Glennon, Martin (Interview transcript and video), 2011
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States--History, Military
Michigan--History, Military
Veterans
Video recordings
United States. Army
Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American
Martin Glennon, born in Hammond, Indiana in 1946, served in the U.S. army as a medic from 1969 to 1971. He went to Vietnam in January, 1970. For the six months of his service in Vietnam, he was a field medic with A Company, 2/506 Infantry, in the 101st Airborne Division. While in this unit, he served in the Ripcord Campaign and survived the most costly firefight of the campaign. He was then stationed at Camp Evans working at a field hospital for the remainder of his time in country. When returning to the U.S. he spent another six months at Fort Knox working as an orderly. He was discharged in 1971 and is now a Chaplain for the Vietnam Veterans of America.
Glennon, Martin
Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives
In Copyright
Glazier, Gregory (Interview transcript and video), 2007
Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American
Gregory Glazier was born in Alma, Michigan in 1967. Gregory enlisted in the Army in 1985 and was part of the 1st Armored Division for 10 years. For most of his time in the service, Gregory was stationed in Germany where he guarded American housing areas and kept watch for terrorist activity. Gregory was also a tank crew member and his duties included driver, loading 120mm shells, gunner, and eventually tank commander.
Glazier, Gregory A
Glas, Alida (Interview transcript and video), 2008
World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American
Women
Alida Glas was a teenager in the Netherlands during WW II. In this account, Glas discusses family and friends, the invasion of Holland, and life during the German occupation. She mentions the activities of the Dutch Underground, the effects of the food shortage in the Netherlands, and what German troops were like in her village. Glas concludes by discussing her life after the war and some of her thoughts on the war.
Glas, Alida
Kentwood Historic Preservation Commission (Kentwood, Mich.)
Glanz, Rita (Interview transcript and video), 2008
Rita Glanz was one of the 10,000 Jewish children saved before WWII started as a result of the Kinder Transport. Her father, a successful businessman, was driven out of Austria and into Switzerland by the Nazis. Mrs. Glanz was taken in by a couple from Coventry, in Great Britain, and remained with them for the duration of the war. Afterwards, her father wrote letters to Winston Churchill and George VI, and managed to get his daughter out of there. She spent three years with relatives in Birmingham, Alabama. She grew up in New York, graduated from high schoo, and spent two years in college before getting married. Her husband had escaped from Germany to Ireland, eventually coming to the United States.
Glanz, Rita
Girke, Troy (Interview outline and video), 2006
Iraq War, 2003-2011--Personal narratives, American
Troy Girke was born in Allegan, Michigan in 1963 and enlisted in the United States Navy in 1983. Troy remained with the Navy for 20 years and traveled to Africa, Australia, Spain, France, Bahrain, UAE, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Philippines. The most memorable moment for Troy was when he heard the news of 9/11. Troy was in the Navy for a significant amount of time and explains the changes that took place within the institution over time.
Girke, Troy A
First Baptist Church of Otsego (Otsego, Mich.)
Gilmore, Gregory (Interview outline and video), 2005
United States. National Guard
Gregory Gilmore volunteered for the draft and served from 1962 to 1968. He was deployed to Miami, Florida during the Cuban Missile Crisis as a part of the Quartermaster Corps. He was based in the United States during his time in the service.
Gilmore, Gregory
Caledonia High School (Caledonia, Mich.)
Gillem, Denny (Interview outline and video, 2 of 2), 2011
This interview replaces the missing portion from his original interview in 2004, and primarily covers the period between the end of his first tour in Vietnam in late 1966 to the end of his second tour in 1968. During this period, Gillem was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, as a rifle company commander. He and his brigade were sent to Detroit in the summer of 1967 in response to the race riots there, and soon afterward received orders for Vietnam. They arrived late in the year and were initially based at Cu Chi, but went up to the area north of Hue just before the Tet Offensive started in 1968, and participated in the American counterattacks and recapture of Hue, and in followup campaigns in the I Corps sector. Gillem was reassigned to division headquarters after about four months in Vietnam, and spent the rest of his tour with the division's operations (G-3) section.
Gillem, Denny
Gillem, Denny (Interview outline and video, 1 of 2), 2004
Denny Gillem was born in Sacramento, California, in 1941. He intended to make the military his career during his high school years, and applied to West Point several times before being accepted. After West Point, he was trained as an Army Ranger, and served two tours of duty in Vietnam. After his tours, he attended the Army Officers Advanced Course at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and was the director of the ROTC at Stanford University. He then attended the Army Forces Staff College and became second in command of the 26th Infantry Battalion in Germany. He was then reassigned to Tampa, Florida, and the US Readiness Command. He also worked at the University of Tampa as a Professor of Military Sciences. He was then transferred to Wyoming, Michigan, to be the Army Advisor to the 46th Battalion of the Michigan National Guard.
Michigan Military Preservation Society (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
Gillard, Richard (Interview outline and video), 2008
United States. Army. Air Corps
Richard Gillard served in the U.S. Army Air Corps from June 1942 to September 1945 during World War II. In this account, Gillard discusses his pre-enlistment, enlistment and training and his combat experience abroad in North Africa and Italy. Gillard mentions aspects of war not generally discussed such as bombing missions conducted into Yugoslavia, Romania, and Germany and the maintenance aspects of B-24s. Gillard concludes with his life after the war and his thoughts on service in the army.
Gillard, Richard
Gill, Raymond (Interview outline and video), 2004
Ray Gill is a World War II veteran who served with the U.S. Army from 1941 to May 1946. In this account, Gill discusses his pre-enlistment, enlistment and basic training. He also discusses his active duty and how difficult the fighting was in France, Luxembourg, and Germany. He talks about soldiers living conditions, and the occupation of Germany. Gill also toured with a dance band throughout Europe.
Gill, Raymond
Gill, Andrew (Interview outline and video), 2012
Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American
Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, British
Andrew Gill, Born May 9th 1966 in England, served in the Royal Navy from September of 1984-April of 2000. During his service, Andrew served on many cruises including one that evolved NATO operations as well as another that traveled around the world. His primary tasks included ship navigation as well as warfare tactics.
Gill, Andrew
Gilbert, Freddie (Interview outline and video), 2013
Freddie Gilbert is a Vietnam War veteran born in1949 in Vermont and was raised in Prairieville, Maryland. In 1969 he was drafted for the Vietnam War and was attached to D Company in 2nd and 506th of the 101st Airborne. His unit was heavily engaged in the fighting around Firebase Ripcord in 1970. After the war he enlisted in the Army and served as a trainer and made that his career until he retired from service on June 1st 1989. Afterwards he took a job in the civilian security sector with the Pinkerton Guard Business and is still serving with them.
Gilbert, Freddie
Gilbert, Carol (Interview transcript and video), 2013
Carol Gilbert was born in Nuremburg, Germany on July 25, 1950. After two years in Germany, her family moved back to the United States. She got married soon after graduating high school, but unfortunately her husband was drafted to Vietnam soon after. Freddie Gilbert went to Fort Bragg, North Carolina for basic training and Fort McClellan, Alabama for advanced individual training. After that, Freddie Gilbert briefly visited home, and Carol Gilbert became pregnant during that time. The two exchanged letters daily, and Carol Gilbert sent him a telegram when their son was born. Freddie Gilbert came home a few months later and continued his service in Fort Meade, Maryland. While her husband served, Carol Gilbert worked as a bookkeeper and a babysitter. While they were living on base, some of their friends did not support the war and were hostile to the Gilberts. To this day, the Gilberts’ closest friends are those who have served in the military. They still meet with some of their military friends regularly, and Carol Gilbert is always surprised when hearing about her husband’s service in Vietnam. In 1973, Freddie Gilbert was deployed to Germany and Carol Gilbert befriended many military wives while she was there. Even at home, Freddie Gilbert was often on Temporary Duty, so Carol Gilbert did most of the work raising their children because her husband was usually away. Carol Gilbert converted from Methodist to Catholic when she got marries because Freddie Gilbert was Catholic. Religion was important to them, but they did not attend church as often when Freddie Gilbert was away. When he came back on leave, they went to church as a family but did not force their kids to join them. After Freddie Gilbert was discharged from the military and working for Computer Sciences Corporation, he received a letter notifying him that he could get called back into the military until he was 55. Fortunately, he was not called back. Carol Gilbert recalls her husband's demeanor becoming cold when he came back from Vietnam. However, joining the Fire Support Base Ripcord Association helped him return to his "happy-go-lucky" self. Now that America is past the era when veterans were called murderers and belittled in public, Carol Gilbert is proud to be a veterans’ wife.
Gilbert, Carol
Gibbs, Lyle (Interview outline and video), 2010
Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American
Lyle Gibbs enlisted in the Army in the late 1940s and was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division in Japan. When the Korean War broke out, his unit joined the fighting early on, was driven back to the Pusan Perimeter, where they held. He then joined the 7th Division and served with it on the drive toward the Yalu and back. He saw a good deal of combat, and spent time leading a mortar section and later serving as a platoon sergeant. After ten months, he rotated home and completed the last few months of his enlistment in the US.
Gibbs, Lyle
Gibbs, Byron (Interview outline and video), 2008
Byron Gibbs was born in Clare, Michigan on December 7, 1916. He graduated from college in 1938 and was drafted into the Army in 1941. Byron trained in Louisiana with Company C of the 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd (Red Arrow) Division, and was sent to Australia in 1942. They continued training in Australia, traveling to Adelaide and Brisbane and then were sent to New Guinea, where his unit fought at Buna. While that campaign continued, he was transferred back to the US for signal corps training, and eventually returned to the Pacific and served as a signalman at MacArthur's headquarters in the Philippines.
Gibbs, Byron
Gennrich, Jerome (Interview outline and video), 2014
Jerome Gennrich was born in 1923 in Detroit, Michigan. Prior to serving in the Army he worked for Chrysler at the Jefferson Plant. He was drafted in early 1942 and trained at Camp Kearns outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. Later that year he was sent across the Atlantic and served first in Northern Ireland and then in England, providing security for airbases used by the 8th and 9th Air Forces. After D-Day he was deployed to France and was attached to the 12th of the 62nd Military Police Company. He and his unit moved through France, Luxembourg, Belgium, crossed the Rhine River into Germany. His unit guarded German prisoners of war at a camp near Ansbach until he was sent home in December, 1945.
Gennrich, Jerome
Gary, Lawrence M. (Interview outline and video), 2007
Lawrence M. Gary is a WW II Veteran who served in the United States Army in both the European and Pacific Theaters. He was assigned to F Co 341st Infantry Regiment (86th "Blackhawk" Div.), spending the majority of his military service time in the divisional motor pool. Although he saw very little combat personally, he nonetheless witnessed the trauma and destruction that befell the peoples of Europe and South-East Asia during the twilight of WW II. Towards the end of the interview various forms, clippings and photos are displayed.
Gary, Lawrence M.
Gary, Donald (Interview outline and video), 2008
United States. Air Force
Donald Gary is a Korean War era veteran who served with the U.S. Air Force from December 1950 to December 1954. In this account, Gary discusses his pre-enlistment, enlistment and basic training. He worked in the accounting department and kept Air Force inventories. He discusses his activities in Germany and the U.S. during his active duty in serving with the U.S. Air Force.
Gary, Donald
Byron Area Historic Museum (Byron Center, Mich.)
Garner, Curly (Interview outline and video), 2003
United States. Coast Guard
Curly Garner enlisted in the Coast Guard shortly after graduating from high school. He trained on Government Island in California and was sent to the Aleutian Islands during WWII. Their job was to try and rescue pilots that went down near the top of Japan. The conditions on the ship were good except the weather. After the war ended he was almost sent to be part of the occupation of Japan, but was discharged instead.
Garner, Curly
Gardner, Lawrence D. (Interview outline and video), 2008
United States. Marine Corps
Lawrence Gardner was born in Illinois near the Mississippi River and enlisted in the Marine Corps during WWII. He was pulled out of basic training to take courses in aerial photography. He served in the Pacific and helped to plan the invasions of Saipan, Tinian, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He worked as a mapmaker with the 4th Marine Division, and at times served on the islands that the division attacked. On Iwo Jima, he volunteered to serve in the front lines when his division was short of men.
Gardner, Lawrence D.
Garcia, Fred (Interview outline and video), 2008
Fred Garcia was born in 1948 and served in the Army during the Vietnam War. Fred was drafted into the Army in 1968, and was trained as an infantryman. He spent his time on active duty as a desk clerk, training troops, and in the Demilitarized Zones in both Korea and Vietnam. After his time in the service, he worked as a teacher.
Garcia, Fred
Gane, George B. (Interview outline and video), 2007
George B. Gane is a WW II veteran who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps with the 92nd Bomber Wing from 1944 to 1945. In this account he discusses his pre-enlistment years, enlistment and training in the U.S., and bombing missions in Europe.
Gane, George B.
Galmish, Elvin (Interview outline and video), 2009
United States. Army Air Corps
Rosadell Galmish Wolf, wife of 2nd Lieutenant Elvin Jay Galmish, tells the story of her husband during World War II from her perspective. Elvin Jay Galmish enlisted in the Army Air Corps at the age of 21 and trained to be a pilot. His wife traveled with him during his training until he was sent to Europe in 1944 where died in service of his country. He was a bomber pilot, based first in England and then in France (so presumably with the 9th Air Force).
Galmish, Elvin
Forest Hills Eastern High School (Ada, Mich.)
Galloway, Leonard (Interview outline and video), 2009
Leonard Galloway was born on August 3, 1925 in Huron, South Dakota. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps when he was 17 years old because he did not want to be drafted and because he had always wanted to fly. Leonard went through basic training in Texas and then was sent to the University of Mississippi for training classes. The war ended just as he was getting into advanced flight courses and he was disappointed because he had really wanted to fly in Europe.
Galloway, Leonard