Notestine, Christopher (Interview outline and video), 2014
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States--History, Military
Michigan--History, Military
Veterans
Video recordings
Iraq War, 2003-2011--Personal narratives, American
United States. Army
United States. National Guard
Christopher Notestine was born in Charlevoix County, Michigan, in 1980. He joined the Army at the age of 19 and did his basic training at Ft. Benning in Georgia. He became part of the 2nd Battalion 23rd Infantry which used Strykers. Christopher and his unit went to Iraq in October of 2003 and mostly stayed in Mosul, Iraq. He was injured by an IED in Iraq and could no longer serve as part of the infantry so he enlisted with the National Guard in the 1434th Engineer Battalion based out of Grayling, Michigan. He went back to Iraq in 2009-2010 as part of a construction unit. He continued to work for the National Guard after he got home from Iraq in 2010.
Notestine, Christopher
Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives
In Copyright
Monroe, Wayne S. (Interview outline and video), 2007
United States. Navy
World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American
Wayne Monroe served in the US Navy between 1944 and 1946. Her served as a crewman on USS Kaskaskia, a large oiler, and saw action at Okinawa, where he witnessed kamikaze attacks. After the war, he sailed to Japan, China and Arabia before returning home to be discharged.
Monroe, Wayne S.
Byron Area Historic Museum (Byron Center, Mich.)
Nguyen, Trinh (Interview outline and video), 2009
Vietnam War, 1961-1975-Personal narratives, American
Vietnam War, 1961-1975-Personal narratives, Vietnamese
Other veterans & civilians-Personal narratives, American
Other veterans & civilians-Personal narratives, Vietnamese
Trinh Nguyen was born in a rural village in the Mekong Delta of South Vietnam. After attending a school at a French military outpost, Nguyen went traveled to Saigon to go to college. After a single year of dentistry schooling, Nguyen joined the South Vietnamese police force, where he worked through the entirety of the Vietnam War. Following the Northern victory, the communists gathered all former employees of the South Vietnamese government, including Nguyen, and placed them in re-education camps. In reality, the camps were nothing more than prisons. Nguyen stayed in the camp until 1982 before his release and he and his family stayed in Vietnam until 1992, when they immigrated to the United States.
Nguyen, Trinh
Mitchell, Gary (Interview outline and video), 2011
Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American
United States. Marine Corps
Gary Mitchell, of Wolf River Wisconsin, enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1951 at the age of 17. Despite his age, he was able to train as a pilot due to a shortage of combat pilots. Sent to Korea in 1952, he flew multiple combat missions over enemy territory before mechanical problems forced him to bail out off the North Korean coast. He and his copilot were picked up by the Chinese, who regularly beat them in an effort to gain information about their aircraft. He was released at Panmunjon at the time of the signing of the armistice, and then underwent several years of medical treatment for injuries suffered in the bailout and while in prison, and then served as an instructor on Marine and Navy bases until he was discharged in 1959.
Mitchell, Gary
Nguyen, Luc (Interview outline and video), 2010
Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American
Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, Vietnamese
Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American
Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, Vietnamese
Vietnam (Republic)
Luc Nguyen's father escaped from North Vietnam when he was a young man and following his service in the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN), became a farmer. Nguyen himself grew up on the farms where his father worked before attending the University of Saigon. Having witnessed things during the 1968 Tet Offensive, Nguyen decided to enlist and spent several years at the National Military Academy. Once he completed his time at the academy, Nguyen became a platoon leader in a scout company before taking command of his own infantry company. Eventually, during the North Vietnamese Army's final offensive, Nguyen received wounds from a rocket explosion and while he was in the hospital, the war ended. After the war, Nguyen spent several years in re-education camps before his release. Following his release, Nguyen and his family spent several years in Vietnam before immigrating to the United States in 1993.
Nguyen, Luc
Mitch, Joseph (Interview outline and video), 2007
Joseph Mitch was born in Pennsylvania in 1919 and drafted into the Army in 1941. He had gone to school only through the third grade, and never learned to read. Because of his illiteracy, he scored poorly on aptitude tests, and the Army almost did not take him because of his low IQ. Before being drafted, Joseph had made money as a loan shark, and he continued to do so through the service and afterwards. Mitch traveled to England, Germany, and France where he served in a Tank Destroyer battalion in the 3rd Armored Division, and was discharged in 1946.
Mitch, Joseph
Miner, William (Interview outline and video), 2012
Will Miner was born in Lennon, Michigan in 1973. After graduating from high school, Miner attended Grand Valley State University for a year before deciding to enlist in the Marine Corps. Once he completed his basic training at the Marine Corps Training Depot in San Diego, California and his advanced training at Camp Pendleton, California, Miner joined the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion. In January 1994, Miner and the remainder of the 1st Recon deployed to East Africa to take part in the American operations in the region. Apart from operations in Somalia, Miner and the battalion briefly served in Kenya and Rwanda before returning to the United States. After a year, Miner deployed a second time, this time to the Persian Gulf region, where he participated in operations in the U.A.E. and Kuwait, amongst other places.
Miner, William
Kentwood Historic Preservation Commission (Kentwood, Mich.)
Nguyen, Che (Interview outline and video), 2010
Che was born in Hanoi, Vietnam in 1940. After graduating from high school, he joined the army so that he could serve his country. He was sent to officer training school and graduated as a lieutenant. He served in the army from 1962 – 1966. After the Tet Offensive in 1968, Che decided to rejoin the army. He was sent to many towns and villages surrounding Saigon, and later fought in the battle of An Xuan Loc as a battalion commander. After the war ended, Che spent five years in a prison camp for his military involvement. He moved with his family to the United States in 1992 and settled in Detroit, Michigan.
Nguyen, Che
Mills, Doug (Interview outline and video), 2010
Doug Mills was drafted into the United States Army in 1965. He trained in Tennessee, Kansas and Georgia before being sent to Vietnam with the 199th Brigade. He served as a heavy weapons unit MP and would look after POW's for the last few months of his service before returning home.
Mills, Doug
Caledonia High School (Caledonia, Mich.)
Newton, Donald (Interview outline and video), 2008
Donald Newton was born in Grand Rapids, MI and graduated from high school at age 16. When he was eligible, he joined the Navy and did basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station. He then moved to submarine training at New London, CT. He was then assigned to the USS Icefish and patrolled the Pacific Ocean, making attacks on various different Japanese vessels.
Newton, Donald
Great Lakes Naval Memorial & Museum (Muskegon, Mich.)
Miller, Noel (Interview outline and video), 2013
Noel Miller was born in Lima, Ohio in 1949. He grew up in Ohio, and after high school he wasn't sure what to do and decided to enlist in the Army in April 1968. He completed basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana and helicopter aviation training at Fort Walters, Texas and Fort Rucker, Alabama where he graduated from in May 1969. He was deployed to Vietnam in June 1969 and was assigned to A Troop, 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry of the 101st Airborne Division stationed at Camp Eagle outside of Hue. From June 1969 to January 1970 he served at Camp Eagle and flew scouting patrols in the A Shau Valley until he and the rest of his unit was transferred to Quang Tri and My Lac located near the DMZ where he would serve the last five months of his deployment.
Miller, Noel
Newman, Timothy (Interview outline and video), 2012
Tim was born in Buffalo, New York in 1948, and was drafted in the United States Army in 1969. After becoming an infantryman, Tim was sent to Vietnam and was assigned to the 101st Airborne, 2/506th, A Company. He served with his company through the Ripcord campaign during the spring of 1970 and was one of the handful of men in his company to survive it unscathed. He spent most of his tour in the field, but served the final weeks as a jeep driver at Camp Evans.
Newman, Timothy
Neumann, Woodrow J., (Interview outline and video), 2007
Woodrow Neumann was born in Flint, Michigan on July 8, 1918. He grew up in a large family of 14 children and went to a Catholic school. After graduating high school Woodrow worked for 2 years before being drafted. He went through basic training in San Francisco and then went to paratrooper school at Fort Brag in North Carolina. Woodrow was part of the group of men that dropped into France on D Day, but unfortunately broke his leg landing. Woodrow was transferred to a hospital in England and then sent back to the US. He then became an instructor at the paratrooper school.
Neumann, Woodrow J.
Nelson, Larry (Interview outline and video), 2014
United States. Army Air Corps
Larry Nelson was born in Warren, Ohio in 1924. He grew up there and attended high school there. After graduating from high school he attended Ohio State University, and after Pearl Harbor was bombed he decided to enlist in the Army Air Corps to become a fighter pilot. Beginning in February 1943 he trained at San Antonio, Texas; Chickasha, Oklahoma; Coffeyville, Kansas; back to Texas; Bruning, Nebraska; and wrapping up at Pierre, South Dakota. In 1944 he was sent over to Europe as a P47 Thunderbolt pilot where he joined the 82nd Squadron of the 78th Fighter Group stationed in Duxford, England. During his time in war he escorted bombers on raids to Munster and Cologne, asset denial missions all over Europe, and wrapped up flying a P51 Mustang during the Battle of the Bulge and conducting bombings raids on Berlin from December 1944 to VE Day.
Nelson, Larry
Millard, Richard Jr. (Interview outline and video), 2006
United States. Air Force
Richard Millard Jr. was strongly influenced by his father at an early age to join the service. After graduating high school, he enlisted into the Air Force where he became a part of the Security Police, and, eventually, a dog-handler. He was stationed at Cam Ranh Bay in 1971-72, and then sent to England for a year.
Millard, Richard Jr.
Neff, Duane (Interview outline and video), 2007
United States. Army. Air Corps
Duane Neff served in the US Army Air Corps between 1943 and 1946. He served with an air warning unit that worked mostly with fighter squadrons in the Philippines. He discusses encounters with the Japanese and with Filipinos, and incidents that took place on base before and after the war's end. When heading home, the ship he was on caught fire and had to make an emergency stop in Hawaii.
Neff, Duane L.
Miles, Wendell A. (Interview outline, video, and papers), 2007
Wendell Miles was born in Holland, Michigan. He went to Hope College, then to the University of Wyoming to get his masters degree. From there he went to the University of Michigan for law school. He became a lawyer and joined the Army as a private. After getting in trouble for throwing a fire cracker in the officers mess, he went to school to become an Officer. After graduating OCS he went to Camp Hood, Texas where he looked after the German POWs. After leaving this duty station he traveled between Europe and the U.S transferring POWs and inmates who went to jail for not honoring the draft. After the war ended in Europe, he worked as a JAG (Judge Advocate General) dealing first with contraband stolen by US soldiers, and was stationed in Marseille and Strasbourg. Miles went on to become a Federal District Court Judge. Newspaper article, biographical notes, and a 2006 published interview is appended to the interview outline.
Miles, Wendell A.
Naughton, Gerald (Interview outline and video), 2008
United States. Naval Reserve
Gerald Naughton was born in Chicago, Illinois on December 29, 1931. He moved to Michigan when he was five years old and graduated from high school in 1950. Gerald joined the Navy reserve in 1955 and was later in the Navy full time. He was in the Navy for 17 years during the Korean War and Vietnam. Gerald now resides in the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.
Naughton, Gerald
Miles, Louis (Interview outline and video), 2007
Louis Miles served in Europe as part of the 103rd Infantry Division in 1944. Prior to being sent to Europe, Louis had worked in training other men in the Army. While in Europe, Louis worked on damaged bridges and roads. Shortly after arriving at the front in Alsace, he was captured by Germans and then spent the rest of the war in a German prison camp with British, Russian, and Indian prisoners.
Miles, Louis
Natte, Richard (Interview outline and video), 2008
Rich Natte was born in 1924 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was forced to quit his schooling at the age of sixteen so that he could provide for his family. Rich found a job at a local furniture store until being drafted in 1943. He spent six weeks at basic training in Gulf Port, Mississippi and spent an additional six weeks at a carpentry school in Virginia. Rich was then sent from Rhode Island to Norwich, England where he served with the 491st Engineer Battalion doing airbase maintenance. After the war was over he spent one more month in France before being sent home and discharged.
Natte, Richard
Naperola, Joseph (Interview outline and video), 2013
Joe was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1923. He joined the National Guard when he was fourteen years old and served until his unit was federalized in 1940. He was drafted into the Army in 1942 and was sent to be an MP at Fort Custer, Michigan. Joe was sent to England where he patrolled four small towns about thirty miles outside of London. While in country, he also was part of the honor guard and was a staff driver for officers. Joe was sent back to the United States in 1946 after the war had ended.
Naperola, Joseph
Mihalko, John (Interview transcript and video), 2011
John Mihalko was born in a patriotic town called Whippany in New Jersey. After graduating high school he worked in warehousing for three years before getting drafted. He got his training at Fort Dix. In Fort Lewis, he got his jungle training. Sent to Vietnam in January, 1970, he was assigned to the reconnaissance platoon of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry, in the 101st Airborne Division. He survived his year in the field, and went on twenty-five or more patrols. His unit was involved in the fighting around Firebase Ripcord between March and July, 1970. Mihalko later helped found the Ripcord Association and organize the first reunion of veterans of that campaign.
Mihalko, John
Nagelkirk, Shewin J. (Interview outline and video), 2009
Sherwin Nagelkirk was born in Zeeland, Michigan and lived with his grandparents growing up during the Depression while his father worked on their farm. Sherwin was drafted into the Army shortly after graduating from high school in 1951. He went through basic training at Fort Riley in Kansas and then received orders to go to Korea. Once in Korea Sherwin was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division of the 35th Regiment, Fox Company. He was wounded in the Heartbreak Ridge sector, where he won a Silver Star. He later worked on guarding prisoners on Kojido island.
Nagelkirk, Shewin J
Michels, John H. (Interview outline and video), 2004
John Michels was born on March 22, 1920 in Park Ridge, Illinois and was drafted into the Army after graduating from high school. He was given the option of joining the Army Air Force, but not allowed to become a pilot because he was color blind. John then chose to go into engineering and took classes for aircraft in Boston and in Wisconsin before he became a technical sergeant. He was later stationed at Fort Moresby in New Guinea where they flew on missions every day delivering supplies to troops throughout the Pacific. After that John was also stationed on Biak Island and eventually gathered enough points to be sent back to the States before the war had ended. John was discharged in Miami, Florida in 1945.
Michels, John H.