709 24 26018 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/91fd653cabf68e6955cc8169304a7951.mp4 7fd889e51e86034c909a7197e4147b4f https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/fda045892ce7b89d6fef6853543ebcb2.pdf a367fc8b969143caf6cbf5289cb7c476 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview World War II Joseph Naperola 1:21:49 Introduction (00:48)      Joseph was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1923. His father was a blacksmith, working with horses and similar work. During World War I his father did not register to fight, he went before the judge and his father told him that he couldn‟t fight his countrymen. They were of German descent. There were three kids in the family. (02:29) Joseph joined the National Guard prior to the war began. His brother was the first sergeant and he wanted him to join, so Joe signed up at age fourteen. His brother covered up the fact that he was underage. (04:04) National Guard (04:10)        Joseph was given a rifle that was from World War I and was so rusted that it could not be cleaned. As a punishment, Joe had to stay every night and clean all the rifles. During an inspection by the General at their armory on Michigan Avenue, Joe pulled a prank by placing a blank shell into one of the rifles that he was cleaning. When the shell was found, the captain in charge of Joe knew it was him. (07:21) After that, Joe was labeled a trouble maker. While at Camp Grayling for summer training, they had a little Italian man that was called the „chow hound‟ and after he was done eating he would go around and eat people‟s desert. Joe was told not to eat his desert because they put CC pills (Army issued laxatives) in it. The man was sent to the hospital, and they had to tell how many pills were in it. Joe told them “Six pills in each desert”. (09:30) „Bunking‟ was a practice done by the senior men to the junior. They come in the middle of the night and flip their bunks. This was usually done after some drinking. Joe was bunked once, and the second time he was ready and awake with his bayonet out. They later came back and bunked him a second time, but they never came back after that. (11:47) A staff sergeant would wake him up at night to go on watch by shaking his stomach. After the second time, he came up swinging and just missed his chin. He grabbed him by the toes after that. (14:20) His unit was mobilized in October 1940 and sent down to Louisiana to train. Joe was still in high school then and had to stay and finish tenth grade. After his unit was federalized, he became a civilian and was later drafted into the Army. The Regular Army (15:38)  He was in the honor guard, and whenever all the VIP‟s came in like President Roosevelt and the Russian leaders they had to greet them in full uniform. �        He was also able to function as the staff driver for the officers and other visitors. Joe was 19 when he was drafted in 1942 or early 1943. Since he already went through basic training while in the National Guard, he was sent right to an elite military police unit that was training in Fort Custer. (17:49) Part of that training was to get up at five in the morning and run around the drill field. They weren‟t supposed to do that before breakfast, but they did. After he left Fort Custer, they were sent to Miami Beach, which Joe enjoyed very much. While conducting training they were sitting under a coconut tree and one fell and hit a man in the head and knocked him out. They did not conduct any more training under coconut trees after that. (19:13) They stayed at the Park Central Hotel when they were in Miami. Each room had about six men, since he was the biggest guy there; he took the bunk by the window. Joe was having MP training there. Overseas (21:33)              Joe was sent overseas and it took 13 days by boat. It was a liberty ship and 3,000 men all sailed on the same ship. There was a constant line for food; it ran all the way around the ship. To skip the line, he put on his MP uniform and was able to cut right through. Joe was with the 1250th MP Company. (23:28) During the crossing, Joe never got used to the rough water. They had swells that were so high, they were told to stay away from the railings because if you fell off they wouldn‟t stop and pick you up. Because the shower facilities on ship used salt water, Joe and some other men found that rainwater collected on the deck in bins and they bathed there in fresh water rather than use the salt. They sailed as part of a convoy, and they didn‟t see any U-boats, but he knew they were out there. (25:22) The first place they landed was in Scotland. That is where he got his first taste of the English language. After landing in Scotland, they took a train to their base that was thirty miles from London. He was apart of a detachment that had to greet all the VIP‟s that landed there. Because of that, he was given good treatment. As a staff driver, he was a favorite because he drove 70 miles an hour when the speed limit was 60. (27:33) Driving to London once, he doubled over the steering wheel because of a pain in his side. He later found out that it was his appendix and he had to have surgery. After three days, you couldn‟t even tell that he had any problems at all. (29:29) Joe was driving his motorcycle on a gravel road and lost control and drove down into a deep ditch. He walked a quarter mile through the ditch to find a way out. He hurt his knee in the accident and he was continuously told that it would heal. After that he patrolled in a Jeep. (31:41) On his patrols, he had four small towns that he was in charge of. He liked to patrol by himself, because then he could stop in each tavern and talk and joke with the people. He was looking for G.I.‟s that were out of line in the towns. �    He once found a lieutenant and captain that were giving a bar owner trouble. He told the two to cool it and they tried to argue with him. He threatened to take away their flight pay, and the two quieted right down. (34:18) Joe never had much trouble while on patrol. When Joe was in a pub, two Polish soldiers were there talking. Then they spoke in polish and Joe answered them. He learned Polish when he was three or four. As a staff driver, he drove high ranking officers which had very nice cars to drive. (36:30) Royal Air Force Duty (38:19)             Joe got a duty assignment with the Royal Air Force (RAF) chasing prisoners. While on patrol, he found some prisoners that they were looking for. He forgot to load his .45 pistol and the prisoners knew it. He pulled the slide back and put a round in the chamber by hand. He yelled at the men to come back, but they laughed at him. They came back after he threatened to shot them. (42:02) When he came back to base, he forgot his gun was loaded and he went to turn it back in and accidentally fired two shots into the ceiling of the guard shack. Joe‟s CO had just received a compliment from the commanding general about how nice the guard shack was and that it did not have any holes in the roof. (44:47) He was attached to the 9th Air Force. Each man in the unit was given a presidential unit citation for meritorious service. Joe got three or four battle stars on account of their bombing missions. (46:15) Joe was coming back from London once driving a staff car going about 80 or 90 mph when he blew the engine. The mechanic that came to help him was the prisoner that he almost shot. It turned out that the engine had no oil in it. (48:50) While serving on the honor guard, he saw President Roosevelt and others. The men that did this duty were supposed to be the best, later a man came up to him and told him that he had two different shoes on. (50:30) When Joe was sitting eating supper, a plane came in for a landing. Joe said “It‟s Charlie!” (Charlie was the name for the Germans). They ran out there and found out that it was a new pilot and he thought he was in Belgium. At the Emergency Landing Strips, they had lines of fuel oil along the field. They lighted the two sides up when a plane was coming in and they called it FIDO (Fog Dispersal) (53:00) A B-24 came in for a landing once and went to the end of the field and crashed. Everyone on board was dead. They hadn‟t been killed during the crash but were dead while on board. Joe said it was a miracle the plane landed the way it did. For rifle training, Joe used a Springfield and he qualified six times. The sergeant told him he didn‟t qualify but he had six rounds in the bull‟s-eye. He qualified for rifle expert that day. (57:42) While in London, he stopped at a restaurant that served meat. It was one of the few around that still did because it was so hard to find. Another soldier came up to him and told him that this neighborhood used to have a lot of cats, but they were all gone. (59:15) Bombs from the Germans would often hit London while he was there. �      He was treated very well by the English people. He felt no resentment from them about his money or privileges as an MP. (1:01:10) Joe ran a private enterprise while there which involved a three penny piece, which was smaller than a dime but it was solid silver. He had a Jewish friend that told him to drill some holes in the coins to make bracelets. They made them up and sold them to a jeweler and they made money hand over fist. (1:04:36) Also for some fun, he would pick up .50 cal rounds when he had to go to crash sites. They used to put these rounds in a stove and wait for them to go off. When they would go off, they would yell “Air Raid!” and watch people just start running. (1:06:55) When the Germans surrendered, Joe was in England. When he flew home, he went in a B-17 that had no windows. He would go up to the nose of the plane because it was the only warm place. On his way home, they stopped in Africa, and they were warned not to touch the plane when they were getting off because it was so hot out. (1:09:33) He was asked by the pilot and co-pilot to come up to the cockpit. They wanted to take a break so they told Joe to sit in there and steer the plane while they were gone. Back to the States (1:10:58)         Joe made it back to the United States in 1946. Most of his time was spent in England. With stops in Marseille, France and Africa. They landed in Detroit, Michigan. And he eventually made it back to Grand Rapids. He went back to his truck driving job, but they had replaced him. They made him a mechanic instead. Joe was also married later. (1:13:32) All his records were destroyed by Vietnam protesters, and when he put in for disability he was unable to get help. Joe‟s brother was injured on D-Day plus 59 and he got out as a Major. He was quite the singer back then and when his brother was injured he made his wife a record and the song was named „Josephine‟. After she died he found out that she was in love with him. (1:16:25) Looking back, when he first left Grand Rapids, he had seven or eight of his girlfriends there to see him off. Joe‟s girlfriend from England followed him home and they were married. (1:18:56) � 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 NaperolaJ1482V Title A name given to the resource Naperola, Joseph (Interview outline and video), 2013 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Naperola, Joseph Description An account of the resource Joe was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1923. He joined the National Guard when he was fourteen years old and served until his unit was federalized in 1940. He was drafted into the Army in 1942 and was sent to be an MP at Fort Custer, Michigan. Joe was sent to England where he patrolled four small towns about thirty miles outside of London. While in country, he also was part of the honor guard and was a staff driver for officers. Joe was sent back to the United States in 1946 after the war had ended. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Kentwood Historic Preservation Commission (Kentwood, Mich.) WKTV WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Army Air Corps World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2013-05-02 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3db34cf104f3f4787354c3cb398d0591.mp4 cfe0c097a2c96354b435629e48244d20 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/55776f3c4c57e4f92eb82cb3673068ce.pdf a43488b6f75f81140918e556da5ce15c PDF Text Text ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW JOHN MIHALKO Born: June 6, 1947 Resides: Lakeview, Colorado Interviewed by: James Smither PhD, GVSU Veterans History Project, Transcribed by: Joan Raymer, December 10, 2012 Interviewer: Now John, start us off with some background on yourself, and to begin with where and when were you born? I was born on June 6, 1947 in a small patriotic town in New Jersey called Whippany. Interviewer: Did you grow up there? Yes, I was born and raised there. Interviewer: How many kids were in your family? Five Interviewer: Where were you in the sequence? I was the middle kid. My father died when I was very young and he was a WWII veteran. He was only forty-five when he died and he left five kids, and he left my mother a widow at age forty with five kids. Interviewer: What did she do then, at that point? She was a waitress in a diner most of the time, and you know that waitresses don‟t make a lot of money, so as we grew up we got jobs and gave my mother money to keep the house going. Interviewer: Did she remarry? No, she never remarried. Interviewer: She looked after you. 1 �She buried three men, my father and two boyfriends, but she never remarried. 1:01 Interviewer: When did you finish high school? Well, I was supposed to graduate in 1965, but I was having so much fun I stayed another year. I graduated in 1966. Interviewer: Once you finished high school what did you do? I got into warehousing and that‟s been my career up until the present. Interviewer: How long was it between the time you finished school and when you got drafted? Three years Interviewer: Over the course of that time, were you expecting, maybe, to get drafted or did you just not think about it? I thought about it—my buddy wanted me to enlist in the navy with him, but I didn‟t want to do four years because I had a good civilian job and I knew that I was going to go back to the same company so, he said, “Well, you know you‟re going to get drafted into the army”, and I said, “Well, that‟s the way it goes”. 2:00 Interviewer: When did you get your draft notice? I had to report August the 18th 1969. Interviewer: Now, at that point, how much did you know about what had been going on over in Vietnam? Oh, a lot—when the marines landed in 1965 in Da Nang, I wanted to quit high school and join because I thought, “That war‟s going to be over in no time, and with the marines there it‟s going to be over”, but my mother and oldest sister said, “You‟re not doing anything until you graduate from high school. So, when I finally get out of high school I 2 �lucked into this job that‟s been my career for the rest of my life, so I knew what was going on. 1966 came and went and we were still there, 1967 came and went and we were still there, 1968—and then in 1969 I said, “Wow we‟ve been there four years and we‟re still there, there‟s something wrong”, but then in 1969, that‟s when I got my notice. Interviewer: What was your reaction when you finally got the draft notice? 3:02 I knew it was coming. I had to take my physical in May of 1969 and then within thirty days I got this thing that gave me the dates of when to report. I was curious, to say the least, but I went. Interviewer: Now, you went and did the physical and the initial screenings and things like that and getting medical tests. Were there people who were trying to find ways to beat the system? Oh yeah, but it didn‟t matter. Interviewer: What kinds of things did they try? They would say they were either alcoholics, drug addicts, or gay, but it didn‟t matter. If you were overweight you were going in, if you were underweight you were going in. If you walked in with a Seeing Eye Dog, you were going in. I was underweight and I should have never been taken, but I was in. Interviewer: In a different year they might have rejected you. I only know about mine, so I don‟t know Interviewer: Where did they send you then for basic training? 4:02 I got lucky and they sent me to Fort Dix, which is in New Jersey. I was supposed to go to Fort Bragg, but when they were telling you where you were going I had to go to the bathroom and when I came back a guy said, “Where are you going?” I said, “I don‟t 3 �know”, and he said, “Where were you sitting?” I pointed and there was somebody else there, and he said, “Ok, you can go to Dix”. What they did was, they went down the line and said, “You‟re going to Bragg, You‟re going to Dix, Bragg, Dix, Bragg Dix”, and they did the same thing in North Carolina. They were sending the North Carolina guys to Fort Dix and the New Jersey guys to Fort Bragg, I can‟t understand it. Interviewer: When you got to Fort Dix, what did you learn about the guys you were training along with? You had some from North Carolina, or whatever, but were they mostly east coast people who were there? I think so Interviewer: What kind of a sort of ethnic mix was there? Were there black soldiers? Oh yeah, you name it, they were all there. Interviewer: Did you notice anything in the terms of age range of these guys? No, when you‟re in basic training you don‟t have time to think. You‟re up at the crack of dawn; you go out on night maneuvers. 5:08 Interviewer: What did basic training consist of for you? A little bit of everything, but in my opinion—the only thing that I really learned was the M16, which I didn‟t get until my last week of basic training. I trained on the M14, and they were using M16‟s in Vietnam, and it didn‟t make any sense. Interviewer: How much emphasis was there on discipline and following orders? Hardly any, we never had a barracks inspection. I thought it was going to be like—there was a movie out, a story about the DI and I thought that was what the military was. Interviewer: But not at Fort Dix? 4 �To me it was a joke. Growing up in Whippany, New Jersey, we played army all the time when we were kids. We were always out in the woods. My house was surrounded by woods, so living in the jungle and stuff like that, you know, not a big deal. 6:08 But, as far as what they taught us, I didn‟t get much out of it, believe me. Interviewer: Did you have any idea of what the background of the drill instructors was? Had some of them been to Vietnam and back? The drill instructors, I don‟t think they were, but a lot of the cadre was Vietnam vets. Interviewer: How long then does basic training last? It started in August and we graduated in October, it was roughly three months. Interviewer: What do you do after that? You‟re supposed to get a leave to go home and then report back and then they would send you to your AIT, but they wouldn‟t let any of us off the base. As a matter of fact, the day after graduation my sister was getting married and she wanted me to give her away at her wedding and they wouldn‟t let me off the base. Interviewer: Did they offer any explanation of that? Nope, I think they were afraid of desertions, I don‟t know, so, I had to sit on Fort Dis for three days doing nothing. 7:06 Then they put us on a bus and bused us to—I don‟t know which airport we went to. No, they bused us to Philadelphia; we got on a civilian jet and went to Fort Lewis, Washington. Interviewer: Now, did you get an AIT? Oh yeah,, that‟s where I took my jungle training, in the dead of winter in Fort Lewis, Washington. It doesn‟t make sense. Interviewer: No 5 �The terrain was definitely—we were in the mountains all the time and that‟s where I ended up in Vietnam, but the weather was—I couldn‟t get my head into jungle training with the snow, and it rains constantly in Fort Lewis. But, at least there I got an M16 from day one, but it was basically the same type of training, but you did a little more of it and that was a little better. 8:03 Interviewer: Was this just general infantry jungle training or was it specialized? No, just general stuff, basically the same stuff you did in basic, you just did a little more of it. Interviewer: Was this physically demanding work? No, I don‟t think so, working in warehousing, that‟s a physical job anyway. Interviewer: So, you were in good enough physical shape, so that wasn’t a problem for you. How long then does the AIT last? Another three months Interviewer: Now, do you go home at that point? That I did, and then I got a two week leave. We started on October 18th and we graduated on December the 18th. Interviewer: So, you get to go home for Christmas. I got to go home and I think they gave me ten days, but I took about twenty because we already had orders for Vietnam, and I said to myself, “What are they going to do to me, I‟m going to Vietnam?” Interviewer: Did you have to report back to Fort Lewis? Fort Lewis again 9:01 6 �Interviewer: And when you got back, was there any question about where you had been? I had to go to courts and boards and they didn‟t say anything or do anything, and in a couple of days they issued us jungle fatigues, in Fort Lewis, and we were on a plane off to Vietnam. Interviewer: Did they fly you in a chartered commercial jet or in a military plane? It was a commercial jet. Interviewer: So, they had stewardesses on and that sort of thing? Yeah, and the flight over is really bad. The stewardesses partly smile because they‟re looking at guys who are going to war and they‟re thinking, “This guy might get killed”. We‟re the same way; you could hear a pin drop on the airplane. Interviewer: Did you stop anyplace on the way? Hawaii—they let us off the plane at the Hawaii airport dressed in our jungle fatigues and people are staring at you, civilians. We get back on the plane and we landed in Guam to refuel, and that was scary. Guam was the hottest—that was hotter than Vietnam, I couldn‟t believe it. It‟s an island in the middle of the Pacific and when they opened that door there was just a blast of hot air, and I said, “Man, if Vietnam is going to be hotter than this, this ain‟t going to be good”. 10:06 Interviewer: What was your reaction when you actually got off the plane in Vietnam? We landed in Cam Ranh Bay and the United States built that port and it‟s beautiful. That had a larger PX than the PX‟s here in the states. You could buy a car there and when you got home it would be at your house. I never saw a PX that big. 7 �Interviewer: Did you stay there any amount of time or did they ship you out? One day, one day, it‟s all paperwork. I thought once we landed and got off the plane they would hand you a rifle and a helmet and you were going out, but no, it‟s just endless paperwork. Endless paperwork at Cam Ranh Bay, and they flew us to Phu Bai and then it was more paperwork there and then we went to camp, I think we went to Camp Eagle and from Camp Eagle to Camp Evans, and at Camp Evans, that‟s when I found out I was going to be in the 3rd brigade and then the 2nd of the 506. 11:06 Interviewer: All right, and then which company did they put you in? E Company, Echo Company, and here‟s another side to that, E Company in any infantry Battalion is the mortar platoon. I said, “I don‟t know one end of a mortar from another. I‟m going to be in a mortar platoon, I mean?” But, E company also has your reconnaissance platoon, which I didn‟t know about, and LZ cutters, and snipers. When I got to E Company, like I said, I thought I was going to be in the mortar platoon. This young sergeant comes out and he says, “You guys are lucky”, and there was like twelve new guys at the time, “You pick what you‟re going to be in “, so one guy raises his hand, I wasn‟t going to raise my hand for anything, I‟d been in the army long enough. 12:05 He said, “You have your choice of recon or LZ cutter”, so one guy raises his hand and said, “Well, what is an LZ cutter?” He said, “That‟s a good deal, you only go out to the jungle one day and you repel out of a helicopter with a chain saw and a hundred pounds of C4 strapped on your back and you blow the top off a mountain”. I‟m sitting there thinking, “That doesn‟t sound good to me”, so another guy raises his hand and says, “What‟s recon?” “That‟s even better”, he says, “You go out into the jungle for one week, one week at a time, you have to wear a helmet, that‟s one of the status symbols or recon, 8 �you have to wear camouflage fatigues, we don‟t have any right now, and you carry everything you own on your back and your job is to look for the bad guys”. So, now everybody raised there hand and said, “We‟ll take recon”. Interviewer: Of course, I don’t know, did it occur to them that the bad guys might try to shoot them? 13:01 No, it occurred to us, but repelling out of a helicopter at two hundred feet with a chain saw and a hundred pounds of C4, nobody there to protect you, that doesn‟t sound good to me. Interviewer: So, recon, at that point is a better deal? Oh yeah Interviewer: Having made that particular choice then, what do they do with you? We had to wait, it was a couple days before—all the recon teams were out in the jungle, so we did a little repelling and stuff like that. The recon platoon came in, I think, after about two days. They were coming down to the company area and I never saw such dirty, grubby guys in my like, but they were happy to see us and it was a good experience. I met my first platoon leader, at teenager, he scared the hell out of me because he was a lot younger than me, but he was a very good platoon leader. Interviewer: How many men, do you think, were in that platoon that came in? When I first got there we had five eight man teams. When I left we had two ten man teams. 14:01 Interviewer: Did the group of guys you were with, did that fill them out to the five eight man teams? Yeah 9 �Interviewer: So you got forty, you actually got a full strength platoon when you start. Yes Interviewer: Once they come in, do you spend a few days in base camp or do you— while they get cleaned up? We went out—see, stand down for recon is only one day, so they came in and then the next day they‟re out again. So, I got to meet my platoon leader, he assigned me to Bravo team, I got to meet my team leader, and then the next thing, „boom”, out you went. Interviewer: Did they do anything to get you oriented or give you any advice before you headed out, or did they just say, “Do what we do”? Well, luckily, the guys in recon are very, very tight and the old guys they show you, because they just dump all the C rations in front of you and I said, “How much do I take?” He said, “You can take as much as you want. Just pick what you want and load it up”, he said, “Remember you‟ve got to carry it all”. 15: 09 I had food stuffed in my pockets, in my rucksack and I couldn‟t get up or move. I had to jettison some of it. Interviewer: Do you have a sense of how much your total pack weighed by the time you got up? About ninety pounds Interviewer: How much did you weigh at the time? A hundred and thirty eight Interviewer: About how hot was it? I don‟t know the temperature, but it had to be in the nineties with a hundred percent humidity, I don‟t know, but it was brutally hot. When you got out to the jungle and got 10 �on your feet and started walking, I don‟t think you went ten yards and you were already dripping with sweat. Interviewer: Your first patrol, you said you’re out for a week at a time, so were you out for a full week then? We were out two weeks, we got socked in. Actually most of my missions lasted two weeks. They said a week, but when it started raining and you got socked in, you were out there. 16:05 Our missions lasted, roughly, two weeks. The longest I was out in the jungle was forty-four days. That‟s forty-four days without a shower, a shave, or a change of clothes. Interviewer: What do you remember about that first trip out in the jungle? Not too much, it was a routine patrol. I don‟t know how many clicks we went. It was hard keeping up with the other guys. They put me on rear security, the last guy and I knew I had to keep turning around and looking to see if we were being followed. When I would turn around and look again, I couldn‟t see anybody, so I had to hustle to catch up to them. I didn‟t like rear security. Interviewer: How long did you have to do that? Only two missions and my second mission out was my first firefight. Interviewer: So, on your first mission you’re going to, were you wondering where everybody was, or were you just happy you weren’t being shot at? Oh yeah, well, I don‟t know—you know, it‟s hard to remember. I remember some things about the first mission. 17:02 Luckily, they had me set up with an old timer and he and he was nice. He showed me how to do the claim, which we did in basic AIT anyway, 11 �but he showed me the sneaky way to do it and the right way to do it, so yeah, the old timers were good. Interviewer: When you’re out on one of these patrols, you’re out overnight multiple times, but you’re moving every day? Yes Interviewer: Ok, What do you do when you’re just setup overnight, how does that work? We try to setup in like a circle, we have two-man positions, you would actually sleep with your partner, one of us would use his poncho for the floor, which we slept on, and the other for a roof, sort of like a tent. We‟d sleep under there, and they gave us for—it got very cold at night in the jungle, people don‟t realize that, we froze at night. It got cold and the wind was always blowing. 18:00 You go to bed soaking wet and you don‟t dry off until you‟re asleep. But, they gave us, it was like a sweater, a light weight sweater, and we would put that on, and we had a poncho liner and that was our blanket, which was very warm, and that was it. Interviewer: Do you setup before dark, or after dark? Right around dusk—we didn‟t like to move around at night because you couldn‟t see anything anyway, you couldn‟t see your hand in front of your face. Interviewer: Now, when you’re camped overnight, what, you mentioned— You had to pull guard duty every night. Interviewer: You’re in two-man teams and you trade off who’s awake and who gets to sleep? 12 �No, we pick who‟s going to take first watch, second watch, etc. If you got an eight man team, then you only have to pull one watch. First watch and last watch were the best, if you got last watch you got seven hours sleep, but nobody ever slept the full eight hours. Either a rock would poke you in the side, or a piece—because you had to hack part of the jungle to lie down in. 19:05 You were never comfortable. Interviewer: Did you—how long did it take to kind of get used to sleeping in the jungle, or learn what sounds to worry about and which ones not to? No, there were no sounds. I never heard birds chirping, nothing. The jungle, the jungle, it‟s very, very beautiful, but the animals and the birds, and things like that, when humans move in, they move out. I cannot recall hearing any kind of—I did hear a tiger roar one night, that scared the hell out of me, I didn‟t know they had tigers in Vietnam. We were on the top of a mountain and he was somewhere down in the valley, but that thing echoed and reverberated, that was very scary. Interviewer: The first mission ends, now, did you encounter any enemy on that first time out? No Interviewer: Were there any booby traps or things like that? No 20:00 Interviewer: It was really quiet, then tell me about the second one then. How you do get in a firefight? The second mission we had our platoon leader with us, teenager, the young guy, and as soon as we got off the LZ we started—there was a trail leading off the LZ and we were going down into a valley, and again, I was on rear security and they saw sandal prints. 13 �The North Vietnamese didn‟t wear boots, they sore sandals made out of American tires. You would see the print and you might be able to read Goodrich. I didn‟t get to see the sandal prints, being the last guy, everybody‟s walking over them. But, the guy in front of me turned around and he said, “We got footprints in the trail”. We found, also, there was an American, and old pineapple grenade from WWII. It was like half buried in the trail, and I don‟t know if it was booby trapped or anything, but the guy in front of me said, “Watch out you don‟t step over the grenade”. So, when we got to the bottom we had to cross this—there was a little river or stream. 21:02 We got to the other side and our platoon leader was very excited and said, “I want to call up and set up for the ambush, but I got to get an ok, you know”. See, recon, they did not want us to make contact because we were such a small number and we carry no M60‟s, nothing like that. They just wanted us to find the bad guys, just report it, and then get out, ok? But, our platoon leader, he says, “This is good, men, were going to have--”, so he called up higher, I guess he called battalion, but he convinced them to let us stay down there and setup an ambush. We did, it took us about two days, but I wasn‟t on that ambush, but that other new guy, he, on that day, he was out there, I think it was like February 11th, 1970, and he was just sitting there looking around and one lone NVA soldier carrying a big bag of rice crossed the stream and he shot him, he got him, so that made the Lieutenant very, very happy, you know. 22:02 He had a big bag of rice and he was going to feed a whole bunch of people. Anyway, what we did was, there was a sandbar in the middle of the stream and we put his body on the sandbar and we put a live grenade under him with the pin pulled in case—the North Vietnamese, they come back for their dead, just like we do, so we figured, now we got bait so we‟re very happy, but nothing happened for three days. I 14 �would go out on the ambush, you know we kept changing the ambush teams and after three days the bodies bloated up, you know and bugs are on it and it‟s smelling pretty nasty. Valentine‟s Day, 1970, that‟s when it hit the fan. I was on that ambush that day and I was staring at the body, and I‟m thinking about home, “It‟s Valentine‟s Day and all my buddies back home are going out with their girlfriends and giving them candy, or whatever. The guys that are married are thinking about their wives, and here I am staring at a dead body, hoping more of his buddies come out, so we can kill them too”. 