13 24 1541 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/15410dc99fc7ed5078ec808eda3a1dcf.m4v c90055343321e8b41b57df8c21045d8d https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/cf1b65153eacd5e3ffb6d761450c31c9.pdf 7d200fcfae94b3846e6482e9d6213be2 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veteran’s History Project Bruce Bond Vietnam War 54 minutes 6 seconds (00:00:18) Early Life and Awareness of the Vietnam War -Born in Charlottesville, Virginia on December 2, 1950 -Grew up in Charlottesville -He enjoyed his high school experience -Involved in football and baseball -In high school he was aware of the Vietnam War -A girlfriend’s brother was in the military police in Vietnam -He followed the news on Vietnam -Several boys from his high school went to Vietnam -Two of them were killed there -He graduated from high school in 1969 (00:02:04) Enlisting in the Army -He enlisted in the Army when he was still in high school -As soon as he graduated he went to basic training -He knew that he couldn’t pay for college with a sports scholarship -Felt that the GI Bill would be the best way to go to college -His father had been in the Air Force, so he knew from experience he didn’t want to join that -He also had no interest in becoming a Marine either (00:03:09) Basic Training -Basic training began in early summer 1969 -He was sent to Fort Gordon, Georgia for basic training -His first thought was, “What have I gotten myself into?” after being greeted by drill instructors -He adjusted to basic training and enjoyed it -He hunted when he was younger, so rifle training came easy for him -Trained with the M-16 assault rifle, M72 LAW (rocket launcher), M-60 machine gun -Basic training lasted eight weeks -Trained with a mix of draftees, enlisted men, and National Guardsmen (00:04:35) Advanced Infantry Training -He took advanced infantry training (AIT) at Fort Gordon as well -His specialization was as an infantryman -He enjoyed his AIT experience -In AIT he trained with a wider array of weapons -Received land navigation training and how to live in the field -This also involved learning how to go out on patrols -AIT lasted another eight weeks (00:05:13) Deployment to Vietnam -At the end of AIT he was allowed to go home for thirty days of leave -After his leave he reported for his deployment to Vietnam -He had received his deployment orders at the end of AIT �-He knew from the start he would probably wind up in Vietnam -Officially being deployed didn’t shock him -In a way he was looking forward to going to Vietnam -His instructors in training had been Vietnam veterans, so they helped prepare him -Made sure that they knew how to set up ambushes, call in airstrikes, and eat rations -He reported in Seattle, Washington and stayed there for three days -From Seattle he flew to Vietnam and landed in Cam Ranh Bay -In Cam Ranh Bay he received his orders and a couple days of in-country training -The in-country training basically served as an introduction to being in Vietnam -The first two things that he noticed was how hot it was, and how the country smelled -Overall, it was a cultural shock for him -He arrived in Vietnam in September 1969 (00:09:10) Assignment to 58th Infantry Platoon (Scout Dog) -In Cam Ranh Bay he received his orders to join the 58th Infantry Platoon (Scout Dog) -It was a part of the 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division at Camp Evans -Going into his assignment he wasn’t sure of what to expect -At Camp Evans he was assigned to a dog and received handler training from another handler -Handler training lasted two weeks -The dog was a German Shepherd whose name was Jim Dandy -He had already been trained, but he had a bad attitude (bit everyone) -If he (Bruce) couldn’t get Jim to cooperate Jim would be put down -After spending two hours with Jim they became a perfect match (00:12:34) Dog Handler Training -Started off with simple commands -Sit, heel, come -Moved on to running the obstacle course together -Consisted of crawling in tunnels, jumping obstacles and getting over low walls -The simple training lasted about three, or four, days -Jim was an off leash dog which meant he could go a short distance away from Bruce in the field -If Jim was off the leash in the field Bruce would communicate with hand signals -He learned how to recognize Jim’s signals -Finding a booby trap, spider hole, enemy ambush, or a sniper -At night they walked the perimeter of Camp Evans as part of the training -Jim was incredibly good at finding the tripwires to booby traps -After they forged a bond together Jim was incredibly protective of Bruce -He had always been good with animals, so the training wasn’t too difficult -The other men were impressed by how obedient Jim was with Bruce (00:17:34) Jim Dandy’s Background -Jim came from Texas -His family had donated him to the Army -Received training at Fort Benning, Georgia and was deployed to Vietnam -Somewhere during that time is when Jim became aggressive and violent -Jim was specifically used as a scout dog -Walking point with their handler looking for ambushes, or other signs of danger -There were other dogs used for finding mines, search and rescue, or searching for drugs -Jim was never bothered by gunfire �-He was fed a mix of canned and dried dog food -This added food weight and water weight to Bruce’s rucksack (00:20:37) Operating in the Field -They would go out to the field together and meet the commanding officer of a unit -They were never assigned to a specific unit, just worked with unit’s that needed them -He served with units in the 1st/506th, 2nd/506th, and all of the units in the 3rd Brigade -During helicopter rides Jim was calm and even friendly -Allowed the helicopter crewmen to pet him -He would go up between the pilot and copilot and let them pet him -They would stay with a unit for about a week and then return to Camp Evans -The length of the assignment varied with each unit -After a certain amount of missions dogs needed to return to Camp Evans for an extended period -This was especially necessary when they were operating in the mountains -When they were in the field Jim would have to take 15-20 minute breaks -This was to keep him from getting too worn out -In the field Jim would routinely find North Vietnamese, or Viet Cong, bunkers -He was also good at finding booby-traps and enemy ambushes -There were times where they would go into the field and they didn’t find anything -In the field he always had to walk point with Jim (walking in front of the unit) -The other troops welcomed them because they knew a scout dog increased survivability -The only problem was that the troops always wanted to pet Jim -Jim was never okay with that and bit troops that tried to pet him -Difficult for the troops because a dog was a symbol of home and normalcy (00:27:07) Unit Rotation -After they got done in the field they would return to Camp Evans by helicopter -After a mission they would stand down at Camp Evans for about half a week -There were twenty man-dog teams in their platoon available for field work -Sometimes the demand for a scout dog team was so high they only got back for a day, or two -At Camp Evans Jim always stayed by Bruce’s side -Jim was only left alone when Bruce went to shower, or to the mess hall -They even slept in the same room together -During the monsoons their missions slowed down -It was too hard to get out to the field because it was too hard to fly in the rains -Aside from transportation the dogs couldn’t pick out scents as well in the rain (00:31:20) Firebase Ripcord -He and Jim were sent to Firebase Ripcord in early June 1970 -About one month before the start of the Battle of Ripcord on July 1, 1970 -They would leave the base in the morning for patrols and return in the evening -Just patrolled the area around Firebase Ripcord -Being in the A Shau Valley was a dangerous and foreboding assignment -The A Shau Valley roughly divided Vietnam and Cambodia -Had to stay alert at all times -On Ripcord the first time for about three, or four, days then they would rotate to other firebases -Whenever they returned to base they would swap information with other handlers -He always felt invincible with Jim at his side �(00:35:45) Jim in the Field -When Jim found a booby-trap he would sit -If he found an enemy position the hair on his back stood up and he looked in that direction -At that point Bruce would go and alert the rest of the patrol to Jim’s discovery -If they were in a valley it was harder for Jim to smell -If they were on a hill, or any elevated ground, Jim could pick up scents much easier -If Jim found something the patrol would then make a plan of attack to deal with the threat -Whenever the found something Jim would stay quiet and never gave away their position (00:38:10) Getting Wounded -He was with Bravo Company of the 1st/506th when he was wounded -He and Jim left to go into the field on June 30, 1970 -They went out to the helipad with another handler and his dog -As the helicopters came in the other handler and his dog boarded the first helicopter -Bruce and Jim boarded the second helicopter -Bruce had originally planned to board the first helicopter -On July 4 the other handler and his dog were killed in action by a booby trap -It has haunted Bruce to this day to think about that -Bruce and Jim were with Bravo Company in their night defensive position (field camp) -Getting ready to go out for patrols, nothing was happening in the area yet -Jim picked up a scent and alerted them to a Vietnamese presence just to their left -As Bruce went to alert the commander a satchel charge exploded in the center of camp -It was either an attempt to kill the officers, or kill Bruce and Jim -The Vietnamese knew scout dog teams were highly valued -After the satchel charge exploded they started taking rocket propelled grenade fire -In the fighting eighteen men were wounded and one man was killed -When the fighting began and Bruce got hurt Jim became frantic -By the time the medic reached Bruce, Bruce had to hold down Jim to calm him down -In the fighting Bruce had shattered his left foot and took shrapnel in his right leg and back -Jim began to lick Bruce’s foot to try and heal him -They were both medevaced out of the field -It was the only time that Jim didn’t do well on a helicopter (00:45:19) Leaving Vietnam -He and Jim made it back to Camp Evans -Before being treated for his wounds he took Jim to his quarters and made sure he was fed -He refused being evacuated because he wanted to stay with Jim -He had extended his enlistment for six months just to be able to stay with Jim -Against his wishes he was sent to the 95th Evacuation Hospital -A few days later he woke up on a C-130 bound for Yokohama, Japan -There was an ugly confrontation because he wanted to go back -Spent two months in the hospital in Japan -From Japan he was sent to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C. -He wound up spending over a year there -He had to learn to walk again -Basically, he had been in worse shape than he thought he was (00:47:48) Post-War Service -After being released from Walter Reed he was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia �-Worked with the military police and their dogs -He had tried to go back to Vietnam, but his request was denied -His wounds prevented him from going, and the withdrawal was starting -At Fort Benning he worked as a trainer for the canine units -Later on he joined the 11th Special Forces Group in Richmond, Virginia -It was a reserve unit at the time -He reenlisted and had gone into the Army Reserves -When the 11th Special Forces Group was deactivated in 1994, he left too (00:49:55) Jim’s Fate -After Bruce left, the Army attempted to reassign Jim to a new handler -No matter what they tried Jim would not cooperate with a new handler -One day Jim broke out of the kennel and started to go towards the aid station at Camp Evans -Bruce thinks that Jim was going to look for him -Eventually the troops were able to capture Jim, and he was put down -In retrospect he feels that it was a better fate than what happened to the other dogs -At the end of the war service dogs were given to South Vietnam -Intention was to have the South Vietnamese use them like the U.S. had -Instead the South Vietnamese troops killed and ate the dogs -Now service dogs are retired and allowed to be adopted by a former handler (00:53:00) Life after the Army -He got out of the Army and became a police officer -He worked in a police K-9 unit for a few years -After K-9 work he worked as a detective and on a SWAT team -He worked in Richmond, Virginia as well as in South Carolina -He made police work his career and wound up retiring from it � 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 RHC-27_BondB1690V Title A name given to the resource Bond, Bruce (Interview outline and video), 2014 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2014-10-10 Description An account of the resource Bruce Bond was born in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1950 and grew up there and attended high school there. After graduating from high school in 1969 he enlisted in the Army. He trained at Fort Gordon, Georgia, as an infantryman, but when he went to Vietnam he trained as a scout dog handler and was assigned to the 58th Infantry Platoon (Scout Dog), which was part of the 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division, based at Camp Evans. He and his scout dog, Jim Dandy, served on patrols with different units of the brigade, and took part in the actions around Firebase Ripcord in 1970. Bruce was wounded on June 30, 1970, and was sent to the US for treatment. He requested reassignment to Vietnam, but wound up as a scout dog instructor at Fort Benning, Georgia, for the remainder of his enlistment. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bond, Bruce Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource McGregor, Michael (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f69aa3fcd817e5e4c3cc4fdf4f6bf39d.mp4 126556f9f0ad36e558e9d1c14748b4cf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/615f4e96c20ff2bb13bd54e569aadd8d.pdf a5495e88f5343fca9052d1b247ba9b29 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Bert Boersma World War II 1 hour 32 seconds (00:00:10) Early Life -Born in Moline, Michigan -Most likely in 1925 -Grew up on a farm until his family moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan when he was 14 years old -Parents were not farmers by trade, but knew how to grow crops -Useful during the Great Depression because they could grow their own food -Father was a contractor in Grand Rapids -He was one of eleven children -Youngest child was born after they moved to Grand Rapids (00:01:40) Start of World War II -Paid a lot of attention to the events happening in Europe in the 1930s -Parents came from the Netherlands -When Germany overran the Netherlands, his parents were shocked -He was home and the news was on the radio -Heard President Roosevelt's "Day of Infamy" speech about the attack on Pearl Harbor -Wanted to get into the service and have revenge on the Japanese -In high school when Pearl Harbor happened -Saw a lot of young men enlisting and getting drafted out of high school (00:03:40) Getting Drafted -Finished high school in 1942 and got drafted either later that year, or in early 1943 -Reported to Fort Custer, Michigan for processing on February 26, 1943 (00:04:26) Basic Training -Sent to Camp Roberts, California for basic training -Got sent cross country by train -Got to sleep in Pullman cars with actual beds and eat in the dining car -Camp Roberts was beautiful with the mountains for a backdrop -Started basic training at the end of the rainy season, so they trained through the dry season -Most likely in early spring 1943 -The dry brush would catch fire from the artillery shells being fired into the hills -Something that he had never experienced -The trainees would be used to combat the wildfires -Knew what to expect after being processed at Fort Custer -First time that he had ever been exposed to so much swearing -Had spent some time in the Michigan National Guard, so the Army wasn't totally foreign -A lot of the training was close order drills, weapons training, marching, and 25 mile �hikes -Trained with rifles, machine guns, and mortars -Men would fall asleep while they were on the long hikes -It happened to him -Also had to eat breakfast while they were hiking -The base wasn't new, but not old either -All of the men that he trained with were draftees -A lot of them came from Grand Rapids and he knew some of them -After training they got split up -Basic training lasted ninety days (00:09:27) Assignment to the 33rd Infantry Division & Deployment -Assigned to the 130th Infantry Regiment of the 33rd Infantry Division -Illinois National Guard unit that had been called up before the war -Unit had trained on Mt. Rainier, Washington -Sent down to the Mojave Desert -He joined them before they went overseas -First duty station was on Hawaii guarding the islands -The division arrived on July 12, 1943 -Spent nine months on Hawaii -Received some jungle training -Spent six months on the island of Hawaii -Sent three months on the island of Kauai where they received jungle training -Sent to Pearl Harbor and boarded a ship bound for Finschhaefen, New Guinea -Didn't get to see Pearl Harbor because they got there, and left, at night -Sailed from California to Hawaii on a converted cruise ship -It was his time being on the ocean -Did not get seasick -Sailed from Hawaii to New Guinea on another converted cruise ship (00:12:58) Arrival in New Guinea -When they arrived, all they could see was coconut groves -Already had a base and an airfield at Finschhaefen -Arrived during the raining season -Unit arrived on May 11, 1944 -Went to a bivouac area where the mud was knee deep -Men would fall into bomb craters and nearly drown -Had to dig a drainage ditch to the ocean -Once they got rid of the water it started to look more like a camp (00:15:00) Stationed on New Guinea -Stayed there for six months -Received some jungle training and went on patrols -Some units landed further up the coast and on other islands of the Dutch East Indies -He was not involved with those landings -On patrol and followed a trail that cut through the jungle and over the hills -He found a primitive village with buildings on stilts -Villagers were afraid, but a young boy approached him -Able to speak in broken English �-Explained to Bert that, "Yanks come, Japs run" -Turned out that it was a settlement established by German Lutherans -Japanese moved farther up the coast and took over Biak and Hollandia -He did not encounter any Japanese troops while he was on New Guinea -It was wet, jungle rot was common, and malaria was rampant -Had to take atabrine to prevent malaria -Not enjoyable, but necessary -His regiment worked on the docks loading, and unloading ships (00:19:36) Stationed on Morotai -Moved to Morotai in the Dutch East Indies closer to the front line -Arrived after the invasion and the airfield was secured -Most likely in late December 1944 -Every night there were air raids targetting the runway -Could repair the runway quickly -Bombers would leave before dawn, hit targets as far away as Borneo, and return by sunset -Bombers would come back heavily damaged, hit the runway, and veer off into the jungle -There were still Japanese forces on the island -It was their job to hunt down the remnants and eliminate the Japanese -The living conditions were similar to how they were on New Guinea -Hot, and humid -Remembers on a patrol they ran out of water and found a pool of stagnant water -One soldier drank that water out of his helmet and chased it with chlorine pills -Supposed to let the pills treat the water first, but he was unharmed -Found some Japanese camps -Got rid of them -Survivors fled into the jungle -A Company, his company, took no casualties -B Company lost five men and were buried in the jungle -A Company was sent to recover the bodies a week later -The bodies were bloated and stinking -Carried them on bamboo stretchers to a stream then put them on a raft -Floated the bodies down the coast and the Navy picked them up -Worked on docks loading and unloading ships -Got moved out to a ship and would get ferried to Morotai to work on the docks -Ships began assembling to move to the Philippines (00:26:55) Stationed in Luzon -Moved to Lingayen Gulf in Luzon after the initial invasion of Luzon -By now it was early 1945 -Unit arrived on February 10, 1945 -Safe to go ashore when they arrived -Relieved the 43rd Infantry Division �-Japanese had been holding a position at an intersection for quite a while -Saw a bit of action pushing the Japanese out -He was promoted to the rank of staff sergeant and was leading a squad of twelve men -Remembers a patrol near the summer capitol of Baguio and found money on the road -Silver pesos that had been buried and an artillery shell hit the location -Reported it to the company commander -Went back out with a platoon to guard it -Marines went out to collect the money -He never got any credit for finding, or reporting, the money -Met some Filipino civilians -Saw a lot of Filipinos on the roads between the American line and the Japanese line -The Japanese had viciously oppressed the Filipinos -Tried to give them a hand whenever they could -Extra food or water -Language barrier caused some problems, but could tell they were appreciative -Had some Filipino soldiers attached to his unit -Took some Japanese prisoners -A lot of Japanese soldiers refused to surrender -Some feigned surrender and approached with a live grenade -Many would rather die for the Emperor than surrender in shame -Found some Japanese soldiers in a house that surrendered willingly -Sent them up to company headquarters -They all looked pretty sickly -Lived in tents, or in foxholes -It got cold in the mountains -Always caked in sweat and mud -Swam in streams to try and get clean -Only new clothes that they carried was an extra pair of socks -No toothbrush, or toothpaste -Would be in the field for a few days to a month at a time -Lived off of C Rations -In the rear you could get mail and write home -Chance to reassure loved ones that you were okay -Also a chance to take a cold shower (00:37:34) Hill 1802 & Mount Bilbil -Took one hill called Hill 1802 -A Company snuck around the Japanese from behind and took the hill -Stayed on Hill 1802 for a week -Started with 40 men in his platoon, and only nine when they left the hill -Probably the worst experience during the war -Had no artillery support except for the small mortars that they had brought -This was on Mount Bilbil -Survived on air-dropped supplies �-Had to resist multiple Japanese counter attacks -Ordered to hold the hill at all costs -Company commander eventually decided that they needed to get off the hill -Retook Mount Bilbil with artillery support three or four weeks later -Got his Bronze Star on Mount Bilbil -After an artillery barrage he charged a Japanese position and forced them to surrender -Took Mount Bilbil before moving on to the city of Baguio (00:42:49) Near Death Situations -Nearly got killed when a mortar exploded above him -Protected by a bandolier hanging in a tree -Multiple times when he was under machine gun fire (00:43:35) End of the War -Stationed on Luzon until the war ended, formally, in September 1945 -Receiving amphibious training for the planned invasion of Japan -Heard the news that the atomic bombs had been dropped -Didn't know what the bomb was, but it sounded like an incredibly destructive weapon -Gave them hope that the war would end -When they heard that the Japanese surrendered tears were shed -A lot of men offered up prayers of thanks -Knew that Japan would have fought to the last man in an invasion (00:46:25) Occupation Duty in Japan -Sent up to Japan for occupation duty -Landed at Nagoya on Honshu on September 25, 1945 -Had to be escorted into the harbor by the harbor master because the water was mined -Took a long time to maneuver into the harbor -Boarded landing craft and went ashore -Faced no resistance or hostilities -Saw a billboard that said, "Kilroy was Here" -Took a train to Kobe -Area had been flattened -Took over an abandoned Catholic monastery -Learned that it was a Chinese settlement -Overlooked Kobe -All you could see was rubble, and people living in the rubble -Moved to an old Japanese barracks in Himeji -Saw Japanese civilians -Showed extreme deference toward, and fear of, American soldiers on his first pass -Second time was much different -Civilians learned that U.S. troops were friendly -Biked through some villages -Met a Japanese girl fluent in English �-She invited him to meet her brother -Brother wanted to get into the black market -Bert declined because he didn't want to get in trouble -Black market was active -Men would use cigarettes to buy prostitutes -His duty in Japan was to simply maintain an American presence (00:54:06) Coming Home & End of Service -Left Japan in November 1945 on a troopship -Arrived in Portland, Oregon -Took a train to Fort Sheridan, Illinois and got discharged in December 1945 -Parents, sisters, and girlfriend picked him up in Chicago -Visited his brother at Great Lakes Naval Station which is also in Illinois (00:55:37) Life after the War -Enrolled at Calvin College in Grand Rapids -Shortly after that he contracted malaria -Atabrine was out of his system and the disease became active -Had chills, fever, and nausea -Eventually had to drop out of college after a year and a half due to the illness -Advised by his doctor to get an outdoor job to regain red blood cells -Got a job at a lumber company -Worked for Consumers Energy then went to work in auto sales for the rest of his life (00:59:09) Reflections on Service -Had a war to fight, and a battle to win -War is hell, especially for those on the front lines -Wouldn't wish that on anyone � 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 RHC-27_BoersmaB1777V Title A name given to the resource Boersma, Bert A (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-06-16 Description An account of the resource Bert Boersma was born in Moline, Michigan in 1925. He graduated from high school in 1942 and was drafted in early 1943. He reported at Fort Custer, Michigan on February 26, 1943 for processing, and was then sent to Camp Roberts, California for basic training. His training lasted ninety days, and after that he went to join the 130th Infantry Regiment of the 33rd Infantry Division. He was stationed with that unit in Hawaii for nine months receiving jungle training before moving on to New Guinea in May 1944 where he stayed for six months conducting patrols and handling cargo from ships. He moved on to the island of Morotai in December 1944 where he saw his first action routing the remaining Japanese troops. He moved on to the island of Luzon in February 1945 and saw major action there at Hill 1802 and Mount Bilbil where he received a Bronze Star. After the war ended he was part of the occupation force in Japan in Nagoya and Himeji. He stayed in Japan until November 1945 and was sent home and got discharged at Fort Sheridan, Illinois in December 1945. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boersma, Bert A. 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 World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/1197e50b9fca413e8b4643babdca5ec7.m4v 48e26c248527409bb3e104390359e265 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/bef7875881a7bf8a9e60922e7c507d58.pdf 6dc8b57c42840f1da6e132563470eb91 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Name of War: World War II Interviewee name: Clyde Boerman Length of Interview: (00:54:46) (0:08:50)Pre-Enlistment     Before the war, he worked at General Motors. He quit his job and enlisted in the Navy. He was 26 when he enlisted. He enlisted in 1943. (0:00:51) Active Duty   Duty Locations o Assigned to a Naval Base in Washington. Worked on a Destroyer that was responsible for torpedoes. o Moved from Washington to Rhode Island where he trained. o He was then sent to New York to be deployed to England. They ran into some German submarines off of the coast of New York, and so they diverted to Scotland and then eventually to England. o (0:02:40) He was part of the attack on D-Day.  Recalls an episode off of the coast of France where his boat had to rescue another destroyer off of the coast of France. o He spent most of his time patrolling the waters off of the coast of France. o (0:08:15) After his time off of the coast of France, he was sent to the Pacific via Boston, MA. o (0:10:25) His first stop in the Pacific was New Guinea. He was there for 2 days then headed to the Philippines. o (0:12:35) From the Philippines he went to the Dutch East Indies where they. Experiences o (0:13:20) His main job was to take care of the torpedoes, a position called Torpedo Man. o Came into contact on one occasion with a German sub. o Recalls being very close to the shore on D-Day. o Was in the Navy for 3 years and 3 months. o (0:25:10) Didn’t come into much contact with the Japanese while he was in the Pacific. o During leave, they would go to the different cities around the ports they stopped at. o (0:29:20) Attained the rank of Third Class Torpedo Man. o Recalls while crossing the Atlantic that they once ran into forty foot waves. �o The most their boat was out was for a week at time, but usually they were in very close to shore. o They had a Filipino on their boat while they were in the Pacific that acted as a translator for their boat. (0:20:41) After the Service  After the war, he came home to Grand Rapids, MI and started to look for a job.  Had a couple different jobs after the War. He spent 50 years at one manufacturing job. He also worked on the Board of Education. � 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 RHC-27_BoermanC Title A name given to the resource Boerman, Clyde Allan (Interview outline and video), 2005 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2005-05-09 Description An account of the resource Clyde Boerman served in the Navy in World War II. He was part of a Torpedo Boat that served in both the Atlantic and Pacific theatres. He worked manning the torpedoes on the boat. He participated in D-Day as part of the Naval team that assisted with the landings and he also served in the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boerman, Clyde Allan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ezinga, Ross (Interviewer) Luyk, Nolan (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6450befc817119e60e22177698383695.m4v 2689e54ea0a5b265a795f3dde6b4ca5b https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ebff4a0c876f19c2ccc4516a1f10fb9b.pdf e8e5e7cc907364fb32974799193be516 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Interviewee’s Name: Lloyd Blough Name of War: World War II Length of Interview: (00:36:53) (00:05) Background Information     Lloyd was born on August 25, 1915 in Michigan He had 1 sister and 4 brothers and went to school through 8th grade Lloyd was drafted into the Army when he was 26 years old in 1941 He was already married and in the service by the time Pearl Harbor was attacked (2:00) Airplane Mechanic  Lloyd went through basic training at Fort Custer in Battle Creek, Michigan  He was transferred to Virginia 2 weeks after Pearl Harbor was attacked where he went through advanced training to become an airplane mechanic, working on P-39s  The men would work on about 24 different planes a day and then they would all be flown out at once (6:30) Africa  Lloyd was sent to Africa in August on 1942  While in Africa there was always sand getting into the plane engines, which they would have to constantly clean out and maintain  Lloyd invented a piece to cover the engine that would prevent sand from getting in the air intake  They were working with Spitfires and P-51 Mustangs  The Spitfires were British planes and hard to work on with American tools  Lloyd traveled to Algeria, Tunisia, France, Italy, and Ireland (13:55) Leaving Europe  Once Italy surrendered the Americans were taking many Italian POWs  They preferred to go with the Americans because the Germans would have killed them  Many of them were starving and they really liked the food the American men had  Lloyd spent 2 years overseas before he was sent out back to the US on a 2 week boat trip  He served in New Mexico later and spent a total of 4 years in the service (24:30) Average Days  Lloyd made many friends while in the Army and worked next to a few good friends the entire time he was in the service �  He worked with 24 different mechanics, each of whom was assigned to one particular plane and also had an assistant While overseas Lloyd sent many letters to his wife and family and the letters were always censored � 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 RHC-27_BloughL Title A name given to the resource Blough, Lloyd H. (Interview outline and outline), 2005 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2005-03-31 Description An account of the resource Lloyd Blough was born in Michigan on August 25, 1915 and drafted into the Army in 1941 when he was 26 years old. He went through training at Fort Custer in Battle Creek, Michigan and was transferred to Virginia two weeks after Pearl Harbor was attacked. In Virginia, Lloyd went through advanced training to become an airplane mechanic, working with P-39s. Once he was finished training, Lloyd was sent to Africa where he worked on different planes in Algeria and Tunisia. He spent a total of two years overseas and also worked in France, Italy, and Ireland before he was sent back to the United States to finish the other two years of his service. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Blough, Lloyd H. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Steffen, Derek (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Air Corps Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/050ef144eac204ade90444f94b477834.mp4 bd9258571de65f262790fc8eba292e8e https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/09e56c1227b0d52ae60267f5b21211c8.pdf 8b1faa0926b5470038e6542a42c693ad PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Duane Beukema World War II-Post War 59 minutes 16 seconds (00:00:14) Early Life -Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1928 -Lived there his entire life -Father worked for General Motors in the stamping division at the Wyoming, Michigan factory -Worked for them for thirty five years -He was one of the first to be hired when the factory was built in the 1930s -Prior to that he was on welfare -Wound up with one of the better jobs at the factory -Setting up and running a press -He had a sister that was eighteen years younger than him -Graduated from Ottawa Hills High School in 1946 (00:01:51) World War II -Remembers the attack on Pearl Harbor vividly -Sitting in the living room reading the newspaper when the report came over the radio -Had no idea what Pearl Harbor was, or where it was, prior to the attack -Parents had read about the fighting in Europe and Asia prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor -There was very little radio coverage of the war though -He was aware of the fighting happening in Europe and Asia -Remembers that there was a lot of anger after the attack and there weren't many answers -Rationing went into effect almost immediately -Remembers that things like sugar and gasoline had to be bought with ration stamps -Despite the rationing, he doesn't remember suffering -Started seeing cars with wooden bumpers instead of chrome bumpers -Tires were rationed -His father was issued a B Card for gas which was better than an A Card -Meant that he could get a few more gallons each week -This was because he had a job that was essential to the war effort -When he got into high school he started seeing a lot of older male students joining the military -Remembers hearing about some older students being killed in the war in his junior year (00:04:37) Enlisting in the Army -His best friend since the age of twelve was drafted after graduating from high school -Decided that they would both just enlist together -If you enlisted there was a chance you would get a better deal from the �Army -Plus, they were as close as brothers and didn't want to be separated like that -Went to a recruiting center in Grand Rapids and took an aptitude test together -Asked where they would want to go -They both decided that they would want occupation duty in Japan (00:06:00) Basic Training & Field Artillery Training -Left Grand Rapids in September 1946 and got sent to Fort Custer, Michigan -Spent the night there -Boarded a train the next day and they were sent to Fort Sheridan, Illinois -Spent a few nights there -Sent by train to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training and field artillery training -Trained with the 105mm howitzer -Learning how to fire and maintain the gun -Gunner had to be able to do mental math -He and his friends were the only high school graduates in a group of 200 -As a result, he was selected to be a gunner -The men that they trained with were mostly enlistees -First things he learned was how to march and Army etiquette -Who to salute, who not to salute, ranks, etc. -There was a lot of physical training -Mostly marching and jogging -After four weeks they began to train on the howitzers -There was a high emphasis on discipline -Men that disobeyed were given extra chores -Consisted of work in the mess hall (peeling potatoes and washing dishes) -First thing you learn in basic training is not to give them a reason to remember your name -If they remember your name, you're more likely to get picked for extra duty -Received ten weeks of training -Did not have a lot of trouble adjusting to the Army -Approached a lot of the situations with a sense of humor -He was in good shape when he went into training, but was in great shape by the end of training -His job as the gunner was calculating elevation and doing some basic trigonometry -Didn't find it too difficult -Never got to fire the howitzer because he got sick in the fifth week with pneumonia -Kept in the hospital for three weeks -Got moved to a different training class, but managed to catch up quickly -Still graduated with his best friend -Given a leave home at the end of training -Training was complete in November 1946 -Did not get to spend Christmas 1946 with his family though (00:13:54) Deployment to Japan -Ordered to report to California in December -Rode the train out to California with his best friend �-Took three days to go from Michigan to California -Had to sleep sitting up -Spent a lot of time in the club car playing cards -Got off the train and got marched to a big field -Kept there for three days until they were assigned to a barracks -Had no tents to sleep in -He and his friend got a job making ham and cheese sandwiches -Meant being inside and getting to sleep inside -Once in the barracks he worked in the mess hall -Had a permanent pass to leave the barracks when he wasn't on duty -Spent almost every day in San Francisco -Got to be in San Francisco for New Year's Eve -Found the soldier in charge of shipping orders and paid him $10 to be put on the list for Japan -Wanted to get deployed in the hopes that he would get to catch up with his friend -Friend had been deployed ahead of him -Shipped out on a troop transport -Held 5,000 men -Took eighteen days to get to Japan -Eight days into their voyage they got hit by waves from a tsunami that hit Japan -Waves were over seventy five feet tall and were breaking over the bridge -Two days of rough seas -He only got seasick for one day -Learned the best thing to do to combat it was to eat (00:18:45) Arrival in Japan -Arrived at Yokohama -Ship had trouble docking because the harbor was full of sunken ships -At that time Yokohama and Tokyo were flat from the American bombing campaign -Wooden buildings that had been razed from the firebombing campaign -He was sent to a distribution center to receive his orders -Spent two weeks in Yokohama because his orders had been lost -Given some duties while in Yokohama, but passed a lot of time playing cards and reading -Not allowed to go into Yokohama -A few men snuck off the base to go to a place nicknamed "Gonorrhea Gulch" -The cost of a prostitute's services was a pack of gum (00:20:58) Stationed in Sasebo Pt. 1 -His records were found and he was sent by train to Sasebo, Kyushu -Quartered in an old Japanese Army barracks -Assigned to H Company of the 34th Infantry Regiment of the 24th Infantry Division -Handling .30 caliber machine guns, 80mm mortars, and anti-tank guns -The unit wasn't expecting new men so there was no food, and no heat in the barracks -After complaints they finally got food, hot water, and heat -Remembers being on guard duty and being approached by an old man �-He was dressed in an Army overcoat with no insignias -Asked Duane how things were and Duane answered bluntly -Said that there was no food, no heat, and nothing to do -Next day they had food, heat, cards, ping-pong tables, and a piano -Turned out that the old man was actually the colonel of the unit -Colonel would do this routinely to keep in touch with the troops -Started to receive basic infantry training -Days started at 5:30 AM -Calisthenics, showers, and breakfast then infantry training -Learned how to field strip a rifle -Learned how to fire and maintain .50 caliber machine guns -Training lasted three months -After graduating they received an extra week of infantry training -Sent back to Sasebo -At the time, communist instigators were sneaking into Japan from Korea -Trying to get the Japanese people to support a communist government -Their job, as the Americans, was to break up riots and arrest the instigators (00:26:02) Interaction with Japanese Civilians Pt. 1 -Japanese civilians in the area had never seen American infantrymen -Impressed with the steel helmets and modern rifles fixed with bayonets -Felt no animosity from the Japanese people -Not even from Japanese men that had served in their army -Treated with tremendous respect and they wanted to know all about them -Almost immediately had contact with civilians -Civilians would come up to him and talk with him while he was on guard duty -Felt tremendous sadness for the Japanese people -Realized that they had lost their homes, loved ones, and their jobs -People were being forced to sell precious family heirlooms just to survive -Mostly encountered men, but some young women, and some children -Met a Japanese man that had visited Grand Rapids -He had attended the University of Wisconsin before the war -Had spent the war in jail for protesting the attack on Pearl Harbor -Had felt that it was strategically suicidal (00:29:05) Stationed in Sasebo Pt. 2 -His regular duty in Sasebo was guard duty -Two hours on, six hours off -Six hours on, sixteen hours off -One day on, two days off (00:29:37) Travelling in Japan & Interaction with Japanese Civilians Pt. 2 -When he wasn't on duty he was allowed to travel just about anywhere -Favorite place to visit was Kyoto -Old city filled with religious buildings -Had been spared from the bombings -Visited Osaka -Very modern city that had largely been spared from being bombed �-Some buildings, and parts of cities, had been explicitly forbidden from being bombed -All of Kyoto had been off limits due to its religious and cultural significance -Always travelled with two friends -They were of the same mind as him in terms of values -Ex. They would all go to religious services together -Required to wear uniforms wherever they went -Surprised by how many civilians could speak fluent, or near fluent, English -The U.S. occupying force was trying to Romanize Japanese names of places -Basically, translating the characters into the Latin alphabet, but not rename the places -Japanese people always wanted to help, even if they couldn't speak English (00:34:40) Black Market & Theft -One of his duties as a guard was to protect military equipment and food stockpiles from thieves -First night that he was there a soldier caught three Japanese men in a warehouse -Chased them back to a boat and killed those three plus two accomplices -One night, when he was in a warehouse by himself, he could hear thieves in the building -Wasn't able to find them though -Knew that there was a massive black market -Knew the soldier that was basically running the whole black market in Kobe -You could buy a carton of cigarettes for 75¢ from the PX and sell it for 1400 yen ($28) -His mother would send him a carton of cigarettes in the mail and he would sell those -Then use that money to buy more cigarettes from the PX and sell those -Made $45 a month from the Army and sent $35 of it home to be saved -Used the rest, plus the cigarette money to travel (00:37:48) Hiroshima, Nagasaki, the Atomic Bombs, & the Invasion -Saw Nagasaki and Hiroshima -Nagasaki had been flattened from the bomb and there was a huge wooden arrow at ground zero -Army estimated that the land would be sterile for twenty years -When he visited in 1947, small plants were already starting to grow again -Japanese civilians he encountered actually supported the use of the atomic bombs -Realized that, had the U.S. invaded, millions would have died as opposed to thousands -Hiroshima was a little worse than Nagasaki because the blast hadn't been contained -Read a book while he was there titled Rising Sun that detailed Japan's military capabilities -That info, plus seeing the natural fortifications proved how bloody things could've been -Also saw a destroyer and a cruiser hidden in a lagoon while he was travelling -Showed that Japan had truly been ready to fight to the last citizen (00:42:28) Communist Agitators -Had to deal with rioters -Marched in formation against the rioters armed with rifles, grenades, and tear gas �-The rioters would then disperse when faced with a military force -Met a young man that had to drop out of college because he couldn't pay for it -Met him later on and learned that the communist party was paying for his college -This was in exchange for his membership in the communist party -The communists were especially active in the bigger cities -There were communists in Korea that could easily cross the 38th Parallel -Because Korea had been a Japanese colony, the Koreans could easily get to Japan (00:44:18) Reflections on Japan -Thought that Japan was a beautiful country -Felt tremendous sympathy for the Japanese people -Japanese people that he met were tremendously friendly and even crime was a rarity -Learned that Japan had simply been desperate for land and resources -Liked being there and was anxious to go back -Has since visited Japan and has seen how much has changed since the 1940s -Japanese men that had been in their army wouldn't readily talk about their experiences (00:46:30) End of Service & Coming Home -He and his friend had signed up for eighteen months -After fourteen months they were offered the chance to go home early and keep their rank -The caveat was that they would have to be in the Active Reserves -Decided to turn it down and just stay in for the extra four months -Good decision because of the 24th Infantry Division's involvement in Korea -One of the first units into the war, and it was basically wiped out -Sent back to the United States in December 1947 -Received orders to take a train to Yokohama and board a ship there -Sailed from Yokohama to Seattle, Washington -Captain wanted to be home for Christmas 1947 -Managed to cross the Pacific Ocean in only eight days -Once in Seattle, he was discharged after two days along with his best friend -They had reconnected on the return voyage -Learned that his friend had been promoted to the rank of corporal -Took a train back to Grand Rapids and arrived on Christmas Eve 1947 at 11 PM -Friend's younger brother met them at the train station -He was the only one that knew they were home -He got to his parents' house at 11:45 PM on Christmas Eve -Remembers that it was a great time to come home (00:52:04) Life after the Army -Got a job with his best friend -Neither of them wanted to start college in the middle of the school year -Went to Calvin College in Grand Rapids in September 1948 -Started off studying pre-med, but then switched to studying engineering -Got married after two and a half years of college -Began taking courses through WMU, MSU, and the University of Michigan -Never did get a degree in engineering, but got a job in engineering �-Started off working as a draftsman -Worked for Steelcase for twenty five years -Eventually moved up to being a product engineer -Met a Japanese high school student through the Talons Out Honor Flight in May 2015 -This young man, named Yuki, knew almost nothing about WWII -Only knew that the two countries had fought, and Japan had lost -He wrote to Duane and asked him to tell him more about the war -Duane agreed and taught him what he knew about the war -Told him that he enjoyed being in Japan and didn't regret his service -Has since maintained contact with Yuki (00:56:40) Reflections on Service -Feels that his time in the Army was worthwhile -Feels that it was an enlightening experience, and showed him more about the world -Met a soldier that lived a wild life that envied Duane's quiet, simpler life -Hopes that maybe he inspired the man to calm down a little bit � 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 RHC-27_BeukemaD1853V Title A name given to the resource Beukema, Duane "Duke" (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-07-08 Description An account of the resource Duane Beukema was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1928. After graduating from high school in 1946, he and his best friend enlisted in the Army. They both received basic and field artillery training at Fort Knox, Kentucky and completed that training in November 1946. They were both scheduled for deployment to Japan, but got separated in California. Duane wound up being sent to Japan in January 1947 and assigned to H Company in the 34th Infantry Regiment of the 24th Infantry Division in Sasebo, Japan. He received infantry training in Japan, regularly pulled guard duty, spent a considerable amount of time traveling (getting to see Hiroshima and Nagasaki only two years after the atomic bombs were dropped), and also getting to meet many Japanese civilians. In December 1947 he received orders to go home, and on the return voyage reconnected with his best friend. They were both discharged in Seattle and back in Grand Rapids by Christmas Eve 1947. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Beukema, Duane 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 World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/1f2f7b73f721eae1f96d954f01ec48f0.m4v 6e33bb8cf61ddabf427b9359a9c9e660 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/521d894a22b253c624837d7d6fbdb1cb.pdf beb3ea29e53c702e454084e025fdf91b PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Name of War: World War II Interviewee name: Robert Berles Length of Interview: (00:57:15) Robert Berles (57:15) (00:15) Background Information  Robert was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan  His father was a sales manager in Grand Rapids and built their home in 1931  He paid $10,000.00 to have the house built and it last sold for $160,000.00  Robert went to Aquinas College and was drafted during his sophomore year in 1943  He was not happy about being drafted and did not like the idea of his future being held in someone else’s hands  Robert was interested in a Navy program and traveled to Detroit with a friend to get more information  The program would allow him to finish his sophomore year and continue with school after his time in the service (7:15) Training  Robert began taking training classes at Western Michigan University on July 1, 1943  They went through one year of physical training and classes  Robert though it was similar to boot camp, but without the negative drill sergeants  After one year of training Robert was reassigned and began taking supply classes for five months  He was commissioned in September and assigned to the AP 168 War Hawk Troop Ship  They left from San Francisco and traveled to the Admiralty Islands (11:30) Island Base  The base was very rugged and Robert would have preferred to remain on the ship  He was only 20, about 8 years younger than all the other officers he was working with  Robert witnessed many kamikaze attacks and had been “taught to hate the Japanese”  They invaded Luzon on January 9, 1945  The ship was hit by a kamikaze later than day and 61 men died (17:20) Leaving the Pacific  It took the ship 26 days to get back to Manus Island near New Guinea  Robert worked with a priest to provide services for the dead � Many were still worried about kamikaze attacks (23:05) Dry Dock in Manus  Robert was ordered to clean up the ship and help fix the damage from the attack  No one wanted to help him clean the area where the bodies were stored at the bottom of the ship  They had been stored there for a month and the smell was terrible  The arms fell right off of the first body that Robert tried to move  He had to cut off all their thumbs to use later for identification  The bodies were buried at Manus Island, where they had a short service  Only 19 of the 61 bodies had been identified (32:00) Back to the US  The ship headed back to the US for more repairs  Robert later helped secure Okinawa, where he was thankful that the kamikazes were no longer attacking  He also worked in Guam once the war had ended, where they helped transport soldiers back to the US  They were also bringing back businessmen back to China and working with the Chinese embassy in the US  Robert played a lot of poker in China and used the money he won to buy jewelry for his mother (36:40) Japan  Robert visited Nagoya, Japan, which was completely devastated  He went to a naval base near Tokyo and had just gotten his appendix removed, so he was not able to do much physical activity  Robert felt lucky with his experience in the service, but that there is generally much waste with regard to money and human life  He felt that he received more from the Navy than he had ever given to the service (38:25) Manus Island  Robert had been playing cards on the ship with a guy from Grand Rapids when a ammunition ship blew up right next to them  There were 300 men on the ship and all of them died, which Robert found to be another example of waste (40:55) The End of the War  Robert continued to work on the ship for one year after the war had ended  He was working on the ship altogether for 22 months  They had been taking new soldiers out to the Pacific and bringing other home  They later decommissioned the ship in Seattle  Robert had wanted to go to law school, but ended up getting his Master’s Degree in Social Work �(48:00) Social Work  Robert began working with children at Saint Johns in California  He also had been training probation officers during the riots of 1952  Robert spent one year as a parole officer and worked as a therapist in a psychiatric clinic  He also started and ran a halfway house (52:40) Appendicitis  Robert remembered working on the ship and feeling very ill  They had been in a typhoon during his surgery and the deck was completely flooded  A crash knocked all the tools on the floor and they had to be washed and sanitized all over again during his surgery � 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 RHC-27_BerlesR Title A name given to the resource Berles, Robert A. (Interview outline and video), 2007 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-06-28 Description An account of the resource Robert Berles was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and was drafted in 1943 during his sophomore year at Aquinas College. Robert volunteered for a Navy program after receiving his draft notice that would allow him to finish his sophomore year before his time in the service, and also allow him to finish up college afterwards. Robert began officer training at Western Michigan University, where he attended classes all day long and physically trained. He served on a troop transport ship in the Pacific, and his ship was hit by a kamikaze off Luzon, the aftermath of which he describes in detail. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Berles, Robert A. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4a6a29d0c9ea87c1258c2f666beadf0a.m4v 271947b8fbfbc14b4647c3004c4eb029 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e18898f5a7ba2373a548f84bbfa3f869.pdf 3cfe443e19eca43631bb4a6638941ce1 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Mel Bajema Vietnam War Interview length: 1 hour 5 minutes 8 seconds; Tape Length: 1 hour 35 minutes 15 seconds (00:00:31) Early Life -Born in High Wycombe, England on March 12, 1946 -His father was stationed in England with the U.S. military and his mother was a war bride -When he was a toddler his parents moved to the United States -His father had been reassigned to Chanute, Illinois -His mother and he (Mel) went and lived with his father's parents in Iowa -His grandfather didn't approve of the marriage -He was a "fire and brimstone" preacher that didn't treat his mother well -His mother told his father that if they couldn't come to Illinois she would leave -He (Mel) and his mother joined his father at Chanute Air Field, Illinois -His father was in the Army Air Corps (which became the Air Force) -Served with the Air Force for eight years -After his father completed his service the family moved to Michigan -His father wanted to become a preacher, so he went to Calvin College, Grand Rapids -Eventually had to leave due to financial reasons -His father became a grocery store manager -He (Mel) graduated from high school in June 1964 -Throughout high school he had worked at the grocery store for his father -He also worked there briefly after he graduated from high school (00:03:31) Enlisting in the Air Force -He wanted to form a sense of identity and felt the military was the best option for that -The branch that he decided on was the Air Force -Influenced because of his father's service and because he felt the Air Force was the elite -Before reporting for basic training he received aptitude testing -Attempt by the Air Force to decide which position would be best for the recruits -The first stop was at Fort Custer, Michigan for processing and sorting -At this time it was June 1964 (00:04:53) Basic Training -He was sent to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas for his basic training -There were parts of basic training that were largely unpleasant -The TIs (technical instructors) were uncaring and at times unnecessarily demanding -He heard a rumor that one recruit was forced to run until he died of exhaustion -There was a huge focus on psychologically breaking down recruits -This was accomplished by forcing recruits to obsessively clean their quarters -There was one time the TIs made a mess of the barracks -The recruits were forced to clean the barracks in a limited amount of time -He was in good physical shape upon entering the Air Force -But still had to work up to a point that was acceptable for the Air Force �-The primary, overall focus during basic training was discipline and following orders -He spent six weeks training at Lackland -For him it was pretty easy to adjust to military living -Other men weren't able to adjust and were reassigned, or sent home (00:09:31) Technical School -He spent eight weeks in technical school -He was sent to a technical school in Amarillo, Texas -His specialization in the Air Force was to work in supply -The technical school training consisted mostly of classroom work -Instructors were better than in basic training, but still demanding -He finished technical school in early 1965 -He had been allowed to go home for Christmas 1964 though (00:10:49) Assignment to Selma, Alabama -He was stationed at Craig Air Force Base near Selma, Alabama -His position was to work with supplies out of a Quonset hut -He was part of Air Training Command -This meant he was in a support role for the officers training to be pilots -His job involved tracking where parts and supplies were on the base -He stayed at Craig until September 1967 -There was still animosity towards Northerners at the time -For the sake of peace he tried to adjust to, and insert himself into, the community -He heard about the Civil Rights Movement, but wasn't tremendously aware of the struggle -He saw how African Americans were treated by Southerners -He had a part time job pumping gas in Selma and saw black customers turned away -This was completely foreign to him coming from the North and not being racist -At Craig when the Edmund Pettus Bridge Incident happened -The National Guard was called in -They had to allow the National Guardsmen to stay on their base -While this was going on they were not allowed to leave the base -Aside from the Civil Rights struggle the assignment to Selma was routine and boring -Get up, eat breakfast, go to work, go to barracks, relax and repeat every day -He had wanted to take college courses, but only got around to taking one (00:17:20) Volunteering for Vietnam -After getting sick of being in Selma he expressed his frustration with his assignment -He wanted to travel with the hope of going to Europe -If he reenlisted he would get to go to Europe, which didn't appeal to him -He had only one year left, so he was offered a deployment to Southeast Asia -He took that offer -Two weeks later he received a letter telling him that he was being sent to Vietnam (00:18:20) Deployment to Vietnam -He visited home briefly before leaving for Vietnam -Travelled by air to San Francisco, then took a bus down to Los Angeles -In Los Angeles he boarded a chartered commercial plane bound for Vietnam -Stopped for gas along the way, but never long enough to get off the plane -They eventually landed in Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Saigon, South Vietnam -First impression was being scared �-He had blonde hair which drew attention from the local girls -Prostitutes would solicit him too which shocked and intimidated him -They landed during the day -Nothing eventful was happening when they landed -He was placed in a barracks on base until he left for Da Nang (00:20:53) Stationed at Da Nang -He took a cargo plane up to Da Nang -It was a tense plane ride -The pilot didn't know how to handle the C-130, so the 2nd Lieutenant on board took over -When he arrived in Da Nang he was assigned to a quarters in "Tent City" -He met some men that he had known in Selma -The first three months were calm -It almost felt like being on a base in the United States -Over time they began to receive minor incoming fire at night -The Viet Cong's goal was to keep the U.S. troops from getting sleep and to demoralize them -It was nothing compared to what would happen in the Tet Offensive though -His daily routine was similar to the one that he had in Selma -Working in supply, but in a slightly different capacity -In a way it felt like a day job just with military etiquette -He worked in supply for six months -Didn't have to pull bunker duty, guard duty, or any duty like those (00:25:33) Enemy Presence and Relations with Civilians in Da Nang -He felt safe until he realized that they were totally surrounded by Viet Cong -Vietnamese civilians were employed on the base to do menial tasks -The Viet Cong began to kill civilians sympathetic towards the Americans -He was able to visit the city of Da Nang before it became too dangerous to leave base -No one was allowed to have their M-16 rifle on hand -Had them kept in a locked weapons locker -Seemed asinine to him because it left them completely vulnerable -Just before the Tet Offensive began the mortar attacks became more frequent -He would watch as American helicopters attacked Viet Cong mortar crews near Da Nang -For a long time it didn't even seem like there was a war being fought -It was something occurring near them, but not involving them (00:30:33) The Tet Offensive -Working in the supply hut when the Tet Offensive began -He heard explosions outside and took cover under his desk -The explosions were so close, and so powerful, that the concussion buckled the floor -After he left the hut he saw the extent of the damage and heard more about it too -Everything was orange (burning) -To him it looked like what the stereotypical idea of hell looked like -A squadron and a half of jets had been lost to the attack (27-36 jets roughly) -He wasn't aware of any Vietnamese ground troops having penetrated the perimeter -The rocket attack only happened once -He feels that the goal of the Vietnamese had been to disrupt U.S. air presence �(00:34:46) Volunteering for Air Traffic Coordinator -After six months of being a supply clerk a call for a volunteer for air traffic coordinator came -The job involved being on the flight line helping oversee the handling of cargo on aircraft -He decided it would be more interesting than being a clerk, so he volunteered -He was put on a day shift, a mid-shift, and a graveyard shift, then got three days off -He would unload and load dead soldiers and wounded soldiers -His job also involved signaling pilots and telling them where to park their aircraft -It was a more interesting job, but more dangerous as well -The flight line took small arms fire pretty consistently -One time a sniper took a shot at him and he felt the bullet go past his head -It was common for aircraft to take fire as they landed, or took off -They didn't suffer any mortar attacks on the flight line -At the time Da Nang's U S military population was 2/3 Marines and 1/3 Air Force -He worked exclusively with the Air Force, and never the Marines (00:39:11) Downtime in Da Nang -For the most part he would spend downtime sleeping and eating -He got a reel-reel recorder through a friend that took an R&R in Japan -Used it to record music on the radio at the USO Club -Martha Ray came in as part of the USO to perform for the troops -There was a base theatre that showed movies (00:40:38) Living Conditions, Morale, Race Relations, and Drugs -As the year went on he ran into more draftees -Sometime during the year he was moved from "Tent City" to an actual barracks -Felt that the tents were actually safer than a large structure that drew attention -He knew one soldier who would consistently leave base to fraternize with Vietnamese girls -This eventually led to him getting a dishonorable discharge -He always strove to do his job well because at the time he believed in the cause -Most soldiers that he worked with tried to do their jobs well -He wasn't aware of drug use until Marines started coming back from the field -Marines were using cocaine -Indoctrination and coke made the Marines act like they were invincible -He knew one Marine who had that attitude and was dead two weeks later -He would ship out seventeen dead soldiers each shift -Feels that compared to previous wars casualties were light -Working on the flight line made him painfully aware of the toll of the war -He never heard of Air Force service members using drugs -There were more whites than blacks, and few Hispanics -Everyone got along fairly well though -At Da Nang he didn't hear about the MLK assassination -News outlets provided by the military only allowed for a limited scope of information -Thus that event didn't come up in the "Stars & Stripes" -Communicated with his family through letters -When he was still in "Tent City" someone was able to get hold of a Christmas Tree -He received a Christmas care package in March 1968 -The brownies were moldy, but they all ate them anyway -They had a PX (general store) on base which largely negated the need for care packages �-On Fridays he would always try to treat himself to steak and eggs -If you wanted to get drunk you just had to go to the NCO Club and order a few drinks -The heat exacerbated the effects of the alcohol -There were no apparent alcoholics in Da Nang (00:50:14) Interactions with Officers -He didn't have any officer watching over him until he became a traffic coordinator -Even when he was on the flight line he wasn't closely supervised (00:51:10) Going Home -When he was ready to go back home an officer pulled him aside and gave him some advice -"Forget that you were here, don’t volunteer to talk about your experiences” -At the time the advice seemed strange, but as time went on he understood -He learned that the war had been futile -He wasn't aware of the anti-war protests going on in America -Heard something about 'Make love, not war' but that was it -He kept track of when he was going home by using a short time calendar -He didn't know exactly when he was going home, just one day it happened -There was no acclimation process or course on how to adjust to going home -From Da Nang he flew down to Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Saigon -He heard men were dying from mortar attacks in Saigon -Fortunately for him, when he arrived Saigon was quiet -When he came home he wasn't harassed by protesters -He landed in Los Angeles, California then he returned to Grand Rapids, Michigan (00:56:12) Reassignment to Pensacola, Florida -He received new orders to go to Eglin Air Force Base in Pensacola, Florida -He went down to Florida with a bitter and resentful attitude -He technically had 110 days of his enlistment left -Felt that his year in Vietnam should have satisfied the rest of his enlistment -Because of his bitterness he would sleep in and be generally uncooperative -He got called into the sergeant's office and was yelled at, but not punished -He continued doing supply work, but didn't work as hard as he had at Selma, or Da Nang (00:57:39) Life after the War -After the Air Force he didn't have the direction that he thought that he would have -His mother suggested that he go to Post Office for a job -He took the test and was hired on to be a mailman -Wound up staying with the Post Office for his career and retired from it -His four years in the Air Force was added onto his thirty two years in the Post Office -He was a Federal employee for thirty six years -He feels that the Post Office was run very similarly to the Vietnam War -Inept managers making bad decisions -Leadership that had no foresight (in relation to the coming of email in the 1990s) (01:00:38) Reflections on Service -Shortly after he came home a Marine from his church was killed in Vietnam -His mother insisted that he wear his uniform to church -After that Marine was killed it became hard for him to face that family in his uniform -He wondered why he lived and the Marine died -When he returned home he talked openly about his experiences in Vietnam �-Mostly talked to the kids in the youth group at Coopersville Christian Reformed Church -Feels that because of his experiences and their interest he was more open to talk -Feels that a lot of men came home traumatized and there was nothing to help them readjust -Understood why a lot of men wound up committing suicide, or in mental hospitals -Feels that because of his experiences he was able to readjust faster and easier -Over the years ran into men that were reluctant to talk, and he understands why � 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 RHC-27_BajemaM1654V Title A name given to the resource Bajema, Melvin (Interview outline and video), 2014 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2014-06-26 Description An account of the resource Mel Bajema was born in England in 1946. His father was in the Army Air Corps (later the Air Force once it became its own branch) and his mother was an English "war-bride." His family soon moved to the US and settled in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After high school, Mel enlisted in the Air Force, and served between 1964 and 1968. He trained in supply, and served between 1965 and 1967 at Craig Air Force Base near Selma, Alabama, and then requested assignment to Southeast Asia. He went to South Vietnam and was based at Da Nang, where he eventually switched from supply to ground control work. While there, he witnessed the attack on the base during the Tet Offensive. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bajema, Melvin Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Air Force Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/720fabab02def6ba84239d2d0f9c56df.m4v 1cf67b158e49fd9627685566df1932d3 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/55221b7a430d9bfa081c7f7319c725ce.pdf aa6e85c3d9aad4d0a32a1a4777a1cbf2 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Marc Aronson Vietnam War 2 hours 35 minutes 7 seconds (00:00:17) Early Life -Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 8, 1949 -His father was an insurance agent and worked in a family insurance agency -Mother was a housewife -He attended public schools through the ninth grade -South hills of Pittsburgh at Bethel Park -He took grades nine through twelve at a military academy (00:01:16) Military Academy -For high school he attended a military academy in the Shenandoah Valley -He began attending in 1964 -His father sent him because he felt that Marc lacked discipline and respect for authority -Class sizes were about fifteen to eighteen students -He most likely had, and still has, ADD which made some aspects difficult -The school was in the South, so being from the North it took some adjusting -First time he was introduced to Dr. Pepper, grits, and Moon Pies -It was a segregated school -Even the menial laborers had to be white -Lived in dorms at the academy -The school’s curriculum and protocols were modeled after West Point Army Academy -This meant that he received a lot of military training -Reserve Officers’ Training Corps instructors -Military style classes -Carried and trained with the M1 Garand or Springfield 1903 rifles -In high school he knew how to maintain an M1 Garand rifle -Graduated in 1968 (00:06:16) Awareness of the Vietnam War -He paid virtually no attention to the Vietnam War when he was in high school -At the military academy they didn’t have access to a TV or radio -Expected to be focusing on studying during the weekdays -On the weekends they drilled or went to religious services -He grew up in a middle class neighborhood in Pittsburgh -No one paid much attention to world events (00:07:33) Enlisting in the Army -After graduating from the military academy he decided to enlist in the Army -He enlisted in the Pittsburgh Federal Building -Signed on for the one hundred twenty day delay plan -This meant that one hundred twenty days later he would report for training -Enlisted in September 1968 -When he signed up a group of girls came with him �-Crying because they thought that he was going to get killed in Vietnam -They wound up following him to the restricted physical exam area -He doesn’t recall anyone trying to get out of serving (00:10:02) Basic Training -For basic training he was sent to Fort Jackson, South Carolina -Arrived there at 3 AM -Had his head shaved upon arrival -Processing took only about twenty four hours -The base’s barracks were from World War Two -Still heated by coal -Early during training the drill sergeant asked two questions -What is a guidon and who has a driver’s license? -He knew what a guidon was and had a driver’s license -He was placed in charge of protecting the unit’s guidon from other units -A guidon is a type of military pennant that comes to a point on the end -He took a general aptitude test upon entering basic training -Started early every day -Used to it from having a paper route as a child and from the military academy -Given only about twenty minutes to get dressed, get cleaned and get in formation -Went on four or five mile runs every morning -He didn’t come from an intensely athletic background, but it wasn’t too hard -After running went to the mess hall for breakfast -Expected to cross monkey bars and do pull ups before entering -Upon entering the mess hall had to line up and eat whatever you were given -After breakfast went to a variety of different Army courses and activities -Weapons training, marching, classes on protocol, or general military information -His time at the military academy prepared him well for basic training -He was already used to being disciplined and given orders -He trained with men from all over the country and from different backgrounds -Integrated unit -He came from a Jewish background, so he didn’t believe in prejudice anyway -Served with African-Americans, New Yorkers, Southerners -Basic training lasted eight weeks (00:20:55) Artillery Training Pt. 1 -After completing basic training he signed up for artillery training -His father had been an antiaircraft artillery soldier in World War Two -He felt that being in artillery would put him near the action, but not in the action -He was given a short leave home after basic training -After leave he reported to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for artillery training -Nine month course -December 1968 is when he arrived there -He did not enjoy Fort Sill -It was an older base with older buildings -It was either very hot, or very cold -It was a larger base -There was a small town nearby that soldiers would often go to on leave �-Full of bars, pawn shops, strip clubs and liquor stores (00:23:35) Noncommissioned Officer School -While at Fort Sill the recruits were told that the Army needed more sergeants -As a result of that a Noncommissioned Officer School was created there -He was told that if he signed up for NCO School there would be certain perks -Namely having a higher rank and getting paid more because of that -It was an eight week course -He chose to become a sergeant because it seemed like a better deal than being a private (00:25:02) Artillery Training Pt. 2 -At Fort Sill they received classroom training and field training on artillery -They primarily trained on the 105mm split-tail howitzer -For field training they would go out into the middle of nowhere near the base -Learned how to properly move the gun and prepare it for firing -Because of his NCO training he was training to be a crew chief -This meant he was responsible for calculating coordinates -Not that easy for him because he wasn’t very good at math -They had access to other artillery pieces, but pretty much stuck with the 105mm howitzer (00:26:40) Army Driver’s Training -When he was still in basic training he was able to take Army driver’s training -Consisted of learning how to drive the 2.5 ton trucks that the Army used -All he had to do to pass was successfully drive a quarter mile in a truck -One time at basic training he was assigned to drive the truck to the rifle range -He started to take a turn too hard and a sergeant intervened -This led to the truck flipping over -No one was seriously injured, but a few soldiers received broken bones -He was advised to basically stay out of sight for about two weeks -The injured soldiers were not going to be happy to see him -He didn’t get in trouble for the accident -A few colonels asked him what happened, and he explained -They basically just wanted to get him out of Fort Jackson and to Fort Sill (00:32:57) Incident in NCO School -Remembers one time when another soldier training to be a sergeant asked Marc for some aspirin -Marc had aspirin and gave the other soldier his bottle of aspirin -Little did Marc know that the soldier was intending on taking the whole bottle -Last that Marc saw of the soldier he was being taken to the hospital on a stretcher -It was a way of getting out of going to Vietnam (00:34:24) Deployment to Vietnam -At the end of training at Fort Sill they were all given a “dream sheet” -A checklist of U.S. Army bases in America and around the world that you could “pick” -Most soldiers were requesting Hawaii, or Germany -Marc knew that they were going to Vietnam no matter what, so he picked Vietnam -Shortly after the “dream sheet” they all received orders for Vietnam -He was allowed to go home for a short leave -He flew out of San Francisco bound for Vietnam -Stopped in Hawaii to refuel and was allowed off the plane for a couple hours �(00:36:15) Arriving in Vietnam -He arrived at Tan Son Nhut Air Base -He, and the other replacements, was afraid of getting attacked on the runway -After leaving the plane they were placed on buses and taken to their temporary quarters -The buses had wire cages over the windows to protect from grenades -He arrived in September 1969 -When he arrived he didn’t have any unit assignment -His first task at Tan Son Nhut was to go out and clean up the old, rusted barbed wire -While he was cleaning a lieutenant approached him and told him to stop -His job was to watch over the privates doing the work, not to do the work -He remembers seeing black smoke on the horizon and asking what it was -Learned that it was human waste being burned -During the early days there he remembers seeing a Vietnamese man defecating on the road -Perfectly normal to the other Vietnamese -He spent a week at Tan Son Nhut before receiving orders (00:43:20) Assignment to the 1st Infantry Division -He was finally given a unit assignment to the 1st Infantry Division (“The Big Red One”) -They were operating in a place called Di An -While he was with the 1st they would move around to different firebases -He had a spiral notebook and would keep a record of when and where they went -He was assigned to an artillery battery and to act as a crew chief -He was just considered the new guy -Nothing fantastic was done about his entry into the unit -Firing was sporadic when he joined his unit -They tended to receive fire missions (planned artillery attacks) at random times -Most of the time they just spent time sitting around being bored (00:46:18) On the Firebase -He remembers one firebase that his unit would get stationed at from time to time -Doesn’t recall the name, but remembers that it was on a flat plain -They received fire missions once and a while -Everyone would run to the guns and fire a few rounds then go back to doing nothing -At this particular firebase there was a friendly fire incident -Fortunately no one was hurt, or killed because of the mistake -He quickly realized that it had most likely been his error which caused it -He remembers that the firebase was consistently either hot, or wet (00:48:50) Plants and Animals in Vietnam -There were a lot of rats in Vietnam -He had to zip himself all the way up in his sleeping bag at night because of that -Otherwise the rats would start to nibble on your face or your stomach -During downtime soldiers would have tarantula fights, or races -Remembers one time at the firebase there was a contest to blow up a tree -It was an eyesore and 200-300 yards outside of the perimeter -The gun crew that could destroy the tree would be awarded a case of beer -The catch was that they could only use one round to destroy it -His crew was the only crew to hit the tree, so they won the beer -Aiming had been so good that it had been a direct hit �(00:51:55) Interaction with Vietnamese Civilians -He and other soldiers would occasionally leave the firebases and go into nearby towns -This gave them a chance to interact some with the Vietnamese -He remembers getting a haircut and massage at a Vietnamese barbershop -Drugs were sold freely and cheaply by the Vietnamese -He never engaged in that though -There were prostitutes in the areas that his unit was stationed -Remembers one instance where they drove through a rural area and stopped -All the soldiers left him behind in the truck and went over to a wooded area -Soon a soldier came back and asked if Marc wanted to pay for a prostitute -Marc declined -Only time that he distinctly remembers encountering blatant prostitution (00:54:25) Holidays in Vietnam -He remembers that on the holidays hot food would be brought in for the troops -On New Year’s Eve the artillery crews would fire flares straight up into the air -Similar to fireworks -On the holidays they usually had more whiskey and beer on base -For the most part men just wanted to be home when the holidays came around (00:55:40) Transfer to the 101st Airborne Division -His service with the 1st Infantry Division ended when Nixon began withdrawing troops -The 1st Infantry Division was a unit that had been selected to be brought home -Marc had a six month deployment commitment that had to be fulfilled -He had only completed four months of service -At this point he was told that he was going to be transferred to the 101st Airborne Division -Fairly indifferent to the transfer -After receiving transfer orders he was flown up north to the 101st operating area on a C-130 -The plane ride on the C-130 was not a comfortable one -On takeoff they had to elevate as quickly as possible to avoid ground fire -On landing they had to descend at a sharp angle also to avoid ground fire (00:57:11) Introduction to the 101st Airborne Division -He arrived at the 101st Airborne’s main base at Camp Evans -He received no introductory training upon his arrival -After landing at Camp Evans he was flown out to join the unit in the field via helicopter -Remembers that when he arrived in the field that it was late afternoon -The rear base for this area was Phu Bai -After leaving Camp Evans he was flown out to one of the nearby firebases -The artillery guns looked battered and neglected -He made a comment to the crew about that which was not received well -He adjusted to his new crew in the 101st over time -They eventually accepted him as their new crew chief -He didn’t make any friends because he was advised not to make any friends -Idea was that it a friend was killed in combat you would be too upset to function -His unit assignment was B Battery of the 319th Field Artillery of the 101st Airborne Division -He was still using 105mm howitzers (01:02:28) Operating in the Hill Country -His unit mostly stayed out in the hill country of Vietnam �-He very rarely returned to Camp Evans or Phu Bai -He was much busier with the 101st than with the 1st Infantry Division -Crews were expected to move faster -There was more tension -There was not as much downtime as there had been in the 1st Infantry Division -There was always a task of some kind to complete in the 101st -The gun crews were always short on people -In the 1st Infantry Division a normal crew was about six soldiers -In the 101st Airborne Division a normal gun crew was only four soldiers -At times a gun crew was only operating with two soldiers -Soldiers could be gone on sick leave, on R&R, drunk, or high (01:07:19) Drugs and Alcohol -Substance use didn’t really affect the overall effectiveness of the unit -There were two groups of soldiers: those who used drugs and those who drank too much -He remembers finding empty capsules around base -Vietnamese children would sell capsules of heroin or cocaine to American soldiers -He saw this more in the 1st Infantry because they were closer to cities -Being closer to cities meant that it was easier to buy drugs -He didn’t see that as much in the 101st Airborne because they were in the field more -Far more difficult to get hard drugs out in the middle of nowhere -Some soldiers would pay a helicopter pilot to buy whiskey and bring it back -He would occasionally drink beer, but he never did it in excess -Being a crew chief he had to keep the drinkers and the druggies from fighting each other -He doesn’t remember many, if any, soldiers opting out of their duties just to do drugs -Essentially soldiers would be incapacitated from drug use, but not done on purpose (01:09:48) Fire Missions -He never knew what the nature of the fire missions were -The only information he was given was the coordinates and how many rounds to fire (01:10:25) Transfer to Firebase Ripcord -His unit was eventually transferred to Firebase Ripcord -One day they received orders to go to a new a firebase -Firebase Ripcord held little significance to him at the time -They flew up to Ripcord and upon arrival started receiving mortar fire -It was an indication of things to come and that enemy presence was much heavier -His unit arrived on April 18, 1970 -The firebase had been established on April 11, 1970 -It had taken three attempts to establish Firebase Ripcord -First things he noticed about Ripcord was that it was noisy, dirty, windy and smoky -One of the first matters of business was getting his gun set up and building a bunker -The landscape at Ripcord was pretty unimpressive -It was just a bare, flat hilltop -Their missions were essentially the same as before: act as artillery support for the infantry -Upon arrival they were responsible for building up the sandbag fortifications -His crew started receiving fire missions before he even had his shelter built -The type of shelter that was built at firebases was called a “hooch” -It was a dugout space in the ground with sandbags on top to protect you from mortars �(1:16:12) – (1:19:54) Disc Hiccups (01:19:54) Enemy Contact at Ripcord -At 3 or 4 in the morning the Viet Cong or North Vietnamese would try to assault the firebase -Artillery crews would lower guns to be fired parallel to the ground -They used “beehive” rounds which contained thousands of flechettes -Highly effective and devastating antipersonnel rounds -He saw a lot of U.S. Cobra gunship helicopters and F4 Phantom jets flying air strikes -He didn’t see the use of B-52 heavy bombers until later in the war -Some days were quieter than other in terms of enemy contact (01:21:10) Beginning of the Battle of Ripcord -On July 1, 1970 the North Vietnamese began what would be the Battle of Ripcord -On July 1 he was so exhausted that he was sleeping through the incoming fire -He was woken up by a superior and ordered to go to his gun -Later learned that as he ran to his gun mortars were landing directly behind him -The action on July 1 would mark the beginning of a twenty three day siege -He wasn’t aware of what was happening to American infantry units out in the field -He didn’t learn about the company that was overrun at Hill 902 until later -There was constant helicopter activity around the firebase during the battle -He quickly became desensitized to the incoming fire (01:23:55) Leadership at Ripcord -He remembers giving an order to a soldier in his crew during the battle -The soldier went to the wrong area -That area took a direct mortar hit and the soldier was killed -Sometime during the siege he was moved to a different gun -Removed him from his native unit -He lost contact with the original men that he had served with -His commanding officer, Captain Rich, had done seven tours of service in Vietnam -He was friendly to Marc -Marc learned more about the man later in life -It made him more real than the myth he’d been built up to be at Ripcord -He had little contact with Captain Rich though because of the difference in rank -Officers were kept separate from noncommissioned officers (01:28:26) The Battle of Ripcord Intensifies -Over the course of July the bombardment by the NVA became more intense -Marc’s battery, B, was eventually destroyed in the fighting -The NVA began to make use of 120mm rockets -They originally thought that US forces were firing at Ripcord as part of friendly fire -Captain Rich grabbed Marc and led him to where the crater was -Captain Rich dug up a fin from a rocket and knew that it was a 120mm rocket -This was a total game changer for the battle -120mm rockets could destroy just about anything with relative ease -They started to receive more rockets as July went on -U.S. air strikes became more intense and more prevalent -Sometime during the battle the NVA fired a CS (tear) gas round into Ripcord -Marc put on his gas mask only to find that it was essentially useless -At one point Marc and another soldier had to carry a wounded soldier to the medical bunker �-They took him into an empty room and told him to wait for a medic there -As soon as Marc and the soldier leave the room is hit by enemy artillery -The soldier inside is killed instantly -As the battle went on he remember Captain Rich even getting more nervous (01:35:00) Chinook Helicopter Crash at Firebase Ripcord -On the morning of July 18 Marc was at his battery conducting a fire mission -He saw a U.S. Chinook supply helicopter coming in to drop off supplies -Noticed that the Chinook was on fire -Saw that it was rapidly descending, so he ran for cover -The Chinook wound up crashing into the ammo cache causing munitions to go off -Marc was able to seek shelter with other soldiers while the ammunition exploded -He had to wait there for a few hours for all of the ammo to explode -At the time he felt cowardly for not doing anything to help -But in retrospect he realizes there was nothing to be done -At the time Marc thought that the crash was going to be more catastrophic than it was -The helicopter was carrying a rubber bladder -Water was carried in these giant rubber bladders -Incidentally fuel was carried in an identical bladder -Marc thought the rubber bladder was fuel and was preparing for the worst -Turned out that it was a water -By the time the ammunition had all detonated his battery had been destroyed -He had no gun, no “hooch” and no possessions -After the crash he didn’t have any real function left on the base -He was given a helmet, a flak jacket and a M16 rifle and told to stay out of the way -He was able to catch some much needed sleep and that afternoon woke in a panic to artillery fire -Learned quickly that it was American artillery fire being fired away from the base (01:42:45) Leaving Firebase Ripcord -He left Firebase Ripcord on July 22, 1970 -The next day, July 23, Firebase Ripcord was abandoned and destroyed by U.S. B-52 bombers -He left Ripcord by way of helicopter and was taken back to Camp Evans -At Camp Evans he was allowed to make one phone call, so he called home (01:43:28) Contact with Family -While he was at Ripcord he was still able to receive mail -In the process of receiving mail he started to receive “get well” cards -This confused him since he hadn’t been wounded, or gotten sick -When he arrived at Camp Evans after the Fall of Ripcord he was able to call home -This was accomplished through a short wave radio relay system -He was able to get ahold of his family in Pittsburgh at 3 AM -Told his mother that he was okay -Learned that he’d been mistakenly reported wounded which explained the cards (01:46:07) End of Service with 101st Airborne Division -After Ripcord he didn’t stay with the 101st too much longer -He had initially signed up for a three year commitment to the Army when he enlisted -He had decided to extend his time in Vietnam -He signed up for an extra six months in Vietnam, but after that he was completely done -It just so happened that a few days after he signed up for that, Ripcord happened �(01:47:49) Going Home on Leave -He was able to return home for thirty days of leave -He didn’t experience any harassment from anti-war protestors -He returned to welcoming friends and family -While home on leave he was able to attend a friend’s wedding -While home on leave he was issued his Liquor Control Board card -This enabled him to purchase alcohol in Pennsylvania -He accepted that he was going back to Vietnam -He knew that it would only be for six more months (01:50:24) Returning to Vietnam -Upon his return to Vietnam he signed up to work on a different artillery gun -He was assigned to the 8 inch and 175mm self-propelled artillery guns -Essentially a tank, but with an artillery cannon instead of a tank gun -The prospect of being in self-propelled artillery was exciting to him -He was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division -Operating in the northern part of South Vietnam, just south of the demilitarized zone (01:51:15) Serving with the 25th Infantry Division -His unit didn’t move around as much as he had during his previous tour -The artillery pieces were too big to move -It wasn’t necessary to continuously move them because of their range -The 175mm could reach up to twenty three miles -The 8 inch could reach up to ten miles -He worked predominantly with the 175mm -He learned how to properly load the gun -Learned that the recoil was so powerful you could be knocked off the tank -Powder bags for each round weighed one hundred pounds -This cannon happened to be fed with a hydraulic system -The explosion was always incredibly loud -It took much longer to load and to fire -The bases that they were operating out of were much farther away from civilian centers -One of the bases, Camp Carroll, was located directly south of the demilitarized zone -They were so close to North Vietnam they could see NVA troops across the border -They were able to raise their flag at the same time the NVA raised their flag -They would fire a few artillery rounds at each other and then take a break -To Marc the whole thing seemed fairly absurd and stylized -His last six months in Vietnam were basically spent on the demilitarized zone (01:54:50) End of Service -His time in Vietnam ended on April 30, 1971 -Towards the end of his service he volunteered to be an infantryman -He was curious about taking part in the incursions into Cambodia and Laos -He was interviewed for the position of being a general’s driver -His request was ultimately denied -At the end of his service he didn’t know whether they were firing into Cambodia or Laos -At the end of his service he noticed that the war was definitely winding down -Drug use became more prevalent in those last six months -Race issues started to crop up more between the black and the white soldiers �-To him the whole idea of being divided over race seemed pointless -Soldiers would naturally form their own groups -Rural soldiers, city soldiers, and black soldiers -By the end of his service the Black Power movement was in full swing -To him, race was irrelevant: if you can do your job, I don’t care what you are -Fragging became more prevalent -That is the assassination of a superior officer by a subordinate -The sergeant major of his unit had an attempt on his life -It was usually done using frag grenades to make it look like an accident -By the end of his tour he was just concerned with not being the last American killed in the war -He’d heard stories of men who died on their last patrol -This created animosity towards the superiors which led to fragging -He, and other soldiers, began to question whether or not the war had been worthwhile -Despite the combination of morale issues the unit was still able to work effectively (02:00:36) Leaving Vietnam and Coming Home -When it was time to go he simply saw that it was time to go -There was nothing sentimental about the departure -He flew from Vietnam to Fort Lewis, Washington -On the way over they stopped in Anchorage, Alaska to refuel -As soon as they left Vietnam everyone on board the plane was in a great mood -At Fort Lewis he was processed out of the Army and given a medical screening -Learned that he had lost about 10% of his hearing -Didn’t really affect his life though -He has a spot on his leg that causes him pain from time to time -Medical personnel didn’t have an answer for it -He attributes it to when he crashed the truck in basic training -At Fort Lewis he was given a plane ticket for a flight to Pittsburgh -When the cabin door closed it sounded like a NVA 82mm mortar exploding -Caused him and the soldier next to him to jump -They shared a laugh afterwards -When he arrived home nobody knew that he was coming -He was able to surprise his father at the insurance agency (02:04:30) Life after the War -He decided to go to college on the GI Bill -He bought a Datsun 240Z sports car -He had been sending money home to save up for it -It was only $3600 new at the time -He bought a bright orange one -He attended college at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York -He had no real urge to go to college; it just seemed like a thing to do -He majored in business -He was placed in an engineering fraternity -During his second year a plane landed on the campus -For only $16 he could take flying lessons, so he did -During his second year of college he decided to leave -He didn’t feel like he had any direction in school �-He felt bored being in school after being in combat -After leaving college he got an apartment in Pittsburgh -Lived with a roommate who was a Liquor Control Board agent -Neighborhood was so bad they would take a pistol to go to the Laundromat -During that time in Pittsburgh he got a job at a Hickory Farms store -He was fired from that job because they wanted young girls to sell their products -He got a job at an Arby’s in downtown Pittsburgh -He was one of their first employees -Stayed there for a while -During that time he would work from 6 AM – 2 PM -After work he would go and continue his flying lessons (02:09:27) Working for the Family Insurance Agency -One day he got a call from his father saying that help was needed at the insurance agency -His first job was making rubber seals and setting type for official documents -He also did various odd jobs for the company -He started off in the mail room -This was all part of a five year apprenticeship program -After a while he was able to work his way up to the front room -He has been working for the agency for forty two years (as of the time of the interview) (02:10:59) A Good and a Bad Time in Vietnam -During his time in Vietnam he found that war has a strange beauty to it -One of the better times was the New Year’s Eve he spent in Vietnam -He remembers being on a firebase on top of a hill drinking with his comrades -The artillery and the infantry were shooting flares into the sky as fireworks -He remembers watching all the other units in the area doing the same -One of the bad times was while he was travelling from one area to the next -He was in a 2.5 ton Army truck with a group of other soldiers -One of the soldiers had to relieve himself, so he stood up and urinated off the truck -This soldier wound up urinating on a couple of Vietnamese girls going by -They were understandably upset, but couldn’t do anything to retaliate -He remembers that that was the definitive “ugly American” experience -Only other time similar to that was the incident with the prostitute (02:15:10) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -His time in the Army and in Vietnam gave him quick exposure to the “real world” -He was able to see Vietnam, Hong Kong and Australia (the last two while on R&R) -It gave him a chance to be around men from all over the United States -For him it was jarring to go back to suburban America -He feels that a lot of people would benefit from that kind of exposure -He doesn’t believe that his service necessarily made him a better person -Feels that it just made him more worldly and realistic -He never had to visibly shoot and kill anyone -There is one experience involving a Vietnamese mortar team that has stuck with him -There was a mortar team down the hill from a firebase -They fired on it and definitely killed both of them -At the time it didn’t affect him, but later on he has had remorse -Realizes that they both had families and were just following orders �-He doesn’t have any interest as being seen as an “old fashioned” veteran -Meaning marching in parades or being involved with veterans’ groups -He has never felt the need to go spend time with old “war buddies” -His service has made him more pragmatic and direct in his approach to tasks -His brother calls him jokingly “Sergeant Marc” -He doesn’t see the point in debating a task, just get it done -His approach wasn’t always appreciated because it tended to be unorthodox -This in turn has forced him to be more patient (02:23:50) Moments of Peace -He has only had two moments of peace in his life -Always had a hard time finding the chance to be still and contemplative -Once was while flying back to Pittsburgh in his own plane at dusk -The other time was in Vietnam while he was at Ripcord -There was a lull in the fighting prior to the battle -He remembers watching the sun rise and looking out at the landscape -He could see the peaceful land and the South China Sea -No signs of battle, or a human presence -It was surprisingly beautiful (02:28:40) Reflections on Service Pt. 2 -He didn’t really think about his experiences too much after they were over -He had always been open about talking about his experiences -During a divorce he was contacted by Keith Noland who was writing about Ripcord -It was one of the few times that talking about Ripcord shook him -He didn’t suffer from PTSD, but that phone call had a profound effect on him (02:31:00) Ripcord Reunions -He attended the 30th Ripcord Reunion that was in Shreveport, Louisiana -Most of the men had been in the infantry, so he didn’t really know anyone -Captain Rich showed up, so Marc got a chance to see him again -He felt more emotional attachment to the event than to the people -He went to the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania reunion for a few hours -He always felt alienated at reunions having been in the artillery and not the infantry -He is (at the time of the interview) considering going to the Myrtle Beach Reunion (Oct. 2014) -He might be more inclined to go since other artillery veterans are going -The one reunion he definitely wants to attend is the 50th Ripcord Reunion -To him it seems essential since a fiftieth anniversary is always a landmark moment � 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 RHC-27_AronsonM1657V Title A name given to the resource Aronson, Marc (Interview outline and video), 2014 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2014-07-09 Description An account of the resource Marc Aronson was born in 1949 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and attended a military academy in Virginia and graduated in 1968. In September 1968 he enlisted in the Army in Pittsburgh and soon after he began basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina where he also completed Army Driver's Training. After the eight weeks of basic training he attended artillery training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma beginning in December 1968 where he received training on the 105mm howitzer and also attended Noncommissioned Officer School there making him a sergeant and also making him the crew chief for a gun. In September 1969 he was deployed to Vietnam where he served with the 1st Infantry Division operating out of Di An. After four months of service he was transferred to B Battery of the 319th Field Artillery of the 101st Airborne Division. During his time with the 101st he was transferred to Firebase Ripcord where he witnessed the battle and eventual fall of Ripcord. After his time with the 101st he was transferred to the 25th Infantry Division where he worked with 8 inch and 175mm self-propelled artillery tanks near the demilitarized zone, and returned home and was discharged in 1971. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Aronson, Marc Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8669d4646ceaf826380b8a24f3d48267.m4v 49155b33c4b2a588fc1cf1aa117ff10b https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e1a4ebebbc5e7959cb84604c1d6f1053.pdf 7d64c85d056e8d02c2ae70bda670a9d1 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Willard "Bill" Alverson Korean War & Vietnam War 1 hour 55 minutes (00:00:43) Early Life -Born in 1929 in Olympia, Washington -Grew up in Olympia -Planned on living in Olympia for the rest of his life -His father worked in saw mills -His mother was a housewife -He had one brother -His father didn’t have steady work during the Great Depression -They had food and a house though, so he didn’t pay much attention to it (00:01:44) World War II -He was chopping wood when he heard the news that Pearl Harbor had been bombed -Immediately after the start of the war everyone in Washington was anxious -Believed that Japan would mount an invasion of the West Coast -Civilian Defense groups were formed -He was a bicycle messenger and took part in the drills -Remembers a Japanese family that he was close with being interned during the war -Never saw, or heard from them again -He hoped that the war would go on long enough for him to be able to fight in it -Felt that he owed something to his country (00:04:17) College & Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) -Went on to attend college at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington -It was a Land Grant School which meant he had to take at least two years of ROTC -Received leadership training and map reading courses -There was a six week summer camp that consisted of basic military training -A milder form of basic training -Received weapons training with rifles, pistols, machine guns, and mortars -This summer camp took place between his junior and senior year -There were 2500 ROTC cadets at the camp -Took place at Fort Lewis, Washington -Graduated from college in June 1951 (00:06:27) Becoming an Officer -After college he was offered a commission to become an officer in the Army -Initially declined because he just wanted to get out of the Army -He was eventually convinced to accept the commission -Told that he would be on a fast track to getting promoted -Went to Fort Benning, Georgia for an officers’ training course -Lasted four months -Consisted of more weapons training, leadership training, and navigation training -Introduced to the discipline and physical conditioning of the Army �-He tried to go to jump school (paratrooper training), but was declined (00:08:20) Deployment to Korea Pt. 1 -Left the United States in January 1952 -En route stopped in Yokohama, Japan (00:08:44) Assignment in Japan Pt. 1 -Before going to Korea new second lieutenants were assigned to a unit in Japan -Six months of learning how to command a unit before going to Korea -It was a chance to get introduced to being an officer -His assignment was on the island of Hokkaido, Japan -Attached to the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division -The commander was tough, but a good and fair man -He had served in WWII and during the 1950 march into North Korea -Focused on squad (10 soldiers) and platoon (40 soldiers) tactics -Most of the enlisted men he commanded had already seen combat -The sergeants under him taught him how to be a good and effective officer (00:11:14) Deployment to Korea Pt. 2 -In Korea he was assigned to Easy Company 15th Infantry Regiment 3rd Infantry Division -When he arrived in Korea he had a rifle, but was not given any ammunition for it (00:11:58) Assignment in Japan Pt. 2 -While he was in Japan there was a lot of training and very little downtime -Trained near the town of Sapporo, Japan -Only went into the town once while on duty -Part of courtesy patrol to pick up unruly soldiers and bring them back to base -He had little, to no contact with the Japanese civilians (00:12:49) Deployment to Korea Pt. 3 -When he arrived in Korea he saw firsthand the devastation -Poverty, poor sanitation, and pitiful people were everywhere -He was sent up to the frontline in August 1952 -Stationed near a little town called Cheorwan south of the 38th Parallel -Located in a valley about fifty to sixty miles from the coast (00:14:31) Conditions in Korea and Unit Organization -Originally there wasn’t any action when he arrived -The most fighting happened during patrols or when communist forces charged their line -Lived in foxholes and bunkers -The bunkers were sturdy and well-defended by barbed wire and landmines -Easy Company was understrength -His platoon consisted of three different groups of soldiers -Regular American GIs -South Korean soldiers -Puerto Rican soldiers from the 65th Regiment -He had an outstanding platoon sergeant while in Korea (00:17:31) Enemy Contact and Fighting in Korea -Went on patrols about once, or twice, a week -Most patrols were conducted at night -More difficult and dangerous than the daytime patrols -Objective was to gather intelligence and put pressure on the North Koreans �-Patrols were generally quite costly -A few men were taken prisoner, killed, or wounded during them -Mostly went up against Chinese soldiers -Noticed that North Korean soldiers were far more aggressive when they fought -Enemy activity increased as the war went on -Both sides were jockeying to establish the best defensive positions before the war ended -There were battles at Outpost Harry, Jackson Heights and White Horse -During fighting they held their position and the communists held their position -There was one point during the fighting where they were taking at least one casualty a day -He had access to artillery and air support -The artillery support was excellent -The air support was a little lacking especially in the area of accuracy -Chinese troops would attack in waves -The first wave had weapons, and the second wave would pick up the dropped rifles -Used a lot of fanfare while charging (whistles and trumpets) -They were persistent, dogged soldiers -They were never able to break through the American perimeter (00:23:16) End of Deployment and Miscellaneous Details -Left Korea on May 1, 1953 -A friend of his was killed, saving his life, in Korea -There was a high turnover of U.S. troops coming and going -He eventually got to know the South Koreans that he served with -Felt bad for them because they couldn’t really leave the fighting -It was their country and they were stuck there -He had a South Korean assistant machine gunner who was a good man -He called him John -During the Chinese charges they would sometimes run out of ammunition (00:26:40) Rear Duty and R&R in Korea -Generally didn’t want to go to the rear for duty -Being in the rear meant not getting combat pay -Also meant doing menial tasks like digging ditches -They would get rotated off the line occasionally -Command tried to give everyone somewhat of a break around Christmas -He got an R&R to Japan -Given three minutes to call his wife and his family -Went up to a resort near Mount Fuji -Got a chance to have some drinks and relax -He had the chance to get a few more days of R&R -Wound up declining because the regiment needed him (00:29:33) Making a Career out of the Army -His initial commitment to the Army was for three years -He fully intended to resign after his third year of service -Eventually decided to stay in and make a career out of it though -Started to think about leading soldiers as being similar to being a football coach -Before serving he had originally wanted to be a high school football coach -He began to enjoy being in the Army and wanted to strive to be a fair leader �(00:31:33) Stateside Army Career -His first assignment after coming back from Korea was at Fort Lewis, Washington -Three year assignment -Served as a rifle company commander there -He got selected to be the regimental football coach -The draft was still on while he was at Fort Lewis -They were mostly just ordinary men -Some of the draftees had been convicted of various crimes -Serving in the Army was their way out of jail -Men from a variety of backgrounds were being drafted -Learned that the key to successful leadership was having mutual respect -His next assignment was at Fort Benning, Georgia -Took the Infantry Officer Course there -Nine month course -Coincided with the normal school schedule -Allowed for his children to not get pulled out of school in the middle of it -Part of the process of getting promoted from a captain to a major -There was a lot of competition between the officers to be the best -Mostly consisted of classroom training -Also received some more weapons training and navigation training -He completed the course and went to jump school (paratrooper school) -His next assignment was being a trainer for the ROTC at Washington State University -Requested that assignment to be close to his family -His father was dying of cancer and he wanted to be near him -Three year assignment -The hours were terrible -Felt strange to be on an 8 – 5 schedule -Completed that assignment in 1960 (00:36:02) Army Ranger School -After the ROTC assignment he went to the Army Ranger School -The training was difficult -It was the only course where he was an honor graduate -Started at Fort Benning, Georgia then went into the mountains, then to swamps in Florida -Each area consisted of three weeks of training -Learned how to go on patrols in the mountains and in the swamps -Only allowed to have seven hours of sleep per week -Some men would fall asleep standing up and then fall over -Started with 225 men and only 83 men completed the course -If they were hurt, or washed out, they could not recycle and try again -Most didn’t want to try again anyway -The training required a lot of physical and mental stamina -Graduated from the Army Ranger School in the fall of 1960 (00:38:52) Assignment to Germany -Sent to Frankfurt, Germany to serve with the 3rd Armored Division -Three year assignment -Defending against a possible Soviet invasion of West Germany �-Served as a rifle company commander -Became the operations officer of one of the brigades of the division -His unit had good morale -Led by General Creighton Abrams -They were immediately put on alert during the various Cold War crises that developed -His wife and children were in Berlin when the Soviets put up the Berlin Wall -They were able to be evacuated out of Berlin without incident -His unit and the West German government reacted immediately -If there was an invasion he knew that they wouldn’t be able to hold out for long -Even with tactical nuclear weapons available to them (00:42:27) Interactions with German Civilians -The Germans held various opinions of Americans -Some were pro-American, others were not -Germans knew that American had money and spent it, which they liked -He rented a house from a German man and his wife -He and his wife got to be good friends with the couple -No German man wanted to admit that he had been in the German Army during WWII -He was just curious to see what it had been like (00:44:00) Cuban Missile Crisis and Other Alerts -The Cuban Missile Crisis was a very big deal in Germany when it happened -Checked their equipment and immediately went on alert -Some units were sent to an assembly area to prepare for a counterattack -They were better prepared than they had been during the Berlin Wall Crisis -There was not as much tension as the Berlin Wall either -For about two to three weeks they were ready for a Soviet attack -After about a month they relaxed and the routine returned to normal -They had monthly drills to check their preparedness -Always made sure to treat each drill as if it was the real thing -In a way he always kind of thought that World War III wouldn’t happen -Knew that even if it did his unit would be prepared (00:47:05) Attending the Command General Staff College -His time in Germany ended in June 1963 -He left the day that President Kennedy came to Germany -He was sent to attend the Command General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas -It was the best family assignment -Had his nights and weekends off -It was a nine month course -He was in class when President Kennedy was assassinated -Classes were cancelled and the college was shut down -Everyone behaved appropriately -Everyone was shocked that it had happened -Any planned festivities for the weekend were cancelled -No matter what a person’s political orientation was, they mourned the loss -While at the College he paid attention to the situation developing in Vietnam -Some of his classmates had already been to Vietnam -Completed the Command General Staff College in 1964 �(00:50:45) 6th Army Headquarters -Sent to 6th Army Headquarters in San Francisco, California -It was first and only time that he couldn’t get along with his boss -He worked there for a year as a staff officer -In charge of inspecting the division and evaluating them -Wound up failing them -There were politics involved and he was told to reassess and pass them -He refused which hurt his career (00:51:47) Volunteering for Vietnam -He volunteered to go to Vietnam -He was initially assigned to be a staff officer in Vietnam -Once he arrived he requested a change of assignment and was granted it -Became a Ranger Commander for a South Vietnamese Ranger unit -Went to the Military Assistance Training Advisors Course at Fort Bragg, North Carolina -Learned about the culture, language, and climate of Vietnam -Also learned about the organization of the South Vietnamese military -The MATA Course only lasted one month -He was sent to the Army Language School -Learned at least enough Vietnamese to be able to give orders in Vietnamese -It was a six week rudimentary course (00:54:40) Arrival in Vietnam -He landed at Tan Son Nhut Airbase in Saigon, South Vietnam -Tried to talk to the Vietnamese bus driver in Vietnamese -Bus driver told him, in perfect English, that he had a Hanoi accent -Hanoi being the capitol of communist North Vietnam -He flew over to Vietnam on a military aircraft -Arrived in Vietnam in early January 1966 -Kept in a hotel while he was being processed -His initial assignment was as a staff officer in Saigon before becoming the Ranger Commander -Assignment lasted three weeks -He was sent up to Pleiku to join a South Vietnamese Ranger unit there -Flew up there via helicopter -In Pleiku his job was to serve as an American advisor -This gave him access to artillery and aerial support (00:58:30) Working with the South Vietnamese and Going on Raids -They normally didn’t have time to prepare for an operation -They would just have to get up and go -The South Vietnamese officers were generally incompetent -Used their authority to abuse their power -Conducted raids against the Viet Cong -Mostly targeted Viet Cong supply depots -Also went out on missions to kill Viet Cong soldiers, or take prisoners -Operated in mountainous terrain and in some of the lowland areas -Preferred to work in the mountains and not in the swampy lowlands -Enlisted (non-officer) South Vietnamese soldiers had to provide their own food -Even in hospitals their families had to come to take care of them �-Remembers seeing in one hospital two Vietnamese soldiers in one bed -Went on raids about once a month -Spent a lot of his time trying to convince officers that they needed to constantly train -Sometimes they would be helicoptered into the mission area, other times they had to walk -Vietnamese helicopter pilots would take breaks -Even if there was a wounded man needing evacuation they wouldn’t go -American helicopter pilots would react immediately if the situation presented itself -He saw more combat than he thought he would -Remembers once during a village clearing mission they ran into an ambush -Ultimately able to maneuver out of the situation -Some of the South Vietnamese were excellent soldiers, while others weren’t -There was always the suspicion that they were Viet Cong -If you got to know South Vietnamese soldiers they were ultimately trustworthy -He wasn’t close, but was at least cordial, with the South Vietnamese Ranger Commander -There were a few close calls while he was in Vietnam -Once was during the village clearing mission -Another time was when the enemy attacked their position at Pleiku -The enemy ran out of ammunition and he had access to heavier firepower -There was resentment between the U.S. and South Vietnamese troops -The South Vietnamese wanted better equipment -Americans wanted the South Vietnamese to be better soldiers -He spent the majority of his time on the base at Pleiku -The South Vietnamese soldiers were allowed to bring their families to the base -They were also allowed to bring them with them on patrols -The Viet Cong would use that to their advantage and attack through the civilians -Prevented the South Vietnamese from returning fire (01:10:13) Opinion of War during Deployment -Felt that the American media’s portrayal of the war was grossly inaccurate -There were allegations that U.S. troops were wantonly killing civilians -Civilians did die, but they were not being specifically targeted by U.S. troops -At the time he honestly thought that the U.S. was winning the war -Didn’t know when it would end, but knew it would eventually come to an end -He feels that the politics involved is what caused the war to be lost -On the ground it seemed like the U.S. was going to push through to absolute victory (01:11:52) R&R to Hawaii -During his time in Vietnam he was given an R&R to Hawaii -Spent five days with his wife in Hawaii -Going back to Vietnam after that R&R was terrible for him -Remembers on the return trip flying across Vietnam when the airplane began to have trouble -Eventually made it back to the base at Pleiku without incident (01:13:34) Assignment to Command General Staff College -After Vietnam he was initially given a new assignment to the 11th Brigade in Hawaii -His orders were changed and he became a staff member at Command General Staff College -His specialization was to advise on how to fight in Vietnam -Three year assignment -Trained officers on how to fight in Vietnam �-Most had already been to Vietnam and offered their own input as well -At the time he was frustrated by the leadership and the country as a whole during the war -No one knew exactly what they wanted to do; fight the war, or don’t fight the war -Wondered why we stopped the bombing campaign when it was weakening North Vietnam -He wound up speaking out against the indecisiveness of the American leadership -He was promptly advised not to do that -Thought that Nixon was a good leader, but was a dishonest man -Felt that one of his redeeming qualities was his expertise of foreign policy -Felt that Abrams replacing Westmoreland was a good move -Felt that Westmoreland’s competence was deteriorating along with the war -It was interesting to discuss Vietnam with the men who had also served there -Especially those who had seen the worst years of the war -Offered different perspectives (01:20:23) Working with a Volunteer Army -There was always the expectation that he’d go back to Vietnam for a second tour -Before returning he was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina -Working as a trainer for a Special Forces Battalion -Stayed at Fort Bragg for one year -Felt that a volunteer based Army was going to have lesser quality - The Army was trying to make itself appealing for volunteers thus lowering standards -Felt that high standards should be maintained no matter what -The reason the Army lowered its standards was because volunteering was unpopular -The soldiers he worked with at Fort Bragg were more motivated than the average soldier -Felt that if anything was going to keep high standards it was the Special Forces (01:24:30) Redeployment to Vietnam -He was on the list to become a colonel -He hadn’t received an assignment when he should have -This led to him going to graduate school at Washington State University -Went into guidance counseling and graduated from that course -After finishing graduate school he was selected to be a logistician in Vienam -Assigned to be the Army Airbase Commander at Can Tho in the Mekong Delta -As the logistician he handled all the supplies for the base (gas, food, clothing, etc.) -Also oversaw the transportation of supplies and troops -On the base had access to propeller aircraft, helicopters, and classified recon aircraft -He got most of his information about the war from the recon pilots -Base was located on the edge of the city of Can Tho -The base had perimeter lights which he felt was a strategically bad idea -Allowed for the enemy to know exactly where they were -There was one incident where South Vietnamese Rangers hacked into the American generators -They were drawing electricity from the generators to feed Can Tho -He (Bill) invited the provincial chief to the base and brought him to a rooftop -Showed him that the U.S. still controlled the electricity -Did this by completely powering down, then restarting, Can Tho -Arrived in Vietnam in August 1972 -At the time of his arrival had an Air Cavalry Squadron and a South Vietnamese Division �(01:32:25) End of Vietnam War -By January 1973 more U.S. troops left as part of the drawdown -By February 1973 most of the base’s barracks were empty -One problem was that there weren’t enough troops to patrol the perimeter -Had to hire local people to maintain security -Didn’t even have South Vietnamese troops to protect the base -Troops had stripped the base of its electrical and plumbing components -As a result the South Vietnamese commander refused to take over the base -Said that the U.S. was trying to give him an incomplete base -Bill threatened to burn down the base if the commander wouldn’t take it -The commander eventually cooperated -Remembers when the Four Powers Peace Commission came in for negotiations -There were Canadians and Indonesians representing the U.S. and South Vietnam -There were Hungarians and Poles representing North Vietnam -One of his jobs was to set up housing for the officers from those countries -The Hungarians and Poles had to get approval from the Soviet Union -Remembers arm wrestling with the communist Hungarian colonel -At the end of the war there was very little enemy activity -They would receive a mortar round from time to time -The last mortar fired on their base was a dud -The Air Cavalry would still go out on missions to support U.S. troops in the field (01:37:24) Discipline and Morale Problems -He didn’t see any drug problems during his second tour in Vietnam -Knew that it was more of a problem for support units, not for combat units -Combat units just simply didn’t have the time to get high -The soldiers knew that the end was near which caused some problems -The primary focus became getting home and not so much the war -Only had to court martial one officer for dereliction of duty though -Soldiers still followed the orders they were given (01:39:35) Ceasefire Incident -During the ceasefire a U.S. helicopter was shot down -Resulted in seventeen U.S. servicemen being killed in action -He was responsible for getting a team together to go out and recover the bodies -He had trouble getting the necessary personnel organized -Simply didn’t have enough of the right people to do the job -Once they were out there they started receiving fire from an enemy ground force -Led to having to send out troops to protect the recovery personnel -Ran into a reporter on the base that had written a false article about the incident -Said that U.S. troops were refusing to follow orders and recover dead soldiers -Had the reporter thrown off the base (01:42:52) Race Relations in the Army -In Can Tho there was a mixed population on the base -Never saw any major race problems -Knew that if there were issues they were on a small level and dealt with -One of the finest soldiers he served with was a black soldier in Korea -Most men just wanted to work with each other to have the war end on a decent note �(01:45:10) Leaving Vietnam -When it came time to leave he had to make sure that all U.S. personnel were accounted for -Had a head count every day -By the last day there were only thirty three U.S. troops left on the base -They all flew up together to Saigon -When they arrived Saigon was chaotic as U.S. troops collected in the city -He still has the last U.S. flag to fly over the base at Can Tho -The evacuation went smoother than he thought it would -Left Vietnam in 1973 (01:47:04) End of Army Career -Stayed in the Army for five more years -During those last five years he was promoted to the rank of colonel -He was offered three assignments: -Work at the Pentagon, command Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, or ROTC duty -He chose the ROTC duty -He wanted to have a positive effect on young, new officers -Sent to Pocatello, Idaho to serve at Idaho State University -There was a large anti-war movement there -Resulted in not having enough ROTC volunteers -There were good junior officers that had a great work ethic in the ROTC there -While at Idaho State University had a run-in with a hippie -He was accused of killing civilians and words were exchanged -Always embarrassed for having even engaged the protestor -The ROTC cadets did face some harassment from protestors -It was an overall enjoyable assignment though -After completing his duty at Idaho State University he retired from the Army (01:50:57) Life after the Army -He drove a school bus -First time that someone talked back to him which was a surprise after being a colonel -Sold light airplanes for a while -Worked for a credit company based out of Denver, Colorado -Helped establish credit collection bureaus in small towns -Became a team chief and worked with his wife -He was eventually placed in charge of maintenance for a school district in Olympia, WA -One of his sons got married to a girl in Michigan, had two children, then retired -Bill and his wife moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan to be closer to the grandchildren (01:53:15) Reflections on Service -Feels that his service in the Army made him more conservative than when he began -Made him appreciate some of the problems that politicians have to deal with -In a way it made him a more tolerant person -Taught him how to work with people, especially young people � 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 RHC-27_AlversonW1675V Title A name given to the resource Alverson, Willard (Interview outline and video), 2014 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2014-10-02 Description An account of the resource Bill Alverson was born in 1929 in Olympia, Washington and grew up there. He completed ROTC training in college and was commissioned in the Army in 1951. He went to Japan in January, 1952 and trained for service in Korea. He served as a platoon leader in E Company, 15th Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division in Korea during the last year of the war. He left Korea on May 1, 1953 and began a career in the Army serving at Fort Lewis, Washington Fort Benning, Georgia completing paratrooper training, being a trainer for the ROTC at Washington State University, and completing Army Ranger School in the fall of 1960. He served in Germany during the time of the Berlin Wall and Cuban Missile crises and studied at the Command General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In 1965 he volunteered to go to Vietnam and was sent over in January 1966 to be an Army Ranger advisor for the South Vietnamese Rangers in Pleiku, South Vietnam. He helped carry out raids against the Viet Cong during his time there. After his deployment to Vietnam he returned to the United States and served at the Command General Staff College and at Fort Bragg, North Carolina helping train Special Forces. In 1972 he was redeployed to Vietnam and arrived there in August 1972. He was assigned to the Army Airbase near Can Tho in the Mekong Delta commanding the Air Cavalry Squadron and South Vietnamese Division there. The second tour ended in March 1973. He returned to the U.S. and served as an ROTC instructor at Idaho State University until his retirement in 1978 retiring with the rank of colonel. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alverson, Willard Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/fb5e87df9b52898e847d4edada76b704.m4v 46bb33549ac3a5912aa2071ca405ffac https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e6ef0f65b15fcb209d1b082516308a93.pdf 54d5a17006848bf23721f5c8d37a6ddd PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veteran's History Project US Navy Paul Allen Total Time (01:23:00) Introduction (00:00:19)  Paul was born in 1926 in South Boston; his heritage includes some Irish and English (00:00:34)  His father served in WWI for the US Navy where he met his future wife in Belfast, Ireland (00:00:46)  Paul graduated from high school on February 1st, 1942; he was only 15 when he graduated as he skipped a couple of grades (00:02:19) ◦ He mentions that in middle school and high school that he was aware of what was going on in the world due to the Boston school system (00:04:15) ◦ Although he wanted to go to Harvard, Paul knew he would eventually end up in the military so he became a welder until then (00:05:42) ▪ Paul took the naval aviation exam and passed it- from there he went to Dartmouth College for mechanical engineering (00:07:00) ▪ Due to a small color blindness issue, Paul was sent to the Supply Corps by 1945; he went to school in New Jersey by the time the war was just ending (00:08:56) ▪ After he graduated from that school, he was stationed to the battleship New Jersey as the dispersing officer (00:09:07)  While he was at Dartmouth, Paul received naval and military training; in addition he took 15 hours of classes each semester (00:10:29)  Paul was the youngest officer on the New Jersey at the age of 19 (00:11:11) ◦ As a supply and dispersing officer, Paul arrived in San Diego to a pretty bad situation which he had to resolve which involved getting cash, equipment, food, and clothing for the men on board- they were headed to China for four months (00:15:08) Overseas & Beyond (00:15:08)  On the way, Paul mentions they had to refuel at Hawaii and Japan for several weeks; he mentions the trip was cold and torturous (00:16:40)  Paul said that he was almost killed while in China when it was Chiang Kai Shek's birthday but his rickshaw driver talked the men who held them up out of it (00:19:23) ◦ He didn't decide to make a career out of the Navy at that point as he mentions he was quite fed up with his captain at the time (00:22:00) ◦ Once he got back to San Diego, Paul decided to put in his papers; the Navy guaranteed he would get a masters degree out of it if he stayed on so he changed his mind; this was in 1947 (00:23:43) ▪ His next assignment was to join a destroyer based out of his hometown of Boston (00:24:05) ▪ At this time Paul held the rank of Lieutenant, which took him eight years to do (00:25:45) ▪ He was stationed on the USS Power at the time (00:26:13)  Paul trained at Guantanamo Bay for six months while he held the positions of supply �  and dispersing officer (00:26:58) He was on the USS Power for a year and a half; after Guantanamo, Paul says they did fleet exercises after that (00:28:22) In 1948 after the USS Power, Paul was asked where he would like to go next and told them he wanted to be stationed at a shipyard in Boston (00:28:49) Korean War & Beyond (00:31:06)  Paul arrived to the Eastern theater during the Korean War the day the United States invaded Inchon, South Korea on September 15th, 1950 (00:31:06)  He was primarily based out of Yokusuka, Japan at this time (00:32:05) ◦ Paul's future partner was one of a few hundred nurses that was flown over to Yokusuka; this was during the last week of November in 1950 (00:35:03) ◦ He mentions that the military was downsized considerably from World War II to the Korean War and says that there were only a few divisions from the Army and Marines as these divisions would be sent back to combat even after you were injured or received purple hearts if you were healthy enough to return to combat (00:37:52) ▪ Paul's brother joined the National Guard in Minnesota and was sent to fight in the Korean War; his brother lost seven platoon leaders in three months and became the sergeant major of the battalion at the age of 23- he passed away at the age of 59 from cancer due to the effects of contracting malaria while in South Korea (00:40:39) Back Home & Eastern Theater (00:41:35)  Paul became the deputy chief of petroleum logistics for the Navy while he worked in the Pentagon (00:41:35)  He served in the Pentagon for two years; he helped set up fueling stations throughout the rest of the world in case of another war breaking out (00:43:35)  Paul served on the USS Essex from June 1954 til 1956 as the aviation supply officer (00:44:53) ◦ After being stationed near Taiwan, Paul and the crew of the USS Essex were sent to Thailand as he mentioned it being a very touchy place; most of the missions were diplomatic and he mentions the natives of Thailand liked them being there (00:47:27) ◦ Between training and deployment, Paul says they lost 13 aircrafts and five pilots (00:49:40) ▪ After the Essex, Paul was the logistics and planning officer for the naval air force pacific fleet; he was stationed in San Diego, California (00:52:18) ▪ At this time, he made the rank of Lieutenant Commander (00:52:37)  Paul was stationed on Subic Bay in the Philippines; his wife and three of his children were there as well- he was stationed there from 1959 til 1961 (00:53:42)  He went to Monterey Bay Naval Postgraduate School; from there he went to the aviation supply office in Philadelphia- he did this from 1962 til 1964 (00:55:37) ◦ Paul mentions that when the Vietnam conflict finally came along he realized it was a big mistake (00:58:46) ◦ He made rank of captain and had a small staff of about 20; four of them were commanders and the rest were high ranking civilians (01:02:10) ◦ Even after Paul aired concerns about overspending on supplies in one event, the military went ahead and did it anyways (01:08:30) ▪ After one of Paul's flights to Da Nang, Vietnam was cancelled, a gentlemen at the hotel bar offered Paul up a seat on his flight (01:11:37) ▪ Paul's impression of Vietnam at that point was that the people were very �unhappy; people were getting killed for no reason over there (01:13:22) Back Home Again (01:13:50)  After Vietnam, Paul decided to leave the Navy and came back to the states to head the international logistics at the supply systems command as a primarily diplomatic job (01:14:18)  Paul looked for a civilian job and was hired as the head of information systems and became the chief deputy of social services for the state of Michigan (01:15:14) ◦ Paul's time in the service made him a person with integrity, honesty, and it gave him a great education (01:18:49) ◦ The service also taught him to ignore extraneous things and turn the other cheek (01:19:26) � 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 RHC-27_AllenP1652V Title A name given to the resource Allen, Paul (Interview outline and video), 2014 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2014-06-23 Description An account of the resource Paul Allen was born in 1926 in South Boston. His father served in World War I for the US Navy. Paul graduated high school at the age of 15 in 1942. Although he wanted to go to Harvard, Paul knew he would end up in the military he wound up being stationed to the battleship New Jersey as a dispersing officer where he would be the youngest officer on the ship at age 19. After a few years on a few different ships, Paul would arrive to the Eastern theater during the Korean War as he was primarily based out of Yokusuka Japan in late 1950. He later served assignments at the Pentagon and aboard the carrier USS Essex (1954-56), and later had assignments in the Philippines and at the naval base in Da Nang during the Vietnam War. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Allen, Paul Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8fbb013aaf258fcd7211a19f66c31ff9.m4v 054b120bb41c46a914ab0f99c5158281 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7f0f957ecee1f7f2b9c8fe0cf04464f9.pdf 01c3e727866870a1f702c39ed71021b8 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Afghan War Nicolaus Solecki Length of interview: (1:48:36) (00:00) Early Life     Nic was born in October 1990 in Flint, Michigan He attended Flushing High School and graduated in 2009 Nic’s mother was a barber and his father worked for General Motors On September 11, 2001, Nic was in middle school o All the students were sent home that day o As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan progressed, Nic paid close attention o Several of the boys from his town took part in the first and second battles of Fallujah (2:15) Military Life      After he ended his senior football season, Nic and a group of his friends decided to join the marines o He had a family friend who had graduated from West Point and was serving in the army; however, this was the only positive insight he had. This influenced his decision to join the marines o Another reason he joined the marines was to get his schooling paid for by the G.I. Bill A recruiter offered Nic an armorer position (of which only three were available in the country) but Nic wanted to join the infantry and fight Nic left for boot camp in San Diego on August 2, 2009 o When he arrived at the airport a drill instructor walked in and herded them to a bus. All of the recruits had to sit on the bus with their heads down When they arrived at their destination, all of them had to remove all personal items o All of the recruits were given a buzz cut, and basic military clothes and shoes. They were not allowed to sleep for the first 24 hours because the drill instructors were trying to reset everyone’s body clock (11:30) Training occurred in phases o In phase one, the drill instructors emphasized discipline and breaking down the recruits by exhausting them o The second phase (week 5-8) involved building the recruits back up in the ways of the Marine Corps. In this phase, they went to Camp Pendleton to go through rifle qualification training �         When a recruit joined the marines, a schedule was set which extended to their graduation date o If a recruit was injured, there was a significant period of time he was allowed to heal before being placed in another class Nic graduated basic training on October 30, 2009 o When he graduated, he was given a 30 day leave in which he was required to help marine recruiters In the beginning of November, Nic was sent to SOI (School of Infantry) o This is where particular infantry roles were assigned and trained for o Shortly after starting SOI, Nic was given another block leave for Christmas. This was the second significant leave he was given in the five months he was in the Marine Corps (19:20) Nic’s particular designation was an 0352 Anti-Tank Missile man o In SOI, he trained on medium and large, anti-tank missile systems. He also trained on the Javelin and Sabre missile systems o Although the enemy the United States was facing didn’t have the technology that the Americans had, they still had vehicles that made these missile systems necessary. In SOI, Nic and his comrades learned how to operate in small fire teams. In total, the training lasted for 2.5 months After SOI, Nic was sent to Twentynine Palms, California o Twentynine Palms was a large and empty place in the middle of the desert o He was placed in a weapons company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Division. A lot of the men in the unity had just come back from Iraq (29:00) There was a significant amount of hazing that occurred when Nic joined his unit o New replacements were often made to clean things and stay awake for long periods of time. However, hazing was something largely frowned upon in the Marine Corps. This was largely due to severe incidences that command didn’t want repeated o Ownership significantly influenced behavior in the Marine Corps. Officers of all ranks were responsible for the actions of their men, If they behaved badly, the leader took responsibility Throughout their stay at Twentynine Palms, there were a lot of brawls between Platoons. These often began when one marine insulted another and friends got involved. These fights actually built comradery within units Late in the summer of 2010, Nic was sent to Okinawa as part of the 31st Expeditionary Unit o This was shortly after North Korea had sunk a South Korean frigate off of their coast. Nic spent 3 to 4 weeks on Okinawa before getting on a ship headed to the coast of North Korea where they stayed for 2 weeks. One of the companies assisted in training South Korean troops o They also traveled to the Philippines and helped train troops as well as provide relief after a typhoon �       During this period, Nic also took part in jungle training o This was difficult because it was always very hot. There were occasions when he had to survive for an extended period of time without most of his gear. He learned how to build shelter and what foods to consume when regular rations weren’t readily available Nic’s ship, the USS Harpers Ferry, held hover craft which were used for beach landings o A lot of the exercises he went on utilized these hovercraft They worked with foreign troops from Guam, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines (42:40) When Nic’s unit was in the Philippines, their base was set up near a small town. The people living in the town were very poor; many of them didn’t have proper clothing. These conditions gave Nic an idea of what to expect in Afghanistan o He had to sit through a lot of briefings on sexual assault and general safety because American soldiers had conducted themselves poorly in the past o In general, Nic and his comrades had a lot of time to themselves when they were on the ocean; they often called it the “Booze Cruise” o A lot of the work Nic did in the Philippines involved moving supplies into nets so that they could be air lifted o He was on the ship until January or February of 2011 After he returned to the U.S. Nic had a short leave before he reported to an anti-armor leaders course, where he achieved the rank of corporal When he returned to his unit, they had received three replacements. Another company (Animal) had received far more and was at double the normal company strength of 120 men o Command was beefing these units up so that they would be better suited to train Afghan soldiers. Four teams were set up, two would help train the Afghan Army, two would help train the police force. MPs were also attached to these units o Nic was pulled into Animal Company as a squad leader (Animal Company, Army Team 4, 2nd Squad). Each team would pair with a company of Afghan soldiers (50:50) Nic and his unit spent most of 2011 preparing to go to Afghanistan o One of the first things they did was go to Bridgeport, California to become acclimated to the sort of terrain they would be operating in o Once he returned to Twentynine Palms, Nic was put into Animal Company. After being reassigned, Nic and his comrades took a month long course in Dari, a lingual dialect spoken in Afghanistan o Afghan civilians would come in and take part in simulated operations. They would only speak native Afghan languages o The final stage of preparation was called Mojave Viper, a one month training exercise in Twentynine Palms. After Nic had completed it, he had a few weeks of liberty before shipping to Afghanistan (55:00) Afghanistan  Nic boarded a Delta airliner in California and was flown to Germany where he got on another plane headed to Manas Airbase in Kyrgyzstan �         o All troops going to Afghanistan went through Manas. They spent a week there to adjust to the climate and the time zone. o After a week in Manas, Nic was taken to Camp Leatherneck in Helmand Province, Afghanistan After spending several days at Camp Leatherneck, Nic was flown by chopper to his area of operation o Unfortunately, he was flown to the wrong forward operating base (FOB). He was taken by truck to FOB Alcatraz in northern Sangin. Nic’s platoon was attached to an Afghan Army unit there. Dog Company (Nic’s old unit) was also stationed at Alcatraz Half of Nic’s platoon remained in FOB Alcatraz while Nic and 12 other men were positioned at a small patrol base (PB Watson) 30 minutes away When they arrived in Sangin, the 3rd Battalion of the 7th Marine Division were rotating out. They helped incoming units learn their jobs The Afghan soldiers were high a lot; the first Afghan soldiers Nic saw were carrying a large garbage bag of marijuana into a hut o Nic and those in his platoon had a hard time trusting the Afghan soldiers. There was only one that they allowed into their living area o They knew that some of the Afghan soldiers were Taliban informants. The only reason that they weren’t arrested is because the Americans were getting a lot of intelligence from their cell phone activity (1:05:30) At the patrol base, there were 23 Afghan soldiers living with them; those who were suspected of being informants were kept close so the marines could watch them Nic and his comrades worked with the Afghans and their goal was to get them to a point in which they could operate on their own. o The incompetence of many of the Afghan soldiers prevented the marines from allowing them to take the lead. o Many of the soldiers we paid infrequently because their commanders would not distribute the funds given for payroll. Many of the Afghan soldiers were paid far less than they were supposed to because commanders often stole their money There was quite a bit of enemy activity during Nic’s deployment; however, the Taliban were careful not to shoot rockets at the marines because they were located close to a large amount of poppy. o Poppy fields were very important to the enemy. On one occasion, Nic witnessed a bulldozer driving into a poppy field. The silence that had lasted the whole day ended with a firefight, in which the enemy fought to protect their crop. The enemy often refrained from engaging the marines. Instead, they waited for Afghan soldiers or police to fall into an ambush. Nic and his comrades were not always able to help their Afghan allies because they wanted the Afghans to handle problems on their own Villagers were often helpful in pointing out IEDs because they didn’t want the marines walking through the middle of their poppy fields �            (1:13:30) A major flaw of the advising was the fact that a lot of the marines were not patient enough to carry it out effectively. A low-ranked marine was more enthusiastic about fighting than working with the locals Despite the issues in this advising effort, they had fostered good relations with Afghan commanders, allowing them to work through many of the problems they faced About five months into the deployment, the marines were told that they were pulling out of PB Watson and consolidating all U.S. and Afghan forces at FOB Alcatraz o During Ramadan, the Afghan soldiers were fasting in the high heat (over 100 degrees). Issues arose when several marines began to purposely chug water in front of them. When a fight broke out, one of the marines claimed that one of the Afghan soldiers tried to kill him o There had been several “green on blue” incidences where sleeper cells within the Afghan army had killed marines. When the fight occurred, the entire base went on alert because they believed this to be a similar incident As a result of this incident, all of the marines left Alcatraz and went to FOB Jackson (1:21:00) The Helmand River flowed through their area of operations. They called the area across the river “Indian country” because it was under the control of the Taliban. When patrols were conducted, there needed to be a total of 12 men, four of whom needed to be marines o The Afghan soldiers were often high but the marines tolerated it as long as they were doing their jobs o They didn’t make much contact with the Taliban; however, when the Afghan soldiers went out alone, they were often engaged o The Afghan soldiers were often able to use American transportation (such as helicopters) when going into the field with the marines Translators came from the United States (belonging to immigrant families) or local areas. Those who came from local areas were often working so that they could earn the right to move to the United States When Nic moved back to Alcatraz, he took part in the normal patrols and guarded the base On one occasion, supplies were accidentally dropped into Taliban country. Whenever Nic and his comrades saw American supplies on the ground, they refrained from toughing them because the Taliban were known to booby trap items such as MREs When the marines reduced their presence in Sangin, the Taliban began to operate more aggressively because the Afghan army weren’t able to hold them back as effectively as the marines While he was in Afghanistan, he was able to call his family on his satellite phone. However, they had to go on a roof to get a good signal; this made them targets for the Taliban (1:36:42) Nic was in Afghanistan for seven months. He got back to the United States in October 2012. � They were replaced in Sangin by the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment. Although Nic and his unit stayed for a short time to advise their replacements, their advice was largely ignored (1:40:20) Back in the United States    Before they were sent to Twentynine Palms, they spend a week at Camp Leatherneck learning how to readjust to civilian life Nic was released from the Marine Corps in March-April 2013. The first thing he did was spend a week in San Francisco before driving across country to Michigan. He spent the summer readjusting before starting college at Grand Valley State University. o PTSD was an issue for many men and women coming out of the military. For Nic, the skills he learned in the Marine Corps (organization and discipline) helped him land on his feet. Nic is studying international relations with a minor with a minor in international business. He has also studied abroad in Poland; he plans on going into the field of business � 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 RHC-27_SoleckiN1821V Title A name given to the resource Solecki, Nicolaus (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-02-12 Description An account of the resource Nicolaus Solecki was born in October 1990 in Flint, Michigan. He joined the Marine Corps after graduating from Flushing High School in 2009. After his basic training, Nic was stationed in Okinawa, Japan from Okinawa, his unit (1st Battalion, 7th Marine Division) was sent to the coast of North Korea, as well as the Philippines. In early 2012, Nic's unit was sent to the Sangin Province of Afghanistan. His mission was to assist in the training of the Afghan National Army this task was made increasingly difficult by lack of operational effectiveness that the Afghan soldiers often displayed. Nic would return to the United States in October 2012 and enroll at Grand Valley State University. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Solecki, Nicolaus 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 Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American United States. Marine Corps Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d89e82cdb7fdf9871c4777acc929854c.m4v cdd4b4d5eae5ca4dd74308b77e4c3f7d https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f2587ebd8f52e08af241e21a1e6e7ab5.m4v b8e817abc8f689c44b3752093dd54445 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/21df2591ed4ab2c09d1a25b138a904dc.pdf aba268c1a0a81c52204086950e717e00 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Kent Fisher Vietnam War Era-Stateside Service Part 1 – 43 minutes 38 seconds (00:00:48) Early Life -Born on July 1, 1946 in Lansing, Michigan -Spent majority of his early life in Howell, Michigan -Father had come out of the Army as a result of World War II ending -Oldest of three children -Howell was a great place to grow up -Enjoyed life in Howell -Father worked in medical sales and his sales area was shifted to west Michigan -Had to drive 100 miles to get to his sales area -Heard that a new high school, Forest Hills Central, was being opened -Also heard that a new college, Grand Valley State College (now university), was opening -Moved to the Grand Rapids area when he was 14 years old -Attended Grand Valley State College -Wanted to attend Michigan State University to play basketball -Father wanted him to attend GVSC because of its low cost and liberal arts program -Studied English -Started Grand Valley's basketball team -Wanted to be close to home, but not too close -Moved to Allendale, Michigan in his sophomore year of college (00:04:58) Civil Unrest & the Vietnam War -Aware of the civil unrest in the 1960s especially on college campuses -Different atmosphere at Grand Valley meant there was no unrest on that campus -Students had more conservative values -Saw college as a place to prepare for a job and adulthood -Aware of the Vietnam War -Enrolled at Grand Valley in 1964 as the Vietnam War escalated -Felt that if the American government wanted to fight the war, then it must be right -To him, the escalation of the war made sense (00:08:15) Enlisting in the Coast Guard -Felt he had a duty to serve the United States -Father died after his freshman year of college -Significant personal change -His dog also died, he broke up with his girlfriend, and he became eligible for the draft in 1968 -If he stayed in school then it meant he was not at risk of being drafted -Army allowed four years of college deferment, and after fourth year he was eligible to be drafted -Didn't matter if he had a degree, or not -Took the Armed Forces Exam at Fort Wayne in Detroit -Qualified for every branch of service -Relatives had served in previous wars -Had been exposed to the Coast Guard growing up in Michigan -Remembers having a positive image of the Coast Guard in northern Michigan -Search and rescue operations, law enforcement, and a general sense of professionalism �-Attended the Coast Guard Festival in Grand Haven, Michigan -Vietnam War escalated even further in 1967 and 1968, and grew out of control -It became apparent that the United States could not defeat North Vietnam -Didn't want to get drafted into the Army -Knew the Coast Guard was a defensive branch and had better living arrangements -Slept in beds and ate hot meals -Coast Guard had a limited enlistment quota -Without a degree or an applicable skill he couldn't be an officer -Meant he would have more trouble being enlisted -Left college in the summer of 1968 after getting married -Went to the Coast Guard recruiting station in Grand Rapids and enlisted -Told to go home and wait for his call to service (00:16:14) Basic Training -Received his call to service in mid-December 1968 and reported in Detroit -Quit his construction job and within four days he was ready to leave -Wife drove him to Detroit -He was sworn in in Detroit -Sent to Cape May, New Jersey for basic training -Lasted nine weeks -Received a draft notice by way of telegram from the Army -Didn't know if he was considered a deserter -Reported to his commanding officer to ask if he was in trouble -Commanding officer tore up the telegram and threw it away -For the rest of training, his commander teased him about the draft -Never became an issue -Ten years later he ran into his former recruiter at a Coast Guard festival -Told Kent that he had just made it into the Coast Guard -Told that Cape May was in the top three most challenging basic training programs -Both physically and emotionally challenging -Removal of certain civilian habits -Learned Coast Guard vernacular -Floors became “decks,” windows became “ports,” and stairs became “ladders” -Focus of basic training was changing recruits through “shock therapy” -Rapidly immersed into a new way of life and a different culture -He was homesick -Winters in New Jersey were wet, cold, snowy, and rainy -Forced the recruits to focus on their training -If you deviated from training you were punished with extra physical training -If you made enough mistakes you were discharged or “reverted” - “Reversion” meant being sent back a number of weeks to restart training -Discharge during basic training meant you were unfit for military service -Taught him self reliance -Had to rely on himself during basic training -Basic training also instilled a high degree of teamwork -Using your personal skills to help the rest of the unit -Had to learn to trust and be confident in the skills of the other Coast Guardsmen (00:28:06) Training at Coast Guard Station Emerald Isle -Wanted to be assigned to a station in the 9th Coast Guard District in the Great Lakes area -Request was considered, but Coast Guard need took precedence �-Assigned to a station in the 5th Coast Guard District -Stations in Virginia, North Carolina, and part of South Carolina -Assigned to Coast Guard Station Emerald Isle -16 man lifeboat station close to Swansboro, North Carolina -Received ten days of leave before reporting to Coast Guard Station Emerald Isle -Made preparations for his wife to live near him -Reported to Emerald Isle on March 10, 1969 -A large deal of adjusting to the local culture -Different dialect (mix of Cockney English and American Southern English) -He was a Seaman Apprentice -Original plan was to do four years with the Coast Guard then get out -Return to Michigan, complete college, teach English and coach basketball -Believed the Vietnam War would be totally over by 1973 -Training at Coast Guard Station Emerald Isle meant learning a new set of skills -Firefighting, boat handling, ropes and lines, painting, cleaning, and radio communications -Learned these new skills on the job -Worked from dawn until dusk -He was considered exceptionally different -College educated -Had a northern accent -Some of the men thought he was a Coast Guard Intelligence officer doing undercover work -This was because he paid so much attention to detail -Stationed there for eight months (00:33:57) Training at Governors Island -Applied for Advanced Training which would lead to an advance in rank to petty officer -Note: Petty officer is equivalent to non-commissioned officer in Army, Air Force, or Marines -Applied for Yeoman School and he was accepted -Learning how to do clerical work in the Coast Guard -Courtroom paperwork, discharge paperwork, enlistment paperwork, building records, and leave records -Worked in offices -Warm and dry in the winter, and cool in the summer -Trained at Governors Island, New York -Wife stayed in Grand Rapids, Michigan while he trained at Governors Island (00:35:50) Basketball in the Coast Guard -While at Emerald Isle he played pick-up games of basketball on a parking lot court -At Governors Island there was a basketball league -Teams from other training groups competed against each other (00:36:55) Stationed at Coast Guard Station Emerald Isle -After three months of training at Governors Island he became a petty officer -Returned to Coast Guard Station Emerald Isle, North Carolina -He had only been on loan to Governors Island for training -Still part of the 5th District -Worked on a Coast Guard cutter, USCGC Verbena -100 foot long construction ship -Built navigation aids in the inter-coastal waterways and serviced buoys -Set up lights and reflective markers for boats -Used sextants to mark the locations of the navigation aids -Able to conduct search and rescue missions and assist law enforcement �-Remembers there was a junction where a waterway met a channel that led to the Atlantic Ocean -An 85 foot ship missed a navigation aid and ran aground -The station called the Verbena to investigate the situation -Insure that the navigation aid had been properly placed -Pulled the ship back into the water and went aboard to talk to the captain -See if he was drunk, or if he had improper charts -He was sober and had been sailing from New York -Asked to see his charts -Complied and produced a gas station map, not an actual naval chart -Captain of the ship sailed south and ran aground, again, in South Carolina -Got dislodged and got out of the 5th District -Last they heard he ran aground a third time in southern South Carolina Part 2 – 53 minutes 20 seconds (00:00:34) Promotion to Officer & Assignment to USCGC Munro -Promoted to the rank of E-5 (petty officer second class) -Received transfer orders -He was the second petty officer in the 5th District with the most seniority -Transferred to the High Endurance Cutter, USCGC Munro -Had its home port in Boston -Had a son by time he gained rank and received his new orders -Moved his wife and son to Grand Rapids, Michigan -Reported to Newport, Rhode Island where the Munro was being built -Coast Guard drew on petty officers from all over the country to build the ship's crew -Ship was completed in August 1970 -Met the officers of the ship and the captain -Sailed to New Orleans, then from New Orleans to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba -Conducted anti-mine training -It was a fast ship -Top speed was classified -Fast enough to keep pace with nuclear-powered submarines -Ship's home port was Boston and he and his family lived in Lawrence, Massachusetts -Sailed to Guantanamo Bay for Underway Training -Practicing basic routines to insure everyone remembered how to do them -Participated in the ship's commissioning in September 1971 -Escorted Douglas Munro's mother during the commissioning ceremony -Douglas Munro was the only Coast Guardsmen to have been awarded the Medal of Honor -Posthumously rewarded for action at Guadalcanal in 1942 (00:08:05) Drug & Alcohol Abuse Program -Assigned to Washington D.C. and stationed at the Coast Guard Headquarters -Worked in the Personnel Services Division -Trained by the Navy in San Diego as a drug & alcohol abuse specialist -By 1971 and 1972 the drug problem had ballooned -A lot of men were returning from southeast Asia with serious drug addictions -A $5/day habit in Vietnam was a $100/day habit in the United States -A lot of men turned to theft to fund their addictions -Traveled to Coast Guard stations and offices all over the country -12 District offices �-Coast Guard Academy -Coast Guard Headquarters -Training Centers -Mission was to establish drug & alcohol abuse and prevention programs -Trial and error process (00:11:00) Becoming an Officer -Selected for Officer Candidate School -Trained with enlisted men and college graduates -OCS lasted 18 weeks -He was still on active duty while other candidates were Reservists -Graduated with the rank of O-1 (ensign) and received a temporary commission -Promoted to the rank of O-3 (lieutenant) -He was discharged as an enlisted man, and was immediately sworn back in as an officer -Given an indefinite service length -Only ended if he retired, or was passed over for promotion two times -Knew the Coast Guard would become a career -Commissioned in December 1973 (00:15:15) Assignment to USCGC Tamaroa & End of the Vietnam War -Assigned to the Coast Guard cutter USCGC Tamaroa in New York -Joined the ship in January 1974 -Vietnam War was coming to an end -People complained to Coast Guardsmen about taxes and the Vietnam War -Not as much animosity toward Coast Guardsmen as toward members of other branches -Always lived and worked in a civilian community -People understood the Coast Guard assisted the Navy in Vietnam -Also understood the Coast Guard focused on humanitarian missions and saving lives (00:19:02) Stationed at Governors Island -Stationed at Governors Island, New York as a duty officer -Worked in the Coast Guard Atlantic Area Rescue Coordination Center -Conducting search and rescue missions and operating east of the Mississippi River -He was a rescue planner, worked in navigation, and coordinated with the British (00:20:48) Sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald -Area commander had a search and rescue telephone linked to other rescue coordination centers -When the red light on the phone lit up, it meant a search and rescue operation was underway -On the night of November 10, 1975 the phone rang from RCC-Cleveland -A freighter named the SS Edmund Fitzgerald had gone missing on Lake Superior -Made plans to send out everything available to search for the freighter -Knew that a major storm had been coming, but powerless to stop shipping on Lake Superior -No rescue operations possible until November 11 when the storm passed -70 knot (80.55 miles per hour) winds with 30 foot high waves -Established a search and rescue plan at 7:30 p.m., but had to wait until morning to launch it -Thought about the men and their families and prayed the men died a quick death -Knew they had either died quickly from the ship sinking, or freezing to death in the water -Saddened by Gordon Lightfoot's folk ballad “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” -Also proud of it though, because it references the Coast Guard and life in northern Michigan -The vicar, Richard Ingalls, at the Mariners' Church had been the parish priest in Howell -Rang the bell 29 times to commemorate the number of lives lost (00:28:22) Command of Coast Guard Station Cape May -Given command of the Coast Guard Station at Cape May, New Jersey �-Most active station in terms of search and rescue, anti-pollution, and law enforcement -High amount of traffic in the area, especially from Memorial Day to Labor Day -Worked 24/7 dealing with fires, medical emergencies, etc. -Had an auxiliary Coast Guard unit and a Coast Guard helicopter unit to assist them -Remembers flying out to a ship that had caught fire and been abandoned -The crew put out the fire, then abandoned the ship, but it had taken on water -He flew out, was lowered to the ship, and helped pump out the water to save the ship -First shore unit to have women working in all enlisted capacities except for radar and gunnery -Did just as good as their best male counterparts -Even the bad female personnel did better than their bad male counterparts -Received some small arms training -Search and rescue operations, search and clear ships -Conducted law enforcement operations -Seized ships, arrested a number of people, searched ships, and seized goods -Stationed at Coast Guard Station Cape May for three years (00:35:48) Stationed at 9th District Commander's Office -Transferred to the 9th District Commander's Office in Cleveland to work as a recruiting officer -Managed recruiting offices and sub-offices in the greater Great Lakes area -Visited the offices and made sure proper protocols were being followed -Had enlistment quotas -Urged to get African-American and Native American recruits -Went to Indian Reservations to look for possible recruits -Natives fired warning shots at government vehicles -Stopped once they found out they were Coast Guard personnel -Trusted them, not the “bad” government -At that time they had fewer Coast Guard personnel than the New York City police -Coast Guard has grown since the September 11th Attacks (00:40:00) Deaths of Presidents -While at the Coast Guard Headquarters he was selected for the Honor Guard at Arlington Cemetery -During President Johnson's funeral (1973) -Had been part of the Honor Guard when President Truman died (1972) -Stood for an hour by the casket then got two hours off -Had to stand at full attention in his dress uniform -Learned how to give and receive silent commands to be relieved from duty -Tremendous honor -Stood a few feet from President Nixon, but couldn't look at him or talk to him -Felt a single bead of sweat rolling down his back -Couldn't scratch his back to relieve the itch -Thought about each president's place in history, and his own place in history by being at the funeral (00:45:18) Stationed at Coast Guard Station Muskegon & Promotion to Lieutenant Commander -Promoted to the rank of O-4 (lieutenant commander) before leaving Cleveland -Sent to the Coast Guard command station in Muskegon, Michigan -Managed stations on the east shore of Lake Michigan (from Michigan City to Frankfort) -Felt great to be back in Michigan -Had a $600,000 budget for all stations -Able to use everything he had learned in the Coast Guard -Station activity slowed down in the winter -Stowed the cutters during the winter -Gave leave to station personnel �-Sent necessary personnel to Coast Guard stations on the Gulf of Mexico -They were always busy and the Michigan personnel relieved those personnel -Had “Coast Guard Night” with the Muskegon Lumberjacks hockey team (00:48:47) Retirement from the Coast Guard -Told he could retire with 19 years and six months, or go to Governors Island, or go to Adak, Alaska -Decided to return to Governors Island, New York -Stationed there for three years -Served as the Chief of News & Photos -Became the Chief of Administration for that area -Retired from Governors Island -Son was attending Grand Valley State University -Mother-in-law was suffering from late-stage Alzheimer's Disease -Both factors contributed to his decision to retire from the Coast Guard -Put his retirement orders into effect on May 1, 1990 after 22 years of Coast Guard service (00:52:11) Work & Study at Grand Valley State University -Started studying at Grand Valley State University on May 7, 1990 -Returned to Michigan and completed a degree at Grand Valley State University -Got a degree in advertisement & public relations communications -Hired by Grand Valley State University to work in Alumni Relations -Raising funds -Became the Associate Director of Alumni Relations -Did that for nine years -Retired from Grand Valley State University on January 1, 2007 � 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 RHC-27_FisherK1938V Title A name given to the resource Fisher, Kent E (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-06-13 Description An account of the resource Kent Fisher was born on July 1, 1946 in Lansing, Michigan. He enlisted in the Coast Guard in the summer of 1968 and was called up for service in December 1968. He received his basic training at Cape May, New Jersey then received further training at Coast Guard Station Emerald Isle, North Carolina. From Emerald Isle he went to Governors Island, New York, where he attended Yeoman School. He returned to Emerald Isle and worked on the Coast Guard cutter, USCGC Verbena. He was promoted to the rank of petty officer second class and received orders to join the USCGC Munro. He was selected for Officer Candidate School, graduated with the rank of ensign, and was then promoted to lieutenant. He joined the USCGC Tamaroa in January 1974 and served aboard the ship until he was reassigned to the Coast Guard Atlantic Area Rescue Coordination Center, where he helped plan the search and rescue operations for the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. He was then given command of Coast Guard Station Cape May, New Jersey and from there was transferred to the 9th District Commander's Office in Cleveland, Ohio. He also served at Coast Guard Station Muskegon, Michigan, and ended his career at Governors Island, New York, as the Chief of News & Photos. He retired from the Coast Guard on May 1, 1990 after 22 years of service and with the rank of lieutenant commander. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Fisher, Kent Edmonson Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (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 Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. Coast Guard Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8a0009678d4e2a1e45a124b1b48a661d.m4v dd42cdea8bcb38af49f80d5343fa3a76 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4e927ab904ab7ea87e099d830f03e8c4.pdf f29250bb5944b16791e297b1ccff0f0a PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Bernie Windmiller Vietnam War; Cold War 28 minutes 31 seconds *Note: Times in the outline correspond with timecode in interview (01:51:53) Early Life & Enlisted Service -Born on July 3, 1932, in Gary, Indiana -Drafted into the Army in 1954 -Left college after two years and got drafted -Sent to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, for basic training -Sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky, for field radio training -Learned about use of field radios and Morse code -Deployed to South Korea -Spent six (or eight) months at the demilitarized zone -Part of a small unit of nine or ten men -Five enlisted men at a small compound and the officers helped the South Koreans -Officers were attached to the 11th Republic of Korea Division -Sent to Army headquarters in Daegu and worked the switchboard -Had 11 women work with him (01:54:15) Becoming a Chaplain Pt. 1 -Raised in a very religious home -Active in his church -Involved with a religious television program in college -Before he got drafted, he felt he was heading for the ministry -While in Korea, he only saw a chaplain once every three months -Thought the Army was short on chaplains -Didn’t realize it was because his post was so remote -Felt he was being called to the chaplaincy -Returned to college and went into the seminary -Professor in seminary had been a Navy chaplain during World War II -Held an informal class at night for students interested in the chaplaincy -Part of the staff specialist corps (no uniform, and a chance to try out being in the Army) -Graduated from seminary and got into an Army Reserve unit on Southside of Chicago -Also had a church on the South Side of Chicago -Sent to basic course for chaplains at Fort Hamilton, New York -Solidified his decision to become a chaplain -Petitioned his denomination for endorsement -Sent to 5th Army Headquarters in Chicago for an interview, and was accepted �(01:57:00) Stationed at Fort Riley -Joined them in spring 1966 -Sent to Fort Riley, Kansas -Attached to the 9th Infantry Division -Trained with them (01:57:30) Becoming a Chaplain Pt. 2 -Went to Fuller Theological Seminary -Inter-denominational seminary -Prestigious seminary -Didn’t think he would’ve been accepted into that seminary -Good experience (01:58:08) Deployment to Vietnam -Part of the 3rd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Infantry Division at Fort Riley -Shipped out of America on January 1, 1967 -Sent his wife and children to Ohio around Christmastime -Returned to Fort Riley and held Christmas services -Left by ship out of California in January 1967 -Arrived in Vietnam on January 19, 1967 (01:59:42) Arrival in Vietnam & Reassignment to 4th Battalion -Went to Bearcat Base, the headquarters for the 9th Infantry Division -Received more combat training -During the final part of training, the division chaplain approached Bernie -Told him he’d be reassigned to 4th Battalion th -Stayed with 4 Battalion for the rest of his tour in Vietnam -Army Engineers built a base camp at Dong Tam for the 4th Battalion (02:01:33) Missions & Combat in Vietnam -Rotated on and off Navy ships -Went through the Mekong River Delta to various outposts via armored troop carriers -Had to contend with 10 – 12 foot tides -Mostly Viet Cong forces operating in the Mekong Delta -4th Battalion was tasked with search & destroy missions -Got into a huge fight with the Viet Cong on June 19, 1967 -Took a lot of casualties -Wanted to be with his soldiers in the field, regardless of combat -Only missed one combat operation -Tended to the wounded and helped gather the dead -Lost 60 soldiers during his tour in Vietnam -He was older than most of the men in his unit -He was 36 years old when he went to Vietnam -He was a captain, and other captains were in their mid-20s -Went on combat marches with the troops -Very close with C Company -With them on the battle of June 19th �-Originally supposed to be with A Company -C Company commander wanted him to stay with C Company, so Bernie stayed -C Company took 50 percent casualties during the battle -Attends annual reunions for C Company (02:07:50) Return to the United States -Came back to the United States on January 1, 1968 -Landed north of San Francisco -Flew to Chicago to meet his wife and be with her for a few days -Went to Ohio to be with his wife and children -Invited by the Ministerial Association of Wellington, Ohio, to speak about his time in Vietnam -After his presentation, a couple girls from Oberlin College approached him to talk -Group of antiwar protesters tried to confront Bernie about Vietnam -He told them that he went to Vietnam to help soldiers, not fight (02:12:00) Stationed at Fort Campbell -Sent to Fort Campbell, Kentucky -His division chaplain in Vietnam, Charles Meek, was the post chaplain at Fort Campbell -Stationed there for 1 ½ years -Worked with an engineer unit -Made the stockade chaplain (02:13:23) Stationed in West Germany -Sent to West Germany -Attached to the 5th Missile Battalion off the 6th Air Defense Artillery (Nike missiles) -Operated out of Baumholder, Germany -Stayed in Germany for three years -Travelled to missile sites to minister to soldiers -Taught himself to play guitar and sing hymns -Drugs were an issue in Germany at the time -Needed to counsel soldiers with drug addictions -Given a basement area in an administrative building as a counselling area -Connected with four soldiers and invited them to dinner at his home -Formed a band with them -Missiles were tipped with nuclear warheads -Needed soldiers to be sober due to the severity of their job (02:16:50) Further Education Pt. 1 -Returned to the United States in 1973 -Took the advanced course for chaplains from 1973-1974 -Studied for his master’s degree in counselling at Long Island University -Promoted to major during his time there (02:17:30) Stationed at Fort Sill -Sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma -Made the brigade chaplain for the 212th Field Artillery Brigade -Wonderful assignment -Almost retired from the Army while at Fort Sill �-In a supervisory position and he didn’t enjoy it, just wanted to minister to soldiers -Another chaplain convinced him to stay in the Army -Convinced him by saying that supervisory positions are necessary (02:19:24) Further Education Pt. 2 -Started a doctorate of ministry degree, but was unable to complete it -Army sent him to Duke University to study world religions -He enjoyed doing that < Tape ends before interview ends > � 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 RHC-27_WindmillerB2075V Title A name given to the resource Windmiller, Bernie (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-10-26 Description An account of the resource Bernie Windmiller was born in Gary, Indiana, on July 3, 1932. The Army drafted him in 1954 and he received basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, then field radio training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He was deployed to South Korea where he served on the demilitarized zone and at Daegu. He decided to become a chaplain, and upon completion of seminary, he reentered the Army as a chaplain. His first assignment was at Fort Riley, Kansas, with 3rd Battalion of the 47th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Infantry Division. He was deployed to Vietnam in January 1967 and was originally stationed at Bearcat Base. Shortly after arriving, he was reassigned to 4th Battalion. During his time in Vietnam, he operated in the Mekong River Delta and went on combat missions with the troops. He returned to the United States in January 1968, and was stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He then served in West Germany for three years with the 5th Missile Battalion of the 6th Air Defense Artillery (Nike nuclear missiles). He returned to the United States in 1973 and took the advanced course of chaplains, then got his master's degree at Long Island University. He served at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, with the 212th Artillery Brigade then went to Duke University. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Windmiller, Bernie Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Keizer, Herman Jr. (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/5d5222e45223e35c147929a03267f9bf.m4v 222431e745f76210921cd26caed804f7 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/81a83ee00794f5d1bed0d2f8e0fcf038.pdf fb80f276649f2a9dc275d691e0b63ed4 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Vietnam War Charles Whorton Length of interview: (58:33) (00:00) Early Life      Charles was born on January 2, 1947 in Mobile, Alabama When Charles was a child, his family moved to Benton Harbor, Michigan, where he grew up His father worked at Whirlpool as an electrician and his mother worked as an auto specialist Charles graduated high school in 1964 o After he graduated, he worked at several factory jobs before going to work at Whirlpool He got his draft notice in early 1966 o At the same time that he got his draft notice, he found out that his cousin had been killed in Vietnam (2:30) Military Life      Charles went to Fort Hood, Texas for basic training o The barracks were old, World War Two era buildings o When they arrived, the drill instructors immediately started screaming at them Training consisted of physical training, weapons instruction, and survival training o They also made them go through a gas chamber to see how fast they could put on a gas mask o It was easy to adjust to the discipline o About a quarter of the men were black, another quarter were Hispanic, while the rest of the men were Caucasian. All of the men got along because they were afraid After the training and a short leave, Charles went to Fort Benning, Georgia for radio training (Advanced Individual Training) o In this training course, Charles learned how to operate a small backpack radio. He also learned Morse Code o The radio training took a total of eight weeks. Charles found that he was treated better here than in basic training After AIT, Charles was sent to Fort Riley, Kansas for some Jungle training o He was there for a short time before he was given a 30 day leave and his order to go to Vietnam (11:00) Charles got on a plane to California where he boarded a ship headed to Vietnam �        o The bunks were stacked close together and there was no room to roll once you laid down o Charles spent his days on the ship cleaning vomit. The ship stopped once because one man had hanged himself o Charles was going to Vietnam with the 9th Division They landed in Cam Ranh Bay around December 13, 1966, near a party beach for officers Charles was designated as a radioman for air warning clearance control o Although he knew how to operate the radio, he still had to learn to do this particular job The 9th Division was stationed at Bearcat Base near Bien Hoa o The barracks that Charles was in was very secure After a few weeks, Charles was infused with the 11th Cavalry o This was done because the army didn’t want the entire division coming back at the same time o The 11th Cavalry was a search and destroy division. They had access to personnel carriers and tanks. Charles was put in K Troop o When he was reassigned, he was flown out into the field where K Troop was K Troop was sent on search and destroy missions as well as recon patrols (in the first few months this was largely done between Saigon and the Cambodian border) o During the night, they went on ambush patrols and set up listening posts o They operated in dense jungles. Instead of walking on existing trails, K Troop cut their own o He joined the 11th before Christmas 1966 and didn’t have major contact with the enemy until May 1967 They were often ambushed by the VC while escorting combat engineers along Highway 1 o Every Tuesday, they stopped at a village along highway 1 to assist villagers. On one occasion, a platoon stopped at a village and was nearly wiped out (21:20) Every night, several men from each personnel carrier were sent out for listening posts and ambush patrols o They never went out with a man from the same carrier. The patrols and guards would stay out all night o When they moved through the jungle, the tanks went first and knocked down the large obstacles for the personnel carriers that followed When they approached a village, they would use translators to communicate with the villagers o Charles and his comrades gathered the villagers and searched the huts for weapons. If any war materials were discovered, they were destroyed along with the huts. o None of the villagers argued with them because they were outgunned. This is why most engagements were ambushes �          They were in a base camp only when they needed to repair their vehicles. Other than that, they formed a circle with the vehicles when they stopped They never operated near the rubber plantations because the rubber trees were too valuable o If they were in an area such as this, it was only to cross from one jungle area to another (25:30) In May 1967, things start to escalate o An engineering unit and one of K Troop’s platoons had fallen under attack and Charles was part of the relief force It seemed that they were getting enemy contact every week o Whenever they got ambushed they were always on a main road headed for the jungle. The enemy always seemed to know where Charles’ unit was going o They would hit K Troop with RPGs and automatic weapons. Some of the soldiers in K Troop looked one way, some looked the other; this allowed them to cover both sides o If the VC hit a vehicle, there would be two explosions because each vehicle carried a large amount of ammunition and explosives. Each destroyed vehicle usually meant that around six men were dead o Charles used a mounted 50 caliber machine gun to fire back with. K Troop was often on their own in the situations. Air support was useful in long ambushes but not in short ones because it took a while for the aircraft to reach their position. The average ambush lasted about 2.5 hours (31:20) K Troop suffered around 50 percent casualties while Charles was in Vietnam K Troop operated independently and didn’t know what the other troops were doing for most of the time Charles and his comrades thought that marching on foot was better than riding in the vehicles o During the time that they were frequently ambushed, no one was killed by rifle fire. Explosions frightened the men more than small arms fire K Troop was eventually sent to a place called Slope 30 o They set up on top of the slope during the day and sent out patrols and listening posts o One night at around midnight, the VC attacked K Troop while Charles was outside of the perimeter with an ambush patrol. All Charles could do was lay low because he was caught between friendly and enemy fire o While the enemy force was retreating, some of them discovered Charles’ position. They engaged each other with rifles and grenades. When the fight was over, Charles and some of his comrades had minor shrapnel wounds Charles went out of the country for R&R twice, once to Bangkok and once to Okinawa o When he went on R&R, he was able to put the fear of combat behind them o They were occasionally allowed to relax in Vietnam during the periods of inactivity All supplies were brought in by chopper �      o Three or four times a week, hot meals were flown in. They ate rations for the rest of the meals o They had access to all the beer they wanted but no one got drunk because it would be miserable in the heat o K Troop came across prostitutes when they moved into populated areas Morale was difficult to maintain because they were often ambushed o Additionally, they had to pick up all of the dead bodies after an engagement (43:00) Charles was awarded the Bronze Star o Charles’ vehicle was not working properly and one of the other vehicles had to drop back so that they wouldn’t be alone. As the two vehicles were following the convoy, the reinforcing vehicle was destroyed with an RPG. o Instead of driving away, Charles turned his vehicle around and returned fire Perhaps ten percent of K Troop was black o None of the men smoked marijuana in the field. Charles tried it once but realized that it was a stupid thing to do when the enemy could attack at any time All of the officers were good except one lieutenant that came in several months before Charles rotated home o They were ordered to go out on a patrol and the lieutenant wanted to march along a dry creek bed. Charles and his comrades refused to do this because they would be sitting ducks if the enemy attacked them. Their captain agreed with Charles and they proceeded to walk the way Charles preferred As his time in Vietnam grew short, Charles was very cautious because a lot of people seemed to get killed just before their tours were up (49:35) When it was time for Charles to leave Vietnam, he was flown out of the field and taken to a processing center o He flew out of Saigon and landed in Oakland Army Base, California, it was December (49:30) Post- Army Life      When he landed in California, it was midnight but there were a few protestors Charles got on a plane to Chicago and from there he went home o He didn’t talk to his family much while he was in Vietnam Within a week of getting home, he went back to work o For about a year, he drank every day after work and got into fights (2 to 3 fights per week) o This largely came to an end when he met his wife Charles went to junior college but he didn’t know about all the things he was entitled to as a veteran o A lot of the benefits were made known to him as men returned from Iraq and Afghanistan He thinks that his time in the military made him a better person o However, he is more alert of his surroundings and his patience is not what it used to be � 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 RHC-27_WhortonC1898V Title A name given to the resource Whorton, Charles E (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-11-17 Description An account of the resource Charles Whorton was born on January 2, 1947 in Mobile, Alabama. His family moved to Benton Harbor, Michigan when he was young. In 1966, Charles was drafted into the United States Army and trained as a radio operator. When he arrived in Vietnam in December 1966, Charles was placed in K Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. K Troop traveled through the jungle with tanks and armored transport vehicles. Since they were a search and destroy unit, they frequently came into contact with the enemy. When Charles returned from Vietnam, it was difficult for him to adjust to civilian life. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Whorton, Charles E. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4d0a0960462b377bc6b130e308202064.m4v 6194e58b01a26c72bf432e85054fca38 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7450e5844d5214e96c806104880fc260.pdf 51ff9e7ce11198efdbcef51ca8951459 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Jerome Warren World War II 29 minutes 39 seconds (00:00:11) Early Life -Born in Byron Center, Michigan, on November 11, 1926 -Moved to Traverse City, Michigan, when he was a boy -Moved to Ottawa Lake, Michigan, due to his father becoming a superintendent at a paper mill -Had steady work through the Great Depression -Oldest of five children -Graduated from high school in 1944 (00:01:21) Start of Second World War -Remembers the attack on Pearl Harbor -He was a freshman in high school -Parents and he were aware of the attack and its consequences -Didn’t think the United States was going to get into the war before Pearl Harbor -Didn’t read the newspaper or follow the news on the radio -Immediate response in the community following the attack was anger and concern -Was the United States going to get invaded? -Didn’t know what would happen -Thought it was a temporary skirmish and be a short conflict -Thought Japan was trying to flex its military muscles against America -Started paying attention to the news and following battles -Remembers the battle of Guadalcanal -A few seniors from his school joined the Marines and fought there (00:04:12) Enlisting in the Navy -Talked to his parents about enlisting -Mother was against it -Didn’t want to get drafted -Enlisted in the Navy on November 11, 1944 -Liked the living conditions in the Navy -Didn’t want to be an infantryman living outside in horrid conditions (00:06:04) Basic Training -Sent to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois, for basic training -Did calisthenics and marching -Had 20mm gun training -He was a cartridge loader -Each cartridge contained four-shells -Did fire drills -Had a model of a ship with compartments on fire �-Wore gas masks, and had to navigate the burning ship -Plane recognition -Went to the firing range and trained on rifles and .45 caliber pistols -Had bad aim with the pistol, because of too much recoil -Good aim with the rifle -High emphasis on discipline and following orders -A lot of recruits had trouble with that, but he didn’t -Punished with kitchen duty, or extra marching, but nothing vicious -Basic training lasted 10 weeks (00:08:13) Signal Training -Sent to Sampson Naval Training Center, New York, located on Lake Geneva -Received 12 weeks of signal training -Learned how to use blinker lights, semaphore flags, shipboard flag signals, and plane ID’ing -Had to do 12 words per minute with the lights, and 22 minutes with semaphore flags (00:09:34) Deployment to Pacific Theatre -Sent to Camp Shoemaker, California -Placed on a Dutch merchant ship headed for the Philippines -Left in late spring of 1945 -He was at Sampson Naval Training Center when FDR died (April 12, 1945) -This means he left the United States sometime in May 1945 -The ship carried American naval personnel, and had an East Indian crew -Stopped in Honolulu for a week -Stopped at the island of Samar before continuing on to Manila -Atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima around the time of arriving in Manila (00:11:41) Service aboard USS APL-19 -Assigned to duty aboard the USS APL-19 in Manila harbor for the rest of his service -APL: Auxiliary Personnel, Living -Place for personnel in transit to stay a few days before going to another station -Held 100-200 personnel at any given time -Looked like a two-story barge, with bunks stacked four-high -No armaments, no engine, and no propulsion -They would have been a sitting duck had they been attacked -His duty was to drive the skipper to headquarters every Monday -Never sent a signal message while in Manila -Requested a transfer to a destroyer, but there were no openings for him -Started days by getting up, having breakfast, then going to roll call -If he had guard duty, he was issued a .45 caliber pistol -Questioned any personnel that wanted to go aboard the ship -If he was on signal duty, he stood by the signal light for four hours a time -On guard duty, he stood by the gangplank (00:15:42) Crew of the USS APL-19 -Part of a 100-man crew -Had crew for food service, laundry, painting, and maintaining the ship �-There were some black crewmen -Usually handled cooking and laundry -Doesn’t recall them being segregated (00:17:01) Visiting Manila -Visited Manila -Went to some of the bars -Some men bought prostitutes, but he didn’t -City had been laid to waste -Reconstruction hadn’t begun, yet -No contact with civilians, but children followed American personnel asking for a hand out (00:18:30) Commander -One of his primary duties was to drive around lieutenant commander Fitzsimmons -Part of U.S. Navy Reserve -Nice man -Young -From Amarillo, Texas (00:19:05) Returning to the United States Pt. 1 -Stayed in Manila until 1947 -Sailed to San Diego, down the Mexican coast, through the Panama Canal, to Jacksonville -Stayed in Manila for his entire time in the Philippines -Didn’t want to travel into the countryside, and ship never left the harbor (00:20:03) Contact with Home -Wrote home to his parents on a regular basis -Had almost consistent contact with them (00:20:25) Pistol Accident -One night, he was up for guard duty, and the guard on-duty gave him his pistol -Jerome accidentally pulled the trigger and discharged the pistol -Cost him a month of liberty ashore -Chastised for the accident because he could’ve hurt himself or someone else (00:21:45) Living Conditions, Disease, & Hygiene -Hot and humid all the time -Eventually adjusted to the tropical climate -Issued salt tablets to avoid dehydration -During basic training, he was given a battery of vaccinations -Issued anti-malarial medications -Never got seasick -Remembers 100 men leaning on the railing and throwing up going to the Philippines -He didn’t do anything special, just got lucky -Stressed to keep clean -Showered daily, and got clean clothing every day -Had a special soap to be used with saltwater (00:24:33) Returning to the United States Pt. 2 -Heard a rumor they were going home six months before they left �-Rode on USS APL-19 across the Pacific Ocean back to the United States -Concerning experience, because he didn’t know how stable the ship was -Towed by an oceangoing tug -Only time he signaled outside of training (messages to/from the tug) -No storms on the return voyage, but there were some heavy seas -Closer to the United States the weather calmed -Stopped at San Diego, so the tug could refuel, then sailed down the Mexican coast -Originally planned on stopping in Cuba, but there was unrest -Sailed to Jacksonville, Florida, and the ship was decommissioned (00:27:25) End of Service -Had to stay in the Navy for an extra month despite having enough “points” -Note: points - awarded to military personnel, had to reach a number to get discharged -Sent to Watervliet Arsenal in New York for the last month of service -Discharged at Great Lakes Naval Station (00:28:02) Life after Service -Worked in the paper mill with his father -Attended college at Iowa Wesleyan University -Uncle was on the staff, and he was able to stay with his uncle for his first year -Joined Phi Delta Theta fraternity -Graduated from college in 1951 -Got a job with Whirlpool -Eventually became a manager (00:29:04) Reflections on Service -Time in the Navy taught him discipline -Taught him to be organized and focused -Taught him a good hygiene regimen � 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 RHC-27_WarrenJ2090V Title A name given to the resource Warren, Jerome (Interview outline and video), 2017 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-01-10 Description An account of the resource Jerome Warren was born in Byron Center, Michigan, on November 11, 1926. He enlisted in the Navy on November 11, 1944 and received his basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois. He was selected for signal training, and received that training at Sampson Naval Training Center, New York. In late spring 1945, he went to Camp Shoemaker, California, and eventually boarded a Dutch merchant ship bound for the Philippines. After stopping in Hawaii and Samar, he arrived in Manila in August 1945. He was assigned to USS APL-19, a ship used to house personnel in transit. Aboard the USS APL-19, he served as a guard and as a signalman. In 1947, USS APL-19 was towed back to the United States, and was decommissioned at Jacksonville, Florida. He spent the final month of his service at Watervliet Arsenal, New York and was discharged at Great Lakes Naval Station. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Warren, Jerome Charles 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 World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2fac85d3794714a89590a9b5f0076169.m4v c38412bd6a7461c0e26ab81e2c3c8f32 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/77aba69ebcf5f32a3dc9ee6536c5700e.pdf 6e362034acaf010e098797a89669fa53 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Robert Vickers Cold War; Post-Cold War 28 minutes 11 seconds *Note: Times in outline coincide with timecode on interview (01:23:25) Early Life -Born in Lexington, Kentucky, on September 25, 1944 -Lived in Kentucky until his entry into active duty (01:24:00) Active Duty & Becoming a Chaplain -Went on active duty in the Army in 1975 -Went on active duty as a chaplain -Commissioned as an officer in the combat engineers in 1965 -Had been in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at Eastern Kentucky University -After a couple years in a reserve unit, he realized he was being called to the chaplaincy -Gt a seminary deferment for three years -Called on active duty in 1968 -Asked for branch transfer to chaplain’s school in the summer of 1969 -Transfer was granted and he was taken off active duty -Stayed in a reserve unit until 1973 -Southern Baptist Convention and Chief of Chaplains office wanted him to go on active duty -He wanted to go on active duty -Process lasted from 1973 to January 1975 -Looked forward to that duty -Obligation of eight years as a reservist, and he could have gotten out of the Army -Wanted to go on active duty and stay in the Army -Concerned he’d rush in and be disappointed -Talked with a World War II veteran chaplain about the chaplaincy -Told him to try it for three years -If he didn’t like it, he would get a guaranteed spot in a church (01:28:06) Stationed at Fort Carson -His first assignment was at Fort Carson, Colorado -Assigned to the 1st Battalion of the 77th Armored Regiment -Served as the battalion chaplain for a year -Stationed at Fort Carson for 15 months (01:28:39) Stationed in West Germany -Placed into the 76th Infantry Brigade and sent to Wiesbaden, West Germany -Old headquarters for United States Air Force command -Three units from Fort Carson were sent to West Germany -Deployed in March 1976 �-Originally a six month deployment on rotation -He was there for three months and told anyone wanted to stay in Germany could stay -More cost effective than the rotation system -Loved Germany and working with the troops -Decided to extend his tour in Germany -Family joined him -Worked on counselling as part of the alcohol and drug abuse program -Commander got him involved with that program -Felt like he was doing something useful (01:31:20) Advanced Course for Chaplains -Returned to the United States in June 1979 -Attended the Advanced Course for Chaplains at Fort Wadsworth, New York -Six months to complete that training (01:31:54) Stationed at Fort Devens -Sent to Fort Devens, Massachusetts, in January 1980 -Knew that the base was slated for closure (base eventually closed in 1996) -Stationed there for 2 ½ years -Selected for the Civilian Education Program after 1 ½ years at Fort Devens -Army wanted him to work in educational psychology -Left Fort Devens in May 1983 (01:32:57) Studying at Vanderbilt University & Working at Chaplain School -Went to Vanderbilt University and studied in the School of Education -Knew he would return to the Chaplain School to work in the Course & Development Division -Put together a strong course of instruction while at the Chaplain School -Challenging, but worthwhile -Integrating military education into chaplain education -Part of the Chaplain School faculty for four years (01:34:56) Stationed at Fort McPherson -Selected to be a staff officer for Forces Command at Fort McPherson, Georgia -Had about 5 ½ years of troop command experience -Stationed there for our years -Worked on programs as the training and readiness chaplain -Developing training conferences, mobilization conferences, and mobilization training -Went to National Training Center a number of times -Big transition period for the Army -Expanded expectation for chaplains -Worked as a chaplain and as a staff officer -Integral part of units -Difficult for some chaplains -Wanted to focus more on chaplain duties and not staff duties -Learned that chaplains didn’t get a pass just because they were chaplains -Attained the rank of lieutenant colonel while at Fort McPherson �(01:40:30) Stationed in South Korea -Deployed to South Korea and attached to the 2nd Infantry Division as the division chaplain -Stationed there from May 1991 to May 1992 -Separation assignment -Note: Meant that family couldn’t accompany soldiers on deployment -Most significant professional military experience and most personally gratifying experience -Fast-paced, and some of the best officers he worked with for extended period of time -Held chaplain and staff duties -Able to connect with officers during their personal crises -Even the best officers get stressed with their jobs and private lives -Needed counselling -Opened up to him (01:43:42) Stationed at Fort McClellan -Sent to Fort McClellan, Alabama -Made the training brigade chaplain -Slowdown in terms of promotions for officers -Six months as training brigade chaplain -Became the main post chaplain for two years -Completed a course with the Army War College via correspondence -Worked on the course at night -Sometimes worked through the night then worked as a chaplain during the day (01:45:58) Stationed at Fort Sam Houston & End of Service -Went to Fort Sam Houston, Texas -Assigned to the 5th Army’s chaplain office -Retired from the Army at Fort Sam Houston -Stationed there for 1 ½ years (01:46:37) Life after Service -Became an endorser for the Southern Baptist Convention -Allowed him to still be involved with the military in a civilian capacity -Worked with the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Marines -Did that for a year -Also involved with prison and business chaplaincy -Had to quickly learn how to work in the chaplaincy outside of the military -Got help from other directors of chaplaincy -Did that for seven years and enjoyed it (01:48:10) Changes in the Army -During his active duty career, he experienced the Cold War and the mentality that went with it -Daunting -His unit in Germany was tasked with defending the Fulda Gap in the event of an attack -A Soviet invasion would have wiped out his entire unit -They would have served as more of a speed bump than as a full block -Mentality changed after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War -Army began to focus more on counterterrorism �-He was at Forces Command during the Gulf War -Aware of the multiple deployments used by Army and the effects on soldiers and chaplains < Tape ends before interview ends> � 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 RHC-27_VickersR2074V Title A name given to the resource Vickers, Robert C (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-10-26 Description An account of the resource Robert Vickers was born in Lexington, Kentucky, on September 25. 1944. He was in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps at Eastern Kentucky University and received a commission as an officer in the combat engineers of the Army in 1965. He decided to become a chaplain and attended seminary for three years, then went to the Chaplain School in 1969. He stayed in the Army Reserve until January 1975 when he went on active duty. His first assignment was at Fort Carson, Colorado, with the 1st Battalion of the 77th Armor Regiment, for 15 months. He was stationed in Wiesbaden, West Germany, with the 76th Infantry Brigade from March 1976 until June 1979. He studied at the Advanced Course for Chaplains at Fort Wadsworth, New York, then went to Fort Devens, Massachusetts, in January 1980. He left Fort Devens in May 1983 to study at Vanderbilt University then serve at the Chaplain School. He was stationed at Fort McPherson, Georgia for four years, then did a tour in South Korea with the 2nd Infantry Division. Robert's last two assignments were at Fort McClellan, Alabama, and at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where he retired in 1996. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vickers, Robert C. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Keizer, Herman Jr. (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 Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/688540ee669b59031e5a329b2e0c5423.m4v d3e94411bc53105aa809998a6a934e7f https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/02ca557c6609c6175c831a38f7d0c02f.pdf eeb3d8d3bb74a019091561a3a3b6306f PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Willard Van Essen Korean War 1 hour 21 seconds (00:00:11) Early Life -Born in 1927 in Nobles County, Minnesota -Part of a family of 11 people -Father had a 640-acre farm -Lost it in the Great Depression, but was able to work to get it back -Had dairy cows, steer, pigs, and chickens -Had three silos -Very active farm -One of the best in the community at the time -Their primary crop was corn, but they also grew wheat, oats, and flax -Able to stay on the farm and keep their animals during the Depression -A man from Iowa bought the farm and allowed them to stay and work on it (00:03:00) World War II -He was 14 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor -Family was in church when an Elder announced that Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor -Held a long prayer and everyone went home early -He was the youngest of four boys -They all talked about enlisting, but his father told them to wait and get drafted -Oldest two boys were drafted shortly after Pearl Harbor -One served in the Army in the European Theatre -He marched in General Patton’s funeral -Other brother was a Navy pilot stationed at Guam -Possibly shot down three or four Japanese fighter planes -Made Chief of Police on Guam due to health problems with flying -Brothers came home and worked on the farm (00:06:33) Calvin College -Wanted to go to college -Saw an advertisement to get his GED through the American School of Correspondence -Went to Minneapolis to take the test, but had trouble with algebra -Contacted Calvin College, because he wanted to study there since he was Christian Reformed -Had to prove he was serious because he hadn’t gone to high school -Had spent his teen years helping the farm transition from horses to tractors -Invited to visit Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan -A dean interviewed him and told Willard he would give him a chance -Took four courses as a trial period and proved he could handle college -Paid $65 a semester �-Didn’t have any problems adjusting to college -Wanted to be a teacher, so he had to take two foreign languages -Studied Spanish and took three years of Greek -Having Greek would allow to go into the ministry if he so chose -Wanted to be an elementary teacher -Ultimately graduated from Calvin College with a teaching degree (00:12:28) Teaching & Getting Drafted -Got a job at East Martin Christian School in Martin, Michigan -Taught there for a year -He received his draft notice -Had taught grades 6th – 8th and was also the principal (00:14:08) Army Reserve Pt. 1 -After his draft enlistment, he joined the Army Reserve, recommended by lieutenant -Paid for his studies at Michigan State University -Due to prior teaching experience, he was made the professor of one of his classes -Allowed the original professor to return to the University of Kansas -Worked out well for him -Also took courses through the University of Michigan -Offered a chance to become part of the staff at MSU, but declined -Completed his doctorate in communication and cultures (00:17:58) Basic Training -Got drafted in 1951 -Sent to Fort Gordon, Georgia, for his basic training -Went there by train -Had two sergeants overseeing the recruits and they were drunk the whole time -Got stuck in Memphis for three days -Group of recruits walked to a nearby diner to get food -Owner refused to serve the black recruit in the group -A recruit grabbed the owner and told him he would serve everyone -After three days, they finally proceeded to Augusta, Georgia -Received accelerated training because the Army needed soldiers for the Korean War -Did an infiltration course at day and at night -Crawling under barbed wire while live machinegun rounds were fired overhead -Went on a 30-mile hike -Physical training -Received rifle and bazooka training -Did a lot of marching and always marched with a rifle and various necessities -Watched all the instruction videos provided by the Army (00:23:37) Assignment to Records Department at Fort Gordon -Offered an officer’s commission several times, but he declined -Pulled aside the day before his unit went to Korea and told to report to a sergeant in records -Interviewed and told he could take over as the sergeant of records at Fort Gordon -Allowed it so that his wife could join him, so he took the job �-The next day, his company shipped out to Korea (00:26:08) Stationed at Fort Gordon -Started his duty as records sergeant greeting new recruits coming into Fort Gordon -Three weeks later, he received the dog tags of the men from his company killed in action -As soon as they got to Korea they were sent to the frontline -The men killed had fought and died at the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge -When his wife arrived at Fort Gordon, she got them a room in town -Willard went to eat dinner and stay with her -In the middle of the night, Military Police showed up at the room -Demanded proof that they were indeed a married couple -Fortunately, his wife had brought her marriage license with her -She had aspired to be a doctor, but her father forbade it due to traditionalism -Instead, she became a medical technician at Butterworth Hospital -She was able to get a job at Augusta University -Taught medical students there for three years until Willard’s discharge -She was firm and commanded the respect of her students -His job involved handling the records of incoming recruits -Had eight men working for him -Sorted recruits into training companies for basic training -Gave the recruits lectures about Fort Gordon, what to expect, and specialized training -Military Police Training, Radio Training, or Infantry Training -Sorted recruits into that training based on interest and prior experience -They didn’t have a choice, but their input was considered (00:35:18) Filling Deployment Orders -Filled deployment orders for the Korean War, stations in Alaska, and in France -Majority of the new recruits went to Korea -He had to make that call and never took it lightly -His lieutenant colonel gave him moral support for those tough decisions -Had a new graduating class every week -Because of the influx of recruits, he got ten more soldiers to help him -Several factors determined where a soldier would be deployed -Most of the men didn’t have a college education, so that was determinate -Were they married? Have families? Were they fit enough for combat? -Talked with company commanders about recommendations for their troops -Received a commendation for the record work he did at Fort Gordon -Stationed at Fort Gordon until he was discharged (00:39:09) Segregation & Race Relations -Hadn’t experienced or witnessed segregation until he came to the South -Ordered Army bus drivers to take black recruits -Felt they shouldn’t be discriminated against, especially since they were in the Army -Unfortunately, he had no power over civilian bus drivers in that regard -Wife saw discrimination at the hospital in Augusta -Some soldiers were afraid of segregation, and many Northerners didn’t understand it �-Had a couple black recruits from the North -Got recruits from the Midwest who had never seen a black person before -He never witnessed any racial tensions in the Army (00:42:53) Specialized Training at Fort Gordon -Had an excellent Radio School at Fort Gordon -After his service, a man approached him and asked Willard if he’d been at Fort Gordon -Thanked Willard for assigning him to Radio School -This man had been able to get a civilian job due to that experience -The Radio School at Fort Gordon was surrounded by barbed wire -Nobody could get in without security clearance -He was allowed to go in to interview soldiers -Asking if they felt Radio School was a good fit for them -Tried to reassign soldiers who wanted to be Military Police or Infantry -The instructors stayed with their own groups of trainees -There were four sections of the Radio School -Had pole linemen who were trained how to climb poles and work on radio lines (00:45:50) Relations with Other Soldiers -He didn’t want to make friends with any of the recruits -Couldn’t get attached to them if they were going into a warzone -Befriended some of the instructors -Organized volleyball teams (00:47:02) Contact with Civilians -Had no problems with the civilians in Augusta -Instructed not to wear uniform in downtown Augusta -Didn’t want to create a gap between civilians and military personnel (00:47:50) Army Reserve Pt. 2 & Life after Service Pt. 1 -Always felt indebted to the 1st lieutenant who recognized his good work and gave him advice -Advised him to join the Army Reserve and take advantage of all available benefits -For example, the GI Bill paid for his master’s degree and majority of doctorate -Stayed in the Army Reserve for eight years -Once a month, he would go to Battle Creek or Houghton, Michigan for a weekend of training -Once he got a teaching job, he didn’t have to go on active duty -Got a job at West Side Christian School in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Offered a job at Sylvan Christian School also in Grand Rapids -Worked there for 38 years -Did well with that job -Graduated 4,200 students -Taught classes at Grand Valley State University, Michigan State, and Calvin College -Preparing students for student teaching (00:50:57) Reflections on Service -Led a very secluded life until he joined the Army -Made him more independent and capable of making his own decisions �(00:51:50) Life after Service Pt. 2 -Got into a severe car accident with his wife near Louisville in 1999 -Taken by aero med to a nearby hospital where his wife died shortly thereafter -Sons came to the hospital -Family decided not to see her before she was cremated -Wanted to remember her alive, not as a corpse -Plans on being cremated and buried with her ashes -One son is in the Army and, as of the interview, is a captain being promoted to major -One son is a dentist, and a captain in the Army -Granddaughter is a Judge Advocate General (JAG; judicial division of the military) -A grandson served a tour in Afghanistan and graduated from West Point -Served as a company commander -His children and grandchildren chose the Army to help pay for their college education -Another grandson is studying at Michigan Tech to become a doctor � 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 RHC-27_VanEssenW2092V Title A name given to the resource VanEssen, Willard (Interview outline and video), 2017 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-01-12 Description An account of the resource Willard Van Essen was born in Nobles County, Minnesota, in 1927. He was drafted in 1951 and received his basic training at Fort Gordon, Georgia. At the end of basic training, he was selected to become the new sergeant in charge of the records department at Fort Gordon. During his time at Fort Gordon he processed incoming recruits, sorted recruits into training companies, sorted them into specialized training (radio, military police, or infantry) and ultimately decided where men were sent for their deployments. Many of the men had to be sent to fight in Korea. He was discharged from the Army in 1954, but served in the Army Reserve for an additional eight years going to drill at Battle Creek and Houghton, Michigan. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource VanEssen, Willard 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. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/fa4cb048ca5960295bc1128842dfe817.m4v 6e5954bd6b3d83dbf3084bf8619d4ced https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/835ede6e82c1bcd3128b50232a958032.pdf 1dd42c2bbba6b986a1888517e9c85291 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Vernon Swim Cold War; Vietnam War 23 minutes 56 seconds *Note: Times in outline correspond with timecode on tape (00:59:21) Early Life & Becoming a Chaplain -Born in Jefferson City, Missouri, in 1935 -Entered the Army as a chaplain in 1962 -Army chaplain came to his church during his senior year of high school -Inspired Vernon to enlist in the Army as a chaplain -Had to complete college, seminary, and do two years of ministry before that -Going into the chaplaincy was something new for his denomination -Completed seminary in 1961 -Had to wait to be called into the chaplaincy by the Army -Pastored at a church in Orangevale, California, for a year -Army contacted him and said there was a spot open if he wanted to become a chaplain -Asked his superintendent for permission, and it was granted (01:03:00) Training & First Assignment in South Korea -Sent to Fort Slocum, New York, for the basic chaplain’s course -Originally assigned to the Presidio of San Francisco -Orders were changed for South Korea -Stationed in Korea from 1964 to early 1965 -Part of the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division as the brigade chaplain -Very close to the demilitarized zone -Started off with 2nd battalion (an armored unit) before becoming the brigade chaplain (01:05:01) Stationed at Fort Carson -After his tour in Korea, he was assigned to Fort Carson, Colorado -Easy transition, and happy to be back in the United States -Became the artillery chaplain at Fort Carson -Learned about the 105mm, 155mm, and 8 in. howitzers (01:06:44) Stationed at 98th General Hospital, West Germany -Next assignment was in West Germany -Able to go to West Germany with his wife -They’d met at Fort Carson because she was an Army nurse -Got married so they could go to Germany together -Assigned to the 98th General Hospital as the hospital chaplain for three years -Worked with his wife in the hospital -There was a train that stopped next to the hospital and went to other Army hospitals -Way to evacuate wounded personnel in the event of a Soviet invasion �(01:08:26) Tour in Vietnam – Long Binh Jail -During his tour in Vietnam, he was assigned to the Long Binh Jail -Held American soldiers serving time in Vietnam -Half of the prisoners were white, and half of the prisoners were black -Led to some racial tensions in the jail -Moved into the new prison facilities during his time there -Had a very nice chapel -Always packed with prisoners for Sunday services -Most likely because the chapel had eight air conditioners -Noticed some of the prisoners had musical talent -Brought some instruments to the prison so the prisoners could play during services -His chaplain’s assistant was an excellent guitarist -Played music for the prisoners -Therapeutic, especially for the soldiers in solitary confinement -Army learned that the chaplain’s assistant was planning on writing an article about Long Binh -Led to the soldier being reassigned, but the article still got published -Didn’t cause Vernon any problems (01:13:00) Family Counselling Pt. 1 -After Vietnam, he was sent to the American Institute of Family Relations -Sent there to get his master’s degree in marriage and family therapy -One Catholic priest decided to leave the priesthood and get married -Went there around the end of the Vietnam War -Army needed counsellors to help with family conflicts after soldiers returned from deployments -Women had become independent which shocked the men after they came home (01:15:35) Stationed at Fort Lee -Assigned to Fort Lee, Virginia -Worked in the main post chapel -Specialized in family counselling and marriage therapy -Pre-marriage counselling and divorce counselling -Did some work with an in-patient drug and alcohol abuse program -Held parenting classes -Those were especially popular and he always had a waiting list (01:16:35) Family Counselling Pt. 2 -His experience with family counselling helped him later in his career -Stationed at Walter Reed Hospital, but lacked clinical pastoral education -Note: CPE is for chaplains that plan on serving in hospitals -Family counselling counted as a strong substitute -Made the chief of the department at Walter Reed -Had other personnel to help him, too -While at the 98th General Hospital the Army was experimenting with CPE -Had a pilot program -Chaplains working with medical staff from other hospitals �(01:18:37) Stationed at Berchtesgaden, West Germany -Ultimately did 24 years of active duty -Had good assignments throughout his career -One of his best assignments was in Europe -Personnel staff from the chief of chaplains told Vernon he would be assigned to Europe -Vernon had wanted to be assigned to Fort Benning, Georgia -Told Vernon he would be assigned to the retreat center in Berchtesgaden -Berchtesgaden was a great assignment at a beautiful location -Coveted position with at least 50 chaplains requesting it each year -Never worked harder than during that assignment -Every denomination came to Berchtesgaden for their retreats -Best musicians, clergy, etc. from the chaplaincy -Baptized his oldest child in Berchtesgaden (01:21:52) Reflections on Service -Glad he was in the Army chaplaincy when he was in it -Has heard rumors that the Army has become more restrictive with the chaplaincy -Loves the chaplaincy as a form of ministry (prison, hospital, police, industrial, etc.) -Loved being in the Army chaplaincy � 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 RHC-27_SwimV2073V Title A name given to the resource Swim, Vernon G (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-10-26 Description An account of the resource Vernon Swim was born in Jefferson City, Missouri, in 1935. He entered the Army chaplaincy in 1962 and completed his basic chaplain's course at Fort Slocum, New York. His first assignment was in South Korea with the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division, and he served there from 1964 to early 1965. Upon returning to the United States, he was stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, as the artillery chaplain. After Fort Carson, he served at the 98th General Hospital in West Germany for three years with his wife who was an Army nurse. Vernon served a tour in Vietnam as the chaplain at Long Binh Jail, working with the American soldiers imprisoned there. After his tour in Vietnam he was sent to the American Institute of Family Relations to get his master's degree in marriage and family therapy, which allowed him to be a family and marriage counsellor at Fort Lee, Virginia, and Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He did a second tour in Germany at a retreat center in Berchtesgaden. He ultimately served in the Army chaplaincy for 24 years (most likely retiring in 1986). Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Swim, Vernon G. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Keizer, Herman Jr. (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0f777a5130f9a82c2272dd300caf8d45.m4v 4b027893246fe0e69114431b96b093fd https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7ef1a72cd287d93d25fa444e50049ac1.pdf f008e89c57a457e2f48f83503c58e822 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Harriet Sturim Wife of Air Force Veteran, Veterans' Organization Volunteer 42 minutes 5 seconds (00:00:40) Early Life Pt. 1 -Born in the Bronx in New York City -First generation American -Both parents migrated from Germany, fleeing Nazi persecution of Jewish persons -Maternal grandparents were murdered at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp (00:01:15) Father's Military Service -Father was drafted into the United States Army -Parents came to the United States in the early 1930s (1933 or later) -Parents met in New York City -Father was drafted when Harriet was three months old -Sent to Texas for basic training -Had been a butcher's apprentice in Germany -Meant he served in the Army as a cook -Sent to Germany as part of the Army of Occupation -38 years old and one of the oldest men in his unit -Helped as a translator -Commanding officer wanted him to stay in the Army -Refused to sign his discharge paperwork -Wound up having to hide his discharge paperwork in other paperwork to get it signed -Served as a cook and also managed supplies in the kitchen (00:04:44) Early Life Pt. 2 -Born in 1943 -Mother and her moved to Texas to be close to father -Traveled by train -Traveled with troops -They missed their own children and took care of her -Father went on to own a business and work as a butcher in New York City (00:05:45) Meeting Her Husband (Rick Sturim) & Getting Married -In a Jewish youth group together via their synagogue -She got sick and they didn't see each other for eight years -Reconnected in college and got engaged -Graduated from college on June 10, 1965 -Got married on June 12, 1965 (00:06:50) Living at Chanute Air Force Base -Moved to Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois on June 13, 1965 -Rented a small house together -Rick went to classes every day -Had a good time living at Chanute Air Force Base -Had a family next door -Little girl wished she and Rick had brought a daughter to befriend -Befriended other Air Force families -Stayed at Chanute Air Force Base until August 1965 �(00:08:12) Living in Puerto Rico Pt. 1 -Sent to Boston to wait for Rick's new orders -Received orders to be stationed in Puerto Rico -Families weren't happy that they would be in Puerto Rico -Had grown up with Puerto Ricans in New York City -Didn't have good experiences with them -Flew to Puerto Rico on August 13, 1965 -En route to the base the Air Force broke down due to a bad battery -Driver called for help and Puerto Rican men came out of nearby shacks -Pushed the bus until the engine restarted -Totally changed her perception of Puerto Ricans -Placed in the Visiting Officers' Quarters when they arrived at midnight -Commanding officer came and asked if they wanted to move into their new house -House was already set up: dishes, groceries, pots and pans, etc. -Worked for the Department of Defense schools as a speech therapist -Majored in speech therapy in college (00�:12:23) Anti-war/Anti-Military Activity Pt. 1 -Never saw any anti-war/anti-military activity in college -Husband encountered protests while he was in college (00�:12:50) Living in Puerto Rico Pt. 2 -Went to Puerto Rico because of her mother's courage -Left Germany as an 18 year old knowing she'd probably never see her parents again -Enjoyed working in the school in Puerto Rico -Experienced an earthquake -Remembers lizards were everywhere -Little boy brought in one tied to a string as his “pet” (00:14:18) Teaching in Puerto Rico -Taught children of service personnel -Majority of them were Caucasian -Puerto Ricans lived off-base and sent their children to public schools outside of the base -Taught children of enlisted and commissioned (officers) personnel (00:15:11) Wives' Club -Part of a Wives' Club via the Officers' Club -Only two lieutenants on the base -Majority of officers were colonels or generals -Traveled to San Juan, Mayaguez, and Aguadilla with the other wives -Introduced her to Puerto Rico -Wives taught her the unwritten, informal rules about how to conduct herself as an officer's wife -Emphasis on, and celebration of, their husbands' service to the United States (00:17:10) Puerto Rico-Off Base -Aguadilla was the closest town to the base -Note: Means that the base they lived at was Ramey Air Force Base -Made some friends in Aguadilla -Some American personnel never left the base -She and Rick only stayed on the base during times of civil unrest -For example, when there were plebiscites about Puerto Rico gaining statehood -Puerto Ricans welcomed the base because it stimulated the economy and provided jobs -Had a Puerto Rican maid �(00:18:21) Leaving Puerto Rico -Had her first child in December 1967 while they were still in Puerto Rico -Knew Rick was being reassigned sometime in 1968 -Rick's father had a serious heart attack in the summer of 1968 -Rick received his permanent change of station paperwork -Left Puerto Rico within 24 hours of receiving that paperwork -Never returned to Puerto Rico (00:19:07) Living at Kincheloe Air Force Base -Sent to Kincheloe Air Force Base in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan -Arrived at the base in August 1968 -Didn't expect the amount of snow they received -Snow so high that it reached the top of cars -Put orange ping-pong balls on the car antennas -Allowed them to see cars approaching around snow banks -Had snow until the Fourth of July -Lived in a wonderful house -Two-family residence -Had the base golf course as their backyard -Stayed at home and took care of their child -Ran errands and did base activities with the other officers' wives -Adjusted to being out in the heavy snow and the dry cold -Snow was pretty and clean as opposed to the dirty snow she was used to in the city -Glad to leave when the time came, but she enjoyed her time there -Stayed at Kincheloe Air Force Base for a year (00:21:57) Anti-War/Anti-Military Activity Pt. 2 -Living on a military base insulated them from the protests of the late 1960s -Knew the sentiments existed, but didn't affect her or Rick -Didn't focus on the anti-war/anti-military movement(s) because there were none in the community -Usually found out about protests in the country a week after they happened (00:23:27) Women's Movement -Paid more attention to the women's movement in the 1960s -Read books by Betty Friedan (writer, activist, and feminist) -Women's movement made more sense to her than the anti-war/anti-military protests -Empowering -Minimal female service personnel while Rick was in the Air Force -Mostly did clerical work -No pilots or copilots -No contact with female service personnel (00:25:03) Rick's End of Service & Living in Pennsylvania -Rick was discharged from the Air Force in 1969 -Rick had worked for TRW Crescent Wire & Cable before enlisting in the Air Force -Company held a job for him, but in a different city -Lived in Pittsburgh for four years while Rick worked -Did engineering work -Got a promotion with a better salary -Had their second child in Pittsburgh -Moved to Bradford, Pennsylvania -Rick got a job with Corning Glass -She got a job with the Easter Seals preschool doing speech therapy �(00:26:47) Living in New Jersey -Moved to Mercerville, New Jersey -Third child, their daughter, was born there (00:27:03) Living in Michigan -Rick found a new job with a golf equipment company in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Moved to Michigan in 1977 -Experienced the Blizzard of 1978 (“The White Hurricane”) -One of the worst snow storms on record -Grand Rapids area was a good place to raise children -Lived in Wyoming, Michigan; a suburb of Grand Rapids -Children were the only Jewish children in the Wyoming school district -Sent the children to Hebrew School through Temple Emanuel -Open about her family's Jewish faith and heritage -Predominantly Dutch, Christian-Reformed community at the time -Aware of the religion and culture in Fair Lawn, New Jersey (where she grew up) -Only 2% of the population was Jewish in Grand Rapids (00:30:53) Veterans' Organizations -Rick became involved with veterans' organizations -Slowly became involved with the American Legion -In 2012 Kentwood, Michigan she helped organize the Cost of Freedom Tribute -Traveling replica of the Vietnam War Memorial -Served as the chairwoman of the event -Met the Patriot Guard Riders -Motorcyclists that honor veterans and escorted the Cost of Freedom Tribute -Met with Vietnam War veterans -Learned about efforts taken by them to insure new veterans are treated better -Volunteers with numerous veterans' organizations in the Grand Rapids area -Grand Rapids Home for Veterans -Veterans Affairs (VA) Clinic in Wyoming, Michigan -Part of the “No Veteran Dies Alone” program at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans -Many veterans at the home don't have family members in the area -Makes sure someone is with the veteran when their life is at an end -Always a new veterans' cause to get involved with -Newest efforts are helping female veterans, especially those dealing with sexual trauma -Works within the female veterans circle -No infrastructure in the military to deal with things like harassment or rape -Female veterans are gaining a voice -It's been a long process of getting women into the military -Female, World War II veterans support younger female veterans at Stand Downs -Show them VA benefits, assistance programs, and non-VA veterans' groups/benefits -Help transition women into civilian life and the civilian workplace -State of Michigan does a good job integrating military experience into civilian work -Examples: a medic can become an EMT or a convoy driver can become a truck driver (00:39:25) Reflections -All life's experiences influence you for better, or for worse -Realized that her life has always been impacted by veterans -Daughter of a WWII veteran, wife of a veteran, and mother of an Air Force veteran -Has been to Israel three times -Believes in respecting all people provided they respect her back (in terms of race, religion, etc.) �-Americans served in the military and during war regardless of race, religion, or gender -Things are changing in the military and it needs to be recognized and accepted � 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 RHC-27_SturinH1854V Title A name given to the resource Sturim, Harriet (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-07-09 Description An account of the resource Harriet Sturim was born in the Bronx, New York City, New York in 1943 to German immigrants that had fled the Nazi persecution of Jewish citizens in the 1930s. She met her husband, Rick Sturim, in a Jewish youth group as teenagers and reconnected while in college. They married on June 12, 1965 and moved to Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois the next day (where Rick was receiving Aircraft Maintenance Training). She moved to Ramey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico with Rick and worked at the Department of Defense school as a speech therapist and was part of the Wives' Club (extension of the Officers' Club). They stayed at Ramey Air Force Base until August 1968 and then moved to Kincheloe Air Force Base in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where she continued to do activities with other officers' wives. Rick was discharged in 1969 and they eventually moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1977. She has been involved with numerous veterans' organizations in the Grand Rapids area including the Cost of Freedom Tribute (Vietnam War memorial movement), the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, the Veterans' Affairs Clinic in Wyoming, Michigan, and the "No Veteran Dies Alone" program at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sturim, Harriet 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 Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/5ed059593e6593c3fec5e20e931e7e0f.m4v f748134c0f462287ccb52e1925c10c94 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e9988e39f025d6fe67bd11b17488b840.pdf 2e7e51e81140e5b886f42cb0efed04a6 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Rick Sturim Cold War-Vietnam War Era 1 hour 3 minutes 32 seconds (00:00:40) Early Life -Born in Brooklyn, New York on October 21, 1942 -Lived in Brooklyn until he was about five, or six years old -Family moved to Hawthorne, New Jersey -Lived there for four years -Moved to Fair Lawn, New Jersey -Mother and father were from Hell's Kitchen in New York City -Father served in the Navy during World War II -Stationed at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia -Father worked in printing & silk, ran a hobby shop, and worked for Curtiss-Wright until retirement -Graduated from high school in 1960 (00:03:05) College & Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps Pt. 1 -Went to Newark College of Engineering (now called the New Jersey Institute of Technology) -Studied there for four years -Majored in mechanical engineering -Joined the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) -In his junior year of college he selected mechanical engineering as his main focus -Only able to join the Air Force ROTC because it was the only ROTC offered at the college -Had always been interested in automobiles and mechanical devices -Didn't pay a lot of attention to the Cold War during college -Went to Otis Air Force Base (now Otis Air National Guard Base), Massachusetts for summer training -Met President Kennedy -Saw how much the presidency had aged him -Shortly after that visit, President Kennedy was assassinated -Commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant and received his orders in 1964 -Originally supposed to receive training as a weatherman -He was captain of the ROTC rifle and the college rifle team -Part of a local fraternity (00:06:23) Jewish Heritage & Population -Never experienced any religious or ethnic discrimination due to being Jewish -Family name was originally Sturimski, but was changed to Sturim at Ellis Island -Parents had grown up in a Jewish and European community in the United States -There was a sizable Jewish population in Fair Lawn, New Jersey (00:08:14) Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps Pt. 2 -Not a lot of traditional military training in the ROTC -Taught protocol in the Air Force -Didn't do a lot of marching -Had to keep your uniform clean and presentable -Not a lot of preparation for military life (00:08:53) Training at Chanute Air Force Base -Reported to Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois in December 1964 -Placed in an older barracks �-Stopped at the Officers' Club to establish his bearings -Tried to order a beer available on the East Coast, and the bartender had no idea what it was -The next day he and the other officers met at the Officers' Club to go to classes -Two sessions of classes -Started in the early morning and got done at noon -Second session was from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. -Received training as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer -Repair and maintenance training -Learned how to remove the engines -Flew a Lockheed T-33 and a Lockheed Constellation with a trainer -Had not signed up to be a pilot -Mother didn't want him to fly out of concern for his safety -Trained for seven months at Chanute Air Force Base -Led marches during Pass-in-Review (marching past an officer for inspection) -Did it during the warmer weather -Led the enlisted men during the Pass-in-Review (00:13:42) Getting Married -Got married to Harriet (Sturim) in the last six weeks of training at Chanute Air Force Base -Note: Based on Harriet's interview they got married on June 12, 1965 -Married for 50 years as of the interview -Met at a Jewish youth group as adolescents -Went to the same middle school and high school -Separate social circles -Attended separate colleges -Met up again in Fair Lawn, New Jersey between his junior and senior year of college -Started dating after that (00:15:58) Assignment to Chanute Air Force Base & Ramey Air Force Base -Original orders to become a meteorologist changed which led to training at Chanute Air Force Base -Got a month off after completing training at Chanute Air Force Base -Had honeymoon with Harriet while he waited for his new orders -Flew to Puerto Rico on August 13, 1965 -Landed at San Juan -Flew in his Air Force dress uniform -Bused from San Juan to Ramey Air Force Base -Bus broke down due to battery problems -Driver called for help and Puerto Rican men came out of shacks to push the bus -Pushed it until the battery restarted -Changed his perception of Puerto Ricans (00:18:46) Anti-War/Anti-Military Protests Pt. 1 -Encountered anti-war/anti-military sentiments while in college -Wore his ROTC uniform around college and encountered harassment (00:20:30) Vietnam War Pt. 1 -Not aware of the escalation of the conflict in Vietnam in the early 1960s -Didn't pay attention to the Vietnam War while at Chanute Air Force Base (00:21:00) Stationed at Ramey Air Force Base Pt. 1 -Placed in the Visiting Officers' Quarters at Ramey Air Force Base -Squadron commander invited him and Harriet to go to their house -Duplex house and ready for them to move in when they arrived -Two bedrooms, a living room, a dining room, and a kitchen �-Had an outdoor laundry room -Stationed in Puerto Rico for three years -Base needed aircraft maintenance officers -Started out as the flight-line maintenance officer -Went from plane to plan to see if work needed to be done on them -Had a wide variety of aircraft -16 B-52Gs (nuclear loaded bombers) -16 KC-135s (tankers) -2 U-3As (communications aircraft) -2 C-54s (transport aircraft; flown during the Berlin Airlift relief mission) -Also had C-45 CAPs (utility aircraft) -Oversaw maintenance of the base aircraft -Insured repairs were done if necessary -Signed-off on forms allowing for flight -Worked with good men -Many of them veterans of WWII -He was in the Organizational Maintenance Squadron -Coordinated maintenance with other maintenance squadrons -Had three markings to designate aircraft flight readiness -Red / meant it needed repair, red x meant it was unsafe for flight, – meant it was safe to fly -Up to him if an aircraft was safe to fly (00:26:40) Non-commissioned Officers & Commissioned Officers at Ramey Air Force Base Pt. 1 -One man flew in the China-Burma-India Theater in WWII -One man flew in a B-17 bomber as a gunner and shot down a German Me-109 fighter plane -One man flew a P-51 fighter plane during the war -Rick was a young, new officer and had the least experience -Worked with senior sergeants who had years of experience -Learned about aircraft through them -Had one senior master sergeant that made that rank before Rick was born -Had served nine months during World War II -Had to have respect for his non-commissioned officers -Officers that didn't respect the NCOs didn't do well as officers -Had officers that he reported to -His superior, squadron commander, and administrative officer -Worked with two other flight-line maintenance officers (00:30:28) Stationed at Ramey Air Force Base Pt. 2 -Had six bombers, and six tankers on alert at all times -Outfitted for electronic warfare and carried nuclear weapons -Rest of the bombers flew training missions every third day -Had to provide status for every aircraft (00:31:45) Non-commissioned Officers & Commissioned Officers at Ramey Air Force Base Pt. 2 -Worked closely with enlisted men a lot of the time because they did a lot of the work -Had to respect and cooperate with the enlisted men -Had a work relationship similar to a civilian workplace -Listened to the non-commissioned officers for advice -Lower in rank, but they had more experience -Went from the rank of 2nd lieutenant, to 1st lieutenant, to captain while in Puerto Rico -Normal for a junior officer to be stationed at a base for three years -Chance for a new officer to gain experience �(00:33:58) Cold War Pt. 1 -Had alerts -Bomber and tanker crews went to their aircraft and turned on the engines -Sometimes taxied onto the runway -Had to be ready at all times -He was part of the Mobility Team -In the event of nuclear war the B-52s took off first, followed by the KC-135 tankers -Mobility Team flew to a civilian airbase to wait for a tanker with maintenance equipment -Flew them to a foreign country's airport -Repair and refuel B-52s after a bombing run to get back to the U.S. -B-52Gs did flights from Puerto Rico to the Mediterranean Sea and flew around that area -Refueled twice during the flight -Flight took 27 hours -Two B-52s flew at a time and were armed with nuclear weapons -In case one dropped out, another B-52 could join the first (00:37:15) Aircraft at Ramey Air Force Base -Refueled the SR-71 Blackbird and U-2 spy planes -Refueled B-25s from Venezuela -Serviced National Guard F-84s, F-86s, Canberra bombers, and F-104s -Puerto Rican pilots trained with the F-104s -Did training missions “attacking” the B-52s -A few of the pilots crashed their F-104s in the ocean -Difficult aircraft to handle (00:38:22) Dominican Republic Revolution -A pilot from the Dominican Republic flew his P-51 to Puerto Rico to seek asylum -There was civil unrest and revolution in 1965 and 1966 -Note: U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division was eventually deployed to the country -Relatively little activity at Ramey Air Force base during the revolution -Wouldn't have used nuclear weapons in that situation, but they were placed on alert (00:39:56) Cold War Pt. 2 -U-2 spy planes flew out of Ramey Air Force Base -Conducting “high altitude weather monitoring” -Coincidentally, the spy planes always flew over Cuba (00:40:14) B-52 Crash -Remembers a B-52 crashing off the coast of Puerto Rico -Three, out of seven, crewmen survived -He was placed on the accident investigation team -Learned about the details of the crash later in life -Life raft inflated and pushed the copilot into the plane's controls -At 1,500 feet there was no chance to recover (00:42:54) Vietnam War Pt. 1 -Vietnam War escalated during his time at Ramey Air Force Base -Supported the war with KC-135 tankers and sent over B-52 bomber crew -Talked with the bomber crews after they returned from missions in Vietnam (00:44:00) Stationed at Kincheloe Air Force Base -Sent to Kincheloe Air Force Base in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan -Would've been sent to Vietnam if he stayed in the Air Force -Didn't go to Vietnam because the B-52Gs were nuclear bombers, not conventional bombers -In August 1968 he and Harriet moved to Kincheloe Air Force Base �-Maintenance supervisor at Kincheloe Air Force Base -Had five officers and 177 enlisted men in his command -Sought out the non-commissioned officers and asked for their advice -Had cherry-pickers with heaters to de-ice the aircraft during the winter -Worked with WWII and Korean War veterans -Shared his office with one non-commissioned officer -During the Christmas of 1968 the base got hit with heavy snow -Had to move the aircraft to one side of the runway, clear it, then move it back -That non-commissioned officer helped him with that job -Had mutual respect for each other (00:48:23) Morale of the Men -Had 22 year old crew chiefs working on the KC-135s and B-52s in Puerto Rico -Took responsibility for aircraft and took care of their planes on their time-off -Took pride in their work -Enlisted men worked well -Had practical skills and knowledge from civilian life prior to Air Force service -Technical sergeants and higher-ranking sergeants effectively ran things at air bases (00:50:00) Aero-Club -Part the Aero-Club in Puerto Rico as a maintenance officer -Got his private pilot's license -Had Puerto Rican nationals working on the civilian aircraft in the Aero-Club (00:50:43) Operational Readiness Inspections -Had Operational Readiness Inspections (ORIs) at random while at Ramey Air Force Base -Mobility Team had its equipment checked -Made sure the planes were ready to fly missions -Ramey Air Force Base passed its ORI with flying colors -Celebrated with the non-commissioned officers and enlisted men -Proud of them at the time, and is still proud of them (00:53:10) Non-commissioned Officers Pt. 3 & Other Airmen -Enlisted men had chosen Air Force because they felt it was the best branch -Worked with Thomas Ferebee -Bombardier on the Enola Gay when it dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima (00:54:00) Son's Air Force Service -One of his sons served in the Air Force -Got a regular commission with the ROTC at Northwestern University -Had to be in top 10% of class to get a regular commission as opposed to reserve commission -Served 25 years in the Air Force -Worked with NATO -Served at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida -Helped with the SEEK EAGLE Program -Certifying weapons, suspension equipment, tanks, and pods on aircraft (00:54:43) Vietnam War Pt. 2 -In 1968 the war turned political as opposed to military -Placed limits on military movement and combat in Vietnam -Discussed the war while at Kincheloe Air Force Base -Men just wanted the military to be able to do its job in the war without restraint (00:56:03) Race in the Air Force -Had one black, chief master sergeant in his squadron -He was a nice man, but had a little problem passing physical tests �-Didn't see any racial tension, specifically -Some issues existed with the Puerto Rican servicemen due to a language barrier -Some of the enlisted Puerto Rican servicemen lacked dedication (00:58:07) End of Service -Oldest son, first child, was born in Puerto Rico in 1967 at the base hospital at Ramey Air Force Base -Having a child, and more children, influenced his decision to get out of the Air Force -He was a non-rated officer which meant he didn't have wings which means he couldn't fly -Couldn't take the squadron commander's position -Vietnam War was winding down which meant less work for the military -In August 1969 he was released from active duty (00:59:17) Life after Service -Moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania -Had a job with Continental Can while in college -Got his job back with them and worked as a project engineer -Lived there for four years -Moved to Bradford, Pennsylvania and worked for Corning Glass -Moved to New Jersey and worked for Crescent Wire & Cable -Moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan -Got a job with Walter Hagen Golf Gear -Got a job at Cascade Engineering -Got a job with the Domtar Mine (gypsum mining company) -Started an auto-repair business named Steve's Antique Auto Repair -Named after his middle son -Started off as a hobby and turned into a business -Works on cars made in 1972 or older (01:00:59) Reflections on Service -Initially, he didn't think his time in the Air Force would affect him as much as it did (01:00:17) Veterans' Organizations -Involved with the American Legion -Served as post commander for two years -Wife served as the post auxiliary chaplain and as the 5th District auxiliary chaplain -Works with younger veterans coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq -Part of American Legion Post 409 -Friendly post, and hospitable -Sent 150 care packages to soldiers deployed overseas -Volunteers at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans -Wife helps at the Veterans' Affairs Clinic in Wyoming, Michigan -Also helps with the “No Veteran Dies Alone” program -Insures that no aging veteran dies alone in the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans � 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 RHC-27_SturinF1855V Title A name given to the resource Sturim, Frederick P (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-07-09 Description An account of the resource Rick Sturim was born in Brooklyn, New York on October 21, 1942. He attended college at the Newark College of Engineering and joined the Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps. He graduated in 1964 and was commissioned in that same year as a 2nd lieutenant. He was trained as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer at Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois from December 1964 through June 1965. In August 1965 he was assigned to Ramey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico where he helped maintain the nuclear weapon-armed B-52 bombers at that base. In August 1968 he was assigned to Kincheloe Air Force Base in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and stayed there until August 1969 when he was discharged from the Air Force. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sturim, Frederick P. 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 Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. Air Force Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3bfae76fccfb895828ed60a42186a0d8.m4v 62904d6dea8a566fbd878a4d4922f2ff https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2545f4466aa4494effa13c82876cf654.pdf 6c34eb22e1b9b675b4505a87918ae140 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Gulf War Robert Stauffer Length of interview: (43:19) (00:00) Early Life    Robert was born on May 4, 1971 in Lansing, Michigan He spend the entirety of his childhood in Caledonia, Michigan o His mother was a part-time secretary at a local church and his father sold insurance o He worked at a hardware store and then at McDonalds After he graduated from Caledonia High School, he joined the navy o He chose the navy over other branches of the military because he didn’t want to get shot at and he felt that the navy offered better educational opportunities (2:40) Navy Life         Robert had a friend in the navy, who inspired him to enlist He scored high on his placement test and got into the “Nuke Program” which required two years of schooling followed by four years of active duty. o When he was completing his basic training, he decided not to continue with the Nuke Program. o Since he was good at math, he became a payroll clerk As a free-spirited 19 year old, Robert found military life difficult to adjust to (4:30) Robert was assigned to a ship (USS Underwood) whose captain kept them out at sea for 24 out of Robert’s first 27 months in the military (Adriatic Sea and Indian Ocean) The ship’s main purpose was submarine warfare as well as security for larger ships o Destroyers and aircraft carriers composed battle groups with smaller FFGs (ships similar to the Underwood) protecting them o The FFGs were essentially “dummy targets”, they would take missile fire instead of the larger ships o Additionally, they were searching for enemy submarines There were 200 enlisted men and 12 officers on the USS Underwood. Since Robert was in charge of payroll, he knew everyone by name (10:30) There was a 5 inch cannon on the ship as well as a large Gatling Gun o The Gatling gun was computerized and had a sensor on it that picked up movement. When they tested it, no one was allowed on deck. On one occasion, they received a distress signal from a ship that had sunk in the Indian Ocean �             o All hands were called to the decks because the sunken ship went down in mine infested waters o Fortunately, the Underwood was able to rescue all 14 of the survivors. Robert was proud that he was part of something that allowed him to perform deeds such as this rescue mission Robert’s primary communication with his family was through letters Another hostile force that they worried about (especially when rescuing people) were sea snakes o What made them so intimidating was the fact that they were extremely deadly. If you were bitten, you had about an hour to live; there was no available anti-venom (16:30) The Gulf War ended shortly after he finished basic training and disembarked on the USS Underwood for the first time. o They returned to the U.S. and docked in Jacksonville, Florida o His parents came down and visited him. It was tough because he didn’t have a girlfriend or wife like many of the men that he served with During his time in the service, Robert only shot at one enemy boat o His job wasn’t much different from a civilian banker. In, general, military life wasn’t much different from civilian life His time in the military gave him a strong sense of honor, discipline, and respect The politics of the military was unattractive to Robert, promotions were very difficult to achieve o Robert also wanted to see the Pacific (areas such as Guam and Japan). He says that he might have stayed in the navy longer if he had been transferred (22:00) The Most disappointing thing that happened during Robert’s time in the navy was in regards to the rescue mission they went on. o When the Underwood got word that there were people stranded at sea, they contacted Washington D.C. for permission to perform the rescue; however, they received no response so the captain decided to perform the rescue without orders. o The crew of the Underwood put their captain in for a humanitarian award but since they did not receive approval to carry out the mission, they were denied In regards to the Nuke Program, Robert felt that it would be best to get a different assignment because the program had a drop-out rate of 80 percent o In total, Robert did four years of active and four years of inactive duty When he was in the Adriatic Sea when a sailboat got too close to his ship o He was on a 50-caliber machine gun and was ordered to shoot near the boat to dissuade those aboard from getting any closer (30:10) During the last six months of his time in the service, Robert was stationed on the USS Saratoga (aircraft carrier with a crew of 7,000) The men slept in bunks stacked in groups of three, everyone wanted to sleep in the middle bunk Every man was paid at least $750 per month. Since none of them had to for food or rent, most of this money was pocketed. On one occasion, Robert was out to sea in the Caribbean for 90 days on a drug operation. �     o They spent the entire time looking for one boat. When they finally found it, the crew were trying to sink the drugs to the bottom of the ocean; however, they were caught on camera. No one on Robert’s ship jumped off into the ocean to swim due to the sharks and snakes (36:25) When they crossed the equator, they took part in the King Neptune ceremony o It began at 4am, the Pollywogs (those who hadn’t been across before) were on their hands and knees all day. Those who had already been across (Shellbacks) walked around with pieces of hose to hit them and eggs to throw at them. o Large fans that were used to get rid of smoke on the flight deck were filled with Tabasco Sauce and the Pollywogs went through When they went golfing near a base in Panama, Robert and his comrades left their clubs and their cart in a nearby lake o Their Captain thought it was funny and only gave them 30 days of hard duty; since they were out at sea anyway, it wasn’t that bad His favorite port was at Palma, Spain. It was nice because it wasn’t very militarized and he was able to experience Spanish culture o The worst place he visited was Norfolk, Virginia. Even though the city had a lot of military personnel, Robert found that the civilians were not very kind to them (41:30) Robert was able to see the aftermath of the Gulf War o He remembers the smell and smoke from the bombs would overcome the crew when they got close to land � 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 RHC-27_StaufferR1828V Title A name given to the resource Stauffer, Robert J (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-18 Description An account of the resource Robert Stauffer was born on May 4, 1971 in Lansing, Michigan. After graduating high school in Caledonia, Michigan, he joined the United States Navy. Throughout the majority of his time in the service, he was a payroll clerk on the USS Underwood. He took part in drug operations as well as rescue missions. Robert also discusses the aftermath of the Gulf War, and the various duties he had while at sea. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Stauffer, Robert J. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Hamp, Travis (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. Navy Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4430e8935008efab15184a77897dd8fc.m4v 56bf3dfd71da984d5d06bf8bad9b4699 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e076eea5d8b8ef8f5517fadb572817a9.pdf 8e1da8773f7a1218df1fb0d377b951fd PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Gordon Siggins World War II 1 hour 40 minutes 27 seconds (00:00:13) Early Life -Born in Highland Park, Michigan -Moved to Lansing, Michigan -Quit school after the ninth grade -Wanted to see what work was like before he joined the military -Born in 1925 -Father worked for Lansing Lithograph -Steady work during the Great Depression -Made good money, but he drank a lot -Had two sisters (00:01:26) Start of the War Pt. 1 -Remembers a lot of young men quitting school to enlist in the military -Went down to the train station and saw pine boxes being unloaded from the train -Bodies of soldiers coming home after being killed in the Pacific Theater (00:02:18) War Work Pt. 1 -Worked at the Willow Run Bomber Plant outside of Detroit -Made good money -Went to work at Willow Run in the summer of 1942 (00:03:25) Start of the War Pt. 2 -Learned about the attack on Pearl Harbor on the radio -Mother called him inside and told him the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor -Saw newsreels at the movie theaters -Informing citizens about the fighting in Europe and Asia (00:04:52) War Work Pt. 2 -Went to Ypsilanti, Michigan to work at the Willow Run Bomber Plant -Found a room for rent in Ypsilanti -Lived with 22 other people in the boarding house -Had to share his room -A lot of young women lived in the boarding house, which was good -Worked at Willow Run for a year -Remembers the first day he went into the factory -Had a dreamlike quality; the building was so long he couldn't see the end of it -Worked mostly with women -He worked as a 'bucker' on the bomber assembly line -Bucked rivets (reinforcing the bombers so as to absorb vibration and increase expansion) -Had to take a bus back to Lansing to visit his family due to gas rationing -Too expensive to drive a car from Ypsilanti to Lansing -Able to build a new B-24 bomber every hour -Once a bomber was complete, three or four men would test fly the bomber -If it passed, two Women Air Force Service Pilots flew the bomber to a base -Worked eight hours a day -Able to work days as opposed to nights �-Good place to work -He was 17 years old at the time, so he wasn't at risk of being drafted yet -Could have gotten a deferment by working at Willow Run -His roommate took up the offer and did his service by working at the factory (00�:10:07) Getting Drafted -Registered for the draft when he turned 18 years old -Recruiters from all of the service branches tried to convince him to join their branch -He picked the Marine Corps -In retrospect wishes he joined the Navy instead -Would have avoided harsh living conditions -Felt the Marines had the best to offer him (00�:11:15) Basic Training -Training began in October 1943 -Sent to San Diego, California for basic training -Took a train to San Diego -Four days from Michigan to California -On the first day the recruits were told what they should do, and what they would do -Also told that Marines always washed their own clothes -On the second day they were assembled for another meeting -Saw a Navy Grumman fighter plane flying overhead -A P-38 Army Air Force fighter plane roared over their heads -The two planes did acrobatics until they suffered a midair collision -The Navy pilot bailed out, but the P-38 pilot died when his plane hit the ocean -Basic training was fairly tough, but the average person could keep up with the rigor -One heavier man had trouble climbing over obstacles -Drill sergeant solved that by kicking him in the butt -Went to the rifle range -Four categories: qualifying, marksman, sharpshooter, and expert -10% scored expert, 20% sharpshooter, 40% marksman, and 10-20% qualifying -Didn't feel basic training was too bad -If you received a package from home you had to open it in front of a drill sergeant -Allowed to keep letters and other personal effects, but no cookies or candies -Drill sergeants confiscated the sweets, and most likely ate them -Noticed the drill sergeants got heavier when packages started arriving -Whatever the drill sergeants said, you did -Had no trouble adjusting to the discipline of the Marines -Some men couldn't take orders and received a court-martial -Lasted six weeks (00:17:50) Joining the Marine Raiders -Made the rank of private first class -Meant he was eligible to apply for the Marine Raiders -The Marine Raiders were the special forces of the Marine Corps in World War II -Note: Became the Marine Special Operations Regiment and renamed the Marine Raider Regiment in 2015 -Used the Raiders for advance raids on Japanese positions in “hit and run” style attacks -For example: knock out a small Japanese outpost and destroy the radio station -He was accepted into the Raiders -Issued special gear including a Marine Raider Stiletto -Sent to Camp Elliott, California for more training �(00:19:48) Deployment to the Pacific Theater -Boarded the USS President Polk (AP-103) -Remembers a sergeant being incredibly seasick during the voyage -There were 40 Marines in a 20 foot long room -Bunks were stacked six high -No porthole and not much (if any) artificial light -Knew that if the ship was torpedoed he would probably drown -Hundreds of Marines on the ship -Pulled out of San Diego as part of a convoy -Took three and a half weeks to reach their destination -Had to be towed back to San Diego due to engine trouble -After the engine repairs they sailed alone -Crossed the Equator and took part in the King Neptune Ceremony -Paddled by “Shellbacks” (men that have crossed the equator) -Those that had not crossed the Equator were considered “Pollywogs” -Shortly after the Ceremony they noticed a periscope to the ship's left -Called to general quarters -Ordered to put on life vests and never mind putting on uniforms -Periscope vanished -After the submarine scare they zig-zagged the rest of the way (00:24:30) New Caledonia -Reached a large island called New Caledonia -Island to the west of Australia, French possession -Got to the docks and unloaded -Felt good to be back on dry land -Went up into the hills -Island looked like paradise -Lush foliage, clear and cold streams -The Natives were dark-skinned people, but they had red hair and blonde hair -Combination of sunlight and mixing with the French -Spent a month at New Caledonia -Received more Raider training -Went in small rubber boats with outboard motors -Half of the motors never worked -Climbed over walls and learned how to move through foliage (00:28:14) Battle of Peleliu-Prelude -Went to Peleliu (modern day Palau) in September 1944 to liberate it from Japanese control -The Battle of Peleliu was a terrible fight and he knew from the start it was going to be bad -Prior to the Battle of Peleliu he was in the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion -The Raiders were disbanded in early 1944 -He was transferred to C Battery of the 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division -He was assigned to be a machine gunner defending the 75mm howitzers -Had no idea where they were going -A day before they got to Peleliu, Tokyo Rose told the Marines they were going to Peleliu -Note: Tokyo Rose (mentioned later as well) was an English speaking propaganda organ of Japan to demoralize American soldiers during WWII (00:31:02) Battle of Peleliu-Invasion -On 7 AM on September 15, 1944 he and the other Marines climbed down the ship into landing craft -Climbed into the landing craft and the seas were rough �-A lot of men fell and broke their legs and ankles -The Navy bombarded the island before the invasion, and it was nothing but fire and smoke -Couldn't believe anyone survived the bombardment -Landing craft advanced toward shore, but got stuck on underwater barbed wire -Japanese artillery opened fire on the landing craft -Marines jumped overboard and got caught in the barbed wire -Remembers the men screaming for help, but no one could save them -Only 100 Marines made it to shore -His landing craft returned to the larger ship and waited for their orders -While the landing craft bobbed in the rough seas he got seasick with the other Marines -Combination of the rolling motion, heat, and nerves -Alligator (LVT) and Buffalo (LVT-2) tracked landing craft approached the ships -Had to go from the regular landing craft into the tracked landing craft -The amphibious vehicle he entered was towing an ammunition trailer -When they reached the shore the trailer got stuck on the barbed wire -While taking fire, a few sailors managed to get the trailer off the barbed wire -Got onto the beachhead at Peleliu in the late afternoon -Went ashore near the landing strip -Moved along of the landing strip and staying low to avoid enemy fire -Found a destroyed Japanese pickup truck and crawled under it for cover -Spent the night there -Longest night he ever experienced -Took artillery and mortar fire as well as sporadic small arms fire throughout the night -Morning broke and he saw a dead, mangled Japanese soldiers -Learned that it was an Imperial Marine -Marines were disorganized and there were no officers around -Took more fire from the Japanese throughout the second day -Sat in a bomb crater and ate C Rations (00:42:20) Battle of Peleliu – Battle -On the third of fourth day he rejoined his unit -Saw Japanese tanks torn apart by the bombardment -The island was a mix of coral and sand, flat, save for the mountains -A third of C Battery was killed or wounded in the battle -8,500 Marines went ashore -4,000 Marines survived -Set up machine guns around the howitzers -One night, a few Japanese soldiers tried to attack the artillery positions -He killed four or five stragglers trying to attack his position -During the battle the artillery had it a little better than the infantrymen -Artillery fired day and night -Moved often because they had the smaller 75mm howitzers as opposed to the larger 105mm howitzers -Knew the battle wasn't going well -After two weeks Japanese resistance hadn't broken -Took a month to capture the island -Note: Battle went from September 15, 1944 to November 27, 1944, so over two months -In the second week of the battle Army units arrived to assist the Marines -The Japanese had artillery pieces hidden in the mountains behind thick, steel doors -Rolled out on tracks to fire on the infantry, then retreated into the mountains during air strikes -Sailors went into the mountains with acetylene torches to seal the steel doors �-American forces advanced across the island neutralizing pockets of Japanese resistance -A third of the soldiers were killed because they weren't prepared for combat (00:53:00) Rest on Pavuvu -After the Japanese were routed on Peleliu the 1st Marine Division was pulled off the island -Went to a rest camp on Pavuvu -Expected beer and milkshakes -It was a former French colony filled with coconut groves -They were, basically, the only humans on the island -It was muddy and infested with rats -Some rats were as big as cats -Used rubber bags to store fresh water, but the heat caused the rubber to leech into the water -Made the water taste like rubber -Trucks and Marines got stuck in the mud as they tried to move around the island -Stayed there for a month -The French proprietors charged the US government $125 for every tree damaged by the Marines -A 2nd lieutenant wanted the Marines to clean up the island and put the coconuts into neat piles -French proprietors wanted the coconuts scattered -If they were in piles then the piles attracted rats -Japanese had occupied the island, but abandoned it -American Navy used it briefly as a supply depot, but also abandoned it -The Navy turned the island over to the Marines to use as a rest area (00:58:29) Battle of Okinawa-Invasion -Went to Guadalcanal to receive more training -Also rebuild the unit after losses incurred on Peleliu -Boarded another trip -When they were two or three days away from Okinawa, Tokyo Rose made another broadcast -Told the Marines to expect an easy invasion compared to Peleliu -Went ashore and faced minimal resistance from the Japanese -On the third day the Japanese unleashed everything they had on the American forces -Couldn't believe the number of ships used for the invasion of Okinawa (01:01:08) Battle of Okinawa-Battle Pt. 1 -As they moved inland the Japanese resistance got worse -Set up the howitzers and machine guns on a small knoll overlooking the ocean -Hundreds of American ships and the sky was filled with antiaircraft fire -Remembers a Japanese Zero flying so low over his position that he could see the pilot in the cockpit -Zero passed over his position and attacked the American ships -The pilot strafed the ships then passed over the howitzers -Returned to ships and strafed again -Dodged antiaircraft fire -On the Zero's last pass a 20mm round hit the plane -Turned into a fireball and fell into the ocean -One of 15 Japanese planes he saw during the Battle of Okinawa -Never saw any kamikazes -The 7th Marine Regiment got stuck on one part of the island -After the third day of the battle Japanese resistance increased -His unit was on the move, but had to move slow because they were an artillery unit -Never had enough flares during the battle -One night a flare went up and he saw bushes moving just beyond the perimeter -He told the lieutenant to fire another flare to illuminate the area �-Lieutenant informed him they only had three flares until the next day -Another flare went up and he and the automatic rifle gunner opened fire -All he could see was laser-like red tracers cutting through the darkness -The next morning there were 14 dead Japanese soldiers near his position -Japanese soldiers put foliage on their helmets and uniforms as camouflage (01:08:08) Battle of Okinawa-Typhoon -Experienced a typhoon during the Battle of Okinawa -There were concrete docks offshore tethered with massive steel chains -The storm caused the steel chains to snap -The winds blew away their tents and their newly built latrine -The latrine blew into the ocean -Remembers that all he could see were tents and materiel blowing in the wind -Had foxholes to hunker down in during the storm (01�:10:12) Battle of Okinawa-Battle Pt. 2 -Told no information about the progress of the battle -Remembers eight days before they moved to a new position they got a “mail call” -One of the men in his unit loved his wife and always talked about her -On that mail call he received a 'Dear John' letter from her (breaking up with him) -She also included a photograph of herself, eight or nine months pregnant -He had been overseas for at least a year and a half -Remembers seeing some of the dead Japanese soldiers -Committed suicide rather than be taken prisoner -Three weeks before the battle ended he was clearing brush -Marine with the cheating wife offered to help him -A Japanese soldier popped out of a spider hole and threw a grenade at them -Gordon dropped and covered himself while the Marine took the full brunt of the blast -The grenade blew him apart and put an end to his suffering -Japanese forces on Okinawa surrendered on June 22, 1945 (01:13:16) Post-War Duty in China-Deployment -Received word that he would be sent back to the United States -Too many troops on Okinawa -Made sure to get rid of any contraband before he boarded the ship -Sold a beautiful pistol for only $12 so it wasn't on him -Later learned that that was unnecessary -Soldiers with 50 points were being sent back to the United States -He had 58 points -Points awarded on length of service, rank, dependents, and combat -Assigned to a ship to return home -Thought he was finally going home after a year and a half overseas -Learned that the ship was going to China before he could go home -Wound up spending six months in China -Didn't get back to the United States until February 27, 1946 -Had gone overseas on February 28, 1944 (01:16:26) Post-War Duty in China-Police Duty -Worked on the ship as a Shore Patrolman -Went ashore in China and was assigned to the Military Police -Spent a lot of time just wandering around -Stationed in a town outside of Tientsin (now Tianjin) -Moved around China on trains �-Loading Japanese soldiers onto trains to be taken back to ports and loaded onto ships -Did that for three months -In the winter temperatures dropped to zero degrees -Chinese Communists were taking control of China from the Nationalists -Heard bullets snapping past him -One Marine fired back at a communist soldier -Apparently hit the soldier -Informed that they were not allowed to return fire with rifles -Issued shotguns and buckshot -Totally ineffective except in close combat -Only had summer clothing during the winter -Quartered in the old French barracks in Tientsin -Traveled all over China on trains -Thought the Japanese soldiers he encountered were nice men -Some of the Marines took personal items from the Japanese soldiers -He never did that because he empathized with them and saw them as equals (01:22:10) Post-War Duty in China-Chinese Civilians, Crime, and Commerce -Remembers the Chinese civilians were smart people -Remembers an old Chinese man doing magic tricks for the Marines -On guard duty one night and an old man approached him -Wanted to sell his ring for only $1 -$1 was the equivalent of 3800 yuan -It was a 14 karat gold ring with a jade stone -Everything was cheap in China -Aunt sent him a diamond, onyx, and 14 karat gold ring and a beautiful money clip -Someone stole both things -Saw Chinese families in long boats on the river -Most likely lived in the boats -Marines did get in trouble in China, but not as much trouble as they could have -Only issued $12 a month while in China -Kept prices low and the Marines out of trouble (01:27:38) Coming Home -Completed his duty in China and was placed on another ship -Sailed to California -Took only a week and a half to get back to the United States -Landed at San Diego -Took a train to Chicago -Parents had moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan while he was in the Marines -Took a bus from Chicago to Grand Rapids (01:29:55) Working for Oldsmobile (Prior to Marines) -Before reporting for basic training he got a job working for Oldsmobile -Worked for Oldsmobile for a month -Worked third shift -Remembers going to the Westgate Tavern after work -Served beer despite being 17 years old -There was a girl he worked with that was 20 years old, but was turning 21 years old soon -He brought her to the Westgate after work and she tried to order a glass of wine -Turned away even though she was turning 21 the next day �(01:31:54) Life after the War -Got to Grand Rapids and wanted to go back to work at Oldsmobile -Bought a used car that frequently broke down -Wasn't able to get over to Oldsmobile to reapply for the job -Got a job at Dickinson Lithograph -Same shop his father worked at -Got a better job at Michigan Lithograph -Worked there for 40 years (01:33:13) Reflections on Service -There were a lot of bad times, but there were also really good times too -Some things were terrible, but he's able to look back on it as an overall positive experience -Especially his time in China after the war ended -Doesn't feel that the war changed him -Able to retain his personality despite everything he saw (01:35:10) Spirit of Grand Rapids Honor Flight -Went on the Spirit of Grand Rapids Honor Flight on May 16, 2015 -Chance for local veterans to be treated to a flight to Washington DC -Toured the capitol and honored for their service -Talked with Dick DeVos on the flight to Washington DC -Got back to Grand Rapids at 11 PM -Completely worn out, but agreed to go to the final part of the event -Went to East Kentwood High School for the conclusion of the day -Couldn't believe how many people were there to greet the returning veterans -Greeted by firefighters and police officers -Thousands of people welcoming them home and thanking them for their service -His wife, daughter, and grandson were there to greet him -It was a long day, but a good day � 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 RHC-27_SigginsG1920V Title A name given to the resource Siggins, Gordon Donald (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-02-11 Description An account of the resource Gordon Siggins was born in Highland Park, Michigan in 1925. Prior to serving he worked at the Willow Run Bomber Plant outside of Detroit from summer 1942 to summer 1943. He registered for the draft when he turned 18 and joined the Marine Corps. He took basic training in San Diego which began in October 1943. Upon completion of basic training he joined the Marine Raiders and trained at Camp Elliot, California. On February 28, 1944 he deployed to the Pacific Theater with the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion and trained at New Caledonia for a month. The Raiders were disbanded and he was assigned to C Battery of the 11th Marine Regiment of the 1st Marine Division. He took part in the invasion and battle of Peleliu from September 15, 1944 to November 27, 1944. After resting on Puvavu and training on Guadalcanal he took part in the invasion of Okinawa and the battle for that island from April 1, 1945 to June 22, 1945. After Japan surrendered in August 1945 he went to Tientsin, China in September 1945. From China he returned to the United States, landing in San Diego, California on February 27, 1946. Shortly after getting back to the U.S. he was discharged from the Marines. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Siggins, Gordon Donald 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 World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Marine Corps Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/abb595cb9058916130e50fd3ff7560f3.m4v 544228da9118372f9d694375d6f64b49 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a07a40f3bf0d89818558eb26b56a2601.pdf d0b8d98ab6e36d265e1471bf33133e1c PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Gelmer Romeyn World War II 1 hour 1 minute 12 seconds (00:00:47) Early Life -Born on March 24, 1923 in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Moved to Zuni, New Mexico when he was two years old -Started school at an Indian Reservation Mission School -Transferred to a public school in Zuni -One-room schoolhouse -Teacher wasn't friendly -On his first day he tried to run away from school -8th grade student was sent out to get him back -After a while he adjusted to school -Rode to school in an old truck -Still had to walk to a place where he could pick up the truck -Remembers the beginning of the Great Depression -Mother died as a result of childbirth in June 1929 -Father sent him and his baby sister back to Grand Rapids in June 1929 -Lived with grandparents in Grand Rapids -Remembers milkmen, icemen, hucksters, street cars, and horse-drawn garbage carts -During the Great Depression had to be conscious about money -Never felt poor or like they went without enough necessities -Father came to Grand Rapids in 1932 -Remembers the election between Hoover and Roosevelt -Father supported Hoover -Remembers New Deal programs like the WPA, CCC, and the Civilian Training Corps -He joined the Civilian Training Corps in high school -Received training at Camp Custer, Michigan -Attended Ottawa Hills High School -Transferred to South High School -Graduated from there in 1941 (00:08:43) Start of the War -In October 1940 the 126th Infantry Regiment of the 32nd Infantry Division was federalized -Sent to Louisiana for training -Michigan State Troops were created to fill the void after the National Guard left -He and his father joined the Michigan State Troops -Remembers December 7, 1941 -Came home after a date and didn't know that Pearl Harbor had been attacked -Stepmother told him that he had to go to the Grand Rapids Airport immediately -He and his father pulled guard duty that night -Didn't realize the severity of the attack on Pearl Harbor -He was attending Grand Rapids Junior College (now Community College) when the war began -Pulled guard duty at the airport four days of the week -College was lenient and understood that he had a job to do �(00:10:51) Enlisting in the Army Air Force -Enlisted in the Army Air Force for pilot training -His father, a World War I veteran, was not pleased with Gelmer's decision -Enlisted in November 1942 -Remembers sitting in physics class and being told he had a letter from Washington D.C. -Had been called to service -Said goodbye to his classmates and left class (00�:12:22) Basic Training & College Training -Boarded a train in Grand Rapids, went to Chicago, then to Miami Beach, Florida -Reported in February 1943 -Quartered in the Metropol Hotel in Miami Beach -Basic training lasted 30 days -Originally needed two years of college to be a pilot -Army relaxed the requirement and sent cadets to colleges to fulfill that requirement -He went to Duquesne University in Pittsburgh as part of the College Training Detachment -Started as a private getting paid $21 a month -Had prior military experience and made the mistake of correcting an instructor -Wore regular Army uniforms in Florida -Took a troop train to Pittsburgh -Dirty, slow moving, and smokey -Had civilian teachers at Duquesne University -Took math, English, and science courses and received further military training -Pittsburgh welcomed military personnel -Went to a Presbyterian church and met an old, wealthy widow -She invited him to Easter dinner -After that he visited her whenever he had a weekend off -She threw a going away party for him and the other cadets -He stayed in touch with her after he went overseas -Spent five months at Duquesne University (00:18:14) Pilot Classification -Sent to a Classification Center in Nashville, Tennessee -Took tests and went through a psychological evaluation -Options were to be a pilot, bombardier, or navigator -He was selected for pilot training (00:19:25) Pre-Flight Training -Sent to Maxwell Field, Alabama for Pre-Flight Training -More classroom work -He was made a cadet officer -Responsible for leading other cadets on inspections -Remember a cadet being kicked out of Pre-Flight Training for cheating on a test -Got gigged for minor infractions -For example, not having shoes shined or lying about having his shoes shined (00:22:08) Basic Flight Training -After Pre-Flight Training he progressed to Basic Flight Training -Trained with the Stearman, a biplane -Flew with an instructor for eight hours then flew solo -Had a civilian instructor that had been a barnstormer before the war -Remembers on one training flight the instructor fell out of the plane -Fortunately, he had a parachute �-Sent to Shaw Field, South Carolina where he trained with the BT-13 Valiant -Had radios on the BT-13 -Remembers one flight instructor that used a lot of profanity -He requested the instructor mind his language -Prompted the instructor to swear even more -On one training flight the engine cut out -He thought it was the instructor doing a test -Gelmer did the proper procedures and got the engine running again -When they landed he realized it had been a mechanical problem -After that, the instructor swore less around him (00:27:09) Advanced Flight Training -Sent to Moody Field, Georgia for Advanced Flight Training -Trained with the AT-10, a twin-engine aircraft -Remembers a plane hitting a tree on landing and resulting in a crash -The cadet was killed, but the instructor survived -Graduated on May 22, 1944 -Commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant and was now a pilot -Received leave and spent two weeks in Grand Rapids (00:29:15) Transition School -Originally assigned to be a Tactical Officer training cadets -Requested a different assignment Sent to St. Joseph, Missouri for Transition School -Trained for 30 days on the C-47 transport plane (00:29:58) Operating out of Casablanca -Went to Miami Beach and flew to Casablanca, Morocco -Entirely new and different culture -Billeted at the airport -Note: Most likely Nouasseur Air Base -Spent six months in Casablanca -Arrived in August 1944 during the invasion of southern France -Flew to Naples and Rome on supply missions -Moving personnel and cargo -Brought a platoon of Women's Army Corps personnel and USO performers to Italy -On one mission he stopped in Benghazi, Libya -Found a British motorcycle in a dump and brought it back to Casablanca -Rode it for a while then his commander forbade it -Continued to ride it until he was caught -Saw USO Shows in Casablanca -Saw Frank Sinatra perform -Met him in the Officers' Club -Flew a brigadier general on one mission (00:35:29) Italian Prisoners of War -Had Italian prisoners of war held near Casablanca -Did menial work at the barracks -Italian prisoners knew that the C-47s flew supply missions to Italy -Found an Italian prisoner trying to catch a ride to Italy on his C-47 -Understood why the man wanted to go home (00:37:36) End of the War -He was transferred to Oran, Algeria �-Went to First Pilot School in Marrakesh, Morocco before going to Oran -He was in Oran on May 8, 1945 when Germany surrendered -Sent to First Pilot School in Cairo, Egypt to train on the C-46 transport plane -Hot and unpleasant training -Didn't like the C-46 -Found it unsophisticated -Only flew it in training -Returned to Oran -Had plans to go to the China-Burma-India Theater -Japan surrendered before he went out -Stayed in Oran -Had a paternal grandfather living in the Netherlands -Given a ten day temporary assignment to Brussels so he could visit his grandfather -Traveled to Enschede, Netherlands -Met his uncle and his paternal grandfather for the first time -Spent four days there exploring the area -The Dutch had no use for the Germans -The Dutch in the north appreciated the British because they liberated the area (00:42:50) Coming Home & End of Service -Returned to North Africa and originally planned on flying a plane back to the United States -He had spent 26 days in Europe, not the approved ten days -Orders were canceled and he had to sail back to the United States -Spent Christmas and New Year's Eve on the ship -He was quartered in the center of the ship, so he didn't get seasick -Left North Africa in December 1945 -Landed at Newport News, Virginia -Discharged there -Took a bus back to Grand Rapids -He was technically on active duty until February 1946 (00:44:57) Army Air Force Reserve & National Guard Service -Stayed in the Army Air Force Reserve -Part of the unit at Grand Rapids aiport -Flew AT-6 aircraft -Flew up to McBain, Michigan to visit relatives -Reserve unit was transferred to Selfridge Field near Detroit -Stayed in the Reserve for a year after that, then left -Joined the National Guard as a 1st lieutenant in the infantry -Went to Fort Benning, Georgia for training -Stayed in for two years (00:46:50) Life after the War Pt. 1 -Returned to college -Got into business in Benton Harbor, Michigan selling prefabricated houses -Did that for two years -Got a job with a law office as an investigator -Got a job with an insurance company as a claims manager -Started his own business as a claims manager (00:47:53) Reflections on Service -Broadened his worldview -Didn't fly after getting out of the Army Air Force Reserve �(00:49:20) Life after the War Pt. 2 -Married after meeting his wife in a Christian singles club -Had two daughters -One of his daughters enlisted in the Marines -First to experience “the Crucible” (marching 58 miles in 48 hours) -Stayed in for nearly three years -Medically discharged due to leg problems Interview ends at 52:08 � 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 RHC-27_RomeynG0701V Title A name given to the resource Romeyn, Gelmer W (Interview outline and video), 2005 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2005-04-17 Description An account of the resource Gelmer Romeyn was born on March 24, 1923 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In the early 1940s he joined the Michigan State Troops (a state defense force) and in November 1942 he enlisted in the Army Air Force. He reported for basic training at Miami Beach, Florida in February 1943 then received college training at Duquesne University, Pennsylvania. He was classified as a pilot and received flight training at Maxwell Field, Alabama Shaw Field, South Carolina and Moody Field, Georgia. He was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant and a pilot on May 22, 1944. He trained on the C-47 transport plane. He spent six months in Casablanca, Morocco flying transport missions to Italy. He was transferred to Oran, Algeria for the remainder of his time overseas. He returned to the United States in December 1945. He was discharged at Newport News, Virginia and was released from active duty in February 1946. Gelmer remained in the Army Air Force Reserve and then served with the National Guard as a 1st lieutenant for two years. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Romeyn, Gelmer Willis Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Collins, Charles (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. Air Force Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/90b4ee88455c0dc1172ff7e7a63d17f3.m4v 64dcc507fb1a5fadfdf9d04d019f4942 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/61894893fa98b438dd3c7dfc1529be5d.pdf 508e671d7a16542f7f69196d575cf759 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Sherman Reed Cold War; Post-Cold War 28 minutes 11 seconds *Note: Times in outline correspond with timecode on interview (00:30:57) Early Life -Born on a farm near Jasonville, Indiana, on June 24, 1941 (00:31:14) Overview of Military Service -Started in the Air Force -Did four years of active duty, and three years of inactive reserve -Served as an interceptor weapons control officer -Spent 23 years in the Army Reserve -Retired in 2000 -Picked up by the Chief of Army Reserve to serve as the chaplain ambassador (00:31:45) Seminary -Studied at the Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri -Started in 1967 and graduated in 1971 (00:32:13) Air Force Service -Graduated with his bachelor’s degree from Purdue University -Sent to Keesler Air Force Base, Missouri -Train in the Interceptor Weapons Control Course -Part of the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) -Note: Collecting radar information to coordinate responses with NORAD th -Sent to the 848 Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at Norton Air Force Base, California -Part of NORAD and Air Defense Command -Enjoyed that work -During his time there, he met an Air Force chaplain -Discussed the possibility of becoming a chaplain in the Air Force -Gave Sherman some advice about doing that and what to consider -Got engaged, then married in June 1965 -Five months later, he received orders for the Philippines -Still part of the 848th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron -Supporting the buildup of forces in Vietnam -Trained in the manual program -Based seven hours north of Clark Field -Worked with other special missions and the interceptor control airspace (00:35:08) Becoming a Chaplain & Joining the Army -Decided that he wanted to go to seminary -Wrote to his denomination requesting a chance to go to seminary �-They approved, which allowed him to get out of active duty -Relocated with his wife to the Midwest to study at the Nazarene Theological Seminary -Notified the Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base that he was part of the active reserve -Three weeks later, he checked in and was told he couldn’t be a chaplain -Due to his job, the Air Force considered him too valuable -Still went to seminary and graduated in May 1971 -Air Force still hadn’t called him up for active duty -2 ½ years later, the Air Force sent him a letter outlining his options -He could either continue with active reserve, or go active duty (but not be a chaplain) -Decided to resign his commission instead -Shortly thereafter, an Army chaplain from Fort Sam Houston came to talk with him -Asked Sherman if he was still interested in becoming a chaplain -Told him that he could get him a direct appointment as a chaplain in the Army -Six months later, he became a chaplain in the Army Reserve -Turns out, the men he had coffee with in town were part of the Army Reserve -Learned about his desire to be a chaplain and got the process going -There were very few Nazarene chaplains, so the denomination wasn’t sure about protocol -Relied on other chaplains, from other denominations, when he first entered the Army (00:41:33) Tour in West Germany – Civil Affairs & Exercise Reforger -He was assigned to the 308th Civil Affairs Brigade -Had to qualify as a civil affairs officer -Meant that he worked with local civilian populations -Worked during Exercise Reforger -Annual exercise conducted by NATO forces to ensure rapid response to Soviet attack (00:42:08) Tour in West Germany – Chapel in the Woods -He was in 5th Corps, and was given an interpreter and driver -Visited American and German soldiers in the field -Met with local clergy and residents -During one outing, his interpreter or driver(?), brought him to a wooded place in the country -Went down a small trail to a clearing occupied by a small, wooden chapel -It had been built sometime between 1750 and 1800 -A local couple was expecting their first child when the woman fell ill -It was a difficult birth, and the mother and child were in poor health -The husband prayed for his wife and child’s recovery -They got better, and in return, he built the chapel in the woods -There was a local woman at the chapel cleaning the place when they visited -Said she felt no fear around Sherman -Somehow, she knew he was a chaplain despite a lack of insignia (00:47:44) Tour in West Germany – Dairy Farm -During his time in Germany, he tried to get acquainted with German units during field exercises -At first, they were hesitant of his presence, because they didn’t know why he was there -On one occasion, he went to a German unit camped at a dairy farm on the edge of a small town -They had occupied the dairy barn and set up a generator �-The farm woman was upset because the generator caused one of her cows to go crazy -Local veterinarian told her it would have to be euthanized -Sherman met with the woman to talk with her, and offer her guidance and comfort -She was deeply moved because she thought the Army sent him specifically for her -German commander paid for the euthanasia and for the lost cow (00:54:05) Reserve Officers Association -He now visits Europe twice a year -National chaplain for the Reserve Officers Association (ROA) -He is also part of the Congress of International Officers of Reserve -Otherwise known as the Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers -NATO-affiliated, non-political, non-profit organization -He is on the Partnership for Peace Committee (00:55:52) First Army Assignment – Fort Carson -His first Army assignment was at Fort Carson, Colorado in 1977 and 1978 -Assigned to the post chapel and worked with the rabbi -Remembers a woman stationed at Fort Carson came to the chapel, visibly distraught -Her husband was stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma -They had been promised by the Army that they could be stationed together -Sherman got her information and told her to come back in 24 hours -Didn’t know what he would be able to do to help her -Rabbi told him that as chaplains, they had extensive power to resolve situations like this -All he had to do was call the commander at Fort Sill and explain the situation < Tape ends before the interview concludes > � 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 RHC-27_ReedS2068V Title A name given to the resource Reed, Sherman R (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-10-26 Description An account of the resource Sherman Reed was born in Jasonville, Indiana, on June 24, 1941. He originally served in the Air Force before becoming an Army chaplain. He received his interceptor weapons control training at Keesler Air Force Base, Missouri, then was assigned to the 848th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at Norton Air Force Base, California. During his time with the 848th, he was deployed to a base north of Clark Field in the Philippines to assist with the buildup in Vietnam. He decided to become a minister, and he attended the Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri, and graduated from there in May 1971. While at seminary he was part of the reserve at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base. He resigned his commission with the Air Force and began the process of becoming a chaplain in the Army in 1977 He served at Fort Carson, Colorado, and worked with the 308th Civil Affairs Brigade in West Germany. Sherman retired from the Army in 2000, and as of 2016 is national chaplain for the Reserve Officers Association. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Reed, Sherman Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Keizer, Herman Jr. (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. Air Force Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf