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https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6449ef5b46a9da04e7a991aa6e5deba6.m4v
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https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4646931beaa002fb1820c2a6a1a2c100.pdf
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PDF Text
Text
Grand Valley State University
Veteran’s History Project
Margaret Akines
Note: Widow of Bill Akines (World War II veteran and survivor of the USS Indianapolis sinking.)
46 minutes 48 seconds
(00:00:39) Margaret’s Early Life
-Born in Nashville, Tennessee, on August 18, 1938
-Father was a tomato farmer and mother helped on the farm until she got a management job
-Loved growing up in Nashville
-Had three brothers and three sisters
-One brother is still alive (as of 2016)
-All of her sisters are still alive (as of 2016)
-She is the oldest child
(00:03:06) Margaret’s Adult Life
-Got married when she was 15 years old
-Had four children before she turned 20 years old
-Got her GED when she was 40 years old
-First marriage didn’t work
-Worked for the Krystal fast food chain for 29 years
-Became the first female area manager
-Started working on a grill and through various promotions became an area manager
-Retired from Krystal in 1985
-Met her second husband, Bill Akines, working at Krystal
-He was her boss
-Love at first sight
-He had a tough exterior, but was actually a gentle man
-He had two children from a previous marriage
-Daughter is still alive, but son has since died
-Met in 1971 and got married in 1978
-Had met her before when he came to one of the stores
(00:08:48) Bill’s Involvement with the USS Indianapolis
-Knew he had served during the Second World War aboard the USS Indianapolis
-He didn’t talk about it often, and those details stayed in the background
-He started talking about the sinking of the USS Indianapolis later in life
-Invited to the dedication of the USS Indianapolis memorial in Indianapolis in 1995
-She learned more about the sinking from the other survivors and, Only 317 Survived!
-Bill always shrugged off the “hero” label
-He was just grateful to have survived, and remembered the comrades that died
-Had gone to one or two reunions before they got married
-The reunion group had lost his address, so he didn’t go to any reunions until 1995
-Sponsor of the memorial dedication reached out to him
-Allowed him to go to the ceremony and reconnect with the group
(00:13:12) Sinking of the USS Indianapolis
-Note: USS Indianapolis torpedoed on July 30, 1945; only 317 men survived out of 1,196
�-She knew almost nothing about the sinking of the USS Indianapolis
-Learned more about the sinking during the memorial dedication in 1995
-Most survivors couldn’t talk about the sinking without being emotional
-Bill was only 17 years old when the ship sank
-On the last day before getting rescued his life-jacket approached failure
-He was on the ship’s bridge and had just gotten off duty at midnight on July 30
-Doing some quartermaster work
-At 12:14 a.m. a Japanese submarine torpedoed the Indianapolis
-He may have jumped overboard, or waited to slide down into the water as the ship sank
-He managed to get with a larger group of survivors
-Remembers sharks being in the water around his group, but not in the group
-Saw sharks attacking survivors, and survivors fighting off the sharks
-Sharks had been attracted by the open wounds on some of the men
-Remembers the light coming from the USS Cecil J. Doyle, first ship to arrive on the scene
-Like a light from heaven
-Note: Began rescue operations on August 2, 1945
-Brought to Guam to recover
-Bill knew they had classified material, and it was important, but didn’t know what it was
-The Indianapolis had brought the atomic bomb components to Tinian on July 26, 1945
-He felt the bomb ended the war and brought about a quicker victory for the United States
-Supported Captain Charles B. McVay III during the court-martial
-Note: Captain McVay was court-martialed in November 1945 for losing the ship
-Bill never held any ill-feelings for the captain
-Felt it was a tragedy that he was being tried for losing a ship during wartime
-Note: Captain McVay committed suicide in 1968
(00:25:42) Public Awareness of the Sinking
-Jaws was the first time Margaret remembers seeing widespread exposure of the sinking
-The dedication of the memorial in 1995 was the next major event
-Remembers the campaign to exonerate Captain McVay of his court-martial
-Mochitsura Hashimoto (Commander of submarine that sank the Indianapolis)
-Hunter Scott (sixth grade student)
-Commander of the USS Indianapolis (submarine)
-All worked to see Captain McVay exonerated
-Captain McVay, via Congressional resolution, had his record exonerated in July 2001
-Margaret and Bill felt it was a long time coming and the right thing to do
(00:27:51) USS Indianapolis Reunions Pt. 1
-Thinks it’s wonderful that Hashimoto’s daughter and granddaughter come to the reunions
-The survivors understand that it was part of the war and nothing personal
-None of the men carry any hate for Commander Hashimoto or his family
-She never saw any disrespect of the daughter or granddaughter
-Accepted them into the reunion group and treated them like family
(00:30:48) Media & Teaching about the USS Indianapolis Pt. 1
-Thrilled with the new documentary by Sarah Vladic, USS Indianapolis: The Legacy
-Margaret feels the documentary is well done and serving a good purpose
-Getting more public attention about the sinking in the United States and abroad
-Good for the survivors to have their story known by more people
-Believes the sinking ought to be taught in American History lessons
-Ignored because the Navy made a fatal mistake that killed over 900 men and lost a ship
-Note: Distress signal from the USS Indianapolis ignored by Navy personnel
�-Feels the Navy tries to distance itself from the sinking because of the negative PR
-Doesn’t surprise her
(00:35:03) USS Indianapolis Reunions Pt. 2
-Bill passed away in 2011, but she still attends the reunions every year
-Bill would have wanted her to go
-She cares about the other survivors and the friends she made in the reunion group
-Her way of staying connected to Bill
(00:35:45) Media & Teaching about the USS Indianapolis Pt. 2
-People often confuse the USS Indianapolis with the USS Arizona (sunk at Pearl Harbor)
-Understands why people confuse the two ships
-Has found that more people are learning about the sinking
-Getting more public involvement and attention
-There are plans to have a memorial erected in Lansing, Michigan, for the Michigan survivor
-Addition to memorials in Colorado, Texas, Connecticut and Indiana
-She feels that anyone involved in the sinking deserves recognition
-Every detail is important
-Feels that Doug Stanton’s book, In Harm’s Way, is one of the best books about the sinking
-Outstanding job of chronicling the survivors’ thoughts and feelings
-Feels that Only 317 Survived! is the most personal record, In Harm’s Way best overview
(00:45:21) Reflections
-Proud to have been Bill’s wife
-Glad she can still represent him and the story of the USS Indianapolis
�
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
AkinesM1951V
Title
A name given to the resource
Akines, Margaret (Interview outline and video), 2016
Description
An account of the resource
Margaret Akines was born in Nashville, Tennessee, on August 18, 1938. She married Bill Akines in 1978. He was one of the 317 men that survived the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, and in this interview she tells about his experience surviving that catastrophe. Bill was active in the USS Indianapolis survivors’ group, and since his death in 2011 Margaret still attends the annual reunions and maintains contact with the other survivors.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Akines, Margaret
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Hammond, Steve (Interviewer)
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States--History, Military
Veterans
Video recordings
Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Moving Image
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-09-12
Format
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application/pdf
video/mp4
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https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/15a41c42fa8501addbd181fcb4aaef81.m4v
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https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/76cd471202c7627952c3731da11eaa40.pdf
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PDF Text
Text
Grand Valley State University
Veterans’ History Project
Lin Bashford
Vietnam War
1 hour 15 minutes 40 seconds
(00:00:25) Early Life
-Born in Scott’s Bluff, Nebraska, on August 20, 1946
-Moved to Wyoming when he was two years old
-Father worked for the Bureau of Reclamation
-Attended high school in Cheyenne, Wyoming
-Graduated in 1964
-Attended Casper Junior College for 2 years then University of Wyoming for 2 ½ years
-Graduated from college with a degree in range management (bachelor degree of science)
-Every six months he got an update about his draft status
-Draft board kept close tabs on him
(00:02:18) Getting Drafted
-Got a job with the Wyoming Game & Fish Department
-Tried to enlist in the National Guard
-Denied enlistment because he was already slated to be drafted
-Received his draft notice
-Went to Denver, Colorado, to report for his draft physical and induction in April 1969
-Had ten slots open for the Marine Corps, and the draft board needed to fill those slots
-He was initially selected, and didn’t want to go into the Marines as a draftee
-Fortunately, someone else volunteered and filled his slot
(00:05:34) Basic Training Pt. 1
-Sent to Fort Ord, California, for basic training
-Taken by bus to the receiving station
-Greeted by drill sergeants screaming orders at him and the other recruits
-Knew what to expect because his father had served in the Army during World War II
-Drill sergeants screamed at recruits and threw gear at them
-Had difficulty adjusting because he was older and was used to being independent
(00:07:34) Social Movements & the Vietnam War
-Noticed some anti-war protests while in college
-Saw more civil rights protests than anti-war protests
-Remembers protests about the “Chicago Seven”
-There were hippies around the university
-He was part of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Rifle Team
-More aware of the hippies and anti-war protesters than average students
-Mostly knew about the Vietnam War via the news and from conversation with friends
-Knew one young man that had been killed-in-action
-Knew the war was dangerous
(00:10:08) Basic Training Pt. 2
-Did a lot of physical training and drilling to get into shape
-Received firearms training
-Did classroom work
-Learned about Uniform Code of Military Justice and Army etiquette
-He was in good physical shape during basic training
�-Some of the drill sergeants were better than others
-Some drill sergeants targeted the men that had graduated from college
-If you did well, you were celebrated; if you did poorly, you were mocked
-Lasted eight weeks
(00:11:51) Advanced Infantry Training
-Assigned to advanced infantry training at Fort Ord
-Moved to a different part of the base
-Learned about infantry tactics
-Trained with grenades and other firearms
-Went through gas training
-Went into a chamber to be exposed to CS gas (form of strong tear gas)
-Went on forced marches
-Did week-long bivouacs
-A lot of the instructors had served in Vietnam and tried to prepare recruits for Vietnam
-Difficult to mimic Vietnamese climate in southern California
-Began training with M14 rifle, then M16 rifle, M60 machine gun, M79 grenade launcher
-Also worked with Light Anti-Tank Weapon and hand grenades
-Given a brief overview of mortars
-Taught how to call in mortar fire, not how to fire the mortars
-Lasted eight weeks
(00:14:42) Non-Commissioned Officer School
-He was selected for Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) School
-Originally selected to be an 11-Foxtrot (Long Range Recon Patrol)
-Sent to Fort Benning, Georgia, for NCO School
-Learned how to read maps, how to escape & evade capture, and how to be a leader
-Received classroom and practical training
-Worked as platoon sergeant, and as a squad leader
-Getting experience in various leadership positions
-Involuntary assignment
(00:17:44) Stationed at Fort Carson
-Graduated from NCO School and went to the base of his choice for on-the-job training
-He selected Fort Carson, Colorado, to work with an infantry company
-Assigned to unit within the 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized)
-Served with a regular unit as a sergeant
-Stationed there in January and February 1970
-Very cold during field training
-Working with men that already fought in Vietnam
-Got to visit his family on leave
-Assigned to Fort Carson for six weeks
(00:20:10) Deployment to Vietnam
-Orders came for him to report to the depot in Oakland to be deployed to Vietnam
-He expected it since he’d gone through NCO School
-Got a few weeks of leave before his deployment
-Flew in a chartered commercial airliner to Vietnam
-Stopped at Honolulu, but not allowed to leave the airport
(00:21:18) Arrival in Vietnam
-Landed at Bien Hoa Airbase near Saigon
-Noticed the overwhelming heat and stench
-Smelled like a hot sewer
�-Placed in a truck and taken to a reception center for incoming replacements
-Assigned a bunk
-Received in-country training
-Living in Vietnam
-Issued new clothing
-Pulled guard duty, cleaning duty, and kitchen patrol
-Stayed at the reception center longer for a week
(00:23:44) Assignment to 101st Airborne Division
-Assigned to the 101st Airborne Division operating in I Corps (northern most part of South Vietnam)
-Flew in a C-130 up to Camp Eagle
-Received more training there
-Jungle tactics, rappelling, target practice, and patrol training
-Went on patrols outside of the base with live ammunition
-Stayed there for about one week
(00:25:58) Joining D Company
-He went to Camp Evans to join D Company of 2nd Battalion of the 506th Infantry Regiment
-Joined them in April 1970 while the company was in the field
-Pulled guard duty at Camp Evans until he joined D Company
-Flew to Firebase Ripcord because the unit was there
-Barren, rocky, hilltop base surrounded by barbed wire
-Had artillery batteries and a helipad
-Supporting artillery fire for infantry units in the field
-One company stayed on the base while the other companies patrolled around it
-Joined a squad in D Company
(00:28:45) Patrols around Firebase Ripcord Pt. 1
-Walked off Ripcord to conduct patrols around the firebase
-Operated in hot, humid, and mountainous jungle
-Seemed like mass confusion to him
-Walked in a staggered, single-file line
-Forged their own trails
-Stayed aware of booby traps
-A couple men tried to help him and correct his mistakes
-Sergeant Skinner helped him a lot
-He was willing to learn from anyone, regardless of rank
-Felt the platoon leader did an excellent job
-Felt Captain Rollison was gung-ho, but cared for his men, and was respectable and competent
-Started patrols in late April/early May 1970
(00:33:05) Enemy Contact
-Very first day off the base they got attacked
-Didn’t see much of the enemy soldiers
-Saw North Vietnamese soldiers run across the trail in front of him
-Realized they were people, and not just the enemy
-First contact was very brief
-Told to go look for an enemy presence
-Found some fresh, bloody bandages, but nothing else
-Nearly impossible to see targets in the jungle
(00:36:15) Reassignment to Camp Evans Pt. 1
-Near the end of the battle of Firebase Ripcord (July 23, 1970) he was reassigned to the rear
-Captain Rollison recommended him for company clerk duty at Camp Evans
�-Felt it would be a good place for Lin’s abilities and the safest place for him
(00:37:40) Patrols around Firebase Ripcord Pt. 2
-Patrolled from one hilltop to the next
-Took hours to go from one night defensive position to another one
-Never had a “typical” day
-At night they set up a position and established a perimeter
-Set up antipersonnel mines, dug foxholes, and pulled guard duty in shifts
-North Vietnamese did recon probes at night, but never engaged in firefights
-Heard other units getting attacked at night
-One of his most vivid memories is one unit finding an enemy bunker complex
-Called in an airstrike and remembers the napalm bombs exploding on the target
(00:40:51) Battle of Firebase Ripcord
-On July 1, 1970, the North Vietnamese began their bombardment of Firebase Ripcord
-Heard the bombardment all the time
-On July 7th and 8th D Company assaulted Hill 1000
-His squad stayed back
(00:42:27) Life in the Field
-Using the bathroom in the jungle was always a chore
-Had to find a place outside the perimeter and remain vigilant
-Then returned to his unit without accidentally getting shot by his own soldiers
-Resupplied by helicopter
-Food, water, and clothing
-Ate C-rations
-Cans of pork and beans, cans of ham and lima beans, and other canned foods
-None of it tasted very good
-Had Tabasco Sauce to make the food taste better
(00:44:54) Vietnamese Scouts
-Had a Vietnamese scout with his unit who was tremendously helpful
-Identified tracks, booby traps, and enemy explosives
-Served as interpreters for prisoners-of-war
-Knew one scout that had surrendered and defected to US/South Vietnamese forces
(00:46:42) Reassignment to Camp Evans Pt. 2
-Sometime in late July he was sent to company headquarters at Camp Evans
-Served as a company clerk
-Handled morning reports, radio traffic, leaves, R&Rs, and personnel records
-Men came to Camp Evans with injuries
-He monitored them and gave updates to their units in the field
-Assigned men to bunker detail, kitchen patrol, and waste burning
-Usually had eight to ten men from D Company at Camp Evans at any time
-Going to/coming from R&R, leaving Vietnam, and sick or injured
(00:49:43) Fall of Firebase Ripcord
-Didn’t know a lot about the events surrounding the end of the battle of Firebase Ripcord
-Knew about D Company being sent to rescue A Company
-Firebase Ripcord was evacuated on July 23, and American bombers destroyed the base
(00:50:47) Life at Camp Evans
-Fell into a routine
-Wrote letters on behalf of the captain for the men killed-in-action
-Wrote more letters than he wished he’d had to
-A good friend of his was killed-in-action
�-D Company made some random contact after Ripcord
-122mm rockets hit Camp Evans at least once a week
-Learned how to take cover, fast
-Didn’t sleep well
-Lived in tin shacks with sandbags on top of the shacks
-Had a barber, a PX (Army general store), a hospital, and a helipad for gunships
-Also had an enlisted/NCO club and an officers’ club
-Had Vietnamese civilians working at the barber shop and PX
(00:54:30) Drug Use & Racial Tensions
-Saw men using drugs at Camp Evans
-Most men used weed, but there was some heroin use
-Told not to talk about the heroin use
-Caught a Vietnamese scout with heroin and turned him over to the military police
-Units still functioned despite drug use, but some soldiers had severe problems
-Drugs were a problem in the rear, but not in the field
-There was racial tension at Camp Evans, and it got worse over the course of 1970
-Issues and attitudes imported from the United States
-More aware of issues because he’d had law-enforcement training in college
(00:58:20) R&R
-Went to Australia for his R&R
-Chose Australia because he wanted to get out of Southeast Asia
-Treated well by the Australians
-Didn’t notice any anti-war or anti-American sentiments
-Explored Sydney for a few days
-Visited New South Wales Conservation Office
-Spent time with a conservation officer and his family
-Kept in touch with them after the war
-Saw a lot of the Australian wildlife
-Took his R&R after he was ¾ done with his tour in Vietnam
(01:01:24) Progress of Vietnam War
-Noticed the “Vietnamization” process, but it was not as prevalent in I Corps
-Note: Vietnamization – term used to describe transfer of fighting duties to South Vietnam
-Heard about the Americal Division (23rd Infantry Division) and 4th Infantry Division leaving Vietnam
(01:03:30) Work at Camp Evans
-He took his job seriously
-Knew how to do his job and did it well
-Gave good updates to units in the field, and also managed personnel and supplies well
-Processed incoming replacements
-Tried to prepare them for when they joined their units
-Did a lot of work on his own
(01:06:27) End of Tour & End of Service
-Knew about a month before his tour ended that he was nearing the end
-Wrote a letter to the Chief Game Warden of Wyoming about getting his old job back
-Received his orders to return to the United States
-Checked out of D Company, out of 2nd Battalion, and finally out of the 101st Airborne Division
-Went to Na Trang, to Saigon, and flew to Fort Lewis, Washington
-Filed a lot of paperwork at Fort Lewis and got a new uniform
-Offered a chance to reenlist, which he declined
�(01:09:47) Coming Home
-He flew home in uniform
-Got hassled by protesters at the Seattle airport
-Protesters taunted him, and targeted soldiers with the Combat Infantry Badge
-Came as a surprise to him, because he didn’t think it would happen to him
(01:11:35) Life after the War
-Didn’t get his old job back
-Given a temporary assignment in Casper, Wyoming, as a deputy
-Did that for a month
-Conducted patrols and maintained the grounds for the Department of Wildlife
-After his supervisor degraded him for being a Vietnam War veteran he received transfer orders
-En route to his new assignment he stopped in Rawlins, Wyoming
-Knew the sheriff there, and the sheriff offered Lin a job with the department
-He worked with the department for seven years
-Returned to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to work as an investigator
(01:15:10) Reflections on Service
-Learned patience
-Learned how to take orders
-He would do it again, if he had to, for love of his country
�
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
BashfordL1958V
Title
A name given to the resource
Bashford, Lindon L (Interview outline and video), 2016
Description
An account of the resource
Lin Bashford was born in Scott’s Bluff, Nebraska, on August 20, 1946. He was drafted in April 1969 and went to Fort Ord, California, for basic training and later advanced infantry training. He was selected for Non-Commissioned Officer School and went to Fort Benning, Georgia, to receive that training. He was stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, in early 1970 before deploying to Vietnam in early spring of that year. He joined D Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division in April 1970. He went on patrols around Firebase Ripcord and was in the area when the Battle of Firebase Ripcord began on July 1, 1970. Shortly before the fall of the firebase he was reassigned to Camp Evans to serve as company clerk. In early spring 1971 he returned to the United States and was discharged at Fort Lewis, Washington.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Bashford, Lindon
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
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Moving Image
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-10-08
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
video/mp4
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/bc451503d8bbd96184a55b3557c11dab.m4v
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https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/428337fc153b0953087d2507872ca8f1.pdf
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PDF Text
Text
Grand Valley State University
Veterans' History Project
Tom Bilecki
War in Afghanistan
27 minutes 24 seconds
(00:00:02) Serving in Afghanistan Pt. 1
-Did two tours in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom
-Stationed at Forward Operating Base Frontenac 26 miles north of Kandahar
-First tour was in 2004
-Second tour was in 2012
-FOB Frontenac was a good base
-Had good housing made out of shipping containers
-Had beds
-Showers
-Dining facilities
-Each tour lasted nine months
-Federal government federalized his National Guard unit prior to being deployed
-Meant that they were technically part of the Army
-Three months of pre-deployment training and nine months of tour
-National Guard and regular Army troops got along better
-National Guardsmen pulled half of the missions in Afghanistan during his tours
-Served as an operations sergeant
-Worked in the unit command post
-Assisted the commander in planning missions and the logistics
-Monitored the radios and computers when soldiers went on missions
-Reported mission progress to higher-ups
-Remembers on one night six Taliban militants infiltrated FOB Frontenac
-Came out of Pakistan
-Launched their attack at 2:30 a.m.