23:07 That‟s exactly what happened. Interviewer: So, they walk right into the ambush? They‟re very, very smart. One guy walked out on the other side of the stream, and he saw his buddy immediately, and he went right back, and he was just out. And we waited maybe ten or fifteen minutes and he poked his head out again. Then he came out and he got into the water, and very, very slowly he started approaching his buddy. He got out about a couple of feet and another guy came out, and then another guy, and another guy. We had about five or six of them in the water, and we only had like three or four guys on the ambush. We were already outnumbered, and all we got is M16‟s. There was like five of them, and then finally one of the veterans, one of the old timers in our group, he thought one of them saw us, so we just opened up and dropped them all. 24:03 It was over in less than three seconds. That‟s one thing I remember from AIT, they said, “A perfectly executed ambush should be over in under three seconds. If it takes longer, you‟re probably going to lose”, and this was over in like three seconds, one thousand and one, one thousand and two, one thousand and three, and they were all dead. The water was red with blood, so then what we had to do was strip them. We had to get the bodies, 15 �get them out of the water and get them onto the land. We were supposed to take everything they had, even their underwear, but we weren‟t going to do that. We left them with some dignity, but they wanted all that stuff because they can get a lot of intelligence from it, you know. Was the uniform new, was it old, the weapon, what kind of condition it was in, we took everything, everything except their underwear. Then while that was going on, all of a sudden, we didn‟t know it, there was a whole lot more of them behind them and they started firing RPG‟s at us. 25:02 That‟s the first time I ever heard a RPG and it scared the hell out of me, and it was taking off the tops of trees, which told me that they were coming down the side of the mountain. They were still too far, too high up, and they were just firing blindly. So they inserted, the battalion, inserted a line company behind us and they came to our rescue. Interviewer: Now did you pull back yourselves, or did you stay where you were? No, I stayed on our—you know, the shoreline, we had the bodies and all that. We dragged them, and we just started firing at them even though we couldn‟t see anything. But, they weren‟t in any hurry to cross that stream, and we weren‟t in any hurry to have them come across that stream. I don‟t know how many of them there were, but they were firing a lot of RPG‟s, which tells me there were a lot of them. What the NVA use to do, if they were moving in large numbers, they would send out a small patrol out in front to lead the way, and if the small patrol ran into anything, they could tell by fire we were giving, if there up against a large force or a small force. 26:03 There were only three of us, three or four of us shooting, so they knew there were not a lot of Americans there, so then they came up and opened up with everything they had. 16 �Interviewer: So, with a short ambush, maybe one of the advantages is that it’s harder for them to tell what you have. Like I said, they took their time getting into that water. I mean, we got every one of them, they didn‟t have a chance. Interviewer: All right, then you go back—did you go back to base camp at that point? The next day, we went back the next day, but we had to spend the night. But we had the line out there, and they were around us for security and everything, and they were giving it to those poor guys, saying, “What did you get us into now?” They were looking at all the bodies, the water was just red, red, bright red, and they were going, “What did you get us into now?” “We can‟t help it”. Interviewer: After this patrol do you just go back to base camp for one day? One day, and you‟re out again. 27:05 Interviewer: You mentioned before that you were rear security in the first two, and after that what did you do? The team leader asked me to walk point. I said, “Is this guy crazy, I‟m still new”, but actually I wasn‟t, I was already in my first firefight. I was put up for a Bronze Star with a V, I got my CIB, so I figured, “Well, I can do it if he has faith in me”, and I walked point from then on, day in and day out for the rest of my tour. I became assistant team leader and when he left I was the team leader, and I still walked point. Nobody else—nobody wants to walk point, it‟s the most dangerous job there is. Interviewer: So, why were you doing it then? 17 �I‟m a little guy, number one, you know, and I was born and raised in the woods. The jungle didn‟t--I didn‟t like it, but nobody else wanted to do it and I figured I was the best qualified for the job. 28:00 Interviewer: What kind of skills do you need to do that job well? You have to have a good slack man, the guy that‟s walking right behind you, and I had my slack man walk like that far behind me, and if I was looking straight ahead, I wanted him looking from side to side. If I was looking down, I wanted him to be looking straight ahead. You have to work in tandem. Interviewer: Wasn’t the standard advice not to bunch up or not to have guys together? Oh yeah, I don‟t care, four eyes are better than two. Interviewer: did you normally walk on the trails? Oh yeah, we did, our job—you have to be quieter in the line companies. If you‟re breaking brush going through the jungle, you can be heard sure—we walked the trails all the time because you‟re not making any noise. Interviewer: Now, how common was it for them to be booby trapped? The NVA, I‟ll give them credit, they didn‟t booby trap a whole lot. They might booby trap a LZ, especially a fresh LZ, because they knew that GI‟s were coming in, but as far as punji pits and all that, they didn‟t do that. 29:05 As a matter of fact, the NVA looked down on the VC. The NVA were very proud, they were professional soldiers, just like the American GI‟s. The VC, they were just farmers carrying a rifle. They looked down on the VC, and I learned that from my NVA scout. He would tell us, “Oh, he‟s VC, number ten, NVA, he‟s good, he‟s good”. 18 �Interviewer: Now, was the NVA scout with your unit when you joined it, or did he come in later? Shortly afterwards Interviewer: You got to know him fairly well over the course of time? Yes, very well Interviewer: What did you learn about him? He was very well educated, the North Vietnamese, as a whole, are very well educated and the south Vietnamese are not. The North Vietnamese are taught American history, he knew a lot of our American Presidents, and he was an amazing young man. I don‟t know how old he was, and he didn‟t really speak a lot of English. 30:04 I couldn‟t speak any Vietnamese, but we could communicate. I learned a lot from that guy, I liked him and I trusted him. Interviewer: Did he tell you anything about his family, or how he wound up being on your side? He told me he came from a family—he had five brothers and he said they were all in the NVA, and I don‟t know where he fit in that family, but he said his oldest brother was a Colonel, and he said, “If the Americans leave, the North Vietnamese are going to come and take over the country, and my own brother‟s going to kill me”. Interviewer: Did he explain what he was doing being on your side? No, I never asked him. I did ask him why he came over to our side, and he held up one finger, number one, B52”s, and he said all the NVA were terrified of the B52‟s. Rightfully so, because you can‟t see them, hear them, nothing, and all of a sudden the 19 �earth disintegrates. 31:04 They were terrified of B52‟s. Then he held up two fingers and he said, “Number two, America never loses, told me”. Interviewer: That’s what he learned in his history class? I don‟t know if he learned it in his history class, but that‟s what he deduced from it. He said, “America never loses”. Interviewer: How effective, or useful, was he when you were on patrol. Well, in the “Ripcord” book, my team discovered a North Vietnamese telephone line and we tapped it, and he‟s the one that found the line. I‟m a good point man and I missed it, and my slack man missed it, everybody missed it, and he‟s the one that found it, and he turned white as a ghost. He was holding it up and he said, “Beaucoup NVA, beaucoup NVA, boocoo NVA, di di mau”. He was terrified and he wanted out of there. Interviewer: What does di di mau mean? It means, get out, leave. 32:00 Recon, when were in the jungle we never talk, if we talk at all we whisper, we never talk like we‟re talking now. Even if we think we‟re in a safe area, we still do not talk, we whisper at all times. But, he was getting very loud, and then when he saw me, because I heard all this noise behind me, I didn‟t know—I was starting to go u the side of a mountain and I heard this racket. I turned around and he‟s holding the wire and he‟s calling me, and he‟s saying, “John, John, beauoup NVA, di di mau”, and he kept saying it. I had to put my hand over his mouth and now I‟m getting scared, so he found the telephone line. Interviewer: I’m going to go back a little bit. How many patrols did you go on roughly? 20 �In my whole tour, I don‟t know. That mission in July, that was my thirteenth time to the jungle, and after that---I did maybe twenty five or thirty, I don‟t know. 33:00 Interviewer: Does that kind of work take its toll on you physically or mentally? Both, yeah—on the helicopter flight out nobody talks. You‟re deeply involved in thinking, “Is this the time I‟m not coming back?” The flight back though, everybody‟s happy. Everybody‟s smiling and happy. It takes its toll mentally and physically too. My knees bother me all the time and that‟s from carrying all that weight. I‟ve got arthritis, and that‟s from sleeping on the cold wet ground all the time. It takes its toll, but it doesn‟t happen overnight. I remember on my second time out, the old timers, it took them like ten minutes before they could straighten out , and I laughed at them, I was teasing them, I said, “I‟m three years older than you”, and they said, “Wait six months, you‟re going to be just like us”, and it‟s true. 34:01 Interviewer: On what proportion of your patrols did you actually make contact with the enemy, so you think? Oh gee, I don‟t know, we had more than our share of firefights, but to put a number on it, I don‟t know. Interviewer: Was it most of the time, or---over half? No, I don‟t think it was half, maybe a third of the time, maybe a little more, I don‟t know. Interviewer: What was the worst one you got into that you can recall? The one where I got shot and actually the second worst one was when we had to go through and retrieve American bodies. I had never seen a dead American. I saw a lot of dead NVA, but I had never saw a dead American. Interviewer: Was that before Ripcord? 21 �No, it was during the whole Ripcord episode, and it took place on Triple Hill. We had three of our recon teams were basically within a click of each other, and one of our teams detected North Vietnamese all around them and they got hit, and they had two wounded guys. 35:05 They called in a medevac and the team leader—the medevac was on its way out, but he told them, “Were still in contact, don‟t—wait for the Cobras to get there”. I think the medevac people were the bravest people in the world. This guy wasn‟t going to wait. He heard there were two wounded Americans and he came out. He didn‟t wait for Cobra escorts and there was no place to land, so they lowered the jungle penetrators. “You know what that is, correct?” Interviewer: You should explain that for the benefit of the audience here. Jungle penetrator, they can do it two ways. If the man was unconscious they would lower down a basket, it‟s called the Stokes litter basket, and you put him in the basket and they would pull him up. If the wounded were ambulatory, they weren‟t that seriously wounded, they would lower down this little seat. It opened up and one guy would get in. They would send one from one side of the helicopter and one from the other side. They would lower them down and the guys would get on the seats and they would hoist them up. 36:04 But, they also had an explosive device because a lot of times they would raise up the wires would get caught in the foliage. So, they could blow the cable, so the helicopter could get out of there. Our two wounded were ambulatory and they lowered the two seats down and they got them on them, and as they were raising them up, they were up about three feet, and then a NVA soldier with a RPG shot the medivac and blew it out of the sky in a big ball of flame. The most heroic thing I ever saw was watching that thing explode and the crew chief had the presence of mind to blow the cable before 22 �that got around the helicopter. That guy knew he was going to die, and everybody on the helicopter, but he still had the presence of mind to think of the two guys coming up, my guys, and he blew the cable and the guys fell down about five feet--but still, watching that helicopter go down in a ball of flame. 37:07 Then we got in a firefight, we got there and we did kill the NVA that blew up the helicopter, we killed another NVA, and we took one prisoner. It was very somber indeed, and then the next day—oh, they sent in a line company to help us out, you know, with the firefight, and the next day we got word that we had to go and get the bodies. I thought it was like the movies, they sent people out to do that. Well, grave registration, or whatever you want to call it. We got to the helicopter, but even before you got to the helicopter, I can smell it right now, you could even smell the death, it smelled like a barbeque. It‟s a very sweet and a very think smell and it even got in your mouth, you could taste it, and if you didn‟t know it was dead people, you would think, “This smells like barbeque”. 38:07 But, you knew it was dead and it was Americans, so it was very emotional. I can still smell it right now, I can smell it. We had to pull the bodies out and they were frozen in position, and when we grabbed an arm, it fell off; they were burned beyond recognition, like lumps of coal. We got all five of them out and in body bags and we had to hump them to the nearest LZ site. The strangest think about that, we had them in the body bags, but the jungle kept tearing the bags, and it was like the jungle did not want them to leave, and we would have to stop every once in a while because a body part would fall out, and you would have to put it back in. They were hard to carry and finally we decided-- luckily they gave us a whole lot of body bags because the jungle was just tearing them to pieces. 39:05 so we loaded those body bags into fresh body bags and we tied the body bags—we cut down trees and 23 �we tied them on there, like the old African safaris did with dead animals, and that‟s how we got them out. It seemed very undignified, but it worked in the jungle. We had them on our shoulders now instead of down. So, we got them to the LZ and a helicopter came in and we threw the bodies on and when the helicopter left they called back on the radio and they said, “Wait on the LZ for a while”, and we did and the people—the people that picked up the bodies, the medivac people themselves, they knew the dead people. They came back out with a cold case of beer. The first and only time I had a can of beer in the jungle, and they had it packed in ice and everything. 40:05 We also took the grenade launcher down to the medivac and we gave it to those guys and it was something, but that was very, very sad. Dead Americans and they were burnt to a crisp. Interviewer: Over the course of the time that you were with your platoon, what kind of losses did your unit take? Recon your very lucky, number one, nobody on my team died, nobody, I‟m very proud of that. A lot of, because I was the point man and the assistant team leader. If you were on my team you lived. Everybody got the Purple Heart in the whole—except me, I turned down three Purple Hearts. There was no blood, no pain, I don‟t want the medal. Interviewer: You did have one pretty close scrape though, and you actually brought along an artifact here to show that. Can you explain what went on with that? Yeah, that was on the wiretap mission. I got shot at point blank range by an enemy RPD machine gun, NVA machine gun. 41:06 That‟s the equivalent of our M60, and I took a burst right in the chest, right in the heart, and my bandolier saved my life. You can see it totally destroyed this magazine, I had to pull that one out and throw it away, and the rounds continued into this magazine, and you can see the hole in the front and the two 24 �heads of bullets coming out the other side. The first question everybody asked me was, “Did you feel it? Did it knock you down?” I didn‟t feel it when it hit me, I didn‟t feel anything, and just your natural reactions take over. 42:07 I hit the ground and while I was laying there I heard all this noise coming out of my chest and it was the bullets from the first magazine falling out. When I looked down and saw the hole, that‟s when I realized I had been shot. I laid on that LZ for I don‟t know how long. I knew my guys didn‟t leave me, but I couldn‟t see them and I knew they were going to call in Cobra air support, but I still didn‟t know how I was going to get out of there because I was laying on a bald LZ with no cover. To this day I don‟t know why that North Vietnamese soldier didn‟t finish me off. I know he saw my chest explode and maybe he thought I was dead. Like I said, I played dead. Interviewer: Now were you by yourself at this point? I had my slack man with me, he was with me, but he didn‟t get shot. 43:00 I was the only one that got shot, and like I said, I was just lying there. My personal opinion is, I think that North Vietnamese soldier was waiting for the rest of our guys to come across and try to retrieve our bodies, so that‟s why he didn‟t shoot at me anymore. That‟s what I think, I don‟t know. I did throw one grenade at the guy and when I threw it I cursed myself and then I said, “If this doesn‟t get him”, because I couldn‟t see him, I had no idea where he was, but he had to be in a bunker, a well hid bunker. When I threw the grenade I cursed myself and said, “If this doesn‟t get him he‟s definitely going to finish us off now”, but he didn‟t. Interviewer: What role did your platoon play in the larger Ripcord operation? What kinds of things were you doing? 25 �What I can tell you, that ambush in February of 1970, that alerted the whole battalion that the NVA were moving back out into our area of the mountains. 44:04 So, that was a valuable piece. Now, what they did with all the stuff we sent in, they analyzed all that stuff, and we did a lot of—when we found bunker complexes we would record them and tell them where they were, you know, and all that stuff. When we captured stuff, we turned it in. We captured a lot of enemy weapons, destroyed a lot of rice, we found a lot of caches. So in the broad—I don‟t know. Interviewer: Did you get ambushed yourselves, or did parts of your platoon get ambushed? Only that mission, the wiretap mission, you know, when I got hit. Most of my firefights, we initiated the contact and they never knew we were there. A lot of time when we would catch them they would be sitting down eating rice. They had no guards out checking things, and we‟d walk right in on them while they were eating rice. Interviewer: Now, your referring to the wiretap mission, was it actually going back to that line that your scout captured to try to tap it? 45:04 Yes Interviewer: What happened when you went out and did that? Well, we found the line on our first day. Once we got out there I found this nice place to set up for the night. The next morning as we were moving out that‟s when our scout found the line. Then they, I don‟t know who gave the order, I don‟t know if it was battalion or who, but they wanted us to tap the line. I said to my team, “We don‟t have any equipment to tap a line”. I figured once we found that line our mission was over, they were going to pull us out of there and send in the people that do all that stuff. The 26 �team leader said, “They‟re going to send out the equipment to us”, and I said, “You‟ve got to be kidding”. He said, “A helicopter‟s going to come right over our position and lower it”. I said, “Every North Vietnamese in this is going to know right where we‟re at”, but that‟s what they did, a helicopter came out, and they would take up what we took off the line and drop some more stuff every day, and we didn‟t move for three days. 46:02 Every night I thought we were going to get wiped out, but they never came looking for us and I don‟t know why, I have no idea. Interviewer: Did you get ambushed going out? On our last day, it was July 2nd, they said, “Ok”, they gave us coordinates to a landing zone, we had all day to get there, and they were going to pick us up the next morning. I found a nice landing zone on the top of this mountain, and I went up to the top of the mountain. It was overgrown and you could see that nobody had been up there for years, so I asked our team leader if he would call up and see if we could get picked up from there because I knew that this was safe. But they insisted we go to the LZ that they requested and that‟s where we got out and that‟s when I got hit. Interviewer: You talked about you were hit with the round that wound up in the magazine. Were you hit in other places? No Interviewer: Okay, but did that just knock you out? No, I didn‟t feel a thing. 47:04 I heard the burst and your instant reaction is you hit the ground. I looked behind me and I saw the dirt had been chewed up behind me, and I knew it was an enemy machine gun because an AK has a very distinct sound and that wasn‟t it. It sounded like it was coming from behind me, and that‟s why I was looking 27 �behind me, but it was in front of me. Sound is very funny in the mountains, you really— and we‟re on the top, almost on the top, of this mountain and with the wind blowing you really can‟t tell where it‟s coming from. Interviewer: All right, after they take you off that LZ do you get time in the rear? I have to finish—before we got out, now, I got out, the Cobras cane and I low crawled backwards across the North Vietnamese that we shot, and who had initiated all this mess, and I got back to our guys and I thought for sure they were going to let us go back to the other LZ. 48:09 This is a hot LZ, I don‟t know how many NVA, but there were a lot of them, a whole lot more than what we had. But they still insisted that we stay there because the helicopter‟s, they‟re in route. I‟d already been shot, and I said, “Junior, this is insanity”, and he said, “They‟re on their way”, so he said, “Who wants to volunteer to get on the helicopter first?” I said, “They already had a shot at me, I‟ll go”. I waited until I could see the helicopter coming and me and my slack man we went running, and I was almost in the exact same place where I was—the helicopter, I had a hold of its skid, and as soon as I grabbed the skid the door gunner jumped up and went like this and the helicopter left, and I ran back again and said, “Junior, what happened, what happened?” He said, “They shot the pilot”, so the co-pilot had to get the plane out. 49:00 They finally re-landed and they said we could go to the LZ that I picked out in the first place. Interviewer: Did you make it back there safely? Oh, yes we got out okay Interviewer: Once you get back do you get any kind of break at that point? One day Interviewer: And you go out again? 28 �Out again Interviewer: Now, did you get any longer breaks over the course of your tour? Yeah, they would rotate companies, or platoons to Eagle Beach. I think I got to Eagle Beach three times. You would have a battalion stand down where the whole battalion comes in from the jungle. You get new uniforms, boots, you know, but that didn‟t happen that often. My whole tour was basically in the jungle every day. Interviewer: Now, when you did go to the rear, was that comfortable or relief? 50:05 You got to unwind and you went to the EM club and you could drink beer. I think beer was ten cents a can, but you know, most of us were careful not to go crazy and really get drunk, because the next day you were going out and you didn‟t want to go out in the jungle with a hangover. Interviewer: Now, when they went to the rear did people in your unit use marijuana and things like that? I never saw it, but I could smell it. Interviewer: In the field, did they do things like that? No Interviewer: Did they even smoke cigarettes in the field? Oh yeah, oh yeah Interviewer: What would they do at night? You didn‟t smoke at night. You could see—your senses get so—you‟re like a blind man with his senses. You could see better, you could hear better, and just a thing from a cigarette, you could see that so far away, and you could smell the tobacco. We didn‟t 29 �smoke at night at all, never. 51:04 I‟m only speaking about my team and recon, and I don‟t know about others. Interviewer: How would you rate or characterize the morale of your platoon during the time you were with it. What was the attitude of most of the guys? We were upbeat, we were always cracking jokes. We got very close to one another, it was a brotherhood. I was closer to the people on my team than I was to my own brother. You could actually read their minds and they could read your mind, it‟s amazing, it‟s amazing. Interviewer: Now, were all the men in your unit white except for the Vietnamese? No, we had a mixture of blacks, we had a Chicano, we had everybody, we had boys from the south, we had boys from the north, and we came from all over. Interviewer: Were you ever aware of racial tensions or things like that? In the rear, in the rear you would see it, but never out in the field, never, never in the jungle, never. 52:05 Interviewer: In the rear, was it just kind of self-segregation, guys hanging together? Yeah, yeah, you know, a lot of times the southern guys would hang together. There were problems in the rear, there were a lot of problems in the rear, and sometimes I felt safer in the jungle. But, as far as our teams and everything, there were never any problems. As a matter of fact, we had a couple of black guys in the recon platoon and they would hang with us when we got to the rear. Every once in a while they would go and visit if they had a buddy in one of the other companies, but it‟s a brotherhood, that‟s all I can say. Interviewer: What kind of attitude did you have toward your officers? Was there a gap between the officers and the enlisted men? 30 �No, that‟s one good thing about the 101st, the officers, see, the officers get to pick which division they want to go to. We didn‟t; we had to go wherever they sent us. 53:06 And a lot of the officers they wanted the 101st Airborne, 1sr Cav, so most of our officers were very good, I liked all of our platoon leaders, CO‟s, but you know, we didn‟t get to see them that much. If you‟re in a line company, you got four platoons and you got four platoon leaders, so you saw your platoon leaders every day. In recon there‟s only one platoon leader, but there‟s five teams, so you would only see your platoon leader every fifth mission, so we were basically on our own. Interviewer: Now, you said over the course of the year, the strength of the platoon eventually went down. Were you losing guys that weren’t being replaced or were they moving them out? The troop withdrawal was going on big time in 1970, so most of the guys we lost, like I said, in recon we only lost two men the whole year, killed in action, two. One was a platoon leader and still—he was only with us for two days and I still cannot put a face on that man, he was only with us two days. 54:05 We lost a point man from another team, and that‟s the only two recon guys that died. We lost a lot when they got wounded, or maybe they got send somewhere else, and we just weren‟t getting replacements. Interviewer: Did you ever take and R&R anywhere? Yeah, I went to Sydney. Interviewer: How did that process work? Do you sign up someplace or do you get to pick where you go? Yeah, you had a choice. When I was there you could go to Sydney, Bangkok, Thailand, Hong Kong, I think it was Hong Kong, or Hawaii. And a lot of the married guys, 31 �naturally, they took Hawaii, so they could see their wives. I‟d always wanted to see Australia, I put in for Australia and I got it. As a matter of fact, I ran into one of the guys who was in recon, but he re-upped to get out of the field. 55:01 I ran into him and what they would do was they would fly you to Da Nang and from Da Nang you would go to wherever you were going. And there he was in Da Nang. I hadn‟t seen him for months and months, so we went on R&R together. Interviewer: What was there to do in Sdney? Sydney was great, the Australians love Americans, they still do, and the Australian women love American men. They do not like Australian men, but they love us. As a matter of fact, they had a place it was called King's Cross and it was a whole section, and they made you feel at home. They had one bar called “The Texas Tavern”, and they were great people. I loved Australia, great people. Interviewer: What was it like to have to get back on a plane and go back to Vietnam? That was hard, and that‟s why I didn‟t take my R&R until very late in my tour. A lot of guys after two months said, “I want to go on R&R”. I went very late in my tour and it was still hard once I got back. And it‟s scary to go back out in the jungle after having clean sheets, drinking and women and having a good time. 56:02 I‟m having a good time in Australia and now I have to come back to the middle of nowhere, so that was kind of hard. Interviewer: How much time did you have left of your tour when you got back? Two months, if that. 32 �Interviewer: Toward the end of it, as it’s getting short, did they do anything different with you, or give you different assignments, or did you just stay with your unit the whole time? Well, the way it was supposed to work was, you were supposed to do six months in the field and then six months in the rear and they would find a rear job for you. That never happened with me, I did my whole tour in the jungle and I didn‟t know it was my last mission, but when I got back I looked it up on the bulletin board, and I was leaving the next day, so I did my whole tour in the jungle. I never got my rear job, never. Interviewer: What was the response of your team when you told them you were leaving? I had a very good platoon leader. The whole platoon was on stand down, they presented me a lighter with my nickname on it and everything and I got to make a little speech, and in a way it was kind of hard to leave, you know. 57:09 But, I had watched the guys before me leave and it‟s very bittersweet. You want to leave, but again, you‟ve become so close to these guys that you feel for them. It was very bittersweet, but I was happy to leave, but again, I was sad too. Interviewer: Physically, how do they get you back to the states? It‟s amazingly fast, again we out-process, so I had to go back to brigade headquarters at Camp Evans, and then I had to go to Camp Eagle and out-process out of there, Phu Bai, the whole thing was repeated in reverse. Then they flew us to Cam Ranh Bay and processed out of the country. It took about a day to get all that done and then you‟re on a plane and back to Fort Lewis, Washington where they issued you your new uniform and you got a steak dinner. 58:06 The people that waited on you were the people going over 33 �to Vietnam and they had a million questions for you, I mean. But you got to pick out your steak and they gave you your back pay and off to the airport you went and home. I was home within thirty-six hours of leaving Camp Evans. I was home sitting in my living room. Interviewer: The route that you took did you encounter any anti-war protestors at the airport or anything like that? No, I was—number one, I got very drunk at the Seattle airport. I had to wait eight hours for my plane, so what else was there to do? No, I was very lucky. I didn‟t get a non-stop flight and our plane must have stopped at every airport from Seattle, Washington to New York City. We stopped in Cleveland, we stopped in Detroit, and we stopped somewhere else too. 59:01 I landed in New York City because my older sister lived in Manhattan and I didn‟t know how I was going to get to her apartment, but I was sitting next to a guy who was going home on leave and he said his mother was picking him up at the airport, and his mother said that she would take me there, and she did. I got a ride from Kennedy airport to downtown Manhattan. I surprised everybody in my family one at a time. Nobody knew when I was coming home, I wouldn‟t tell them. Interviewer: Now, you’ve got a fairly extensive collection of photographs etc. from your time in the service. How hard was it for a guy in a recon unit to be carrying a camera? I was the only one that had a camera, and I carried it in my side pocket. Interviewer: Was it easy to get film or to get things developed? I bought the camera at the PX in Camp Evans and it came with a roll of film. But every time I got to the rear and go to the PX to get film there was never any film. 00:05 So, I 34 �asked my mother to send me film. My mother would have been the greatest supply sergeant in the world. She sent me—I got more care packages than anyone, and how she did it, I don‟t know. She told me she spent eleven hundred dollars just in postage to send all those packages to Vietnam, and my mother was a waitress. Interviewer: This tape is out, so we’re going to stop here. How did you get your pictures developed? They developed them right there at Camp Evans. Interviewer: Then did you send pictures home? Everybody in my family would get a portion of the pictures, and then they would all get together, and my youngest sister put them all in albums for me. Interviewer: Now, because you were in the jungle all the time, you didn’t see much of the civilian population? 1:00 No, we only got a one say stand down and they didn‟t want you to—you couldn‟t leave Camp Evans unless you had a medical condition in which had to be treated, maybe, at Camp Eagle. Even then you have to go to the gate and the MP would flag somebody down and ask if they were going to Camp Eagle, so you could get a ride. They didn‟t let us out of Camp Evans. Interviewer: Once you get back to the states, you’re home and discharges, what do you do? I went back to my old job. Interviewer: Now, when you came back did you talk to people about your experiences in Vietnam? 35 �Well, my close friends, I wrote them all letters and they all knew what I was doing, they already knew, so they didn‟t—not too many people asked me questions. Interviewer: At what point did you start to talk more to people about what you saw, or share more of your stories? That started in the 1980‟s, there was a school teacher, who I had never met, called our local American Legion, and he wanted to know if there were any Vietnam vets that would like to talk to the kids. 2:12 They recommended me and the teacher called me up. I‟m a very private person and at first I wasn‟t going to do it, plus I was just talking to this guy on the phone, and he told me he had all kinds of Vietnam vets come in and talk to his students. He said he even had a draft dodger come in, which I wasn‟t too crazy about that aspect. See, I didn‟t know what this teacher was looking for. He said he had politicians come in, he had draft dodgers come in, he had soldiers that were against the war that came in, he wanted to know if there was somebody, you know, I guess, somebody like me. I was reluctant and I said to the teacher, “I‟ll tell you what, I‟ll do it, but I have to meet you face to face and we‟ll sit down and have talk and if we hit it off I‟ll do it, and if we don‟t hit it off, I‟m not doing it”. This guy, this teacher, he works— he was a teacher and he drove a taxi cab at night. 3:09 He came over to my house and he said he could only stay for about an hour, but he ended up staying for four hours. We talked and when we were done I said, “Ok, I‟ll do it”, and I said, “Do you want me to make up some kind of a little game plan?” He said, “No, just do what we just did”, and I said, “Ok, when do you want me?” He said, “How about tomorrow?” And then I did, and he combined two of his classes, and that‟s still the favorite class I ever did. They were very smart kids, and I can‟t say enough about the high school kids. They want to 36 �know and you can‟t B.S. them, they know, they‟re smart, but they want to know what you went through. One of the kids in his class was a foreign exchange student from Israel. She was a young girl, she was eighteen and she was in her senior year, and when I was done all the kids came up and they wanted to talk more, and shake my hand. 4:07 This girl said, “When I graduate and go back to Israel, I‟ll be going, it‟s mandatory male or female, you be in their army. But, you know, nobody‟s heard of John Mihalko in Israel, but when I get there people are going to know who you are”, and that made me feel ten feet high. But, all the kids were that way. Then they asked me to come back and I went back again a couple of weeks later and they all took up a collection and gave me money, which I didn‟t want to take. I said, “No, no, no”, and they insisted I take the money, and I donated it to our Ripcord Association, but that‟s just the kind of kids they were. It‟s amazing, and I‟ve had so many great experiences. I‟ve been lecturing for twenty-five years now, and I‟m still doing it in Colorado today. I‟ve never had a bad class and I enjoy it. 5:00 Interviewer: Now, are there stories, or things, you make a point of including in those presentations that you managed to leave out of this interview so far? No, what I do is, I give them a brief overview of what I did and then I want questions from them. In all truthfulness, girls ask more questions than boys. All boys want to hear about it blood and guts. Girls really make me think. But, I love doing it and I‟ve been doing it for a long time. Interviewer: Did you encounter much hostility, or whatever, because you were a Vietnam veteran? Did that create a problem for you at certain points? 37 �Not in my town. I told you I‟m from Whippany, New Jersey, and even the town Whippany comes an Indian name that means “the land of the willows”, willow trees. The people from my town were there before the French and Indian War, we weren‟t even a country yet, and it‟s a very patriotic little town, so I didn‟t have any problems going back. 6:01 Like I said, I went back to my job I had and as I traveled, yeah, I could see hostility, I mean a lot of the old veterans didn‟t want anything to do with us. But, I think that‟s true in all wars, because I know the WWI guys looked down on the WWII guys, and the Korean guys were the quietest. A lot of them fought in WWII and Korea, or Korea and Vietnam. The Korean guys are the quietest, see, the Vietnam guys, most of us, we‟re outspoken, and I‟m sure there were Vietnam guys that looked down on the Desert Storm guys because that thing was over so fast, I mean—but, that was over fast because our country learned from the mistakes of Vietnam, I firmly believe that. They went into it to win it and they won it. Interviewer: And in that case got out again. When you look back at the time you spent in the service, what kind of an effect do you think that had on you in the end? 7:03 I value each and every day. I‟m still the same person I was, but I enjoy things more. When I came home and I got into my house, I turned on the water and I watched the water run and then I turned it off real quick because I didn‟t want to waste it, but it was nice seeing running water. I opened the refrigerator and I said, „Wow, I don‟t have to carry ninety pounds on my back anymore‟. Things like that, I couldn‟t sleep in a bed for a long time. I slept on the floor for months, so that part changed me, but I‟m still the same person. I still have the same beliefs and ideals. 38 �Interviewer: Well, you got a good story, you’ve had some practice telling it, but you do a good job. Thank you very much for taking the time to talk to me. Thanks for having me. 7:57 39 �40 � 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 MihalkoJ1280V Title A name given to the resource Mihalko, John (Interview transcript and video), 2011 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Mihalko, John Description An account of the resource John Mihalko was born in a patriotic town called Whippany in New Jersey. After graduating high school he worked in warehousing for three years before getting drafted. He got his training at Fort Dix. In Fort Lewis, he got his jungle training. Sent to Vietnam in January, 1970, he was assigned to the reconnaissance platoon of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry, in the 101st Airborne Division. He survived his year in the field, and went on twenty-five or more patrols. His unit was involved in the fighting around Firebase Ripcord between March and July, 1970. Mihalko later helped found the Ripcord Association and organize the first reunion of veterans of that campaign. 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 Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Army Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2011-10-06 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a922723d7ed0ef4967c134e30c15aa5e.mp4 9c42bc1f6989e69adc915bc2b7c5cc3c https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7c6ad7a6eaf6c3af3e8f3f4f5578a39d.pdf 344998a2216c4ba4139591be6f0dd0ba PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Name of War: Korean War Name of Interviewee: Sherwin Nagelkirk Length of Interview: (01:39:36) (00:20) Background Information • • • • • • • • • Sherwin was born in Zeeland, Michigan during the Depression and lived with his grandparents for 9 years while his father worked on their farm In 1940 his father felt well off enough to buy his own farm and they moved near Grand Haven, Michigan It was a very old house with no running electricity and they had to boil water to heat it Sherwin began working on his uncle’s farm after he graduated from high school In July of 1951 Sherwin got a job working for American Seating Company, but should have continued working on his uncle’s farm He had not realized at the time that working on a farm was preventing him from being drafted About one month after he quit working on the farm he received a draft notice from the Army Sherwin had been engaged when he was drafted and it was very hard for him leaving his fiancée and his family Sherwin was inducted in Lansing and then was sent to Fort Custer in Battle Creek, Michigan for more physicals and paperwork (7:15) Basic Training • Sherwin was sent to Fort Riley in Kansas where he spent 16 weeks going through basic infantry training • Training was not hard for him because he had grown up on a farm and had it pretty hard as a kid • He also did well with rifle training because he had spent much time hunting • Sherwin did not enjoy night maneuvers and felt pretty lazy by that time of the day • One night while they were on maneuvers he hid from everyone till it was very quiet and then snuck back in the barracks when everyone was sleeping (14:00) Overseas • The men were sent to Oakland, California and later received their orders that they were to be sent to Korea �• There were about 3,000 men on the ship, a converted luxury liner • The trip took 14 days and 4 of them they were in a terrible storm that made everyone sea sick • To make things worse they all ate bad turkey one day and had food poisoning • They landed in Yokohama, Japan and made their way towards camp near Tokyo • They later took a different ship to Inchon, Korea (18:50) Korea • They men got off their ship and made their way through the streets of Inchon while children begged them for food • They took a train quite a ways and then loaded onto trucks; all the time they were traveling it was freezing cold with no heat • Sherwin was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division, 35th Regiment, Fox Company • He was quickly started on guard duty and worked also on digging trenches near outposts to keep in contact with the line • Once the trenches were dug they practiced firing M-1s and BARs (28:30) Heartbreak Ridge • Sherwin often worked on guard duty at night near the outposts • It was always very cold and snowing all night long, almost too cold to be outside • The men would trade working one hour and then have one hour off so that they would not get sick or frost bite • About 6 weeks after arriving in Korea they moved into a reserve area for more training and were then assigned to work at Heartbreak Ridge • Upon arrival they could tell that there had been a massive battle in the area because there were stinking body parts sticking out all over the ground • They only worked at night and were carrying many logs to build traps and set up areas for machine guns (38:50) Wounded • Sherwin was a corporal and he and his men had been ordered to build a new outpost on July 4, 1952 • There were about 6 men assigned for the job; some were to work while others stood guard �• Sherwin kept hearing noises and called out to whoever was coming • His sergeant was alarmed when no one answered and threw a grenade towards where the noise was coming from • Moments later another grenade was thrown in between Sherwin’s feet and went off • It was a poorly built Chinese grenade, so he was not mortally wounded • His men began shooting and there were mortars going off everywhere for a while • Eventually the enemy fire ceased and Sherwin was brought near the line to see a medic • The medic told him he would have to be evacuated and he was brought to a field hospital • Sherwin enjoyed being in the field hospital because he got to take a shower every day and wear clean clothes • 5 days later he was told he would have to go back to the line because they needed his cot for men that were wounded more severely (47:50) New Position • The men were given a new position across from the front line • They later had a presentation and Sherwin was awarded a silver star • They were staying in bunkers behind a large hill and it was raining constantly • Later the men had to travel about 5 miles along side a mountain and there was a strange liquid oozing out of the ground the entire way • Sherwin believed it was from all the rain mixing with the buried bodies (57:00) Kojido Island • The men were relieved of their positions on Heartbreak Ridge and sent to Kojido Island where all the prisoners were being kept • They took trucks and stopped on Pusan before boarding a ship to be sent to the island • They island was very far away from the Ridge and the weather was completely the opposite; nice and warm • Sherwin spent time watching over the prisoners while they were on work detail • After he left there was an uprising and fight between the Chinese and Korean prisoners so they had to keep them on separate islands • Sherwin later had R & R in Japan and flew there in a plane �• The city he visited was very crowded with people driving cars, trucks, and scooters; no one ever used the breaks but were always using their horns (1:08:25) Moving North • They left the island and moved North through Korea • It seemed like they were in no hurry to get to their location because they were making many random unnecessary stops • They continued North and it was getting very cold; they always had to sleep outside • The men were only allowed a certain amount of kerosene per tent for heat • One of Sherwin’s friends stole some extra kerosene and he was later demoted and court marshaled • A few days after reaching their destination Sherwin received orders in the middle of the night that he would be going back to the US (1:18:45) Back to US • Sherwin and a few other men took some trucks down towards the coast and later were in Sasebo, Japan • They loaded onto a ship and this trip took 18 days; they landed in Seattle in the middle of the night • There was a welcoming ceremony for them the next day and it was all very exciting • Sherwin took a bus through Washington and then a train to Fort Custer • He had a 30 day furlough, but still had another 3 months to serve • Sherwin was then sent to Fort Sheridan in Illinois where he was ordered to a small base to watch over Chicago for unidentified flying aircraft • He did not like the men he was working with; they were all very lazy and at any given time about 25% of them were AWOL (1:28:10) Discharged • Sherwin was “released” from the Army, but not yet discharged • He got married on August 13, 1953 and had had 3 children by December 1956 • He then received a letter from the reserves noting that he was “no longer available” for service because he had too many dependants • Sherwin was finally discharged in 1959 �• He began working for American Seating Company again and retired 38 years later � 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 NagelkirkS Title A name given to the resource Nagelkirk, Shewin J. (Interview outline and video), 2009 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Nagelkirk, Shewin J Description An account of the resource Sherwin Nagelkirk was born in Zeeland, Michigan and lived with his grandparents growing up during the Depression while his father worked on their farm. Sherwin was drafted into the Army shortly after graduating from high school in 1951. He went through basic training at Fort Riley in Kansas and then received orders to go to Korea. Once in Korea Sherwin was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division of the 35th Regiment, Fox Company. He was wounded in the Heartbreak Ridge sector, where he won a Silver Star. He later worked on guarding prisoners on Kojido island. 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 Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2009-04-16 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4c6d22d411df999502a4e7f2b6b57157.m4v 2b0e7859de7f2a8facb2ca18d01612d7 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/df67396f899f4560c4c18aead5dedd12.pdf 91dee1205571597f5c2f486aac7fde5d PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Interviewee’s Name: John Michels Name of War: World War II Length: (00:38:53) (00:10) Background Information     John was born on March 22, 1920 in Park Ridge, Illinois John grew up in Illinois and was drafted into the Army after graduating from high school He chose to go into the Army Air Force because he had always been intrigued by airplanes and wanted to by a pilot They would not let him be a pilot because he was color blind and he then decided to become an engineer (3:25) Training  John went to school in Boston where he learned basic information on aircraft for 2 months  He then took more classes in Wisconsin for another 2 months studying engineering and repairs of aircraft  They went through a bit of training at an Air Force base in Texas and then formed their squadrons to take off to San Francisco, and then the Pacific (7:55) Leaving California  They took off from San Francisco and landed first in Hawaii, then Christmas Island, and a few others  Each plane was carrying 2-400 gallon tanks in its cabin because the flight would last 16 hours  They could not fly faster than 199 mph and reached about 15,000 feet  The squadron eventually landed in Townsend, Australia and waited for their base on New Guinea to be completed (9:30) New Guinea  Their base was at Port Moresby near the airstrip, which was mostly just made up of flattened grass  John was very scared the first time he left New Guinea on a mission to drop off supplies  After they had been living on the base for a while the Japanese had taken most of the island  John was a technical sergeant, but often flew as co-pilot and had to help the pilots fly �(16:45) Missions  Whenever they saw Japanese beyond trees in the horizon they would dive into the cover of the trees  They could not fly very high and just made it over the mountains of New Guinea  They left for missions at the same time every day  Most of the mountains ranged from 18,000-22,000 [8,000-12,000?], while the planes could only reach 15,000 feet  They had to search for valleys between the mountains to fly through, which was often difficult because it was cloudy so far up and hard to see (24:25) Biak Island  John was later stationed on Biak Island, north of New Guinea, for about a year  It rained for about fifteen minutes right around 4:00 pm every day and then it would be nice and sunny  It was a fun place to be stationed and they often spent time swimming on the beach  They lived in tents above the ground on stilts to keep out the many snakes and poisonous spiders  There were many young Japanese snipers hiding in the trees (29:10) End of Service  John left Asia in November of 1944 and had been serving in the Pacific for 2 years  Instead of flying back they took a ship, which he did not enjoy and the trip lasted 30 days  There were two separate times where the engine had problems in the middle of the ocean and they had to sit there and worry about being attacked by submarines  They landed in Los Angeles and then flew to an Air Force base in Utica, New York  John had the second largest amount of points of all the men in his squadron  Those who did not have enough points would continue fighting in the Pacific  John remained stationed in New York, but broke his leg and spent 6 months recuperating  He was later sent to Miami, Florida in 1945 to be discharged � 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 MichelsJ Title A name given to the resource Michels, John H. (Interview outline and video), 2004 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Michels, John H. Description An account of the resource John Michels was born on March 22, 1920 in Park Ridge, Illinois and was drafted into the Army after graduating from high school. He was given the option of joining the Army Air Force, but not allowed to become a pilot because he was color blind. John then chose to go into engineering and took classes for aircraft in Boston and in Wisconsin before he became a technical sergeant. He was later stationed at Fort Moresby in New Guinea where they flew on missions every day delivering supplies to troops throughout the Pacific. After that John was also stationed on Biak Island and eventually gathered enough points to be sent back to the States before the war had ended. John was discharged in Miami, Florida in 1945. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Mangione, Nathaniel (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2004-05-06 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/09531863643402be3aaa73e01b593d39.mp4 7a81cdb042844a007a3efa19772903d6 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/16625d0c283e30188ba4f751445a1650.pdf b2e3a254468aaed7d3728d6162ed2cc6 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Frank Micele (1:02:38) Background information (00:05)             Born in Grand Rapids Michigan in 1923.(00:10) His full name is Francesco P. Micele. (00:15) His parents were immigrants from Italy. (00:28) His family had 3 boys and 2 girls. (00:46) His father worked for the railroad repairing air brakes. He was able to keep this job during the Depression. (00:55) He attended high school at South High school in Grand Rapids Michigan. He also completed 2 years of junior college after returning from service in 1946. (1:17) On December 7th 1941 he was on a date when he heard about Pearl Harbor. (1:37) He knew very little of what was happening in Europe. (2:06) He accepted that he would be drafted. He joined the military in 1943 after finishing high school. (2:33) He graduated from high school in 1943. (3:26) He decided to join the Marine Corps in 1943. (3:42) He was sent to Camp Pendleton, California in 1943 (4:02) Basic Training (4:15)               He was sent to basic in California via train. The men were in a Pullman car. The trip took 3 days. (4:26) He was treated very well in Basic. (6:05) The physical training as well as the work on the firing range was seen to be very difficult. (6:34) He doesn’t recall any men being disorderly while he was there. (7:05) His company was compiled of men from all around the country. (8:12) He enjoyed life in the Marines and it was easy to adapt to. (8:25) He had never held a gun before his military training. (8:52) Some of the drill sergeants were men who have been in combat and some were just out of boot camp. (9:38) He believes boot camp lasted 3-4 weeks. (9:58) He was then sent to Camp Pendleton after boot camp to do field exercises. (10:19) He was trained on his rifle and the bayonet for his rifle. (10:37) Marksmanship was also practiced at Camp Pendleton. (11:03) Some men returned home on furlough after completing training. He had to stay in order to attended clerical school. (11:29) Clerical school was short and consisted of work on a typewriter. (12:21) �   He was moved from trucks to tanks to infantry. He had 2 days of training with the tank. He didn’t like it because it was too loud. (13:22) After arriving at Camp Pendleton he was given a furlough. (14:28) He did not receive any training in landing craft. (15:10) Voyage to the Pacific (approx. early 1944)(15:44)        He was seasick while traveling across the Pacific. He and other men were given medication to help with the sickness. (15:44) His transport stopped in Hilo, Hawaii. (16:08) Here they had more training. The area was very sandy in order to prepare them for the sandy conditions they would be exposed to. (16:40) After in Hilo, he was sent to train on volcanic mountains. This was to prepare the men for battle at Iwo Jima. (17:18) After Hawaii the ship stopped at 1 more location to load he ship with supply and ammunition. (18:13) He recalls being told that the men were going to hit Iwo Jima. They were told the island would be bombed every day and every night for 3 days. The men had no idea that the battle would be so difficult. (19:48) The sand was very thin. This caused difficulty in movement. (21:10) Battle at Iwo Jima (February 1945) (21:25)                 He charged the beach using what were like amphibious tanks or amtracs. (21:48) The men were forced to exit the amtrac when it was still in the water because they did not want to drive it ashore. (22:41) When arriving on the beach the men came under light fire. (22:55) After the 3rd company came in that’s when the Japanese began using heavy fire such as artillery (23:34) The men were surprised but at the same time were expecting the worst. (24:03) During the Battle of Iwo Jima, his company was assigned to attack Mt. Suribachi. (25:00) His company took a lot of loses. (25:30) The men were able to dig into the ground and make foxholes at night. (26:29) It took about 2 days to take Mt. Suribachi. (26:45) His company secured the back of the mountain. At the time the front of the mountain was already secured. (27:10) He didn’t experience any heavy fire when taking the back of the mountain. (27:26) The company had already received reinforcements at this time in the battle. (27:52) The men did have food and water during this period. (28:00) His company had the original flag that was placed at the top of Mt. Suribachi. (28:34) After placing the flag at the top of the mountain, there was still a lot of sniper fire as well as Japanese attacks at night. When the men thought they heard something at night, they would often throw grenades into the brush. (29:37) He stayed on Iwo Jima until the Japanese surrendered there. (30:04) � After securing Mt. Suribachi the men were assigned to go and aid the capture of the air field but by the time they got there it was already captured. (30:37) Combat experience on Iwo Jima (31:24)                     He was wounded on his first day on Iwo Jima. (31:26) While taking cover, he was told by another man that he was bleeding. He was told that he could go back to the rear of the unit, however he didn’t believe his wound was that bad, it was just a small hit from shrapnel. (31:55) He decided not to go back because he thought it was more dangerous to make the trek to return to the beach than it would to travel inland. (32:54) The beach was being bombarded by Japanese planes but no kamikazes struck ships this early in the battle. (33:11) Several men got lost and joined the second company until they rejoined their own. (33:47) He was on Iwo Jima for 10-15 days. (34:44) The men took such heavy casualties that they couldn’t even keep track.(34:57) Less than 10 of the original company were still alive [and unhurt] when they left Iwo Jima. (36:09) Sergeants were left running the company because most of the officers were casualties. (36:35) He used a flamethrower for 1-2 days to attack pill boxes. (37:04) He had an M1 Garand for most of his service. (38:10) He was able to advance on the island due to artillery that was shooting from the ships off shore. (38:54) He had a friend who took on 14 Japanese soldiers all at once. He survived and killed all 14 Japanese but he lost mobility in both his arms and his legs. (39:40) During the night men stayed in there foxholes and never got out. (41:20) He was lucky and was never attacked by the Japanese at night in hand to hand combat. (42:34) They did not set up any trip wires or noise makers to warn of their position. (43:12) They didn’t take any prisoners, due in part to language differences and the fact that they couldn’t handle traveling with prisoners. (43:49) (44:36) He and his unit were occasionally attacked from the rear. (44:55) Movement of men between units was very difficult during combat. (46:15) Leaving Iwo Jima (46:34)     He received orders from his sergeant that he was to leave Iwo Jima. (46:44) When he left Iwo Jima there was still fighting occurring on the island but mostly just light rifle fire. (47:00) He was happy to leave Iwo Jima with his life. (47:20) He and the reaming 6 of the remaining men from his company left together when leaving the island. (47:56) �    He was placed on a transport ship and taken to another island where he received orders for where he was going to go next. It was in the works for him to be sent to southern Japan next. (48:55) Between the end of Iwo Jima in February of 1945 and the Japanese surrender in August of 1945, he spent his time training for the attack on Japan. (50:10,) During this period of preparation and training the men were not given “days off” (52:00) He was out in the field when he heard of Japan’s surrender in August 1945. (52:20) Service in Japan (52:30)         Soon after the surrender he was sent to Sasebo, the Japanese naval base. (52:43) When he arrived in Japan, he was greeted by 1 police officer. The rest of the citizens had run to the mountains. (53:10) The men had trouble with Korean Laborers that were taken by the Japanese. (53:35) He was in Japan for approx 2-5 months doing policing. (54:04) When the Japanese did return to their town the civilians were kind to the soldiers. They didn’t want any part of the war any more. (54:40) The people were afraid of the Americans at first because they thought they were ruthless to their prisoners. (55:29) He stayed in Sasebo for the entire duration of time he spent in Japan. (55:50) Many of the Japanese could speak English but they didn’t converse with the Americans much. (56:06) Arrival in the U.S. and post war life. (56:55)           He was sent home via a troop transport. (56:59) The trip home was very good. The men were fed well and aloud to shower regularly. (57:00) He arrived in the U.S. in early spring. (57:29) He was sent back to Chicago where he was discharged (approx 1946) (58:55) After returning, he wanted to travel around the world. (59:14) He was encouraged too reenlist and was offered more money. (59:50) After returning home he attended Grand Rapids Community College in fall of 1946 until spring of 1948. (1:00:28) He then got a job at Kelvinator (a company making refrigerator and stoves) as an office worker. (1:00:40) He stayed with this company till he retired. (1:01:15) He learned a lot about reality as a result of being in the Marine Corps. He also found the amount of team work and comradely rewarding. (1:01:30) 2 hour 16 min. � 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 MiceleF1170V Title A name given to the resource Micele, Francisco (Interview outline and video), 2011 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Micele, Francisco Description An account of the resource Frank Micele was born in Grand Rapids Michigan in 1923 and served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1943-1946 in the Pacific Theater during World War II. During his service, he fought in the entirety of the Battle of Iwo Jima and was involved in the taking of Mt. Suribachi. After the end of the war in 1945, Frank spent several moths policing Japan while stationed in the Japanese navel base at Sasebo. 