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Grand Valley State University
Veterans’ History Project
Doug Voss
Cold War 1968 – 1971 (South Korea and West Germany)
1 hour 25 minutes 9 seconds
(00:00:40) Early Life
-Born on March 1, 1950, in Buffalo, New York
-Moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1963
-Father worked at a lumber mill
-Mother was a homemaker, but later got a job
-Parents got divorced which prompted the move to Grand Rapids
-Doug, his two sisters, and his mother moved to Michigan
-Went to two high schools
-Started at Union High School then moved to South High School
-Graduated from South High School in 1968 (last graduating class)
-School used to be located at the corner of Jefferson and Hall
(00:02:07) Awareness of the Vietnam War & Social Change
-Aware of major events surrounding the Vietnam War
-Remembers the Gulf of Tonkin in August 1964 and knowing it would lead to war
-Watched the news every night
-Saw increasing casualty numbers in Vietnam
-Believed that the Vietnam War was a just war
-Remembers 1968 being a tumultuous year
-A historical dividing point
-The year Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy were both assassinated
-South High School was an integrated school and he had black friends
-After MLKJ’s assassination he saw the division between races
-There was no violence, but the gap made itself more apparent
(00:04:25) High School Reserve Officers’ Training Corps & Enlisting in the Army
-He was in the High School Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) in high school
-Sophomore year through senior year
-Decided that he wanted to enlist in the Army when he was a junior in high school
-Believed the Vietnam War to be a noble cause and the spread of communism was a real threat
-In ROTC they had squads, platoons, and companies
-When he graduated, he held the rank of captain in the ROTC
-Started as a private at Union High School and made his way up through the ranks
-Enjoyed everything about ROTC
-The classes, the rifle team, learning about military law, drills, ceremonies, and tactics
-Enlisted in the Army in June 1968 after graduating from high school
-Mother disapproved because she feared he would be sent to Vietnam
-Had a physical exam and took aptitude tests in Detroit
�-Mix of draftees and enlistees
-Saw some of the draftees trying to get out of military service
-Some of them faked being gay to get out of the draft
-Returned home for two weeks after that
(00:08:35) Basic Training
-Reported to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on July 1, 1968, for basic training
-Greeted by drill sergeants screaming orders at him and the other recruits
-Told to get off the bus and line up
-Kept up all night to get processing done
-Testing, lectures on Army laws, and doing paperwork
-Next day got heads shaved and issued a uniform
-All processing took two or three days
-Quartered in older barracks built during World War II
-Had someone on fire watch every night because the buildings were so flammable
-Physical training was the first part of basic training
-Issued a rifle in the first or second week of training
-Taught how to make bunker and organize footlocker
-Everything had to be uniform
-Learned how to march and drill
-Easy for him to adjust to because of his time in the ROTC
-ROTC instructor had told him what to expect
-It was disorienting at first, then he adjusted
-His drill sergeant was fair
-Didn’t pick favorites and he meted out punishments equally
-Men in the training platoon kept a check on the other recruits
-If one recruit performed poorly, and brought the unit down, he’d get a “blanket party”
-One recruit throws a blanket over the recruit then everyone punches him
-Some of the men had trouble adjusting
-There was a National Guardsman that was older and unfit
-One man was a nervous wreck, but he adjusted
-Understood basic training better after he completed it
-Taught conformity, camaraderie, and unit cohesion
-Qualified on the M14 rifle, but also trained with the M16 rifle
-Lasted eight weeks
(00:17:45) Advanced Individual Training
-Sent to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, for his advanced individual training (AIT)
-He wanted to be a mechanic, so he received mechanic training
-Lasted eight weeks
-Started with learning how an engine runs
-Learned about the different components of vehicles
-Suspension, drivetrain, diesel vs. gasoline, and electrical components
-Learned how to drive an array of wheeled Army vehicles and how to change their tires
-Had a practical test at the end of AIT
�-Went to the field to repair a disabled 2-ton truck
-Had to diagnose the problem then fix it
-He had been told he had an aptitude to be a mechanic during his processing in Detroit
-Due to being an enlistee, he had a better chance of getting his selected job than a draftee
-Had air conditioned barracks at Fort Jackson
-Treated better during AIT
-Had an inspector general inspection during his time at AIT
-Platoon sergeant made him and the other recruits clean the barracks every day
-They passed the inspection
(00:22:00) Deployment to South Korea
-In November 1968 he received his deployment orders
-Originally slated for Vietnam
-Orders changed to South Korea near the Demilitarized Zone
-Mother was relieved he wasn’t going to Vietnam, but Korea worried her too
-USS Pueblo incident, Blue House Raid, and ambushed patrols
-Advised him to be careful
-Flew on a chartered commercial airliner to South Korea
-12-hour flight
-Stopped in Japan
-Chance to get out and stretch his legs