-Heard helicopter gunships firing at the militants inside the FOB
-Sirens sounded and he decided that it would be best to get out of bed
-Waited to see how long the shooting lasted and if it was moving toward him
-Most of his unit was in the field, so he was essentially on his own during the attack
-Went up on top of his living quarters to watch as U.S. infantrymen fought the militants
-Felt pretty safe during the attack
-Only six militants, and their objective had been to sabotage artillery positions
-By the end of the firefight all six Taliban militants had been neutralized
-10-14 American soldiers wounded in action, and one Afghan national killed in action
(00:05:45) Conditions in Afghanistan
-Found FOB Frontenac's location to be desolate and flat
-Situated in the high desert
-Meant the desert itself was about 3,000 feet above sea level and mountainous
-Arrived in January during the rainy season
-Meant everything was muddy and ugly
-In the summer it got really hot
-On one summer day it got up to 136o
-Fatigues and body armor made it feel even hotter
�-40-50% humidity during the summer
-Had a sandstorm every ten days
-Forced them to shut down operations
-Storm lasted about one day
-Could always see the storms coming
(00:07:50) Deployment to Afghanistan
-Had one year of advance warning before deploying to Afghanistan
-Twice a month he reported for four days of training to prepare for deployment
-Enough time to alert his civilian employer that he was being deployed
-Army provided him with a packet to give to his employer explaining the situation
(00:08:46) Serving in Afghanistan Pt. 2
-Not too many memorable experiences in Afghanistan
-Remembers one instance when his unit got ambushed
-He was on the radio in the command post listening to the battle
-Had to Medevac a dozen men
-Battle lasted from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
-Had to listen to the entire battle on the radio
-Directed air support to aid the troops
-Medevacs to evacuate wounded, helicopter gunships, and drones
-Drones allowed him to have a bird's eye view of the battle
-Medevacs went into a “hot” (taking enemy fire) landing zone if necessary
-Nobody was killed in action during that battle
-Worst casualties were a few men needed amputations and a few men with broken backs
-Happened on his second tour
-Nobody was killed on the first tour
-All things considered, deployments were relatively safe in Afghanistan
-Low casualty rate considering the number of men deployed to Afghanistan
(00�:12:39) Contact with Civilians Pt. 1
-Not allowed to go off the base on his own
-His unit patrolled 16 villages near FOB Frontenac
-Seeing what the civilians needed
-Trying to win the “hearts and minds” of the people
-Civilians sided with whomever gave them better stuff
-Trying to convince the Afghans that Americans were better benefactors than the Taliban
(00:13:22) Contact with Home
-Able to keep in touch with his family during his tours
-Had a good internet connection at FOB Frontenac
-Had a phone connection
-There was a communication center on the base with phones and computers
-Able to Skype with his family
-Signed up for a communication plan that cost him 4¢ per minute
(00:13:52) Food in Afghanistan
-Food was good in Afghanistan
-Rarely ate Meals Ready to Eat (MREs; similar to rations in World War II, Korea, Vietnam)
-At them for a month after the Taliban attack at FOB Frontenac
-Mess hall caught fire during the attack and burned to the ground
(00:14:34) Personnel at FOB Frontenac Pt. 1
-800 to 1,000 American troops stationed at the base
-400 to 500 civilians doing laundry, working in the mess hall, or doing mechanical work
�(00:15:05) Working as an Operations Sergeant Pt. 1
-Stressful when you knew that lives were on the line
-Mentally prepared himself for that reality
-Not a lot of choice on what he was assigned to do in the Army
-Took aptitude tests during training
-Offered assignment in the Army based on test scores and need for type of personnel
(00:16:00) End of Service Pt. 1
-Served in the Army National Guard for 17 and a half years
-As of the interview he is now officially discharged from the National Guard
-Discharged with the rank of E5 (sergeant)
-Initially thought he would only serve six years in the National Guard then end his service
(00:16:35) Work Routine in Afghanistan
-Usually only had an hour off each day
-Spent it by going to the gym at FOB Frontenac
-Busy the rest of the day
-Worked 12 hour days
-When he wasn't working as the operations sergeant he worked with Afghan interpreters
-Worked 254, 12 hour days, in a row
-Soldiers that went on patrol had one day off per week to resupply and do maintenance work
-Rest of the week, they went outside of the base for six or seven hour long patrols
(00:18:10) Contact with Civilians Pt. 2
-Only went off the base once a month
-Went with soldiers to nearby villages
-Providing health and welfare
-Handing out books and toys to civilians in the villages
(00:18:42) Patrols
-When he went off the base he traveled with a platoon
-Minimum unit strength: four vehicles and 16 soldiers
-More concerned about IEDs than direct enemy contact
-16 mile radius around FOB Frontenac was the area of operations for his unit
(00:19:41) Working as an Operations Sergeant Pt. 2
-Had a few men subordinate to him that worked with him in the command post
(00:19:56) Enemy Contact in Afghanistan
-Militants took potshots at vehicles, but to no effect
-Average IED could destroy a tire, but not the entire vehicle
-By 2012, vehicular armor could withstand the average IED blast
-One IED was big enough that when it exploded it flipped over a vehicle
-Only major IED his unit encountered
-One soldier had to have both of his arms amputated
(00:20:46) End of Tour
-Always happy to know that he had reached the end of his tour
-New unit moved in two weeks to a month before his unit left the base
-Trained them and informed them of the situation in the region
-He was sent to Kandahar Air Force Base 28 days before the rest of his unit left the base
-He was no longer needed at the base
(00:21:50) Personnel at FOB Frontenac Pt. 2
-There were a lot of American contractors in Afghanistan
-American civilians working for corporations that had contracts with the government
-Biggest threat to contractors was traveling outside of the base
�(00:22:40) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 & the War in Afghanistan
-Glad that he served and went on deployments
-He would go again if he was ordered to, but he wouldn't volunteer for it
-Thinks the United States will leave Afghanistan and be replaced by Chinese forces
-Feels the U.S. could have done more to fight the war in Afghanistan
-Believes that America needed to invade Afghanistan following the September 11th Attacks
-Doesn't feel that Iraq got media attention than the Iraq War
-During his second tour in Afghanistan (2012) the Iraq War was effectively over
-Training at Camp Shelby, Mississippi when Osama bin Laden was killed (May 2, 2011)
(00:25:37) End of Service Pt. 2
-Since he got discharged he has relaxed and gone on a few vacations
-Discharged from the National Guard in April 2015
-Intends to work with veterans' organizations in the future
(00:26:30) Reflections on Service Pt. 2
-Service and deployments made him a more worldly person
-Introduced him to other worldviews
-Feels that Americans, as a whole, need to be more aware of those different worldviews
�
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
BieleckiT1845V
Title
A name given to the resource
Bielecki, Thomas G (Interview outline and video), 2014
Description
An account of the resource
Tom Bilecki served in the Army National Guard in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. He did two tours, one in 2004 and another in 2012. He was stationed at Forward Operation Base Frontenac 26 miles north of Kandahar. He served as an operations sergeant in the command post helping plan missions and call in air support for units in the field. Once a month he accompanied patrols to nearby villages and helped distribute books and toys to Afghan children and also got an idea of what the Afghan civilians needed in the way of aid or supplies. After 17 and a half years in the Army National Guard he retired with rank of sergeant.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Bielecki, Thomas G.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Neering, Grant (Interviewer)
Caledonia High School (Caledonia, Mich.)
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States--History, Military
Veterans
Video recordings
Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American
United States. National Guard
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Moving Image
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Date
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2014-10-19
Format
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application/pdf
video/mp4
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0d36f49b5335dc44c344e1ce201a90b6.m4v
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https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7e8b352bf99a8fce3032fb60e20abcef.pdf
70537fbdaa5087d9f1f10b6f6ba3484e
PDF Text
Text
Grand Valley State University
Veterans’ History Project
Thornell Billingslea
Vietnam War
1 hour 14 minutes 45 seconds
(00:00:40) Early Life
-Born in Detroit, Michigan, on June 29, 1947
-Grew up in Detroit
-Father was a career soldier
-Raised by his mother and great-grandmother
-His mother worked in the school system then in the state hospital system
-They were poor and lived on the East Side of Detroit
-Attended John J. Pershing High School
-Father was a sergeant major in the Army
-Sent money home
-Had a younger brother
-Parents got divorced shortly after the birth of his younger brother
-Graduated from high school in 1965
-Worked for Chrysler for nine months and got fired
-Worked for TRW Incorporated in Warren, Michigan
(00:02:45) Getting Drafted & Awareness of Vietnam War
-Received his draft notice in 1966
-Didn’t know a lot about the Vietnam War
-Saw it on the evening news
-Aware of fighting in Vietnam
-Took his draft physical when he turned 18 years old
-His eight paternal uncles and his four maternal uncles served in the military
-He expected to serve regardless of the draft
(00:03:50) Basic Training
-Reported to Fort Wayne, Michigan, to be sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training
-The drill sergeants asserted their dominance and intended on making soldiers out of the recruits
-Thornell expected this after talking to his uncles
-First few days of basic training spent on testing and processing
-Did calisthenics every morning before breakfast
-Received rifle training
-Got some Jungle Training
-Did hand-hand training
-Went on long marches
-Marched up “Suicide Hill” with a full backpack
-Strong emphasis on discipline
-Remembers standing in formation, at attention, when a bee stung him and he didn’t move
-Drill sergeants taught him a lot
-Emphasized that discipline and hard work in basic training meant survival
-He adjusted easily to Army life
-Lifelong athlete made physical training easy, and he understood the discipline aspect
�-Some of the men had difficulty adjusting
-In the fourth or fifth week one man swallowed aluminum foil on purpose and got discharged
-He was drafted with some of his friends and was able to train with them too
-Basic training lasted eight weeks
(00:09:15) Advanced Infantry Training
-He volunteered to be a paratrooper meaning he would receive Infantry Training before Jump School
-In Advanced Infantry Training (AIT) he received Infantry Training and more Jungle Training
-Sent to Fort Gordon, Georgia for AIT because it was closer to Fort Benning than Fort Polk, Louisiana
-Focused on infantry tactics and how to survive behind enemy lines
-Received more training with the M-16 rifle
-Went on an overnight maneuver
-Sent into the wilderness and told to get back to base
-Trained with a full range of infantry weapons
-M79 grenade launcher, M60 machine gun, M72 LAW (antitank weapon), rifle-mounted
grenade launcher, and the .50 caliber machine gun
-Simulated conditions in Vietnam
-Had a mock village for patrol training
-A couple of the sergeants had been to Vietnam
-Advised the men to keep their feet dry and powdered to avoid infection
-Avoid the villages and the women
-Watch out for booby traps
-Received booby trap training
-Close, but not the same as the real thing
-Visited Augusta, Georgia, twice during his time at Fort Gordon
-Noticed the racism and discrimination
-Certain hotels refused him, and other black soldiers, service
-Got robbed while in a hotel
-Called the police and they were no help
-On the way back to base a black soldier got into a fight with a few white men
-Wondered why he should serve a country with citizens that hated him
-Stayed at Fort Gordon for six weeks
(00:16:55) Airborne Training
-Sent to Fort Benning, Georgia, for Jump School (Airborne Training)
-Ran five miles in the morning and did calisthenics then got breakfast
-Received parachute training
-How to land without injuring himself
-Jumped from a training tower
-Part of the intense physical training was to ready the body for landing after a jump
-Also preparing to do a lot of walking and running
-Only three men dropped out
-One man broke his leg
-Started with jumping off a stool and landing with a tuck and roll
-Moved onto going down a zip line from a tower
-Did this every day for the first three weeks
-In the fourth week he did training jumps from a plane
-Had to do three successful jumps to get his Airborne wings
-First jump was phenomenal and exciting, but subsequent jumps were scarier
(00:20:13) Deployment to Vietnam
-Sent to Fort Campbell for two weeks
�-Received orders for the 173rd Airborne Brigade
-Missed the 173rd’s combat jump in Vietnam (Operation Junction City)
-Went home on leave
-Visited TRW because most of the workers were veterans
-Accepted well by his community
-Proud of his accomplishments in the Army
-Sent to Fort Dix, New Jersey, and flew to San Francisco
-Boarded another plane in San Francisco and flew to Vietnam
-Stopped at Hawaii and Okinawa en route
(00:22:12) Arrival in Vietnam
-Landed at Tan Son Nhut Airbase in the morning
-First impression of the country was that it was hot, and surprisingly peaceful
-Received a brief orientation upon arrival
-What to do, what not to do, and stay away from the women
(00:23:08) Joining the 173rd Airborne Brigade
-Assigned to Alpha Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 173rd Airborne Brigade
-Operating out of Bien Hoa at the time
-When he arrived at the base nobody was there except for support personnel
-Rest of the unit was in the field
-Assigned to a hut
-He was by himself on his first night in country
-Remembers halfway through the night something trying to get up on his bunk
-He swatted at it and it yelped
-Relieved to discover that it was a puppy
-The unit returned and he was assigned to 1st platoon in Alpha Company
-He met with the men in his unit
-Despite being the “new guy” he made friends quickly
-Diverse mix of races
-About 60 percent black, 20 percent Hispanic, and 20 percent white
(00:26:38) First Patrol
-Went out in helicopters to get into the field
-Started taking sniper fire before hitting the landing zone
-Reached the landing zone and jumped out of the helicopter
-10 to 12 foot jump from the helicopter
-Hit the ground running
-Advancing toward the snipers and returning fire
-Killed one of them and the other two retreated
-Walked away from the landing zone and got to a place to make camp
-Dug foxholes, ate C-Rations, and took turns standing watch
-On this patrol Alpha Company moved as a company; not platoons or squads
-Operated in a mix of jungle, fields, and rice paddies
-Never walked on trails, and instead made their own trails
-Walked in a ten yard spread
-The other men knew how to operate in the field
-A Native American soldier took care of Thornell and taught him how to survive
-This same soldier could smell Viet Cong soldiers and knew where they had been
-It was a quiet patrol
-Encountered another sniper, but he retreated
-Went on this first patrol in March 1967
�(00:31:05) Moving to Pleiku
-Stayed at Bien Hoa until May 1967
-Went to Taipei, Taiwan, for R&R
-Unit moved to Pleiku shortly before his R&R
-Stayed there for three weeks and experienced the monsoon
(00:31:54) Enemy Contact – Bien Hoa
-Always had light enemy contact around Bien Hoa
-Encountered Viet Cong troops and never North Vietnamese Army troops
-Usually ran into individual snipers or squads of Viet Cong troops
-Captured one Viet Cong soldier and sent him back to base for interrogation
-Unit didn’t take any casualties while operating out of Bien Hoa
(00:33:00) Operating out of Bien Hoa
-Patrols lasted two to three weeks
-After patrols they returned to base and went to a bar in Bien Hoa
-Never saw any civilians on patrols
-Didn’t go through villages or farms
(00:34:04) Operating out of Pleiku
-General Westmoreland wanted to focus efforts on Pleiku
-This prompted the 173rd’s move to Pleiku
-Traveled to Pleiku by way of convoy
-Passed through the Ia Drang Valley and heard “Hanoi Hannah” on the radio
-Operated out of Pleiku for two or three weeks
-Had a small base at Pleiku
-Went on small patrols
-Remembers a firefight wherein a few American soldiers got wounded
-First time seeing wounded American troops
-Had orders to wait for the enemy to shoot first, but they tended to ignore that order for survival
(00:36:41) Operating out of Dak To
-Moved to Dak To in early June 1967
-Started encountering heavier resistance than before
-More concentrated fire and organized attacks
-Found enemy tunnels, bases, and other signs of human activity
-Operated as a fully company
-About 125 to 130 men in the field during patrols
-Dak To was a small base in the Central Highlands and it had an airfield
-Allowed them to fly out to the field and go on patrols
(00:39:05) The Battle of the Slopes (Hill 1338)
-On the third patrol out of Dak To they fought the Battle of the Slopes on June 22, 1967
-On June 21 they found a tunnel system and set up camp near the complex
-The next day, Thornell and a few other men stayed behind to gas the tunnels
-The rest of Alpha Company moved on
-Rejoined his platoon in the midst of an intense firefight
-When Thornell reached his platoon a quarter of the men were either hit, or killed
-The jungle was too thick for an outflanking maneuver
-Alpha was spread out and pinned
-Later found out that it was Alpha Company against a battalion of North Vietnamese troops
-North Vietnamese attacked in waves
-He lost his radio and was the only man not wounded or dead
-Thornell tended to the wounded while returning fire
�-Attack helicopters and jets came to try and hit the North Vietnamese positions
-Limited visibility and proximity of the enemy troops made airstrikes impossible
-Thornell went to the main body of Alpha Company to inform them of his platoon’s position
-He returned to his platoon and tended to his lieutenant and medic
-Lieutenant had a severe head wound and medic had been disemboweled
-It started to get dark, so Thornell decided to go to Alpha and see if they could get evacuated
-On the path he encountered three North Vietnamese soldiers
-He shot and killed one,
-Used his knife to kill another,
-Killed the third with his bare hands
-Realized that Alpha Company had left the area
-Began walking back toward the base at Dak To
-Took him three days to get from Hill 1338 to Dak To
-Only had one meal and limited water
-Lived off of grubs and vegetation
-Whenever he saw Vietnamese troops he took cover and let them pass
-Reached the perimeter of the base
-Guard on watch recognized him and helped guide him through the minefield
-Lieutenant and medic died from their wounds
-Note: 76 men of Alpha Company had been killed and 23 men wounded
-Most of the men had died from the wounds
-Survivors also said the North Vietnamese executed some of the wounded
(00:48:33) Recovering from the Battle of the Slopes
-Had to get reinforcements to rebuild Alpha Company
-He helped identify the dead
-Identified the body of his friend, Eddy
-Went out on another night patrol on June 28
-Hadn’t gotten much sleep, so he fell asleep on watch
-Punished with having to dig an 8’ x 8’ x 8’ hole
-General Westmoreland came to the base at Dak To
-Thornell was called to go before the general
-Awarded the Bronze Star for his actions at Hill 1338
-Got some sergeants from other companies to rebuild Alpha Company
-Majority of reinforcements came fresh from the United States
(00:52:53) Officers in Alpha Company
-Got a new lieutenant that graduated from West Point
-He was book smart, but lacked experience
-Most West Point graduates were over ambitious and cared more about commendations
-Some of the men wanted to “frag” (assassinate) the executive officer (XO) of Alpha Company
-Felt he was incompetent and prejudiced
-Thornell’s friend, Eddy, had been a typist and company clerk
-Good position since he was married and it was safer
-The XO found another typist, a white man, and replaced Eddy
-Got Eddy sent to the field and ultimately killed at Hill 1338
(00:54:55) Battle of Dak To & Getting Wounded
-The Battle of Dak To became an extended campaign
-Went out on a patrol on July 9
-Hit the landing zone and immediately took sniper fire
-Captain called in artillery to neutralize the snipers
�-One of the artillery rounds fell short
-Severely wounded Thornell and nine other men
-He had been wounded before, but this time he almost lost his arm
-Given morphine and got evacuated to a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH)
-Woke up two days later and told to write a letter home
(00:58:19) Recovery & Coming Home
-Evacuated to the Philippines for more surgery
-Sent to Japan and stayed there for a month
-Almost had his arm amputated
-A colonel stepped in and did the surgery, saving Thornell’s arm
-Flown to Alaska then Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland
-Bused Valley Forge General Hospital, Pennsylvania
-Nine months of rehabilitation
-Went to the gym every day and played basketball
-Visited New York City and Philadelphia
-Went home on leave after a month at the hospital
-Went to the Philadelphia airport
-Protester spit on him and he got into a fight with the protester
-Police broke up the fight and backed Thornell
-Family welcomed him home and called him a hero
-Brother got sent to Vietnam since Thornell was home
(01:03:10) End of Service
-Sent to Fort Knox for the rest of his enlistment
-Didn’t make sense to him since he had a medical profile
-Couldn’t handle a weapon or lift more than ten pounds
-Got to Fort Knox about one week after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
-Troops had been deployed out of Fort Knox to deal with riots in the cities
-He stayed in the day room and played music to pass the time
-Majority of black soldiers and even some white soldiers didn’t want to go to the cities
-Discharged in August 1968
-Army encouraged him to leave
(01:05:41) Life after the War
-Got married in September 1968
-Went back to work for TRW
-Stayed until 1986
-Went to Wayne State University on the GI Bill and studied social work
-Wanted to do more work with his hands, though
-Got a scholarship with BASF to become an electrician for the company
-Ultimately moved to Kentwood, Michigan and lives there as of the interview
(01:08:05) Reflections on Service
-Gave him a lot of discipline and the ambition to complete his goals
-His service also left him with PTSD and severe injuries
-Has chronic pain in his arm and had to have 13 surgeries
(01:09:25) Coping with PTSD
-Had two sons, a wife, work, school, and his own small business
-Overworked to avoid his PTSD
-If he stayed busy he couldn’t focus on the bad memories
-Played basketball and drank a lot to avoid the memories
-Started getting treatment for his PTSD in 2005
�-Had retired in 2002 which gave him more time to focus on his experiences in Vietnam
-Started seeing a psychologist and going to group therapy
-Works with other veterans to help them with their PTSD
-Runs a veteran group on Tuesday nights
-Does peer-to-peer counseling as an independent therapist
-Is working with an Afghan War veteran as of the interview
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Veterans History Project
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University. History Department
Description
An account of the resource
The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1914-
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American
Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American
Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American
Michigan--History, Military
Oral history
Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American
United States--History, Military
United States. Air Force
United States. Army
United States. Navy
Veterans
Video recordings
Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American
World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Smither, James
Boring, Frank
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-27
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a>
Oral History
A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
BillingsleaT1929V
Title
A name given to the resource
Billingslea, Thornell (Interview outline and video), 2016
Description
An account of the resource
Thornell Billingslea was born in Detroit, Michigan, on June 29, 1947. In 1966 he was drafted and received his basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He volunteered to be a paratrooper and received his Advanced Infantry Training at Fort Gordon, Georgia, and his Airborne Training at Fort Benning, Georgia. He went home on a short leave before being deployed to Vietnam. Thornell landed at Tan Son Nhut Airbase and was assigned to Alpha Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. He joined his unit at Bien Hoa and was assigned to 1st platoon. He went on patrols out of Bien Hoa, Pleiku, and Dak To. While at Dak To he fought in the Battle of the Slopes (Hill 1338) and after getting separated from his unit walked for three days to get back to Dak To. Thornell was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions at Hill 1338. He was wounded on a patrol on July 9, 1967, and after recovering was stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky until he was discharged in August 1968.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Billingslea, Thornell
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Smither, James (Interviewer)
WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.)
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States--History, Military
Veterans
Video recordings
Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American
United States. Army
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a>
Type
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Moving Image
Text
Rights
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<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-03-03
Format
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application/pdf
video/mp4
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/35c1624a41ece8adc49c6155d1152d92.m4v
acce21667ccb0ced8b3ea5624f00b55f
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/91ab1c910c4f88021cd07bcf9a81245c.pdf
8c96977c53a2b0818bc6efd8f63f9d1c
PDF Text
Text
Grand Valley State University
Veterans’ History Project
David C. Bloye
Cold War
1 hour 29 seconds
(00:00:20) Early Life
-Born on September 2, 1940, in Grand Rapids, Michigan
-Grew up in Grand Rapids
-Father worked as an accountant and as a project manager
-Mother was a housewife
-He had three younger brothers
-Attended Godwin Heights Public Schools from kindergarten through senior year of high school
-Graduated in June 1958
(00:01:16) Enlisting in the Navy Reserve
-Enlisted in the Navy Reserve in September 1957
-Needed his parents’ permission to enlist because he was 17
-Enlisted in the “2 by 2 by 2” program
-Two years of active reserve
-Meeting at the reserve center once a week
-Two years of active duty
-Serving on a base or on a ship
-Two years of inactive reserve
-Don’t have to report for duty unless necessary
(00:02:24) Active Reserve Duty
-Started his active reserve duty while still in high school
-Doing classroom work at the reserve center in downtown Grand Rapids
-Military courtesies, uniform protocol, shipboard duties, terminology, etc.
-Did two weeks of basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois
-Summer after graduating from high school
-Took a train to Chicago and a commuter train to the base
-Continuation of classroom work
-Did firefighting courses and his swim qualification test
-Returned to Grand Rapids
-Studied at Grand Rapids Community College for the fall semester of 1958
-Went to the reserve center on Wednesday nights
(00:04:50) Active Duty
-Decided to go on active duty in early 1959
-Reported for his active duty on March 17, 1959
-Flew to Philadelphia and reported to the receiving station
-Interviewed by a classifier to see what he was qualified to do and what he wanted to do
-He wanted to go to Electrician’s School
-Waited for orders for three weeks
(00:06:00) Joining the USS Norfolk (DL-1)
-His orders were to join the crew of the USS Norfolk, a destroyer leader
-There was no opening for Electrician’s School and he couldn’t stay at the receiving station
-Went to Norfolk, Virginia, then to Portsmouth, Virginia where the ship was in dry dock
-In dry dock until early April 1959
�-Went out on a shakedown cruise
-Figuring out if the ship needed further repairs
-He got seasick crossing the Chesapeake Bay as well as other new sailors
(00:08:22) West Coast Voyage & Anti-Submarine Exercises
-After the shakedown cruise they departed for the West Coast
-Going there to do exercises with the new ASROC (Anti-Submarine Rocket) system
-Took a week to sail from Norfolk to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
-Spent the weekend there
-Took another week to get to the Panama Canal
-Spent the weekend at Rodman Naval Station
-Went through the Panama Canal and anchored off the coast of Acapulco, Mexico
-Sailed up to Long Beach, California, for the weapons test
-Had civilian technicians on board to see the test
-Operated off the coast of Long Beach during the summer of 1959
(00:10:09) Duties on the USS Norfolk
-He was assigned to a deck division
-Maintaining the weather deck of the ship
-Making sure the winches are functional, chipping paint, and painting the ship
-He was assigned to mess cooking duty for three months
-Clearing dishes, cleaning dishes, and cleaning the mess deck
-Returned to deck division then got assigned for more mess cooking duty
(00:12:07) Operating in the Caribbean Sea
-After operating near California the ship returned to Norfolk for one month
-Sailed down to Key West, Florida, in mid-October 1959
-Working with American submarines with the ASROC system
-Able to be on deck to watch test-firings of the missiles
-At sea for a week then pulled into San Juan, Puerto Rico for the weekend
-Went to sea for another week then spent the weekend at St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
-Anchored off shore there because the ship was too big to go into a harbor
-Went to shore in a longboat
-Remembers the water was so clear he could see 50 feet down
-From St. Thomas they sailed back to Key West
-Did that triangle from November 1959 to the spring of 1960
-Got two weeks off at Christmas
-Went to sea few times during the spring and summer of 1960
(00:15:39) NATO Exercise
-In early fall the Norfolk participated in a NATO exercise in the North Atlantic, above the Arctic Circle
-Did anti-submarine exercises in the United Kingdom – Iceland Gap
-Keeping Soviet submarines from entering that waterway
-Remembers fog so thick that he couldn’t see the ends of the ship
-Sky was green, water was green, and it was eerily quiet
-Didn’t have contact with any of the sailors from other NATO forces
(00:18:37) Visiting England
-Pulled into Portsmouth, England, for a break after the NATO exercise
-Saw the HMS Victory
-Lord Nelson’s flagship in the Battle of Trafalgar and now a museum ship
-Took a tour of the ship
-Took a three-day tour of London
-Saw Piccadilly Circus, Nelson Monument, Scotland Yard, Buckingham Palace, St. James Park
�-Fascinating to finally see the places he’d read about in history and literature
-Rode on London’s subway system, the Tube
-Saw 221B Baker Street, the address of the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes
-Visited the original Madame Tussauds wax museum
(00:22:00) End of Active Duty
-Left Portsmouth and returned to Norfolk, Virginia
-Arrived in late November
-Never went to sea again
-Did maintenance work on the ship
-Hitchhiked home for Christmas leave
-Got a ride to US 31 Exit and got off there at 3 or 4 a.m.
-No traffic and it was -20oF which resulted in him getting frostbite on the ears
-A trucker picked him up and brought him to Grand Rapids
-After seeing his family he went to St. Mary’s Hospital for frostbite treatment
-After Christmas leave he returned to Norfolk
-Sent to Portsmouth Naval Hospital for six more days of recovery
-Once he got out of the hospital he had two weeks of active duty left
-Given light duty on the ship
-On January 19, 1961, his active duty ended
-Went to Naval Air Station Anacostia
-Snowstorm prevented flights or taking a Greyhound bus
-Decided to take a train back to Michigan and got off at Detroit
-Hitchhiked to Grand Rapids
(00:28:45) Civilian Life & Inactive Reserve
-By Monday morning he was back in civilian clothes and at Grand Rapids Community College
-Still had to do two years of service in inactive reserve
-Reported to the reserve center to let them know he was back
-No longer obligated to report for meetings or training
-Transferred to Western Michigan University
-Worked as a switchboard operator in his dorm
-Student taught at Kelloggsville High School in Kelloggsville, Michigan
-Graduated from WMU with a teaching degree with a focus on history and geography
-Got a job at Kelloggsville High School
-Started working there in September 1964 as a teacher for senior year students
-He was a 24 year old teaching 17 and 18 year old students
-Taught there for 32 years
-Retired from the same room he student-taught in
-Second part of his Navy career happened concurrently with his teaching career
(00:32:20) Cuban Missile Crisis & Berlin Wall
-In October 1962 he was sitting in the student commons when he learned of the Cuban Missile Crisis
-Heard about reserve forces being called to action in the event of war
-He was concerned that he would be called to duty, but it never happened
-Wasn’t concerned when the Berlin Wall went up in August 1961
-Mostly a land-based operation and it wasn’t aggressive like the Cuban Missile Crisis
-He wasn’t too concerned when the Cuban Missile Crisis happened
-If they had called him he would have gone
(00:34:25) Reenlisting in the Navy Reserve
-In March 1974 he reenlisted in the Navy Reserve
-In September 1972 the school hired a new counselor
�-He was an officer in the Army Reserve and befriended Dave
-Dave learned that this officer had received a “direct commission”
-Applying to be an officer without going through the regular process
-Officer Candidate School or an academy
-Interested him, and decided to research the Navy’s process for that
-Dave took an Officer Qualification Test and passed it
-Applied for a position in Naval Intelligence
-Had a master’s degree in history from Michigan State University
-He was 34 years old (a little older than the usual 32, or 33 year old candidate)
-He was accepted for a direct commission and was made a lieutenant junior grade
-One rank higher than the lowest commissioned rank of ensign
(00:38:38) Intelligence Service
-In March 1974 he reported to Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan
-Joined a Navy Intelligence unit operating out of that base
-There were two other intelligence units on base
-Reported for duty one night per week, and one weekend per month
-Did two weeks of active duty each year
-Alternated between doing intelligence tasks or getting intelligence training each year
-Basic intelligence, to advanced, to anti-submarine and anti-aircraft
-Navy started to experiment with computers during his time in the Reserve
-He was in Reserve Intelligence Area 11
-Southeast Michigan, northern Ohio, northwest Pennsylvania, and upstate New York
(00:41:26) Vietnam War & Social Changes in the 1960s
-He wasn’t going to be called up for service during the Vietnam War
-He was 4A (prior military service)
-Got married in 1965
-Working as a teacher
-Watched the Vietnam War on the nightly news
-Personal to him, because four of his students were killed in action
-In later years he had another student killed in action in the 1983 Beirut terrorist attack
-Saw social changes happen in the classroom
-Dress codes became more relaxed
-Less order and less discipline from students
(00:45:24) End of Navy Reserve Career
-Became a commanding officer of a unit in August 1994
-Commander of a small intelligence unit of 25 officers and 20 – 25 enlisted men
-Retired from the Navy Reserve on July 1, 1996
-Retired from teaching on the same day
(00:46:33) Gulf War
-He applied for active duty during the Gulf War, but was denied
-Too old and at the time he was doing more work in administration than analysis
-Feels it would have been an interesting and enjoyable experience
(00:48:00) End of the Cold War
-In his position, the imminent collapse of the Soviet Union was not visible
-More of an economic and political collapse than a military one
-Common perception is that the United States outspent the Soviet Union
-They couldn’t keep up militarily or civilly
(00:49:40) Intelligence Information
-In intelligence the sources tended to be more sensitive than the information
�-There was a quick turnaround when it came to classified information
-Sometimes classified information he had on his desk was in the news a week later
(00:50:30) Teaching Career & Navy Career
-He did his two weeks of active duty individually and scheduled it for the summer
-This meant there was no conflict with his teaching job
-His one weekend a month happened on the weekend, so no conflict there either
-He only had to take off work once or twice during his time in the Reserve
-District never objected to that or punished him with removal of benefits during active duty
-It would have been a bureaucratic nightmare anyway
-His two careers worked well together
(00:52:13) Reflections on Service
-He is satisfied with serving his country
-His time on active duty, from 1959 to 1961, was a great social experience for him
-Meeting and working with minorities and citizens from other parts of the country
-Taught him organization and self-reliance
-His time in the Navy Reserve was a special time
-Getting recognized for his work
-Culminated in his being promoted to commander of an intelligence unit
-Working with a variety of men from different employment backgrounds
-Professionals, tradesmen, police, and factory workers
-Enlightening and fun to talk with them
-Nice to talk to people who did something other than teach
-Made a lot of his friends during his time in the Navy Reserve that became like family
-Still meets with them once a year as a kind of informal reunion
�
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
BloyeD1948V
Title
A name given to the resource
Bloye, David C (Interview outline and video), 2016
Description
An account of the resource
David C. Bloye was born on September 2, 1940, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In September 1957 he enlisted in the Navy Reserve and began his active reserve duty while still in high school. After graduating from high school he received two weeks of basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois. In early 1959 he applied for his two years of active duty and on March 17, 1959, he reported for active duty. He served aboard the USS Norfolk (DL-1) and went on anti-submarine exercises on the Pacific Coast, the Caribbean Sea, and in the North Atlantic. His active duty ended on January 19, 1961, and his inactive reserve duty ended two years after that. In March 1974 he reenlisted in the Navy Reserve, and after applying for a direct commission became a lieutenant junior grade. He served at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan, for 20 years with a Navy Intelligence unit. In August 1994 he became the commanding officer of an intelligence unit and did that until his retirement on July 1, 1996.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Bloye, David
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Jones, Adam (Interviewer)
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States--History, Military
Veterans
Video recordings
Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American
United States. Navy
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Moving Image
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-08-18
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
video/mp4
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f1331970fd162fd13aa0af8d486ad1a2.m4v
1f0326f9b17401fda831bbf44de2858c
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ff30ffce22fd97e8142f651870ebd0e9.pdf
45901fb279019e16125f4b34642bd9d8
PDF Text
Text
Grand Valley State University
Veterans’ History Project
David Bluem
Vietnam War
49 minutes 30 seconds
(00:00:04)
-Born on December 13th, 1944 in Saginaw, Michigan.
-Highest rank achieved Specialist 5th class.
-Father worked for an auto plant and the City.
-Mother worked for various hospitals in food service.
-Two older sisters.
-Some uncles served in World War II and the Korean War.
-Cousins that were in the military as well.
-Father in law was a Navy vet of World War II.
-A brother in law went into service the same day as him.
-They both went to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training.
-He was drafted into the military.
-He graduated from Central Michigan University with a bachelor’s.
-Began his Master’s for guidance and counseling when he was drafted.
-Appealed the draft which was granted.
-However two weeks later he was drafted anyway.
-Entered service in the Army.
-The Army needed draftees.
-About an eight week training.
-Considered himself in good health at the time, but training was difficult.
-Practiced carrying one another, marching with heavy packs.
-Being sent to Vietnam:
-Flew out of Detroit to Fort Lewis, Washington.
-Spent a few days getting prepared with gear etc.
-Next flew to Anchorage, Alaska, to the Philippines, then to Japan, and finally landing in
Vietnam.
-Befriended a few of the military recruits.
-Connected with others that were also working on their graduate degree.
-They were able to help tutor certain recruits that were struggling with the written
portions of the training.
-Enjoyed this capability to offer a unique value to the service.
-Encountered one of the recruits he tutored several weeks after arriving in Vietnam.
-Typically sent letters to his wife every day.
-His wife wrote back often as well.
(10:00)
-Sometimes she would record messages on a cassette.
-He worked at aviation headquarters.
-So he could not give detail about operations.
-Operation was being prepared to be handed over to the Vietnamese.
�-They burned much of the sensitive materials in burn barrels.
-They still own the letters and cassette communications sent to one another.
-Made friends with the other recruits, one was from Traverse City, Michigan.
-While off duty they played volleyball, basketball, and watched movies.
-Movies were fairly current. Example: Woodstock.
-Slept in bunk beds in large barracks.
-Very large rats were common.
-Eventually he obtained a two-man room to reside in.
-Marijuana use was quite common.
(20:00)
-Drug use seemed to be an escape method.
-At the mess hall there was a box to leave your drugs and sign up for a rehab program.
-Local women would wash and iron their uniforms.
-The first base in Vietnam was Cam Ranh Bay.
-They took refuge in a shelter while being bombed.
-Eventually he was sent to Long Binh.
-Aviation Brigade would take care of the helicopters.
-Other than that the conflicts were in the distance.
-Stayed in Long Binh most of the time.
-On guard duty they were issued a rifle.
-A friend that fell asleep on guard duty was demoted with a pay cut.
-He was promoted from E4 to E5 while in Long Binh.
-When the Vietnam War ended he had been back in the US a few years.
-He was released from military service two months early to finish his Master’s degree.
-Flight out of Vietnam stopped at the Philippines to refuel, and then landed in San Francisco,
California.
(30:00)
-Used a USO area at the airport, changed to civilian clothes from anti-war concerns.
-School began only a few weeks after returning to the US.
-Lived in an area of Saginaw where medical helicopters would fly over.
-An upsetting reminder of the War.
-Began work on his specialist degree for guidance counseling.
-Job market had changed since he left, difficult to find work.
-Began working as a substitute teacher, and then worked with the State social services.
-Eventually worked with child welfare services and retired from there.
-Utilized the G.I. Bill toward his college tuition.
-His job offered medical insurance so VA was not needed.
-Did not maintain contact with many of the recruits from the military.
-Preferred to leave the War in the past.
-Highlights of the military: A Bob Hope show.
(40:00)
-Food in Vietnam was mostly flown in from Australia.
-Quite good. Fruits, vegetables, meats, etc.
-In basic training the food was much worse.
-Once while he went home to visit in basic training, his wife didn’t recognize him because he
was so much thinner.
�-Lessons from the military: interesting to work with various people, accepting job responsibility.
�
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
BluemD1819V
Title
A name given to the resource
Bluem, David Michael (Interview outline and video), 2015
Description
An account of the resource
David Bluem was born in Saginaw, Michigan on December 13, 1944. He was drafted into the Vietnam War while attending grad school at Central Michigan University. In basic training he was sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky for the US Army. Thereafter he was flown to Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. He was then sent to Long Binh he was assigned to the Aviation Brigade to take care of the helicopters. At his highest ranking he achieved the rank of E5.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Bluem, David Michael
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Sprau, Sydney (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
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Moving Image
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-05-16
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
video/mp4
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e388dbf5ba707bf0252fb8e2ee6321c4.m4v
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https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ffbeb09f6117bc8528fa3cf8db381896.pdf
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PDF Text
Text
Grand Valley State University
Veterans' History Project
Willard Brock
Cold War/Post-Korean War
22 minutes 3 seconds
(00:00:23) Early Life
-Born on June 8, 1936 in Gaines Township, Michigan
-There were nine children in his family
-Active household
-Remembers every family had a garden to raise food for the family
-Stored the extra food in the cellar
-Attended Grand Rapids Christian High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan
(00:01:49) Enlisting in the Army
-Considered enlisting because the draft was still in effect when he turned 18 (c. 1954)
-Enlisted with friends from high school
-Wanted to serve his country, but also knew there was a likelihood he would get drafted
-Always assumed he would have to do service for the country
-Enlisted in the Army
-He and his friends all enlisted and got discharged at the same time
-Had his physical exam and his induction in Detroit
(00:03:29) Basic Training
-Received basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri
-He and his friends all received their training at Fort Leonard Wood
-It was difficult
-Army wanted to figure out what kind of person you were, and how you acted under pressure
-All of his friends made it through basic training
-Went on the infiltration course at night and was the most difficult part of basic training
-Crawling under barbed wire while a machine gun fired live rounds over his head
-Not too physically challenging
-Difficult for heavier men
-Mental and physical strength were important traits
-Drill sergeants had fought in the Korean War
-Tried to be imposing
-Had to be tough on recruits to prepare them for the possibility of combat
(00:06:17) Medical Training
-Sent to Fort Sam Houston near San Antonio, Texas
-Received 12 weeks of medical training there
-Had volunteered for medical training and received his position of choice
-Family members working in medicine prompted him to volunteer for medical training
-After Fort Sam Houston he went to Fort Riley, Kansas for practical training
-Worked in all of the different wards of the hospital on the base
-Getting different medical experience
-Not much to do outside of Fort Riley
-Final part of training
(00:08:00) Deployment to West Germany
-He was assigned to duty West Germany
-Went to Fort Dix, New Jersey in 1956 to wait for transportation
�-Assignment was based on need
-Flew to Germany
-Flight took 18 hours
-Stopped in Newfoundland, Canada to refuel
-Not allowed to get off the plane
-Landed at Frankfurt, Germany
-Taken to Nuremberg and was stationed there for 18 months
-Flew to Germany on a Navy plane
-Comfortable flight
(00:10:14) Stationed in Nuremberg & the Cold War
-Had drills every so often to prepare in the event of a Soviet attack
-Remembers soldiers being sent to the Middle East due to trouble in Lebanon
-1958 Lebanon Crisis
-Served as the ward master in a hospital
-Meant he stayed on the base when the troops went abroad
-Stationed at the 20th Station Hospital
-Military hospital in Nuremberg
-Treated soldiers injured in field exercises
-Took care of servicemen from other branches outside of the Army
(00:12:16) German Civilians
-A lot of German civilians worked for the American government
-Thought every American was rich
-Got along well with the German people
-Saw the Nazi party rally grounds where Hitler had held rallies in the 1930s
-Planned to rule the world from that location
(00:13:21) Travel in Europe
-Got to travel around Europe
-Visited the Netherlands, Austria, and Italy
-Italy was a wonderful country
-Food was great
-Saw a lot of Italy
-Spent two weeks there
-Met relatives for the first time when he visited the Netherlands
-Visited his mother's old home
(00:14:45) Duties at the Hospital
-He was in charge of the maternity ward supplies
-In charge of linens in the maternity ward
-Helped with labor and delivery rooms
-German ambulances delivered pregnant women to the hospital
-Remembers one woman gave birth before she got to a room
-Always busy and enjoyed his work
-Stationed at the 20th Station Hospital for 18 months
(00:16:10) End of Service & Coming Home
-At the end of his time in Germany he returned to the United States via troop transport
-Took six days to get back to America, and it was a rough trip
-Landed at New York City
-Sent to Fort Sheridan, Illinois to be discharged
-Involuntarily placed in the Reserves for two years
-Able to serve out of Grand Rapids, Michigan
�-Attended classes on medical issues
-Went on training exercises for two weeks in the summer
-Received that assignment because of his occupation in the Army
-Achieved the rank of Specialist 3rd Class (equivalent to corporal)
-Happy with that rank
(00:17:54) Friendships in the Army
-Kept in touch with some of his friends
-One was stationed in West Germany and another was stationed in France
-They were able to meet up a few times
(00:18:10) Life after Service
-Had to start over in terms of personal relationships
-Old friends had moved on with their lives
-Went back to his old job in a furniture factory
-Good for readjusting to civilian life
-Lost touch with most of his friends that he made in the Army
(00:19:30) Reflections on Service
-Realized that it was time to leave the Army when he did
-Learned that there are rules and regulations in life that you have to abide by
-Taught him to obey authority
-Time in the Army taught him leadership and responsibility
-Good experience and a good educational opportunity
-Happy that he served his country
�
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
BrockW1842V
Title
A name given to the resource
Brock, Willard M (Interview outline and video), 2015
Description
An account of the resource
Willard Brock was born on June 8, 1936 in Gaines Township, Michigan. Around the time that he turned 18 years old he enlisted in the Army. He received basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri and medical training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas and Fort Riley, Kansas. He was deployed to West Germany in 1956 and served 18 months at the 20th Station Hospital in Nuremberg, Germany for 18 months where he worked in the maternity ward. At the end of his time in Germany he returned to the United States and was discharged from active duty at Fort Sheridan, Illinois and served for two years in the Reserves.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Brock, Willard M.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Pattison, Jordan (Interviewer)
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States--History, Military
Veterans
Video recordings
Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American
United States. Army
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Moving Image
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-05-16
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
video/mp4
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/47d1c70db71a3c6e8066fe8741ebe7ba.m4v
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fbf94f1a967cd9b55add5f5b8e0e87a1
PDF Text
Text
Grand Valley State University
Veterans’ History Project
Kathryn Bulkley
World War II (Civilian), Post-WWII (Air Force)
37 minutes 14 seconds
(00:00:11) Early Life
-Born in Muskegon, Michigan, in 1919
-Moved to North Muskegon
-Graduated from North Muskegon High School
-Attended community college for two years
-Father was a coffee salesman and sold coffee door-to-door
-Had a difficult life during the Great Depression
-Father worked for the Works Progress Administration (WPA)
-WPA: New Deal agency that hired Americans to do various jobs
-For example, her father cut down trees for the WPA
-Mother worked as a caretaker
-Her mother contracted cancer and died when Kathryn was 21-years old
-Graduated from high school in 1937
-Had 26 people in her class
-After community college she went to Western Michigan University for one year
(00:03:18) World War II
-Worked for Continental Motors in Muskegon for a couple years
-Aircraft factory
-Worked for seven days a week, for 25 cents an hour
-Worked on Rolls Royce engines for aircraft destined to Britain as part of the Lend-Lease Act
-She worked in the paint department
-Moved to Portland, Oregon, to live with sister and find work in the shipyard
-Couldn’t find work
-Returned to Muskegon after the war ended
-Worked in the YWCA office and at the YMCA as a swimming instructor
(00:06:25) Enlisting in the Air Force
-Decided to enlist in the Air Force after the war
-Had wanted to serve and it was something different to do
-Wanted to further the medical skills she had learned in college
-Didn’t know that the Air Force didn’t have its own medical service
-Air Force still relied on the Army for medical services
(00:08:39) Basic Training
-Sent to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, for basic training
-Took aptitude tests
-Learned how to march
-A lot of foreign generals visited the base
-Recruits to had to go out in formation to greet them
-Remembers recruits collapsing due to the heat
-Not allowed to help them
-Learned how to obey orders
-It wasn’t too hard for her
-Strong emphasis on following orders and being disciplined
�-She was older than the other recruits
-She was in her late twenties, and most of the recruits were in their late teens
-The drill sergeants were nice, strict, and women
-Basic training lasted three or four months
(00:12:47) Chanute Field, Illinois
-Sent to Chanute Field, Illinois, to wait for her assignment
-She had picked an assignment to work as a mechanic on an aircraft simulator
-The simulator was a pod with aircraft instruments, on hydraulics, over an electronic map
-Used to teach new pilots how to fly by instruments (usually for night flying)
-Spent a few weeks at Chanute waiting for her final assignment
(00:18:30) Stationed at Langley Air Force Base
-Sent to Langley Air Force Base, Virginia
-Assigned to a department to learn how to do maintenance on the flight simulators
-Training lasted four months
-Learned about electronics, hydraulics, instruments, and how to use the simulator
-As a mechanic, she worked from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. when pilots weren’t using the simulators
-First group of female mechanics
-They were considered an experimental group (seeing if women could be competent mechanics)
-Reported to a master sergeant
-He treated the women well
-She and the other female mechanics were routinely checked to see if they were doing well
-They made the experiment a success, gaining women a stronger role in the military
-Quartered in barracks
-Slept on cots in an open area with 15 or 20 women
-Worked with a lot of Southern women
-Difficult to understand
-They saw it as a place to advance themselves, and maybe a route to go to college
-Enjoyed the work she did, but it wasn’t really practical for the civilian sector
(00:24:55) Downtime & Life Off-Base
-Allowed to hop flights off the base, but had to be back for duty by a specific time
-Hopped a flight to New York City
-On the way back she lost her seat because General Curtis Lemay needed a seat
-This resulted in Kathryn being AWOL
-Punished with marching in front of the flag for an hour a night for a week
-Never took a flight off the base after that
-Korean War didn’t make much of an impression on her when it began in June 1950
-Didn’t pay much attention to the news anyway
-Had some limited entertainment options on the base
-Pool, card room, and the occasional movie, but nothing exciting
(00:29:10) End of Service
-She wasn’t really happy at Langley, and wasn’t really happy in the Air Force
-Didn’t feel like she belonged in the Air Force
-Felt confined, and didn’t like it
-Didn’t see herself making a career out of the Air Force
-Had gone in with the mindset of staying for two years then getting out
-No encouragement for reenlist
-Discharged from the Air Force in 1950
(00:31:00) Life after Service
-Didn’t what to do after she got out of the Air Force
�-Got a job with Sealed Power in Muskegon, Michigan
-Worked for them for 16 years
-Went back to Western Michigan University in 1966
-Lived in on-campus apartment
-Completed a degree in physical education
-Got a job at Oakridge Middle School in Muskegon
-Taught there for 17 years
-Enjoyed the work and discovered it was her true calling
(00:33:55) Segregation
-Doesn’t remember any African American women in her unit
-President Truman issued an executive order in 1948 desegregating the military
-Took a while for the military to integrate, though
-Didn’t spend time off-base in the South, so she didn’t see segregation
(00:35:24) Reflections on Service
-The Air Force taught her electrician skills
-Helpful when she built her house
�
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
BulkleyK1966V
Title
A name given to the resource
Bulkley, Kathryn (Interview outline and video), 2016
Description
An account of the resource
Kathryn Bulkley was born in Muskegon, Michigan, in 1919. During World War II she worked in the Continental Motors factory in Muskegon for a few years building aircraft for the war effort. In 1948 she enlisted in the Air Force. She received her basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, then went to Chanute Field, Illinois, to wait for her assignment. She was assigned to Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, to work as a mechanic on flight simulators for pilots to learn how to fly by instruments. She stayed at Langley for the duration of her enlistment and was discharged in 1950.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Bulkley, Kathryn
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Smither, James (Interviewer)
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States--History, Military
Veterans
Video recordings
Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American
United States. Air Force
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Moving Image
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-10-18
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
video/mp4
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/fdd779af9406d8240ffc3f1b3d65bb74.m4v
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PDF Text
Text
Grand Valley State University
Veterans' History Project
Joseph DiLorenzo
Vietnam War
1 hour 36 minutes 27 seconds
(00:00:40) Early Life
-Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on September 3, 1948
-Grew up in Grand Rapids
-Graduated from Kelloggsville High School
-Took some classes at Grand Rapids Junior College (now Community College)
-Worked at Steketee's Department Store
-Graduated from high school in June 1966
(00:01:11) Enlisting in the Air Force & Vietnam War
-Given a deferment while he attended college
-After he left college he knew he would get drafted
-Decided to talk to recruiters in Grand Rapids in February 1967
-Friend wanted to enlist in the Army, but that didn't appeal to Joseph
-He talked to an Air Force recruiter
-Took some tests and decided to enlist in the Air Force
-Had seen some news about the Vietnam War
-Didn't bother him too much though, he focused more on just enjoying life as a young man
-Didn't know what he wanted to do with his life
-Left college in January 1967 and enjoyed working at Steketee's
-Many young men at college were concerned about their draft status
-Joe was unconcerned because he thought the government wouldn't know his college status
-Felt that being in the Air Force would be a safer bet than being an infantryman in the Army
-Father had served in the Army during World War II
-Served in the European Theater
-Talked about his experiences
-Felt that that prepared him for his own service in the Air Force
-Father was neutral about Joe's decision to enlist, but his mother asserted he wouldn't go through with it
-That only made him want to enlist more just to prove her wrong
-Also wanted to be away from home because his mother was a strict woman
-Signed the paperwork in April 1967
-In May 1967 he received a call telling him he could report in July, August, or November
-He chose August 2, 1967 as his report date
-Showed his mother that he was true to his word about enlisting in the Air Force
-On July 1, 1967 he received his draft notice
-Recruiter told him to throw it away and not worry about it
(00:07:34) Basic Training
-Sent to Lackland Air Force Base near San Antonio, Texas for basic training
-Six weeks
-No longer an individual
-After the first day of basic training he wondered why he enlisted
-Basic training was a growing up experience for him
-Focused on team-building and learning to support each other
-Did drills and went on runs
�-Remembers one man that couldn't run a half mile without being exhausted
-Joe and another recruit supported the man while they ran
-First day of basic training consisted of getting his head shaved and getting various assignments
-Assigned to a barracks and assigned to a Training Instructor (TI)
-Handed over his personal belongings for storage and he was issued a uniform
-First couple of days consisted of being broken down and taught to fear anyone with rank
-T.I.s had served in Vietnam, many had been in the Air Force for 20 years, and were sergeants
-Screamed at you if you didn't show them enough respect
-All it took was one time for that to happen to Joe for him to respect his TI
-Everything was always done fast
-Remembers being woken up in the middle of the night and ordered out of bed
-T.I.s came in and messed up everyone's beds
-They were given two minutes to put everything back together
-Always had to make sure his boots were polished, otherwise he would be denied leave
-First two weeks of basic training you couldn't have any cigarettes
-Some men that thought they could handle it, couldn't
-Some men washed out and had to be picked up by their parents
-Knew he was immature and wanted to prove himself to his family, friends, and himself
-Had been drawn to military service since he was a boy and wanted to know his capabilities
-Recruits emotionally supported other recruits
-Basic training consisted of a lot of physical training
-Running obstacle courses and crawling through the mud
-Went on the rifle range and shot the outdated M1 Garand rifle (WWII vintage)
-A lot of classroom work
-Taught the chain of command, problem solving, health, finances, and first aid training
-Majority was more about making the recruits responsible adults
-At the end of basic training went through a graduation ceremony and got issued orders
-T.I.s also softened and treated the recruits like people and gave them advice
-Given leave and orders for either a technical school or a base
(00:17:02) Assignment to Barksdale Air Force Base
-After two weeks of leave he went to Barksdale Air Force Base near Shreveport, Louisiana
-Strategic Air Command base and very formal
-Excited to be assigned there
-As a SAC base it was a large Air Force base
-B-52 bombers, U-2 spy planes, KC-130 tankers, and the SR-71 recon plane landed there once
-Base also housed nuclear weapons
-He was assigned to the Security Police
-Guarding aircraft
-Two Man Policy
-Allowing two officers on an aircraft by themselves
-Had to check identification before anyone boarded an aircraft
-Security Police were tested to see if they paid close enough attention to IDs
-Heard stories about bomber crews sleeping under their B-52 during Cuban Missile Crisis
(00:19:52) Security Work at Barksdale AFB
-If you didn't stop an unauthorized person you could face imprisonment at Leavenworth
-Someone checked up on him every 15 minutes to see how he was doing
-Had a rifle and a whistle
-No problem guarding the tanker area
-Supervisor patrolled the area in a jeep and there was a guard post at the entry point
�-Assigned to the tanker area for six months
-Transferred to the bomber area
-Had Operational Readiness Inspections (ORI) once a year
-Simulated nuclear attack on the U.S., bomber crews had to be ready to fly
-Shut down the base and launched the bombers like they were going on a mission
-Failed the inspection if the base was not 100% prepared to go to war
-There were some boring days pulling security, but he enjoyed seeing the aircraft
-Could listen to a transistor radio while on guard duty to pass the time
-Work schedule:
-Three swing shifts (3:30 p.m. to Midnight)
-Three mids (Midnight to 7 a.m.)
-Three day shifts
-Two and a half days off
-Kept him busy
-Did drills with a fake intruder
-Had to stop them, search them, and then throw them in the back of a truck for detention
-Some of the security police did their job a little too well and hurt the volunteers
-Remembers some drunk airmen wandered into an area
-They were detained and sent to the base's jail
(00:25:54) Life at Barksdale AFB
-The barracks he lived in were at Bossier Air Base
-Nuclear weapons storage facility on site
-Lived in barracks built during World War II
-Got to move into new barracks six months after living in the old buildings
-Had good food in the Air Force
-Had a movie theater, a bowling alley, and a car mechanic on base
-Went off base a lot with his friends
-A lot of bars and bowling alleys in the area
-Formed a bowling team and competed against civilian teams
-Treated well by the community around the base
-Air Force provided non-military work for civilians and airmen spent money in the community
-Met a lot of friendly people at a local church
(00:29:21) Getting Married
-Had known his wife since they were both children
-Reconnected in high school and dated through high school
-After he completed basic training they started dating again
-Got married in 1969
-Given two weeks of leave
-Went on their honeymoon in Florida
-Moved into an off-base apartment near Barksdale AFB
-It was good having her live there with him
-Wife got a nursing job in Shreveport
-Lived in Louisiana from October 1969 to December 1969
(00:32:02) Orders for Vietnam
-Received his orders for Vietnam in December 1969
-Moved his wife back to Michigan in April 1970
-Had orders to report to San Antonio for pre-deployment training
-Given two weeks of leave before he would have to deploy
-Had hoped that he wouldn't get reassigned
�-Had spent 2 ½ years at Barksdale AFB before receiving orders for Vietnam
-Always knew it was a possibility that he would get reassigned
(00:33:27) Pre-Deployment Training
-Two other men from Barksdale received orders for Vietnam and reported to San Antonio with him
-Learned how to fire M16 rifle, M60 machine gun, M79 grenade launcher, .50 caliber machine gun
-Also worked with the XM174 automatic grenade launcher (fired 12 40mm grenades in 30 sec.)
-Did tactical training at night and learned how to guard a perimeter at night
-Had a mock-up helicopter site for training purposes
-Stood guard at night
Drill Instructors acted like the Viet Cong and tried to infiltrate the helicopter site
-Worked with night scopes
-Some men were mentally prepared to deploy while other were not
-Taught some of the Vietnamese language
-Shown footage of Viet Cong soldiers
-Instructors instilled in them a sense of fear
-They wanted you to be afraid, so you would be cautious, so you would get home alive
-Did well in training
-More mentally prepared than some of the other men
-He was not afraid of coming home in a body bag
-Would go to Vietnam, do his job, and come home
-Two weeks of training, seven days a week
-Still had a little down time though
-Good training and he enjoyed it
(00:38:48) Deployment to Vietnam
-After pre-deployment training he was given 1 ½ to 2 weeks of leave to be with his wife and family
-Filed paperwork
-Where to send paychecks if he was killed in action and he signed up for savings bonds
-He was slated for a one year tour
-Flew from Grand Rapids to Chicago to Seattle
-Remembers a businessman in Chicago bought him and other airmen drinks
-In Seattle there were protestors
-Threw eggs and dog feces at the soldiers
-Stayed in Seattle a couple hours
-Flew up to Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska to refuel
-From Alaska flew to Yokota Air Base, Japan and refueled there
-Left Japan and flew to Clark Field, Philippines
-Last stop before going on to Vietnam
(00:41:30) Arrival in Vietnam
-Landed at Cam Ranh Bay during the day
-Came in steep to avoid antiaircraft fire
-Beautiful beaches, blue sea, and lush foliage
-Couldn't believe there was a war
-When he stepped off the plane he remembers being hit by the heat and the sight of body bags
-Showed him that a war was indeed going on in this country
-While he was processing he ran into an old high school classmate
-Stayed in Cam Ranh Bay for a couple days
-Waiting for a flight to take him farther north
(00:43:42) Assignment to Phu Cat Air Base & 12th Security Police Squadron
-Took a Fairchild C-123 to Qui Nhon along with Vietnamese civilians
�-C-7 Caribou from Qui Nhon to Phu Cat Air Base
-Beautiful base in the middle of nowhere
-Joined the 12th Security Police Squadron
-Guarding the base perimeter and the Cobra gunships
-Informed that he would pull 12 hour shifts from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
-Variety of assignments for base security
-Bunkers and guard towers
-Response Team and Security Alert Teams
-Had armored personnel carriers and V-100 armored amphibious vehicle
-.50 caliber machine gun, M60 machine gun, radio, M-16 rifles, grenades and launchers
-If there was a security breach you stopped the breach
-Held the line until reinforcements arrived
-When he got to the base he was essentially introduced to life in Vietnam
-Talked to the chaplain
-Instructed to take salt tablets
-Shown around the base
-Met with the company commander
-Assigned to a transit barracks, then a temporary barracks
(00:47:15) Racial Tension
-His first living quarters was filled with predominantly black airmen
-Sensed the racial tension
-Stayed in those living quarters for two or three weeks
-Moved to new living quarters that were predominantly white
-Black and white airmen voluntarily segregated
-Black airmen ignored white airmen in the living quarters
-Took care of each other while on guard duty regardless of race
-Had black superiors and there were no problems
-Lower ranking black airmen were more contentious than black officers
-Remembers one racially motivated incident at Phu Cat
-One white airman from Mississippi flew a Confederate flag, but he wasn't a racist
-Someone threw a Molotov cocktail on the top of the roof of the white living quarters
-Company commander called everyone out and told the men there would be an inspection
-Polished boots, neat uniforms, and no personal material hanging in the living quarters
-Never found out who threw the bomb
-Racial tension eased after that incident
(00:52:04) Guard Tower Duty
-His first regular assignment was on a guard tower outside of the base perimeter
-Volunteered for that duty
-Had a .50 cal machine gun, a night scope, two M60 machine guns, grenades, and flares
-Dropped off at the tower at night and got picked up in the morning
-Never had any enemy contact
-It was pitch black at night
-Night scope helped with that
-Guard tower was on a flat plain that extended for 150 to 200 yards and was at the base of a hill
-Protected the north/south runway
-Had an American mortar pit to the rear
-Mortar crew zeroed in on the tower
-If North Vietnamese or Viet Cong overran the tower it could be destroyed
-Voluntary assignment that was not randomly given to airmen
�-Out there by himself
-Tied equipment and rifle to a pulley and raised it to the top of the tower
-After that he climbed to the top of the tower
-Interesting being out there
-Six months of guard tower duty and he enjoyed it
(00:56:40) Downtime at Phu Cat
-There was a base theater with air conditioning for the men
-First movie they were shown was the Green Berets
-Went to the Non-commissioned Officers Club
-A lot of heavy drinking
-Played a lot of cards
-There was an Olympic-sized swimming pool
(00:57:24) Contact with Other Soldiers & Progress of the War Pt. 1
-101st Airborne Division men came to Phu Cat for their R&R
-Heard combat stories from the men
-Got to know some of them
-In 1970, “Vietnamization” led to a lack of supplies for men in the field
-Airmen traded supplies with infantrymen, because the infantrymen needed the supplies
-Had a pretty good idea of what was going on in the field
-Read the military newspaper, The Stars & Stripes
-Wife sent him news articles about the Vietnam War
-Aware of what was going on all over Vietnam in terms of combat
-Fighter-bombers flew sorties out of Phu Cat Air Base into Cambodia and Laos
-For a while, Phu Cat was unlisted due to the secret bombing missions over Cambodia
(01:00:53) Contact with Civilians
-There was a village nearby named Phu Cat
-Villagers were friendly
-Civilians worked on the base
-Did laundry
-Nice people
-Problem was you couldn't tell where their loyalties lied
-Seemed glad, at least, to have an American presence in the area
-Airmen and soldiers gave some of their rations to civilians
-Remembers the civilians ate large rice bugs
-Offered one once, but he politely declined
-Forbidden to go off the base
(01:02:38) Prostitution & Drug Use
-No problems with prostitution
-Tight restrictions due to concerns about sexually transmitted diseases
-Men didn't want to contract an STD and be considered unfit to go on R&R
-Only substance-abuse problem was alcoholism
-Beer and whiskey were widely available
-One man was such an alcoholic that he could barely function most of the time
(01:05:08) Enemy Contact
-First rocket attack happened one morning around 6 a.m.
-He was coming off duty and heading back to base
-They were crossing the runway when he saw sparks in the distance
-122mm rockets being fired at the base
-Got out of the truck and got under it
�-Rockets never hit the runways because the North Vietnamese couldn't hit any targets
-During the second rocket attack the strikes were a little closer, but caused no damage
-Nobody took the rocket attacks seriously
-There weren't many rocket attacks during his tour in Vietnam
-Recon teams went out night
-Brought mines and a German Shepherd to alert them to an enemy presence
-Kept the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong away
-Remembers three separate rocket attacks and none of them caused any memorable damage
-There were some enemy attempts to breach the perimeter
-He was part of the Security Alert Team by then
-He drove one of the armored vehicles and manned the grenade launchers
-One one occasion they pulled up to a tower to relieve the tower guard
-Heard bullets zipping past his head
-The men grabbed their weapons, returned fire, and alerted the base
-Forces on the north perimeter concentrated their fire on the enemy position
-Didn't think about being shot at, thought about getting his uniform duty
-Sent out a patrol to search the area for an enemy force
-Found nothing, not even traces of an enemy force
-At sunrise the Viet Cong always scattered
-There were two times when he got shot at
-Called to a perimeter bunker because an airman saw movement beyond the perimeter
-There was nothing out there
-Went down the line to give the guards coffee
-Guard at the original bunker called the Security Alert Team back because he saw movement
-Heard bullets pinging off of metal
-Parked the armored vehicle at an angle to provide cover and return fire
-Had mortar support
-The next morning they found nothing
(01:14:15) Security Alert Team Duty
-During the second half of his tour he volunteered be on the mobile Security Alert Team
-Responded to a breach in the perimeter and held off enemy until reinforcements arrived
-Visited every post at night
-Drove without the vehicle lights on
-Had to know the perimeter and the posts well
-Made sure the guards were awake
-Did test firing of weapons along the perimeter
-Making sure the weapons fired properly, but also kept away enemy troops
-Protecting American lives and American property
(01:16:20) Contact with Other Soldiers & Progress of the War Pt. 2
-Had contact with mechanics and a lot of contact with infantrymen at Phu Cat on R&R
-Infantrymen didn't talk a lot
-Too exhausted to talk to anyone
-They had been on the DMZ and in the jungle near the Laotian border
-101st Airborne Division saw a lot of action during 1970
-Major campaign and defeat at Firebase Ripcord in 1970
(01:18:22) Leadership & Relationship with Fellow Airmen
-New officers listened to enlisted men that had in-country experience
-Casual relationship between the officers and enlisted men
-Made the enlisted men respect the officers more
�(01:19:34) Contact with Home
-Wrote constantly to his wife
-Took a while to receive letters from home
-Made calls home via satellites
-Delay between calls
(01:20:06) R&R in Hawaii
-In February 1971 he went to Hawaii for R&R
-Got to see his wife and his parents
-Father didn't ask about experiences in Vietnam
-Wife asked a little about his experiences
-Hard to get on a plane headed back to Vietnam
-Knew he would be out in June 1971
(01:21:06) End of Tour Pt. 1
-More cautious near the end of his tour
-Determined that he would get home alive and intact
-The last couple months in Vietnam passed more slowly than his first months in Vietnam
(01:21:41) Reflections on Service Pt. 1
-Life changing experience
-Kind of emotionally prepared for service after hearing his father's stories
-Saw some action, but has tremendous respect for infantrymen
-Feels that he did his job and did it well
-Wouldn't want his sons to have to go through war
-Believes the Vietnam War set the tone of warfare for the rest of the 20th century and the 21st century
-Glad that he served his country
(01:24:13) End of Tour Pt. 2 & Coming Home
-Stayed at Phu Cat Air Base for his entire tour save for R&R
-Got to see Da Nang when he was en route to Hawaii
-Given orders to go home one week earlier than he originally planned
-Relieved from duty and got his travel paperwork in order
-Flew out of Cam Ranh Bay
-Spent two and a half days there
-Incredibly cautious and on edge because he had no weapon
-Minor rocket attacks
-Dead silent when they took off from Vietnam
-He had expected the men to cheer
-Stopped in the Philippines
-Landed in Seattle in the late afternoon
-There were still protestors, but he and the other men ignored them
-Went into the terminal to get out-processed
-No protestors in the airport
-Flew back to Grand Rapids in uniforms
-Proud that he served his country and unafraid to show it
-Felt the protestors had the right to protest as long as they didn't get violent
-Felt we should have done more to win the war, but popular opinion was against the war
-Experienced more direct antagonism from civilians before he went to Vietnam
-On a flight home from Barksdale AFB a woman refused to sit next to him
-Landed at Grand Rapids and there were no protests
-Wife and parents greeted him
-Father set up a banner at their house that read, “Welcome home Joe!”
�-No protestors in the airport at Grand Rapids or in the city
(01:30:50) End of Service Pt. 1
-Done with enlistment in the Air Force by time he got back to Grand Rapids
-Discharged while he was in Seattle
(01:31:00) Life after the War Pt. 1
-Got an apartment in downtown Grand Rapids on Wealthy and Fuller
-Remembers a car backfiring at night
-He unconsciously jumped out of bed and grabbed his pistol before he woke up
-Only incident that ever happened after he got home from the war
-Didn't talk about his time in Vietnam, mostly because no one really asked him about his time
-Friends asked him generic questions about his service and the war, but nothing probing
(01:32:59) Reflections on Service Pt. 2
-Glad that he served his country, no matter what
-After he got home he learned that two high school classmates had been killed in action
-Deeply affected him
(01:33:30) End of Service Pt. 2
-Air Force wanted him to reenlist
-Offered a bonus and his choice of base in the United States
-Wife didn't want to be a military wife and he wanted to start a family
-Had he been single he probably would have reenlisted
-He explained his reasoning next to reenlist and the officer understood perfectly
(01:35:03) Life after the War Pt. 2
-GI Bill went into effect, so he returned to Grand Rapids Junior College
-Had a son
-Went to school full time and worked at his wife's uncle's bar
-Got a job with Witmark Catalog Showrooms
-Worked for them for 25 years
-Graduated from Grand Rapids Junior College with an associate's degree
�
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Title
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Veterans History Project
Creator
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Grand Valley State University. History Department
Description
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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.
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1914-
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<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Subject
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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
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Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
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Smither, James
Boring, Frank
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Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Identifier
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RHC-27
Language
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eng
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<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.
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Identifier
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DiLorenzoJ1858V
Title
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DiLorenzo, Joseph James (Interview outline and video), 2015
Description
An account of the resource
Joseph DiLorenzo was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on September 3, 1948. He enlisted in the Air Force in April 1967 and reported for basic training on August 2, 1967. He received his basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, and for two and a half years was stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana guarding B-52 bombers and KC-130 tankers. In December 1969 he received orders for Vietnam and in the spring of 1970 he was deployed to Vietnam. He was stationed at Phu Cat Air Base with the 12th Security Police Squadron. For the first six months of his tour he stood guard in a tower outside of the base's perimeter, and for the second six months he was part of a mobile Security Alert Team patrolling the base's perimeter and dealing with any security breaches. At the end of his tour he returned to the United States and was discharged in Seattle, Washington.
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DiLorenzo, Joseph James
Contributor
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Smither, James (Interviewer)
WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.)
Subject
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Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States--History, Military
Veterans
Video recordings
Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American
United States. Air Force
Source
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<a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a>
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Moving Image
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<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
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Veterans History Project (U.S.)
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Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
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2015-07-23
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application/pdf
video/mp4
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https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/69cd8877944b32d0e5e16248fd307fac.m4v
c68fec778796cf3226543aeb236c2ef1
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4978eaf7a8b2f6813105633b1a323f07.m4v
df40c9f14e11d17b73328ff3c721e5de
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0be258e2c3a068bd021f45350a6c5a79.pdf
c4d424928ce215bb61daf469e5c58af2
PDF Text
Text
Grand Valley State University
Veterans' History Project
Bob Elliott
Vietnam War
Part 1 – 57 minutes 48 seconds
(00:00:55) Early Life
-Born in Hart, Michigan on November 22, 1948
-Lived in Hart until halfway through the third grade
-Moved to Muskegon, Michigan
-Lived in Muskegon until 1966
-Dropped out of high school when he was 17 years old
-Grandparents raised him
-Grandfather worked in manufacturing
-He worked in the summers
-Grew up lower middle class
(00:02:55) Vietnam War & Enlisting in the Marines
-Knew Vietnam War was going on
-Read the newspapers and watched the news reports at night
-Wanted to serve his country despite the war
-Had a better chance of survival in the Marines than in the Army
-Didn't want to be on a ship on the water or a target at an air base
-Enlisted in March 1966 with a three month delay before starting basic training
-Took his physical and mental exams at Fort Wayne in Detroit
-A lot of men went directly from Fort Wayne to basic training
-Thorough physical
-Marine Corps wanted all of your medical records since childhood
-At that point he was still in high school
-One month after enlisting he left school and got a job
-Worked until he left
(00:08:10) Basic Training
-On July 21 or 22, 1966 he reported for basic training
-Flew from Detroit to Los Angeles where he changed flights then flew to San Diego
-Drill instructors greeted the men at San Diego and started barking orders
-Exciting and totally unexpected experience
-Boarded a bus and went to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego
-A drill instructor ordered them off the bus and told them they belonged to the Corps
-Arrived there early in the morning
-Shaved head, handed over civilian belongings to be sent home, issued fatigues and boots
-Got an hour of sleep then got physically kicked out of bed
-First part of basic training consisted of physical training
-Getting physically conditioned
-Started every day with three to five miles of running
-After a run they had breakfast and followed breakfast with calisthenics
-Went on another run before lunch and followed lunch with more calisthenics
-After a couple weeks they started taking classes
-Taught the history of the Marines
-Received weapons training
�-Learned about the parts of a rifle, information on the rifle, and how to take it apart
-Taught protocol and the United States Code of Military Justice
-Learned that the only time you called a non-commissioned officer 'sir' was in basic training
-If you made a minor mistake you were usually punished with extra exercise
-At least once a day they marched past the jail to see prisoners breaking concrete as punishments
-Screamed at by guards worse than drill instructors yelled at recruits
-Minor infractions were obviously punished with less severity
-Remembers one recruit failing to pass a rifle inspection
-Recruit had to dig a grave for the rifle, bury it, exhume it, and clean it
-All leather had to be polished
-Everyone got it wrong at least once
-Sometimes drill instructor scuffed clean leather so you had to redo it
-At first he didn't understand the abuse, but eventually understood it
-Learned that it was about working as a unit and not as an individual
-Once he got through basic training he adjusted well to the Marines
-Had to do two extra weeks of basic training because he was assigned to Physical Conditioning Platoon
-He was overweight and needed extra help getting into shape
-Dietary restrictions and extra exercise
-Only a few men did not complete basic training
-Remembers one man died in training because he had a fever of 106o and refused to get help
-Only time a drill instructor talked to them like equals was after that
(00:22:03) Infantry Training
-Sent to Camp Pendleton north of San Diego
-Received two weeks of infantry training
-Had been assigned his Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) at the end of basic training
-Test scores from induction and a need for Marines doing that specific job were factors
-He wanted to go into explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), but was not given that MOS
-His MOS was 2531-Voiced Radio Communication
-Meant that he would receive shortened infantry training
-Trained with all weapons at Camp Pendleton
-Machine guns, bazookas, etc.
-Went on an infiltration course
-Crawling through mud and barbed wire under live fire
-Learned how to use hand grenades
-Marines assigned to the infantry stayed at Camp Pendleton for two weeks longer
(00:25:53) Radio Training
-Sent to another part of Camp Pendleton for his radio training
-That training lasted four weeks
-Taught how to use radios
-Learned the NATO Phonetic Alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, etc.)
-Had to get a background check and security clearance to do radio work
-Only technical information he had to know was how to change a battery and operate a radio
-Learned how to properly talk on a radio
-Enunciate your words and keep the microphone away from your mouth
-Learned how to talk in secret code
-Used three different types of radio:
-PRC-25 (common radio for communication, man-portable)
-Mark 84 (vehicle mounted radio)
-PRC-45 (portable radio for ground-air communication)
�-Didn't learn a lot about communicating with different units or different branches
(00:30:57) Stationed at Hawaii
-Went home on leave after radio training
-Reported to staging barracks and waited for enough Marines to go to Hawaii
-Stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay on Oahua, Hawaii
-Assigned to the 1st Battalion of the 27th Marine Regiment of 5th Marine Division
-First assignment was with a radio platoon
-Learned more about communicating with other units
-How to send a situation report, call in supplies, and call in a Medevac helicopter
-After five months he was reassigned to a mortar platoon
-Learned about forward operating procedures
-Calling in mortars and artillery
-Extensive classes on calling in airstrikes and artillery strikes
-How to get jets in and out of a combat zone as quickly as possible
-Pilots needed to know where to go after dropping their bombs
-Spent a little over a year in Hawaii
-Days at Hawaii were 85o, sunny, and it was a great place to be assigned
-Got up at 6:30 a.m. and worked until 4:30 p.m.
-Sometimes went into the field for a week for field training
-Spent downtime by going to the beach and surfing
-It was a 40 minute drive to Honolulu
(00:36:35) Deployment to Vietnam
-Always knew he could be deployed to Vietnam
-Knew about Marines getting wounded or killed in Vietnam
-Unit served as a replacement unit
-Get trained in Hawaii then be sent individually to Vietnam
-Only a few men got sent to Vietnam while he trained in Hawaii
-Stayed in Hawaii until the end of January 1968
-Told they were going on a training cruise to Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, and Australia
-Boarded a ship in Pearl Harbor and saw crates of ammunition being loaded onto the ship
-Knew that they were being sent to Vietnam before they were told
-Crossed the International Date Line and were told they were being sent to Vietnam
-Weren't given a lot of information about what their role in Vietnam would be
(00:41:00) Arrival in Vietnam
-When they got to Vietnam they were told they were supporting the 1st Battalion in the 1st Marines
-Unit had fought at Hue during the Tet Offensive and the area needed support
-Landed south of Danang
-Originally supposed to dock in the harbor at Danang
-Plans changed and they went ashore in landing craft
-North Vietnamese sappers had sunk a ship and effectively blocked the harbor
-Didn't get any ammunition when they went ashore
-Nets were dropped over the side of the ship and they climbed down into landing craft
-When they got to shore they were picked up by trucks and taken to a base
-Spent the first couple weeks adjusting to the heat
-Did light exercises and stayed active to acclimate
(00:44:58) Early Operations in Vietnam
-Operated at a base ten miles south of Danang called Bong Song
-Not much enemy activity in the area, but there was still fighting in Hue
-Didn't have a lot of combat veterans in the unit
�-Fortunate enough to find a communication Marine that had been to Vietnam before
-Told not to trust any Vietnamese civilians and to just leave them alone
-Told to remember their training and use it
-First patrol lasted six or seven hours and they operated from morning to sunset
-A week later they went out to the field and stayed the night
-Set up a camp, established a perimeter, and had men stand watch
-The next morning they packed up and returned to base
-Didn't rush into combat and learned to look for booby traps and trails in the jungle
-Every other time they went out they ran into small groups of enemy soldiers
-On one patrol their point man tripped a landmine near a creek and the North Vietnamese opened fire
-He called in a Medevac and artillery to fight back against the Vietnamese
-Sporadic enemy contact
-Started operating at squad strength (~10 men) to platoon strength (~40 men)
-Depended on how long they would be in the field and the size of their area of operation
-Had a mortar section that was within range of their patrol and could support them if necessary
-Usually had three radio operators in the field
-When they got ambushed at the creek he was the only radioman with a working radio
-He called in situation report, mortars, Medevac, and artillery
-He worked with a forward observer who worked with the mortars
-Didn't stay at the base much
-When he did, he stood radio watch and took in messages coming in from the field
-Usually worked with a unit going out on patrols
-At the end of patrols they returned to base, cleaned up, resupplied, then returned to the field
(00:55:07) Operation Allen Brook
-On May 4, 1968 the Marines launched Operation Allen Brook
-Loaded onto trucks and went to Go Noi Island 25 kilometers south of Da Nang
-Mission: make contact with enemy and stop North Vietnamese from launching a major offensive
-Knew there was a high possibility of running into a large contingent of enemy troops
-Made contact with highly trained, highly skilled North Vietnamese regulars preparing an offensive
End of Part 1
Part 2 – 1 hour 7 minutes 17 seconds
(00:00:43) Operation Allen Brook
-Got into combat the first night of that operation
-Spent 45 days in the field
-Only five or six days/nights without enemy contact and that was because of the rain
-Moved during the day and set up camp at night
-Enemy tended to attack at night
-Sent out teams with strengths from four men to 25 men
-Scouting the enemy or engaging the enemy
-Forcing the enemy to move or fight
-Went on a few “Stingray” patrols
-Four man team going into the field and going to the high ground
-One sergeant, a machine gunner, a radioman, and a forward observer
-Look for enemy movement, report it, then call in artillery or an airstrike
-Alerted nearby units if the enemy was moving toward them
-Hard to tell the size of the enemy force
�-Heard enemy officers giving orders and could tell their direction
-Enemy waited until it was really quiet at night to mount an attack
-Stealthy soldiers
-Could get right up to the perimeter before launching their attack
-Larger groups of enemy troops had rockets and mortars
-Mimicked American tactics
-Had to call in artillery and an airstrike on their position twice
-Jet dropped napalm 100 yards from their position
-Safe distance for napalm is 1,000 yards
-Met up with other units after clearing an area then split up again
-Assigned to different platoons and different companies within the battalion depending on need
-Stayed with Alpha Company during Operation Allen Brook
-Alpha Company suffered 20-25% casualties, but lighter than Delta Company
-1st Battalion was never up to strength after Operation Allen Brook
-Needed replacements, but never received them
-Hard to tell how much damage they inflicted on the North Vietnamese
-Alpha Company took four prisoners of war
-Hard to find enemy bodies
-North Vietnamese were good at collecting their dead and wounded
-Discovered an underground hospital that covered four acres
-Found a table that still had playing cards on it
-Found operating tables with fresh blood
-Sent down smaller Marines to investigate the tunnels
-Engaged enemy forces during the day
-Foliage limited their line of sight
-Six foot tall elephant grass and overgrown rice fields
-Established a field of fire and tried to force the enemy to retreat
-Noted trails on maps and never went down the same trail twice
-If you went down the same trail twice you set yourself up for ambushes or booby traps
-Civilians were told to leave the area or they would be considered enemy sympathizers
-Only had to search and destroy one village in the Go Noi Island area
-Most civilians had evacuated the area before Operation Allen Brook
-Objective was to clear out the enemy and allow the civilians to return
(00:15:27) Establishing Camp Eagle
-Returned to base after Operation Allen Brook
-Got resupplied and rested
-Went to a hill between Hue and Phu Bai
-Secured an area between Highway 1 and the ocean
-Objective was to secure the area so the 101st Airborne Division could establish Camp Eagle
-Found new and old trails
-Set up booby traps
-Only got shot at once during that operation
-When the Marines left the North Vietnamese overran the area
-North Vietnamese had waited until the 101st Airborne Division moved in
-Believes they had been waiting for the right moment to launch their offensive
-Last major operation for the 27th Marine Regiment
-Conducted in July 1968
(00:18:20) End of First Tour & Coming Home
-Not much activity in August 1968
�-Didn't get a leave before being deployed to Vietnam
-Two months in Hawaii equaled one month in Vietnam
-Went on a few patrols in early August
-Told he could turn in his gear and relax until he went home
-Left Vietnam in early September 1968
-Flew from Da Nang to Okinawa and got his personal effects back
-Dress uniform and he had his records updated
-Stayed in Okinawa for four days
-Flew on a chartered civilian airliner to Los Angeles
-Got off the plane and all of the men were happy to be home
-Greeted by protestors throwing stuff at them and spitting on them
-Mad and disappointed
-Aware of antiwar sentiments, but didn't expect it to be directed at troops
-Thought race riots were going to be more of a problem than protestors
-Came home on leave and in uniform
-Young woman was scared of him because he was a Marine
-She believed Marines had committed atrocities
-He politely explained to her that that simply wasn't the case
-Had 20 days of leave
(00:26:56) Redeployment to Vietnam
-Reported to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
-There was talk about the Marines going on a training cruise in the Mediterranean Sea
-Didn't want to be back on a troopship again
-Could volunteer for another tour in Vietnam to avoid going on the cruise, so he did
-Spent the rest of his time at Camp Lejeune waiting to return to Vietnam
-Went on leave then reported to a Marine company in California
-Only one of four combat veterans in that unit
-Spent a month at Camp Pendleton
-A few of the men asked about Vietnam, but most were too scared to ask questions
-Helped on the Escape and Evasion Course at Camp Pendleton
-Played the part of a Viet Cong aggressor
-Marines had to get across the course without getting “captured”
-Flew to Vietnam from California
(00:30:25) Stationed at Quang Tri
-Assigned to Headquarters Company of 3rd Marine Division
-Got to Vietnam in February 1969
-Quang Tri was the last major city before reaching the DMZ
-Marines started using seismic intrusion devices
-Placed the gadgets 100 feet apart on a trail then go back about 1,000 yards
-Established the coordinates and gave the coordinates to artillery crews
-Transmitters detected troop movement
-Worked with C Battery at Camp Charlie
-Setting up the seismic devices was not as dangerous as he thought it would be
-Knew what to look for and avoid in the way of booby traps
-Avoided enemy troop movement
-Didn't have enough men or firepower to engage in combat
-Only went out for three or four hours
-Seismic intrusion devices were given to the Marines from the Army
-Worked very well
�-Only two times when North Vietnamese forces managed to get out of the area before artillery
(00:36:33) Stationed at Con Thien
-Had ground radar jeeps
-Detected North Vietnamese artillery positions at the DMZ and directed fire on those positions
-Counted 120 explosions out of 100 shells fired on one occasion
-Secondary explosions from munitions exploding
-Sent over a recon plane to survey the damage
-Found destroyed Soviet artillery pieces
-Operated out of the Marine base at Con Thien
-Situated on a hill, a natural observation point
-There were a few Montagnard hill people near Con Thien
-Marines gave them food when they came out of the hills
-Only civilian presence in the area
-North Vietnamese stayed away from the area
-Second tour lasted six months
(00:40:38) Stationed Near Laos
-Left Con Thien and went to a mountain base near Laos
-Simple base with radar bunkers and guard bunkers
-Stood watch
-Near the end of his second tour
-Nothing happened at that base
-Noticed movement once and called in air strikes
(00:42:38) Morale, Racial Tension and Drugs
-Morale was good on both tours
-Always worked as a team
-Wanted everyone to get home alive and everyone shared that mentality
-If you looked out for everyone, they looked out for you
-There was some racial tension, but only if you made it
-He had no problem with non-white Marines
-Everyone was in the same situation regardless of race
-Racial tension would cause conflict in the field which would threaten everyone's survival
-The unit on his second tour was predominantly white
-A couple men heavily used drugs
-He dabbled with marijuana as a way to relieve stress
-Couldn't buy hard liquor in the Marines
-Easier to walk down the street and buy a pack of 10 joints for $10 from a Vietnamese civilian
-Only smoked or drank when it was safe at a base
-No Marines used drugs when they went on patrols
-Allowed to have beer on a base, but no hard liquor
-Got a substantial beer ration after Operation Allen Brook
(00:50:20) Service with South Vietnamese Troops
-Worked with South Vietnamese troops on two occasions
-The soldiers he worked with were good soldiers
-Held their own and were good men
-Showed the Marines the area so they didn't get lost
-Showed Marines how to look for trails and other things
-Worked with them early in his first tour
-Had some interpreters at Headquarters Company on his second tour
�(00:52:07) Contact with Civilians
-After Operational Allen Brooke and during Camp Eagle they crossed a village near Highway 1
-Brought food, candy, and a corpsman with extra medical supplies
-Always made sure they had extra supplies to give to the civilians
-Some civilians were glad that Americans were
-Understood the American mission and wanted them there
-Some of the civilians were bitter and wanted the United States to leave Vietnam
(00:54:46) End of Second Tour, End of Service, & Coming Home
-At the end of his second tour his enlistment was done
-Marines tried to get him to reenlist
-Two Army generals had come to Con Thien for inspection
-Gave Bob a letter of recommendation for promotion
-Tried to barter with his commanding officer to get the promotion if he extended his tour
-CO told him he couldn't give him the promotion
-Bob wanted a promotion to sergeant, but could only get promoted to lance corporal
-Decided that it was time to get out of the Marines
-Flew from Vietnam to Okinawa, and from Okinawa to Marine Corp Air Station El Toro, California
-Stayed at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro for out-processing
-Bought civilian clothes
-Flew back to Michigan in civilian clothes
-Noticed a diminished sense of animosity from civilians
-Told protestors to stop harassing troops, but didn't get combative
(00:59:25) Life after the War
-Planned on drawing unemployment and relaxing for a while
-Home for a week and got a job
-Took a while to get his initiative back
-Took a few night classes at his old high school to get his diploma
-Used the GI Bill to attend Muskegon Community College
-Got his associate's degree
-Started a family
-Studied for two years at Grand Valley State College (now University)
-Got his journeyman's card as a carpenter
-Moved to Holland, Michigan and got a job with an automotive supplier
-Worked his way up and became a process engineer
-Had trouble readjusting to civilian life
-Time at college helped him return to civilian life
-GVSC had counselors and other veterans to talk to
-There were a lot of veteran students at Grand Valley
-Non-confrontational atmosphere
-Noticed more antiwar sentiments and animosity in the workplace
-Got turned down for three good positions because he served in Vietnam and saw combat
(01:04:50) Reflections on Service
-Glad he served, but wouldn't do it again
-Made him a better person
-Matured quickly in the Marines
-Taught him self-reliance and how to take care of others
-There were a lot of lessons to learn being in the service if you accepted the lessons
(01:06:00) Miscellaneous Details
-Major objective of Operation Allen Brook was keeping the North Vietnamese out of Danang
�-On “Stingray” patrols they relied on line of sight observations
-Used binoculars and telescopes
-Viet Cong relied heavily on improvised explosives
-Basically, make a booby trap out of anything that will produce an explosion and shrapnel
�
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
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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
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Smither, James
Boring, Frank
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Identifier
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RHC-27
Language
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eng
Source
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<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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ElliottB1772
Title
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Elliott, Robert (Interview outline and video), 2015
Description
An account of the resource
Bob Elliott was born in Hart, Michigan on November 22, 1948. He enlisted in the Marines in March 1966 and began basic training in late July 1966. He received his basic training in San Diego and Infantry Training at Camp Pendleton, California. He remained at Camp Pendleton for Radio Training then was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay on Oahua, Hawaii with the 1st Battalion of the 27th Marine Regiment of the 5th Marine Division. In late January 1968 the unit sailed to Vietnam and went ashore near Danang. They operated out of a base near Bong Song and conducted patrols in the area. He participated in Operation Allen Brook near Go Noi Island and helped clear an area for the establishment of Camp Eagle. In September 1968 he returned to the United States and was briefly stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He voluntarily redeployed to Vietnam and arrived there in February 1969. He was assigned to the Headquarters Company of the 3rd Marine Division and helped with artillery operations around Quang Tri and Con Thien. At the end of his second tour he was stationed at a base near Laos. He returned to the United States at the end of that summer and was discharged from the Marines at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California.
Creator
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Elliot, Robert
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Smither, James (Interviewer)
WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.)
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States--History, Military
Veterans
Video recordings
Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American
United States. Marine Corps
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a>
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Moving Image
Text
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<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
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Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Publisher
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Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Date
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2015-05-26
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application/pdf
video/mp4
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/dffc29bb5c6001948863470a52c83108.m4v
790658918a58d424f83b312b3fca5229
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ad68db824e7fb0fd51f3d46389a4419f.pdf
5a557bc1ad4549bb2f1be8b050579641
PDF Text
Text
Grand Valley State University
Veterans’ History Project
Louis Kayo Erwin Sr.
World War II
1 hour 9 minutes 23 seconds
(00:00:38) Early Life
-Born in Dayton, Tennessee, on March 1, 1925
-Moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee when he was 16 years old
-Parents got a divorce when he was young
-Lived with his mother and grandparents in Big Spring, Tennessee
-Grew up on a farm
-Picked cotton and corn
-It was hard work and busy, but a great experience
-Grandfather had a grist mill
-Ground corn for other farmers, took a small cut as payment
-Put “shoes” on mules
-It was hard living because of the Great Depression, but they survived
-Raised hogs for meat
-Farm allowed them to be self-sufficient
-Sold their cotton and tobacco
-Had an orchard
-Provided them with fruit for canning and jellies
-Had no electricity or gas lines
-Used oil lamps for light and wood for heat and cooking
-Used their cellar to keep perishables cool, and a smokehouse to preserve meat
-Got up at 5 a.m. every day
-No radio
(00:07:00) Enlisting in the Navy Pt. 1
-Moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, when he was 16 years old
-Older brother joined the Marines
-Served with the 1st Marines Division in the South Pacific
-Louis joined the Navy to be closer with his brother
-Older brother contracted malaria and was evacuated to Australia
-Survived the war and is still alive as of 2016
(00:09:57) Start of the War
-Had a paper route in Chattanooga
-Learned about the attack on Pearl Harbor when he was throwing papers
-Remembers recruitment posters being put up at the Post Office
(00:10:54) Enlisting in the Navy Pt. 2
-Enlisted in the Navy when he was 17 years old, on December 20, 1942
-Sent to Nashville for an entrance exam
(00:11:22) Basic Training
-Sent to San Diego for basic training on December 26, 1942
-It was difficult
-Taught discipline and responsibility
-Took swimming tests
-Had to swim two laps, then remove pants and use them as a flotation device
�-Did drills and went on five-mile marches
-Anxious about when he received orders, and where he received orders
-Navy needed crewmen for its ships
(00:13:10) Assignment to the USS Bunker Hill & the USS Indianapolis
-Initially received orders for the USS Bunker Hill, then received orders for the USS Indianapolis
-The Bunker Hill was an aircraft carrier and the Indianapolis was a heavy cruiser
-Taken by ship to the USS Bunker Hill at Pearl Harbor
-Stayed in a barracks in a pineapple field until the Bunker Hill arrived at Pearl Harbor
-Assigned to the deck division (5 inch guns) on the Bunker Hill
-Received orders for the USS Indianapolis while he was on the USS Bunker Hill
-Didn’t matter to him which ship he served on
-Liked the idea of serving on a heavy cruiser
-USS Indianapolis had 8 inch guns, 5 inch guns, 40mm guns, 20mm guns, and .50 caliber guns
-Joined the Indianapolis in late April/early May 1943
-After the Indianapolis aided with the liberation of the Aleutian Islands
-Note: The Indianapolis didn’t get to Hawaii until August 1943, but he may have received
orders for the USS Indianapolis in early summer 1943.
(00:17:28) Invasion of Tarawa
-First major operation he participated in was the invasion of Tarawa in November 1943
-Remembers planes and ships bombarding the island for five or six days
-Stripped the island of its vegetation
-The Indianapolis had two catapult planes to spot targets and coordinate the ship’s guns
-Note: Catapult planes: Smaller aircraft launched from the ship via catapults
-On the day of the invasion, November 20, he saw multitudes of landing craft approaching the island
-Craft got stuck on the coral reef, forcing marines to wade ashore under machine gun fire
(00:19:50) Major Pacific Campaigns & The Invasion of Okinawa
-Participated in the following campaigns:
-Gilbert & Marshall Islands Campaign (included Tarawa): November 1943 – February 1944
-The Mariana Islands Campaign: June 1944 – November 1944
-Battle of Saipan
-Battle of Tinian
-Liberation of Guam
-In February 1945, the Indianapolis participated in the bombardment of Iwo Jima
-On March 24, 1945, the Indianapolis began its participated in the bombardment of Okinawa
-On March 31, a kamikaze hit the Indianapolis
-The attack killed 9 and wounded 38
(00:20:26) Repairs & Secret Mission
-Following the kamikaze attack, the USS Indianapolis sailed to California for repairs
-After repairs, the Indianapolis received orders for a secret mission to Tinian
-Went to Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, California, to get the atomic bomb components
-Departed from Hunters Point on July 16, 1945
-They arrived at Tinian and successfully unloaded the components on July 26, 1945
-From Tinian they sailed to Guam, and left Guam on July 28
(00:21:15) Sinking of the USS Indianapolis Pt. 1
-After leaving Guam they had orders to sail to Leyte in the Philippines
-At 12:14 a.m. on July 30, the Japanese submarine I-58 torpedoed and sank the USS Indianapolis
-For the next four days and five nights, the survivors were stranded in shark-infested waters
-300 men went down with the ship, and another 583 men died in the water
-Only 317 crewmen survived
�(00:21:50) Survival
-The life jackets they had were only good for 72 hours
-Louis swam away from the ship once he jumped overboard
-Last he saw of the ship was its fantail in the air and its propellers still turning
-Joined a group of 250 men (Dr. Haynes’s group)
-Only 56 of those men survived long enough to be rescued
-Men started to hallucinate from drinking the saltwater
-Imagined the ship rising to the surface, an ice cream stand, a beer vendor, hotels
-Men died as a result of shark attacks, exposure, salt poisoning and thirst
-Heard men screaming at night due to sharks attacking them
-The goal of getting home and seeing his family again kept him alive
-Had nothing to eat or drink
-Saw high-altitude aircraft fly over, but they were too high to see them
-Most of the men were covered in oil which also made them hard to spot in the water
-The saltwater and life jacket rubbed his skin raw
-Sharks came by every day
-When they did, he held up his legs to keep them away from the sharks
-Felt them brush his legs, and most of the time the sharks were only five or six feet away
-At first, men splashed to try and scare off the sharks
-Unfortunately, the sharks mistook the splashing as fish and came closer
-During the day he prayed for night to cool off, and at night he prayed for the day to warm up
-Covered in engine oil
-Took off his pants because they added extra weight and pulled him down
-Saved his socks so he could wet them and put them on his face to stay cool
-When they dried they left behind salt residue which burned his skin
-He would dip them in the water and put them back on his face to get relief
(00:28:28) Rescue
-On August 2 he saw Lt. Gwinn and Lt. Colwell’s PV-1 Ventura
-They were the first to discover the survivors
-They flew low, and signaled that they had seen the survivors and would go for help
-Lt. Marks flew to the scene in his PBY and, despite contrary orders, landed to aid the survivors
-Brought men aboard, and once the plane was full he tied men to the wings
-Louis was one of the 56 men to go aboard Lt. Marks’s PBY
-One of the ship’s doctors distributed freshwater to the survivors on the PBY
-Each man was allowed two sips of water, then passed it onto the next man
-When the cup was emptied it would be refilled
-The USS Cecil J. Doyle arrived on the scene to pick up the survivors
-Most of the men were too weak to climb the rope ladder on the side of the ship
-Used rubber rafts to transport them from water or the PBY to the ship
-Brought the survivors and the crew of Lt. Marks aboard the Cecil J. Doyle
-Once everyone was aboard they sank the PBY
-Weight of the survivors damaged the plane making it impossible to fly
-Once aboard, they washed off the engine oil
-The crewmen of the Cecil J. Doyle gave their bunks to the Indianapolis survivors
(00:34:19) Recovery & End of the War
-Louis and other survivors were brought to the island of Peleliu
-Stayed in the hospital there for four or five days
-Survivors placed on board the USS Tranquility (a hospital ship)
-Brought to Hospital 18 on Guam
�-On August 16 he and the other survivors heard about the atomic bombs and Japan’s surrender
-Told that they had transported the components for the bombs that helped end the war
-The survivors cheered when they learned that the war was over
-Given buckets of ice cream to help regain weight
-One of his friends, Ed Brown, also survived the sinking
-They stayed friends after the war
(00:39:17) Sinking of the USS Indianapolis Pt. 2
-He had just got off watch at midnight and laid down in his hammock when the first torpedo hit
-Second torpedo knocked him out of bed
-He ran to the port (left) side of the ship and began cutting down life jackets and passing them out
-When it became apparent that the ship was going down, he jumped overboard and swam away
-Last he saw of the ship was its fantail in the air and its propellers still turning
-It sank after only 12 minutes
(00:41:08) Coming Home
-Came back to the United States on the USS Hollandia with other survivors once he recovered
-Landed at San Diego
-Greeted by Red Cross personnel
-Survivors were thrown a parade
-Men ran up to them and handed them glasses of beer
-Issued new clothing
-Given 30 days of leave
-Went home to Chattanooga
(00:42:53) End of Service
-Needed 44 points to be discharged
-Points awarded based on rank, dependents, length of service, and combat seen
-Sent to Nashville to receive further orders
-Assigned to Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, California for amphibious training
-Sent to Naval Amphibious Base Coronado and a few weeks later he was offered a discharge
-He said yes to being discharged
-Had originally planned on making a 20 year career out of the Navy
-After the sinking of the USS Indianapolis he changed his mind
-He went to Memphis and was discharged there
-Most likely in fall or winter 1945
(00:44:28) Captain McVay
-Never interacted with Captain McVay, but Louis saw him a lot
-Knew that Captain McVay, some sailors, and some Marines got on a life raft
-Never saw them after the sinking because they drifted in a different direction
(00:46:08) Father Thomas Conway
-Saw Father Thomas Conway in the water among the survivors
-Father Conway checked to see which men had died
-He collected their dog tags, performed Last Rites, and removed their life jacket
-Father Conway died on August 2, just a few hours before Lt. Gwinn/Lt. Colwell spotted them
(00:48:00) Court-martial of Captain McVay
-In the hospital, he and the other survivors were ordered to write a letter about the sinking
-Their position at the time of the sinking, their actions, and general experience
-In the years after the war, Captain McVay put together two survivors’ reunions
-In 1968, Louis learned about Captain McVay’s court-martial and suicide
-Court-martial happened in November 1945
-Found guilty of losing the USS Indianapolis
�-Only time an American captain was tried for losing his ship in wartime
-Used as a scapegoat for the Navy
-After years of guilt, Captain McVay committed suicide in 1968
-In 2001, Captain McVay was exonerated and the court-martial removed from his record
-Felt hurt that Captain McVay was tried and found guilty
-He was a fine captain and did everything he possibly could
-Note: Commander Hashimoto of the I-58 said Cpt. McVay couldn’t have avoided the torpedoes
-He was a good man and he gladly served under him
(00:50:10) Life after the War
-Got married on May 4, 1946
-Married for 62 years
-Had a son and a daughter
-Worked for a brewer for three years
-Got a job with a beer distribution company
-Drove truck for them for seven years
-Worked as a manager for 28 years
-Has five great-grandchildren
(00:54:45) Public Awareness of the USS Indianapolis Pt. 1
-The movie, Jaws, was the first major public exposure of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis
-People started to ask him about the sinking after seeing the movie
-He saw the movie
-Captain Quint’s story about the sinking was pretty accurate
(00:56:12) Reunions
-Went to the first survivors’ reunion in 1960
-Remembers the men saluting Captain McVay when he arrived
-May have given Captain McVay a ride to the reunion from the airport, but doesn’t remember
(00:56:53) Exoneration of Captain McVay
-Wonderful news when he heard about Captain McVay’s exoneration in 2001
-Survivors tried so hard, for so long to get his record cleared
-Sorry that Captain McVay wasn’t alive to see it happen
-Feels that the hate mail he received contributed to his suicide in 1968
(00:57:55) Public Awareness of the USS Indianapolis Pt. 2
-Believes that people didn’t pay attention to the Indianapolis because it happened at the end of the war
-Media focused on the end of the war
-Feels that Hunter Scott (an 11 year old student), brought attention to the sinking
-Also helped with Captain McVay’s exoneration
-Reunions help with public awareness
-Survivors didn’t talk about the sinking until other people started asking about it
-Finds that people still tend to confuse the Indianapolis with the USS Arizona (sunk at Pearl Harbor)
-Believes that the sinking of the Indianapolis should be part of the US history curriculum
-He goes to schools to talk about the sinking
-Thinks that Sara Vladic’s documentary will bring awareness to the sinking
-Glad the someone took such an interest in the USS Indianapolis
-He was interviewed by National Geographic about the sinking
(01:05:58) Search for the Wreck
-At the 70th anniversary reunion, Robert Ballard expressed interest in searching for the wreck
-Famous for discovering the wreck of the Titanic
-Louis hopes that Dr. Ballard can find it and see what, if anything, is left of the ship
-Also get some closure about the remains of the men that went down with the ship
�(01:07:42) USS Indianapolis Memorial
-Interviewer plans on erecting an Indianapolis memorial in Lansing, Michigan
-Commemorating the 50 Michigan sailors that served on the USS Indianapolis
-Hopes it will bring more public awareness about the sinking
�
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
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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
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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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ErwinL1950V
Title
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Erwin, Louis (Interview outline and video), 2016
Description
An account of the resource
Louis Kayo Erwin Sr. was born in Dayton, Tennessee, on March 1, 1925. He grew up in Dayton then on a farm in Big Spring, Tennessee. When he was 16 he moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and enlisted in the Navy when he was 17 years old. He enlisted on December 20, 1942, and on December 26 he shipped out for basic training in San Diego. Louis initially received orders for the aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill. He stayed on the Bunker Hill until summer 1943 when he joined the USS Indianapolis. He saw action at Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian, Guam, and Iwo Jima. In March 1945 the Indianapolis was struck by a kamikaze forcing them to return to the US for repairs. In July 1945 they received orders for a secret mission. On July 16, 1945, the atomic bomb components were loaded onto the USS Indianapolis at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard and they delivered the components on July 26, 1945 at Tinian. On July 30, the I-58 torpedoed and sank the USS Indianapolis. Louis and the other survivors had to endure exposure, shark attacks, and saltwater poisoning. On August 2 a seaplane spotted the survivors and they were rescued. Louis and only 316 other crewmen survived. After recovering on Peleliu and Guam he returned to the United States. He briefly served at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado before being discharged in late 1945.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Erwin, Louis
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Hammond, Steve (Interviewer)
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States--History, Military
Veterans
Video recordings
World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American
United States. Navy
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a>
Type
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Moving Image
Text
Rights
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<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Publisher
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Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Date
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2016-09-10
Format
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application/pdf
video/mp4
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/be104c379c02f7f4aac936d2296104c0.mp4
6e5565dc5fb0a867bf1a0ecc85c21fca
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0c727892593e3e4eb85db2f4996a8349.pdf
52e054986a3a2bd975606aa04cf5e066
PDF Text
Text
Grand Valley State University
Veterans’ History Project
Daniele Fernandez
Yugoslav War/Peacetime/War in Afghanistan
50 minutes 21 seconds
(00:00:10) Early Life
-Born on May 28, 1977 in Brooklyn, New York
-Both of his parents were from the Dominican Republic
-His father owned a series of supermarkets and then a restaurant
-His parents divorced when he was young
-He has two brothers and three sisters
-He is the oldest sibling
-Three of his cousins served in the military
-Prior to enlisting he was working as a deliveryman in Lower Manhattan
(00:01:37) Enlisting in the Army and Basic Training
-He was married to his (now) ex-wife who was pregnant
-He decided that joining the Army would allow for him to provide for his family
-He chose the Army based on its employment opportunities
-He decided to go into the medical field
-He was nervous about going into the Army
-His family members that served tried to prepare him for it though
-Learned that teamwork was key for success in basic training
-He joined on October 1, 1997 in Brooklyn, New York
-At the time the Yugoslav Wars were being fought
-He was sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for basic training
-During his time there his training platoon was getting a new drill sergeant every two weeks
-There was a program where reservists were getting cycled to learn how to train soldiers
-This meant that the drill sergeants were always tough and unrelenting
(00:05:02) Advanced Individual Training
-He was sent to Fort Sam Houston, Texas for ten weeks of combat medic AIT
-The training consisted of learning basic emergency medical skills
-How to set up an IV and give shots
-How to assess trauma
-How to transport wounded
-Received some training by working in a ward
-Learned how to give medicine through an IV
(00:06:03) Adjusting to the Army
-It was challenging to come from a big city
-He was already tough from living in New York which helped some
-Had to learn how to work with people from different states or even different countries
-Learned that the more you worked with different people the more social you become
-The biggest adjustment was adapting to working and living with different people
(00:07:03) Overview of First Enlistment
-He was sent to Bamberg, Germany where he served with the 82nd Engineer Battalion
�-He was assigned to work as a combat medic
-He would work on base and also went out into the field to aid companies on maneuvers
-He remembers the first time that he went to Kosovo
-He remembers when he got to Kosovo an EOD demolition was scheduled for that day
-He was in a mess hall and no one knew there knew that it was scheduled for that day
-When they heard the explosion everyone thought they were under attack
-It was difficult to adjust to living in Germany compared to living in America
(00:09:05) Deployment to Kosovo
-During his time with the 82nd Engineer Battalion he was deployed to Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo
-Remembers that Kosovo was much different than Germany
-He was stuck on a base as opposed to being allowed to explore the area like in Germany
-If he was allowed to leave the base movement was restricted
-Being kept on the base strengthened the sense of camaraderie
-There was fear that local forces might attack the base
-The base had Blackhawk, Apache, and Kiowa helicopters as well as tanker aircraft
-There were forces on the base from Spain and the United Arab Emirates
-Navy Seabees were building up the base and the surrounding area at the time
(00:10:50) Working in Kosovo
-Remembers that a Special Forces Humvee hit a landmine in the Russian sector
-The mission was to look for and mark where unexploded ordnance was
-They would have to explain to children that certain areas were not safe to go to
-Remembers that two children didn’t listen and were killed as a result
-Remembers an M113 armored personnel carrier lost its brakes and almost went over a cliff
-He was out doing a recon mission and their vehicle broke down
-They were stuck in the field for two days
-Fortunately a Kosovar family took them in while they waited for help
-Some of the men in the motor pool got hurt by falling objects
-Remembers a lieutenant got hit in the head by a falling light and had a concussion
-He remembers treating a wounded Serbian national
-His job as a combat medic was to do preliminary treatment and stabilize wounded personnel
-There was an incident where some UN workers were fired upon by Kosovar militants
-Two men were wounded and he was sent to treat them
-It was the first time that he ever treated someone in an emergency setting
(00:14:24) Working in Germany
-When he was in Germany a sergeant was working underneath a vehicle and the jack collapsed
-It landed on his chest and trapped him underneath it
-Surprisingly he only had to spend a night in the hospital
-While in Germany a soldier was mauled by a wild boar and he treated that
-There weren’t any emergency situations while he was stationed in Bamberg
(00:15:20) Downtime and Memories
-His fondest memories are of the camaraderie when he was serving in Europe
-He had a lot of fun when he was stationed in Germany
-Did the same things that you would do in college, just in a different setting
-In Kosovo, on Saturdays the base would have a “Caribbean Night”
-He enjoyed that because of his own Dominican heritage
�(00:16:30) Reenlisting and Working at Fort Jackson
-After his enlistment was up he reenlisted and was stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina
-He started off working in the family practice in the fort’s hospital
-After that he moved on to working in the Troop Medical Clinic
-Consisted of treating soldiers that were wounded during basic training
-Working in a hospital was stressful, but it was also mundane
-It didn’t feel like being in the Army, it felt more like a regular 9-5 job
-This improved a little bit when he was transferred to the Troop Medical Clinic
-He would go out to training sites to be prepared in case someone got wounded
-It felt like being back in the field, but it still wasn’t the same
-Dehydration was a common problem for the recruits
-Head injuries were another common occurrence
-Recruits would also get hurt on the obstacle course and during hand-hand combat training
-Most of the soldiers were young and inexperienced
-This meant that if they got an otherwise small injury it might scare them more
-Example: One recruit got dehydrated, passed out, and then went into shock
-An older soldier would have woken up, drank some water, and been fine
-During his time at Fort Jackson there were two casualties due to heat stroke
-This caused a change of protocol to ensure that that didn’t happen again
-He did enjoy getting to see old friends from Bamberg coming through Fort Jackson
-They were training to be drill sergeants, chaplains, or administrators
-After Fort Jackson he got out of the Army
(00:22:30) Deployments during Reenlistment
-When he reenlisted he was sent to Bosnia, Sinai Peninsula (in Egypt), and Afghanistan
-He was sent to Bosnia before the September 11th Attacks
-Most likely in July and August of 2001
-He was working in an emergency room on the base
-He was also going out and setting up free clinics to treat civilians
-He was sent to the Sinai Peninsula after Bosnia
-It was his first time experiencing the desert
-He was on an outpost for thirty days
-Consisted of doing nothing but lifting weights or watching TV
(00:24:10) Deployment to Afghanistan
-He was deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation: Anaconda
-The tour lasted four months
-He was in the Battle of Takur Ghar
-Arrived in March 2002
-There were no bases at the time so they had to fly out of Kandahar Air Base
-He was with Alpha Company 187th Infantry Regiment “Rakkasans” 101st Airborne Division
-It was an intense deployment
-They would have to fly into valleys in Chinook helicopters
-The helicopters were loud so the enemy knew that they were coming
-He was a frontline medic
-He treated friendly and enemy wounded
-It was fast paced and put his combat medic skills to the test
�(00:26:17) Fighting in Afghanistan
-When you’re in combat your fight or flight reflex kicks in
-You’re always on alert which was difficult to turn off after coming home
-Had to accept the things that he could control and the things that he couldn’t
-Has since lived with the guilt of choosing who could be saved and who couldn’t be
-It was difficult to treat wounded enemy combatants
-Sometimes they even tried to fight back while you treated them
-Had to let go of his ego and treat them anyway as per the Rules of Engagement
(00:29:37) Getting Wounded
-During his time in the Army he suffered a number of concussions
-Two concussions were while he was setting up a tent in Germany and a beam fell on his head
-He sustained an explosive concussion while he was on a blasting range
-Another explosive concussion while he was on the AT-4 (anti-tank weapon) range
-You were supposed to wait an hour between each shot that was fired
-You were also only supposed to do four shots in one day
-He did not do this
-In Afghanistan he was resting his head on a boulder and a rocket propelled grenade hit it
-The force was so strong that it knocked him away from the boulder
-He fell down a hill a couple times during firefights and hit his head on the way down
(00:32:50) Relationships in Afghanistan
-He made bonds with the soldiers that he served with there
-It wasn’t as strong as it would have been if he had deployed with the 82nd Engineers
-Although the bond wasn’t as strong he still came to trust those he served with
(00:33:45) Downtime in Afghanistan
-There was some recreation at the Kandahar Air Base
-Able to play soccer and basketball
-You could watch television or go on the internet if you brought a laptop with you
-Kandahar was still very basic in 2002 though
-If you didn’t bring something with you, then you didn’t have much to do
-For a lot of soldiers it was their first deployment and didn’t know what to bring
-During downtime everyone basically kept to themselves
(00:34:49) Contact with Family
-When he was deployed to Afghanistan he didn’t tell his family that he was going there
-They would have suffered too much from worry
-The only person he told was his cousin, but even then he kept the details vague
-Told her that he was doing medical training in the region
-He sent letters, but never called while he was in Afghanistan
-He told them that he was just training
-When he got back from his deployment he finally told his family where he was
-His family was upset for a while, but eventually got over it
(00:36:47) End of Service
-On October 26, 2003 he was discharged from the Army
-He left the Army with the rank of specialist
-When he left the Army the Iraq War was raging
-The insurgency was becoming more intense
-A lot of soldiers were disenfranchised with the Bush Administration and the war
�-He didn’t want to deploy with people who didn’t believe in the war
-He didn’t agree with the idea of fighting two wars at once
-He felt that the only protest he could do was to not reenlist
-He didn’t want to risk his life for the Iraq War
-He would have stayed if Iraq had been after Afghanistan
-He didn’t agree with the strategy for fighting in Iraq
(00:39:14) Coming Home & Life after the War
-His family welcomed him home from the Army with open arms and love
-Shortly after leaving the Army he began to have problems with post-traumatic stress disorder
-His family didn’t understand what he was going through
-In general, the community welcomed him home positively
-He was thanked by strangers for having served
-Some people were antagonistic about it though
-He just learned to take it in stride and ignore it
-Feels that he fought so that people could have those kinds of opinions
-The first years back into the civilian world were difficult to adjust to
-He felt like he didn’t fit in
-Also felt a sense of entitlement for having risked his life for the country
-When he went back to work he looked for places that employed other veterans
-Worked better in an environment that was military oriented
-He didn’t feel comfortable being in a corporate setting
-He now works for a biohazard cleanup company with former police officers and other veterans
-Enjoys the work because it’s similar to how the Army worked
-All of his friends are veterans
-He stays in contact with those that he served with
-He is now a member of the Student Veterans of Broward College in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
-Also part of the American Legion and the Disabled American Veterans
(00:46:05) Reflections on Service
-The Army made him more goal oriented
-He does everything step by step
-It taught him to be patient, to see the value of life, and the value of living in America
-He learned not to be so materialistic
-He is now more family oriented
-Taught him how to discipline his son better
-War should be the last option
-If war is the only solution then plan it and think about it carefully
-Feels that Iraq was rushed into without a concrete plan
-Feels that the U.S. strategy made the insurgency and terrorism worse
-Feels that our lives are so wrapped up in materialism that we lose focus of what is important
-We forgot that time is finite and needs to be used well, by citizens and politicians
�
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
FernandezD1729V
Title
A name given to the resource
Fernandez, Daniele (Interview outline and video), 2015
Description
An account of the resource
Daniele Fernandez was born to Dominican immigrants in 1977 in Brooklyn, New York. In 1997, hee enlisted in the Army and was sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for basic training and Fort Sam Houston, Texas for combat medic training. During his first enlistment he was sent to Bamberg, Germany where he joined the 82nd Engineer Battalion and was also deployed to Kosovo during that time to Camp Bondsteel. He reenlisted and was based out of Fort Jackson, South Carolina where he worked on the base, but was also deployed. He was sent to Bosnia, the Sinai Peninsula, and to Afghanistan in March 2002 where he took part in Operation: Anaconda with the 187th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Fernandez, Daniele
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Vega, Nikki (Interviewer)
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States--History, Military
Veterans
Video recordings
Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American
United States. Army
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States--History, Military
Michigan--History, Military
Veterans
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Moving Image
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-02-06
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
video/mp4