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 Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Marine Corps Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2011-07-21 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0e4337a6ade039832eeecd756cc3497e.m4v 60c9aed763b961a0182a81132d3142ed https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c52035392aaf43cd357ef4e5ddc1462e.pdf d626b464a2d72ed908fc9f45e7a11f2b PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Name of Interviewee: Leslie Meyering Name of War: Korean War Length of Interview: (00:19:30) Background Information Shows a map of Korea while the war was going on (0:30) Gives a brief history of the war (2:00) General MacArthur wanted to bomb North Korea, but the UN did not want that, so General MacArthur was fired (5:30) Eisenhower was elected on the platform of ending the conflict (6:00) After the war ended, North Korea stayed agrarian while South Korea became an industrial nation (7:00) Korean War was fought by the UN, so there were many countries represented in the conflict (7:30) Pre-Enlistment Was drafted into the Army (9:15) Had friends going into the military, and thought it was the best thing for him (10:15) Training Had basic training in Fort Bliss, Texas (11:30) Part of training was living in tents (11:45) Basic training was harder than anything they ever did in service (12:15) Spent 6 weeks in basic training (12:30) Stayed at Fort Bliss for Anti-Aircraft training (13:00) Came home for 10 days, then was shipped to Korea out of Washington in 1952 (14:15) Enlistment The ship dropped them off in Pusan, Korea, then took trucks to his station (2:15) Worked in close contact with the soldiers of the Republic of Korea (3:15) Had to use howitzers, because they did not have anti-aircraft guns (15:15) Always had the artillery behind a large hill, and infantry would radio back the positions (16:30) Had 5 guns, and would shoot once with the center gun to gauge accuracy (17:00) Would keep adjusting until they got the right location, then each gun would fire 10 rounds each (17:15) Became another job after a while (17:45) Moved around every 2 weeks, but stayed in the same general area (19:00) Had bigger guns stationed behind them, but they never really did much (19:20) � 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 MeyeringL Title A name given to the resource Meyering, Leslie (Interview outline and video), 2009 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Meyering, Leslie Description An account of the resource Leslie Meyering was drafted into the US Army in 1952. After completing basic training at Fort Bliss, Texas, he completed additional training on Anti-Aircraft guns. He was shipped to Korea, and was stationed with an artillery unit. The interview was cut short at 19:45, so additional information was lost. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ryskamp, Lindsey (Interviewer) Caledonia High School (Caledonia, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2009-05-28 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/020ff314a4414f57bc1df92cee101b52.mp4 876ab503e61d08b442c8eac9f4f10818 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/46173e0abc0d8f115d9ea98f8758aa8a.pdf 84b845152572a22d6255f8e2f7e2d986 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Vietnam War Uwe Meyer (1:02:23) Background Information (00:12) • • • • • • • • • • • Born in Germany on November 8th 1949. (00:14) Uwe moved to America on July 3rd 1951. (00:15) His father worked on railroads in Germany, and wanted to farm in America. (00:35) Uwe has one older sister and one younger sister. (1:00) His father bought a farm in Montezuma, Iowa. (1:26) Uwe’s father served in the German army at the age of 16 on the eastern front. (1:51) He graduated from high school in 1968. For most of his high school life, Uwe worked on his father’s farm. (2:20) There was some awareness of the Vietnam conflict. (3:03) Uwe received his draft notice in June of 1969. His father didn’t like that he would lose his only male son working on the farm. (3:46) A physical was administered in Des Moines, Iowa, in December of 1968. (4:33) Uwe was picked up by a bus to Des Moines. He was then taken to Fort Polk, Louisiana, by plane. (5:30) Basic Training (5:58) • • • • • • Right when the men were unloaded, the drill instructors were yelling at the new trainees. (6:42) The men were processed the morning after their arrival. Uwe was given the task of showing around new men who arrived at the base for several weeks. (7:40) Uwe did not think he was working as hard in basic as he did on his farm back at home. (9:17) Uwe’s training group was fairly diverse. The African Americans soldiers often had trouble with the authority and discipline of the service. (9:55) Uwe found basic training easy. His father was strict, so discipline was not an issue. (11:18) Before AIT [advanced individual training], Uwe knew he would be sent to Vietnam. (12:00) AIT Training (12:59) • • • • • • • Attended AIT in Fort Polk, Louisiana. (13:03) The men marched, but not like in basic. (13:17) The men had a little more freedom in AIT, they were allowed to go off the base occasionally. (14:08) AIT lasted aprox. 8 weeks. Uwe also did not fight this training challenging. (14:30) There was some training given that was specifically given for jungle combat. Uwe often trained in Tigerland [the simulated Vietnam environment at Fort Polk]. (16:32) Uwe graduated AIT in November of 1969. (18:11) He was given a 30 day leave before being sent to Vietnam. (18:26) �Early Service in Vietnam (18:30) • • • • • • • • • • He flew from Seattle Washington, to Hawaii, to an island In the Pacific (Wake island), to Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam (18:31) Vietnam was warm. When Uwe got off the aircraft, Vietnamese civilians gave the soldiers the finger. (20:51) The men were in Cam Ranh Bay for 3 days before being assigned. Uwe was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division. (21:20) An Aircraft took Uwe to Da Nang. He was with approx. 20 other men who were all assigned to Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion of the 506th Regiment (22:42) Uwe was sent to Camp Evans where he joined his unit. He was received very well by his new unit. (23:44) Uwe recalled working bunker guard while serving at Camp Evans. The men then went out in the field. Uwe walked point for the first 6 weeks. (25:38) He knew not to walk on the main trail because of the threat of booby traps. (26:37) The men were given flak jackets and flak pants for protection. Uwe threw them aside and left them because they were unbearable to wear in the heat. (27:00) Uwe’s unit was in the lowlands around Camp Evans from January of 1970-March of 1970. (28:41) Uwe’s platoon rarely encountered enemy fire. They would set up ambushes, but the men they were suppose to intercept the unit never encountered. (29:33) Ripcord Campaign (30:04) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • In April of 1970, the men were helicoptered into Rip Cord. (30:04) Here is where Uwe had encountered his first heavy enemy fire. The men were ordered to e move at night due to enemy fire. (31:00) Judging by how the hill was cleared, Uwe knew that his unit was not the first to be on Ripcord. The men were not given any background information before arriving on the hill. (32:34) The unit soon ran out of foot. They found green bananas and caught crayfish to eat for several days. (33:42) Wet weather contributed to the difficulty that helicopters had resupplying soldiers. (34:55) The men were moved to Eagle Beach for a stand down. On June f1st 1970, Uwe had 10 days R&R in Sydney Australia. (35:31) When he returned on June 11th his unit was on Ripcord. (36:37) Air strikes were frequently called in. The men on point were often hurt when air strikes were called. Uwe was carrying a machine gun at this time. (37:55) In the summer of 1970, naval gunfire was also called in form 27 miles away. (40:13) He recalls 3 helicopters being down at one time on Ripcord. One helicopter crashed on the ammo dump. Uwe rescued several men from the crash. (41:20) Uwe was aware that the bombardment of Ripcord was getting worse over time. (43:52) Most machine gun fire was used as suppressive fire. (45:09) Uwe was evacuated from Ripcord via helicopter. (45:55) Being on the helicopter over Ripcord was terrifying. (47:44) Service after Ripcord (49:08) �• • • Uwe was sent on leave to Hong Kong for 10 days. When he retained he was placed on bunker guard before returning home. (49:21) There were some racial problems in the rear. (50:27) Though he was not an officer, Uwe was able to get into the officer’s club after stealing a Lieutenant's shirt. (51:30) Discharge and Life After Service (54:30) • • • • • • • The flight back to the US stopped in Japan then to Seattle, Washington. (53:12) Uwe was told that he would encounter protesters and that he should take his uniform off. Uwe did not recall seeing any protesters. (53:32) After return home, Uwe was given 30 days leave and then was sent to Fort Hood, Texas, where he would spend the remaining 3 months of his service. He worked in military intelligence. (54:12) The men were trained on how to use ground radar. (54:58) The moral of the troops on the base was fairly good. (55:24) Uwe was given an early out after 3 months because the spring was coming and his help was needed on the farm. (56:19) He spent a month in Germany visiting with his parents. During this time they convinced Uwe to be a farmer. (56:50) Thoughts on Service (57:33) • • He believes that the war was political. He was happy that he didn’t avoid the draft and that he survived his infield service. (57:37) Though he was ever taught any Vietnamese, after a while he could make out some parts of the language. Uwe did not trust any of the Vietnamese civilians. (58:50) � 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 MeyerU1448V Title A name given to the resource Meyer, Uwe (Interview outline and video), 2012 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Meyer, Uwe Description An account of the resource Uwe Meyer, Born in Germany in 1949, moved to Iowa as a child and was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1969. After training at Fort Polk, Louisiana, he was sent to Vietnam. Upon arrival, he was assigned to B Company, 2nd Battalion, 506h Infantry Regiment in the 101st Airborne Division. He spent his first few months in Vietnam in early 1970 patrolling the area around Camp Evans, and was then moved into the hills to the west and participated in the fighting on and around Firebase Ripcord. He participated in his company's failed attempt to establish the Ripcord base on April 1, 1970, and from mid-June served as a machine gunner on the base until it was evacuated in July. Upon returning to the US, he spent the rest of his enlistment at Fort Hood, Texas, working with ground radar units. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource McGregor, Michael (Interviewer) Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Army Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2012-10-06 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7f1a9842c3d138027c3ec6ceaf5edb62.mp4 431135cede7807e0e09c94ee1afc5b5e https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f41d8c6365fe0e6b05c24546bfbb1372.pdf 78bb6ad88800f404f1d03d3973770412 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Tom Meyer Vietnam War 1 hour 18 minutes 36 seconds (00:00:44) Early Life -Born in 1945 in Oak Park, Illinois -Grew up in Cicero, Illinois -Father was in the garbage business -Helped his father clean the offices -Father was a WWII veteran -Flew with the Marines in the South Pacific -This influenced him (Tom) to join the Marines -Graduated from high school and went to college (00:02:13) Enlisting in the Marines -Enlisted in the Marines in 1964 -Didn’t think he would ever have to see combat -Flew out of O’Hare International Airport in Chicago -Landed in San Diego, California at 2 A.M. (00:03:50) Basic Training -After being bused to the base they were ordered to stand at attention -Eventually got led to barbers to have their heads shaved -Initial adjustment was somewhat of a shock -Issued physical training outfits -The next day they were brought to Quonset huts that served as living quarters -Training was a matter of being disciplined -Everything had to be done by the book -Taught about the history of the Marines -Had lots of physical training -Drilled that having a good attitude was key to completing basic training -Adjusting to military living wasn’t too difficult for him -In good physical shape when he enlisted -Accepted the fact that you had to follow orders -Taught hand to hand combat -Won a hand to hand combat championship (00:13:13) Firearms Training -After three weeks they were brought to Camp Pendleton -They had to qualify with a rifle -Taught how to shoot at targets using only the iron sights (no scope) -Trained with the M1 Garand rifle from WWII (00:15:05) End of Basic Training -After Camp Pendleton they returned to San Diego to complete basic training -At the end of training there was a graduation ceremony -Recruits from the area could have their family attend �-At the end of basic they were given base liberty -Allowed to go to the PX (general store) and have some free reign (00:15:45) Advanced Infantry Training (AIT) -After a few days they were taken to Camp Pendleton again for AIT -Training consisted of crawling through obstacle courses -Had to go hiking in the mountains -Tarantulas were extremely prevalent in the mountains -Learned how to live in the field -Taught how to properly use explosives and high powered weapons -Trained with mines, bazookas, and the M60 machine gun -AIT lasted eight weeks (00:17:52) Bronchial Pneumonia during Basic Training (pre-AIT) -While at Camp Pendleton for firearms training contracted bronchial pneumonia -Lived in tents on the firing range and most likely caught it there -Had a momentary bout of blindness in the mess hall at Camp Pendleton -Corpsman said that he was healthy enough to continue training -Returned to San Diego and started having chest pains during physical training -Corpsman there told him he had bronchial pneumonia -Got sent to Balboa Hospital (Bob Wilson Naval Hospital) in San Diego -Spent three weeks in the hospital -Afterwards completed basic training and went on to advanced infantry training (00:21:30) Radio Repair & Operator School -Completed advanced infantry training in early 1965 -Upon completing AIT they were issued deployment orders -His orders were to go to San Diego for further schooling -Sent to radio repair and operator school -Given weekly tests -Courses focused on mathematics, learning basics about radio, and troubleshooting -They were given weekends off -Went snorkeling in La Jolla (near San Diego) -Went to Mexico once -School lasted a year (00:26:56) Camp Lejeune, North Carolina -After completing radio school he was sent to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina -Remote area -Boring deployment -After six months there he received orders to return to Camp Pendleton -Had to train to prepare to go to Vietnam (00:27:50) Training for Vietnam -Given thirty days of leave and then had to return to Camp Pendleton -Part of training was a field exercise involving crossing the mountains -Had to reach a rendezvous point in three days -Had to work in three man groups -Marine Reservists were used to mimic enemy soldiers hunting them -On the first day his group members were captured -Connected with other soldiers �-They found, caught, killed and ate a rattlesnake -Second day they stumbled onto a Reservist camp -Raided it for rations and water -Eventually reached the rendezvous point -Taken to a simulated prisoner of war camp -Trained how to deal with being interrogated -They broke out of the camp and hid in the hills -Eventually had to return to POW camp to continue exercise (00:37:37) Deployment to Vietnam -After returning to Camp Pendleton they went to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California -February 1966 -Boarded C-130 transports there -Island hopped their way across the Pacific -Given dinner on Guam -Landed in Okinawa -Stayed there for three days -After Okinawa flew to Da Nang, Vietnam (00:40:25) Arriving in Vietnam -Upon arriving in Da Nang they were assigned barracks to sleep in -Had a good first impression of Vietnam -Thought that Da Nang was oddly big and well organized -Felt that his arrival was fairly civilized -Got assigned to the 4th Marines Regiment Headquarters at Phu Bai -Had to get there on his own -Recruited an Air Force helicopter pilot to take him there (00:43:02) Overview of Phu Bai -Arrived in Phu Bai and got introduced to the other technicians -Got sick for three days -Pulled basic duties on base -Perimeter guard, radio repair, radio operator in the field, filling sandbags -Occasionally went out on patrols -Sometimes took mortar fire from the Vietnamese -Airfield was a prime target for the Vietnamese -Primary duty was to set up communications -Usually worked out of a command post -Sometimes got recruited to be a radio operator (00:47:11) Living in the Field -Remembers accidentally opening fire on a water buffalo during Operation Prairie -Thought it was an enemy patrol trying to breach perimeter -Marines had to pay for the dead water buffalo -Sometimes went out with company commanders to call in coordinates -Had to take a weapon everywhere he went -Opted for the .45 pistol because it was lightweight -Didn’t spend much time in the field -As a result didn’t have to see a lot of combat �(00:52:02) Daily Life in Vietnam -Daily duty consisted of sending coded messages out to units -Didn’t think about the danger of the war -Aware of how dangerous the war was -Could hear firefights on the radio -One night remembers an incident on perimeter duty -Heard shooting down the line -In the morning found that his foxhole partner had set up claymore mine wrong -Blast would have gone towards them, not the enemy (00:57:26) Relationship with Vietnamese Civilians -Not allowed to leave the base and fraternize with the Vietnamese -Young Vietnamese girls would do laundry for the troops though -Command eventually prohibited that too -Civilians weren’t used for manual labor at Phu Bai -Vietnamese barbers were employed at Dong Ha -Didn’t go out on civic action patrols (patrolling villages) -Did travel through villages with convoys -Threw gum and rations to Vietnamese children (01:00:07) Drug Use & Morale -Some soldiers did smoke pot -Rare occurrence though -Had morphine in their med kits -Saved for when they were wounded -Morale was good -Stayed close with the friends that he made -Played cards off duty and had one record to play -He was in charge of setting up speakers for the USO shows -Martha Raye was the most memorable performance -Amateur groups would come in and sing for them as well (01:03:37) End of Deployment -Wound up spending a total of eleven months and twenty six days in Vietnam -Returned home in February 1967 -Had only had twelve months left in enlistment upon being deployed -Superiors pressured him to reenlist -Offered promotion, $5000 bonus, and a thirty day vacation to anywhere -He turned it down (01:04:55) Morale and Downtime -Enjoyed the camaraderie that he had with his friends -He left a little earlier than they did -Spent the majority of their tour together though -Remembers a bar in Dong Ha with saloon style doors -Everyone in the bar carried a gun of some kind -General atmosphere felt like something out of the Wild West -Assumed that the U.S. was winning the war by time he was ready to leave �(01:08:25) Leaving Vietnam & Coming Home -Got on a convoy to go to a catch a helicopter to Da Nang -Had to return to base camp to talk to top sergeant -Got on another convoy and eventually got on a helicopter to Da Nang -Flew out of Da Nang on a chartered TWA airliner -Good morale on the flight home -Stopped in Honolulu, Hawaii -Flew back into Marine Air Station El Toro, California -Remembers that it smelled like roses -Got processed out of the Marines at El Toro -Visited cousin who lived in Long Beach -Got denied admission to a local night club because of being ex-military -Flew back to Chicago -Got free drinks at O’Hare airport bar while he waited for parents to pick him up (01:13:16) Life after the Marines -Didn’t feel discriminated against upon returning home -Got invited to be an honored guest at the Cicero Chamber of Commerce -Went back to college on military benefits -Attended Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan -Didn’t get hassled at college for being ex-military -People were actively interested in his experiences -Was able to enroll in college quickly and easily -Got a degree in social studies -Taught through Kellogsville Public Schools in Michigan -Never experienced trouble readjusting to civilian life -Only major issue was that he missed his friends -Didn’t suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (01:17:21) Reflections on Service -Marines allowed him the opportunity to go back to college -The Marines taught him how to be disciplined -Being in the military earned him respect from people (both civilian and military) -Looks back on his service fondly -Strengthened bond with father -Able to swap stories about their time in the Marines -Being in the Marines opened up a lot of opportunities for him later in life � 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 MeyerT1553V Title A name given to the resource Meyer, Thomas (Interview outline and video), 2013 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Meyer, Thomas Description An account of the resource Tom Meyer was born in Oak Park, Illinois in 1945 and grew up in Cicero, Illinois. After high school he attended college briefly before enlisting in the Marines in 1964. He went through basic training in San Diego, California and advanced infantry training in Camp Pendleton, California. He would go on to specialize in radio repair and operations. After a brief stint at Camp Lejeune he received orders to go to Vietnam whereupon he returned to Camp Pendleton for pre-deployment training. He was sent to Vietnam in February 1966 and was assigned to the 4th Marines Regiment Headquarters stationed at Phu Bai where he spent his deployment both in, and out of, the field. 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 Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Marine Corps Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2013-10-17 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c4e0c23d70da9cf39c5d5ed55844d912.mp4 1c0d57dbfb0c44b98baccf05e56c0113 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/425d8c8b794e32147573183e5f57e512.pdf d34a28e31ac5b5b2cc60c74c6d8d430c PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Richard Meyer Length: 56:59 (00:15) Background Information • Richard Meyer was born in Paterson, New Jersey in 1922 • Both his parents had been previously married and had lost their spouses • He was their only child they had after getting married, but combined had 14 children • After graduating from high school in 1940 Richard spent 6 months in metal training school and then worked in the metal trade for about a year • Richard received his draft notice in November of 1942 and on December 29, 1942 he was sent on a train to Fort Dix in New Jersey and then later shipped to Camp Carson, Colorado (5:00) Training • Richard trained with the 49th Engineers near Colorado Springs at a relatively new camp • They were up in a very high altitude and it was very cold; some of the men got frostbite while they were out on hikes • They went through maneuvers in the mountains, had weapons training for 6 weeks, spent 6 weeks working on rigging, 6 weeks on demolition, and another 6 weeks on bridge building • Richard got sick at the end of the Fall and had to go to the hospital • The 49th Engineers was shipped out while he was in the hospital and he was later transferred to the 60th Engineers (9:10) Further Training • After recovering Richard had been sent to Tennessee in 1944 to work on more maneuvers • He received an emergency furlough because his father had died • He was then sent to Camp Sutton in North Carolina where he went through radio training • The weather was much nicer than Colorado and he really enjoyed it �• Richard was in North Carolina from January 1944-May 1944 and then sent to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. (10:40) England • Richard traveled with many other ships in convoy surrounded by destroyers; it took them 15 days to cross the Atlantic • Richard was part of a Combat Engineer Battalion that landed in England in early May before D Day • They took a train to Plymouth and then stayed in Land’s End for 6 weeks in an old British barracks • There were many rumors going around about what was going on for D Day and no one was quite sure as to how it would turn out • They did however all know that something was going on because the MP began tightening security and being more strict (14:15) France • The men were loaded on LSTs and it took them 8 hours to cross the channel • There was an electrical storm on the way over and one of their ships was hit • Omaha beach was loaded with broken down vehicles and there was much activity • Many tried to unload supplies while shells were going off all over and others were digging fox holes • There was much damage to the French countryside from shells of ships • They were camping in the hedgerow area near many farms • His battalion was assigned to the 35th Infantry Division (19:40) Radio Operations • Richard had been working communications operating a switchboard 24/7 • They occasionally came under artillery fire, but were never hit with mortars • They spent time laying and deactivating mines, creating maps of their locations �• At one point a whole truck carrying mines blew up and about 40 men were killed • Operating the switchboard allowed Richard to get an idea of the war’s progress and of what was going on around him (26:50) Metz, France • Richard kept busy laying telephone lines and working with radio communications • They traveled through France from July through September, moving very quickly • Most felt at that point that the war was going well, but things began to get more hectic in October • They had been staying in deserted civilian houses and shops, which was much better then camping in the countryside • Richard set up a switchboard in Southern Holland where he met a man in the Dutch Underground; they remained friends for many years after the war • They did not get to see much of the French population because they were usually traveling through wooded areas and the countryside (35:11) Battle of the Bulge • They had been traveling through Luxemburg during a very cold winter • They usually traveled during the day, driving 2.5 ton trucks and sleeping in abandoned buildings at night • Richard was in Luxemburg for about 2 months • They traveled to Holland and then later crossed the Rhine River into Germany • The entire unit had been mobilized, looking through the territory for Germans • They were not able to find any and made it almost to Russia [to the Russian lines] searching through the woods • Many German cities had been completely leveled and there was much destruction • They were not supposed to talk to any German civilians, even after the war had ended (45:05) Leaving Europe �• Richard left Germany in July of 1945 • They spent time cigarette camps near La Havre for about 4 days • They took a ship from Cherbourg to a British base in England where they stayed for an additional 3 days • They finally boarded the Queen Mary and landed in New York in only 3 days • The men were all given a special steak dinner and issued leave for 31 days • Richard had been gone for 3 years, but everyone in town seemed to still be overseas when he got home • He was very bored and thought about reenlisting, but his mother talked him out of it (49:40) After Service • Richard was given back his old job at the electric company; he worked there for 2 months and then quit • He worked at a few other jobs and within 15 years he had started his own machine company • Richard had 4 children and they all moved to Michigan to go to Calvin College • Richard and his wife decided to follow their children to Michigan and they have been living in Holland ever since � 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 MeyerR Title A name given to the resource Meyer, Richard (Interview outline and video), 2009 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Meyer, Richard Description An account of the resource Richard Meyer was born in Patterson, New Jersey in 1922 and graduated from high school in 1940. After high school Richard worked in the metal trade until he was drafted in 1942. He started training in December 1942 in Colorado Springs with the 49th Engineers. Richard also trained in North Carolina and Tennessee before being sent to Europe. While in Europe Richard worked with the 35th Infantry Division, working on communications and operating switchboards. He traveled through Britain, Holland, Luxemburg, Germany, and France. Richard left Germany in 1945 and later started his own machine company. 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 Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Army World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2009-04-07 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/76ecebe0d8596c97f6c85321d06aace6.mp4 7b6d840af4df5bbf1140b86707725e72 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/69acf5f108caf0d992b1dea12dab42cf.pdf f52c3ed23442032b72d3de3d03346052 PDF Text Text ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW ANNIE MEYER Born: Hancock, Minnesota Resides: Holland, Michigan Interviewed by: James Smither PhD, GVSU Veterans History Project Transcribed by: Claire Herhold, January 20, 2013 Interview length: 22:20 Interviewer: Mrs. Meyer, can you start by telling us a little bit about your personal background? To start with, where and when were you born? I was born in Minnesota, Hancock. It was a very small town. And I was born into a large family. I was third oldest. We had nine children. And my mom and dad were… Dad was a farmer. We lived on a big farm and we had cows and horses. All the field work was done with horses at first and then we got into tractors. Interviewer: You’re growing up in the era of the Depression. Is your family able to hang on to the farm in that period? Yes, we were. And, in fact, I remember during the war, then things were more expensive and prices were up for what dad sold so he was able to pay for the farm, and that was a good feeling. 