(00:24:18) Arrival in South Korea
-Landed at Kimpo Airfield north of Seoul
-Warm day in November
-He smelled the human and animal fertilizer on the rice paddies
-Assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division at Camp White Cloud
-Note: May mean Camp Red Cloud
-Sent to replacement barracks for three or four days of orientation
-Learning about Korea and a little about the Demilitarized Zone
(00:26:11) Assignment to 23rd Infantry Regiment
-Assigned to Headquarters Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 23rd Infantry Regiment
-North of Freedom Bridge, by the Imjin River and the Demilitarized Zone
(00:26:46) Stationed near the Demilitarized Zone
-The 23rd Infantry Regiment generally did three tasks
-Patrolled the DMZ, repaired the barrier fence, and patrolled around the Imjin River
-Constantly looking for North Korean infiltrators
-Had orders to shoot to kill
-He did some night patrols outside of the DMZ and watched for movement
-Received on-the-job training to learn about tracked vehicles
-Learned about the engine, drivetrain, and transmission
-Armored personnel carriers brought soldiers to the DMZ, but never entered
-Against treaty for vehicles to enter the DMZ, only foot soldiers
-Told to always be prepared for action
-On patrols they had eight men and set up a static position (similar to an ambush)
�(00:31:40) Incidents in the Demilitarized Zone
-There were a few incidents in Korea during his tour
-Saw some shooting between North and South
-Saw someone set off foo gas barrels and it lit up the night sky
-Fougas: Homemade napalm used as a defensive weapon
st
-1 Battalion took some casualties, but doesn’t recall 2nd Battalion taking any casualties
-There were a lot of short-lived firefights in 1969
-Killed some North Korean soldiers in the process
-Some North Korean soldiers managed to infiltrate South Korea
-Result of a pact between Ho Chi Minh and Kim Il Sung
-Keep the Americans and South Koreans distracted from Vietnam
-Throw those countries off balance and put into a vulnerable position
(00:36:16) Contact with South Korean Soldiers
-Had some Republic of Korea soldiers attached to his unit known as KATUSAs
-KATUSA: Korean Augmentation To the United States Army
-The South Koreans were good soldiers and the ones in his unit spoke English
-Had one or two KATUSAs per unit
-Good for interpreting and teaching the culture
-Never saw them do any maneuvers, but heard the South Koreans were tough
-For example, officers could hit their subordinates
(00:37:45) Tour in South Korea
-Stayed in South Korea for 13 months
-Put the finishing touches on the barrier fence
-Lined foxholes with concrete pipes to prevent washout during monsoon season
-He helped with that and remembers being told to stay on guard
-Checked vehicles on the line to make sure they were functioning
-He was selected to put on a mock patrol for visiting dignitaries
-Went to an observation post capable of seeing North Korea
-Walked a patrol in the DMZ
-Temporarily assigned to C Company because they were short on mechanics
-He drove an M113 armored personnel carrier for C Company
-Spent four months on the DMZ, four months off it, then four months on again
-When off the DMZ they trained, and relaxed
-On the DMZ you had to be hyper vigilant which was stressful and emotionally taxing
-Went to a camp south of the Imjin River during the four months off the DMZ
-More relaxed atmosphere
-Allowed to leave the base
(00:42:45) Downtime in South Korea & Contact with South Koreans
-While off the DMZ you could go off base
-South Korea had a strict curfew set at midnight
-Most Koreans spoke some English
-Allowed to visit Seoul, but he never did
-Closest larger town was Munsan-ni
�-He grew to respect the Koreans
-Those that lived near the DMZ had hard lives, but made a life for themselves
-A lot of farmers
-He appreciated their tenacity
-Certain clubs were off-limits to American servicemen
-Women that worked at clubs had to be checked by doctors on a regular basis
-There was a thriving black market in South Korea
(00:45:33) Drugs in South Korea
-He didn’t notice hardly any drug use in South Korea during 1969
-Only drug he ever heard mentioned was weed by only a couple soldiers
-Heard about the drug problem getting worse after he left South Korea
-Heroin started showing up in the early 1970s
(00:46:20) Morale in South Korea
-Morale was good during his tour
-Had a change in battalion commanders during his tour
-New battalion commander was strict, but he was a good leader
-Forbade any unauthorized, non-military items in the barracks
-Threw a party for Michiganders, because so many Michiganders were in the battalion
-He was also from Michigan
(00:48:03) Release of USS Pueblo Crew
-USS Pueblo crew was released from North Korean custody on December 23, 1968
-He was on guard duty and got to see the buses transporting the crewmembers
-Remembers waving at them and wishing he’d had his camera
-Note: Allowed to have cameras when outside the DMZ
(00:49:14) Contact with Home
-Wrote letters home to keep in touch with family
-Usually wrote his mother, aunts, uncles, and the parish priest
-Took a while for letters to start reaching his mother
(00:49:38) North Korean Infiltration
-Took a while for letters to get home, because 30 or 40 North Koreans infiltrated South Korea
-Placed on alert to hunt for the North Korean infiltrators
-Unable to write home for a few weeks
-Between American and South Korean forces, all infiltrators were killed or captured
(00:51:30) First Night in South Korea
