacks on the side of the road -Very minimal contact with civilians in Da Nang (00:27:32) Leaving Vietnam -Left Vietnam in spring 1969 -Stopped in Okinawa for a few days and bought a stereo -Landed in Los Angeles then flew to Chicago -Mother-in-law or sister-in-law picked him up at the airport -Wife completed her senior year of college when he got back from Vietnam -Flew home in his uniform and didn't experience any hostility -Had three more years of service to complete before getting discharged -Took some leave with his wife at the University of Illinois before resuming service (00:30:00) Stationed at Fort Sill & End of Service -His next duty station was at Fort Sill, Oklahoma -Lived in the bachelor's quarters until his wife joined him -They lived in base housing for married couples then moved into the town near Fort Sill -Got involved with one of the Catholic churches in town and taught religion classes -Befriended the priest -Spoke on behalf of the priest who was a conscientious objector -Served as the tactics instructor at Fort Sill -Taught servicemen how to set up an artillery battery -Two weeks of classroom work -One week of fieldwork -Moving artillery pieces then establish batteries -Did that for two years -Rewrote the Army doctrine on how to defend an artillery battery -Approved by the Pentagon -Spent his third year at Fort Sill working on educational material and working as a testing instructor -Developed test items and analyzed test items -During his third year he also served as a technical adviser and a scout for artillery field exercises -At the end of his Marines enlistment the Army offered him a branch transfer -He would be able to retain his rank and stay at Fort Sill, but he wanted to go back to college (00:36:59) Life after Service -Went back to Illinois for graduate school -Studied the psychology of human learning -Eventually got a master's degree in social work and worked as a teacher and as a therapist -In Grand Rapids he did personnel work for various companies �-Selection, assessment, safety, wage compensation, etc. (00:38:21) Reflections on Service -Has a lot of guilt -Dealt with a lot of PTSD -Realized that he's not a pacifist, but we can't go to war unless there's a purpose and a plan -His PTSD has significantly affected his life and his family's life -He has worked on it and been able to deal with it -Feels that he was a good officer -Saved American lives and Vietnamese lives, and he's proud of that -Conversely, he is proud of the enemy troops he killed -His time in the Marines taught him that he was capable of teaching and enjoyed it too -Suffered from PTSD related nightmares for 15 years after he came back from Vietnam � 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_WietechaE1913V Title A name given to the resource Wietecha, Edward J (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-12-17 Description An account of the resource Ed Wietecha was born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania in 1945. He attended the University of Illinois and was part of the Navy Reserve Officers' Training Corps. He graduated and was commissioned as an officer in the Marines in 1967. He attended Basic School at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, and received Artillery Training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He was deployed to Vietnam on April 5, 1968, and arrived at Da Nang. He first joined Whiskey Battery in BLT 3/1 (Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines Regiment). They operated out of Camp Carroll for a few weeks then moved to Ca Lu Combat Base. He, and the rest of the unit, returned to Da Nang and joined the 2nd Battalion of the 11th Marines Regiment where he operated for four months. He went into the field as a forward observer and due to a foot injury briefly served at a recon outpost. He returned to the field as a forward observer during Operation Meade River (November 20, 1968 to December 9, 1968). After Operation Meade River he joined the 1st Recon Battalion and went on reconnaissance missions and guided artillery at observation posts. Near the end of his tour he served as the company executive officer in Da Nang. He left Vietnam in spring 1969 and spent the three remaining years of his enlistment at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, serving as an artillery instructor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Wietecha, Edward 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 Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Marine Corps 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> 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 video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/954152309d75bb9919a777a29bfeeb06.m4v 72958db3f978028e34f16fca33735750 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2f25470b1c9439be605248e50b1ff2ea.pdf 6e7856d97e9b988a11e58435d296e201 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Pia White Civilian (Japan) – World War II 1 hour 47 minutes 28 seconds (00:00:13) Birth & Parents' History -Pia was born in 1926 in Rome, Italy -Father (Kurusu Saburo) was Japanese and her mother was American -Father served as a diplomat for the Japanese government -Stationed at the Japanese consulate in New York City -Pia's mother's older brother worked for the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company -He gave an extensive tour of the facility to the Japanese delegates -In the process he befriended Pia's father -Pia's uncle invited Pia's father to dinner which led to Pia's mother and father meeting -At the time, Pia's mother was a 19 year old student at Columbia University -Mother and father began dating and eventually got married -Father was transferred to Chicago -Pia's older brother and sister were born in Chicago -Family stayed in Chicago for three or four years -Family moved to Japan, then her father was sent to Rome -It is at this time that Pia was born -While in Japan, Pia's father's family welcomed Pia's mother and taught her Japanese customs (00:07:21) Early Life -When Pia was five or six months old the family moved to Greece -After Greece they traveled to Germany -From Germany they returned to Japan -Her earliest memories are of being in Lima, Peru -First languages she learned were Italian and Spanish -When she was six years old the family moved back to Japan (c. 1932) -She was enrolled in school, but couldn't speak Japanese -Realized other students were talking about her which prompted her to learn Japanese -Parents spoke English to each other -Lived in Japan for four years then moved to Brussels, Belgium (c. 1936) -Entirely different environment -Placed in a Catholic school run by nuns -Drank low-alcoholic/non-alcoholic beer during lunch instead of water -Brussels had poor water quality -Not many children lived in her neighborhood -Older brother had stayed in Japan, and her sister was too old to be a playmate -Learned to enjoy time alone, and spent her time reading and making things -Befriended two Brazilian girls -Learned French at the school in Belgium -Stayed in Brussels for three years (00:19:28) Return to Japan Pt. 1 -Japanese government chartered a ship to bring Japanese citizens and delegates' dependents to Japan -Her family traveled to Naples and boarded the ship there -It was a long voyage �-Traveled through Mediterranean Sea, to Suez Canal, through Indian Ocean, to South Pacific -Befriended a sailor that taught her to knit -Father stayed behind in Europe (00:21:52) Rise of Fascism -She stayed informed about world events -Sneaked into her father's office in Brussels and learned about events happening in Europe -Knew about the rise of the Nazis and other fascist regimes -Knew about the mistreatment of the Jewish people -Mother went to a Jewish doctor in Frankfurt, Germany -He told her about the discrimination and hostility he experienced as a Jew -Said that Jews were trying to get out of Germany, or better yet, Europe -Remembers the wife of a Polish diplomat talking about how Poland was in danger (00:25:27) Return to Japan Pt. 2 -Took two months to reach Japan -Stopped at Alexandria, Egypt, and went to Cairo -Saw the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx -Stopped in Singapore (00:27:55) Life in Pre-War Japan -Landed at Osaka where her brother worked, but she went to a Catholic boarding school in Tokyo -Didn't like the school because of the strictness of the nuns -For example, the girls weren't allowed to talk or make noise after dinner -Eventually begged her mother to make different arrangements -Started living with a paternal aunt in Tokyo -Only went to the school during the day, and went home at night -Nuns allowed her to teach the French class because she spoke French -A baron's brother donated a mansion to start a school for Japanese students that had lived abroad -Began attending that school -Taught by college professors -Received a college-level education while still in high school -When they returned to Japan, the war with the United States had not started yet (00:32:33) Beginning of War with United States -Lived at the family's summer cottage in a mountain village near Tokyo -Family had been renting their house in Tokyo -When her father returned to Japan (after the war began) he lived in the house in Tokyo -When the war began a lot of families moved to the village to avoid bombings -Took a train to school -She and the other older students taught the younger children basics (reading, math, etc.) -Enjoyable experience -When the war began foreigners were treated rudely in major cities -Men were drafted -Food became scarce which made breastfeeding difficult for young mother -Her mother started a clinic for young mothers -Had a doctor come once a month to help the mothers and their babies -She helped her mother collect old kimonos to be made into diapers -Japanese adored her mother because she helped the community -She didn't experience discrimination for being half-American (00:38:31) Food & Material in Wartime Japan -Shortages happened prior to December 1941 -The war in China required farmers to be conscripted �-This, in turn, caused lower food production -The war in China also required large amounts of food and material -Newspapers and radios were available in the village -Rode bicycle into farm country to collect food -Relied on a barter system -She and a cousin entertained the farmers as a way of getting extra food -Put on little comedy routines -One resident of the village was the executive of a French fertilizer company -Bought a cow, butchered it, and smoked the meat -Gave one of the legs to Pia's family (00:43:48) Working in the Police Station -Her mother learned that younger women were being conscripted to work in factories -She didn't want that for Pia, so she got her a job working at the village's police station -She helped translate conversations and documents since she was multilingual -High number of foreign citizens living in the village -Had to report to the police station when they left town and when they returned (00:44:33) German Refugees -In 1940/1941 the German government decided its women and children should return to the country -The original plan was to sail to Japan, then to Russia, and take a train back to Germany -Hitler's invasion of Russia in 1941 made the transfer of German civilians impossible -As a result, the German women and children were stuck in Japan -Many lived in a small enclave in Pia's village (00:46:38) Losing the War -Father came to visit and ultimately decided to move into the village -Shortly after that, the family's house in Tokyo was destroyed in a bombing -Her brother was drafted into the Japanese Army -He volunteered for Pilot Training -While traveling from Tokyo to her village a general and his staff boarded the train -He sat down next to her and he was a kind man -He had studied English and they discussed the language -When he got off the train he asked her name -That general became the commandant at her brother's pilot school -He recognized the last name and informed her brother he had met her sister -The general was eventually killed in action -Her brother was killed in action in 1945 a few months before the war ended -He was stationed at a major airfield conducting research on American planes -As the bombings became more frequent he was assigned to an aerial defense unit in Tokyo -On his first mission he encountered American fighter planes -By this time, America had gotten close enough to send bombers and fighters -On his first mission he was shot down and killed as a result (00:51:52) Morale of the Japanese -Her parents disagreed with the attack on Pearl Harbor -Brought the United States into a war that Japan could not win -Her father had been in the United States when the war began and was detained for a few months -He returned to Japan in 1942 as part of a delegate exchange between the U.S. and Japan -Two ships met in southern Africa allowing the delegates to return home -Knew that the news was propaganda because all of it sounded too good to be true -A friend was drafted and stationed at a fortification on a peninsula -After the war he told her that they had no rifles �-Expected to repel an American invasion using bamboo spears -When he showed American troops the fort he said the spears were for fishing -Embarrassed to tell them they planned on fighting with sticks -Heard horror stories about the bombings of Japanese cities -Went into Tokyo to take her final exams and stayed overnight during a bombing raid -Heard about the older section of Tokyo being firebombed -People jumped into a river to avoid the heat and were boiled alive -Morale got worse as the war progressed -Propaganda stayed the same as a futile attempt to bolster the people's morale (00:59:20) End of the War -Heard about the use of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki -Couldn't fathom that the atom had been used as a new weapon -Didn't know the details of the bombings until survivors talked about what they witnessed -Listened to Emperor Hirohito's surrender speech -Had never heard the Emperor speak before -Thankful that the war ended (01:01:50) Reflections on the War Pt. 1 -Most profound effect from the war was having an aversion to being cold -During the war they lived in the mountain cottage, but it was not suited for winters -Woke up freezing, with the air so cold that it made her blankets stiff -Learned how to cut firewood -Mother had bolstered her morale throughout the war -No whining, no self-pitying, just survive (xx:xx:xx) Post War -Stayed in the cottage for a long time after the war ended -Went into Tokyo with her sister to look for the ruins of the family's house -The heat from the firebombs turned the white stucco pink -Melted a stack of records into a single wax pillar -Remembers finding the house's bathtub hanging from its pipes -Only one house in the neighborhood survived the firebombs -Owned by a woman that had buckets of sand and water on her roof -When the bombs landed she picked up the bombs and dunked them in sand or water -By now she had been desensitized by violence, so seeing the house was a curiosity, not a shock (xx:xx:xx) American Occupation -First Americans they encountered were journalists that interviewed her father and foreigners -Took a few weeks before she encountered American troops -Remembers being at a train station and seeing a train full of troops -Some of them talked to her and were surprised she spoke fluent English -Once U.S. forces reached the village they took over the hotel to be used for R&R -She worked closely with the occupation forces -Had U.S. Army staff quartered in the hotel's villas -Helped find maids to clean the quarters -Began talking to an American officer in the 1st Cavalry Division, Lieutenant Ken White -He had helped design improvised, American-style showers at the hotel -The hotel had stables, so the Americans brought horses for the soldiers to ride -Lt. White allowed Pia to go horseback riding before soldiers came to ride -Another lieutenant revitalized the hotel's golf course -Hired civilians to pull the weeds and cut the grass -She played golf when soldiers weren't playing �-During the American occupation her parents rented a “storage house” in Tokyo -She stayed behind in the village to continue working (xx:xx:xx) Getting Married -Lt. White's enlistment ended, but he decided to stay in Tokyo and get a job at the Reparations Center -One day he called Pia and asked her to get married -She knew him and had worked with him for a year and ultimately decided to say yes -They got technically married at the American Consulate in Yokohama, Japan -Had their reception at the American Club in Tokyo -Had the religious ceremony conducted by a German missionary -The missionary's wife and daughter played the organ and violin for the ceremony -Her sister picked wildflowers for Pia's bridal bouquet -Wore her mother's wedding dress -Ken had to stay in Tokyo for work, and she continued to live in the village -When Ken's roommate left on business trips she stayed with him in Tokyo -After getting married they stayed in Japan for one year (xx:xx:xx) Returning to the United States -In December (1947? 1948?) she and Ken sailed back to the United States -She was pregnant with their first child and she got terribly seasick -Landed at Seattle -Remembers some of the soldiers on the ship had battery-powered radios -First time she heard radio commercials -Ken had a car in Japan, and he had it shipped back to the United States -It was unloaded at San Francisco -They took a train to San Francisco and picked up his car -From San Francisco they went to Los Angeles and stayed with Ken's uncle for a week -Drove back to Johnstown, Pennsylvania (Ken's hometown) -Stayed with Ken's older brother for a while -Moved to Dayton, Ohio, where Ken's other brother lived -Stayed there until Ken could start taking classes at Michigan State University (xx:xx:xx) Life after the War -Lived in East Lansing, Michigan, while Ken studied at Michigan State University -He graduated as an industrial engineer and got a job in Ohio with an earth moving company -They moved to Michigan where Ken got a job with the Brunswick Corporation's -Worked for the School Equipment Division -Lived in Kalamazoo, then transferred to Muskegon -He got a job in Grand Rapids, Michigan with a hardware company -While in East Lansing she took a History of Civilization course at Michigan State -She was pregnant with her second child -All of the college girls were fascinated with her pregnancy -Many had lived sheltered lives -Her parents stayed in Japan -Her father had a series of strokes and eventually died -After her father's death her mother continued to live in Japan -Ken invited Pia's mother to move to the United States to be closer to Pia and Pia's sister -Upon Pia's father's death, Pia's mother had become the matriarch of the family -Pia's father had been the oldest, and only son -This led to Pia's mother essentially being in charge of Pia's father's family -She enjoyed being the matriarch and feeling needed, so she decided to stay in Japan -She came to visit Pia and Ken while they were living in Cleveland �-She was the only living grandparent, and the children loved to hear her stories -Pia's sister had married an American lieutenant who made a career out of the Army -They lived in West Germany most of the time -She had two children -Only saw them when they came to visit -After he retired they moved to Texas, and lived there until they both died (xx:xx:xx) Reflections on the War Pt. 2 -It was a totally different maturing experience as opposed to a “normal” adolescence -She lived with the deprivation of food, the intense cold, and isolation -Got to do many things that she wouldn't have been able to do in the United States -Most traumatic experience was working at the village's police station -One of the officers was a member of the Kempeitai (Japan's version of the Gestapo) -She heard the interrogation and torture of “suspects” in one of the station's rooms -Officer realized she could hear the interrogations -Felt a young girl shouldn't have to listen to that -Moved the interrogations to an abandoned house away from the station -Deeply troubling experience for a young girl -Never told her mother about what she heard -Showed her the uglier side of humanity -Learned to accept circumstances and work within them without complaint � 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_WhiteP1934V Title A name given to the resource White, Pia (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-05-19 Description An account of the resource Pia White was born in 1926 in Rome, Italy, to a Japanese father and an American mother. Due to her father's job with the Japanese government, the family traveled all over the world, and she lived in the United States, Japan, and various other countries. In the late 1930s, Pia, her mother, and her siblings returned to Japan. She lived in Tokyo and attended school there. After Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, she and her family moved to a summer cottage in a mountain village near Tokyo. In 1942 her father, who had been in Washington, DC, at the time of Pearl Harbor, returned to Japan as part of an exchange of diplomats and he lived in Tokyo until he joined the family at the cottage. During the war she helped gather food and worked at the village's police station as a translator. In 1945, her older brother, a pilot, was killed in action during a bombing raid on Tokyo. After the war ended, she worked closely with the American Army of Occupation by helping manage the village as an R&R location for American troops. She befriended one Lieutenant Ken White and they eventually married, returning to the United States in December (1947 or 1948). They started a family and lived in Ohio and various cities in Michigan before settling in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource White, Pia 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 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> 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 video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/1d0cb2907a2087eec45964545ed8d7bf.m4v b9a7fc1abd447ac96c371bd1ca89db96 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8d194ab301d2a28956ae2a08f407137e.pdf 8faa7b97822c7429ebfe0f82b126d8c2 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Joyce Washburn Career (Vietnam Era-Gulf War Era) 44 minutes 56 seconds (00:00:37) Early Life -Born in October 1949 in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Grew up in Grand Rapids on the north side of the city -Father was a paint contractor and her mother worked as his secretary -Attended Creston High School -Graduated in 1967 (00:01:13) Boyfriend's Service in Vietnam -Her boyfriend in high school, Dennis Lobbezoo, enlisted in the Marines in spring 1967 -Began training in July 1967 -It was expected that young men would either go to college or join the military -He also loved his country -Deployed to Vietnam in mid-December 1967 -Stationed near the demilitarized zone -Part of Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 26th Marine Regiment -Served in Da Nang, Khe Sanh, and Con Thien -Wounded at Khe Sanh and was sent to a hospital ship -Rejoined his unit in March 1968 -He was killed in action in June 1968 -She wrote him two to three times a week -She was attending college in Grand Rapids -Called home during lunch to see if she got a letter from Dennis -Talked about their future together and their plans -He would tell her that he was okay and would be home soon -He didn't talk about combat or his living conditions -When he was killed his parents were told first, then they told her parents -In a way, she knew that it was coming -They had planned on getting married when he returned from duty -Difficult time for her after he was killed, but kept going to college (00:06:45) Enlisting in the Naval Reserves -Joined the Navy Reserve in May 1968 -Promised Dennis that she would finish her bachelor's degree and finish things for him -Felt that joining the Navy Reserve was her way of finishing things -Joined the Navy Reserve with the intention of becoming a corpsman -Meant she would get the chance to treat wounded Marines -Way of coping with Dennis's death and staying in touch with him, spiritually (00:08:06) Basic Training -Went to basic training in August 1968 -Sent to United States Naval Training Center, Bainbridge in Maryland -Had a special program for training women �-Didn't know what to expect going into the Navy -Most women did clerical work, but she wanted to be a corpsman -Approved for that training after she completed basic training -Basic training was incredibly intense -Wanted it to end, but when it was over she was sad -Got up every day at 5 AM -Got dressed, made sure their beds were made properly -Most of training consisted of classes -How a uniform should look and how a locker should be arranged -Swimming classes and water survival training -Learned how to use their pants as a flotation device -Marched a lot -Learned about rank and who to salute -Had female drill instructors -Wasn't much screaming or yelling at the recruits -Drill instructor was there to encourage and guide them -Trained with only 16 other women and they were all Reservists -Came from a variety of backgrounds -Some were also in college -Remembers one girl who was from Montana -Oldest woman was 27 years old -Basic training lasted 10 weeks (00:12:33) Naval Hospital Corps School -After basic training she went back to Grand Rapids and continued with college -In summer 1969 she reported to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois -Received hands-on training -During the fall of 1968 and the winter of 1969 she took classes in Grand Rapids -Went to the Navy-Marine Reserve Center on Wednesday nights -Studied mostly with other male corpsmen, and only one other female corpsman -Got a lot of attention from the men, but they were also protective -There was an officer that was basically sexually harassing her -The male staff would give her jobs to get away from the officer -The school was co-ed -At the end men went to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina for Field Medical Training -At Great Lakes Naval Station she received medical training -Taking a patient's pulse and temperature -Recognizing the symptoms of diseases and how to treat them -How to take medical notes for hospital records -Similar to being a licensed practical nurse (LPN) -Learned how to give shots, take blood, and make diagnoses -Learned how to treat combat wounds -Went to the hospital and treated men wounded in training and in Vietnam -Trained by nurses and higher ranking corpsmen as well as some doctors -Most of the corpsmen at the hospital were women -Male corpsmen were in Vietnam, on ships, or on coastal bases �(00:17:48) Relationship with Fellow Soldiers & Base Protocol -Her second time at Great Lakes the protocol for soldier relationships was more strictly enforced -Not allowed to show public affection with another soldier -Could be asked to present Liberty Card and ID card at any time when she was on base -Always had to be in uniform on base (00:18:54) Anti-War Protests -She was at Grand Valley State University for her junior and senior years of college -Noticed a lot of anti-war protests -Initially avoided the protestors then got angry about them -Protestors wore the names of men killed in Vietnam -Felt like the protestors were traitors -Wasn't at Great Lakes for the 1968 Democratic National Convention Riots in Chicago (00:20:27) Navy Career Pt. 1 -Finished college at Grand Valley State University -Went on active duty in the summers -After school she reenlisted and served two weeks in the summer and one weekend per month -Served in the Navy Reserves for 26 years -Did four weeks one summer in two, two week segments -Most of her service was done at Great Lakes Naval Station -Served at the naval hospital in San Diego and in Pensacola -Also got to serve at Bethesda Naval Hospital -Did work at the U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery in Washington D.C. -Worked on a domestic violence program -Worked there in September 1988 -Military started to pay attention to domestic violence in the 1980s -Worked at Bethesda in 1991 and 1993 (00:23:40) Gulf War -Called up for service during the Gulf War, but she was pregnant at the time -Pregnant with youngest son, so she couldn't be deployed -Her unit was assigned to a hospital ship off the coast of Kuwait, but she didn't have to go -Her son was born the same day the bombing campaign began (January 17, 1991) (00:24:33) Navy Career Pt. 2 -Bethesda was an amazing assignment -Hospital that treats the president and the political elite -Had every possible medical technology available there -Now part of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center -Does a lot of work with veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan -Worked in the Psychological Department at Great Lakes Naval Station -Did that after the Vietnam War was over, but before the Gulf War -Starting to treat men with PTSD -Unaware of psychological problems in the 1960s and 1970s -They weren't talked about and not considered a medical issue -Worked with men wounded in Vietnam -Visited a wounded soldier in the hospital at Great Lakes �-They had gone to high school together -Felt like she was doing something to help the war effort (00:28:15) Women in the Navy -At the beginning of her career women were a novelty -Allowed to be married, but could not have children -When she was stationed at Great Lakes her husband couldn't go into her barracks -Her barracks was for women only -In Pensacola they had co-ed barracks -Later in her service women were allowed to have children and not be discharged -At the end of her career combat roles were opened up to women -A lot of women worked in hospitals and the hospitals were less militarily structured -Allowed women to be treated as equals -Played on co-ed softball teams with male enlisted men and officers -Working in hospitals insulated her from the sexism that existed in the rest of the military -She was part of the unit at the Navy-Marine Reserve Center in Monroe Center, Grand Rapids -Mostly men, but still treated like an equal -Over time saw more women join that unit -They were still a minority -Still mostly did clerical or medical work (00:32:44) Civilian Careers -Did civilian jobs and raised a family when she wasn't on duty -Worked at the Department for Social Services as a caseworker -Did computer work for 10 years -Worked as a substance abuse specialist in Lansing, Michigan near the end of her Navy career -Allowed her to do substance abuse rehab work in the Navy -Got a master's degree in public administration (00:33:52) Promotion -She was the first woman in her unit to make the rank of Chief Petty Officer -Went through an informal initiation ceremony at the Reserve Center -Had another female Chief Petty Officer oversee it to make sure it was appropriate -Made Chief Petty Officer in 1989 -Pay grade of E-7 (similar to the rank of sergeant in the Army) -Allowed her to go to Chief's Clubs -More exclusivity with being a Chief Petty Officer (00:36:10) A Memorial for Dennis Note: Following information is in chronological order, not as it appears in interview -Three or four years ago she participated in the Reading of the Wall Ceremony in D.C. -Reading the names of the men and women on the Vietnam War Memorial -After that she continued to leave notes on Dennis's profile on the memorial's website -A year and a half ago she was approached by a Dr. [Edward] Byrd who was making a memorial for Dennis �-Dr. Byrd had treated Dennis on the hospital ship when he was wounded -They became friends during that time -On Dr. Byrd's last day in Vietnam he learned that Dennis had died -She and Dr. Byrd worked together to find a location in Grand Rapids for the memorial -Memorial is now at the Steelcase Library, Pew Campus, Grand Valley State University [see also interview with Dr. Byrd in this archive] -The memorial gives her a sense of closure -Feels like Dennis has been brought back home -Dennis was sponsored by a local baseball team as a local hero (00:41:32) Reflections on Service -Had wonderful experiences -Made a lot of friends -Didn't really realize she was a veteran until after she was out of the Navy -People thank her husband for his service -In return he makes sure people know Joyce is a veteran too so they can thank her as well -Learned a lot about medicine while in the Navy -Taught her how to work with people which helped with her civilian jobs � 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_WashburnJ1734V Title A name given to the resource Washburn, Joyce Skinner (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-02-19 Description An account of the resource Joyce Washburn was born in October 1949 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She enlisted in the Navy Reserves in May 1968 and received basic training at U.S. Naval Training Center at Bainbridge, Maryland in August 1968. She returned to college then went to Naval Hospital Corps School at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois where she learned how to be a corpsman. She stayed in the Navy Reserves for twenty six years working at the hospitals at Great Lakes Naval Station, San Diego, and Pensacola. She also got to work at Bethesda Naval Hospital and U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery in Washington D.C. During her time in the Navy Reserves she helped with domestic abuse programs, drug abuse programs, and psychological trauma programs. After her service she helped a fellow veteran, Dr. Edward Byrd, with the creation of a memorial for her fiance, Dennis Lobbezoo, who was killed in Vietnam in June 1968. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Washburn, Joyce Skinner Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (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 Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image 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 video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f6d02d99e9f4692941e445b44e0614e9.m4v cac2ab412b6886d05bd5eaa6fc4cac0a https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/52fe63931afc124af9f035b10b35a89b.pdf e4ef817c66431542746efa3330b50cda PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Gene Van Zee Cold War (Korean War Era-Post Korean War Era) 46 minutes 46 seconds (00:00:38) Early Life -Born in Pella, Iowa on April 1, 1929 -Grew up there -Attended Pella High School -Father was a farmer -Gene grew up on the farm -He didn't want to grow up to be a farmer -Farm was close to town -Good place to grow up -Family did pretty well during the Great Depression -Raised pigs which helped -Meant they didn't have to spend money on manure for the crops -Didn't have to spend money on feed for the pigs -Never felt like they were poor or had financial problems (00:02:27) World War II -Listened to the radio on December 7, 1941 and heard that Pearl Harbor had been bombed -Didn't understand the implications of the attack -Knew by people's reactions that the attack was serious -Went to church in the evenings on Sunday -Remembers the pastor weeping openly talking about the attack -A lot of men enlisted in the days after the attack -Uncle was drafted -Cousin enlisted in the Army -Served as an engineer and fought at Pointe du Hoc on D-Day -Had scrap metal drives and war bond drives -Farm wasn't affected by rationing -Given extra gas for farming -Kept Victory Gardens and his mother canned a lot of food -Once he entered high school he considered the possibility that he would have to serve -Still seemed unlikely though because by that time the war was nearing its end (00:05:12) Medical School -Graduated from high school in 1947 -Went to Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Became interested in medicine through an advanced chemistry course -Not worried about the draft while in college -Korean War broke out in June 1950 -Pre-medical and pre-ministerial students were exempt from getting drafted -In junior year of college he applied for Medical School �-Got accepted into the University of Iowa -Told parents and his father said he'd never make it through medical school -After four years of Medical School he graduated -At the end of Medical School had to do two years of service in a foreign country or on a ship (00:10:07) Enlisting in the Navy -Joined the Navy Reserve to do his two years of compulsory service -Didn't know how to swim -Felt it would be better than being in the infantry (00:10:45) Stationed at Naval Hospital Pensacola -Processed and sent to Naval Hospital Pensacola at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida -It was an excellent place -Not confined to any particular specialty -Got a lot of medical experience -Navy training consisted of only one afternoon of training -Went into a parking lot with a Marine sergeant and marched around for an hour -Didn't receive any introductory Navy training either -Lived off-base with his wife in Pensacola -Rented a house for $100 a month -Wife spent her time taking care of the house and their daughter when she was born -Pensacola was a major hub for Navy aviation -Headquarters for Navy Pre-Flight Training -Location of the Aviation School of Medicine -Served the fleet -Had Primary and Secondary Flight Training Schools -Took care of Navy personnel and the family members of personnel -Performed 250 deliveries of babies in his first year there -Watched deliveries, then performed them, then taught how to oversee deliveries -Hospital staff worked twenty four hours a day, seven days a week -Had every other day off, then every other weekend off -The hospital served as a community hospital for the base -Treated personnel and their family members -Took care of emergencies -Dealt with casualties from training accidents -Men crashed trying to do carrier landings -Spent a year at Pensacola (00:17:06) Assignment to Japan -Given the option to leave the Navy at the end of that year, but he decided to stay in another year -Requested Italy or Hawaii as assignments -Instead, he got assigned to Japan -Wife and daughter were allowed to go with him -The move to Japan felt informal and natural which made the transition more comfortable -Drove to Pella to see his parents, then Toronto to visit his wife's family �-Reported to San Francisco to wait for a flight to Japan -Quartered in a nice hotel -Given three months to get to Japan and get established -Five days after arriving in San Francisco they boarded a plane for Japan -Flew to Honolulu, Hawaii then Wake Island then Tokyo, Japan (00:19:34) Stationed at Naval Air Station Atsugi Pt. 1 -Assigned to Naval Air Station Atsugi near Yokohama -Best naval air station overseas at the time -General MacArthur had been there to accept Japan's surrender -Had originally been used as a kamikaze base -In the mornings he took care of personnel on sick leave -In the afternoons he took care of the family members of personnel -It was effectively a family practice -Did that work for two years -Worked in a Japanese medical facility -Excellent facility and able to care for his patients well -Had a lot of barracks on the base -It was a support base for the 7th Fleet -Meant there was constant activity on the base -Planes flying in and out of the base transporting people and supplies -Chose to live off-base among the Japanese people -Lived in one of the villages near the base -First house was basic, but comfortable -No indoor plumbing, relied on kerosene lamps, and had no telephone -Had a live-in maid -Second house was a missionary's house -Modern house, finest house in the whole village -Had a garage and a yard -Allowed to transport their car from the U.S. to Japan -Took six weeks for the car to get there -Roads were unpaved and narrow (00:24:23) Evidence of the War Pt. 1 -A lot of damage from the war was still present -Japanese had cleaned up most of the rubble, but the infrastructure needed work (00:25:02) Contact with the Japanese -Treated with respect by the Japanese civilians -Got to learn some of the language -Never felt in danger in Japan -Sometimes they even left their door unlocked at night (00:26:44) Evidence of the War Pt. 2 -There was still some damage in Yokohama -Japanese were tearing down damaged buildings and clearing away the rubble -Main focus was on rebuilding roads and bridges -In his two years in Japan he saw a lot of progress in rebuilding the country (00:27:36) Travel Pt. 1 �-Drove somewhere with his wife almost every weekend -Saw Mt. Fuji -Explored the Japanese countryside -Visited the beach resorts -Visited Tokyo -Part of the city still needed repair, but downtown was in good shape (00:28:50) Stationed at Naval Air Station Atsugi Pt. 2 -For the most part, it felt like having a civilian medical practice rather than a military assignment -Service clubs did a lot for the wives of the servicemen -His second daughter was born in Japan -It was a great assignment -Two years of freedom and not a lot of extra responsibility -Usually only in called in to work once a week when he wasn't scheduled -In the U.S. it was multiple times a week at any time (00:30:14) Travel Pt. 2 -He got to see Hong Kong -Pilots needed flight time each month, so he caught a ride to Hong Kong with them -En route got to spend a night on Okinawa -Got to see the Philippines -Went to Baguio for a medical conference -Got to see Kyoto (00:31:29) Fellow Servicemen -All of the personnel he encountered were committed to their duty -Many of the men were career sailors -Personnel stationed in Japan knew it was far better than duty in Korea or aboard a ship -Never saw any segregation -Even had some black doctors in his group -Got to know a lot of people from a lot of different places in the U.S. -He never witnessed any racism -Some American servicemen married Japanese women (00:34:50) Prostitution -Had to do a lot of venereal disease control -After a while he was an expert at dealing with the diseases and controlling outbreaks -There were, effectively, U.S. government protected and military subsidized brothels near bases -This meant that one of his duties was to make sure the girls were healthy -One of the biggest problems was when soldiers came back from Tokyo or Yokohama -They came back with a disease then unwittingly spread it to the brothels -Then Gene would have to figure out which girls the soldier had slept with -This was to a) treat the girls quickly and b)contain any outbreaks -Had to deal with penicillin-resistant gonorrhea -Wrote an article about it, but got ignored by every major medical magazine -Thought the idea of antibiotic-resistant bacteria was absurd �(00:37:13) End of Service -Navy had some programs to encourage him and the other doctors to reenlist -Had no interest in making a career out of the Navy -Offered a promotion to lieutenant commander, but he wasn't interested -Enjoyed his time in Japan, was treated well and paid well by the Navy, but wanted out -When he had been at Pensacola he had been encouraged to reenlist as a flight surgeon -Had no interest in doing that -Remembers going out on the Gulf of Mexico on a carrier to watch planes land -One plane missed the carrier, crashed, and sank in the ocean -Terrible thing to see, but didn't influence his decision not to be a flight surgeon -Discharged from the Navy in 1958 (00:40:40) Life after the Service -Waited for car to get back from Japan then began looking for a place to practice -Spent two weeks in San Francisco -Decided to set aside three months to look for a place to practice -Looked in British Columbia because his father-in-law was working as a pastor there -Knew a clinic in Denver, Colorado was looking for a doctor -Pella, Iowa desperately needed a doctor, but his wife didn't want to live there -Looked in Raymond, Minnesota -Looked into a Dutch community in Wisconsin -Tried Coatesville, Pennsylvania -Didn't seem too promising though -Tried Goshen, New York -Wound up settling on Pella, Iowa because the town needed a doctor and there was family there -Lived and worked there for 42 years -Had three daughters -All three daughters also went to Calvin College -One daughter married a man in Jenison, Michigan -One daughter married a man in Chicago -One daughter married a man in Arizona -Gene and his wife wanted to be closer to their daughters -Decided the best place to move would be Grand Rapids, Michigan -Bought a condo -Feels that it was a good move -Able to be close to daughters in Jenison and Chicago -Now, all three daughters have vacation homes in Michigan -Had nine grandchildren and eight out of those nine grandchildren went to Calvin as well (00:45:20) Reflections on Service -Showed him what the world is really like -Gave him a better perspective on diversity and culture -Instilled in him and his wife a love for travel -Made him a more worldly person �� 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_VanZeeG1741V Title A name given to the resource VanZee, Gene (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-04-09 Description An account of the resource Gene Van Zee was born on April 1, 1929 in Pella, Iowa. He graduated from high school in 1947 and went to Calvin College for pre-medical school then went to the University of Iowa for medical school. He enlisted in the Navy Reserves and was stationed at Naval Hospital Pensacola, Florida taking care of personnel and the family members of those personnel. After a year at Pensacola he reenlisted and was assigned to Naval Air Station Atsugi near Yokohama, Japan. He treated American personnel there and their family members then returned to the United States and was discharged in 1958. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource VanZee, Gene Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image 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 video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ff85db797f2ee1b0a68072d5ebfa4f96.m4v 2d0e71a5f2702c2de1d344e3b227b897 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/284ad8b5d1af5523f7755a8af02c4a28.pdf 6db65e100973f847a100560b537d4415 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Ken Vanlier Vietnam War 19 minutes 46 seconds (00:00:05) Early Life -Born on July 14th, 1948. -Served in the Air Force. -Highest rank achieved: E5 Staff Sargent. -Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. -One sibling, a brother. -Grew up in typical conservative Christian family. -Attended Christian High, graduated in 1966. -Interested in cars and motor work. -Worked at Audio Distributors. -Audio work for intercoms, churches, speaker wiring, etc. -Worked for trash disposal, made good money. -Not quite 18 when deciding to join military. -An automotive friend convinced him to join. -Joined to inactive reserves. (00:04:50) Lackland and Okinawa -Sent to Lackland Air Force base in Texas for training. -Exercise, training fields, mine fields, fording rivers. -Eventually joined the drum and bugle corps. -Initially signed up to be a loadmaster on a plane. -Got orders to be with instructional repair. -Drum and bugle corps duration lasted too long for him to do the loadmaster job. -Shipped overseas as was necessary. -Three months here and there. -Stationed out of Beale in California. -Sent to Okinawa. -Communicated with the US by Ham radio. -Occasional letters. -Remaining debris from war was evident on Okinawa. -In particular, retrieved an explosive he brought back to base to have deactivated. -Approximately 1968/1969. (00:10:00) -Worked structural repair as a mechanic on the SR-71. -Met his wife at the chapel. -Dated for three months before proposing at Disneyland. -Sent on another tour in Okinawa before returning to be married in 1970. -Left the military in March of 1971. �-Good and bad aspects of being in the Air Force: -Bad, stifling and lacking creative expression. -Good, life experiences, income to go to college. -Daughter worked on the Air Force One in Omaha. -After leaving the military, started a Christian halfway house in California. -Stayed there for two years. -Returned to Grand Rapids and joined Dykstra wholesaling, the family business. � 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_VanlierK1814V Title A name given to the resource Vanlier, Kenneth R (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-21 Description An account of the resource Ken Vanlier was born in Grand Rapids Michigan in 1948. He served in the Air Force during the time of the Vietnam War, achieving up to the rank of Staff Sargent. Before turning 18 Ken joined the military with an interest in flying in the Air Force. During basic training he stayed at Lackland Air Force base and joined the drum and bugle corps. Eventually he would be stationed out of Beale Air Force base and sent to Okinawa for tours as necessary. Part of his duties consisted of structural repair mechanic work on the SR-71 planes. Ken left the military in March of 1971. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vanlier, Kenneth R. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Marvin, Cole (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. Air Force Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image 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 video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8e9c7460d89c14f16cdbf5e4a99fd2bf.m4v e2f8c0cede472a23fef9aa72e716b707 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/641c328ac5ee4dd21de8eefcba809e86.pdf 13020b5dcbb8a58213f7e6d0f57c681d PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Dick Unger Korean War Era 30 minutes 25 seconds (00:00:11) Early Life -Born in Polo, Illinois in 1931. -The youngest of four boys. -Enlisted November 1st 1951. -Family consisted of farmers. -Driving home while news from Pearl Harbor was played on the radio. -Wasn‟t following world news of War too closely as he was quite young. -The war movie Fall of Bataan (1943) made an impression on him. -Nearly 19 years old as of high school graduation. -Working on family farm. -Due to his drafting being imminent, he decided to enlist into the Air Force. -Signed up through recruiter in Sterling, Illinois. (00:03:10) Air Force Work in Texas and Alabama -Sent to Lackland field San Antonio, Texas. -Air Force was taking anybody that would enlist no particular requirements. -Went by train to Texas. -Lackland was too full, sent to Wichita Falls for basic training. -Time at Lackland spent waiting to be sent elsewhere. Cleaning etc. -Training at Wichita Falls: physical exercise, drills, class work, gas mask training, movie instruction, parades, rifle shooting. -Conditioning to acclimate to military lifestyle. -Discipline would consist of extra duty. -Typically nothing too bad if it‟s not flagrant. -Training lasted about six weeks. -After training received a clerks MOS -Sent to Brookley Air Force base in Mobile Alabama. -Brookley was a MATS base (military air transport service). -A point of departure for shipping out to canal zone and Puerto Rico. -Role consisted of: doing paperwork, helping personnel get housing, medical care, etc. -For all military personnel not just air force. -Office employees consisted of Air Force workers. -Living in base housing at that time. -Six months after working as a clerk he was sent to a personnel school in St. Louis. -Learned typing skills, military records keeping. -After returning from personnel training sent to transport squadron. -During this initial six months period acted as a “gopher”. -Living on base offered ability to go into town to Mobile. -Segregation was new to him. �-While riding the bus a black friend was required to sit in the back. -Air Force had racially integrated on the base itself. -The experience of segregation was unwelcome but the unfortunate status quo. (00:10:00) -Unclear why he was sent for personnel training. Served some need the Air Force had. -Personnel training: learning various forms about individuals, entering forms, keeping count of staff and individuals. -Returned to Brookley and remained until summer of 1954. -Now he was married to a woman from his hometown. -Living off base. -Re-assigned around July 1954 to Kelly Field reserve officer headquarters in Texas. -Followed the War news only generally, not in great detail. -Wasn‟t at risk to be sent overseas or into combat action. -Worked with civilian and military personnel. -Kitchen was operated by civilians. -Morale was quite good. -Job was 8‟ to „5, except for guard duty. -A typical day: wake up around 6:30. Make bed, store gear. Breakfast. Work clerk duties. Lunch. Finish by 4~5. -Plenty of work to do. Records constantly being updated. -Office dealt with the Caribbean area, not the Korean or Japanese areas. -Focused on transporting materials. -Assignment with Brookley lasted about two and a half to three years. -At this time had a “Buck” Sergeant rank (three stripes). -Made Staff Sergeant while at Kelly. -Continued to live off base. Took a travel trailer to Kelly field in Texas. -Not many other military personnel lived off base in the trailer park. -Wife was working in a factory that made moisture absorbent packaging. -Passed away due to a brain tumor after about a week. -Married for two and a half years. -He was 23 years old. -As a result of his wife‟s death he met a Methodist chaplain which led to an interest in teaching children. -Nearing end of enlistment wasn‟t applying to colleges. -Returned to Polo, Illinois. (00:21:00) Post Military Life -Began dating a woman from Midland, Michigan. -Moved to Midland to establish residency to attend school as resident. -Worked misc. jobs in Midland: such as a lumber yard. -Commercial painting carried him through school. -Utilized the GI Bill which was a great help. -Attended Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. -Biology major with history and geography minor. -First teaching job was in Vassar, Michigan. -Taught there for six years. �-Next he taught in Essexville, Michigan. -Had the opportunity to help plan curriculum and buy equipment from ground up. -Remained teaching in Essexville for the remainder of his 26 year career. -Lives in a summer cabin in Interlochen while spending time in Grand Rapids in winters. (00:25:55) Reflection and Misc. -Reflection on his military service: grants a deep appreciation for those sacrificing in the military. -Two young grandchildren that are involved with the military. -A handful of the military personnel he worked with were from WWII, most were not. -When first enlistment expired October 1955 he was offered a tour in Hawaii. -Tempted but desired to go into teaching instead. -Most beneficial skills the military taught were social skills. -Highly applicable to his teaching career. � 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_UngerH1882V Title A name given to the resource Unger, Harold Richard (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-09-17 Description An account of the resource Dick Unger was born in Polo, Illinois in 1931. In 1951, he enlisted in the Air Force. Initially he was sent to Lackland Field in San Antonio, Texas, but the base was overcrowded, so he was sent off to Wichita Falls for basic training. Once training was complete he was assigned to Brookley Air Force base in Mobile Alabama where his clerk duties assisted the various personnel filing work. Eventually he was re-assigned in the summer of 1954 to Kelly field in Texas where he lived with his wife off base until her tragic death. Once his enlistment expired in October 1955 he graduated from CMU as a biology major and wound up teaching in Michigan. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unger, Harold Richard 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 Text Moving Image 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 video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/9b18034c105d7df6b4e0c1e4bfd721d6.m4v 24133ee69c1fba728ae56068ac8e1efd https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ca6b57e5e727dc09c8842d57f67cfb6b.pdf 2a21f573bf444bca87276173cd08bb91 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Phil Tolson Vietnam War 1 hour 36 minutes 20 seconds (00:00:14) Early Life -Born in Akron, Ohio in 1949 -Family moved to Los Angeles, back to Akron, then to Michigan, then to Illinois -Father worked for a salt company, rubber company, and drove trucks -Family settled in St. Clair, Michigan and he graduated from high school there in 1968 -Worked for a railroad -Worked as a switchman, clerk, telegrapher, and interlocking plant operator -Enjoyed it (00:01:21) Getting Drafted -Got drafted in March, or April, of 1969 -Knew little, to nothing, about the Vietnam War -Only knew one man that served in Vietnam -Went to Detroit for his draft physical -Didn't see any men trying to get out being drafted -Army was taking pretty much anyone (00:02:43) Basic Training -Sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training -Arrived in the middle of the night and was greeted by screaming drill sergeants -Got a couple hours of sleep his first night there Woke up the next day a little after 5 AM and began processing -Processing took one week -Received uniforms, a haircut, did paperwork, and took tests -Immediate emphasis on discipline -Taught how to do everything the "Army way" -Proper hygiene and uniform protocol -Learned about military courtesy and military justice -Received rifle training and hand to hand combat training -Learned about tactics -Learned how to set up a tent -A lot of physical training -Adjusted easily to life in the Army -Understood that he needed to comply with the orders given him -He was in good shape -Some men resisted being in the Army -Various discipline problems -Knew they didn't want to be soldiers and tried to get discharged -One soldier was so desperate that he killed himself -Basic training lasted eight weeks (00:06:57) Advanced Infantry Training �-Sent to Fort Lewis, Washington for Advanced Infantry Training (AIT) -Went on bivouacks that lasted a week to ten days -More physical training -More weapons training -Geared toward fighting in Vietnam -Tried to recreate the conditions they would experience in Vietnam -Mock villages -Escape and Evasion course -If you were caught you were taken to a mock prisoner of war camp -Trained by a mix of new sergeants and combat veterans from Vietnam -Realized that he was going to be sent to Vietnam (00:09:13) Noncommissioned Officer School -Sent to Fort Benning, Georgia for Noncommissioned Officer (NCO, sergeant) School -Volunteered for it -Didn't want to follow incompetent sergeants into battle -Immediately promoted to E-4 (corporal) -If you graduated from NCO School you became an E-5 or E-6 (sergeant or staff sergeant) -More pay, more responsibility, and more freedom as a sergeant -Best training he received -There was a lot of harassment to weed out the weaker soldiers -Received more tactics training -Received more physical training -More weapons training with a wider variety of weapons -Learned how to go out on patrols and set up ambushes -Trained with the M60 machine gun, light anti-tank weapon (LAW), recoilless rifle, and mortars -Trained by Rangers and Green Berets that had fought in Vietnam -Trained exclusively at Fort Benning -Lasted 13 weeks -Completed it around Christmas 1969 (00:13:17) Advanced Infantry Training Instructor -Sent to Fort Polk, Louisiana to act as a sergeant and instruct soldiers in AIT -Recruits listened to him -Shared his room with only one other sergeant -Allowed to leave base at night once he was done for the day -Treated soldiers well because they responded well to his orders -Went on patrols in swamps and through farmers' fields -Stinking, brackish water filled with bugs and snakes -Completed that in March 1970 (00:16:08) Deployment to Vietnam -Went home for 30 days of leave -Glad to be back home -Started thinking about how bad Vietnam could be -Family handled it well �-Sent to the Oakland Replacement Depot in California -Terribly organized -Just found a bed and slept in that open bed -Only knew when to report to be bussed to a plane -Kept busy with menial duties to keep soldiers out of trouble -Stayed there for several days -Flew on a chartered commercial plane to Vietnam -Stopped in Hawaii and Guam (00:18:37) Arrival in Vietnam -Landed at Tan Son Nhut, South Vietnam -First impression was that the country was hot, humid, and it stank -Stayed near Tan Son Nhut for several days to adjust to the climate -First day there the base took rocket fire -Base personnel were nonplussed (00:20:10) Assignment to the 101st Airborne Division -Assigned to the 101st Airborne Division -Knew it was a dangerous unit and had heard of the Battle of Hamburger Hill -Flew up to Camp Evans near Hue and Quang Tri -Went through Screaming Eagle Replacement Training School (SERTS) -Learned about any enemy activity in the area -Shown what enemy booby traps looked like -Instructed on enemy tactics -Joined Bravo Company 2nd Battalion 506th Infantry Regiment in the field via helicopter -Loaded his backpack and boarded the helicopter alone -Dropped off at the landing zone and didn't see anyone around -Knocked down by the helicopter's prop wash and he couldn't get up -Believed he would get captured -Squad collected him, teased him a little bit, then helped him up -Dug in for the night -One soldier managed to dig his foxhole into a shallow grave -Joined them in April 1970 -First night in the field wasn't too bad -Unconcerned about enemy contact (00:26:32) Patrols with B Company -Assigned to a squad in a platoon in B Company -Introduced himself -Told them that he wanted to talk to the most experienced soldier in the squad -Wanted to listen to him about how to keep himself and his squad alive -Moved as a platoon -Squads went out on patrols on their own -One squad guarded the perimeter during the day and another guarded at night -Bill Williams was the company commander at the time -Green Beret and on his second tour in Vietnam -Strict, but likeable leader -Ran into light enemy contact shortly after his arrival -Travelled over hills and through thick jungle �-Never went on the trails -North Vietnamese Army used the trails and knew the trails -Allowed them to set up ambushes and booby traps -After a week in the country he got into a minor firefight -Everyone got into cover immediately and returned fire -Short, sporadic engagement -Everyone knew what to do -Didn't take any casualties, and didn't believe the NVA took any either -Went on patrols until B Company went to Firebase Ripcord (00:33:41) Stationed at Firebase Ripcord -Got to Firebase Ripcord in early July 1970 -Going to Ripcord used to be like a semi-R&R -Hot meals, hot showers, stay out of the rain, sleep in a bed, use a toilet [latrine-no running water] -Usually rotated onto Ripcord for one week then left after that week -When they initially got there it was a great place to be -Prior to getting to Ripcord they noticed more enemy activity -Signs of increased enemy movement -Used trails, broken limbs off of trees, and newly built bunkers -If they found a bunker they tossed in a grenade to clear it -Got back to Camp Evans before going to Ripcord -Returned to Camp Evans at random and stayed for only a few days at a time -Had a battalion stand down at Camp Evans in late June 1970 -Walked onto Ripcord out of the field -Ripcord was on top of a bare hill top -Barbed wire formed the first line of defense -Behind the barbed wire were claymore lines and remote detonated barrels of napalm -Further up the hill were bunkers manned by infantrymen -At the top of the hill were the key parts of the firebase: -Artillery, helipads, ammo dump, fuel dump, aid station, and command center -Started to have more contact in the field before going onto Ripcord -More fighting around Hill 805 near Ripcord (00:41:05) Siege of Firebase Ripcord Pt. 1 -Siege of Firebase Ripcord began on July 1, 1970-Hill 902 attacked that night -Stayed at Ripcord through the siege in July -Stationed in a bunker overlooking valleys and mountains -Took more enemy mortar fire as the siege intensified -More enemy sappers trying to get up the hill -Probing the perimeter to make a map of the firebase -He never saw any North Vietnamese soldiers -Mortar teams fired down the hill at random trying to hit possible NVA rendezvous points -As July continued the NVA artillery barrage got more intense -Eventually got so bad that it was safer to stay in a bunker �-Took about 20 rounds every minute -Barrage lasted for a week -A U.S. Chinook helicopter crashed on Ripcord on July 18 -Watched it crash, catch fire, and cause the ammo dump to explode -The ammo dump exploding only made the barrage feel more intense -Could only send up one man to collect water and food for the men in the bunkers -NVA snipers fired up the hill at them -Received little information about the ongoing battle -Watched firefights going on at night (00:47:28) Fall of Firebase Ripcord -Received little advancing warning that Ripcord was being evacuated -Told a couple days before the firebase fell that the firebase was being evacuated -On July 23, 1970 Chinooks came in to bring out the artillery guns first -Men on the perimeter moved up the hill to the command center to wait for a helicopter -Artillery and small arms fire got worse throughout the day -He got wounded by a mortar shell -Had to go from bunker to bunker to avoid getting hit by shrapnel or bullets -He was the last man to get out of his bunker -Wounded men were evacuated first -Told that no more helicopters could come until the fire let up -Some men considered surrendering to the North Vietnamese -Men spread out, dug in, and fired down the hill at the advancing enemy soldiers -He got knocked out and woke up later in the day after sundown -Finally managed to get on a helicopter with one other soldier (00:55:30) Regrouping at Camp Evans -Flight back to Camp Evans took about 15 or 20 minutes -Got a hot meal -Went to the aid station to get the shrapnel taken out of his leg -Told he should go to a larger hospital, but he refused -Battalion surgeon removed the shrapnel from his leg -Ordered to stay on a cot for 19 days so the leg could recover -Surgeon brought him food and changed his bandages every day -Stayed in the Camp Evans post office for a little while -Brought American prisoners to the Army jail in Long Binh -Took a truck to Phu Bai then flew to Saigon and from there to Long Binh (01:00:42) Fighting on Hill 805 -During the Ripcord Campaign he saw action on Hill 805 -Came in on a landing zone near Hill 805 that was occupied by NVA troops -Took fire as soon as they landed -Took cover behind a log -Saw a man get hit as soon as he got off his helicopter -Phil went over to help him -He and a medic were able to get a man behind the log -Firefight stopped and he regrouped with squadmates -Moved up Hill 805 -Found a dead enemy soldier �-Looked Chinese, not Vietnamese -Appeared to have poisoned himself -Found an abandoned bunker with medical supplies and weapons -Placed the dead soldier in the bunker and blew up the bunker (01:07:53) Siege of Firebase Ripcord Pt. 2 -During the siege of Ripcord they laid down miles of wire in hopes of stopping the NVA -Proved to be useless when the siege got worse (01:10:20) Soviet Military Presence -His unit saw a Soviet military advisor during a patrol near Hill 805 -Heard movement near his squad's position -He went over to see if they were South Vietnamese/American or enemy soldiers -Turned out to be his platoon's lieutenant -Lieutenant yelled at Phil for seeing one soldier in his squad not wearing a shirt -Phil explained that that was impossible since his squad was with him -Man was described as being tall, white, and blonde -Evidence points to the conclusion that the man was a Russian (01:12:18) Escorting Prisoners & Drug Use -While at Camp Evans he escorted American prisoners down to Long Binh near Saigon -Did that three times -All the men he escorted had gotten in trouble for drug use -Knew there was drug use in the rear, but it didn't cause any major problems -Didn't think anyone did drugs in the field (01:13:59) Returning to B Company -Returned to his unit after about one month of recovery at Camp Evans -Most of the same men he served with at Ripcord were still in B Company -Had not sustained a lot of casualties at Ripcord -Went on patrols -Didn't see any enemy activity -Had some Kit Carson scouts -Kit Carson scouts: Viet Cong that defected to help South Vietanm -Rewarded with some land and shelter -The scouts were allowed to return home every month on leave -Sometimes they all went home at the same time then enemy activity got worse -Never seemed to be any help -Stayed with B Company until January 1971 when he left Vietnam (01:16:28) R&R -Went on R&R in Hawaii -Married his high school sweetheart -Is still married to her as of 2015 -Wasn't a good feeling going back to Vietnam, but knew he would get home soon -Got married in September 1970 �-Had to be in Vietnam for a while to get R&R -Married and engaged men got to go on R&R first -They went to Hawaii -Single, or married men that didn't want to see wives went to Australia, Thailand, etc. -Went on R&R in Vietnam -Went to a Vietnamese beach resort -It was beautiful and safe (01:18:42) Coming Home & End of Service -Wanted to leave, but didn't want to leave his friends in Vietnam -Got home in the middle of the night -Wife was renting an apartment -He was allowed 30 days of rest before he had to go back to work -Stayed in the apartment for almost all 30 days -He was so bored with civilian life he thought about returning to Vietnam -Didn't visit his parents for a month and a half, but they didn't visit him either -Took 19 hours to fly from Vietnam to Fort Lewis, Washington -Got a steak dinner -Took three days to get discharged -Flew back to Michigan from Washington -Wasn't harassed by protestors or civilians on his way home (01:20:59) Life after the War -Went back to work for the railroad -New workers resented him for getting his job back -Went to work for a salt company and lived in Chicago for a few years -Transferred back to Michigan -Worked for the salt company for 18 and a half years -Worked 11 jobs in 10 years -Got a job with the government for five years then permanently retired -Had issues with PTSD after the war -Took 20 years to get diagnosed and get medicated (01:23:42) Reflections on Service -Felt it was a good thing for him -Taught him about real priorities -Learned that if there is an issue to take action, don't just complain -If there is no viable solution for the problem, then forget about it -Showed him what he was capable of doing -Taught him that he could live with less if he needed to -Didn't talk about his experiences until later -No one seemed that interested at the time (01:25:34) Ripcord Reunions -Contacted by the writer Keith Nolan for Nolan's book on the Battle of Firebase Ripcord -Learned about the Ripcord Association and its reunions through Keith -Attended the first Ripcord Reunion and enjoyed it -Went to three or four more after that first one -When those veterans were together it was like they were all young men again � 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_TolsonT1888V Title A name given to the resource Tolson, Thomas Phillip (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2005-10-09 Description An account of the resource Phil Tolson was born in Akron, Ohio in 1949. He was drafted in March, or April, 1969 and received his basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He was sent to Fort Lewis, Washington for Advanced Infantry Training then went to Fort Benning, Georgia for Noncommissioned Officer School and was promoted to the rank of sergeant. He helped train new infantrymen at Fort Polk until March 1970 when he was deployed to Vietnam. Upon arrival in Vietnam he was assigned to lead a squad in Bravo Company 2nd Battalion 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. They went on patrols around Camp Evans and Firebase Ripcord before going onto Ripcord in late June/early July 1970. Bravo Company was stuck on Firebase Ripcord through the battle from July 1 to July 23 when the base was evacuated. During the evacuation Phil was wounded and recovered at Camp Evans for a month before rejoining his unit. He conducted patrols with Bravo Company until he left Vietnam in January 1971 and was discharged at Fort Lewis, Washington. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tolson, Thomas Phillip 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 Text Moving Image 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 video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a03f0b135047f65163829f57efa638e1.m4v 4938d126c28e974dafbdb83e9a3ba531 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/aba657b2b808257936c0015c3b5593e3.pdf db891b9e8a744f62d25189504ce64a75 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Beatrice Takeuchi World War II (Japanese-American Citizen) 45 minutes 52 seconds (00:00:13) Early Life & Family History -Born on May 6, 1921, in Seattle, Washington -Parents had both been born in Japan and migrated to the United States -Father came to the United States first -He was a graduate of Waseda University in Tokyo -Studied Shakespeare and wanted to come to America to study -Planned on translating Shakespeare into Japanese -Translated English news into Japanese for the Japanese community -Learned that job, hands-on -Had worked with a Freudian psychologist in Tokyo for nine years -Most likely came to the United States in either the 1900s or 1910s -Started a printing shop that turned into a daily, Japanese newspaper -Her parents’ marriage was an arranged one -Beatrice’s mother came to the United States as a bride-to-be -Met Beatrice’s father for the first time ever in Seattle -Married by a Japanese Episcopalian priest -Had a good marriage -Grew up in Seattle -Attended school with Italian, Greek, and Japanese children (00:06:58) Start of the War -Before Japan attacked America, her father worked to improve Japanese-American relations -Followed the news coming from Japan and Asia -For example, he followed the news about the invasion of Manchuria in 1931 -Father died before the attack on Pearl Harbor -Mother and grandfather were disappointed by the attack, and deeply upset that it happened (00:08:43) Deportation Pt. 1 -Remembers seeing posters from the local government posted on telephone poles -Alerting Japanese-American citizens they would have to leave the city -Didn’t think anything like that would’ve happened -Had to leave by June 1942 -Signs went up in April -Younger Japanese-Americans felt no strong connection to Japan aside from family -Weren’t sure what it meant for her -Complied and didn’t resist the order -Felt there was no point in trying to fight the government anyway -Japanese and Chinese citizens didn’t get along with each other �-After the deportations began, Chinese citizens seized the Japanese real estate -Passive hostility -Doesn’t remember any overt harassment or violence -Sold their home -In retrospect, she’s surprised there were no protests and that the Japanese went quietly -Total compliance in leaving their lives behind -Left Seattle in June 1942 (00:13:26) Temporary Camp – Puyallup Assembly Center -Note: Most likely the Puyallup Assembly Center at the Western Washington Fairgrounds -Reported to the local fairgrounds -The buildings used for animals had become temporary barracks for the people -Larger buildings were turned into mess halls and assembly halls -Spent two (or three) months at the first camp -Drove there in the family car, and the Army bought the car -No organization, and a lot of the people had free time on their hands -A lot of the girls took up knitting to pass the time -No one knew what was happening, or what would happen next -The Army controlled the camp -Soldiers armed with rifles patrolled the perimeter of the camp (00:16:45) Permanent Camp – Minidoka War Relocation Center -Army built a system of permanent concentration camps in the interior of the United States -Placed in passenger cars and taken by train away from the Puyallup Assembly Center -Blackout curtains covered the windows of the passenger cars -Took three days to reach their destination in Idaho -Unloaded in the middle of the desert, at the Minidoka War Relocation Center -Barracks were still being built when they arrived -Perimeter was surrounded by barbed wire and guard towers -Realized then, that she was being held prisoner in her own country -Brother had been a fourth-year journalism student at the University of Washington -Became active in the community -Formed baseball teams -Gathered teachers and organized classes, to continue children’s education -Had classes for kindergarteners through fifth grade -Unfortunately, most teenagers still had nothing to do in the camp -She had been an art student in college before getting deported -Passed time sketching what she saw -The barracks they slept in were basically Army barracks -Her family was kept in a small space with cots and a metal stove -No privacy -Had to dress, and undress, with virtually no privacy -Sometimes tried to talk with the guards, but the guards limited contact with prisoners -Prisoners were used for menial tasks at the camp, such as cooking and cleaning -Brother had contact with the civilian controllers of the camp �-Some civilians volunteered at the camp (00:25:08) Leaving the Camp -Stayed at the camp for less than a year, because she fell ill and got to return to college -Mother suggested she contact her old professor in Washington about going to college -Had to go to college outside of the “Exclusion Area” on the West Coast -Contacted a school in Chicago, and she was accepted -She had contracted a gastrointestinal disease due to unsanitary conditions -Treated after she went to Chicago (00:27:19) Chicago School of Design -Attended the Chicago School of Design -Relatively new school -Founded in 1937, and called “New Bauhaus” after the original in Germany -She studied design -Studied in Chicago for two years -Mother sent Beatrice money while she lived in Chicago -Eventually decided to move to Washington D.C. to get a job -In Chicago, she stayed with one of her teachers -No problems with harassment from people in Chicago (00:30:15) Working in Washington D.C. -Worked for the Housing Agency in Washington D.C. -Worked on publications for them -It was a good job with good coworkers -Got along well with her supervisor (00:31:13) Other Japanese-Americans -There were other Japanese-Americans in Chicago and Washington D.C. -No thoughts of conspiring against the government -Often wonders why they were so compliant with their oppression -Confusing time of loyalty -Parents’ country versus her country (00:33:00) End of the War -She was in Washington D.C. at the end of the war in August 1945 -Feeling of relief that the war was over -Felt as if there had been a release of pressure, being a Japanese woman -Got married in Washington D.C. and had her first child in D.C. (00:35:10) Family Leaving the Camp -Mother’s sister married a farmer from Georgia -Grandfather, mother, and a few brothers moved to Georgia to be close to aunt -Allowed to leave the camp -Oldest brother was 4-F, meaning he was unfit for military service -Second, oldest brother was also 4-F due to intestinal troubles -Her other brother was too young to serve in the military (00:36:56) Seizure of Family’s Property -Father had owned a type casting machine �-He had bought it to make his own Japanese character tiles -Cheaper than ordering them from Japan -Remembers Chinese newspaper workers coming over in the middle of the night -Asking her father to make some Chinese tiles for the paper -Came at night because China and Japan were at war -Japanese and Chinese people avoided each other in protest -Brother sold off the press before the family got deported -Government seized the type casting machine as well as the tiles -Eventually wound up in the hands of General MacArthur in the Philippines -At least, that’s what the government told the family -She went to the War Department to ask about the location of the machine -Refereed to an office in New York City -Told her it couldn’t be returned to her, and family never saw it again (00:42:52) Interactions with Government & White Americans -Remembers FBI agents coming to their home -They were polite and inspected her father’s library -Mother was very compliant and allowed them to take material of interest -White Americans she encountered were very polite -No recollections of racism, harassment, or overt hostility -Very civil interactions -Police and military officials were also very civil -Surprisingly polite � 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_TakeuchiB2089V Title A name given to the resource Takeuchi, Beatrice (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 Beatrice Takeuchi was born in Seattle, Washington, on May 6, 1921. In June 1942, she, and the rest of her family, was deported to the Puyallup Assembly Center at the Western Washington Fairgrounds, due to Executive Order 9066. Her family sold their house and their car, and her father's printing equipment was seized by the government. She was held at Puyallup Assembly Center for two or three months before getting transferred to Minidoka War Relocation Center in Idaho. Due to unsanitary conditions at the camp, she fell ill which contributed to her being allowed to leave the camp. She had also been an art student, and was allowed to continue her studies at the Chicago School of Design. Beatrice then found work in Washington D.C. and was there when the war ended. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Takeuchi, Beatrice 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 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> 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 video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0ced328f5b7a03516b57e6cb2a5e2a22.m4v 9c8ee447de87e7bc8cf3a8e6a9e6f11a https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/954d1a973ea1dd0d1f845fd7d28f717d.pdf d624c6685a9fa9595f15c7086788c85d PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Lee Stevens World War II (Civilian); Cold War 1 hour 2 minutes 21 seconds (00:00:16) Early Life -Born in Manila, Philippines, on August 21, 1930 -Father was in the Army and stationed in the Philippines -Grandfather owned a business in the Philippines -His grandfather was a close friend to General Douglas MacArthur -Lee’s father wasn’t under MacArthur’s command -General MacArthur was Lee’s godfather -Grew up in the Philippines -Mother died when he was born -Father remarried to a Spanish woman -Attended Catholic schools -After the 2nd grade, boys and girls were segregated -Learned to speak Spanish and Tagalog -English and Tagalog were more prevalent in schools, though (00:04:20) Start of the War -Had no idea there would be a war with Japan -Didn’t pay attention to Japan’s aggression in Asia -He was 11 years old when the Japanese attacked the Philippines on December 8, 1941 -Father got a call early in the morning and told the family America was at war -Still didn’t register to Lee what that meant (00:05:27) The Fall of the Philippines -Near the end of December, American forces retreated to the Bataan Peninsula -General MacArthur declared Manila an “open city” -This meant all military personnel had left the city and closed the bases -Intention was to spare the city from Japanese bombing, but they bombed anyway -When the Japanese took over Manila, they didn’t initially target Americans -Started with rounding up American adult men, then the women -His grandfather was detained -Given two hours to pack any belongings he wanted to bring in suitcases -His maternal grandparents and maternal aunt were detained -All adults were being sent to the concentration camp at the University of Santo Tomas -Eventually, children as young as 11 and 12 years old were being detained too -His mother and half-brother were unaffected by the initial detainment order -They were allowed to visit Lee in the camp -American and Filipino forces surrendered in early May 1942 �-American prisoners-of-war were paraded through Manila in front of civilians -Forced to watch the prisoners marched through the city -Someone whistled, and it sounded like the way his father whistled -His uncle told him not to indicate that he knew his father if he saw him -When his father passed, he dropped his captain insignia on the road -Waited for the parade to end and he picked up the insignia (00:10:28) Interned at University of Santo Tomas -Quartered with his grandfather at the University of Santo Tomas -Women and younger children were placed in administrative buildings -Men and pre-teen boys were placed in the gymnasium -Given chances to see his mother and half-brother -Japanese got arrogant about winning the war and allowed detainees a little freedom -Cracked down when they started losing territory in the Pacific -Death rate was high in the camp -Didn’t pay attention to the deaths when they happened -Deaths were caused by disease and abuse at the hands of the Japanese -Forced to bow to Japanese guards -Didn’t want to bow and planned on resisting -Adults convinced him to obey, because the Japanese would’ve killed him -Told him the Japanese could control his body, but not his mind -Most of the guards followed Japanese custom and returned the bow -Treated better because they were civilians -Later heard stories about the extreme torture and deprivation of prisoners-of-war -Civilians prisoners were subjected to a “milder” form of abuse and deprivation -Three men tried to escape and they were caught -Japanese held a mock trial, forced them to dig their own graves, and shot them (00:17:46) Contact with Filipinos -Filipinos were allowed to visit the camp, along with his mother and half-brother -Allowed to build shacks near the gym -Filipinos helped Lee and his grandfather build a shack -Not a good place to be in a typhoon (00:18:55) Food & Living Conditions at Santo Tomas -They were served pre-prepared food from the Japanese by other prisoners -Prisoners were allowed to share food with each other -Subject to inspection by Japanese guards -Looking for anti-Japanese notes, or any food they wanted to take -Allowed a sum of money to give to Filipinos to buy groceries as per international law -The guards then took the good food and left the scraps to the prisoners -Rice ration dwindled as the Japanese continued to lose the war -Canned food ran out after a while -Rationed four sheets of toilet paper per day, per prisoner -The men gave their toilet paper to the women and used newspaper -Received Red Cross packages containing food, and luxury items like cigarettes �-The packs of Old Gold cigarettes had a poem about freedom on the packages -The Japanese discovered this and forbade the distribution of Red Cross packages (00:22:38) Disease at Santo Tomas -He contracted a form of dysentery during his time at Santo Tomas -Received treatment for it on the return voyage to the United States -Gained a lot of weight -Doctors in the camp had very little to work with to treat diseases -Had medications from the Red Cross, but the guards took it if they needed it -Managed to avoid contracting malaria, but it was rampant in the camp (00:24:15) Guards at Santo Tomas -The original guards were sent to the frontline as the war deteriorated for the Japanese -Treatment varied with each commandant -Guards were allowed to slap prisoners if they felt they deserved it -Prisoners played baseball against the Japanese soldiers -Never won a game against them to avoid antagonizing them -Never confronted the guards about anything (00:26:15) Abuse of Prisoners -His grandfather was taken to a police station and tortured because they thought he was a spy -Ripped out his toenails and beat him -Discharged him and told him he had to walk the three miles back to camp -A Filipino with a horse-drawn taxi brought him back to Santo Tomas (00:27:47) The Fate of His Father -On January 31, 1945, U.S. Rangers and Filipino resistance liberated POW camp Cabanatuan -On January 27, Lee’s father had been taken from Cabanatuan to go to Japan as slave labor -He was placed in New Bilibid Prison in Manila -Lee was allowed to go see his father through a prison window -From New Bilibid he was placed on a ship bound for Japan -Because the ship was unmarked, it was accidentally sunk by the Americans -His father survived the sinking and was placed back in captivity -He was placed on a “Hell ship” which was accidentally sunk by the Americans -He didn’t survive the sinking -Lee didn’t learn about his father’s death until after the war -His grandfather brought him to the United States to attend military school -His mother stayed behind in the Philippines -Lee received a letter from her saying that she had remarried -He knew then that his father had not survived the war (00:31:00) Liberation -On October 20, 1944, U.S. forces landed on Leyte beginning the liberation of the Philippines -American forces moved on to Luzon in January 1945 -On February 3, 1945, Lee heard shooting at the front gates of Santo Tomas -He feared they were all going to be executed by the retreating Japanese -U.S. tanks and troops flooded into the camp -People jumped and screamed for joy knowing their liberation had come �-Some of the guards took women and children hostage in one of the education buildings -Threatened to kill them if they weren’t allowed to walk free -A deal was negotiated and the hostages were released -On that day, fried Spam, dehydrated potatoes, and canned peas became his favorite meal -Served to him by soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Division -Allowed to join his mother as the Japanese were pushed from Manila -There were still Japanese soldiers in the city and his mother got shot in the shoulder -She was standing in front of him, and he would’ve died without her (00:36:36) Coming to America Pt. 1 -He left the Philippines on August 27, 1945, shortly after turning 15 -Came to the United States aboard a troop transport -Escorted by a convoy until they reached Hawaii -Fears that rogue Japanese submarines would still attack American ships -Spoiled by the soldiers coming home on the ship -Gave him and the other children candy -There was a former teacher that gave him and the other children lessons on the ship -He had had some education in the camp, but it was censored (00:38:49) Manila Post-Liberation -By the time Manila had been liberated, all five bridges in the city had been destroyed -The Army used pontoon bridges to replace the originals -Walked through the rubble of Manila and found a Japanese corpse -Kicked it out of frustration -Saw the old walled-city of Manila (original Spanish city) -Everything but the churches had been laid to waste by American bombers -Final Japanese stronghold of the Battle for Manila (00:40:49) Coming to America Pt. 2 -Landed at San Francisco -Grandfather arranged for him to attend a military school in San Rafael, California -Putting him on track to study at West Point Army Academy -Prioritized because his father had been an officer and recipient of the Silver Star -Sent to Pentwater, Michigan, to stay with a cousin -He completed his education in Pentwater and decided not to pursue West Point -Went to Western Michigan University in 1949 and studied education (00:43:27) Getting Drafted -He received a draft notice after graduating from college -Excused from service because he had been a prisoner during World War II -Returned to college to pursue a graduate degree -Received another draft notice at 23 years old (00:44:25) Basic Training -Sent to Camp Chaffee, Arkansas, for basic training -Passed barracks inspection every time because he had grown up in a military household -Knew what to expect from basic training because of his father and the military school -He was the oldest recruit in his training unit �-Received extra responsibility because of his age and assisted the master sergeant -Did his basic training in 1954 -By then, the Korean War was over -Still expected to go to South Korea for occupation duty (00:48:20) Assignment to Third Army Headquarters -He was initially assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division -Lee’s wife got pregnant, and his grandfather pulled some strings to get Lee reassigned -Transferred to Third Army Headquarters at Fort McPherson, Georgia (00:49:05) Intelligence Training & Intelligence Duties Pt. 1 -Before his assignment to Fort McPherson, he received intelligence training -Sent to Fort Holabird, Maryland, for intelligence training -Learned how to keep classified information out of enemy hands -Learned how to gather information from enemy sources and report on it -Received training with a wide variety of handguns -Dealt with counterintelligence -Investigating possible spies and persons of questionable loyalty -He handled classified documents and needed special security clearance -At Fort Holabird, he was questioned about his cousin’s husband -He had been a postmaster and was caught for embezzling -Meant Lee’s intelligence duties were questioned (00:52:04) General MacArthur’s Removal -In April 1951, President Truman relieved General MacArthur of command -This was due to irreconcilable differences between the two men -Despite his removal from command, MacArthur still had power due to his reputation -Lee understood and agreed with Truman’s action, but found it a little drastic (00:53:29) Intelligence Duties Pt. 2 -Being in intelligence made the other enlisted men and officers nervous around him -Knew that if he was around, someone was getting investigated -Made every effort not to allow anyone to know about his powerful connections (00:56:04) Life after Service -Discharged in 1956 -Returned to college, completed his master’s degree, and pursued a doctorate -Go a job in a school system in northern Michigan near a ski resort -Daughters enjoyed going skiing -He started as a principal at the school -Worked in an administrative capacity for a while, then returned to principal work -Didn’t like being distant from the students in administration (00:57:50) Reflections -His experiences in Manila shaped his experience in the Army -Deeply thankful to the soldiers that liberated his camp -Never got the chance to thank his liberators from the 1st Cavalry Division -Has never met anyone that was present for the liberation for Santo Tomas -Feels that his time in the Army made him a better man �-Carried his Army experience with him as a principal -Insured that all young men could meet the physical demands of military service � 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_StevensL2093V Title A name given to the resource Stevens, Lee (Interview outline and video), 2017 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-01-16 Description An account of the resource Lee Stevens was born in Manila, Philippines, on August 21, 1930. He was 11 years old when the Japanese attacked the Philippines on December 8, 1941, and witnessed the invasion and occupation of the Philippines by the Japanese. His father, a captain in the U.S. Army, was taken prisoner and interned at Cabanatuan prisoner-of-war camp until his death aboard a "hell ship" in late January (or early February) 1945. Lee was interned with his grandfather at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila for the duration of the occupation, but his Spanish stepmother and his half-brother were allowed to be free due to not being American. On February 3, 1945, troops from the 1st Cavalry Division liberated Santo Tomas and on August 27, 1945, he and his grandfather left the Philippines. After completing college, he was drafted into the Army in 1954 and received his basic training at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas. He received Intelligence Training at Fort Holabird, Maryland, and was initially assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division. Due to being the godson of General Douglas MacArthur and his grandfather maintaining contact with the general, Lee was reassigned to Third Army Headquarters at Fort McPherson, Georgia. He was discharged in 1956. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Stevens, Lee 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> 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 video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8994293287960e47b5c2e86b7a0376fc.m4v fbad168f3e67aecd593026d828183400 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/bb641fe57a7140fbbcc3cd318621cdfa.m4v 96dad111ddb59164bbd8fb3bcb231360 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/75062da6e3d141d66ecad1ffc39dd408.pdf 8b59810517657d395dc50f70184b207c PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Kurt Stauff Cold War; Peacetime; War on Terror Part 1 – 1 hour 6 minutes 49 seconds (00:00:27) Early Life & Family History -Born in November 1954 in Jackson, Michigan -Maternal grandfather served in the Navy during World War II -Witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor -Served in the South Pacific aboard a destroyer -A lot of men on his father's side served as officers in the Army -His uncle on his father's side served in the infantry during the Vietnam War -Killed in action in 1970 -Has seen his uncle's name on the Vietnam War Memorial -Went to school in Grass Lake, Michigan, for kindergarten and first grade -Spent the rest of his education in the Ionia school system -Graduated from Ionia High School -Accepted into Michigan State University -After one year at MSU he decided to leave college -Graduated high school in January 1972 -Worked for the Michigan Bell Telephone Company in Grand Rapids and Lansing, Michigan -Worked for his father and took classes at Grand Valley State College (now University) -Worked in carpet sales and in the warehouse (00:07:18) Enlisting in the Navy -Worked in carpet sales in Grand Rapids, Michigan when his father and younger brother died -His employers served in the Army and the Navy -Encouraged Kurt to explore the idea of enlisting -Went to recruiting centers in Grand Rapids -Life in the Army didn't appeal to him -Took the Navy's aptitude test -Could do anything in the Navy except nuclear technology because he was too old -Qualified to be a Sonar Technician on submarines -Appealed to him because he could operate, maintain, and repair hardware -Enlisted in the Navy in December 1982 (00:09:36) Training -Began Basic Training at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois, on June 20, 1983 -Did his Basic Enlisted Submarine Training in Groton, Connecticut -Most likely at the Naval Submarine Base New London -Given a psychological examination to insure he could spend extended time on a submarine -Learned about submarine systems, protocol, and trained on a simulator -Graduated second in his class -Given an idea of what to expect -Went to Submarine Sonar Technician Apprenticeship School in San Diego, California -Learning how work as a Sonar Technician aboard a submarine -Sent to “C School” to learn about individual equipment systems (basically, specialized training) -Completed two years of training before he boarded a submarine �(00:13:02) Service aboard the USS Pargo (SSN-650) -Came back to Michigan on leave for 30 days before reporting for duty -In December 1984 he reported to the USS Pargo (SSN-650) -A Sturgeon Class submarine that was 492 feet long -Didn't have enough bunks for the crew, so they had to “hot rack” (rotated sleeping schedule) -Three crewmen had to share two bunks -As one crewman got off watch, another crewman could get into the bunk -Hygiene was important to avoid health problems -Crew functioned like a large family -Learned about Damage Control on a submarine -Depended on each other for survival -Had to know how to save the ship, because there is no abandoning ship -Learned how to control fires, floods, and radiation leaks -Assigned to secure a compartment during an emergency -Finds submarines to be more efficient than surface ships (00:17:39) Submarine Service in the Pacific Ocean -USS Pargo was placed in dry dock at Bremerton, Washington for two years of repair -Served aboard fast-attack submarines and a ballistic submarine out of Pearl Harbor (00:18:17) Cold War & the Arctic Sea -Did three months in the Arctic Sea chasing Soviet submarines -Got within 20 nautical miles of the North Pole -Surfaced and saw the Polar Ice Caps -When they were in the Arctic Sea the submarine got colder -Heard the ice moving via sonar -Rough water -Rolled 50o and pitched forward and back -Got his “Blue Nose Certificate” for crossing the Arctic Circle -The “Blue Nose Certificate” is a hazing ceremony for sailors -Sat on an ice block, drank hot sauce and fish oil, and answer embarrassing questions -The United States had better technology than the Soviet Union -Spied on each other and gathered intelligence -Remembers when John Walker was arrested for treason -Had gathered intelligence about American submarines and sold it to the Soviet Union -He felt that Walker should have been executed for treason -Could have put numerous American lives at risk (00:24:24) Submarine Exercises off Pacific Coast -Passed through Panama Canal to get to the Pacific Ocean -Went on a torpedo exercise off the coast of San Diego -Stopped at an island near Canada -Operated around the Strait of Juan de Fuca near Vancouver, Canada (00:26:22) Instructing & Further Training -Spent the majority of the 1980s on submarines, instructing, or training -Taught sailors how to use Auxiliary Sonar Gear -He spent his time instructing during the Gulf War (00:27:33) Transfer to Mine Warfare -Served on submarines in the early 1990s -Trained on a new sonar system for Los Angeles Class submarines -Developed a chronic medical issue which disqualified him for submarine service, but not the Navy -Disappointed because he was up for promotion to Chief Petty Officer (E7) �-In 1994 he received mine warfare training at Naval Submarine Base New London, Connecticut -From 1995 to 1997 he trained to be a mine man in Charleston, South Carolina -Learned about storage, maintenance, and repair of undersea mines -Had to know the skills of five other positions -In 2000 he made the rank of Mine Man Chief Petty Officer (00:33:32) Married in the Navy -Difficult being married in the Navy -Had to move around a lot -Deployed for nine months at a time -Went on one Mediterranean Sea tour for six months straight -Navy has a family support system for spouses and children -Wife had been exposed to Navy life, but didn't know what the reality would be -Got divorced after three years -Amicable separation (00:37:09) Mine Warfare Service Pt. 1 -From 1997 to 2000 he served aboard the USS Patriot (MCM-7) in Sasebo, Japan -Traveled to Singapore, Borneo, South Korea, Thailand, and Hong Kong -Worked with South Koreans and they had good mine warfare -Conducted exercises with South Koreans -Friendly, but they had a problem with not living up to their promises -For example, they offered material, but couldn't procure it -In 2000 he went to the Mine Warfare Training Center at Naval Station Ingleside, Texas -Had minesweepers and mine hunters (00:41:13) September 11th Attacks -He was serving as an instructor on September 11, 2001 -Going down to the smoking area and he passed through a lounge -Saw the news that the jet hit the World Trade Center's North Tower -Locked down the base for a week -Everybody was scared and angry especially after the jet hit the Pentagon -Felt they needed to retaliate (00:45:00) War on Terror & Iraq War -Continued instruction during the War on Terror -Had mine ships reinforced in Bahrain -Had to get a hospital ship to Umm Qasr during the Iraq War -Sent a minesweeper to insure it was safe for a hospital ship to enter the port -He was stationed in Bahrain to help oversee the mine countermeasure warfare -At that time he was a Senior Chief Petty Officer (E8) -Sent Navy personnel to Afghanistan to assist the Army with explosive disposal and other duties -In charge of 350 enlisted personnel in Bahrain -Two ships with 60 crewmen each -Explosive ordnance disposal personnel, air squadron personnel, and shore personnel -Stationed in Bahrain for one year (00:51:13) Mine Warfare Service Pt. 2 -Returned to Japan and became the Command Senior Chief Petty Officer on the USS Patriot -Conducted more exercises -Went to Brunei and to Vladivostok, Russia -Strange to be in a Russian port after years of Russia being the enemy of the United States -Had been in Vladivostok before during the Cold War, gathering intelligence -Surprised by the shabby and filthy condition of the port �-Garbage clogged the harbor -Russians were friendly -Arrived at Vladivostok around July 4th -Remembers that it was rainy and muddy (00:56:37) Traveling the Pacific Ocean & Visiting Japan -Visited Hiroshima, Japan; Pearl Harbor; Okinawa' and other parts of Japan -Japanese welcomed Americans -Did exercises with the Japanese -Spent a week on a Japanese ship -Different kind of culture -Visited the memorials at Pearl Harbor -Surprised by the number of Japanese coming to show their respect -Made more sense after he went to the memorial at Hiroshima -Moving to see the memorial at Hiroshima -Made him understand how much the Japanese suffered during World War II -Allowed to go anywhere in Japan he wanted to go -Navy advised against going to certain areas of Japanese ports (01:02:20) USS Indianapolis & Navy Protocol -The USS Indianapolis tragedy changed navigation protocols for the Navy -Note: USS Indianapolis torpedoed on July 30, 1945, resulting in deaths of 879 sailors -Navy made a new navigation protocol -Ships have prescribed navigation points on planned routes -Once a ship reaches a point it must radio in it that it reached the point -If a ship doesn't reach its point, it must notify command that it hasn't sunk -Improvement for tracking ships -In the event of a sinking the Navy can locate the ship faster (01:04:22) Promotion to Master Chief Petty Officer -Promoted to Master Chief Petty Officer (E9) in 2007 -Worked at the Mine Shop in Charleston, South Carolina as the Logistics Department Head -In May 2007 he was promoted to Master Chief Petty Officer -Only one of five active Master Chiefs in the Navy at one time -Pinnacle of his career Part 2 – 29 minutes 41 seconds (00:00:01) Duty as Master Chief Petty Officer -There is a Squadron Chief, Sea Chief, a Shore Chief, Mining Chief -As his rank went up, his billet (station) choices decrease -There were three Mine Shops he could serve at -Okinawa, Charleston, and San Diego -San Diego: Naval Mine Anti-Submarine Warfare or Mobile Mine Assembly Group -At San Diego he would be in charge of the other Mine Shops -Coordinated his billet choice with the other master chiefs (00:01:40) Stationed at San Diego -He returned to San Diego -Served as the senior mine warfare adviser to an admiral -There were two master chiefs stationed at San Diego -Mine warfare master chief (him) and a sonar master chief -He helped train and assess at the squadron level for three major fleets �-Pacific Fleet at Sasebo, Japan -3rd Fleet at San Diego -5th Fleet in the Arabian (Persian) Gulf -Taught techniques and tactics or assessed the fleets' mine warfare -Had to tell the skippers of mine ships if performed well, or poorly -Gave them pointers -Only stepped in if a skipper did something stupid or dangerous -Most of them performed well (00:04:40) Mine Warfare Fleet in the 21st Century -Mine countermeasure fleet is outdated and has no spare parts -Nobody thinks about the mine fleet until mines become a problem -Short on ships, money, and training -Believes that training has improved since the fleet got a new admiral -Potential enemies have an abundance of undersea mines -Even one mine can stop commercial shipping in an area -Mine hunting takes forever as it is, and with a weak fleet it becomes even more tedious (00:07:40) Reflecting on Career -Spent 29 ½ years in the Navy (1983-2012) -His responsibilities immensely increased at the end -When he was busiest he had the most fun -Learned people skills and how to handle situations -Got to watch sailors under his command grow up and advance through the ranks -It was like watching children grow -Majority of career spent preparing younger sailors to take his place in the future -Great sense of satisfaction knowing his replacements were ready -Felt the Navy and the country was in good hands -Knew it was time for him to step aside -Doesn't regret his career in the Navy, but would've done certain things differently (00:�10:34) Commanders in Chief -President Reagan built up the military after the Vietnam War -Wanted a 600-ship Navy and outpace the Soviets -Increased the hardware, training, and personnel -Returned a sense of pride to the military -Inspiring and supportive -President Clinton wasn't too bad, but felt he had a disdain for his Naval attaches -Felt “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy was unnecessary -Knew gay sailors and it never caused any problems because they just did their jobs -Caused unnecessary witch hunts -President George H.W. Bush operated the same as President Reagan -President George W. Bush was a good commander in chief -Supportive of the military -Ex-military -Not the best at policy, but Kurt felt confident with him as his leader -President Obama reduced the military's size and funding to pre World War II levels -Feels less prepared if the country had to fight a major war (00:17:21) Accomplishments & Commendations -Major accomplishments happened after he made Chief Petty Officer -Meant he was usually the ranking enlisted man at sea -2000 – 2012 was the peak of his career �-Received letters of commendation from the governors of states he served in -Received letters of commendation from the presidents he served under -All except for President Reagan who had died before Kurt's retirement -His most cherished award was the Meritorious Service Medal -Received the Chief's Cutlass -A ceremonial award presented to him when he left Charleston -Symbolic of the enlisted man in the Navy -Used to be given to enlisted men in the 1800s to repel boarders (00:21:17) Faith in the Navy -He turned to God when he felt that he needed guidance, inspiration, or just to vent -Prayed more when he became a petty officer and had to make decisions -Chaplains were available if men wanted, or needed religious services -There was a Protestant chaplain or a Catholic chaplain -Protestant chaplain did not ascribe to any specific Protestant denomination -Made services generic -It was difficult for him to establish himself at a civilian church of his own denomination -Moved too often to make lasting connections (00:24:39) Changes in the Navy -Positive changes in the Navy were advances in technology and faster aircraft and ships -Safety also improved as technology advanced -Robots were being introduced as a way to search and destroy mines -Put fewer sailors at risk -Major negative change in the Navy was a drop in morale -Started off high in the 1980s, but continued to trend downward -Felt the government was trying to treat the military too much like a civilian industry -Applauded equality, but felt the government tried too hard to appease people � 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_StauffK1936V Title A name given to the resource Stauff, Kurt M (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-05-11 Description An account of the resource Kurt Stauff was born in November 1954 in Jackson, Michigan. In December 1982 he enlisted in the Navy. He started basic training on June 20, 1983 at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois, and received Basic Enlisted Submarine Training at Naval Submarine Base New London, Connecticut. He attended the Submarine Sonar Technician Apprenticeship School in San Diego, California and received further training at "C School." After two years of training he boarded the submarine, USS Pargo (SSN-650) in December 1984. He went on intelligence gathering missions, torpedo exercises, and got to sail north of the Arctic Circle. For a short time he served aboard fast-attack submarines and ballistic submarines out of Pearl Harbor. In 1994 he transferred to mine warfare and from 1995 to 1997 he trained in Charleston, South Carolina. From 1997 to 2000 he served aboard the USS Patriot (MCM-7) at Sasebo, Japan, then returned to the United States to serve as an instructor. During the War in Iraq he spent a year in Bahrain overseeing mine sweeping missions in the area. In 2007 he reached his highest rank, Master Chief Petty Officer (E9), and spent the next five years as the mine warfare master chief to an admiral. He retired from the Navy in 2012. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Stauff, Kurt M. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Hammond, Steve (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 Other veterans & civilians--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> 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 video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/43c59f0ad1a8254ded207d9c70a8225b.m4v d37319e237978a50bae431f29ae54592 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f3768665b25429d50fa4869ae4ce68a9.pdf 317467e7d2634b15a8860b7f7fbef0a6 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Otto Skoppek World War II (Germany Army) 1 hour 48 minutes 40 seconds (00:00:15) Early Life on the Farm -Born in the country near Treuberg in East Prussia on December 15, 1916 -Family owned a large farm -Had orchards, grew corn, clover and potatoes, and owned cows and pigs -Local butcher came to them with a horse drawn cart -Their farm was in the “Land of 1,000 Lakes,” known as the Masurian Lake District -Produced a lot of rye -Hs father grew a wide variety of potatoes -Yellow, blue, white, red and a larger type that were fed to the livestock -Had enough livestock that they could sell some and keep some to feed the family -No electricity on the farm, and everything was powered by either kerosene or petroleum -Had a smokehouse for meats, and his father made an assortment of sausages -Mother baked homemade bread -Walked three to four miles to school -His family made their own butter and chilled it in their cellar -Only had to buy salt, sugar, and other things they couldn’t produce on the farm -Used roots and homemade remedies to treat sicknesses -Able to fish on their farm -Father used a homemade trap fashioned out of animal bones and wood -Had a pure creek that ran through their property and connected two lakes -Caught fish that weighed five to seven pounds -There was also a pond on the farm’s land -Father hunted rabbits in the winter with a hunting dog -Dozens of spruce trees grew on their property -His mother gathered mushrooms and cooked them in butter -His father used a small tractor and some horses to work the land -There were red elk in the area, and his father and other farmers hunted them -If you got one, you brought the meat to the butcher to be sold to the other people -Allowed to keep the antlers and two of the elk’s teeth -His father brought the teeth to a jeweler -Embedded in a necklace made out of African gold -Inherited the necklace from his father (00:21:38) Early Life & Education -In the 1920s, things were bad for Germany -There was hyperinflation, then it stabilized, only to be upset by the Great Depression -Throughout the 1920s, the Nazis began their rise to power �-Father made enough money to afford to send his children to high school and college -Education was free, but had to pay for additional expenses -He attended high school in Treuberg, but had to live in an apartment -Had to prove to his teachers that he wanted an education, so he could go to college -Visited his family on the weekends -Chance to get homemade food -On some weekends his mother made cakes and preserved fruits -Had a huge basement in which to store crops and food for livestock -Father had a hand operated machine in the basement -Used it to make sauerkraut out of cabbage grown on the farm -Grew cucumbers around the house and used them to make pickles -Paired the homemade pickles and sauerkraut with the homemade meats -Had 25 fruit trees in their yard -Especially remembers the pear trees and winter apple trees -Mother candied the fruit -Finished high school when he was 13 and went to college -Only way to become an officer in the German Army was by attending college (00:34:00) Paratrooper in North Africa Pt. 1 -He served as a paratrooper in North Africa -Went on missions behind enemy lines -Learned to land with both feet to avoid breaking a leg -Used a parachute that opened near the ground -Allowed for rapid and stealthy insertion (00:35:50) College & Forestry Work Pt. 1 -Went to college in Konigsberg, also in East Prussia -Famous for its historic German leaders -Rich, food producing area -Good for Stalin when it was ceded to the Soviet Union -He studied science in college with an emphasis on forestry work -Did that because he came from a wooded area -Remembers there being a dance hall and beer garden in the woods -Popular with the people -Had a variety of beers and meat (00:44:20) War Reparations -After World War I, the Germans had to surrender gold jewelry to pay for war reparations -After World War II, the Germans had to pay with land and agriculture -Eastern Germans were forced off their lands and had to move to West Germany (00:45:58) Forestry Work Pt. 2 -After college, he started receiving practical forestry training in Treuberg -Worked with a forester in the field and in the office -Managed land and wood being used by farmers -Some of the foresters only had a high school education, but were still educated men -Managed forest consumption for firewood and housing �-Had a sawmill -Worked as a forester through the 1930s (00:50:30) Nazism -Never felt like he was under the control of the Nazi Party -Soldiers didn’t use the Nazi salute, they used the regular salute -While in North Africa, under Field Marshal Rommel, they were just soldiers and not Nazis -Didn’t know about the Nazi atrocities being committed in Europe (00:51:55) Stationed in North Africa -Had a good relationship with the Arabs in North Africa -Ate rations that were lacking in vitamins -Soldiers lost their teeth because of the lack in nutrients (00:52:30) Start of World War II -He was working as a forester in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland (00:52:50) Stationed in Tunis Pt. 1 -He had a good office position in Tunis, Tunisia -Investigated a bicycle theft -It was a beautiful city -People were a mix of Italian and Arabic descent -Made silver jewelry -Wonderful people -Brought local cuisine to Otto and the other German soldiers in the city -Very friendly people -Remembers being on guard duty and seeing the silhouette of a large dog -Someone told him it was a hyena, so he shot it -The next day, a farmer came to them and told them that someone shot his dog (00:56:45) Surrendering to the Americans Pt. 1 -He had been drafted into the German Army and was assigned to Rommel’s Afrika Korps -By the end of the North African Campaign, they had run out of food, ammunition, and weapons -German supply lines had been cut -Forced to surrender because there was no way they could fight -Captured by American forces and told they would be brought to the U.S. as prisoners-of-war -*Note: Based on outside information, Otto was captured in 1943 -An American general applauded the behavior of the Afrika Korps -Under strict orders from Rommel to treat Allied prisoners with humanity -Never killed them, and always tried to feed them (01:00:07) Assignment to the Afrika Korps -He went into the German Army because he had spent almost his entire life in Treuberg -Wanted to do something different -Army was a chance at personal progress and a better future -Selected for service in North Africa in Rommel’s Afrika Korps (01:01:38) Prisoner-of-War -He and other German prisoners-of-war were brought to the United States -Put to work on a cotton plantation in Texas near the Mexican border �-Given a burlap sack and ordered to fill the sack -He was the first of his group to fill the sack -Picked cotton with both hands -Stayed at the prisoner-of-war camp in Texas until the war’s end -Treated well by the Americans -Moved to a green bean canning factory in Wyoming -American workers needed a vacation -In one month, the Germans produced 20,000 more cans than the American workers -American overseers rewarded them with a big box of cigars -Stayed in America for one year longer after World War II’s end -Issued tickets to buy goods at the factory store in Wyoming -Able to buy cigarettes and cigars that were unavailable in postwar Germany -Allowed to bring them back to Germany with them (01:06:36) Returning to Germany -Flown back to Europe and landed at a field near Amsterdam -Brought to a transit camp under British authority -British troops seized everything that the Germans had bought in America -Later that night, he and some others snuck over and stole back their goods -Flown from the Netherlands to Germany -By now, Germany had been divided into East and West Germany -Soviets had taken as much as they could from the Germans in East Germany -Visited his parents who were living in East Germany -Had to go through a border checkpoint manned by Soviet troops -He had terrible teeth due to the nutritional deprivation he experienced in North Africa -Went to a local dentist, but didn’t have any money to pay him -Still had a few cartons of cigarettes and a box of cigars -Dentist accepted the American tobacco as payment-in-kind -Gave Otto gold teeth replacements for the ones he lost -Not allowed to return to East Prussia since it was directly under Russian control -Parents lost everything and had to move to East Germany -He settled in West Germany and worked around there (01:12:13) Moving to America -Decided to return to America -During his time in West Germany he would send some goods to his parents in East Germany -Bits of food and clothing that he could get to them -Felt that Germany was too crowded and he wanted to return to the United States -Went to the American consulate in Hamburg to get approval -The decision was made by an American official -Explained that he’d had a good experience in America and wanted to return -Told the official that he had been in the Afrika Korps under Rommel -Immediately granted approval to immigrate to the U.S. -Americans had a deep respect for Rommel and his soldiers �(01:15:25) Airborne Mission in Tunisia -There was a memorable airborne mission behind French and Moroccan lines -*Note: Based on this information, he was most likely in the Ramcke Parachute Brigade -Landed behind enemy lines at midnight, and tasked with destroying enemy artillery -Went up against French and Moroccan troops -French and Moroccan artillery had been harassing nearby German infantry and tanks -Preventing the German tanks from advancing -Caught the French and Moroccans while they were sleeping -Told the guards not to sound the alarm or they would all be killed -Had a special explosive charge that would render the artillery pieces unusable -Ignited the charge, placed it in the breech, and 30 seconds later destroyed the gun -This mission happened in Tunisia -He was in a team of 16 paratroopers up against hundreds, or thousands, of Allied troops -Fired a flare to signal to the German tanks the artillery had been destroyed -German infantry and tanks advanced and linked up with Otto’s team (01:18:30) Stationed in Tunis Pt. 2 -Took over a consulate in Tunis -Had a cook -It was good duty -Needed to find bicycles for German soldiers -Transferred to office duty because he’d spent enough time on the frontline -People in Tunis were friendly (01:21:40) Surrendering to the Americans Pt. 2 -Pulled out of office duty because more Allied troops were coming into North Africa -Sent back to the frontline -Eventually ran out of ammunition and weapons -Saw American troops on the waterfront and knew they had to surrender -Decided it would be better to surrender to the Americans than keep fighting -Placed on a large ship bound for the United States -U-Boats had discovered that the ship was transporting German prisoners-of-war -POWs were afraid because they didn’t know the U-Boats knew that -Had good food on the ship -Sailed to Texas where their prisoner-of-war camp was located (01:24:30) Fighting in North Africa -Fought in Libya and Egypt -Found out that they couldn’t win the war like they thought they would -By early 1943, German forces on the southern Eastern Front had collapsed -Fought at El Alamein, Tobruk, and Sollum -His unit was sent to help regular infantry when they got in a tough situation -Usually inserted behind enemy lines to disrupt enemy forces -Then had to work back to the German line -He made a total of 16 jumps as a paratrooper -Did six combat jumps in North Africa �-Most combat jumps were against French forces, but did a couple against the British -Moroccans were vicious fighters -Had taken three German soldiers prisoner and executed them (0:31:22) Life in America -Sponsored by Peter Cook when Otto moved to the U.S. with his wife and son -*Note: Based on outside information, Otto and his family moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1957 -Got a job with Volkswagen since he’d had automotive experience in Germany -Became a manager -Stayed with the company when it became Mazda Great Lakes -Bought a car for $950 and had a home -When he worked for Volkswagen, then Mazda, he got a new car every year -Sold to a dedicated buyer and never had to spend more than $100 on a new car -The worst thing was when he had to relinquish his driver’s license -On doctor’s recommendation, due to sight trouble in his right eye -Able to drive until he was 98 years old (01:44:32) Reflections on Service -People lost so much in the war, and in a way, he counts himself as fortunate -He lost his brothers in the fighting on the Eastern Front -He wonders if he would have survived the war if he hadn’t been in North Africa Main interview ends <At various points throughout the interview, Otto mentions that he can play the harmonica and has memorized about 500 songs of German, French, Russian, and South American origin. From (01:47:25) – (01:48:37) he plays a song as conclusion to his interview.> � 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_SkoppekO2099V Title A name given to the resource Skoppek, Otto (Interview outline and video), 2017 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-02-07 Description An account of the resource Otto Skoppek was born near Treuberg, East Prussia, on December 15, 1916. Sometime in the early 1940s, he enlisted in the German Army and was assigned to Field Marshal Rommel's Afrika Korps. He served as a paratrooper and went behind British and French lines to disrupt their forces so the Germans could advance. Based on this information, he was most likely in the Ramcke Parachute Brigade. He saw fighting across North Africa in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia, and was stationed in Tunis for a time. He did six combat jumps, and fought at El Alamein, Tobruk, and Sollum. In 1943, due to dire supply shortages, he and the other German forces surrendered to American forces. Due to being under Rommel's command, they were treated with great respect and civility. Otto was brought to America and spent the rest of the war at a prisoner-of-war camp in Texas near the Mexican border picking cotton, then briefly at a canning factory in Wyoming. He returned to Germany (most likely in 1946 or 1947), and lived in West Germany until 1957 when he and his wife and child moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Skoppek, Otto 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 Germany. 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> 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 video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e0b8102e5863b2b75f29da0a3478938d.m4v 487b450a9a43bf1efb51e7ff2c6d9cfe https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/766ccc9494f4040b0b09b5adef90743d.pdf 2e9828472319b1df1481cf7341e46dc3 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Harold Schaffer World War II 1 hour 30 minutes 54 seconds (00:00:19) Early Life -Born in Flint, Michigan on February 3, 1925 -Grew up in Flint -Both of his parents worked for General Motors in the factory -They had steady work during the Great Depression -He had one brother -Graduated from high school in 1943 (00:01:25) Start of the War -Paid attention to the fighting happening in Europe and Asia -He was listening to the radio Sunday morning, December 7, 1941 when Japan attacked the U.S. -Ran into the kitchen and told his parents about the news -Knew about Hitler's advances in Europe and the Japanese ambassadors in Washington D.C. -Got most of his news from school or from the radio -Didn't know how serious things would get -Heard a little about rationing going into effect -Knew that essential materials like gasoline would be rationed (00:03:55) Getting Drafted -Received his draft notice on July 22, 1943 -Reported for duty on August 12, 1943 -Had registered for the draft when he turned eighteen -Tried to enlist in the Army Air Force to be a pilot, but got rejected -Passed his exams and was sent to Selfridge Field, Michigan for further processing -Half of the men were accepted and the other half were rejected there -Still doesn't know why he got rejected -Went to Fort Custer, Michigan for processing and induction after getting drafted -Got assigned to the Army Air Force there -Issued clothing (00:06:57) Basic Training -Sent to Amarillo, Texas for basic training -Most likely Amarillo Army Air Field -Learned how to take orders and about Army etiquette -He had no problem adjusting to the Army -To him it was a different, new experience -Lived in barracks and ate in a mess hall -Drill sergeants were pretty good -Demanded attention and compliance �-Some men had trouble with adjusting -Some men didn't even know their left foot from their right foot (00:09:53) Ordnance Training -After basic training you got assigned to specialized training -He was initially selected for Gunnery School at Harlingen Army Airfield, Texas -His orders were changed for Flight School -He stayed at Amarillo for a few weeks -Became friends with a drill sergeant -His orders got changed again and he went to Augusta, Georgia -The Army Air Force was building up ordnance companies -The 2012th, 2013th, 2014th, and 2015th -Each company consisted of two hundred men -His company was sent to Jackson, Mississippi -Started getting into the technical aspect there -He held the rank of technician (similar to sergeant, but without leadership responsibility) -Became an expert in his field -Higher skill led to higher rank which led to higher pay -He attained the rank of Technician 4th Grade (similar in pay to sergeant) -From Jackson, Mississippi he went to Aberdeen, Maryland -Most likely Aberdeen Proving Ground -Spent a month there -After that he went to San Francisco, California -Spent a week there waiting for a ship -He was in an ordnance-maintenance company -Meant fixing ground vehicles for the Army Air Force -Mechanics dealt with the aircraft -He didn't have any trouble learning how to fix things despite having no formal experience (00:21:44) Deployment to the Pacific Theatre -Deployed out of San Francisco, California in August 1944 -There were 10,000-15,000 men on the ship he sailed on -His company was quartered on the top deck -Sailed on a converted cruise ship -Sailed alone -Remembers passing under the Golden Gate Bridge -There was a sign that said, "Welcome home, boys!" for after the war -At sea for thirty days -Stopped at Hollandia for a couple weeks -Incredibly hot -Didn't do much there -Sailed from Hollandia to Biak (00:26:47) Stationed at Biak Pt. 1 -There was a B-24 bomb group, B-25 bomb group, P-38 squadron, and C-47 transport planes �-Also an Australian P-40 squadron and a New Zealander P-40 squadron -Biak had a runway that ran over 5,000 feet long -Runway was made of crushed coral -Unloaded equipment and helped set up camp after they arrived -Had to learn how to drive on the left side of the road -After a couple days he got used to it -Left the United States in August 1944 and arrived at Biak in September 1944 -Started building camp from scratch -Lived in tents and established a tent village -Slept on folding cots -Had mosquito netting -Took Atabrine to prevent malaria -Turned your skin yellow -Had one large tent that served as company headquarters -After a while they made modifications to make the camp more comfortable -A few men made a washing machine out of an engine, transmission, and a 55 gallon drum -Had one man that did their laundry -Had minimal clothing to wash though -Modified their clothing to be more comfortable in the tropical weather -Had a water tank on racks with a blowtorch to heat the water -Used it as a gravity fed shower -There was a hangar sized tent for all of their equipment -Large enough to fit two or three fighter planes -Had to keep their equipment out of the rain -It didn't rain much, but when it did it rained a lot -Worked in there -Saw it as a job that had to be done -Had a constant stream of work (00:42:12) Downtime in Biak -Talked with the aircraft mechanics -Had some downtime if there weren't any projects to work on -Talked to air crews -Rode on B-24s and B-25s during test flights after repairs were done -Flew at tree top level -Talked to the mechanics and the flight crews -Went to the ocean and fished with grenades -Natives joined them to get their share of fish -Natives knew to stay out of the water when the grenades exploded -They enjoyed being there for the grenade fishing -Visited other outfits on the island -There was a field hospital and some infantrymen on R&R -Talked to them and heard their war stories (00:46:44) Japanese Bombing -Lost men due to Japanese bombing -Nicknamed a single Japanese bomber "Washing Machine Charlie" �-Flew over at night and dropped bombs indiscriminately -Used anti-personnel bombs to wound and demoralize the American troops -Remembers walking back from a movie one night -Heard the Japanese bomber coming over and he dove for cover hoping to survive -That's when a few men got killed or wounded -He was able to make it through without getting hurt (00:48:53) Working with other Servicemen Pt. 1 -Got along well with the men in his company because they all felt like they were in the same boat -Knew basically everyone in his unit -Met and talked with a few Australian and New Zealander pilots -Talked about where they came from (00:50:10) Plane Crash -Remembers watching an Australian or New Zealander P-40 trying to take off -The pilot couldn't see over the propellor and flew into a fuel tank -The plane, the fuel tank, and the truck carrying the tank exploded -Killed the pilot (00:52:31) Contact with Japanese Soldiers -Japanese soldiers snuck into their camp to steal food -Stragglers that weren't fighting, but hadn't surrendered -Hid out in caves in the jungle (00:54:28) Stationed in the Philippines Pt. 1 -Stayed on Biak for about one year -Note: Most likely for a little less than a year, but definitely into summer 1945 -Moved to Clark Field in the Philippines -From there to Manila -Thought they were going to Saipan to prepare for the invasion of Japan, but then the war ended -By the time they got to Clark Field the area was secure -Had contact with the Filipinos -They did odd jobs like cleaning, helping the cooks, or getting supplies -Filipinos were glad that the Americans were there -Continued with maintenance work at Clark Field (01:00:25) Fighter Pilots -Knew the famous ace Richard Bong while stationed on Biak -Fighter pilots did barrel rolls to show how many planes they shot down -Each roll represented a kill -The fighter planes took off at dawn with the bombers for missions -Sometimes escorted bombers to targets 800 miles away -Australian and New Zealander pilots were ambitious risk takers (01:03:21) Working with other Servicement Pt. 2 -Everyone knew they were there for a reason -Everyone got along and dealt with their situation well because they were in it together -They only complained about wanting to go home, but even that was minimal -They all knew who their enemy was and that their enemy needed to be fought and �defeated -After the war ended in Europe some of those men were shipped to the Pacific -They were used to going to cities for fun -Bored with how little there was to do -Some men had difficulties adjusting to the primitive conditions (01:06:53) End of the War Pt. 1 -Once they got to the Philippines he knew they would win the war -It was just a matter of time -On Biak when President Roosevelt died (April 12, 1945) -Heard about the atomic bombs being dropped -Talked about how that might end the war -Received very little information about the war though -Only got news from letters from home and rumors pilots heard in Australia -Pilots also brought fresh eggs and beef from Australia -Did it as a favor to the maintenance men (01:12:21) Stationed in the Philippines Pt. 2 -Filipinos were friendly -They were glad to see the Americans -Never had any problems with them (01:12:47) End of the War Pt. 2 -When Japan surrendered the question became, "When are we going home?" -Filipinos were glad that the war was over -Sent to Nichols Field in Manila near the end of the war -Had their personnel and equipment there to wait for the next move -Stayed there for two or three weeks -Moved there shortly after the atomic bombs were dropped (01:15:54) Coming Home & End of Service -Returned to the U.S. in February 1946 -Took a Liberty Ship back to the United States -Took a couple weeks to return to the U.S. -Ran into the tail end of a typhoon -Remembers being hit by a huge wave that made the whole ship shake -Pulled into San Pedro Harbor in Los Angeles, California -Got served food by German prisoners of war -Stayed there for a couple weeks waiting for paperwork to be processed -German POWs antagonized the GIs a little bit -Gave out small portions of food unless challenged about it -Some men were ready to jump over the counter and attack the prisoners -From Los Angeles he went to Fort Sheridan, Illinois -Got discharged there in February 1946 -Took a bus back to Flint (01:22:10) Life after the War -Attended college in Flint, Kansas City, and Lansing -Got a variety of jobs and moved around a few times �-Worked in Wisconsin; Lansing, Michigan; and wound up in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Studied engineering in college -Took two years of college at Flint Junior College -Completed college in Kansas City and Lansing -Worked for the airline industry for fourteen years -Worked for Ford in Detroit -Worked on the road for five or six years -Got a job at Rapistan in Grand Rapids -Has lived in Grand Rapids ever since (01:24:46) Reflections on Service & Talons Out Honor Flight -Didn't mind his time in the service -Never got leave during two and a half years in the Army -Thought about staying in the Army, but ultimately decided to go to college -Feels that God took care of him during the war -Went on the Talons Out Honor Flight to Washington D.C. in May 2015 -Got thanked by everyone he and the other veterans met -Unforgettable experience -Feels that he was just doing his job -It was a definite culture shock going straight from high school into the Army -Believes that World War II was a different kind of war compared to conflicts after it -Knew who your enemy was (uniformed combatants) and what your enemy was -Has empathy for the younger veterans and what they endured in Iraq and Afghanistan -Disgusted with how humanity continues to fight itself � 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_SchafferH1776V Title A name given to the resource Schaffer, Harold (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-06-02 Description An account of the resource Harold Schaffer was born on February 3, 1925 in Flint, Michigan. After graduating from high school in June 1943 he received his draft notice on July 23, 1943 and reported for active duty on August 12, 1943. He was processed at Fort Custer, Michigan and got assigned to the Army Air Force. He was sent to Amarillo Army Air Field, Texas for basic training and got selected for ordnance training. He trained in Augusta, Georgia and was assigned to an ordnance-maintenance company, then trained in Jackson, Mississippi and Aberdeen, Maryland. He deployed out of San Francisco, California on August 1944 and arrived at Biak in September 1944. His ordnance-maintenance company serviced the ground vehicles used by the Army Air Force and endured mosquitos, intense heat, and bombings from the Japanese. After about a year they moved up to the Philippines and got stationed at Clark Field. Near the end of the war they were sent to Nichols Field near Manila and stayed there through the end of the war. In February 1946 he returned to the United States and was discharged at Fort Sheridan, Illinois. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Schaffer, Harold 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. Army Air Corps Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image 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 video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/be9f3a4481977101d3f967604e2a46bd.m4v ce51212d68fd2b6a4ed1d24318b5dab0 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3713de853103d9a3d059837296bf1755.pdf 19dd0cf5bc86308f2950182d2367c661 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Larry Rosencrans Vietnam War 1 hour 44 minutes 12 seconds (00:00:16) Early Life -Born in Muskegon Michigan, on December 2nd 1948. -Grew up in Muskego, but moved often. -Attended school in Whitehall and several other schools. -Step father worked various jobs: construction, roofing, baking, bus driving, postal carrier, raised animals, etc. -Graduated from Oakridge High School in 1967. -During high school worked at a foundry. -Received his draft notice in 1969. -Signed up for college, but drafted before taking classes. -Had lost older friends to the Vietnam War already. -Although he didn’t go out of his way to pay close attention to news of the War, he did pick up on a number of things. -Recalls getting out of Ravenna High School the day Kennedy was shot. -Saw newscasts during the time of the Tet Offensive. -Considered moving to Canada in spite of the draft. -However he chose to be drafted. -Took a vote amongst their family. -Family was no stranger to hunting and using guns. (00:05:00) -He was familiar with hunting for purpose. -However he was not interested in killing people. -Busses shuttled them from downtown Muskegon to Detroit for physical exams. -Exam standards did not seem too picky. Very rushed. -Some men attempted to fail the exam by getting drunk the night before. -After physicals they were sent back to Muskegon for induction. -Next they were sent to Detroit once again. -Captains were ordering certain men to wax the floor. Basic Training at Fort Knox and AIT Training at Fort Polk -From Detroit they were sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training. -He was not a smoker or drinker, so often he would be indoors in the barracks. -He trained with a number of people from Muskegon as well. -Training consisted of marching, firing range practice, working to think as a unit, exercise. -The camp next door had an ersatz pool full of sugar sand. -Swimming was part of that unit’s routine. (00:10:00) -In general the drill sergeants treated them like dirt. -He has a hearing condition that caused him to hear vowels differently. �-E.g. hearing “towel” instead of “shovel”. -Caused him to frequently get punished for what was a misunderstanding. -They never followed up on his explanations. -Basic training lasted about 6 ~ 8 weeks. -Their Sergeant conflicted with the top Sergeant of the Company and got fired. -And so they trained without a Platoon Sergeant for a time. -Eventually their platoon was given a “babysitter”. -During their assignment he was chosen for officer school. -He was assigned to Tigerland in Fort Polk Louisiana for infantry training. -Never applied for officer’s school. -Likely chosen because his scores were good. -He also had a SPN number (SPN or SPD or SDN code) that was a secret code intended to show to potential employers that he would be a “trouble maker”. -Fort Polk weather was just like a humid jungle. -Locals would occasionally fire guns dangerously nearby. -Mock Vietnamese villages were setup. -Training in mud. (00:15:00) -A Jeep was buried amongst the mud. -While they were being lectured they had a mock Viet Cong sneak up behind the speaker to illustrate the importance of awareness. -Some of the military training officials had already been to the War in Vietnam. -Heard highly unconventional things from them about taking their own weapons with them. -E.g. sawed-off shotguns. -The veterans told them stories about mutilations, from both sides. -They were exposed to gas to experience what it would be like. -He desired to be as prepared as possible, so he requested to repeat the gas chamber. -There were opportunities to leave the base. -However he wasn’t interested. -Not interested in partying. -The town wasn’t considered safe. (00:20:00) -While growing up he was heavily exposed to Christian teaching. -He was on the Bible debate team. -AIT training at Fort Polk lasted about 6 ~ 8 weeks. -At the graduation exam, the entire Company failed. -Part of the exam: blind folded gun assembly. -While piercing a tire with his bayonet it got stuck. -Friends of his that got lost on a maneuver. -They sent them all to Vietnam anyway. -They were given X amount of days before reporting to San Diego to depart to Vietnam. -Larry, with his friends, convinced a local to fly them via biplane to the airport. -Returned home from there before departing to Vietnam. -The buck sergeants that were doing the training were new and in training themselves. -Flew home via a civilian chartered plane. �(00:25:00) -On the flight to Vietnam they stopped in Alaska, then an island of Japan, then to Vietnam. -Possible they may have stopped at the Philippines as well. Vietnam in the Jungles -Uncertain of their landing site, but it was either Long Binh or Bien Hoa -Landed in Vietnam during the day. -Next took another vehicle to a different site closer to their unit. -Upon landing he was struck by the powerful smell of the musk and rot in the jungle. -Witnessed piles high of black body bags with dead soldiers. -The veteran soldiers were highly emotional at the sight of their arrival. -He arrived in Vietnam in July of 1969. -An adjustment to earlier statements: -May have taken a flight from Okinawa to this Vietnam base. -Near Saigon. A base very large in size. -Locals attempted to sell the new soldiers a variety of items. -E.g. marijuana packed in cigarettes for $2.00. (00:30:00) -Eventually they arrived at Camp Enari, near Pleiku Vietnam. -4th infantry division’s base. -Next they proceeded to their brief training. -Shooting at “pop up” mock targets. -Included women, children, dogs. -Instruction on hygiene: keeping their feet dry to avoid dry rot. -Shots up to date. -No training on Vietnamese culture or locals. -He was assigned to 1st [Battalion] of the 12th [Regiment] 4th Infantry [Division], Charlie Company, the second platoon. -Upon his arrival his platoon was out in the jungle. -He was dropped off at landing zone Penny (LZ Penny). -Endured some minor attacks while they waited for the platoon to return. -They returned on August 3rd, and he left with them the next day. -Adjusting to the new experiences was a lot to take in. -Getting cut on foliage, mosquitoes, paranoia about noises, weather. -A machine gunner had his weapon caught on a branch and shot himself in the leg. -No thorough instruction: they were given roles amongst their team walking in the jungle. -Using the machete in front. -Being “on point” by the third day. (00:35:00) -Taking turns having guard duty. -The entire Company was out in the jungle on a sweep. -Heavy casualties meant that many roles were left empty. -The first night in the jungle he experienced. -Very uncomfortable but not attacked. -Humidity, mosquitoes, downpours, then fog. -Recalling another night; they were waiting for a Lieutenant to arrive. �-One of the soldiers had prostitutes flown in to the site. -It was at that time the Lieutenant arrived. -Essentially ignored the situation. -Larry as well as a soldier of Hopi Indian descent were the only two to abstain. (00:40:00) -Began volunteering for assignments. -Considered it more desirable than the alternatives. E.g. spit shining. -At that point would have preferred to “take a bullet” just to get out of Vietnam. -Leading up to this, a number of experiences that wore out his stamina for the War: -A large assault on an NVA position -Given food, movies, and a free call home. -He came down with malaria three times. -Given flu shots for his malaria symptoms. -Eventually when he had malaria the fourth time, sent to Japan. -Was not treated for malaria properly by the military. -Additionally he was allergic to penicillin. -Also while in the Japanese hospital (later) he found out he had G6PD. -A genetic blood condition. -The jungle is so thick that you can’t see more than a foot ahead of you. (00:45:00) -Happened upon some kind of ancient pyramid structure in the jungle. -While on assignment to pick up a CIA “ghost”. -After coming to a town that had been abandoned in their expectation, his comrades wanted to rob the locals of their abandoned valuables. -He managed to talk them out of it. -Once they found the CIA “ghost” they insisted that he walk in front of them through jungle. -Because of distrust of government officials. -E.g. government had claimed there was a cease fire on New Year’s, however it was a lie. -Wondered whether he could be a double agent. -Another type of assignment he would volunteer for: -Listening for any movement. -Communicated via radio noise. -A friend he knew was on a listening assignment when a tiger attacked him. (00:50:00) -Witnessed explosions, tracers, and bullets in the background and in the sky at night. -A different time, this was shortly after he arrived, there was a rocket attack. -Killed their motor team, three men and a sergeant were wounded. -Returned fire which granted him a combat infantry medal. -Yet another event while rescuing a platoon: -He was injured in his finger. -Several soldiers were killed in an ambush. -He cleared the way and returned with the platoon. (00:55:00) -Recounts an attack where he injured his hand. -It was not life threatening and so they opted to wait until the next day to treat it. -Their experiences were of living in the jungle. Not at a base. �-He became a radio operator. He would hear surreal and shocking things over radio. -E.g. soldiers that would leave the area to go to the bathroom, lapse in protocol and be mistakenly shot by their own soldiers. (01:00:00) -One assignment he was ordered to protect bulldozers. -Due to the monsoons and the chaos they were likely drinking the chemicals from Agent Orange. -They would use M113 carriers to flush enemies out of the brush. -Riding the carriers like a horse or a bull. -Some soldiers would harass locals doing their wash by shooting near them and watching them flee. -One instance, on the M113 carrier he ran into a nest of ants. -After throwing his shirt into the carrier hatch he accidentally spread the ants to those inside. -His duration with the 4th Infantry Division lasted approximately from August 3rd until October of 1969. (01:05:00) Leaving Vietnam and Fort Hood -Signed up for training in small engine repair. -He was taken by helicopter back to Camp Enari and then back to the base where he was to be trained. -His new superior was pleased to have a soldier with experience as a new mechanic. -Not a “pencil pusher” type. -No formal training. Learning as you go. -A few days later he came down with malaria again. -Some time in November. -Before Christmas at some point he was taken to Japan for his malaria. -Stayed there until February. -Now he is intended to be sent back to the US. -Requires flying back to Vietnam to do so. -Once back in Vietnam he discovered he had no flying or traveling orders. (01:10:00) -Eventually he traded money in exchange for getting his flying orders. -Leaves Vietnam in February. -Is sent to Fort Hood, Texas. -Given enough to go home to see family before returning to Fort Hood. -In the US, he was insulted during times he would wear his uniform. -Despite any political disagreement, he was proud for his service. -At Fort Hood, he was assigned the light heavy duty mechanic duty. -Then became a clerk, and a motor pool clerk. -Worked as a specialist. -Had on job training for automotive repair. -Because of these new benefits it was highly tempting to remain in the military. -But because of the seeming senselessness of some decision making he desired to leave. -His duration at Fort Hood lasted from 1970 to 1972. -He was present during the protest by Jane Fonda. (01:15:00) �-During his time there he would drink occasional wine (mixed with soda). -During his time in the hospital in Japan he smoked marijuana once. -Then at Fort Hood he had marijuana occasionally. -Served a purpose for him to lessen his nightmares and help relax. -The military didn’t attempt to convince him to remain in the service. -He made his intentions clear. Returning to Earlier Comments, Misc. and Post War Life -Encountered the local Vietnamese during sweeps. -After the one battle, they swept a significant city nearby. -Encountered them in observation, searching, etc. -Not very much prolonged interaction. (01:20:00) -Garbage dumps had to be guarded so locals couldn’t make weapons. -The moral when he arrived in Vietnam was very low. -Casualties and attacks had worn them down. -Have low expectations: “consider yourself already dead”. -That way everything else is a positive. -Regarding his location when he was flown out for the small engine repair assignment: -Last leg of his flight took him into Saigon. -Yet there’s no flight from there so he’s required to take a taxi with guns and ammo. -Had a lengthy conversation with the taxi driver about his home life and beliefs. (01:25:00) -Did not witness very much racial tension on the base during his time. -Because he was in the jungle, the situation was different. -Required more trust. (01:30:00) -At Fort Hood he had quite a few black friends. -In one situation they were made to leave a German club. -Dreams and nightmares from his service still linger. -Undertook stress management at the VA. -However the bureaucracy and legalities are a burden. -Has not received his purple heart. (01:35:00) -During one of his malaria recovery periods in treatment there was rocket fire nearby. -They moved the patients to a bunker. -He met Johnny Cash while they were taking refuge in the bunker. -After his discharge from the military in 1972 he went to Muskegon Community College. -Went for auto mechanics. -Worked at a dealership where he was injured in a car accident. -Underwent training at Ferris for heavy equipment management. -Transferred to Western Michigan University to finish Bachelor of Science degree. -While in Fort Hood he married and had a family. -Divorced in 72/73. -Entered a second marriage. -Worked as an auditor for Speedway. �-Went into automotive management. (01:40:00) -Often changed jobs, got bored and required something new. -Went to massage school. -Positive aspects of service in the military: -Met some good people. -Traveled the world. -Helped to give him a broader view of the world and events. � 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_RosencransL1901V Title A name given to the resource Rosencrans, Larry Michael (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-11-24 Description An account of the resource Larry Rosencrans was born in Muskegon, Michigan in 1948. After high school he was drafted in 1967 and his basic training took place at Fort Knox, Kentucky. At Fort Polk, Louisiana he underwent his AIT training before being sent to Vietnam in 1969. Near Pleiku Vietnam at Camp Enari he underwent more training, and then he was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division. In the jungles Larry would participate in a number of missions until 1969 when he left Vietnam. From 1970-1972 his mechanical repair skills came in handy in Fort Hood, Texas where he worked as a heavy duty mechanic, then later as a motor pool clerk. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rosencrans, Larry Michael 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 Text Moving Image 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 video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e218f46f4c29a0e281d1a98145fb3aad.m4v 31ef878c64ba2f75c6af55ed3dac293f https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/60e39d05f3fa54fdc257000177f215b6.pdf 07ad7809c34b587ad67ebe59e9e3cfe2 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Theresa Robinson Post-Vietnam Cold War 55 minutes 47 seconds (00:00:39) Early Life -Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on September 20, 1955 at St. Mary's Hospital -Grew up in Grand Rapids -Father was the plant supervisor for Packaging Corporation of America -Served in World War Two as a 2nd lieutenant in the Army (00:01:32) Vietnam War & Racial Conflict -Watched the news a lot while growing up -It was a big deal when they did the draft lottery on the evening news -Randomly selected a birthday, and all men born on that day were drafted -Older brother enlisted in the Navy to avoid being sent to Vietnam as a draftee -Served as a corpsman in the United States -There was racial tension in Grand Rapids -Remembers curfews at 6 PM -Remembers the racial fighting happening in downtown Grand Rapids -Went to St. Alphonsus Catholic School and Catholic Central High School -Very few minority students, but she was exposed to poor and minority people -Had no problems with poor, or non-white people (00:05:14) Enlisting in the Navy -Graduated from high school at 17 years old -Started college with the intention of becoming a nurse -Decided that that wasn't for her -Worked at Meijer and didn't enjoy it -An older sister's friend came and stayed with Theresa's family for a little while -Talked about basic training in the Navy -Impressed Theresa and persuaded her to enlsit in the Navy -Went and talked to a Navy recruiter -Signed up to take a test to get into the Navy -Encouraged to go into electronics or another math oriented duty in the Navy -Wanted to be a personnelman so she could work with people -Sworn in in Detroit -18 years old when she enlisted in the Navy -Family didn't approve of her enlisting in the Navy -Father and older brother didn't want her to join -Father felt that women didn't belong in the military -Brother didn't think the military was worth joining -Enlisted in February 1974 (00:10:05) Basic Training -Went to Naval Training Center Orlando, Florida for basic training -Men and women trained together �-Reported to Detroit to go to Florida -Mother saw her off, but her father was too emotional to see her off -Excited to start her time in the Navy -Flew down to Orlando -Sat next to a girl from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan -Greeted by a stern Naval officer -Brought to a bus and waited for more recruits -Same officer boarded the bus and barked orders at the new recruits -Took her by surprise -Arrived at the base at night -Got up at 5:30 AM the next day -Assigned to a training company -30 to 40 women in each training company -Each company shared a barracks -Competed against the other training companies -Basic training lasted nine weeks -Passed her locker inspection without any difficulties -Catholic schools prepared her for discipline and taking orders -Understood the necessity of taking orders -Some women didn't understand why they needed to take orders -One woman washed out after two weeks because she found out that she was pregnant -She was in Training Company 3104 -Had to create a flag and write a marching song for the company -Last training company to be treated like women -Didn't run because it was considered to be improper for women to run -Some of the physical training was cancelled due to the heat -Only did part of the obstacle course -Did swimming tests -Some women were afraid of the water -Did calisthenics in a gym -Learned how to properly march -Stood watch in the barracks -Night before a physical competition a jealous company commander tore apart their bunks -Jealous that Theresa's company was performing so well -Had to get their bunks and lockers organized by 6 AM, the day of the competition -Spent part of each day in classes -Learned about the Uniform Code of Military Justice and took tests on it -Learned about Navy terminology -Taught Navy rank and protocol -Made sure to salute everyone during basic training -Learned how to behave as a sailor -The week before graduating from basic training they received liberty -Had to be back to base by midnight -Went to the fanciest restaurant that they could find and had a few cocktails �-Volunteered to be a squad leader -Encountered hostility from black female recruits because she was white and Polish -Received threats -Offered protection, but she declined -Hostility came as a shock to her -Thought racial conflicts ended in the 1960s -Saw a lot of sexism in the Navy (00:24:15) Personnel School -At the end of basic training she was sent to "A" School -Stayed at Naval Training Center Orlando for that -Made sure that her contract specified two things: -The length of her enlistment -She would become a personnelman -Allowed to come and go with more freedom -Had a room and shared it with only one other female sailor -Spent nights at the Enlisted Men's Club -Learned how to type up paperwork and the proper terms to use in that paperwork -Based on memorization, so it wasn't very difficult -At the end of "A" School you filled out a "dream sheet" (where you wanted to serve) -She wound up getting assigned to San Diego -Remembers one of her choices was Spain (00:27:12) Stationed at Naval Air Station Miramar -Sent to Naval Air Station, Miramar in San Diego, California -Assigned to the Personnel Office for VF-124, a fighter plane squadron -Note: She may have been in VF-121, not VF-124 -Pilots in the squadron trained with the F-14 fighter jet -Most elite fighter jet in the military at the time -Took care of enlisted men's records -Had only one computer in the Personnel Office and only one sailor knew how to use it -Used electric typewriters for paperwork -There were seven enlisted personnel and one officer in her office -She was the newest person in the office -There were only three women and the rest were men -Had some Filipinos working in the office -They all made Polish jokes directed at her -She finally retaliated and made a Filipino joke -Got in trouble and was reprimanded for the joke -Defended herself and called out the double standard -After that the workplace environment improved -Transferred to the Student Personnel Office -Better environment -Gave tours of the base for the new personnel and helped them with any problems -Loved doing that work (00:32:31) Sexism in the Navy Pt. 1 -Didn't have a car and had to walk from her barracks to the office in her dress uniform �-Men cat called, whistled, and yelled obscenities at her -Bought a car just so she didn't have to walk from her barracks to the office -Female sailors were sent to a dance just so they could dance with male sailors -Told to go have dinner with sailors on a New Zealand ship -Didn't behave any better than the American sailors -Ordered to supervise the cleaning of the office -One of the men refused to listen to her orders -Her boyfriend (future-husband) came in and intervened on her behalf -Boyfriend was commended and she was apologized to by the commander (00:36:45) Officers -Worked with a lot of pilots -Easy going and just wanted to fly -Had one officer that was an older man and a fair man -One Master Chief got in a lot of trouble for attacking her at the Enlisted Men's Club -He later apologized to her after he sobered up (00:38:17) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -Grew up a lot -Learned to stand her ground (00:38:28) Iranian Pilots -There were a lot of Iranian pilots at NAS Miramar when she was there -Didn't talk to the American pilots -Didn't talk to the American enlisted personnel -She asked her company commander why there were Iranian pilots on the base -They were being trained with the F-14 and being sold some of the F-14s -Weren't being sold any spare parts (00:39:47) Getting Married -Had been at NAS Miramar for about a half a year when she met her husband -Met him at the Enlisted Men's Club -He drove her to a convenience store on base to get a pack of cigarettes -He even went inside and bough them for her -Got married while they were both still on active duty (00:41:25) Sexism in the Navy Pt. 2 -Men and women lived in separate barracks -Even the women were divided based on sexuality -Straight women were on the second floor of the barracks -Lesbians were on the third floor of the barracks -Received a lot of attention from the male sailors -There were Marines on the base and one of the Marines paid a lot of attention to her -She agreed to go on a casual date and eventually had to fight her way out of his car -Marine officer learned about the incident and apologized to her -Offending Marine disappeared and was never seen again -After she got married most of the harassment faded away (00:45:37) Lost Pilots �-While at NAS Miramar two F-14s were lost in one week -Meant that four pilots were killed -The squadron mourned for two weeks -Planes had gone into a death spiral and the men ejected straight into the ground -Tragedy was made even worse because some of the men had families (00:46:35) End of Service -She signed up for a "2 by 6" enlistment -Two years of active duty -Two years of active reserve -Two years of inactive reserve -Discharged from active duty at NAS Miramar -Did her active reserve duty at NAS Miramar -Once a month on the base -Not liked by the active duty personnel because she was only active reserve -Married and pregnant at the time -Typed up her own discharge papers -Pregnant, which meant she would be discharged and never had to serve -Less than a year later her husband got out of the Navy (00:48:50) Reflections on Service Pt. 2 -It was a great experience mixed with bad experiences -Learned to understand the importance of the military -Learned more about the Vietnam War and the anti-war movement -Felt that the protestors were attacking the wrong people -Should have gone after the politicians, not the soldiers -Didn't tell people she was a veteran until later in life -Feels that politicians should be protested, but soldiers should be supported (00:50:53) Veterans' Groups -Got involved with veterans' groups when she was in her late 40s, or early 50s -Got involved with the American Legion -Became the commander of American Legion Post 258 -Still involved with American Legion Post 459 -Commander of United Veterans Council of Kent County, Michigan -Wants to make sure that veterans get benefits and loved ones are recognized -Veterans and loved ones of veterans make sacrifices -Involved with the Kent County Veterans' Millage -Works in the Veterans' Services Office -Staffed by younger veterans -Feels that we owe it to veterans to help them (00:54:04) Civilian Life -Now works as a real estate agent -Has done that for 17 years -Had four children and raised them -Became a real estate agent after she got done raising her children -Even in the Navy she was encouraged to go into real estate � 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_RobinsonT1749V Title A name given to the resource Robinson, Theresa (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-04-23 Description An account of the resource Theresa Robinson was born on September 20, 1955 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She enlisted in the Navy in February 1974 and began basic training at Naval Training Center Orlando, Florida in March 1974. She received personnelman training at Naval Training Center Orlando and upon completion of that was assigned to Naval Air Station Miramar, California. She worked in the Personnel Office and the Student Personnel Office for VF-121 (an F-14 fighter squadron). She completed her active duty at NAS Miramar and voluntarily left the active reserves in either late 1976, or early 1977. Theresa was the commander of American Legion Post 258 and is still a member of American Legion Post 459. She is also the commander of the United Veterans Council of Kent County, Michigan and works in the Veterans' Services Office. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Robinson, Theresa Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. Naval Reserve. Women's Reserve Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image 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 video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/481a2069776f2f3fc6f235d512c86daf.m4v 2288b500001b75e9dec72f3510ab7e2a https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/98bafa2e7f6d031cc1238bca07cdd759.pdf 8002cb5f203f19c1ae547a0352f2a94c PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project George Robinson Post-Vietnam Cold War 59 minutes 29 seconds (00:00:38) Early Life -Born in Billings, Montana on July 3, 1954 -Father was transferred to California, Washington, Kansas, and back to Montana -Settled down in Montana when George was nine years old -Worked in finance services -Served aboard the USS Badoeng Strait (CVE-116) in the Korean War -Mother was a medical secretary and did transcriptions for doctors -Graduated from high school in 1973 (00:02:30) Vietnam War -Very aware of the Vietnam War -Watched the evening news and saw footage from the war and anti-war protests -Father was pro-military -He was in the Civil Air Patrol and the Reserve Officers' Training Corps in high school -Aware of the events happening in the country and in Vietnam -Two of his football coaches were drafted and sent to fight in Vietnam -Came back changed men -Older brother was drafted, but never got called up to serve (00:04:47) Enlisting in the Navy -Planned on enlisting in the Navy after high school -Always fascinated by planes and the water -Meant that since middle school he was interested in going into Naval Aviation -Enlisted two or three months before graduating (spring 1973) -Recruiters were happy that he enlisted -Went to Butte, Montana for his enlistment physicals -Exciting to get into the Navy -Took an aptitude test to see where he would do well in the Navy -Told he would do well as an aviation structure mechanic -Fit him well since he liked to work with his hands -Eventually got the job that he was promised (00:07:51) Basic Training -Ordered to report to San Diego, California for basic training -Got to fly there, which he enjoyed -Went through basic training with his best friend -When they arrived in San Diego the Navy recruits were calmly told to go wait for a bus -The Marine recruits were screamed at and immediately given orders -Arrived in San Diego at night -Brought into a big room on the base -Formed a training company -Given a brief orientation �-Taken to get food then issued a bunk for the night -The next day they got up early and walked over to a building for further processing -Vaccinations, haircut, and breakfast -Basic training was split into two phases -Together they amounted to about nine weeks -Shorter because the Vietnam War was coming to an end -First phase of basic training was a week and a half, or two weeks -Worked on discipline, protocol, and getting used to working as a unit -A lot of the recruits resisted discipline -Didn't make sense to him since they were all volunteers -There was some ethnic tension in the first phase of training -Had an idea of what to expect from his experience in the ROTC -If someone resisted, or made a mistake, the entire company was punished -Ex. Standing at attention in the cold at 12:30 AM -Men washed out -One man smashed his own head on bathroom tile to get discharged -Next phase focused on the details of being a sailor -Navy history -Uniform Code of Military Justice -Ranks in the Navy -Seamanship -Didn't receive any specialized training in basic training -Basic training consisted of marches and classroom work -Learned about ships and the parts of ships -Had a mock ship called the USS Recruit (TDE-1) Learned about how to navigate a ship and the jargon used on a ship -Learned how to fight fires on ships -How to go into a room with a fire and put out a fire -Received gas training -Went into a room and put on a gas mask, then tear gas was pumped into the room -Once the room filled with gas they had to take off their masks -Unenjoyable, but not traumatizing -There was a lot of pomp and ceremony for graduation -Received orders for further training -"Cinderella Liberty" -Got to leave base, but had to be back by midnight -Received dress uniforms -All white, and more like an officer's uniform than the "traditional" uniform -Marching to graduation a seagull pooped on him -Nothing he could do to clean it off -Didn't get in trouble for it though (00:23:17) Aviation Structure Mechanic School -Received orders for Naval Air Technical Training Center Memphis -Sent to the "A" School to learn how to be an aviation structure mechanic -"A" School would be like undergraduate school �-"Fleet" is like an internship, and "C" School is like graduate school -Lasted six weeks -Focused on learning about metallurgy and riveting -A lot of classroom work and hands-on training -Learned about hydraulics, metals, and locks and oxygen systems -Trained from 9 AM to 5 PM then had homework -The base was away from Memphis, and there wasn't much to do on base except study -Didn't bother him because he was underage anyway -Limited transportation off base limited travel off base too (00:27:00) Stationed at Naval Air Station Miramar -Received orders for VFP-63 at NAS Miramar, San Diego, California -VFP-63: Light photographic squadron of the Navy -Upon arrival he checked in with the chief of the squadron -Had jets coming and going all the time, so it was always very loud -Worked with variants of the F-8 Crusader -F8J: fighter jet and RF-8G: photo reconnaisance -There were five detachments aboard five different carriers at sea, and the "Home Guard" -He was part of the "Home Guard" which supported the five detachments -Supplied jets to the detachments and repaired jets for the detachments -Helped train new pilots before they went to an aircraft carrier -There was always something to do -The F-8s were older jets and always needed repair -Repaired jets due to rough carrier landings, or hard landings at Miramar -Replacing brakes, arresting gear, or landing gear -Stopping corrosion from salt water -The base worked 24 hours a day and there were three different shifts -Afternoon and evening shifts were more relaxed -Had enough work, so there was always something to do -Went to Naval Air Station North Island and collected parts from the "boneyard" -Place where planes were retired and used for scrap (00:33:27) Carrier Duty -Did "night qualifications" aboard the USS Enterprise and USS Ranger aircraft carriers -Went aboard a carrier for two weeks and sailed around Alameda, California -Pilots had to fly at night before going to a carrier at sea -He worked as a troubleshooter on the flight deck at night -There were never any major injuries or accidents while he was on the carriers -Most injuries were basic bumps and scrapes -Worst accident happened after he left the USS Ranger -A jet made a hard landing and the landing gear hit, and killed, a sailor -Jets took basic damage because of being flown by new pilots -Exciting to be on the flight deck of aircraft carriers (00:37:13) Men of VFP-63 -Unit was diverse in terms of military careers -One man had fought with the Marines in Vietnam and transferred to the Navy -Men that had been in Vietnam and served off the coast of Vietnam �-A lot of them had enlisted out of high school (00:38:26) Post-Vietnam Military Climate & Morale -Saigon fell in April 1975 -After the fall of Saigon the Navy maintained a minimal presence near Vietnam -There were financial cuts to the military -Negative public opinion of the military after the Vietnam War -Civilians ignored servicemen, but weren't rude -Felt like being nonexistent -Shops wanted money from sailors, but didn't want to deal with sailors -Morale was good in his unit -Nobody was having major problems, or getting thrown in jail -There was recreational drug use, but it never caused problems (00:41:56) Foreign Military -Saw Iranian officers at NAS Miramar -Buying stripped down F-14 fighter jets from the U.S. government -Fortunately, they weren't sold any scrap parts -In 1979 Iran was taken over by religious extremists (00:44:30) Downtime -Spent time with cowboys -Went to country bars -Set up informal, impromptu rodeos -Didn't spend a lot of time in downtown San Diego -There were still a lot of hippies in San Diego -Found them interesting, but felt no connection with them (00:45:40) Getting Married -Met his wife, Theresa, while stationed at NAS Miramar -Wife was in VF-121 -Known for Top Gun -Met his wife at the Enlisted Men's Club in late 1975 -Navy didn't care about fraternizing between men and women -At the time, women were kept separate from the men -Different barracks -Not allowed to serve aboard ships -Most did clerical or medical work -Didn't notice any tension between men and women -There were more men in the Navy than women if his own unit was evident -Received orders for HT-8 (helicopter squadron) in Florida -Supposed to report there the week he was scheduled to get married -Wife pulled some strings and his orders for HT-8 were cancelled -Got married and moved into an apartment in San Diego -Secluded, nice apartment, but it got broken into -Decided to move to an apartment in Poway, California (north of San Diego) -Brand new apartment -Spent their first Christmas there together -Lived below the poverty line, but managed (00:52:43) End of Service �-Signed up for four years -Planned on making a career out of the Navy, but getting married changed that -Doesn't regret getting married, just wonders how different life would've been -Left active duty in August 1977 (00:53:43) Life after the Navy -Had his first child, a son, in May 1977 -Went on to have three more children -Planned on returning to Montana, but the economy was bad -Moved to Theresa's hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan -Lived with her parents for a few months -Got a job at Metzgar Conveyors through his in-laws -Applied to a lot of different businesses that dealt with airplanes -Didn't have the necessary license paperwork from the Navy, so he couldn't do that -Brother-in-law worked for the Postal Service -Took the Civil Service Test and a year later he was hired -Wound up working for the Post Office for 37 years (00:57:07) Reflections on Service -Helped him understand different people and different ethnicities -Exposure, working, and living with different people -Showed him that everyone is human, for better and for worse � 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_RobinsonG1750V Title A name given to the resource Robinson, George S (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-04-23 Description An account of the resource George Robinson was born on July 3, 1954 in Billings, Montana. Shortly before graduating from high school in 1973 he enlisted in the Navy. He received basic training in San Diego, California and went to Aviation Structure Mechanic School at Naval Air Technical Training Center Memphis, Tennessee. He was assigned to Naval Air Station Miramar, California and worked in VFP-63 (a photo reconnaisance squadron). He also did work aboard the USS Enterprise and USS Ranger on two week training exercises near Alameda, California. He stayed with VFP-63 at NAS Miramar until he left active duty in August 1977. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Robinson, George S. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image 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 video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/34b64558d00a7960c3d05d1adeefeb87.m4v 9ee0a3998cc126e13e370d78f5aa891b https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/1783334ffdafbd2d9deba39b0521c53d.pdf de84a473c04c9db1fd3627c95eee8329 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Allan Reynolds World War II & Cold War (1946-1961) 51 minutes 14 seconds (00:00:25) Early Life -Born in Grand Haven, Michigan -Most likely born on April 19, 1923 -Lived there for five years -Lived in a big Army tent on the beach -Taught himself how to swim -Caught and sold crabs -Father was a crewmember of a cargo ship -Parents divorced when he was five or six years old -Had a brother two and a half years older than him -After his parents divorced he, his mother, and brother moved to Coopersville, Michigan -Lived on a farm there for six months -Moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan -Moved all over Grand Rapids until they settled on the West Side on Turner Avenue -Went to Creston High School for a few weeks before transferring to Union High School -Graduated from Union High School in 1941 (00:03:45) Enlisting in the Navy -Enlisted in the Navy after graduating from high school -Always wanted to join the Navy and see the world -Wanted to get into naval aviation (00:04:19) Training -Received basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois -Sent to Aviation Radio School in San Diego, California -Learned radio code -Learned about radio instruments (gyroscopes, compasses, and radio equipment) -Enjoyed that training -At the end of Aviation Radio School he was allowed to choose Hawaii or Alaska for his station -Chose Alaska because it seemed more adventurous than Hawaii (00:05:35) Start of the War -On December 7, 1941 he was on a mountain overlooking the base in Alaska -Note: Most likely stationed at Naval Air Station Kodiak -Saw planes taking off from the airfield -A group of infantrymen threw him a rifle -He ran down to the base to see what was happening -Ordered to man a machine gun emplacement at the end of the runway -Had never used a machine gun before -Had no idea if Alaska was going to be attacked too �(00:06:40) Battle of the Aleutian Islands -Transferred to Dutch Harbor, Amaknak Island of the Aleutian Islands, Alaska -Flew patrols looking for Japanese ships -If they found any they maintained their distance and reported their finding -Japanese attacked and invaded the Aleutian Islands at Attu and Kiska in June 1942 -Flew raids out of Dutch Harbor against the invading Japanese -Didn't have to directly engage the Japanese -On one occasion they almost sank one of their own submarines -Each patrol plane had a pilot, co-pilot, navigator, radioman (his position) and an engineer (00:09:29) Flight School Pt. 1 -Sent to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington -Squadron received new aircraft -Volunteered to go to Flight School -Accepted into the program -Received two years of flight training -Started off training in Louisiana with the Piper Cub -Sent to Memphis, Tennessee for training with biplanes -Completed training in Pensacola, Florida with mult-engine aircraft -Trained with the PBY and PBM -Received his pilot wings there -Mother and future-wife came to that ceremony -Loved flying -Beautiful flying over cities at night -On one flight he saw a complete, circular rainbow above the clouds -Flight School kept him out of the fighting (00:13:06) Adjusting to the Navy -Had no problem with Navy discipline -Received the Good Conduct Medal (00:13:20) Leave -Allowed 30 days of leave each year -Didn't use it though because he was busy with Flight School (00:14:20) Flight School Pt. 2 -After the first 30 days of Flight School the majority of training was class work -Learned about navigation, weather maps, law, and aviation history -Upon completion he was an Aviation Pilot, Petty Officer 1st Class as an Ensign -Had a commission -At the bottom of the officer hierarchy -Felt like being a recruit again (00:15:54) Operational Training -Received Operational Training in Jacksonville and Naval Air Station Banana River, Florida -Further training with multi-engine, heavy aircraft with the PBY and PBM -Six months of training (00:16:30) Operation Crossroads -At Bikini Atoll in 1946 for atomic bomb tests with VH-4 Squadron �-His plane was the first to land in the lagoon after the explosion to collect a water sample -Had to wear Geiger counters to monitor radiation exposure -Blast was so bright they couldn't look directly at it -Remembers watching the mushroom cloud roll up into the sky -Gave him an idea of how destructive the atomic bombs used on Japan were (00:18:52) Stationed on the West Coast -After Flight School he was stationed on the West Coast -Never had to engage in combat while he was stationed on the West Coast -Flew patrols over the Pacific Ocean looking for Japanese ships -Flew at 10,000 feet -Had heaters in the plane -Wore cumbersome leather flight suits (00:19:51) Living Conditions in the Navy -While in Bikini Atoll they slept in barracks -In Alaska he slept in a Quonset hut -Got snowed in once -Had a single pot-bellied stove for warmth -Couldn't even open the door -Had to dig their way to the latrine tent (00:21:01) Morale & Contact with Home -Morale was high -Attributes that to the fact that everyone in his squadron were volunteers -Regularly received mail from home -Future-wife wrote him every day (00:22:07) Timeline of World War Two -At the beginning of the war he was stationed in the Aleutian Islands -Spent most of the war in Flight School training around the United States -On the West Coast for the end of the war (00:23:52) Operation Highjump -From the Bikini Atoll his unit returned to the United States to be decommissioned -At the time, the U.S. feared a possible Soviet settlement in Antarctica -Decided to send down military personnel to map Antarctica before they couldn't -Formed two new squadrons to gather intelligence -One squadron was basically wiped out in a crash -Set back the operation because his squadron had to help -Eventually got to Antarctica and began their mapping operations -Mapped and photographed everything from Bellamy's Islands to the Ross Ice Shelf -Got down to Antarctica on Christmas 1946 -He had a trough named after him; Reynolds Trough -Low, long frozen area in Antarctica -Previously undiscovered -Flew along the coast with photographers -Enjoyabe and interesting expedition -Saw huge icebergs and deep, wildly blue crevasses in the glaciers -Discovered a collection of frozen lakes �-Landed in them and took samples -Used seaplanes and launched from the seaplane tenders USS Pine Island and USS Currituck -Slept and ate on the ship that they launched from -Left the Antarctic on April 19, 1947 (his birthday) -Never saw any Soviets during the expedition (00:29:04) Navy Career -He was in the Navy for 10 years and decided to reenlist -Missed his family and thought about getting out, but decided to stay in for 10 more years -Had a wife and three daughters living in Grand Rapids, Michigan at the time -They were able to accompany him at future duty stations -Stationed at Midway, various parts of the U.S., and spent two years in Great Britain -Family was able to accompany him in those places -Able to travel around Europe with his family when he was in Great Britain -Went to Tsingtao, China and Yokosuka, Japan after the Antarctica expedition -Flew patrols in China and Japan -Watched Chinese Communists and Chinese Nationalists fighting near Tsingtao -Eventually returned to the United States -Flew the largest seaplane in service between Alameda, California and Honolulu, Hawaii -Carried personnel and cargo (00:34:06) Navy Legal Officer -Received legal training and became a lawyer in the Navy -Became the legal officer of his squadron -Assigned lawyers to court martial cases -Reviewed court martial cases -Mostly enjoyed that work -Had a conflict with his commanding officer over one case -An officer got drunk and tried to break into the PX -Commander wanted to press chargers -Allan decided that the case ought to be dropped -Felt the case had been mishandled from the start -Commander eventually got removed from the base -Had problems with the civilians on the base (00:38:22) End of Service -Final assignment was back at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois -Assigned to the Naval Examining Center -Place that wrote exams for promotions in the Navy -He was in charge of the Processing Department -Corrected the exams and distributed the results of the exams -Retired from the Navy in September 1961 -Spent 20 years and six months in the Navy (00:39:38) Medals �-Received the American Campaign Medal -Received the Antarctica Service Medal -Officially credited with discovering Reynolds Trough (00:40:11) Reflections on Service -Taught him discipline -Learned how to make friends and how to handle losing friends -Taught him leadership and responsibility -He was a shy person until he joined the Navy -Matured with each new responsibility -First duty was being in charge of a platoon in basic training -Able to get another platoon to follow their platoon leader -Enjoyed his 20 years in the Navy -Wanted to stay in for 30 years, but wanted his family to settle down in Grand Rapids (00:43:58) Life after Service Pt. 1 -Daughters attended Union High School as well -Same as himself and as his wife (00:44:40) USO Shows -Got to see some USO Shows during his time in the Navy -Appreciated the entertainment provided by the USO -He was responsible for making sure the USO personnel were entertained -Showed them sights around the base and took them out to dinner (00:45:38) Life after Service Pt. 2 -Easily readjusted to civilian life -Took three months off to relax before looking for work -Got a job with a jewelry manufacturer -Worked for them for 18 years -Started his own engraving business out of his home -Did that for 10 years before retiring again (00:48:00) Stationed in Great Britain -His favorite part of the Navy was being stationed in the U.K. for two years with his family -Got to see a lot of Europe -Everywhere they went had recovered from the war -Saw Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Italy, and the Netherlands -45 day tour with his family -Treated like royalty when people found out they were Americans (00:50:08) Veterans' Group Involvement -Member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars for a while -Sat next to Gerald Ford a few times � 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_ReynoldsA1903V Title A name given to the resource Reynolds, Allan Jay (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-11-25 Description An account of the resource Allan Reynolds was born in Grand Haven, Michigan in 1923. After graduating from high school he enlisted in the Navy in 1941 and received basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois and went to Aviation Radio School in San Diego, California. He was stationed in Alaska when the war began and served at Dutch Harbor during the Aleutian Islands Campaign. He was sent to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington and volunteered for Flight School at that time. He received flight training and operational training in Louisiana, Tennessee, and finally Florida with PBY and PBM seaplanes, promoted to the rank of Petty Officer 1st Class Aviation Pilot. At the end of World War Two he flew patrols over the Pacific Coast. He was part of VH-4 Squadron at Bikini Atoll for atomic testing in summer 1946 and was part of Operation Highjump in Antarctica from December 1946 to April 1947. During the Antarctic expedition he discovered a trough that was named after him, Reynolds Trough. He made a career out of the Navy and was stationed in China, Japan, all over the U.S., and in the United Kingdom. After twenty years of service he completed his career at Great Lakes Naval Station and retired in September 1961. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Reynolds, Allan Jay Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Moore, Deb (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 Text Moving Image 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 video/x-m4v application/pdf