1:05 Otherwise he had to farm and give a share of it to the owner of the crops and things. That’s the way they worked it. Interviewer: So he was getting by, because he didn’t actually own the land, he didn’t have a mortgage to pay in the ‘30s, he was just sharecropping at that point? I guess you’d call it that, yeah. Voice Offscreen: No, he owned it, Ann. After a while, yeah. Well, he had to pay for it by the sharecropping. I don’t know how many… �Interviewer: Well, they may have arranged the purchase agreement where he had to pay for it through sharecropping or whatever but it enabled you to kind of stay in the same place and not have to move around a lot or switch jobs. I only ever remember living in that one farm. Interviewer: What kind of schooling did you get? I had eight years in a one room schoolhouse. We had all the grades and one teacher. First off, we had quite a few kids like, fourteen, and then by the time I was in the fourth grade we were way down. 2:07 At one time there were four from my family that were in school and only three other kids. It was rather strange. Interviewer: Was that just shifts in population or were kids going off and working? No, it was the older ones were graduated and there wasn’t that much of younger ones to come in. We lived two and half miles from school and we had to walk or else we took a horse and buggy, and we managed to do that for a number of years. I had, like I said, the eight years, and I had always wanted to be a nurse, and of course you needed more education, at least a high school. And I had to stay home and help on the farm so I didn’t get the high school. Interviewer: So that’s basically what you’re doing through a lot of your teenage years is you’re just kind of out there on the farm. Did you have a radio or anything like that or were you too far away? 3:05 I remember when we got radio. I remember when we got electricity. And it was really something. We had a twenty five watt bulb in the middle of the ceiling. Boy, we had light. Interviewer: Was this part of the rural electrification process? �Yes, yes. First Dad had a little plant of his own, and when rural electrification came through, then he was able to switch to that. Then he had it in all the buildings. First he had it in only a couple of them. Interviewer: Did you have any sense, I don’t know if you were old enough to think about it then, did you have any sense of what your father or your parents thought about a lot of the government’s policies regarding agriculture and that sort of stuff in that period? I didn’t hear an awful lot about it. The prices of things, that I would hear about, and then Dad would always kind of watched that when he sold the pigs or sold some cow, something like that. 4:04 He tried to pick when it was the highest. And of course the grain was always something. He harvested that. You had to get rid of it whether you wanted to or not, but you couldn’t keep. Interviewer: In some areas of the country there were agricultural agents and things like that out there who were dictating policies of different kinds. There was an agricultural town, Morris, right close by us. There was a man there that used to come out and talk with Dad. Interviewer: But he wasn’t somebody who was interfering with them or anything, he was just offering advice or suggestions? Yeah, more or less. Yes. The Farm Bureau was another organization that farmers could join and learn about things too. We didn’t have a daily newspaper all the time. There were times when Dad would subscribe to it. If he did the mailman would come around every day and give us the paper. It was always a day late. 5:05 Interviewer: Right. Where would you get the paper from? Minneapolis. Interviewer: Minneapolis. How far were you from Minneapolis? �150 miles. Interviewer: Ok, so that’s a good ways. Did you get to go into the city occasionally when you were a kid? I did a couple of times but it wasn’t a really big ambition of ours. Morris was big enough. I was at the cities to the state fair one time. I had won a prize. I won first place in a declamatory contest that was held in the public schools in the county and they would have one field day, they’d have all the speakers give their speeches, and they’d have to find out who’d win first. And the first one would go to the cities where the state fair there. And I did that one year. Interviewer: Do you remember what you talked about? I think that one was a humorous one. 6:03 I preferred having more serious ones, but it was the humorous one that got me to the cities. Interviewer: As you were kind of, getting a little older and so forth, in the period right before Pearl Harbor, were you paying much attention to the news in the world and things like that? Yeah, I think so. Especially because I had two brothers that were eligible for the draft and of course, they had to sign up for it. Interviewer: That’s right, because the draft was going on before the war started. And so when their time came, rather than go in where they didn’t want to, they wanted to be in the Navy so they enlisted. They stayed together through the whole war and they had very traumatic experiences but they both came home. Interviewer: Were they serving on a ship together? Yes, yes they were. 7:01 And it was a liberty ship, I believe. And it would ferry certain groups of soldiers with all their equipment from one place to the other. They were in the South Pacific. �Interviewer: Would they have been anti-aircraft gunners on those ships or things like that? There were, yes, and they each had, I guess, to take their places when it was time. Interviewer: It wasn’t quite, maybe, as dangerous as being on some of those combat ships at the very start of the war, or whatever. Probably not. But they were hit twice. Interviewer: Were they already in the service at the point when the Sullivan brothers went down? Because you had five brothers on the same ship. Did that…? Yes, that was really something. We had a small church in our town and I think we had probably, I had to think, seven boys out of that church and about thirty five families. That’s a lot. 8:08 Interviewer: Seven boys that got killed, you mean? No, they just went in the service. One was killed. Interviewer: How would you say the war itself wound up affecting life in the town there during the time you were there? Well, I could tell you about the farm. The town it didn’t affect it much, except the gas shortages and certain groceries. We had the stamps, stamps for flour, for coffee, for sugar, for meat, and you had to…you were issued those. I guess they came through mail, I don’t even know. And you, when they were gone, that was it, until your next issue was ready. Interviewer: Since you were on a farm, does that sort of change the way things affect you? 9:03 We always had meat, of course, and dairy products. Butter was another thing that was rationed, but we had our own. It didn’t affect us as much as a lot of people, but we always had to get sugar. Flour, my dad used to take wheat in to a flour mill and have it ground and then he’d come back with flour, so that was no problem. �Interviewer: Was there a problem with things like … now did you have farm equipment that required gasoline at that point? Tractors, yeah. We had two tractors, three tractors. Interviewer: And was there an adequate ration to run the tractors? We had enough, yeah. We were able to do it. We always had a five hundred gallon tank on the farm that some truck would come out and fill every so often and that’s what we used. My sister just younger than I, three years younger…when the boys were in service, we did all the tractor work. 10:02 My dad had quite a few acres the first year, and then he had rented some, so then he let some of it go. But I think it must have been hard on him because we had to learn everything, you know? Interviewer: How old was your sister when she started driving a tractor? Well, I was…let’s see, I was about, I think I was eighteen when the boys went into service and that’s when we started. I had driven tractor for harvesting before that, but Audrey didn’t. She started in right from the beginning there. Interviewer: But she was still fifteen, which is not quite the same as being nine or something like that. No. Oh no, Dad wouldn’t have allowed that. But, yeah, we had to do all the tractor work. Interviewer: Did the tractors have rubber tires or metal tires? Ours did. First off, the one did. My sister and I both had tractors with rubber tires. Interviewer: Were there problems getting those replaced or did you just keep using the same ones? 11:03 We were able to keep the same ones. They kept going. Interviewer: Tires were another thing that was a serious shortage. �I don’t ever remember Dad ever replacing a tire on a tractor. Isn’t that something? He’s had them for years. Interviewer: Did they get flats that he would fix or did they just keep running? It’s possible that one went flat once, but they would fix it, yeah. You didn’t go out and buy one right away. Interviewer: At a certain point in the process, you eventually do pick up and leave home. How did that come about? I don’t know why I…how come the folks let me go at that particular time, because the war was still on and the boys were still gone. It would be my sister and Dad then. But I had wanted to be a nurse as long as I could remember. 12:00 In September of that year, then, I went to the east coast, to New Jersey, Wyckoff, New Jersey. That particular institution had a shorter chance to finish my course, two years instead of three. I had a place to live like at a nurses’ residence. And I figured when I was finished I’d come home and get work at home. But that first year, I asked permission from the institution if I could go home and help Dad through the summer and they gave me that. I didn’t have classes during that time, but I missed the clinical, so to speak. And my sister and I helped Dad yet that summer. In the fall I went back to New Jersey and did my second year. They, at that point, they didn’t allow nurses to be married and work there. 13:02 Well, we got engaged and we were going to get married and I said, well, I’ll work those three months that I missed in order to get the full time in after I was married. They wouldn’t allow it, so I really never got a signed certificate from them. I did finish the work. Interviewer: What kind of training did they actually give you? What did school consist of? Well, it was a psychiatric institution so a lot of it was on psychology and psychiatry and things like that. But we got a lot of anatomy. We didn’t have laboratory work like you would get in a �large nursing school because it was private, it was limited. So we got a touch of, a little bit of everything. Interviewer: Were there patients where you were or was this just a school? Oh yes. We worked full-time while we were in training. 14:00 Interviewer: Was that what paid for the training or did you have tuition fees? I guess you kind of worked it out. We did get a small amount of pay, and of course, living there with residence with room and board, that was given. But like I say, we worked full time and we worked hard too. It was hard work, so I think they got their money’s worth. Interviewer: Were the patients there people out of the civilian population or were there any soldiers who were back who were there? No, it was all civilian. It was totally psychiatric. We didn’t have other patients. Interviewer: Was that difficult to deal with? If you have a mental hospital, essentially, was it hard work to do, just mentally? It’s hard because your patients, in the first place, can’t communicate with you very well and some of them are also physically very handicapped, so you do a lot for them. 15:05 They don’t do much for themselves. And you always had a bunch of keys on you. You locked the doors behind you, you had to unlock before you get in. It was so different than today. They had medications but nothing like it is today. The psychiatric…I don’t think they have real psychiatric hospitals, as such, now. There’s a portion of a regular hospital that is mental, but that’s the extent of it. Interviewer: Well, a lot more things are done on an out-patient basis and that kind of thing as well, so there’s different places. Was this different from what you thought you had signed up for? Or did you know going in what you were going to get? �I didn’t really know what it was like, because I hadn’t had any contact really with mental patients so it was entirely new to me. But I adjusted quite well and I felt pretty much at home with the girls that I worked with and I found a church I was at home in. 16:07 That part was ok. When I was still home yet, there… most of the guys were gone, so it was all girls really. Living on the farm, we really didn’t have a lot of recreational things. Our people that we went and did things with were our own brothers and sisters so we had plenty of those. Interviewer: Did you have extended family in Minnesota? Were there uncles and cousins and things like that? Oh yeah. Mom had two, three sisters and a brother in Iowa, but the sisters were around home. Now Dad’s family was in California, so he didn’t have any. But Mom’s whole family was by us. 17:00 Interviewer: Since part of what happens here is the family is going to get a copy of this interview, they’re going to want this in there, why don’t you give us your version of how it was that you met your husband? Well, like you say, he got discharged on a Sunday evening and came home and went to church with his mother and sister and brother. And I went to church too, but I came from the nurses’ station. We had a transportation car that would bring us to our churches and pick us up at a designated spot. Transportation at that point was by bus if there was one, because gas was rationed and you didn’t ask people to do things for you very easily. After church then we went to his mother’s house and we had refreshments and he took us home. 18:00 And he said in the car that he sang in the choir, because I was in choir. I said, “Well hey, we need basses.” And he sang bass, so I said, “why don’t you come to choir?” So he said, “Well, maybe I will.” So then he decided he would join choir, and then he picked me up and brought me home. So that was the �way we started. And on my birthday he…well, that Christmas we spent with his… no I spent that one at the san because I was working. I was on nights at that point. So Thanksgiving I spent with his family and got to know some of them that way. Interviewer: Had he met any of your family before you got married? Did I have any of…? Interviewer: Did any of your family meet him? No, he didn’t meet my family until he came out when we got married, and that was in July. 19:05 I had gone ahead. I was finished with school, and I had gone ahead and got everything ready. When he came we got married and then moved back to New Jersey. Interviewer: What was your family’s response to the news you were getting married to some guy they hadn’t met? I think my mother said to me, she said, “I kind of could read between the lines.” I wrote home almost every day, and you don’t realize that, I guess, when you’re writing at that, it’s telling something different. When I was in training I had a lot of friends, soldiers that were in the service. I used to write a lot. They used to laugh at me. I used to have the most mail. They’d bring the mail in and put it out on a table, and sometimes I’d have as many as seven letters. But I wrote a lot too, so it worked both ways. 20:01 Interviewer: After you got married, did you hold jobs in different places or did you just start a family? I stayed home. My husband said I didn’t have to work, so that was a very easy, nice part of my life. You know, before I had children, it wasn’t busy at all. I could do what I wanted to. I think I slept my life away. �Interviewer: I suppose after growing up on a farm and having to be doing farm work from the time you were a young teenager and so forth, onward, that yeah, a little bit of a break might not be such a bad thing. I enjoyed it. It really was nice. And then we had the children, of course. We had four, three girls and a boy. That kept us busy. We lived very frugally, one paycheck to the next, but we never had any lack of anything really necessary, so we were very thankful for that. 21:00 Interviewer: Again, to go back to the period of the war there a little bit, did they do much out in a small farm town by way…in the cities and things they had scrap drives and paper drives and things like that. All kind of to support the war effort activity, or war bond sales. Did that stuff happen in a place like Hancock, Minnesota? Yeah, it did. They were asking for lard, fat, you know, and the farmers would have access to that to bring into town. I don’t know how it got…where it went after that, after we brought it into town, but yeah, we did that. Paper drives, I don’t remember about. Interviewer: That might have been less because you wouldn’t have the concentration of people all together who were all getting newspapers or things like that. No, in fact we didn’t have one for a while. But, I think it was a, certainly a time of growing up, for me anyway, for a lot of us. 22:07 Interviewer: Well thank you for taking the time to tell your story to me. You’re welcome. � 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 MeyerA Title A name given to the resource Meyer, Annie (Interview transcript and video), 2009 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Meyer, Annie Description An account of the resource Annie Meyer grew up on a farm in Minnesota during the Depression. In her interview, she describes farm life during the Depression and during the first part of World War II. She also describes attending nursing school during the war and working at a psychiatric hospital during the war, and discusses various aspects of home front life. 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 Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives Women Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2009-04-07 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/35f193d0f3580d6dd3d14c5b51c0c402.mp4 20db9ce92ec0a6587a225e245cb4c77c https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/37af088db3b6a2576fa76d9de3499d85.pdf 93f56b65a38f33d823c68a370b035007 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Theobald Metzger (00:49:00) (00:25) Background Information • Theobald was born in the Netherlands near Amsterdam • His father was German and his mother was Dutch • His grandfather worked maintaining the Queen’s horses • Theobald made it through the sixth grade, but it was very different from America because they were being taught different languages and algebra in sixth grade • He went to work when he was 14 years old and also went to merchant marine school • He was a civilian when World War Two occurred, between the ages of 4 and 9 (3:15) World War Two • He and his friends played lots of soccer and saw lots of fighter planes flying over • His family was very much against the war and his father was hiding in the underground • The Germans would go house to house to find men that were 16 years or older • They wanted to put them to work in factories and concentration camps • His father and others dug holes and tunnels below the houses to hide (8:00) Rationing • There was very little food • Each family only got about a half of loaf of bread a week and some potatoes • They had to scrounge up sugar beets and make pancakes out of them • All the garbage was burned in fireplaces to keep warm (10:40) The Radio News • He had heard about railroads being bombed • The Germans would shoot men that were hiding • Each town had a different dialect and it was hard to understand people (18:40) His Father • He bombed many bridges to prevent the Germans from advancing • He had previously worked in a steel factory (10:10) The End of the War • There was much celebration and it did not take long to rebuild the community • There was a boom in the housing industry • Theobald had only ridden in a car once by the time he was twenty years old � 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 MetzgerT Title A name given to the resource Metzger, Theobald (Interview and video outline), 2006 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Metzger, Theobald Description An account of the resource Theobald Metzger was born in the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands in 1936. He describes his memories from his childhood in the Netherlands during WW II. His father spent most of the war in hiding and worked with the underground. He discusses food shortages, the conduct of German soldiers, and popular attitudes toward the Germans. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Metzeger, Megan (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Civilian World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Video recordings Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2006-04-04 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/db2a06def159760a166ae3837a89ba69.mp4 e77d499c47fc5a8309b08d73a9a55a9a https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/be9fb34a7d459f019f47d3f6b6a8ce1d.pdf fcda07dbfff1a06bb89a3ff9bb88c01c PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Paul Metevier (1:02:32) Background information (00:20)  Born July 24th 1947 (00:21)  Served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam Conflict. (00:28)  He was in country from February 2nd 1968 through August 16th 1969. (2:23)  Born July 24th 1947 in Mount Clemens, Michigan (2:35)  He has one brother named Thomas Metevier. (2:47)  His family lived in Marine City, Michigan, for a year after his birth and then they relocated to San Diego California where he was raised. (2:56)  His father was a chef and served as a cook in the Marine Corps during World War II in the Philippines (3:18)  At one point his father had owned his own restaurant. (3:42)  His father’s restaurant, Lubach’s, in its prime was widely successful and served as a power lunch place for lawyers and judges. (4:42)  He attended Our Lady of Sacred Heart through 8th grade and graduated high school from the University of San Diego High School. (6:05)  He graduated high school in 1965 (6:35)  He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from San Diego University (1970) (6:38)  Because the war broke his education into 2 separate terms he finished his education in 1970. (6:50)  His degree was in Business management. (7:03)  Both he and his brother currently live in Lansing, Michigan. (7:19)  His brother currently runs a dog and cat grooming business and is nationally awarded for his work. (7:29)  The purchase of Wag a Tail Pet Resort in August 2004 is why they currently live in Lansing, Michigan. (7:46)  Wag a Tail Pet Resort has been voted the number one kennel in the country for multiple years. (8:05)  He had 2 careers. One was in the food and drink business and the other was in driving trucks across the country. (8:10)  He got sick in Lansing (a heart attack and stroke) and he needed the aid of the V.A. this is why he is currently in Grand Rapids, Michigan for rehab. (10:49)  He handled the paperwork and business aspects of his brother’s kennel. (11:20)  His mother has very severed Alzheimer’s and dementia and is currently in Eaton Rapids, Michigan. (11:27)  He traveled to the Ann Arbor Michigan V.A. but they suggested he go to one that has daily hands on care such as the V.A. in Grand Rapids. (12:08) Enlistment (12:20) �     He had been living in San Diego and had just gotten out of high school (1965 when he enlisted. (12:32) He as well as friends of his knew they were going to be drafted. (12:45) Enlisting in the Air Force and serving for 4 years was seen as an alternative to being drafted and serving perhaps a more dangerous term in the army. (12:58) After taking a qualifying test he had received his results and was accepted into the Air Force, however his friend Paul Brown got drafted before he received his test results back. He served his entire term in Germany. (13:18) He spent 2 years of his enlistment in Vietnam. (13:56) Basic training (14:00)  He enlisted January 2nd 1966 (14:19)  He attended basic training in Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. (14:27)  He attended tech school in Amarillo, Texas (14:30)  He did his only stateside assignment in Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Florida for 1 year until he received his papers for Vietnam. (14:40)  Basic training had been 24 days long (15:16)  tech school had been 4 months long (15:29)  He received an expert rating in his firearms training. (15:40)  His very first meal at Lackland was at 1:19 in the morning. After returning to the barracks at 2:30 in the morning they were awoken 2 hours later by a fire drill. Then basic had started. (16:29)  During basic there was a lot of following orders and suppression of individualism; they were taught to function as a group. (17:00)  There was also daily physical training and weapons training on the M4 and the M16. (17:26)  At Tyndall Air Force Base he was assigned to the flight line. This is where he began training on 20mm cannons. (18:14)  Every chance he got he was out on the flight line and he became very familiar with the task. he learned everything from loading to maintenance (18:35)  he was technically an administrative person be he also did some firing. (18:59)  He had the administrative and use records of the 20mm cannon. (19:14)  He served at Tyndall Air Force Base for about a year. (approx. 1966-December 9th 1967)(19:30)  promptly he was assigned to the 412th Munitions Maintenance Squadron in Vietnam(19:20)  He was given leave before sent into service in Vietnam. (20:00) Arrival in Vietnam (20:10)  He had been shipped out of the U.S. from March Air Force Base to McCord. (20:22)  He left on approx.. January 25th and arrived February 2nd 1968 (20:39)  he arrived at Cam Ranh Bay Vietnam (21:09)  At this point Cam Ranh was a full Air Force Base and had one of the largest landing strips in the country. (21:21) �            Every military denomination had been stationed at this Air Force Base including the Vietnamese and Koreans as well as every military branch aside from the Coast Guard. (21:48) the base also had the best food of any military post in Vietnam (22:17) here he was assigned to the 412th MMS (munitions maintenance squadron)(22:35) his basic responsibilities had consisted of the ammo dump, the flight line, reloading aircraft (cannons and machine guns.) as well as getting munitions delivered around the country. (23:00) From the instant he hopped off the plain, he recalls the heat and the smell. (Not a stench but just a different smell.) (24:20) The Base had hot and cold running water as well as central air. This surprised him as he did not expect such conditions in a war zone. (24:04) The chow hall was very large and was open to all branches of service there. (25:30) In spite landing in February it was very hot and humid and it rained very often. (26:45) The base was on a peninsula which had white sand beaches and blue water that appeared very beautiful. (27:30) There was an enlisted beach and an officers beach that the men there were allowed to use with cabanas, sodas, and beer available (27:55) His living quarters had heat and air conditioning and men were even given individual rooms. (28:30) Barbecues where held for soldiers returning from the field to help with R&R (29:12) Service in Vietnam (29:30)  Typically his job had been a shift. He was assigned to work for about 7 in the morning to about 3-4 in the afternoon. (29:30)  His outfit did come under fire one night when a 122mm rocket hit the power generator. (30:14)  5 days before he left country the 5th or 7th Field Hospital was hit. (30:55)  His unit did not take any casualties and while he does not recall how many there had to have been casualties when the field hospital was hit. (31:47)  He was sent into the Marine Base at Khe Sanh in March, 1968, while there the landing zone was extremely hot. (32:27)  Not every man in his unit had been sent out but instead the men rotated to deliver supplies. They traveled in either a C130 or an Air Force helicopter. (33:02)  This task required him to drop off munitions supplies. (33:19)  He delivered to Khe Sanh 20 millimeter ammunition Howitzer as well as ammunition for M14s and hand grenades. (34:30)  He had to travel into Khe Sanh twice. The first of these two trips had been the hottest (under heavy fire.) (35:01)  He has not ever or since felt the same sort of fear he felt during his first trip to Khe Sanh. (35:25)  When at Khe Sanh he had been on the ground for approx. 45 minutes. (35:34) �                     In Hue he delivered to a rear and though it was still a hot area it was not as dangerous as his Khe Sanh experience. (36:06) The most terrifying thing he saw was the dropping of a napalm bomb. (36:34) The first napalm bomb he saw dropped was only 1 Kilometer away from his position. (37:31) He went to Vietnam believing that the military was fighting to preserve freedom and to protect the U.S. but when he left he believed it had been the U.S. that was the intruder. He also believed that the U.S. corrupted that country. (38:35) Overall he thinks the civilians had been friendly however once soldiers had been stationed in Vietnam the black market rapidly adjusted to accommodate to the soldiers desires. (40:00) He believes the soldiers’ presence had been either tolerated or liked but not hated. (40:20) He had heard from men out in the field that one could not afford to trust a Vietnamese civilian. (40:37) The worst memory he had was visiting a high school friend who had stepped on a land mine and was in the field hospital. (42:10) He was fortunate enough not to be wounded in Vietnam or a prisoner of war. (42:22) His unit received presidential citation. (42:58) He had the opportunity to take 5 R&R sessions. (43:31) His first R&R was in Hong Kong which he enjoyed but gave him the feeling that it was like Los Angeles. (43:43) He traveled to Bangkok 3 times (44:00) And he traveled to Tokyo once. (44:07) He also went to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and to Manila. (44:22) He served in Vietnam from February 2nd 1968 to August of 1969(44:40) The reason for this extended service is that he was offered an early discharged from the Air Force if he remained in Vietnam for a longer period of time. (44:35) The R&R sessions lasted 5 days. (45:15) Before taking his extra extension he was aloud a 45 day leave where he returned to the U.S. (45:50) If believes that if they would have allowed the military to do their job then the task would have been completed. (46:46) He left for Vietnam on August 10th. 1969 where he was discharged at McCord Air Force Base in Washington(47:46) Post war experiences. (48:28)  After being discharged he lived in San Diageo where he worked for his father in the Lubach’s Restaurant. (48:30)]  He got married to a childhood sweetheart, Diana, but then got divorced 4 years latter (approx 1973) (48:34)  The way in which he kept in touch with his family had been primarily by writing or by sending cassette tapes. (49:36) �                  At Cam Ranh he did receive mail on a regular basis but out in the field this was not the case. (49:58) Every once in a while the men where aloud to make phone calls to the U.S. on a radio relay telephone. (50:23) He attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and followed in his dad’s footsteps in the culinary and food industry (50:56) He does not recall any supply shortages he experienced while in Vietnam. (51:18) His job had been very stressful when the plains he was serving for were currently in a conflict. This at times was very stressful. (52:30) Out of respect, the men on the ground would always make eye contact with the pilot when he was furnished refueling and resupplying his aircraft. (54:19) The USO would frequently visit the Cam Ranh base and entertainment such as pool tables were provided. (55:21) There was a Red Cross center but not a Salvation Army center. However, there was Salvation Army representation. (56:18) His rank was E5 Staff Sergeant in the Air Force. (56:40) The Culinary Institute of America offered a 1 year certificate or a 2 year certificate. (58:00) After working under his father he served as a sous chef at the Hotel Del Coronado. (58:37) Soon after his job in the Hotel Del Coronado he and his brother started their own restaurant in Del Mar, California (59:12) He spent approx. 27 years in the restaurant business. (approx 1969 to 1996)(1:00:07) After his time in the restaurant business (approx. 1996) he spent 3 year in Panama City, Panama. (1:00:11) After returning to the states he worked in Chicago, Illinois (approx 1999) (1:00:37) He ran 2 restaurants in South Haven, Michigan (1:01:17) After completing this project he moved back to Chicago where he worked at the Oak Brook men’s club. (1:01:42) � 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 MetevierP1339V Title A name given to the resource Metevier, Paul (Interview outline and video), 2011 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Metevier, Paul Description An account of the resource Paul Metevier enlisted in the Air Force in January, 1966. After basic training in San Antonia, he spent over a year at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida before being sent to Vietnam. He served his tour at Cam Ranh Bay, where he was assigned to the 412th Munitions Maintenance Squadron. He worked in the ammo dump and the flight line, and supervised the shipment of munitions to different bases. Most of his duties were relatively safe, but he did make a couple of deliveries of ammunition to Khe Sanh while it was under siege in 1968. He extended his tour in exchange for an early out, and served in Vietnam from February, 1968 to August, 1969. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Erichsen, Wallace (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Air Force Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2011-12-05 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e87d3dce5dc0035b02ccf6b28a0c87b7.mp4 95fa58635d84386900df8b897957cbe0 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e65d83a83766e5326533e9d12320e069.pdf db4062a7fad0a5c6a3fb01203e4c6fa2 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview John Mercurio (1:34:37) *Upon graduation, John went to school at Hartung Aircraft in Grayling Michigan working on Cadillac Tank engines for performance before being sent for installation into the tanks. • (1:42)Drafted in Air Force Reported to Fort Custer in Battle Creek, Michigan • Sinus problems prevented flight school • Sent on a train to Miami for basic training (infantry training) Miami • Basic training • Infantry training • (6:10) Biloxi Mississippi 12pm -6am training- hydraulics and patching bullet holes • Engine man • Worked on aircraft patching bullet holes-cut hole and rivets that explode to close hole up • Graduated • (7:03) Dayton Ohio (Wright Field Air Force Base) 1yr B29 engine-huge test cells, used elevators to put engines in and work on them • Worked on new helicopters-cooling issues-tight quarters to work on-tested for endurance • In-line engines-vertical placement • Started testing jet engines-only during day because they were too loud-John didn’t work on these • Japanese Zero planes-fragile and light- no armor-wing would collapse if shot • German Messerschmitt airplane-everything was attached to the engine-beautiful • Lived on base �• Went to movies and into town • Engine workers grouped with few men-worked with few civilian engineers • Bell jet plane-experimental-always built 3 • Buildings in woods made out of pressed paper-tested engines in these buildingssimulated overseas situations-tested possible situations with engines to fix problems • Go to aircraft graveyard for parts • Secrecy in operations-wouldn’t tell them what they did if asked-basic mechanic was their answer • Relieved of duty if attending school (19:36)- at night- Mississippi • • • (20:40)USS Everly 1945 towards the beginning of the year Took 5 weeks aboard the Everly to get to Biak Island Plane with lights hit the landing strip and killed 135 people on the ground-including many technicians Avenger dive bomber-hit the side of the ship-killed the 1 guy on board-fuel sprayed on ship • Evergreen tablets-taken to prevent malaria-John states he stopped taking his • Had appendicitis during first station there Biak Air Force Base • High cliffs and caves-cement ground- buried dead guys on beach-dig up later • Would apply coral engine oil and gasoline to put on tent to keep it from rotting • Shoes were from Australia kangaroo skin-steel heel lasted three months -coral would cut the shoes • During air raids the men would fall into caves and get all chewed up • Air raids were very common and the Japanese were flying from islands north and west of Biak • Guard duty-hangars fit two bombers-sirens signaled air raid approaching- one guard on duty deserted his post during air strike-John states he never returned • Original Japanese defenders were still on the island �• Lived in a 6 man tent • It rained a lot on the island-also had good drinking water • Springs were bubbling up along beach-pushed salt water out and fresh water in • John was assigned to prep bombers to be used in the tropics-removed heaters in gunsstoves tune the engines of the bombers • (31:00)worked on a B25 and replaced the wing • Worked on A Attack, B25, B29, B26, B24 bombers • Would get mail from home • (32:53) Ship brought whole box of chocolate bars-sugar and cocoa all that was left- they had dehydrated- brought chicken that turned black from freezer burn-ate Mutton from Australia • Natives on island would try to sell gifts but not food-John says they were afraid of what they would pick up from the natives- • (35:00) Men each had two pairs of shoes-fear of foot rot • They would spray water to prevent insects from laying eggs • Rain made it impossible to work on aircraft-would shut down until it would lighten up • (38:00) Caves on the beach, Japanese had their hospitals inside them, could see aircraft ammunition and gas masks • (39:00) Lights out-sirens alerted men that war was over • Heard about Atomic Bomb-did not know what it was or what it could do (40:00) Japan • Stationed when war was over • Between Yokohama and Tokyo • Locales did not like the military being there-it was unsafe to go out alone • Had local Japanese youth working in mess tents • Japanese professor taught them how to speak Japanese (Tape shows no change in timing from this point on) Motor Pool �• • Weapons carrier and jeeps Attempted to go thru the mountains-too high, high radiation • • Liberty Ship Variety of money- U.S. would only cash $50 dollars in foreign money Headed for Portland Oregon-turned south because of earthquake in Alaska • • • • Phillipines - Leyte Coconut grove Horrible water-would drink coconut milk Stationed here before Biak C-46 plane-engine would get cold and quick • San Diego German prisoners at mess hall serving food to military men • Battle Creek Michigan Discharged from there • • • Testing Aircraft Fuel capacity for B-25’s New targets in Germany the planes needed to hold more fuel Test out engines to see if they could make it without being damaged • • • • • • Battle Creek Michigan Two job offers- Ford and General Motors Took Ford job testing engines on dye mounter Aluminum engines-5 cylinder Installed rods and pistons into engines to test performance Ford built new testing facility-John was assigned to it Guys from Right Field were also working there when he was assigned • Ford Auto racing interest 292 engine converted to handle 450 horsepower-improved within 8 months to handle 600 horsepower-nitro alcohol get another 50 horsepower- very dangerous Ford Coswell engine • Europe Ferrari’s • �• • • Test cells 17 D Ford took 1st , 2nd, and 3rd place in race Henry Ford II marries Italian girl End of tape 1 • • • • • • • (:20)Ford Motor Company Employees caught selling trade secrets Ford started clean with new employees Emission work-increased prices of cars (1:50) change from leaded gasoline to unleaded gasoline (3:45) built engines for race car drivers- drivers would come to check on them Built tank engines that you could submerge into water (4:50)Overall view of the time in military Gave John experience in building and testing engines and ability to fight if needed although he never had to use it • • • • • • • (5:50)John’s years growing up and his family Mother was born in Italy 26yrs old when she came to the United States Father was in the Italian Navy-ran a business store Sister was bookkeeper for business Family moved to Detroit to start a wholesale business (7:30) Family would make their own wine and beer Business sustained even during depression Parents did not expect John to join family business although older brother did • • (8:50)Limo Driver in Japan Had to pick up officers on base and bring them places off base Brought Major to hotel with officer party • • • • (10:50)Pilots on Biak Crazy-both American and Australian pilots would speed onto runways Planes would crash land Planes would come in with engines on fire Coral illuminated the area during the day and night. You needed sunglasses during the day otherwise your eyes would burn and no lights required at nighttime for the runways (13:30) Acute Appendicitis �• • • Sneaks off to have steak and pie Doctor says he was a fine specimen of a man Down for two weeks (15:40)Based in Ohio • Was able to take leave-hitchhiked to see parents • Picked up by the owner of Sun Oil company-bought him a steak dinner • Picked up by the governor of Ohio took him to a bar and put him on a train (18:30)Biloxi Mississippi • Soldiers took over town-John says there were 100,000 men there � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MercurioJ Title A name given to the resource Mercurio, John (Interview outline and video), 2007 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Mercurio, John P. Description An account of the resource John Mercurio served in the Army Air Corps between 1943 and 1946. He was an aircraft engine technician who repaired and maintained bombers at fields on Biak and Leyte in the Pacific during the war, and provides a vivid description of the difficulties of working on Biak in particular. He also spent time in Japan during the occupation and worked on experimental jets and helicopters at Wright Air Force Base in Ohio. 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.) Video recordings United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Army. Air Corps World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-11-15 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/01f8227de044af221e52123e72863b4f.mp4 d71eadefc4a3977e1193a35bb8e32330 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/72c5dcf2ba45f15ce91c3b6e93a4511c.pdf d6bea77bc61611b978e69e3f519510c9 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Greg Melonas (40:43) (:11) Early Life • (:21) Full name is Gregory J. Melonas. He was born at Harrison and Morgan, in Chicago. He was born November 20th, 1920. • (2:02) He doesn’t remember much before he went to school. • (2:15) His father was a singer, a “Good Time Charlie,” and he sang gospel songs at church. He worked for the 7-UP Company, in the factory. • (3:33) His mother worked at a shoe factory across the street from their apartment. • (3:56) His father also worked in Greek coffee houses along Houston Street. Greek coffee is very thick and bitter. On weekends his father player the zither, along with a drummer and a clarinetist. Sometimes he would bring in a belly dancer, which his mother did not approve of, but it brought money in. • (5:39) Greg went to Avondale Elementary for 3rd to 6th grade. • (6:17) He played Hide and Seek and peg and stick in elementary school. Peg and stick involved bouncing a sharpened broomstick, but he doesn’t remember the specifics. • (7:45) Sometimes they played stickball, but only rarely. They had a stickball club which other people, inaccurately, called a gang. • (8:34) He played football in high school, but stopped after he got beaten up. He was in school plays, and was once in the Christmas play. • (9:36) He graduated in 1938 or 1939, he doesn’t recall. He followed politics at the time, mostly because he was interested in studying it. • (10:32) He lived through the Great Depression, and it was rather rough. On Fridays his mother took them to the mission for dinner. The mission had good quality food. During the Depression, his father lost his job, but his mother kept her job. • (12:21) He heard about Pearl Harbor while he was in the service. He was at a movie theatre, and they announced it at the theatre. He knew where Pearl Harbor was, but many people did not. (13:49) Enlistment/WWII • (13:49) He joined the military by first joining the National Guard at the age of sixteen, while he was in high school. He attended meetings once a week, on Monday nights. �During these meetings he learned military discipline, marching, and medical training. • (16:26) He was called into the Army after Pearl Harbor. They were initially told it would be for one year, but it was later changed to “the duration.” • (17:26) He was a drill instructor in the Army at first, and thinks he was a good one. For a short time he was in the medical unit with the National Guard, and a drill instructor in the Army as well. • (18:18) He had three discharges, one from Michigan, one from Illinois, and he doesn’t recall the third. These discharged were before he was even in the Army. • (18:42) He was not given any choice as to his role in the Army. • (19:28) After being a drill instructor he became a surgical tech in the operating room. He served overseas, not domestically. • (20:19) He went to Europe, primarily in Czechoslovakia. • (20:35) He went to Europe by ship. They had good weather the entire trip, but everyone was seasick anyway. It was very hard to eat on the ship when everyone was seasick. • (21:33) They started in Fécamp, in northern France. They were in the process of moving towards Czechoslovakia. • (22:00) He earned three battle stars, but that was in Korea. He was in the reserves after WWII, and was called out to Korea. • (22:50) He worked in a field hospital in Czechoslovakia. The field hospitals were in tents similar to the one on M*A*S*H. He was in the 1437th Division Bridge Company. • (24:00) The experience was very hectic, but he made it out all right. • (24:24) He saw several USO programs. He saw Bob Hope three times, and Fred Astaire, and Ginger Rogers. It was very exciting. • (25:15) He didn’t sleep much, and the food was inconsistent in quality. • (26:34) He arrived in Europe after D-Day. (27:00) Post WWII/Korean War • (27:00) When the war ended he was helping to move things in Czechoslovakia. There was a parade in New York City, but that was finished by the time he came back. He got home on October 5th, 1945. • (28:10) He was not sent to the Pacific theatre. • (28:43) He was a member of the National Guard after WWII. • (29:07) He was in the only WWII unit called back to Korea. Two companies, the 37th and the 28th were called back, because they were medical companies. �• (30:16) He started in Pusan, Korea. They went up to the 38th parallel and were then pushed back. • (31:10) In Korea he served in field hospitals and regular hospitals. He started out in a brick and mortar hospital, working with a gas company. • (32:28) In the field hospital, he was in charge of cleaning and acquiring supplies. He was also in charge of the operating room. • (33:27) He was elevated to Master Sergeant while in Korea. (33:49) Post-War • (33:49) He came back from Korea, and went to work for Montgomery Ward in the early fifties. • (34:51) He worked at Montgomery Ward for about fifteen years, as the head of the Furniture and Appliance department. • (35:32) He then went to work for Michigan Life Insurance, and then to Metropolitan Life. • (36:00) He married in 1942, while he was in the service. • (36:18) He had one son, his son owns a KFC franchise in Cheboygan. His wife passed on some time ago. • (37:22) He lived on his own, until coming to the Veteran’s Home. He has lived there for three years, and likes it. • (38:31) He has two grandchildren, and one grandson. He is estranged from his son. � 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 MelonasG Title A name given to the resource Melonas, Greg (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Melonas, Greg Description An account of the resource Greg Melonas was born in Chicago in 1920. He joined the National Guard in 1936, and was called into the Army after Pearl Harbor. He was deployed to France after D-Day, and served mostly in Czechoslovakia. He was trained as a medic in the National Guard, and served as a medic after being a drill instructor early on. After WWII he was called back into the service to go to Korea, also as a medic. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Collins Sr., Charles E. (Interviewer) Collins, Carol (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Army World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Video recordings Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2008-09-29 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/eff3715ccf4bbff72fde1869dfe06ca1.mp4 4716d0c4a7299b0499b131301fb5ca34 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/1b6153ecf45cd980c637fbb4d1b8f33e.pdf 097a64be666a611f3a11ec9365871536 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veteran’s History Project Paul Meiers World War II (refugee) Length of Interview (00:53:53) Background (00:1:00) Born in Latvia, 1938 Father was in charge of a government farm; large, self-sustaining  Experimental farm; livestock and vegetable fields When the Germans [Soviets?] came, their house and farm were taken over Was 6 years old at this time, 1944 His mother was pregnant, at the time Went to stay at the grandfather’s house, the father stayed on the farm  Soldiers dressed in brown uniforms came to the grandparents’ house and took the grandfather and grandmother away His mother and he started for home, once there, got on to another wagon and headed for the coast His father sold the horses and wagon once they reached a coastal town and boarded a German ship (private or military, unknown) Mother’s brother was supposed to come on the ship, but his wife ‘had a fuss’ and both walked off the ship Later found out they were sent to Siberia Very crowded ship, being sent to Germany When the Germans had occupied their home, Meiers had an ‘altercation’ with one of the officers (00:06:10) He was looking at the equipment they were stacking One of the soldiers kicked him out of the way, so he went outside, waited for the soldier, then threw a rock at him �He hit the soldier but was too frightened to move; one of the officers stopped the soldier from doing anything in retaliation Meiers’s brother was born on the ship one day out When the [Soviet] soldiers in brown uniforms had come to the grandparents’ house, his mother and he were hidden in the field (the grandparents were also possibly sent to Siberia) (00:07:30) Germany (00:09:05) Does not know how they got passage on the ship Heading to Danzig, Germany His brother was born in the captain’s quarters as the ship was crowded Arrived in Danzig, remembers sleeping in bunks stacked three high; in a refugee camp  From there, went through three other stations on train, heading for Nuremberg  Every stop had a delousing station; ‘itched like the devil’ Arrived in Nuremberg and was herded into a gymnasium; had bunks four high Slept on the top bunk A man next to him, died two days later from overworking with coal sacks (not in a camp) At this time, the bombings were happening His father built a small room for them to live in, later moved to an apartment All of this happened during November of 1944 to the summer of 1945 When they moved to a second floor apartment, the day before, they had gone to a bomb shelter  One of the bomb shelter’s pipes had broken and they had to stand in water during the bombing  Meiers broke into a fever the next day The next day, the bomb sirens were going off ten minutes between  A wall next to their apartment was shaken loose and fell against it  A piece of metal went into Meiers’s back and bled for a day � A neighbor from Latvia, who spoke German fluently, was with them; called her ‘Aunt’  She spoke to a German Army Doctor and convinced him to take care of Meiers  Taken in an ambulance 40 minutes out of Nuremberg to a hospital where he stayed for six months  Saw his father only once and not his mother  Was operated on and when seeing his x-rays, it showed a hole in one of his ribs DP [Displaced Persons] Camp (00:16:10) Six months later, the war was over Put on a train, was scared because he didn’t know where he was going Arrived in Nuremberg where he met with his family again They were already living in a camp set up for refugees  Had fences wrapped in barb wire, made him think of a war or prisoner camp Children received two meals a day and adults received only one  Ate in a large dining hall  His mother made sure to stand in the coffee line to get a tiny shot of milk, which she would dilute with water, for them (Meiers doesn’t like milk to this day) There were a lot of people there who worked for the American Army; wore black uniforms  These people were possibly given the opportunity to go to America Red Cross parcels were shipped in The Russians came under the auspices of American Military Police to make a speech in the square  Explained the choice of going back home (to Latvia or the ‘old country’) or to America; 26 went back home Wasn’t a bad life in the DP Camp, during the four years of living there, the barb wired was eventually removed �There was a POW Camp downhill from the DP Camp near the train station; held German soldiers guarded by Americans The DP Camp’s name was Valka, just outside of Nuremberg (00:20:35) Can’t remember the food, but recalls being hungry during the war and not being hungry after it One Christmas, the GI’s rounded everyone up and took them to a gymnasium with a Christmas tree; his first experience of chocolate that he can remember After the war, warehouses were being cleared out and truck loads of potatoes and oranges were being transported; his first experience with oranges The bomb shelters had two steel doors and sometimes one could feel vibrations (00:22:35)  Recalls women always crying out during bombings, his mother would only hunch over his younger brother who was months old Had to be sponsored in order to move to America; Harvey Peterson (American) chose to sponsor Meiers’s family  Peterson owned a large farm (in McBride, Michigan) and took them in out of good will Meiers became an American citizen on June 22, 1956 Trip to America (00:25:00) Took a ship called General Hershey, took about 9 or 10 days  His mother was sick during the journey but his father had a large appetite Arrived in New York, didn’t stop in Ellis Island  Met by their father’s half-brother, Max Meiers, who lived in New York; was wealthy  Offered his father a job, but is father was committed to working with Harvey Peterson  Stayed with his uncle for one week First Impressions (00:27:55) Meiers’s first impression of New York was the foggy outline of the Statue of Liberty that the ship was heading straight at When they landed, and the fog cleared, it felt like it was another planet  Had never seen such tall building and so many limousines; saw only tricycles (often saw peddlers use these), motorbikes, or German vehicles before this � Saw the Empire State Building, the Music Hall, etc. The half-brother gave Meiers’s father money and all the children new clothes His father was able to convert a German soldier’s uniform into a suit for Meiers His father was a ‘survivor,’ he made do with what he had An immigration photo was required when coming to America Growing Up (00:32:25) Lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in an apartment on Crescent St. Eventually moved into a house, but Meiers was already in the Air Force by this time Sponsored by Gerald Ford to go into the United States’ Air Force Academy Graduated from Central High School in Grand Rapids Enlisted after graduating (1956) A part of Selfridge Flight (anniversary of the air field) Sworn in on the following Monday, flown to Park’s Air Force Base Basic Training (00:34:40) His mother had packed a large suitcase for him (had ignored the list provided on what to bring) Made to do Double Time, while lugging this suitcase, to the barracks (which were very far off) Put into line once arriving in the barracks; given a set of fatigues, boots, etc. Given tags for their satchels (or suitcase), and were shipped back home, never even opened the suitcase Impressions (00:36:20) Probably the best four years of his life Where else can you have: three meals a day, a place to sleep (security), and medical care Boot Camp wasn’t too bad for Meier �After service, sent to Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi  Learned Communications here (remembers being told not to be a mechanic)  Radio Communications, spent a lot of time in a radio shack NY Overseas, Bermuda Boundaries; guided planes to the base  Had a Munich Overseas Circuit, but rarely worked there because he didn’t know Speed Key One experience with helping a plane that had ditched, was very nervous, but a sergeant helped him Satellite eventually came along, so was put to work in a Techtrol Facility  Sounded like a desk job and was reluctant about going into it  Went into a large room with two rows of teletype machines and an entire wall of communication tools (scopes, telephones, etc.)  One man was working at the time  Meiers knew very little about radios and electronics  Told not to worry had a great teacher; learned how to operate everything (was in Bermuda) Shipped out to McClellan Air Force Base in California Met by the Military Guard and was told he didn’t have clearance The base Strategic Air Command Circuits and a Multiple Complex with eight voiced channels and eight teletype channels Given a cryptum signal everyday which were coordinated on each end Since Meiers didn’t have clearance, he was put into supplies for six months Eventually got in front of a panel and was questioned to which they already knew the answer because the FBI had visited his mother in Grand Rapids (they withheld their reasons why)  She had written him a letter telling him this Given his clearance �Discharge (00:43:36) Was given a chance for reenlistment but rank was frozen in the years following the Korean War  He would have stayed, but if there was no advancement, he would not continue For leisure time, would usually stay on base (00:44:55) In Bermuda, he would go to the hotel during tourist season to meet girls at punch parties Also did a lot of bowling, go to the flat line to watch the airmen land One time a blimp was attempting to land and everyone was called out to grab a rope; Meier was the only one and was lifted 30 feet in the air before other men pulled the ropes Feels the Army kept him ‘honest,’ it made him into the man he is (go in as a boy, came out as a man) Did not take advantage of the GI Bill when he got out, didn’t join any Veteran’s groups Was discharged in California; stayed with a woman with two children (later became his wife) Felt he would do fine once out of the Service, had no cause that would benefit from a group (cause was his job) Father was President of the Latvian Association and one of the Founders of a Credit Union (00:50:15) Meier was a councilman for the Association after coming back, but had moved too far away (Greenville, Michigan) and decided to let it go Some of his father’s friends went through different camps and had very different experiences � 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 MeiersP Title A name given to the resource Meiers, Paul (Interview outline and video), 2010 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Meiers, Paul Description An account of the resource Paul Meiers was born in Latvia, where, at the age of six, he and his family were moved to Germany and, eventually, put in a displaced persons camp. After receiving a sponsor to live in America, Meiers enlisted into the Air Force in 1956 where he served in Communications. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Moore, Debra (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. Air Force Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2010-05-06 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/613dc18175f52215a93501ee5a75ef01.m4v 78c53f2c5a888af7e453906898e23a72 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e83e7b01d79c1589069708bdccd87636.pdf 509c14ff0de2c716e65426071d23fb6b PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Name of Interviewee: Chris Meeuwenburg Name of War: World War II Length of Interview: (01:31:27) (00:30) Background Information   Chris was born in Fremont, Michigan and drafted into the Army in 1943 when he was 19 years old He was part of the 103rd Infantry Division and worked as a medical technician (2:35) Training  Chris was sent to Camp Claiborne, Louisiana for boot camp  The area was much hotter than Michigan, muggy and had many muddy swamp areas  They went on maneuvers through Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas  Chris was later transferred to a camp in Texas  The food was good, but he remembered just always being tired  They had to hike with 50 pound packs in the hot weather and some of the men passed out from the heat (6:30) Medical Technician School  Chris was sent to an Army/Navy general hospital in Hot Springs, Arkansas  There were about 300 Army students he was training with and they had a very mean general for their instructor  He was allowed to go home on furlough twice while he was training and took a train filled with many other soldiers to get home  Chris had three weeks to visit his family and they also came to Arkansas to visit him  All of the officers he worked with were doctors (14:55) Surgical Technician School  All of the Army ground forces had to go through physical examination tests  Chris had to go through many examinations that were all very hard  Chris’s company won first place in the nation that particular year  There was a local college that the men went to visit on the weekends  They had a book with a picture of every girl that went there, their age, and other information on them  They men could pick them out of the book and ask them to go out on date (17:25) Europe � They all gathered at Camp Shanks, New York to be shipped out  Chris had to help give all the men inoculations before they left  It took them 14 days to cross the Atlantic in a zig zag course in order to avoid German submarines  On the way Chris saw three different ships burning at sea that had been attacked  At 6:00 pm all the men were locked in their compartments for the night and could not get out until the next morning  They landed in La Havre, France and were met with fire from German planes  They abandoned their ship in the dark and many had no idea where they were fleeing to  The men all finally met up at a staging area  His company was supposed to relieve Company C of the Third Battalion  There were MPs all over France and it was very muddy from all of the rain (24:30) Average Days  Most of the time the men never knew where they were going to sleep that night  They preferred to sleep indoors and were usually able to eat well  They started with k-rations, which were terrible, but they began receiving better tasting crations within a few months  They tried to purchase as much French bread and wine as possible  They often had to sleep outside in the French countryside, but it was very cold  One night they decided to avoid sleeping in an abandoned French house because his commander had a funny feeling about it  The next day the house had been completely leveled by Germans (36:10) Close Calls  They had been on an offensive mission in France and the Germans had trapped them and had them surrounded  Chris was able to jump onto a passing tank and just barely missed being shot  He had been selected to go on a reconnaissance mission in Ludwig[shafen] near the Rhine River  The men had been driving and stopped by a MP for the password  A German 88 artillery shell hit the middle of the road right in front of them  If they had not been pulled over by the MP they would have been hit by the shell (41:00) Paris  Paris was very different from the French countryside  Chris had a friend that lived in an apartment in Paris and he went to visit him when he had time on leave  He had a very nice time visiting and touring through the city �(42:10) Germany  They had entered and taken a small town and found an abandoned school house  There was a message on the chalk board that read “ Welcome to Germany”  They came across a warehouse that held 33,000 bottles of champagne  There were 15,000 men in the division and each received two bottles of champagne  They were all very drunk that night and it would have been a good time for the Germans to attack  They moved very rapidly through Germany, making advances and taking cities  They were working with the 614th Tank Destroyer Company  They completely destroyed most of the towns they took and were ordered not to communicate with any German civilians (49:15) Innsbruck  They felt the war was slowing down and many small pockets of German soldiers were surrendering  They entered Innsbruck and there really was not anything for the men to do and they were all very bored  Chris often went swimming and met a young woman named Anna Marie  He liked her a lot and though she was very smart and he was able to communicate with her because she spoke English  Chris had been near a tank that hit a mine and a piece of shrapnel hit him in the head, puncturing his helmet  His leg was also hurt and he was sent to a hospital (57:30) Rome  Chris visited Rome on leave and toured the catacombs of Sainte Christopher at Saint Peter’s Cathedral  It was a very beautiful cathedral with gold walls and ceiling  They were given a tour of Rome by a Russian princess that had fled the country (59:10) Leaving France  Chris had enough points to be sent home, but instead they sent him to various units to take inventory of their medical supplies  He began to get very annoyed because he was still working while most units were being sent home  He finally sent in a complaint and was eventually told he could go home  Chris was brought to the shipping area in La Havre  He had been in Europe for 2 years and had learned to speak German pretty well �(1:03:50) Back in States  Everything had changed while Chris was in Europe, including himself and it was a lot for him to take in  He got his old job back working for Continental Motors in Muskegon, Michigan  He worked there for about 6 months and then decided that he did not work there anymore  Chris applied for pharmacy school at Ferris State University and went there for 4 years (1:10:40) Looking Back  Chris became a pharmacist and met a woman in church that had moved to Michigan from South Dakota  They got married and had 5 children  Chris still finds it hard to believe he made it through the war because there were so many times that he could have been killed  It was very hard being in Europe during the holidays, especially Christmas  Chris had spent 5 Christmases away from his family � 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 MeeuwenburgC Title A name given to the resource Meeuwenburg, Chris (Interview outline and video), 2004 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Meeuwenberg, Chris Description An account of the resource Chris Meeuwenberg was born Fremont, Michigan and drafted into the Army in 1943 when he was 19 years old. He went through training in Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas and eventually became a medical technician. Chris was sent to Europe and landed in La Havre, France where they were immediately shot at by German planes. While in Europe Chris traveled through France, Germany, and Austria. He was eventually discharged near the end of the war and then went to Ferris State University for 4 years of pharmacy school. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Portenga, Aaron (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2004-05-22 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/70092d4325db46ad6fdb3cdbb8fe335f.mp4 c35b963da169205345447fdc6898ad24 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a33d4e1cc0def9b6da5c2e862a452c13.pdf c63954d73c73b9c1f6274d7ac9ef996a PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project William McViker (00:33:19) Background (00:15) • (:15)Born August 12 1959 in Lewistown Pennsylvania • Graduated from Lewistown Area High School • Currently working for Perrigo in Allegan Michigan-Pharmaceutical Company (2:00) Air Force • Time enlisted during the bombing of Libya-4yr event • 2yrs in Incirlik Air Force Base Turkey • Married with daughter before service-son during service • (2:45) Turkey approximately ’82-88(based on daughter’s age while in Turkey) • Visited Historical Sites • Position: Nuclear Weapon Aircraft Security • Worked with numerous men and officers guarding weapons • (5:10) Family stayed on base • Built close friendships • Numerous cutbacks-lack of promotions • (7:50)Training-South Dakota-proved challenging-matured oneself • Sent to tech school--police training • Reported to Army base-Camp Bullis-Air Base Ground Defense-spent hours in foxholes • (9:50)Impact on the family-phone call status-gone from 8 hours to 4 days • Two brothers in service-navy and marines • (14:00)Service time 5 years 7 months • Exited the service-drifted for few years • (16:20)Williams believes in compulsory military service • Detox from military life was difficult (19:30)Michigan • New wife had family in Michigan • Palisades Nuclear Power Plant offered William job--security • Ran Sporting goods store • Began working for Perrigo • (27:40)Father died at 49 years old when William was 21 years old � 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 McVickerW Title A name given to the resource McVicker, William J. (Interview outline and video), 2006 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource McVicker, William J. Description An account of the resource William McViker served his country during the Cold War. He was in the Air Force serving as security of nuclear weapons. During his service, the United States bombed Libya. He states that most of his time in the military was peaceful and that the service matured him as a person. He also states that he felt that the United States should have a compulsory military. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Keeler, Amanda (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) Video recordings United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Army. Air Corps Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2006-04-16 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/29fc6655d4b24d1a4cf0bba5a6d10d98.mp4 250198c72d3a3a879bad40b34aae813c https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/47a1a5466698b40184d2e73934f3ad3a.pdf a6f84553c303badf7b2b6f2500150c9d PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Martin McNamara (1:25:53) Background Information (00:11)        Born in 1916 in Michigan. (00:16) His mother and father both emigrated from Canada. In Michigan they ran a farm. (00:32) Martin attended school through the 6th grade. When he was 10 he quit school there due to the death of both his parents. (1:31) He had 9 brothers and sisters. After his parents’ death, Marin lived iwith one of his older sisters. (2:18) Martin completed high school and moved to the Lower Peninsula to work at an auto dealership in 1937. (2:30) He joined the National Guard in 1938 with several of his close friends. (2:53) In 1939 [1940?] his unit was activated and Martin was then in the U.S. Army. (3:26) Service in the National Guard (4:15)     He served in the 119th Field Artillery. (4:16) Every summer the men went on Maneuvers. Every Thursday night the men met for training. (4:36) He was made sergeant in the motor section. (5:58) After being mobilized, the unit was sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training. (6:16) Basic Training (6:20)            His work was assigned in the motor pool. (6:40) The trucks that Martin used were not very reliable. (7:18) The men were assigned to go to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, but due to construction the men were sent to Fort Knox. (7:46) The men were at fort Knox for approx. 3 months before being moved to Fort Leonard Wood. (8:28) At Fort Leonard Wood, the areas used for training were former residences. Because the people were forced out, often live stock was left behind to turn wild. (9:30) There were a number of units at Fort Leonard Wood aside from Martin’s. (10:15) The men were given liberty to go into town quite often. (11:05) When off base there were caves that Martin explored and bars. (11:37) Martin was about 5-10 years older than the average recruit. (14:00) Martin was eventually transferred out f the 119th Field Artillery to the 260th Coast Artillery. (14:52) He was sent to Washington State in 1942 to be shipped off to Alaska. (16:16) Travel to Washington and Alaska (17:40)  The men were not given a furlough before being sent to Washington. (17:45) �            While in the 260th Coast Artillery, the unit was given larger 6 inch guns than the men had in the 119th Field Artillery. (18:35) The men were given Caterpillar tractors. Martin was given the responsibility of knowing how to repair these tractors. (19:30) The men were shipped to Washington by train. (20:37) The guns were loaded on to flatbeds to be shipped. Martin very clearly remembers seeing the mountains while traveling to Washington. (21:30) The trip to Washington took several weeks. (22:25) The men stayed in Washington as a stopover to load up on ships before being sent to Alaska. (24:07) Martin was sent to Alaska in an old German troop transport that the U.S. acquired after World War I. (24:26) There were sightings of submarines that resulted in the ship needing to stop in various ports during the voyage. (25:40) There were multiple ships traveling with Martin’s but not very close together. (26:25) Ship stayed in a cove for 1 week while waiting for submarines to pass. During this week, the men played many cards and listened to music. (27:17) The ship landed in Kodiak Bay in Alaska in early summer 1942. (28:08) After landing, the men traveled up the coast to a field where they sent up camp. The purpose of Martin being in Alaska was to protect the Coast. (28:48) Service in Alaska (28:49)             Martin was given the task of getting the heavy guns the men had up to the top of the mountain. To do this, the men had to make a road up the mountain. (30:14) Martin does not recall if the men had engineers with them to assist them with moving and setting up position for the guns. The men did not have heavy equipment such as bulldozers to aid them with the task. (31:41) The guns were set up after approx. 1 month. (33:14) The weather was very wet and muddy while the men set up the guns. It rained almost every day. There wasn’t any snow. (34:26) The weather was still quite warm. (35:39) Martin was still in Kodiak after winter began. The temperature was not overly severe. (37:15) The men did build barracks for the winter that the men stayed in instead of tents. (38:10) Martin did not have any encounters with the Japanese. Other islands did though. (38:46) After Kodiak Martin was sent to Amchitka. This island is near the end of the Aleutian Islands. (39:15) Martin was able to see Japanese planes land on an airstrip on Kiska. (40:40) The Japanese often put dummy planes on their airstrip to trick bombers into continuously attacking targets that were not real. (42:00) When moving to Amchitka the men had to rebuild the equipment on the new island. (43:11) Life in Alaska (43:42)    There was a lot of snow. The men often played cards for entertainment. (43:50) In Amchitka, men often had to dig themselves out of snow banks. (44:12) Special work had to be done on the trucks to stop their engines from freezing. (44:50) �           The Caterpillar tractors could be used in the snow when trucks could not. (45:21) Men often used skis or snowshoes for transportation during periods of high snow. (46:30) The men did not experience too many problems with low morale. (47:22) Martin never felt like he was in any danger while in the position he was in. (49:30) Radios and a paper printed in Kodiak were used to inform the men on the state of the war. (50:00) There were still native civilians in Kodiak while Martin was stationed there. (50:29) There were no civilians on Amchitka. (50:57) There was an abundance of wildlife including bear and sea otter. (51:48) The men Martin served with were mostly from around the country. A good number, however, were from Michigan. (53:55) The food supply was very nice. The men were given beer on occasion. (55:40) Martin was not given any furloughs during the 3 years he served in Alaska. (56:30) Leaving Alaska (57:16)      Martin left the Aleutian Islands with part of his unit to Washington. He was then sent from Washington to Texas. (57:44) Martin was sent to Texas in mid 1944 and was given training in night fighting and maneuvers. (1:00:31) Martin and his unit were also given engineering training and were made to build pontoon bridges. (1:01:12) While nearing the end of the war, there was a great push for paratroopers for the invasion of Japan. Martin was recruited and switched from engineer training to paratroop training. (1:03:40) Martin decided to join the paratroopers because he wanted to invade Japan and see some action. (1:04:38) Paratrooper Training (1:04:50)        Martin was 5-10 years older than the average paratrooper recruit. He had no problem with the training. (1:05:10) The men did jump off towers for their first 5 jumps. (1:05:40) The first time Martin jumped from a plane the experience was surprisingly casual. (1:07:17) Many men were afraid to jump from the plane. There were, however, very few accidents. (1:08:33) The men were not given any information on the Japanese invasion. (1:09:06) The men had to jump with dummy weights that were intended to train the men for being dropped with their supplies. (1:11:51) The paratroop training was finished before the war ended. Martin's training was 2 weeks longer than normal due to an additional demolitions course. (1:14:11) Discharge (1:15:25)    When the men on Martin’s base learned of the end of the war, the men celebrated. (1:15:30) With 88 points, Martin was discharged 2 weeks after the war ended in August of 1945. (1:16:00) Martin returned to work at a car dealership shortly after returning home to Michigan. (1:16:43) � Martin was married in approx. 1946/1947. (1:17:33) Thoughts on Service (1:20:31)   Over all, Martin enjoyed his time in the service. (1:21:02) Martin, an Eagle Scout, was made a scout master of a Boy Scout Troop. He thought his time in the service helped him serve in this position. (1:22:14) � 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 McNamaraM1143V Title A name given to the resource McNamara, Martin (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource McNamara, Martin Description An account of the resource Martin McNamara, born in 1916 in Michigan, joined the National Guard in 1938, serving with the 119th Field Artillery. His unit was mobilized over a year before Pearl Harbor, and sent to train at Fort Knox and Fort Leonard Wood. In 1942, he was reassigned to the 260th Coastal Artillery and sent to Alaska. He served as a driver for trucks and caterpillar tractors, and helped build bases on Kodiak and Amchitka Islands in the Aleutians. He was sent to Texas in 1944 and trained as a combat engineer and as a paratrooper in preparation for the invasion of Japan, but the war ended before he could be sent overseas, and he was discharged shortly afterward. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Kentwood Historic Preservation Commission (Kentwood, Mich.) WKTV WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Army World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2008-07-10 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ee3a9d0ccf8bdec2d9fc240c09ec4b46.mp4 4e21b291227b7090977b0077f2bff5df https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a0b4d2016fb07e17eb8dd68e89265cde.pdf ae0f297e8ca247e6fd960d0e4ba99670 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Notes Length: 23:40 Peter McMillan WWII Veteran United States Air Force; December 1945 to 1947? * Important note: McMillan often refers to WWII as WWI, however, based on content and his birth date, he means WWII. (0:38) Pre-enlistment/Enlistment • High school student; inducted 9 days before graduation • Air Force gave him 6 months to “tie up loose ends” so was able to graduate • Finished basic training when the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki • Shipped over to Guam but cadet school closed; became clerk (3:30) Pearl Harbor Day • 9th grade • When heard news, knew he had to start planning so that he could finish high school and then enlist in the war. (4:30) Story about Japanese and Marines in Guam • When in Guam (while considered a “rookie”), McMillan saw a group of Marines go into the jungle to find Japanese soldiers. He thought the Marines were just joking but then he heard gun shots. The Marines came back saying they had killed two Japanese. • Many Japanese on Guam didn’t realize war was over o Stayed in caves • The Japanese on the island had a habit of “sneaking up” on American soldiers who were taking showers and killing them. (American soldiers in these situations were easy targets because the showers were outside in a relatively private area near the jungles). (6:10) Baseball • Played baseball all the time. (6:40) Most memorable experience in Guam • 7 days after arriving in Guam, went to midnight mass for Christmas (which was held outside). During the mass, he heard a shot fired, which had killed a lieutenant. A few Marines went out to investigate. Soon, the Marines returned having killed the Japanese soldiers who killed the lieutenant. �(7:51) Casualties • Continued even after WWII was over because Japanese on island didn’t believe war was over. • In the barracks, cots were organized in rows. Often McMillan would wake up and find the men who slept on the ends of the rows stabbed to death. (9:30) Leisure and home correspondence • Baseball, cards, movies, instruments, singing • Discussion of the USO – United Service Organization (12:32) Short discussion on holidays (13:17) Skills/lessons learned (13:57) Last day in the service • Came into Detroit Central Station and then took a cab home. Wanted to surprise mom so he had the cab driver stop a few houses away. But his mom had an “eagle eye” and saw the cab stop. She ran out to greet him and instead, surprised him! (14:55) Family’s ties to the service • Dad and his dad’s brothers served in WWI • McMillan and 2 of his brothers served in WWII; youngest brother served in Korea (15:51) Life after the war • GI Bill and college • Marriage about a year and half after home from war • Friendships made in war were not kept up after war; each went his own way. • Became teacher and a coach (21:23) Interesting question and response to: “How did you feel when other Americans began protesting the wars following WWII?” • Discusses briefly why went to war • Called “the greatest generation” in that they were patriotic and did what called to do • Protests of the 1960s required a lot of adapting for his generation o Realized WWII generation was often “blindly patriotic” o Had great effect on his generation because people realized that they had been following blindly and perhaps should challenge the government. (22:54) Slideshow of 7 pictures from his time in 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 McMillanP Title A name given to the resource McMillan, Peter (Interview outline and video), 2006 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource McMillan, Peter Description An account of the resource Peter McMillan is a WW II veteran who served in the United States Air Force from approximately 1945 to 1947? in Guam with a six-week stint in Hawaii. Although a majority of his time in the service occurred after WWII had ended, McMillan's story still provides a unique perspective on post-WW II conflict in the Pacific Theater. This account details how tension and confusion continued well into the post-WWII years. He talks briefly about the role of the United Service Organization and his correspondence home. Finally, McMillan discusses life after war - the role of the G.I. Bill and his generation's commitment to WW II - and what impact the anti-war protests of the 1960s had on his generation. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource McMillan, Kelsey (Interviewer) Forest Hills Eastern High School (Ada, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) Video recordings United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Air Force Veterans Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2006-06-28 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d67f5010c1243fd8ae3a272af55c4295.mp4 2afe67be8baf0c69a2d263bb2e3881f8 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0a6caf2320adb2c21c3461c76b831c1d.pdf 5c9a7d919471949780736b47dc61dd03 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Edward McLogan (01:04:34) Early Life, Family, And Education. 01:19:24 born in Flint MI; he went to high school in Flint, graduated from the University of Michigan in 1942; he was in the ROTC program in college, and he went “immediately into service as a second lieutenant infantry” 01:49:23his father was in the retail china and glass business; he was also mayor of Flint, though it was a "weak" mayor because it wasn't a full-time position 02:05:28he has two brothers; he and his wife [Beatrice] have six daughters, one son, twenty-one grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren 02:30:25he studied economics and political science, those were his majors, at the U of M Military Experience Before The War 02:45:11ROTC started in the freshman year [college], 1938 for McLogan, before hostilities broke out in Europe; they met twice of week for an hour or two, and it was mostly about the history of war, and much less about weapons 03:26:03his father was a "great flag waver," and encouraged him toward the ROTC and military service 03:48:28he remembers Pearl Harbor day "vividly"; in the fraternity house, most of them did not know for sure where Pearl Harbor was; they all picked up broom handles and marched around the room, not realizing how serious it [the attack on Pearl Harbor] was 05:02:15he does not believe that there were any changes in the ROTC program after the attack on Pearl Harbor, but they were already wearing uniforms and they knew that they would be participating "directly and very soon" 05:21:16he knew he would be in infantry because those in "engine" school had a choice between signal corp., ordnance, or engineering, while but those in "lit school" had to go in infantry Mr. McLogan's Formal Entry Into The Military 05:52:16he went into the military in the summer of 1942, to an infantry replacement training camp in Georgia 06:27:18one weekend, all the lieutenants went to Europe, the next week's lieutenants went to the Pacific; his college roommate arrived in camp the week before him and was sent to Europe; McLogan himself went to the Pacific, he was in camp in Georgia until almost Christmas time 07:09:03as far as training, there was "too much marching around," training with mortars, pistols, rifles, some marksmanship 07:28:03in his junior year in college, he went to Camp Custer in Battle Creek with the ROTC, and he had "fine" training there �08:46:10he shipped out from San Francisco, CA passed under the Golden Gate bridge, and arrived at Pearl Harbor a week later � infantry training and Ranger training began; it was "pronounced and rigorous training of a physical nature," and firing guns was part of the program; this lasted about a month In The Pacific 09:41:21from Hawaii, they sailed to New Hebrides, on the way to the staging area in New Caledonia; from there, the next destination was either the Solomon Islands or New Guinea; he was assigned to the unit that had relieved the Marines on Guadalcanal in January 10:25:21almost 100% of the combat on Guadalcanal had ceased at that point, and he went into training “under McArthur's edict of island hopping”; they knew they would be "making a beachhead" in the Solomon Islands but not exactly where 10:47:13in August, they left on the ship; he was on a destroyer one night with a battalion of men, and they went north in the dark at around 10 p.m.; they stopped at about 3 a.m., about a half mile from shore 11:41:23the battalion commander, Colonel Larson, decided, after talking with McLogan's company commander, that McLogan would take the lead going onto the beachhead; the coast watcher there had designated an area where it was believed they would be unopposed 12:47:10 they “off loaded” at 5 a.m. and went toward shore in a PT boat, which hit coral a hundred yards from shore--the men jumped into the water holding their rifles up; the colonel told him that the coast watcher would hold up one lantern if they were unopposed, and two if their was opposition; they got halfway to shore, and he saw the coast watcher holding up one lantern--they landed on Vella Lavella, “halfway up the chain” of islands [in the New Georgia group of the Solomons] 14:10:10Japanese Zeros were flying over, and there were many dead Japanese soldiers in the water; he believes that those soldiers had been machine gunned from the air, because there were no American soldiers on the island 14:56:14on shore, they dug their foxholes, they were told what position they were supposed to be in, maps were brought out, they were told where the enemy was supposed to be 15:12:06three or four days later, he got an order from headquarters telling him to have his men assemble for an important announcement; a major came along and told them that volunteers were needed for a dangerous assignment and they would have one minute to think about it � if they wanted to volunteer, they were supposed to take one step forward, but there was to be no pressure � he was in a regular army unit then, and the regular army units "never volunteered for anything" � a voice behind him told him that there was his chance—it was Sergeant Michael, and McLogan responded that he would if the sergeant would, knowing that the sergeant would not—it was a "challenge"—but the sergeant said "you're on" and there were two or three more from the approximately forty men in the group �out of 4,500 men in the regiment on the island, there were thirty-two volunteers 17:07:24four or five days afterward, another destroyer took them to New Caledonia; they didn't have much training there, they waited to be transported to Europe; there were three battalions of 900 men each, waiting, and even his battalion commander didn't know what would happen next 17:54:00his colonel put him in charge of the officers’ luggage that would be on the ship that was to take them back to the United States; he went into the town, Noumèa, found a barge, took it to the ship, and the men on the ship yelled that they had come from San Francisco, so McLogan was the first person who knew they would not be trained in or assigned to Europe 18:42:10a day later, they all left on the ship; they stopped in Brisbane, Australia, where they picked up the New Guinea guys � they traveled south, "under" Australia, to Perth; they could then leave the ship, but they had to walk in formation through Fremantle, where barmaids and waiters in restaurants and pubs came running out bringing them steins of beer, and people on the sidewalk applauded them � the next day they left, and it was three days later, when they were in the Indian Ocean, before they got the orders: the destination was Calcutta � India 19:50:26ten days later, two days away from port in Calcutta, it was discovered that the draft of their ship was too deep for the port there; they turned south and landed at Bombay after spending 29 days and nights on the ship 20:33:25they went on trains 100 miles north to a British camp run by General Orde Wingate, who was a "toughy" despite being 5'5" tall; they worked with Wingate for one month 21:04:28they traveled by train again, to central India where they built their own camp; they had two months of training there, beginning at the end of October 21:57:07on January 3, Brigadier General Frank Merrill arrived; he was a big guy, smart, had attended both West Point and MIT, was fluent in Japanese and knew "a bit of Chinese as well" � after a week Merrill contacted Lieutenant General Joseph Stillwell, the commander of the Pacific theater; the War department code word for the men was "Galahad Force" � Stillwell sent McLogan's battalion, by trains, to the Assam province in northeastern India, bordering Burma [Myanmar] 23:17:16McLogan was in the green combat team (each of the three battalions had a combat team), the only one with combat experience, in the Solomons and New Guinea, while the other two were from the States or the Caribbean 23:53:27Merrill decided to split up the battalions, and McLogan transferred from his battalion to the Caribbean battalion, and there were two combat teams in each battalion; once behind the lines they operated together in a sense, with "no more than a day's march" between trails; his [the one he transferred into] was the second battalion; the first battalion was the one from the States 24:51:23they didn't know exactly what Stillwell wanted them to do, but knew they �would be going behind the lines in Burma; they had seen a British map with Burma on it, but it was a thirty-year-old map, though the city of Myitkyinā, on the Irrawaddy River near the China border, was probably on it; they did not know at the time that that was their objective � they went behind the lines at the end of January and were there until the first week in June Burma [Myanmar] 25:49:00they marched and battled their way across Burma, 700 miles, each soldier carrying sixty to seventy pounds of equipment on his back 26:17:26there was just one road through northern Burma, a dirt road that the Japanese had built for supplying their own troops; McLogan never saw any buildings, only bamboo and grass shacks; it was 125 days of sleeping on the ground, digging foxholes, and some "bad" battles; they picked their way until they found "no opposition" then went around them [the Japanese] 27:31:21the terrain was hilly, forested, and they didn't get much sunlight because of the height of the trees; when they marched at night it was pitch dark and they had to hang on to the backpacks of the guys in front of them, or the horses' tails [horses and mules carried supplies] 28:22:02they would be up at the crack of dawn, breakfast was K- rations, the same for the entire 125 days; they tried to have an air drop every five days, because fivedays worth was the limit of the food and ammunition they could carry—they had radio contact with the base for supplies; the Japanese interfered with some of their supply drops from parachutes 30:10:03their initial mission was to take the village of [he didn't remember the name] 55 miles away, and it took them five days to get there; it was a tough battle that lasted three days; with the three battalions acting together; the Americans prevailed � two or three weeks later, the second main battle happened; it had taken two or three weeks of marching to get to it 31:54:19their objective was “five miles south of the village where the Japanese troops were”; they were supposed to block the road below the village � their destination was a few hundred yards from the road; late in the afternoon they crossed the river, "a big river," and dug themselves in; late that night they heard Japanese trucks coming up from the south and heard tailgates slamming; in the morning, the Japanese attacked the Americans 33:39:08at 10 a.m. that morning, McLogan was summoned by Lieutenant Colonel George McGee; McLogan was told to take his platoon of thirty men [it had been thirty-nine] go to the road, through Lieutenant Whitten's area, because Whitten was not under attack; McLogan was told to get two light machine guns from the heavy weapons depot; after that, "we'll come and try to rescue you" 36:03:29they got the guns moved over to Whitten’s platoon; they went "maybe a hundred yards," suddenly there was a Japanese patrol, and the Americans and Japanese were shooting at each other; three Americans were wounded and perhaps two killed; McGee, on the radio, told them they had to get to the road 38:57:06McLogan's men outnumbered the Japanese—there were about ten Japanese—and they scattered; ten minutes later, they ran into another Japanese �patrol—McLogan told McGee on the radio that two more Americans were wounded including one of the machine gunners, but they would still try to get to the road 39:55:05McGee came back on the radio and told them that American planes flying over the road strafing had informed him that the area was "crawling" with Japanese; McLogan was ordered to bring his men back in, but there was a lot of fighting throughout the day 40:19:20late in the day, they were ordered to go back across the river; the men were tired, had not slept "in several nights," and were out of food, but were still fairly healthy; it had been raining all day and it was muddy � they walked until midnight, then were ordered off the trail to rest, and they slept for two hours; they hit the trail again at daybreak, and in one or two days were back at the foot of the hill where they had started; they met up with one of the other battalions, went halfway up the hill and dug in 42:15:06the next morning, moving back onto the trail, they came under Japanese artillery fire that was "accurate from the first round"; both men and animals fell, and there were many wounded � they were at the top of a ridge, and the only way to go was straight forward; they marched, reaching Nhpum Ga at 10 a.m.; Merrill was there and told them they had "to hold this place"; he then moved his headquarters five miles away 43:23:20at 4 p.m. the Japanese infantry attacked, beginning ten days of fighting; they tried to send two patrols a day to each of the other two battalions, but on the third day, some Marauders were killed, and they gave up the patrol idea; Merrill himself had a heart attack and was evacuated 44:01:17they lost their water hole in the village to the Japanese; they then had no water except what drained into a “swampy area” in a defilade and there were a dozen dead horses and mules lying in "that stuff"; each man was limited to half a canteen of water a day 44:48:03the Japanese seemed "a nocturnal type," and the Americans would hear them laughing, talking and chopping down trees, and they would yell insults to the Americans 45:15:07they had translators: thirteen Japanese Americans from California � the one McLogan knew best, his family had returned to Japan before the Pearl Harbor attack � "Roy's younger brother" wound up in the Japanese Army and his parents went to Nagasaki [the older son, Roy Matsumoto, served in the US Army with McLogan] � McLogan's platoon held the top of a hill containing a trail, and it vital to hold that trail; McGee, on the radio, told him to send Matsumoto, who took off his pack and crawled down the hill to enemy lines; twenty minutes later, he reported back to McLogan that his platoon would be hit "full strength" the next morning 47:52:19McGee told McLogan to vacate his foxholes, booby trap them, and move a hundred feet up the hill, giving them a longer firing field 48:37:17the next morning, the Japanese came up the hill and McLogan gave the order to shoot; there were about seventy-five Japanese and lots of them were shot; the �surviving Japanese retreated back down the hill, trying to drag some of their wounded with them 49:10:13in another ten minutes, the Japanese charged again, trying to take the hill, about fifty of them--the Americans counted fifty-four bodies 49:48:03the next day was Easter Sunday; McGee sent out patrols to look for the Japanese, but they found none, and the Americans moved back five miles, to Merrill's camp 50:16:09seven hundred men were now left out of the nine hundred originally in McLogan's battalion, 352 had been wounded and 54 killed 51:36:15they heard a rumor that they would be sent to Myitkyinā; a few days later they were given new maps, then the orders came threw for them to move to Myitkyinā, a hundred miles away, with a 6,000-foot mountain range to cross, and the monsoon was starting besides; it took them twenty-seven days to get there, the trail hadn't been used in ten years and "it got muddy right away from the animals" � the objective was to take the airstrip, a big one, two or three miles from the city; they completely surprised the Japanese; one of the other battalions captured the field � Chinese troops followed them in and made two aborted attempts to capture the city, and even fought each other at one time 54:22:19around June 1 or 2, McGee told McLogan he had lost contact with the Japanese, so he sent him out with his platoon, number ten, to find them � it was a "scrubby, hilly area," and the platoon separated at a "huge bush," with eight men going around to the right, and McLogan and Sergeant Michael going to the left; McLogan saw a Japanese soldier kneeling in his foxhole holding his rifle--he shot Michael in the forehead The Adventure In Burma Ends 56:11:13Stillwell wrote in his diary that "Galahad is just shot"; the next day they were flown out, and everyone went to a hospital; McLogan himself had been wounded at Nhpum Ga, and the wound, though not serious, had not healed 57:16:17part of his men went back in and captured Myitkyinā, but "didn't take it until August" while McLogan was in the hospital 57:46:24McLogan was in the hospital for two months, then he went on leave, to Darjeeling, in northern India 59:03:27after a week, maybe ten days in a “beautiful hotel in Darjeeling, McLogan received shipping orders to go home; he was the "train commander" of the troops returning home; the train took seven days and nights to get to a certain town [McLogan did not remember the name] in Pakistan, where they were put on planes to go home Back In The States 1:00:21:15he was not immediately discharged from the military when he got home— he went to a camp in Florida 1:00:42:28he was reassigned to Fort Benning, and was assigned to do map reading there; he was ordered to the commandant's office—the general's aide de camp was ill, to be sent back to the states; they were selecting aides for him, he had a junior and a �senior aide; McLogan was selected � he saw "all of these famous names," the president of the Phillipines, for example, and was "always in the front seat with the driver" when the "big generals" came through Fort Benning Marauders Rewarded 1:02:24:09bronze stars were given to the Marauders, "to everybody who went through the whole bit," with few exceptions; there were no silver stars or congressional medals, other than the Purple Heart; "we were not mistreated"; colonels and the column commanders got silver stars Beatrice McLogan 1:04:00:15McLogan and his wife had known each other at the U of M; she joined the WAVES [during WWII], a “very fine” and “she enjoyed every minute of that” Washington DC 1:04:34:11after the end of war: at Fort Benning: his colonel was replaced and sent to the Pentagon, where he would not need an aid, but he got McLogan a "decent assignment" working with the ASTP [Army Specialized Training Program] � 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 McLoganE Title A name given to the resource McLogan, Edward (Interview outline and video), 2007 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource McLogan, Edward Description An account of the resource Edward McLogan entered the ROTC at the University of Michigan in 1938, and joined the US Army in 1942. He served as an officer with an army unit in the Solomons, participating in a landing on Vella Lavella, and subsequently volunteered to join a specialized unit that turned out to be Merrill's Marauders. He served as an officer on the unit's mission behind Japanese lines in Burma, and despite being wounded remained with it until the end of its mission. He served for the rest of the war at Fort Benning and in Washington. 