-Remembers his first night in South Korea
-It was dark and he was assigned to a bunk
-Heard mortars and thought it was an attack
-Learned they were illumination rounds requested by troops in the DMZ
(00:52:18) Incidents in South Korea
-Never took incoming fire during his time in South Korea
-Incidents had happened before his tour
-Two barracks were destroyed by North Korean saboteurs
-A vehicle ran over a landmine placed by the North Koreans
�-Dug up in the DMZ and moved into South Korea
-Used smudge pots lined along the barrier fence to provide illumination
-Gave just enough light to see the barrier fence and any movement
-Remembers seeing a foo gas barrel being set off and the subsequent explosion
-Saw tracers fired across the DMZ
(00:54:44) Awareness of the Vietnam War in South Korea
-Had men in his unit that had served in Vietnam
-They were good men
-Patrols usually had a squad leader that had had served in Vietnam
-Didn’t pay much attention to the Vietnam War
-Too much going on in South Korea to pay attention to Vietnam
(00:55:40) Racial Tension in Vietnam
-There wasn’t racial tension during his tour in South Korea
-Everyone got along well with each other
-Tensions became manifest in the 1970s, after he left
(00:56:33) Draftees & Enlistees
-Half of the men were enlistees, and the other half were draftees
-Draftees saw the enlistees as “lifers” even if the enlistees weren’t career soldiers
-Enlistees called “lifers” because they did one more year than draftees
-Draftees protested more than enlistees
-Felt the enlistees should do more work because they chose to serve
-He had some career soldiers in his unit
-His drill sergeant from basic training served in Vietnam
-Joined Doug’s platoon in South Korea
(00:58:40) Defending South Korea
-General Bonesteel III created a layered defense system for South Korea
-Multiple lines of defense
-Demilitarized Zone
-Patrols in the Demilitarized Zone
-Minefields
-Guard posts
-The sand pit
-Barrier fence
-Foxholes
-Positions behind the foxholes
-Patrols along the Imjin River and boats patrolling the river
(01:00:25) North Korean Propaganda
-Remembers the North Korean propaganda speakers on the other side of the DMZ
-Played speeches by North Korean soldiers speaking English
-Decried capitalism as oppressive and stealing from the needy
-Glorified North Korea and Kim Il Sung
-Loud at night
-Played Captain Bucher’s “confession” (former captain of the USS Pueblo)
�-Said it was a spy ship, and the US government was in the wrong
-Made his confession under duress
-Recanted his confession after being released from North Korea
(01:02:50) Bob Hope Show
-Bob Hope came to Munsan-ni for a USO Show on December 22, 1968
-Brought a few famous people with him
-Football player Rosey Greer
-Ann-Margret
-Dean Martin’s Golddigger dancers
-Excellent show
-Stopped in South Korea en route to Vietnam
(01:03:53) Reassignment to West Germany & Assignment to 3rd Infantry Division
-Left South Korea in December 1969
-Sent to West Germany after a two-week leave home
-Assigned to 3rd Battalion of the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division
-Stationed in Schweinfurt
-Worked along the Czechoslovakian and East German border
-Similar to duty in South Korea except without the hostility
-Looked for any changes in communist territory
-He worked as a mechanic and as an infantryman
-His unit needed scout personnel, which is why he became an infantryman
-Transferred to the motor pool because they needed mechanics
-More peaceful than South Korea
-Got to see the old German architecture and the old cities
-Visited Munich and Berchtesgaden
-Visited the old castles
-Found German beer to be superior to American beer
-It felt like a regular job
-Had formation at dawn, breakfast, then worked for the rest of the day
-Worked day shifts during his time in Germany
-Started with guard duty around the motor pool until another new soldier joined the unit
-Promoted to Specialist 5th Class and he was made the commander of a tracked recovery vehicle
-No more guard duty or charge-of-quarters duty at night
-Had to be available at all times if a vehicle needed to be recovered
(01:08:55) Contact with Germans
-Most of the Germans liked the American soldiers
-Some found the Americans to be arrogant, or obnoxious
-One German told him America might be great, but not all Americans are great
(01:09:43) Soviet Invasion
-There was concern about the possibility of a Soviet invasion of West Germany
-Whenever he went on maneuvers he thought about that
-Had a captain that had studied Russian tactics
-Did company-sized maneuvers to prepare for an invasion
�(01:11:05) Drug Problem in West Germany
-There was a larger drug problem in West Germany than in South Korea
-Hashish was the drug of choice
-When he arrived in 1970 there was no problem, but it gradually got worse
-Soldiers became drug dealers and tried to ship their products back to the United States
-Negatively affected the morale of the unit
-Battalion commander finally addressed the issue and called the men into formation
-Told them they had 48 hours to shape up, or request discharge from the Army
-A few men took the offer to leave with a less-than-honorable discharge
-Resulted in a smaller unit, but a stronger one
(01:13:19) Racial Tension in West Germany
-Racial tension was more visible in West Germany than in South Korea
-The Germans didn’t understand the black soldiers
-Started seeing more of an attitude of white versus black in Germany
-Some black soldiers held a sit-in around the flagpole
-Sat all day and into the night
-Higher-ranking officer heard their demands and made some changes
-Made Soul food available in the PX (easiest change)
-More respect from commanders and dealt with favoritism
-Tensions eased after that protest
-Remembers a fight between black and white soldiers in the Enlisted Men’s Club
(01:15:30) End of Service
-Encouraged to reenlist at the end of his service
-The problems he saw in Germany turned him off from reenlisting
-Didn’t want to be in the Army if those problems existed and persisted
-Feels the all-volunteer Army fixed those issues
-Finished his time in Germany, and was discharged at Fort Dix, New Jersey, in 1971
(01:16:48) Agent Orange Compensation
-Agent Orange was used along the DMZ in South Korea
-Saw trucks and South Koreans spraying the chemical along the road
-During the 2000s, the government recognized the use of Agent Orange in South Korea
-At the time, he was told that it wasn’t harmful to human beings
-Potent enough to kill all vegetation in a matter of hours
-Veterans that served in South Korea can now get compensated if they were exposed
-Must show symptoms of exposure (various cancers, digestive or respiratory problems)
-Served in South Korea from 1967 – 1970
-Part of a unit stationed along the Demilitarized Zone
-File a complaint via your doctor
(01:19:55) Life after Service
-He enjoyed mechanic work and wanted to make a career out of that
-Attended Montcalm Community College on the GI Bill to learn how to be an auto-mechanic
-Like it at first, then stopped enjoying it
-Helped his stepfather paint houses for a while
�-The General Motors factory on 36th Street, Grand Rapids, began hiring
-Got a job with them and worked for them for 30 years until the factory closed
(01:20:56) Joining Veterans of Foreign Wars
-Joined Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 702
-Enjoys being part of that post
-Veterans from World War II to the War in Afghanistan; all served in combat zones
-Had combat pay, which qualified him to join the VFW
-Got the Armed Forces Expeditionary Forces Medal
(01:22:45) National Guard Service
-Joined the Michigan National Guard in 1978 and stayed in for a couple years
-Part of the 126th Infantry Regiment
-In a fire support team
-Directing fire support for the company commander
-Enjoyed that job
-Read a grid map and called in artillery fire
-Only met once a month and went to Camp Grayling, Michigan, once a year
-Not the same camaraderie as in the regular Army
-Felt like he was trying to reclaim something that couldn’t be reclaimed
(01:24:20) Reflections on Service
-Built confidence
-Did things he never thought he would do
-Saw places he never thought he’d see
-Learned a skill and did multiple jobs
-Good experience except for the end of his tour in Germany
�
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
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<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
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Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Identifier
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RHC-27
Language
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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
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RHC-27_VossD1947V
Title
A name given to the resource
Voss, Douglas (Interview outline and video), 2016
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-09-08
Description
An account of the resource
Doug Voss was born on March 1, 1950, in Buffalo, New York, but he moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1963. He was in the High Reserve Officers' Training Corps, and he enlisted in the Army in June 1968. He went to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, for basic training then went to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, for mechanic training. In November 1968, he was deployed to South Korea where he served with Headquarters Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 23rd Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division. They operated on and inside the Demilitarized Zone, carrying out patrols and guarding the DMZ from North Korean intruders. During his time in South Korea he witnessed the release of the USS Pueblo's crew from North Korean custody. He left South Korea in December 1969 and went to West Germany for a tour in Schweinfurt with the 3rd Battalion of the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division. After his tour in West Germany he was discharged at Fort Dix, New Jersey, in 1971.
Creator
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Voss, Douglas Wayne
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Smither, James (Interviewer)
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States--History, Military
Veterans
Video recordings
Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American
United States. Army
Type
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Moving Image
Text
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a>
Rights
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<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Relation
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Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Publisher
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Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan
Language
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eng
Format
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video/x-m4v
application/pdf