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 Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Army World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-10-31 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b6b5cfa0a298f65b88cea12a3342b1b3.mp4 636e0354541f88d595cbb07af403243e https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/25155f21770e20e3f93ec7c908f0a513.pdf 1c2e8b50cb96a54e1a778b388cf6b087 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Beatrice McLogan Interviewer: James Smither Transcribed by Emilee G. Johnson, Western Michigan University Length: 20:22 Jim Smither: Hello, I’m Jim Smither, I’m the director the Veterans’ History Project, at Grand Valley State University. We’re here talking today with Mrs. Beatrice McLogan, she served in the military during the Second World War, and she going to tell us something about her experiences there. Why don’t you start by telling us a little bit about your background, where were your born what did your family do, that kind of thing. Beatrice McLogan: I was born in Ann Arbor, my father was a professor in engineering at the university. 1:00 I attended the University of Michigan and graduated from there in 1944. Jim Smither: Can I ask how old you were when you graduated? Beatrice McLogan: I was 20. Jim Smither: Ok, so how did you do it that fast? Beatrice McLogan: Oh, well, when I was in elementary school they would always pass, I guess kids would talk too much, pass them on to the next grade to get [laughs] get rid of them, so I was passed a couple of times in elementary school, so I was 16 when I graduated from high school, so that’s why I was 20 when I graduated from college. Jim Smither: Ok, and how did you meet Ted? Beatrice McLogan: At the university. One of my best friends in Ann Arbor was dating his college roommate. So that’s actually how I met him. Jim Smither: And at the point where he went off into the Army, were you engaged at that point? Beatrice McLogan: Well, not formally, but we had, maybe, a little understanding 2:00 I would say. Jim Smither: And what did you think about him going off to war in World War II? Beatrice McLogan: Oh, it was the saddest day of my life. It was very tragic to see those boys go. Jim Smither: Ok, and you were then, you stayed in school then for the next two years? �Beatrice McLogan: Yes, well, I was finishing my sophomore year when he went. Jim Smither: And, then what did you do when you graduated, then? Beatrice McLogan: Well, then, I graduated in February, in the middle of the term, because I accelerated a little bit. So, I had decisions to make about what to do, I was an English major and a history minor, as a matter of fact, I decided to join the, apply for the WAVES. That was the naval program and the acronym for Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service. Jim Smither: And why did you choose the WAVES rather than the WACs or another group? 3:00 Beatrice McLogan: Well, I think probably, the uniform had a little something to do with it. [laughs] It’s a very attractive uniform, but I just, well, I’ll tell you the real reason I selected that service, I had a friend at Michigan whose father was a senator, Senator Brown, from northern Michigan was a US Senator and I think he might have been chairman of the Armed Services Committee, he was a very important senator, only, I didn’t appreciate that at the time. The WAVES had just been formed, and Barbara Brown, my friend was considering going into the WAVES. So she asked her father to find out what he knew so he mentioned this to Captain MacAfee, who was the designated head of the organization, and she wrote this wonderful letter, hand-written, two-page letter to Barbara. And I thought, 4:00 my goodness, if they care that much about people this must be a very wonderful organization, so Barbara did not join, but I did. Jim Smither: Ok, what kind of training did they give you once you joined? Beatrice McLogan: Well I went in as an apprentice seaman at midshipman school for two months, we were apprentice seaman. Jim Smither: And where did they have school? Beatrice McLogan: That was in Northampton at Smith College. So we started the first, actually the whole period was two months, not…it was a two-month class, but one semester, the first half, we were apprentice seaman, the second half we were midshipman. We were told that the, that Annapolis set up their program, they sent their staff up to select the classes and train the staff. And we had just remarkable women that were highly trained in their fields and it was amazing to get 5:00 courses like Naval Law, and Ship’s Aircraft Ordnance, we had to learn how to identify by its silhouette, the ships, that was a tough class, because it was in [SKIP] �…active all the time, we were tired a good bit of the time. Jim Smither: Ok, and once you finished that period of training, then what did you do next? Beatrice McLogan: Then I went into communications, I went to communications school, which was held at Mount Holyoke, it had been and then it was moved back to Smith. So that everything was on the Smith campus, that was a two month course. Jim Smither: Now the women that were in there with you, were they also college graduates or? Beatrice McLogan: Yes, they were all college women. My very best friend with whom 6:00 I spent, lived in Washington after, well, she was my roommate at communications school. She had just graduated from the University of Illinois, but we had people from almost every school and many of them were just recent graduates, like I. Jim Smither: Ok, in communications school what kind of work were you doing? What were you learning to do? Beatrice McLogan: Well we were learning how to code, encode and cipher, actually, we did learn a little bit about codes, but codes were not what the Navy used, they used ciphers. Letter-for-letter substitution of messages. So we had to learn how to operate the equipment that does that sort of thing. And we were qualified to handle other varieties if they should ever arise, but they didn’t, they never did at my assignment, I was sent to Washington. 7:00 Jim Smither: And what did you do there? Beatrice McLogan: Well, I was in the code room of what was Radio Washington. We were on watches, there were four watches, to handle it cause we went 24 hours a day, and the watches would start, the first one was a day watch that would be 7:30 in the morning till 3:30 in the afternoon, or maybe it was 4 o’clock, 4:30. Then the next watch came on duty, not us, but the next one, and so forth, it went around the clock. Well, we would work two watches a day, we would work two days on one schedule, which was like 7 to 4, then we would be on 4 to 11. No, wait a minute, I’m getting a little mixed up. Yeah, then 4 to 11, then 11 to 7. So, we would do two days of each. 8:00 So after the sixth day, we would have one day off. And then we would start again on mornings. So we were always, our biological clocks were always being very disturbed, because… Jim Smither: It’s mixed up. Beatrice McLogan: Right. Jim Smither: So what happens in the code room or whatever, when you’re on a watch, what’s going on or? �Beatrice McLogan: Well, the messages came in on a teletype machine. And went, then we got the message which would be just, a series of six letters, five letters, no, yeah, five letters, and then a space and five letters and then we would sit at a typewriter and type the—we can talk about it now because it’s public knowledge about the enigma machine now, you know, that was what we were using—so we would set the wheels for the day, every day the wheels would have a different set, 9:00 and then we would set the wheels and type five letters and it would come out in English. My, now we were just, we were naval communications, I lived in a group house with five other WAVES and three of them were in the Japanese code, but we never knew what they were doing and they never knew what we were doing, because we were very discreet. Jim Smither: How much sense did the messages you were getting make, I mean, when you were decoding did you understand what they were doing and…? Beatrice McLogan: Oh, well, actually there might be voice codes, or, not voice codes, word codes within a cypher. For instance we all chuckled one time, we got a, the Office of Research and Development, dispatches went through out office. And that was the Manhattan Project, the you know, kind of super-secret messages. They were always things no one could possibly understand. 10:00 And one time there was one from London that said, “Eric is home sick.” Well, obviously that meant something, but we, worried about poor Eric off in London. [laughs] We handled the dispatches for the White House, President Roosevelt was a Navy person so he like the Navy to handle his communications. Winston Churchill and Joe Stalin, course we never personally saw the messages, only the watch officer was authorized to decipher, encipher the White House dispatches. But we delivered them, picked them up and delivered them to the White House when they were typed out. Jim Smither: Did you meet any interesting people when you were on that duty? Or ones that were famous? Beatrice McLogan: Oh, yeah. One of my good friends in the office was 11:00 Deborah Kirk, whose father, Alan Kirk, was commodore of the landings at Salerno and D-Day, and he came home quite a conquering hero. But his parents were very close friends of the Achesons’, and I know one Christmas Eve, Debbie was very down, she said to me, “Would you go with me to the Achesons’ Christmas party?” Because we could go on our lunch hour. Because we were on an afternoon shift and she was sort of blue because she couldn’t attend this nice party, so we got a cab and we went to Dean Acheson’s house, that was pretty exciting. And I met Justice Frankfurter, and I didn’t know that they were called Mr. Justice Frankfurter, let’s see how were they called, Mr. Justice Frankfurter, I guess, is the way he was introduced. 12:00 We saw Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., was assigned to the Commander in Chief’s office, so when we got word of that, we were off �and just wandering down the hall to look in and see him. Robert Young, who you probably, do you remember him? Jim Smither: He played Marcus Welby many years later. Beatrice McLogan: Oh, yeah. Well he was in the, I’m trying to think what it was, well actually he’d been on sea duty but he came back to the Navy Department and he was below us, a floor below us, and we’d see him once in a while. And then Admiral Halsey, once the war was over, was assigned an office right across the hall from the code room! And I’ll never forget him, he’d just sit there and watch the girls and he had these big glasses, [laughs] watch us going in and out, and I’m sure he’d never seen a WAVE 13:00 up close before. Well, I guess I can’t, what else can I think of that would be of interest. It was very exciting when the war was over, we were all very thrilled, and I remember probably everybody had a little too much to drink that night, we had, we were on the night watch and I remember a commander saying, “Ok, I guess it’s bout time for us to settle down and get to work!” [laughs] Jim Smither: Do you remember getting the news about the first atomic bomb? Beatrice McLogan: Let’s see. Jim Smither: Cause that’d be a little bit before… Beatrice McLogan: I have a feeling that I was on leave. I think maybe we were on leave at that time when the atomic bomb was dropped. No, no, we were in Washington, Ted had been transferred to Washington 14:00 at that time. And yes, we did k now and it was a huge relief. Absolutely, because everybody knew that everybody who could walk or crawl was going to be involved in the invasion of Japan, and after all we’d been through, it was a pretty nice thing to know the war was over at last. Jim Smither: What was life in Washington like while the war was still going on? What sort of place was it to be if you were a young woman working in the WAVES? Beatrice McLogan: Well, the Navy assumed that if you were an officer, you could take care of yourself, and there were no services as far as housing or you know, a rental organization or anything. So my friend and I who had gone through communications school together, we agreed we would live together in Washington. So, we got the paper out every night and we read the want-ads and course they were always fruitless, the few things that were published. 15:00 And we finally found, well, my sister was living in Washington, and she found a place for us to stay for a short time. It was available for maybe two weeks. And my friend, Elgie said we moved eight times, but I don’t think it was that much! I had a very good friend in Ann Arbor whose father had transferred, or given a position in �Washington on the War Labor Board, and they had a beautiful apartment. And I think Mrs. Skinner was feeling terribly sorry for us and she said, “Would you do me the favor of staying at my apartment so you could water my plants,” while they were going away for two weeks and oh my, that was heaven. [laughs] But finally, it just turned out on our watch that one of our, one of the gals who was working on our watch, was looking for a roommate. 16:00 We said, well, two, take two, you can have us. Jim Smither: Very good. Beatrice McLogan: So that’s the way we moved out to Bethesda. But everybody had a terrible time finding houses. There were people, interestingly, a lot of military wives, whose husbands were overseas, would sometimes find someone to live, rent their house out, so they knew how desperate the situation was. And one of my friends in Ann Arbor who went to Washington moved into a house where the owner actually just took a bedroom, an old bedroom, and the girls had complete run of the house. And when they were there, she went up to her bedroom, so she never intruded on their feeling of togetherness. So housing was a terrible problem in Washington. 17:00 When Ted and I were married, we were very lucky to find an apartment, one of Ted’s colleagues, people were going out on points at that, after the war was over, they went on points, and one of his colleagues points were upped and so he had an available apartment. I don’t think he told many people, I mean, he just told Ted it was available, and he said, “We’ll take it!” [laughs] Jim Smither: So what did you do before he got that apartment, did he still have a place somewhere else or? Beatrice McLogan: No we had it after our wedding, we went with, he stayed with friends of my parents in Arlington and I lived in Bethesda, so it was quite a distance, and he had to save his gas. Gas was rationed in those days. So he would get out to Bethesda and then we were able to move into this apartment right after our honeymoon. 18:00 So that was very, very nice. Jim Smither: Are there other things, either your experiences or for that matter, you husband’s that you’d like to have on record or think that we should know about here? Beatrice McLogan: Well I just didn’t know if you knew that he’d been invested in the hall of fame, Ranger Hall of Fame, he had ranger training, as he told you, in Hawaii and, he was invested, oh, I’d say, seven or eight years ago. Jim Smither: Ok. Well, that’s good to have on the record. Beatrice McLogan: Yes. �Jim Smither: Overall, how do you think your time or experience in the military affected you, do you think it changes the way you do things or did it expose you to things you wouldn’t have seen otherwise? Beatrice McLogan: Well, I was maybe a little more sophisticated than some of the girls that went into service because first of all, I knew Washington. My parents’ good friends at Arlington 19:00 with whom we stayed, and I had a sister who was living there who worked at the Library of Congress, so I had been to Washington several times and I knew the town, I felt very comfortable there, like it very much, it was fascinating to be able to go—one thing Ted didn’t mention was after the Marauder Operation, there was such an uproar about the way the soldiers had supposedly been mishandled, or mistreated, that there was a Congressional investigation and they were given the order that the Marauders could never go into active duty again unless they so selected. And those hearings were held in Washington, obviously, the Congressional hearings. So, when I had time off or I would just work it out, there were days that I was working 20:00 afternoons or whatever, I could go listen to those hearings and the Pearl Harbor investigation, and hearings and that made Washington a very exciting place to be. Jim Smither: All right, well, thank you very much for taking the time to talk to us. Beatrice McLogan: You’re very welcome. Jim Smither: It’s been a pleasure. Thank you. 20:22 � 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 McLoganB Title A name given to the resource McLogan, Beatrice (Interview transcript and video), 2007 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource McLogan, Beatrice Description An account of the resource Beatrice McLogan was a World War II veteran who served in the Navy WAVES from 1944 to 1945. In this account, McLogan discusses her family life, her enlistment and training, and her work in the code office in Washington D.C. 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.) Video recordings United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Naval Reserve. Women's Reserve World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Women Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-10-31 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/78fd9314cf47f90f06fb841e85bd25cc.mp4 46ab2eee2323376b39aa310f472b2680 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3bd05776d1866a0e4acf235cc7f11b3c.pdf 79bb6088b723dfa36f2a9f0c3f55326f PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veteran's History Project WWII Jack McKindley Total Time (00:27:43) Introduction / Service (00:00:10)  Jack was born March 23rd, 1925 in Kalamazoo, Michigan (00:00:33)  He graduated from Mendon High School in 1943; he remembers his family were together when they first heard about the Pearl Harbor attacks and was very shocked (00:02:13) ◦ Although Jack was drafted, many of the older guys in his high school enlisted after Pearl Harbor (00:02:50) ◦ He was sent to Keesler Air Force Base for basic training in Biloxi, Mississippi (00:03:38) ◦ At that point he was designated as Army/Air Force (00:04:24) ▪ Jack's drill sergeant was a corporal and was very loud and strict; he said they were all afraid of him because of the consequences they would suffer if they made mistakes (00:06:01) ▪ Jack and a few others were sent to Arkansas to be a part of the military band; he played trumpet for them (00:07:02)  He played trumpet as a child and this was seen on his application for the military (00:08:20)  He was at the Air-force base in Arkansas for about a year and a half and spent about eight hours a day either playing or practicing trumpet (00:09:18) ◦ Jack didn't think much about how the bars in Memphis, Tennessee were racially segregated; he didn't really notice or pay much attention to it (00:10:24) ◦ In addition to being trained as a musician, Jack was also trained for medical responsibilities as well (00:12:42) ◦ He was part of the 469th Air-force Band; there were 28 members in total (00:13:30) ▪ Jack and his band arrived at Newport News, Virginia in early 1945; they were placed at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia (00:14:07) ▪ Most of the men in his band were young but he did have a master sergeant who was about 15 years older than him at the time (00:16:28)  They played all kinds of music: classical, dance, swing and military marches (00:17:10)  Jack remembers when the Germans surrendered in 1945 while he was at Newport News and he describes it as a thrilling experience (00:19:01) ◦ He was stationed in Virginia through 1945 and into 1946; he was discharged in March of 1946 (00:20:10) ◦ Red Skelton came through Patrick Henry along with other celebrities to perform at USO shows (00:22:00) ▪ Jack remembers he and a few others had to give a stubborn, rich recruit what they called a “GI Bath” to teach him a lesson (00:23:56) ▪ Jack's mother used to write him page after pages of letters; he had two brothers in the Navy as well (00:24:45) �▪ He received one leave to go home while at Newport News (00:25:17) Back Home (00:25:22)  Jack got a job in Mendon working with batteries and cables; after that he enrolled at Western Michigan University- he received his Bachelor’s in Music in 1950 (00:25:56)  He and his wife taught in Howard City and then ended up in the Wyoming, Michigan school system in Grandville (00:26:36)  He played with the Grand Rapids Symphony for a year and then went onto the Grand Rapids Symphonic Band for six years (00:27:10) � 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 McKindleyJ1593V Title A name given to the resource McKindley, Jack (Interview outline and video), 2014 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource McKindley, Jack Description An account of the resource Jack McKindley was born in 1925 in Kalamazoo Michigan. He graduated from Mendon High School in 1943 and was drafted to the United States Army. After doing his basic training at Keesler Air-force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, he was sent to Arkansas to be part of the military band. He played trumpet for the 469th Air-force band with 27 other members. They were stationed outside of Newport News at Camp Patrick Henry in Virginia during the end of the war. He was discharged in March of 1946. 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 Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2014-04-17 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7bfc0958a03c94fcca1055e9cd68d101.mp4 2b6785eefaafffa29eebad04126ee4ca https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ab4874972adeb6aba47193e47bdadb3c.pdf fd072d861047d095bbf084e217a7e160 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Notes Length: 44:46 Donald McKersie WWII Veteran United States Army; February 1943 to January 1946 87th Division, 347th Infantry, 3rd Army (0:33) • • • • • Pre-Army Background Born in Grand Rapids, MI in 1924 Graduated from South High school in 1942 His father was a farmer, whom he learned to be a hard worker from Worked for Michigan Bell before joining the army Inducted into the army on February 1st (3:15) • • • • Notions of World War Two Before Joining the Army Remembers hearing about Pearl Harbor All the news he gathered was from the radio Did not follow news of the war very closely He had expected to be drafted in the near future (4:00) • • • • • • Pre-War Training First sent to Fort Custer in Battle Creek, MI Next sent to Camp Roberts in CA Spent 90 days in infantry training He passed a test that made him eligible for Officer Candidate School Joined a Special Education program Was later sent to Stanford in CA for engineering classes (5:25) • • • • • • Nazis Invade Europe Promptly removed from Stanford and sent to Fort Benning in GA Learned maneuvers for additional assignments Assigned to the 71st Infantry Division, which was a light division from Panama Very few of the men in his division could read or write He first spent six weeks doing KP and Guard Duty, which he did not like Finally complained to Captain Swope, who in return asked him to sign a document, in which Donald unknowingly volunteered to go over-seas (9:10) • • • • 87th Division Traveled from Fort Dicks to England on the Queen Elizabeth There were 10,000 division troops on the ship Spent five weeks in England and then traveled to France Walked across France, Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg �(11:25) Experience in Europe Differed from Training Experience • Training is not even comparable to combat • He lost several of his friends in Europe (12:30) Experience of Combat • Combat is “One day after another of fear” • Carried a running automatic rifle • Combat = killing, being shot at, automatic rifles • He had a mortar experience in which he believes a guardian angel protected him (17:00) Experience of Front Lines in Campaign • Was not completely aware of what was going on with the War in other parts of Europe • Read the Stars and Stripes newspaper to learn more of his surroundings • He did not know much of the German attack in the Battle of the Bulge before getting involved • He acquired frost bite on his feet at the Battle of the Bulge • His division spent 3-4 weeks in the freezing cold before they were able to sleep somewhere warm • The enemy was actually about 500 yards to a half mile away, so there was no close-hand combat • They were always very happy to see the “flyboys,” who helped support the artillery • There were so many of the “flyboy” bombers that they turned the sky black (21:00) End of the War • By the end of the war, his division had pushed all the war through Czechoslovakia • His division had gathered up thousands of prisoners (21:30) Battle of the Bulge • Can’t recall much of the experience because he blocked most of the memories out • Does remember crossing over the Rhine • While staying at an inn in Germany, the building was attacked and all the windows broke. The inn-keeper was crying and Donald felt very sorry for him. He said it was pitiful. (23:20) Relations with Europeans • Many Americans did not get along with the French • They had good relations with German citizens and Donald enjoyed the country of Germany • Encountered evidence of concentration camps and saw lamp shades made of human skin • While in training, he had been taught to fear the SS, yet had not gathered much information regarding the Nazi regime �(26:20) The Last Stages of the War • His division had taken in many prisoners • The violence had stopped instantly • His division accepted the prisoners and were thrilled to see so many surrender • Donald left Czechoslovakia and headed to New York, eventually leaving for Japan • His division left the prisoners with the Russians (28:20) The Last Six Months of Being in the Army • Donald was on a 30 day furlough when the war in Japan ended, which was in July • He had been re-assigned to the Finance Corps in New Jersey where he helped to pay other soldiers that had been discharged • The government had tried to convince him to stay in the army longer, yet he felt that he could never get out fast enough • He had been shipped back to Grand Rapids where he met his future wife • Afterwards Donald attended classes at Michigan State University with his GI benefits, yet he eventually dropped out when his old job at Michigan Bell offered his a raise. He continued to work there for 27 more years (31:00) Description of General Army Experience • Donald disliked being a soldier because he had been taught to kill • He respects all men who have served in the armed forces and has a great loyalty to the flag and the United States as a country • His army experience had a major effect on his life afterwards, which helped him to start his own business where he sold and installed telephone systems for 19 years; his son now runs the business • Donald is personally responsible for the break-up of Michigan Bell because he brought the company to court regarding their monopoly over phone service (36:00) Prisoner Experience • Did not witness any maltreatment of prisoners (37:00) Experience of Training • Similar comparison to present-day training (38:40) Bombing of Japan • Donald was very excited when he had heard the bombs had been dropped • The city of Grand Rapids was booming with excitement; they had even set off fireworks, which had startled him because it reminded him of his combat experience (40:20) World War Two Movies • The movies really bring back old memories and experiences • Donald thinks that every American should see “Saving Private Ryan” �(42:00) Guardian Angel • He had four major operations in the past fourteen years and has made it through all of them relatively well • Recalls the mortar experience in the war and believes that he was protected by a guardian angel • While in the war, he never once thought that he might not make it home � 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 McKersieD Title A name given to the resource McKersie, Donald V. (Interview outline and video), 2007 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource McKersie, Donald V. Description An account of the resource Donald McKersie is a WW II Army veteran who served in the European Theater and in Japan. He took part in the Battle of the Bulge, and talks about the disposition of prisoners by his division. After being sent to Japan, he was on furlough when the war in Japan ended. McKersie discusses the effect serving in the Army had on his life and on his success as a businessman. 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.) Video recordings United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Prisoners of war--Germany Veterans Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-07-02 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e3a5648f27266025fea75f33c55dfb4f.mp4 03281c02f51ed3740b55ddbc4f15cf5b https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c8f1071931490e7dd8e604d147edb3f1.pdf 95e5f3400ed2c2c722c44062507b0fbd PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Name of Interviewee: Thomas McIntire Name of War: Vietnam War Era Interview Length (00:12:15) Pre-Enlistment    Graduated from high school, but the draft was still in effect (1:00) Figured that enlisting would be easier than getting drafted (1:15) Enlisted in the Army in June of 1965 (4:20) Training         Was not in good shape for boot camp, struggled with it (1:40) Had a drill sergeant that chewed tobacco all the time, but was a pretty nice guy (2:20) Did what he was supposed to do to pass boot camp (2:30) Wasn’t too hard (2:45) Basic training was eight weeks long at Fort Knox, KY (3:10) Came home on leave for several weeks, but went back to Fort Knox for truck mechanic school for another 6-8 weeks (3:15) Was sent to Germany after that (3:25) Went out to learn how to drive trucks one day, but he had never driven a manual truck before. It was a quick learning process (5:00) Enlistment            Discharged as a Specialist, 4th Class (0:20) Was a truck mechanic in Germany (0:30) Enjoyed the scenery in Germany (3:35) Went to the motor pool every day to work on whichever trucks needed fixing (4:00) Stayed in touch with family by writing letters, also took pictures (5:50) Never came home while in Germany (6:20) Food was nothing exciting, but got used to it because there was nothing better (6:35) There was a nightclub on base (7:00) Also had a car, so he could travel through Germany (7:20) Always had pranks going on in the motor pool (8:10) Was discharged from the Army in June of 1968 in Fort Dix, New Jersey (9:30) Post-Enlistment      Hung around his house after discharge (9:45) Got bored quickly and looked for a job (10:00) Made a few friends, but doesn’t talk to any of them anymore (10:15) Got a job, but also went back to school (10:45) Was a tool and die maker (11:00) � 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 McIntyreT Title A name given to the resource McIntyre, Thomas V. (Interview outline and video), 2005 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource McIntyre, Thomas V. Description An account of the resource Thomas McIntire enlisted in the US Army three days after his graduation from high school. He was sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky for boot camp, and later for truck mechanic school. The Army sent Thomas to Germany, where he worked in the motor pool on a base there. Thomas was discharged in June of 1968, and came back to Michigan to become a tool and die maker. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Velting, Stacy (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2005-05-26 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives