14 24 1541 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b3ec85f92960ca44a0c72521ea183ea4.m4v ed442c2d3bd4e4bab0edf4d832658700 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d326e14d8d00e2fb6a3190af3dfeb3b0.pdf 18f8c189183b6137bcf8d168ad699529 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project John Rasmussen Cold War (Vietnam Era); Cold War (Post-Vietnam); Gulf War 30 minutes 33 seconds (00:00:18) Early Life -Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on February 24, 1942 -Family moved to the West Coast and moved around a lot -Yakima, Washington; Richland, Washington; Union Gap, Washington; Los Angeles; Palo Alto, California; and Portland, Oregon -Father worked for the government on top secret projects -Lived in Richland during a government test on the civilian populace -Exposed to iodine-131 to see the effects on people (00:02:02) Becoming a Chaplain -Family service in the military inspired him to enlist -Two uncles had served as Air Force chaplains in the Korean War -Influenced his decision to become a chaplain -Attended college in Portland, Oregon, and at Foothill College in Los Altos Hill, California -Completed his bachelor’s degree at Concordia University -Attended Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana -Endorsed by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod -Enlisted in the Army on February 24, 1968 -Part of the chaplain staff specialist program, and in the chaplain candidate program -Graduated from seminary and got married in June 1968 -Sent to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for his first church -Shortly after the Martin Luther King Jr. assassination in April, and felt the tension -Completed the basic course for chaplains (00:06:40) First Reserve Assignment & Active Duty -Attached to an Army Reserve engineer battalion in Wallace, Idaho -Elected to go on active duty on July 1, 1973 -Note: Later in the interview he says January 1, 1973 -Had gone down to Fort Bliss, Texas, for training with his reserve unit -Received more education -Went to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, for a year (00:08:36) Tour in Thailand -Sent to Thailand in February 1974 -Assigned to do spiritual coverage for the Central Identification Laboratory -Working to identify the bodies and remains of soldiers lost in Indochina -As of the interview, there are still three bodies that need identification -Remains returned to the U.S. a year after he left Thailand -Located near U-Tapao Air Base �(00:11:03) Sons in the Military -All four sons served in the military -Youngest son is still in the military -Served as a combat medic and saw the whole gamut of wounds (00:11:44) Stationed at Madigan Army Medical Center -Sent to Madigan Army Medical Center in Fort Lewis, Washington -Worked with the hospital chaplain -Became the medical center chaplain -Went there in 1975 -No more casualties from the Vietnam War -Combat had ceased in 1973, and wounded had gone out to different hospitals -Interesting experience -Got some experience with neo-natal care (00:14:37) Return to Civilian Ministry -Returned to parish ministries after Madigan Army Medical Center -Worked in Libby, Montana, as a parish pastor -Wanted to go to Alaska, but that never happened -Enjoyed the mountains of Montana (00:15:50) Medical Issue -Before he left Madigan, he was diagnosed with a cyst on his heart -Developed after returning from Thailand -Excised without incident (00:16:15) Army Reserve Personnel Center -Worked in Libby for four years -Chief of Chaplains announced a new position -Army Reserve Personnel Center in St. Louis, Missouri -Got that position -Got to know the Army Reserve chaplains and some of the chaplain candidates -Worked in St. Louis for a couple years -Did mostly office work (00:18:40) Chaplain School -Went to Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, for the Chaplain School -Stayed there for 4 ½ - 5 years (00:19:00) Return to Active Duty -Went back on active duty as Active Guard Reserve (AGR) tour -AGR tour lasted seven years -Continued to work with Army Reservists and National Guard forces (00:21:41) Gulf War -Served in the area-of-operations during, and after, the Gulf War -Tasked with checking on the morale of troops -Went to prisoner-of-war camps to check on the guards -Ensuring they were abiding by international rules of warfare -In one camp, the Muslim and Christian prisoners were kept separate �-Christians were using ration boxes to do the Stations of the Cross -Felt some unit commanders deserved to be relieved of command for their incompetence -Tour in the Middle East lasted a couple months -Military Police were the only units composed entirely of Army Reservists (enlisted and officers) (00:24:50) End of Service -Retired on September 1, 1995 -Retired with the rank of colonel -Worked at the Chaplain School -Worked at the Pentagon for four years -Old office was destroyed on September 11, 2001 -Worked with Army Reserve components (00:26:57) Reflections on Service -Had some deeply gratifying moments during his career -Being selected for the duties he had as a chaplain -Doing honest work -Testifying before Congress for a special committee supported by Colin Powell -Disappointed to hear the secretary of defense say 50,000 lives were wasted in Vietnam -Understand what the secretary meant, but it still stung to hear coming from leadership � 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_RasmussenJ2066V Title A name given to the resource Rasmussen, John A (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-10-28 Description An account of the resource John Rasmussen was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on February 24, 1942. He attended Concordia Theological Seminary, enlisted in the Army on February 24, 1968, and graduated from seminary in June 1968. His first assignment was with an Army Reserve engineer battalion in Wallace, Idaho. On July 1, 1973, he volunteered for active duty. He spent a year at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, then deployed to Thailand in February 1974. In Thailand, he provided spiritual coverage for the Central Identification Laboratory which worked on identifying the remains and bodies of soldiers lost during the Vietnam War. From Thailand, he went to Madigan Army Medical Center in Fort Lewis, Washington, and after that returned to the civilian ministry for four years. He returned to service at the Army Reserve Personnel Center in St. Louis, Missouri then served at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, for about five years. He was deployed to Middle East during the Gulf War, where he checked on the morale of troops and guards at prisoner-of-war camps. He retired on September 1, 1995, with the rank of colonel. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rasmussen, John A. 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/b87e18557d22a541a3e52951b34f0733.m4v 31e6b8e68bc7292f8a60459fb15b59ca https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ec455675dcba65513dcd5626d7b572b8.pdf 8f801d5171ce1546e4584e64fc35a9a7 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Charles Press World War II 58 minutes 52 seconds (00:00:10) Early Life -Born in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 12, 1922 -Father was a minister and edited a church newspaper -Had relatives live with them for three years during the Great Depression -Father brought in enough money to support two families -Graduated from high school in January 1940 -Largest high school in St. Louis at the time -Strictly segregated -Attended Elmhurst College in Illinois -Primary college for the Evangelical & Reformed Church -One uncle was the head of the seminary and another negotiated the merger of the sects -Now known as the United Church of Christ (00:03:24) Start of the War & Getting Drafted -He was at Elmhurst College when Pearl Harbor was attacked -Got the news in the afternoon -Remembers it being quiet, and dim at dinnertime -Thought the war would only last two years -Most young men knew they’d either get drafted or enlist -At first, he was considered for “limited service” due to a lazy right eye -During his time at Elmhurst, he was the editor of a college newspaper -Wrote editorials about the war before the United States entered it -Followed the fighting in Europe and Asia -Some students enlisted after the attack on Pearl Harbor -Remembers one seminary student enlisting -Got a draft notice for the Army and reported to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri (00:07:19) Basic Training -Remembers doing a lot of marching during basic training, and his unit got pretty good at it -Mixture of recruits from all over the country -Helped collect personal information from recruits that were illiterate -There were a lot of men from the Ozarks -Stayed away from the drill sergeants and never had trouble with them -Reported for basic training in 1943 (00:10:07) Assignment to Army Air Force & Stationed in St. Louis -Transferred to the Army Air Force -He was assigned to a headquarters unit for a larger medical unit, based in St. Louis -This headquarters unit oversaw units scattered across the Midwest �-Stayed with them for three or four months -He mostly handled changing out old medical regulations for new regulations -Colonel in charge of the headquarters was a flight surgeon -Worked in an administrative capacity -Felt uneasy and guilty serving in his own hometown -Wanted to go out and do something -Sergeant advised him against it, but he persisted (00:13:05) Training at Chanute Field -Took a mathematics test -If you passed the test, you’d go into one field: cryptography or meteorology -He passed and was selected for training at Chanute Field -Received his meteorology training at Chanute -More relaxed than basic training -Due to the social environment and the trainees being college draftees -Learned how to estimate cloud height and distances in fog for bomber pilots -Received in depth instruction on dew point, temperature, and transmission of data -Used a special communication tool to share meteorological information with other bases -Trained at Chanute for two or three months (00:18:25) Stationed at Harding Army Air Field -Sent to Harding Army Air Field near Baton Rouge, Louisiana -Baton Rouge was crowded with servicemen -Meant the community wasn’t always hospitable -Sometimes played golf and went out to eat in the city -Always rained in the afternoon -Helped him decide he wouldn’t want to live in the South because of the climate (00:20:53) Deployment to the Pacific Theatre -Sent to Salt Lake City for a brief time then to Seattle -Boarded a ship in Seattle with no naval escorts or other defenses -Thought they were going to Alaska until heard Hawaiian music on the radio -Slept on the deck of the ship -Sailed over on a Victory Ship -Tightly packed -Used saltwater for showers, but had freshwater for drinking -Stopped at Hawaii and was stationed at Hickam Field for a week (00:22:57) Stationed on Saipan Pt. 1 -*Note: Based on information later in the interview, he most likely arrived in September 1944 -Flew to Saipan in a cargo plane -There were still Japanese troops hiding on the island when he arrived -They hid in the hills -During one instance, his tent mate accepted the surrender of a Japanese soldier -When he arrived, there were still debris and abandoned materials scattered all over the island (00:23:46) Enemy Contact Pt. 1 -Japanese aircraft from Iwo Jima raided nearby Pagan Island �-Destroyed a handful of B-29s (00:24:14) Stationed on Saipan Pt. 2 -Part of a small outfit of 14 men and they moved around the island -Worked with a land-based Navy unit, and an all-black unit -The black soldiers knew how to make Spam taste better with various spices -Saw ships bound for Iwo Jima during the invasion in February 1945 -Always thought they would accompany other invasions like Palau or Okinawa -Monitored the weather on Saipan and gathered more data from pilots -Compiled the information and turned it over to forecasters -Tyrone Power, a movie star, was on Saipan one time when Charles was stationed there -Managed to get some butter and popcorn one time -Got sick from it because his stomach wasn’t used to rich food like that (00:29:03) End of the War -After the war ended, he just collected his points and waited to be sent home -*Note: Points were assigned based on rank, length of service, dependents, and combat -Remembers ships going to San Francisco for Navy Day on October 27, 1945 -One man in his unit was a photographer and developed aerial pictures for pilots -A crewman asked for a picture to be developed of Nagasaki after the bombing -Charles got a copy and later donated the original to the Truman Library (00:32:04) Enemy Contact Pt. 2 -One night, a returning B-29 failed to signal and he thought it was a Japanese troop carrier -Feared Japanese paratroopers would be dropped on the island -Had a contingent of Marines to help defend against airborne attacks -Once American forces took Iwo Jima, Japanese air raids ceased -There were Black Widow aircraft defending the island from Japanese aircraft -Black Widows were night fighters and precursor to stealth fighters -Remembers watching antiaircraft crews trying to shoot down Japanese aircraft -Remembers jumping into a dugout when Japanese aircraft strafed the island -Always stayed aware of potential hiding places (00:34:30) Stationed on Saipan Pt. 3 -Drove around the island with almost total freedom -There was only one route through the island that was closed -Had free gasoline and access to jeeps -Saw a lot of aircraft crashes on the island during his time stationed there -Spent a lot of time doing nothing and waiting for the war to end -Traded beer for supplies -One sought after item was a funnel to collect water from tents -Had a powerful storm blow through and in that storm he lost his tent -He was driving his jeep and got stuck in a ditch during the storm -A passing truck towed him out of the ditch and sent him on his way -Always remembered that tremendous sense of camaraderie (00:38:07) End of Service & Coming Home -Left Saipan in early December 1945 �-There was a rumor they were to be discharged at Goldsboro, North Carolina -This was so that a certain general could retain his rank -There was a rush of men trying to get out of the military at the same time -Offered a chance to reenlist or join the Reserves, but he declined -Discharged at Goldsboro -Went there via troop train -No dining car -Troops jumped off the train at towns to get something to eat -Stopped in Chicago for eight hours -Remembers passing through Nebraska -Salesmen were selling candy bars for 25 cents each -At the time, one candy bar cost, on average, 5 cents -Felt the demobilization of the military was disorganized and rushed -Had gone from Saipan to San Francisco -Discharged on December 17, 1945 (00:43:00) Life after the War -Wanted to visit some famous jazz clubs in New York, but wanted to go home for Christmas -Returned to college at University of Missouri -Studied there for two years -Hitchhiked to Oregon and worked for a newspaper as a printer for a year -Moved to Chicago -Attended the University of Minnesota to study political science -Had met his wife in Chicago, so she was with him there and they started a family -Got a job at North Dakota State University and taught therefor two years -Met someone from Michigan State University -Offered a job to conduct a metropolitan area study -Spent a year teaching in Wisconsin then got called by Michigan State for a job -He had obtained his doctorate in Minnesota -Settled in at MSU -Taught courses on state government and federalism -Eventually became the department chair -Stayed at MSU until he retired -Started the London and Australia foreign study programs -Worked in conjunction with University of New South Wales -Did six trips to Australia -Wife had worked as a school social worker with mentally handicapped children -Bought a cottage on Lake Michigan paid for with profits he made from textbooks he wrote (00:52:45) Reflections on Service -Made him skeptical about the worship of the Army -Effective, but inefficient organization due to its size and duties -For example, he saw tremendous amount of waste in the Army -Admires the soldiers, but not the management of the soldiers -He disliked the inherent hierarchy of the Army �(00:55:04) Reflections on War -Experienced some antiwar marches at Michigan State -Remembers one graduate student came with the intent of being a protest organizer -Thought President Johnson would have been a realist with the Vietnam War -Disappointed that Johnson didn’t know when it was time to quit -Supported the war at its beginning, but in retrospect believes it was a wrong war -Supported the Korean War -He was skeptical about the Iraq War and is inclined to say he didn’t support 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_PressC2087V Title A name given to the resource Press, Charles (Interview outline and video), 2017 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-01-04 Description An account of the resource Charles Press was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 12, 1922. He was drafted in 1943 and received his basic training at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. He was then transferred to the Army Air Force and was part of a medical unit's headquarters in St. Louis where he helped with administrative duties. After three (or four) months, he took a test and qualified for Meteorology Training at Chanute Field, Illinois. That training lasted two months and he was assigned to Harding Field, Louisiana, where he was stationed for four (or five) months gathering meteorological data and sharing it with other fields in the United States. In September 1944, he was deployed to Saipan, and stayed on the island gathering meteorological information to assist forecasters in planning missions for aircraft. He left Saipan in early December 1945, and was discharged in Goldsboro, North Carolina, on December 17, 1945. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Press, 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. Army Air 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/cd92e9182c7155b9becd94a208a71fcc.m4v 9726b362f63255c75ebd66acd40bb9f5 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f9fde659d26ff19e55d27801fc5d2b18.pdf 4273dd959c29afae085d82b662a9707e PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Lloyd Powell World War II 31 minutes 14 seconds (00:00:12) Early Life Pt. 1 -Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on February 22, 1927 -Family lived in Grand Rapids -Eventually moved to Ada, Michigan then to the area south of Lowell, Michigan -Father died shortly before Lloyd joined the service (00:00:59) Enlisting in the Navy Pt. 1 -Father served in the Army during World War I -Advised Lloyd to enlist in the Navy instead of getting drafted -Had suffered as an infantryman in the trenches and didn't want that for his son -Lloyd enlisted in the Navy in the summer of 1944 -Called to active duty in fall 1944 (00:01:45) Early Life Pt. 2 -Father worked as a carpenter -Sick for a long time -Had worked in the Pennsylvania coal mines as a young boy and had lung problems -Family received welfare -Lloyd worked on a neighbor's farm to help the family -Started working when he was only 12 years old (00:02:23) Enlisting in the Navy Pt. 2 -Needed his mother's signature to join the Navy -She didn't want to approve, but she knew he would get drafted when he turned 18 -Would rather have him in the Navy than in the infantry -Made sure most of his money was sent home to help his family -Contributed to him getting out of the Navy early because he had dependents (00:03:33) Basic Training -Went to Great Lakes Naval Training, Illinois for basic training -Had to march everywhere you went -Did tow target training with 20mm antiaircraft guns -A plane towed a target and the men shot at the target -Spent the winter of 1944 at Great Lakes Naval Training -Had to shovel spaces where they could march -Received classroom training -Identifying ships and aircraft from the Allied and Axis powers -Tested on the material they learned in the classroom -Didn't have any trouble adjusting to the Navy -Didn't get homesick -Used to being away from home for a while -When he started working on the farm he only saw his family on Sundays -Never had any trouble following orders -Basic training lasted three months -Went into Chicago one night to unload trucks -Worked all night �-Got paid -Not allowed to go into the city to have fun (00:07:13) Assignment to USS LST-509 -Sent to Norfolk, Virginia to wait for his ship -Assigned to the USS LST-509 -Went to Norfolk via troop train -Had a mess car for food -Had bunks for sleeping -Had to stop in towns to let other trains go by -Stayed in Norfolk for about two or three months to wait for the ship to get back -Stayed busy with marching -Sent to Camp Little Creek, Virginia -Slept in tents -So cold that he slept with his clothes on and under the mattress -Received more classroom training -The LST-509 was a Landing Ship Tank -Large amphibious cargo ship capable of carrying troops, vehicles, and supplies -Had two large doors on the front that would open right onto a landing zone (00:11:08) Service on the USS LST-509 -He was assigned to work as a regular sailor on the ship -After about a month he was placed in charge of a group of six sailors and two marines -Had to keep the marines busy so they wouldn't try to avoid working -Hid in lifeboats so they didn't have to work -Placed in charge of the boatswain's locker -Put to sea pretty quickly -Sailed up and down the East Coast -Took a crew from New England to Florida -Pulled into Wainwright Shipyard near Panama City, Florida -Took a week to sail from New England to Florida -Sailed alone -Only threat was rough weather around Virginia -Remembers springing a leak when they were hauling a supply of experimental torpedoes -The ship's front doors sprung a leak and they used a mattress to stop up the leak -The experimental torpedoes would be dropped off then a passing ship would activate it -Had a crew of about 70 men -One of his duties was on the ship's wheel -Worked four hours on the wheel -Half hour on and half hour off -Had to keep his eyes on the ship's scope to keep it on a straight path -Always had a lookout on the bow to watch for obstructions (00:18:02) Downtime on the USS LST-509 -Could go off the ship in Wainwright Shipyard -All you had to do was hitchhike into town -In Key West the baker got drunk while on leave -Took a gun from a police officer and shot a few holes in the floor of a bar -Spent 30 days in the brig for that outburst (00:19:28) Food -Food on the ship was good most of the time -One time they pulled into Camp Little Creek to get a food supply �-The cable broke and the supply went into the water -Lost a month's worth of food supplies -Had to live off of spaghetti for a month (00:20:43) End of the War Pt. 1 -In Key West the ship got a camouflage pattern and a Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP) -Note: LCVP were landing craft capable of carrying troops or armored vehicles -Preparing for the invasion of Japan -After the war ended they dumped 500 tons of ammunition overboard because they didn't need it (00:23:05) The Crew -Most of the crewmen were new sailors like himself -The skipper was a lieutenant -He did a good job and was a friendly man -Befriended an ensign from Ohio that liked to play cards with the enlisted men -He and Lloyd were the only fans of the Detroit Tigers on the ship -Exciting when the Tigers won the World Series (00:25:28) Places they Visited -Saw Key West and Miami in Florida -Never got to see places in New England or New York -Didn't have money to go ashore anyway because he was sending it home for his family (00:26:16) Contact with Home -Wrote home a lot -Didn't have a lot of friends to write to (00:27:12) End of the War Pt. 2 -In Camp Little Creek, Virginia when they received word that the war was over -Made confetti out of toilet paper and used the ship's fans to blow it around -Wound up covering an admiral's ship in the confetti -No one knew that it was his ship that did that (00:28:27) End of Service -He had more points because he was taking care of his family -Navy wanted him out because he was costing the Navy extra money -He was taking care of his siblings and mother, so they were his dependents -Because of that the Navy had to pay him extra money -Didn't resist getting out -Discharged in April 1946 -Discharged at Norfolk, Virginia (00:29:10) Life after the War -Went back to Lowell, Michigan and worked various odd jobs -Got a job at King Milling Company in Lowell -Worked as a semi-truck driver -Full time for 46 years and six years part time -52 years all toll (00:29:55) Reflections on Service -Didn't feel that the Navy changed him too much as a person -Only two years older -Probably learned something, he just can't remember what he learned (00:30:17) Spirit of Grand Rapids/Talons Out Honor Flight -Went on the Spirit of Grand Rapids/Talons Out Honor Flight in May 2015 -Chance to treat veterans to a trip to Washington DC and honor them for their service -Got a great send off to DC and a wonderful welcome home �-Able to bring his daughter with him � 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_PowellL1925V Title A name given to the resource Powell, Lloyd G (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-02-23 Description An account of the resource Lloyd Powell was born on February 22, 1927 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He enlisted in the Navy in summer 1944 and was called to active duty in fall 1944. He received basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois then went to Camp Little Creek, Virginia and on to Norfolk, Virginia where he boarded the USS LST-509. He worked as a regular sailor, oversaw a work detail of sailors and marines, and pulled shifts on the ship's helm. They sailed up and down the East Coast moving personnel and supplies from New England to Key West, Miami, and Wainwright Shipyard in Florida. Near the end of the war the ship was outfitted for the invasion of Japan, and when Japan surrendered they were in Camp Little Creek, Virginia. Lloyd stayed with the ship until he was discharged in Norfolk in April 1946. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Powell, Lloyd G. 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/d4efd1569c575b6dde612149cfa8bbed.m4v a1f17016b739860bc9f092dcbc95e013 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c3041d5fccba1e526ab69c2375c0463e.pdf a4566188417be7a6015f2632efac67b1 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project James O’Malley Korean War 1 hour 19 minutes 47 seconds (00:00:13) Early Life -Born in Chicago in October 1932 -After nine years, his family moved to Appleton, Wisconsin -Father ran a nightclub -Lived there until he joined the military -Parents lived there until he returned from the military -Moved back to Chicago -Uncle had owned the club and convinced James’s father to move to Appleton -Lied and told James’s father that he could become the owner of the club -His father had worked as a car salesman before the Great Depression -During the Great Depression, the milkman delivered milk regardless of pay -Believes that the milkman’s kindness probably kept him from starving as a baby (00:02:02) World War II -Remembers hearing about the attack on Pearl Harbor -Heard the news on the radio -He was nine years old and didn’t fully understand the level of devastation -Played “war” with his friends -One side was American, the other German, and the Americans always won -The older he got, the more attention he paid to the war -The war dominated the news and movies (00:03:10) Enlisting in the Navy -Graduated from high school in 1950 -Received a football scholarship for St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin -Studied there for a semester -Played as a defensive specialist, but was too small to be effective -Lost his scholarship -The Korean War had begun in June 1950, and the draft was active -Didn’t want to get drafted into the Army -Decided to enlist in the Navy in early 1951 -Inducted in April 1951 (00:04:37) Basic Training -Sent to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois, for basic training -Not as strict or difficult as Army or the Marine Corps �-Did a lot of marching -A lot of classroom instruction -Knot tying -Navigation -Received rifle training with the M1 Garand rifle -Received some Morse code training -Everybody got basic instruction with it -Adjusted well to life in the Navy -Didn’t get homesick -High emphasis on discipline and following orders -A lot of men were destined for smaller units where obedience was key -More interaction with officers -Basic training lasted about six (or eight) weeks (00:07:55) Pre-Flight School -No choice given to select advanced training, just went where you were ordered -At the beginning of basic training, he took a series of aptitude tests -Designed to figure out intellectual strengths for a good assignment -Didn’t always work out that way, though -For example, he got an assignment for heavy mechanical training -Received orders for Pre-Flight School at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida -Learned about flight regulations, Morse code, and some physics courses -Emphasized the importance of safety around aircraft -Told that a running propeller on an airplane would kill a man -Received some radar training -Learned about flight operations, specifically how to use the radio -Not taught how to fly an airplane -Taught how and when to abandon an aircraft -Only abandon the plane if it was on fire -Try to avoid ditching a plane over water -In the P2V-5 Neptune, you had seven minutes before it sank -Fuselage was thin enough to cut through with a knife -Allowed to go off the base on liberty -Had classes in the day and most nights off -Pre-Flight School lasted three months (00:13:08) Aviation Electronics School -Sent to Aviation Electronics School at Naval Air Station Memphis, Tennessee -Learned how to operate and repair electronics equipment -Training lasted three months -Grew more confident with technical work as he did it -Using simple electronics at the time �-Learned about radar, radio, general electronics operation and repair (00:15:16) Segregation -Noticed the segregation in the South -Went into Memphis for USO Shows -He and a friend were on a bus and they took a seat in the back -Driver stopped the bus and told them to move to the front -Back seats were only for black passengers -James and his friend refused to move -Driver got a police officer who told them to move, leave, or go to jail -James and his friend decided to just walk -Noticed the “white” and “colored” drinking fountains and business entrances -Difficult for him to understand segregation -The armed forces were technically integrated -Segregation and discrimination still existed -For example, black servicemen were given menial roles -It took a while for segregation to practically come to an end (00:18:30) Stationed in Hawaii & Assignment to Squadron VP-22 -Given a choice: be stationed at Norfolk, Virginia, or Hawaii -Heard that the community in Norfolk was anti-Navy and knew Hawaii was beautiful -Decided to go to Hawaii -Sailed to Hawaii -First time on a large ship -Assigned to Squadron VP-22 at Naval Air Station Barbers Point on Oahu, Hawaii -He was assigned to an aircrew on a P2V-5 Neptune -Served as the radar operator -The P2V-5 Neptune served as an anti-submarine patrol bomber -Twin-engine, land-based aircraft -Had two, 20mm cannons, two .50 caliber machineguns, and other turrets -11-man crew for longer missions, and 7-man crew for shorter missions -Had radar, sonar-buoys, and sonar on the plane (inaccurate at the time) -Had a 500-pound magnetic mine -Stationed at Naval Air Station Barbers Point for five months -Did training flights every third day -Each one lasted one to three hours -The rest of the time on duty he helped maintain aircraft and the base -Allowed to go on liberty -Hawaii was the best place for liberty -Half-hour drive to Honolulu -Flew to, and over, Hawaiian Islands -Saw the Mauna Loa volcano from the air �-Went to the resort on Waikiki Beach -Remembers spending Sunday mornings watching the ocean, drink in hand -Some civilians didn’t like the military personnel because they caused trouble sometimes (00:25:24) Stationed on Okinawa Pt. 1 & Recon Missions -Sent to Okinawa and flew missions off that island -Patrolled the Chinese coast -Acted as a spy plane because neither China or North Korea had submarines -Reported shipping and troop movements -Chinese had antiaircraft batteries along the coast -Learned to fly out of range of Chinese .50 caliber machineguns -Chinese replaced those guns with 37mm cannons -His aircraft came under fire, but was never hit -Regularly took antiaircraft fire on missions -On one night patrol, they wound up deep inland -Flying without visuals because light would have given away their position -Avoided Chinese MiG-15s and YAKs (Soviet version of the P-51 Mustang) -Antiaircraft was more of a threat -Chinese pilots usually just taunted them and made obscene gestures at them -Seldom flew over land, and when they did it was by mistake -On the night patrol, they got blown off course -Had to fly at 500 feet to stay below Chinese radar -Got 50 or 70 miles inland -It was pitch dark and they were in a mountainous area -He used his bomb radar to help guide the plane out of the region -45 minutes later they were back over ocean and out of Chinese airspace -Scariest patrol even without enemy contact -Saw the runs along the coast as more adventurous than threatening (00:34:16) Casualties -Lost some planes during patrols -Missed one patrol, and the plane he was supposed to be on was shot down -Lost two or three planes due to antiaircraft fire -He was supposed to be on the plane that was shot down -Saved by going to the Philippines and having too much fun there -Punished by flying back to Okinawa in the cramped nose turret -Activated a cyst in his spine -Stayed in the hospital for a bit, but nobody talked to him -Nobody wanted to tell him the plane had been shot down (00:37:38) Taiwan -Flew around Taiwan, and landed there one time -The Taiwanese didn’t trust Americans �-Ordered to stay by their aircraft -Placed under guard by Taiwanese soldiers -Flew patrols looking for signs of hostility between China and Taiwan -Supposed to stop an invasion if the Communists or Nationalists tried to attack the other -He felt their chances of stopping an invasion were slim to none (00:39:58) The Korean War -Followed the course of the Korean War -If something happened in Korea, it affected them -Remembers President Truman firing General MacArthur -Servicemen were either disappointed or jubilant -The World War II veteran were happy with the decision -Still on Okinawa when the armistice was signed on July 27, 1953 -Tension decreased -Chinese stopped shooting at American aircraft -Shortly after the armistice, his squadron returned to Hawaii (00:41:48) Downtime on Okinawa Pt. 1 -Spent eight months on Okinawa -There wasn’t a lot to do when they weren’t flying missions -There were brothels outside the base, but he didn’t partake -Whiskey only cost $5 a gallon -Beer was available too -Had some theatres on the island -There were post-exchanges (PXs) to buy simple luxury goods (candy, cigarettes, etc.) (00:42:48) Civilians on Okinawa -Had civilians working on the base at Okinawa -Worked in the mess hall as servers, dish washers, and janitors -Cut the grass -Long lines of people using shears to cut the grass -The Ryukyuans were like the Japanese, but considered themselves different people -They were hardworking people -The Okinawans liked the Americans -Remembered the brutality of the Japanese occupation -Okinawans were massacred by Japanese soldiers near the end of WWII -Americans were viewed as liberators by the Okinawans (00:45:11) Stationed on Okinawa Pt. 2 -Did a lot of training on Okinawa -Did gunnery training on Okinawa with riot guns (modified shotguns) -Shot skeet and had perfect scores because of the widespread of shot -He and two other friends got lost returning from gunnery training -Walked through a village and the villagers lined the street to watch them walk through �-Learned later that it was the only communist village on Okinawa -Villagers were afraid of armed Americans coming through their village (00:46:54) Downtime on Okinawa Pt. 2 -Saw one USO Show during his time on Okinawa -Tennessee Ernie Ford with Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich (famous drummers) (00:47:38) Reassignment to Naval Air Station Glenview -Retuned to Hawaii after the Korean War -Stayed there for a couple months -Father wrote to him to say that his mother was dying -His father petitioned the Red Cross to get him reassigned -Would have taken six months to get reassigned -His father wrote to a friend, which led to contacting the Chief of Naval Operations -James received transfer orders to Naval Air Station Glenview, Illinois -Signed by Senator Joseph McCarthy -Good to Wisconsinites, bad for America -Worked in the electronics shop at NAS Glenview and also stood guard -Sometimes worked as the chauffeur for Admiral Daniel Gallery -Remembers Admiral Gallery giving orders to the fleet from the backseat of the car -James completed 24 combat missions qualifying him for an Air Medal -Other members of Squadron VP-22 were simply handed their Air Medals -James was awarded his Air Medal by Admiral Gallery during a ceremony -While at NAS Glenview, he realized that he was ready to be done with the Navy -He was one of the few regular Navy personnel stationed at NAS Glenview -Near the end of his time there, Chicago was hit by a bad snowstorm -Navy personnel were used to plow the streets of Chicago (00:53:40) Stationed at Naval Air Station Glynco & End of Service -Sent to Naval Air Station Glynco near Brunswick, Georgia, as his final duty station -Checked in at NAS Glynco and the personnel officer reviewed his record -He was the only serviceman qualified to operate a snowplow in Georgia -There were only two aircraft at NAS Glynco and only two pilots -One was a regular plane and the other was a helicopter -He added some electronics to the helicopter and to the headquarters building -Played a lot of football -NAS Glynco was a LORAN base -Primitive version of a global communications network developed in WWII -The LORAN transmitter was on a ten story-high blimp hangar -One of his jobs was checking on the transmitter -Had to climb a ladder to get to the roof -Worst job that he had in the Navy, since he hated heights -Navy occasionally brought out the blimps for missions �-Had been used as antisubmarine aircraft -NAS Glynco was in a beautiful part of the country -Near Jekyll Island and places popular with millionaires -Fifty miles north of the Florida border -Easy to drive down to Florida and enjoy the beaches on the Gulf of Mexico (00:57:35) End of Service -There wasn’t a lot of pressure to reenlist -When he was being discharged, he was asked about his plans after the Navy -Said that he wanted to return to college, which ended discussion about reenlisting (00:58:20) Life after Service -Returned to Chicago to study at Loyola University -Studied English and intended on becoming a teacher -At the end of his course work, he was told he would need to stay another year -This would have been to get his teaching certificate -Was married, had one child, and had another child on the way -Decided that he didn’t want to spend any more time in school -Moved to Michigan and worked for a variety of companies -Did sales management and advertising management -In 1996, he visited a friend who was the principal at Lake Michigan Catholic School -Secretary asked if James would teach, but he explained he didn’t have a certificate -Told he could be a substitute teacher for 90 hours, then become permanent -Eventually became a permanent teacher at Lake Michigan Catholic -He also coached track and football (01:00:27) Reflections on Service -Felt that the Navy was good for him -Believes that it helped him mature -Learned there were more serious things than being good at football -It was a positive experience for him -Learned that the harder he worked, the better off he was -Didn’t change his core personality (01:01:15) Maneuver Accident -In Hawaii, the Navy wanted to create a plan to prevent being caught off guard again -Memories of Pearl Harbor were still fresh -Plan was to send three American submarines out to sea, then sneak into Pearl Harbor -The 7th Fleet was tasked with finding and “destroying” the “enemy” subs -Squadron VP-22 was to lead the maneuver since they were an antisubmarine unit -James was on radar when he saw a blip on the screen -No “friendly” ships supposed to be at the blip’s location -Asked the plane commander to verify the target, which he did -They then began circling the target �-The copilot had an extremely bright searchlight -Once they got low enough, he turned on the light -Discovered it was the SS Lurline, flagship of the Matson Line -All the people on deck were temporarily blinded by the searchlight -They had wandered into the maneuver zone by accident -When they returned to base they were greeted by very unhappy high-ranking officers -Expected to be sent to prison -Matson Line clarified that they had made a mistake, not James’s plane -Saved James and the rest of his crew from being punished (01:05:25) Misidentified Targets -One night, a military cargo plane spotted a possible enemy submarine near Hawaii -James and the rest of the crew got out of bed around 3 a.m. then took off to investigate -Once they had a visual, they discovered that it was a whale -Cargo crew was sufficiently embarrassed -Would’ve found the situation funny if he hadn’t been so tired -On another patrol, they found an actual submarine -Discovered it by pure luck -Contacted the submarine on radio and ordered them to identify themselves -Came back as an American ship (01:07:42) Supply Drop Mission -There was a troopship bound for Japan when it experienced a cholera outbreak -James’s plane was tasked with flying the medicine out to the ship -The flight was so long they had to stop at Midway to refuel -Successfully dropped off the medicine and returned to base (01:08:45) Flight Specifics -On regular, non-recon flights, they flew higher than 500 feet -Usually flew at about 1,000 – 2,000 feet, and sometimes even higher (01:09:30) Getting a New Plane in Oakland -Sent to Oakland, California, to get a new P2V-5 Neptune -Flew to California in a Martin JRM Mars seaplane -The officers got to be in the passenger area, and the enlisted men stayed in the hold -Cold, couldn’t smoke, and didn’t have regular seats -Halfway through the flight, their pilot came down to tell them about the passenger area -James decided to go up to see if the radar operator wanted a break -Gave James a chance to have a smoke and sit in an actual seat -Radar operator came back so James could nap in a bunk -Returned to the hold and was greeted by disgruntled crewmates -Angry that he left them in the hold, but eventually forgave him -Once they got to Oakland they had to test the plane -He was smaller, so he was placed in the nose turret for the test flight �-He rotated the turret down, and it felt like he was going forward off the plane -Thought it hadn’t been tethered to the aircraft and he was falling -Turned out the pilot had put the plane in a shallow dive -James then went up and told the pilot to never do that again -This pilot wasn’t very good, anyway -On another flight, he landed a plane without landing gear (01:13:46) Pilots, Officers & Enlisted Men -Most of the pilots he worked with were good and competent men -Some of the officers were egotistical and let it get in the way of their service -One night, James was placed on guard duty to watch over the aircraft -Out of the dark, a jeep races up to an aircraft, a man gets out and gets in the plane -James ran over, cocked his pistol, and ordered the man out of the plane -Man handed over his ID and James inspected it -He was a pilot, but didn’t have the right to do that -James told him to leave -Pilot wanted to prosecute, but couldn’t because he was wrong -Had to fly with that pilot once and it was very tense -Remembers a friend of his setting fire to a dumpster -Walked around the building to call in the fire -Received a commendation for spotting the fire and reporting it -One of his jobs at the end of a flight was to get out of the plane and lock the landing gear -This was to prevent them folding under the aircraft’s weight -One night, he flew with the egotistical pilot who tried to take a plane -They landed and James jumped out of the plane -Blinded by bright, white headlights -He almost stumbled into a running propeller -Pilot had left his jeep parked with the lights on facing the landing area -James got back on the plane and berated the pilot for the mistake -Could’ve gotten killed -The pilot he usually flew with was a good man -He was a lieutenant junior grade -Most respected pilot in VP-22 -His regular copilot had served in WWII -His regular pilot was extremely calm, even in tense situations -During the mission in the Chinese mountains he stayed cool and collected -On one flight at Hawaii they lost an engine -Remained calm and casual as he requested an emergency landing � 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_OMalleyJ2096V Title A name given to the resource O'Malley, James M (Interview outline and video), 2017 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-01-24 Description An account of the resource James O'Malley was born in Chicago in October 1932. In April 1951, he enlisted in the Navy. He received his basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois, then went to Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, for Pre-Flight School. He then went to Naval Air Station Memphis, Tennessee, for Aviation Electronics School. James was sent to Naval Air Station Barbers Point on Oahu, Hawaii, and joined Squadron VP-22, an antisubmarine patrol squadron. He served aboard a P2V-5 Neptune and conducted antisubmarine patrols around Hawaii. In spring 1952, Squadron VP-22 was sent to Okinawa to fly reconnaissance missions along the Chinese coast as part of the Korean War. His plane took antiaircraft fire on multiple occasions and they encountered Chinese fighter planes. After the armistice was signed on July 27, 1953, he returned to Hawaii and was then reassigned to Naval Air Station Glenview, Illinois. His final duty station was at Naval Air Station Glynco, Georgia, and he was discharged from there. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource O'Malley, James M. 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. 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/64cc7151ae3a3318bb1dfdc6eca8bc3c.m4v 2061b7b0928ebda60a833a8cd767b651 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e2eaddbbdc1705305a7abf9b424a07b4.pdf 68019f43dd3af15b9003b9737c73ec8f PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Jacob Mol War in Iraq and War in Afghanistan 1 hour 32 minutes 9 seconds (00:00:39) Early Life -Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on December 15, 1986 -Lived on the West Side of Grand Rapids -Had four brothers and a half sister -Moved north to Cedar Springs, Michigan -Graduated from Cedar Springs High School -Father worked as an electrician all over the United States -Jacob traveled with him -Mother stayed at home, but also did dental assistant jobs -Worked various jobs after high school -Decided to forgo college because of the cost (00:02:28) Enlisting in the Marines -Decided to enlist in the Marines in May 2006 -Sworn in on September 11, 2006 -Part of a delayed entry program because he wanted to work on aircraft -Had been in the Young Marines when he was younger -Taught how to march and be in formation, values, and leadership skills (00:04:08) Basic Training -Sent to San Diego for basic training in February 2007 -It was cold at night and hot during the day -Boarded buses and taken to the base -Drill instructors got on the bus and started screaming at the recruits -Got off the bus and stood at attention waiting for further orders -Gathered gear, had their heads shaved, and moved quickly -Waiting to get sorted into their training unit -Arrived at 10 PM -Woke up the next day at 7 AM -Kind of expected the craziness of the first few days -Knew that if he followed orders he would be fine -Part of Platoon 2134 of Fox Company -Had one senior drill instructor and three other drill instructors -Three of the drill instructors were veterans and one of the drill instructors was new -Didn't know much about any of them -Phase One of basic training lasted a month -Starting physical training -Taught Marine Corps history -Received First Aid training and learned the basics of rifles -Phase Two of basic training was at Camp Pendleton, California -Received Field Training while at Camp Pendleton -Did two weeks of rifle training -One week of classroom work -Some men had never handled a rifle before in their entire life �-After a week of class they spent a week on the rifle range -Completed rifle training with qualifications -Did outdoor training at Camp Pendleton -Did “the Crucible” -Three or four days of night navigation training -Obstacle courses -Completed by running up the hill called “Reaper” and getting dog tags -Trained with the M16A2 rifle -Had iron sights -Accurate up to 500 yards -For night navigation training they were given a flashlight, compass, and a map -Worked with a team of five men and tried to avoid getting “captured” -His fire team did not get “captured” -Phase Three focused on physical training and uniform protocol -Taught how to take care of their uniforms -Did swimming qualification -Martial arts qualification -Trained with a lot of men from California, Texas, Ohio, and Michigan -There were a lot of Hispanic recruits -Befriended a lot of the men he trained with -There were no women training with them at San Diego -Only women he ever saw there were the Navy corpsmen doing medical work -Basic training lasted about three months, give or take a week -Assigned Marine Occupational Specialty 6213: fixed-wing aircraft mechanic (00:15:23) Marine Combat Training -Went home for two weeks of leave -Spent one week with his family -Spent another week working with recruiter -Getting new recruits ready for basic training and trying to get people to join -Sent to Camp Pendleton for Marine Combat Training -Abbreviated version of the School of Infantry that Marine riflemen went through -Advanced rifle training -Learning how to move forward while firing at targets set at varying distances -Trained with different weapons -M240 grenade launcher, .50 caliber machine gun, other larger weapons, and hand grenades -Received more land navigation training -One day of Day Navigation -Had to move from one point to the next while staying concealed -One night of Night Navigation -More difficult because they had to move through the mountains -Pretty much everyone passed Marine Combat Training -Men only got held back due to medical reasons (00:20:10) Engine Training -Sent to Pensacola, Florida for “A School” -Taught how to work on aircraft engines -Three months of classes -Similar to a college course -Taught by civilian and Navy instructors -Learned about jet engines, helicopter engines, and turboprop engines �-The higher your class ranking, the more choice you had about what aircraft you would work on -He was #2 in his class -He selected EA-6B Prowler work -The Prowler was a fixed-wing jet aircraft derived from the A-6 Intruder -Used extensively in the Vietnam War -Used for electronic warfare -Jam radar, conceal aircraft, and pick up enemy communications -Core of most of the aircraft was 20 to 50 years old -Fun to work on (00:24:53) Prowler Training -Sent to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington to learn how to work on the Prowler -Part of a Marine Corps and Navy joint training squadron -Learned about the fuel system, engine, oil system, and landing system of the aircraft -Taught how to do flight inspections -Trained there from October through November 2007 -Able to go home for Thanksgiving 2007 (00:26:47) Downtime during Training -Allowed to go off the base when he was at Pensacola -No vehicles allowed -When he was at NAS Whidbey Island he was allowed to have a car -His cousin let him borrow his car, so he could go into Seattle (00:27:47) Stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point -Assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina -Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 3 (VMAQ-3) -VMAQ-3 was getting ready to deploy in 20 days, so he was swapped into VMAQ-2 -Learning how they worked in a VMAQ -VMAQ-2 was basically the same as VMAQ-3 just with a different command -Squadrons were on a six month rotation at the time -The squadrons worked together at Cherry Point -He was with VMAQ-2 for a few months -Transferred to VMAQ-4 for a month -Transferred back to VMAQ-3 when they got back from their deployment -Because he moved between squadrons so much, he received some training multiple times -For example, he had to go through gas chamber training multiple times -This involves putting on a gas mask and other gear to protect from WMDs -You then go into a room that is sealed and filled with tear gas -Once the room is full, you remove your gas mask and inhale the gas -The objective is to give you an idea of what a gas attack would be like (00:32:22) Deployment to Iraq & Arrival in Iraq -Deployed to Iraq in August 2009 with VMAQ-3 -Orders for Al Asad Air Base in Iraq -Didn't know what to expect going into Iraq -They were on the south side of the air base -Lived in huts made out of shipping containers -Had doors, windows, and air conditioning -Had a gym, chapel, and a general store on the base -Before deploying they went to a base in Nevada for pre-deployment training -Spent a month there getting used to a desert climate -Got used to working 12 hour shifts �-He always worked at night -Didn't receive any cultural training -Wouldn't have much contact with the Iraqis anyway -Left the United States on C-130s and flew to Germany -Spent a day in Germany -Took a commercial airliner to Kuwait and boarded C-130s again to fly into Iraq -First thing he noticed about Iraq was how hot, dry, windy, and sandy it was -Daytime temperatures averaged at 120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit -Didn't deploy as a whole squadron -Prowlers and a forward unit went over two weeks earlier than the rest of the squadron -Ironically, Jacob's group got there earlier because one of the Prowlers got delayed -When they arrived, VMAQ-1 was still there (00:38:17) Stationed at Al Asad Air Base -Had concrete bunkers that the aircraft could be stored inside -Huge blast doors on the outside and dual tunnels that led out onto the runway -VMAQ-1 had a similar bunker about an eighth of a mile down the runway -Nice to have an enclosed space to work in -Out of the sun and safe from small arms fire or mortars -Never attacked when he was in Iraq -They were about 100 kilometers west of Baghdad -Basically in the middle of nowhere -Built around an oasis -Knew almost nothing about the Iraq War or Al Asad Air Base's history before arriving -Heard stories about Saddam's treatment of the Iraqi people -Knew Al Asad had been some kind of leisure and sports compound during Saddam's regime -Note: Originally named Qadisiyah Airbase and built during the 1980s -Worked from 5 PM to 7 AM, plus or minus a half hour -Had evening meal as breakfast then briefed on what needed to be done during the shift -Usually sent out aircraft on night missions -Did an inspection of the Prowlers then got them ready to fly -Sent out two aircraft at a time -If there was nothing else to do then they could just sit around for the remaining six hours -Had internet and computers to pass the time -Able to get their work done at a relaxed pace, most of the time (00:44:56) End of Deployment in Iraq -Deployment ended in February 2010 -Last Marine air unit in Iraq -They were relieved by the Navy -Worked with the Navy personnel when they came to help shut down the air base -Had to gather up any left over Marine gear -Had been in Iraq for seven or eight months (00:46:30) Technical Problems in Iraq -Had to do oil changes on the aircraft almost every time they came back from a mission -Very repetitive task -If they didn't have to do an oil change then they still had to do an oil inspection -Basically making sure there wasn't too much dust and sand in the oil -Air frames of the aircraft always broke because they were so old -Washed the Prowlers every couple days to keep them dust free -Also made sure they stayed dry so no dust or sand could stick to the plane �(00:49:20) Morale in Iraq & Contact with Home -Morale was affected due to the length of the shifts -Noticed that halfway through the deployment tensions flared -Near the end of the deployment everyone started to calm down again -Worked out at the gym to deal with frustration -Slept a lot to pass the time -Wore headphones when he slept and listened to classical music to drown out the aircraft noise -Able to Skype his family once a week -Chance to let them know that he was okay and how life was in Iraq (00:52:19) Returning to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point -Left Iraq in February 2010 and got 20 days of leave -Returned to Michigan and went to the Upper Peninsula with his family to go snowmobiling -Returned to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point -Took the Prowlers apart for in depth inspections and to clean their components -Some of the aircraft needed their engines swapped out -More in depth maintenance after returning to the States than deploying to Iraq (00:54:23) Deployment to Afghanistan -There was a rumor they would be deployed to Japan for a shorter, three month deployment -A month later their orders were changed to Afghanistan -Did pre-deployment training in Yuma, Arizona -Different because he had a higher rank and there were new men in the unit -VMAQ-3 received another Prowler and about 30 new Marines to maintain said Prowler -Passed through Germany, again, en route to Afghanistan -Flew from Germany to Kyrgyzstan -Got to spend the day there -Interesting place -A lot of vendors selling old Soviet gear -He bought $200 worth of Soviet stuff and sent it back home -Boarded a commercial airliner and flew to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan (00:58:20) Stationed at Bagram Air Base -He was stationed at Bagram for his entire deployment in Afghanistan -Bagram was huge compared to Al Asad -His unit was quartered next to the emergency evacuation helicopters, C-130s, and the hospital -More of a sense that he was in a war zone -Every two or three days militants shot rockets or mortars at Bagram, usually at 2 AM or 9 PM -Came out of batteries in the city or in the hills near the base -Most of the time the rockets hit nothing, but when they found their mark they caused damage -When they took mortar/rocket fire they went into bunkers scattered around the base -Concrete enclosures capable of taking a direct hit -In retaliation, attack helicopters went out to search and destroy the enemy batteries -Missions took about an hour, which meant they had to sit in the bunkers for an hour -Worked day and night shifts at Bagram -Noon to midnight for half of his deployment then midnight to noon for the other half -Never worried about small arms fire (01:02:09) Living Conditions at Bagram -Sleeping arrangements were worse at Bagram than in Iraq -Slept in wooden shacks with screen windows -City of Bagram was a quarter mile away, but they were not allowed to go into the city -Bagram was primarily used as an R&R base for soldiers in Afghanistan �-Had cheerleaders and comedians tour the base to entertain the troops -He didn't go to those shows because he felt the combat troops needed them more -Had a bazaar on base that acted as a sort of local shopping center -Remembers they had furs for sale that were illegal to buy in the United States -There were Afghan food vendors and a Pizza Hut -The chow hall (dining hall) at Bagram was better than the one at Al Asad -Wider variety of choices (01:06:16) Security in Afghanistan -Never went off base -There was a school on the base for Afghan children, so he was able to visit that -Remembers the children were friendly and wanted candy -During the last two months he was placed on security detail because he hurt his back -Gave him a chance to see the security measures put in place on their end of the base -Had a guard shack with a rotating security camera -Marine(s) patrolled the area near the guard shack with Air Force guards in towers -Had T-walls (steel-reinforced concrete walls topped with razor wire) -Also had old Soviet landmines scattered around the perimeter of the base (01:09:10) End of Deployment in Afghanistan Pt. 1 & Getting Wounded -On the last day in Afghanistan he got wounded -He had everything packed up except for his rifle -Shells started landing near the building he was in, so he ran outside toward a bunker -Once inside someone pointed out to him that his arm was bleeding -He had taken a small piece of shrapnel in his arm -Closest encounter he had with combat (01:11:29) Progress of War in Afghanistan -Friend told him they had taken more mortars following the execution of Osama bin Laden on 5/2/2011 -Learned that VMAQ-3 had sent out aircraft to support the raid -The bombardment in which he got wounded led to a delay in leaving Afghanistan -Needed to repair the holes in the runway -Knew something big happened whenever there was a lot of activity at the hospital -Saw men missing arms and legs -Able to watch the news, but he usually knew more about what happened than the news talked about (01:15:36) End of Deployment in Afghanistan Pt. 2 & End of Enlistment Pt. 1 -Came home in May 2011 -Enlistment was for five years, so that was coming to an end as well -Placed in an old C-130 hangar at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point -Did not lose any aircraft on either deployment -Only one aircraft got hit by enemy fire in Afghanistan and it was a fairly easy repair -When he got back to the States in May he had nine months left in his enlistment -Could have gone on another deployment, but the rotation schedule changed -Prowlers were being replaced by the EA-18G Growler (variation of the F/A-18F Super Hornet) -He felt the Prowlers were better for electronic warfare because they were simpler aircraft -EA-18Gs had problems with jamming their own electronics -Decided at the beginning of his enlistment not to make a career out of the Marines -Wanted to serve his country, serve his family, and qualify for the GI Bill (01:22:00) September 11, 2001 -He was 15 years old when the September 11th Attacks happened -Remembers being at school, it was 9 AM, and he was in health class -Teacher got a call and turned on the news �-Watched in real time as the jet hit the second World Trade Center Tower -Feels that it had a little influence on his decision to enlist -Wanted to do his part to defend his country and his loved ones (01:23:52) End of Enlistment Pt. 2 -Not much encouragement for him to reenlist -Military was downsizing at the time -Iraq War was coming to an end -War in Afghanistan was slowing down -Discharged in February 2012 (01:24:42) Life after Service -Moved back to Michigan and moved in with one of his brothers -Tried to get a job working on aircraft, but nobody was hiring at the time -Got hired at the plastics factory that his brother worked at -Worked there for two months -Hired by Loomis Armored (a cash handling company) -Applied to Grand Valley State University in mid/late 2013 -Majored in electrical engineering -Feels the Marines prepared him for hands-on work, taught him discipline, and multitasking -Also made him a little too picky when it came to irrelevant details -Wasn't too hard for him to readjust to civilian life -Didn't want to be around too many people for a while -Took a year to return to his “old self” -Even after a year school came as a bit of a shock -Noticed a definite gap between the civilian students and the veteran students -Hard time relating to the younger students (01:31:24) Reflections on Service -Feels that his time in the Marines made him more responsible -Changed him for the better -Appreciates everything that he got out of his time in the Marines -Enjoyed the work he did in the Marines and the people he worked with � 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_MolJ1778V Title A name given to the resource Mol, Jacob (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-06-18 Description An account of the resource Jacob Mol was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on December 15, 1986. In May 2006 he decided to enlist in the Marines and was sworn in on September 11, 2006. He began basic training in San Diego in February 2007 then received Marine Combat Training at Camp Pendleton, California. He was designated as a fixed-wing aircraft mechanic and trained on aircraft engines in Pensacola, Florida. He graduated second in his class and volunteered to work on EA-6B Prowlers. He received training with those aircraft at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington then joined Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 3 (VMAQ-3) at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. He deployed to Iraq in August 2009 and was stationed at Al Asad Air Base until February 2010 then deployed to Afghanistan in fall or winter 2010 and was stationed at Bagram Air Base until May 2011. He completed his enlistment at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point and was discharged in February 2012. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Mol, Jacob Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Iraq War, 2003-2011--Personal narratives, American 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/61195af4b514dd7a7c13f7e9ed0af2ec.m4v 87cfaafd424e4e180601a36332bc37c0 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/73d686f0c72daa014779c0d5ab955589.pdf 8342838519e8570b0a056bd68d516749 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Marjorie Matthews World War II – Red Cross (Stateside) 41 minutes 27 seconds (00:00:33) Early Life -Born in Muskegon, Michigan, in 1922 -Moved to North Muskegon when she was a year old -Father owned a tea company -Grew up in North Muskegon -Had two older brothers and two older sisters -Wonderful schooling experience -History teacher taught the students how to dance -Played basketball for five years -Played games against other schools in the area -Really enjoyed journalism (00:02:50) Start of World War II -Not too aware of the events unfolding in Europe and Asia during the 1930s -In retrospect, she’s surprised that she wasn’t more aware of those events -Remembers the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 -Oldest brother couldn’t enlist because he was too old, but her other brother enlisted -He served in North Africa, but returned to the United States after being in combat -Had to psychologically recover at the hospital in Battle Creek, Michigan -She worked in the office for Seal Power -Newspaper boys went past the office in the morning -One way she kept up with the news of the war -At the beginning of the war, the news wasn’t good for the United States -Suffered a series of major losses in the Pacific Theater -Once rationing went into effect you had to make your own butter -Rationing applied to every good that could be used for the war effort -Nylon, cigarettes, and gasoline, to name a few items -Went to an assigned ration distribution center to gather supplies -Her place was the post office in Muskegon -Everything that was rationed went to the soldiers -Drank more tea than coffee because tea was easier to get (00:08:00) Joining the Red Cross -Felt she needed to be part of the war effort -Joined the Red Cross -Had weekly meetings in Muskegon -Assigned a Red Cross uniform (dress, nylons, and high heels) -Joined the Red Cross with a friend from Seal Power �(00:09:33) Red Cross Motor Corps -She wanted to be in the Motor Corps, and got in -Delivered magazines to the military hospital in Battle Creek -Allowed her to visit her brother who was recovering in that hospital -Took a test to join the Motor Corps -Had to know how to change a tire -Received training from the Red Cross -Had to drive well -Brought a sailor to the hospital at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois -Knew how to drive before she joined the Red Cross Motor Corps -Knowing how to drive was a prerequisite to joining the Motor Corps -Went to meetings at Hackley Park -Marched at the park with other Red Cross volunteers -Worked during the day and went to Red Cross meetings at night -Women had to work because most of the men were in the military -Had Red Cross meetings Monday through Saturday, and had Sunday off (00:15:05) News of the War Pt. 1 -Had a radio at home -Allowed her to listen to USO Shows with Bob Hope and Jack Benny -Went to the movies to see the newsreels -Kept civilians up to date about the war -News about actors serving overseas -Got a lot of information from the newsreels before the movies -Had an almost constant stream of information about the war via the newsreels (00:17:22) Family Members’ Service -Her future husband served in the Army as a captain -Got some information from him -Brother-in-law served in the Army Air Force -He was killed-in-action when he was shot down over the Zuiderzee, Netherlands -Kept in touch with her brother via letters until he was sent to Battle Creek -Brother couldn’t psychologically cope with combat and seeing men killed -Had a nervous breakdown -Stayed at Battle Creek for three or four years recovering from his episode -Capable of recognizing Marjorie when she visited, but he didn’t talk much -Eventually recovered and did window art for Hardy-Herpolsheimer’s in Muskegon (00:22:05) Fellow Red Cross Workers & Social Life Pt. 1 -Didn’t have much interaction with the other Red Cross workers -Did different work for the Red Cross -Worked with her friend from Sealed Power -Social life was very different during the war -Not a lot of young men around (00:23:44) News of the War Pt. 2 -Just waited to hear the news and didn’t think much about the progress of the war �-Waiting for it to finally end -It was a tragic time (00:24:24) Casualties -Brought magazines to the wounded men recovering at the hospital in Battle Creek -Wounded men from Michigan went to Battle Creek to recover -A lot of her high school classmates were killed-in-action (00:25:45) End of the War -Remembers Victory in Japan Day (August 15, 1945) -Went into downtown Muskegon to celebrate -People poured into the street -Everyone was overjoyed that the war was over -Sense of elation after years of hardship and suffering -Bars were filled with people -It took a while for things to return to normal -Get the soldiers home -Rationing ended in 1946 -Shortly after the war’s end she left the Red Cross (00:31:00) Working at Sealed Power -Had 200 – 250 women working at Seal Power during the war -Remembers Sealed Power held a party for the women workers at the hotel in Muskegon -Sealed Power made piston rings for the war effort -She worked as a switchboard operator for Seal Power (00:32:48) Social Life Pt. 2 -Big bands came to Fruitport, Michigan -Wonderful time -Saw the Glenn Miller Band play in Fruitport -Band played during her wedding (without Miller; killed-in-action 1944) (00:34:41) Reflections Pt. 1 -Being in the Red Cross gave her something to do besides work -It was a fast life during the war -Never knew what was going to happen -Felt she played a small part, but it took a lot of small parts to achieve victory (00:36:40) Death of President Roosevelt & the Atomic Bombs -Remembers working the switchboard when she heard President Roosevelt died (April 12, 1945) -Everyone working the switchboard got the news at the same time -Knew he was sick, but it came as a shock that he died -Remembers the dropping of the atomic bomb -Didn’t know how horrendous it was at the time -Didn’t agree with the bombing, but knew it helped end the war with Japan (00:38:40) Reflections Pt. 2 -Experience during the war had a profound impact on her -It was a hard time, and she hopes we don’t have to go through that again -Hopes her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and future generations can grow without wars � 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_MatthewsM1954V Title A name given to the resource Matthews, Marjorie (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-09-27 Description An account of the resource Marjorie Matthews was born in Muskegon, Michigan, in 1922. Shortly after America's entry into the Second World War she joined the Red Cross and served as a driver in the Motor Corps in Muskegon. Her duties ranged from the transportation of servicemen to delivering magazines to the military hospital in Battle Creek, Michigan. She also worked for Seal Power in Muskegon (a company that was part of the war effort) as a switchboard operator. Marjorie left the Red Cross after the war's end in 1945, and she worked for Seal Power for a total of 13 years. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Matthews, Marjorie Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) 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 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/9cfbda3aab441a94659ff2a0baba46f4.m4v 64fc47310662c650a85ed6140eb16a01 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ccecabe8fbead858b809e7ab0c69206d.pdf bb90889f957a9a363a63b1e104840ac2 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Lawrence Koster Length of interview: (54:58) (00:37) Early Life       Lawrence (Larry) was born on May 13, 1935 in Grand Rapids Michigan His father was an auto mechanic and his mother was a housekeeper o Lawrence had an older brother and a younger sister o Three of his uncles served in World War Two; two served in Europe and one served in the far east He remembers that most goods were rationed during the war. He graduated high school in June 1953 o Though the Korean war was going on, he didn’t think that he would be drafted After graduating, he went to Calvin College for two years and took math and science courses o One of the classes he took was a correspondence course. He learned about radio theory and television Larry couldn’t continue with this type of coursework at Calvin but he saw that he could do similar work in the military o He decided to enlist for three years; eleven months of his enlistment was going to consist of schooling (5:15) Military Life     Larry was able to select his job in the military as long as he could manage the work He reported for duty on April 26, 1956 o He traveled by train to Detroit and from there, they were taken to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri o There they were placed in a coal-heated barracks and issued army cloths. While they were at Leonard Wood, they had to complete tedious tasks such as leveling off large piles of rocks After three to four days, they were sent to Fort Hood, Texas for basic training o Fort Hood was located in a desolate area. Larry was placed in Company C (out of four training companies) (10:10) The training consisted of marching, learning how to follow rules, exercising, and firing weapons o Drill sergeants yelled at them frequently in order to keep the men in line. Some of the instructors were veterans of the Korean War o During the months he was training (May and June), Fort Hood was extremely hot. He had to opportunity to go off base but he wasn’t interested in leaving �        o Though he was assigned to the 4th Armored Division, he didn’t receive any armor training After eight weeks of training, Larry returned to Grand Rapids for a short leave (14:10) When his leave was up, he was sent to Fort Bliss, Texas for Air Defense School o He bunked in a large room with eight other men. The buildings were nice than the ones at Fort Hood The schooling began with basic math o The men taking the classes ranged from high school to college graduates. A lot of them had little knowledge of basic math so the first 12 weeks were spent on core skills o After the basic skills, he went on to complete an additional 30 weeks of schooling. This additional schooling was for learning the computer system of the Nike Ajax Missile o There were a series of tests that determined what sort of problems the system was having. Vacuum tubes caused the most problems. Although there were a lot of dust storms in the area, the equipment stayed relatively clean and secure from the weather The Nike Ajax was an air defense system o It had a radar that showed all aircraft in a particular area. An additional radar allowed the operators to lock on to a particular aircraft and follow its course. When the missile was fired, the radar would lock on to the target, allowing the missile to hit its mark (21:55) The schooling was more relaxed that basic training o Larry attended classes for 40 hours a week and when they transitioned to the Ajax System, his class time decreased o They didn’t go out to the range at all during the schooling. It was comparable to attending civilian college. He wrote a lot of letters to his girlfriend Nancy and exercised at the gym When he was sent home on leave for Christmas, Larry married his girlfriend Nancy o There were no accommodations for married couples on base so he rented a small house located several miles from Fort Bliss o Lawrence’s wife had worked as a secretary at an insurance company in Grand Rapids; this experience allowed he to land a job at Prudential Insurance Company in El Paso People in El Paso treated servicemen well Larry completed his training in June 1957 o A lot of the men were given the opportunity to go to different Ajax sites around the United States. he was given the chance to stay in El Paso, and he accepted o He was assigned to a radar park, which was a large field where a lot of the radar systems were located. There were three large vans (large trailers) where each type of radar was placed o They tracked aircraft flying near the El Paso Airport and Biggs Army Airfield but they weren’t working with live missiles �     (30:40) During this time, the Soviet Union was creating its own missile systems o When Sputnik was launched, Larry and his group was put on alert. There was speculation that the carrier part of the rocket would land in the south western part of the United States. Larry and several other men watched for several hours to see where it would land; however, they never saw it In the radar park, there were five or six men assigned to each radar set o The men worked in shifts. Every day, they went out and checked the equipment to make sure everything was functioning properly for each class that came in o The people he worked with were from various backgrounds and not all of them were college graduates He taught students how to maintain the Ajax system. He showed them how to run diagnostics and pinpoint particular issues On several occasions, he would cause issues to occur so that the students could learn how to fix them o This was often done by installing a bad vacuum tube. He sometimes exited the vans from a window and disconnected a wire outside. It took the students some time to figure out how to solve the problem (39:40) When his time was up, he was encouraged to reenlist but decided to finish college instead o A year after Larry was married, his wife gave birth to a baby girl o In April 1959, his time in the service was up. Three months before that, the army started to offer proficiency pay to those who qualified. Larry took a proficiency test and got the highest score in his battalion. This earned him an additional 30 dollars (42:20) Post-Army Life    After leaving the military, he accepted a job at IBM o He had to go to Kingston, New York for five months of training. The training was done on the Sage Computer, an air defense system built by IBM and operated by the air force. o IBM had a contract with the air force to maintain the system (some of the largest computers ever built). Larry worked for IBM for 36 years full-time o He worked in Syracuse for a year and worked on a large system that consisted of two computers working together for air defense o He eventually got into software programming and was able to code his own programs. o After his son was born, he transferred to Poughkeepsie, New York and worked in a lab. He also finished his degree in mathematics While he was working in the lab, he helped research new computer chip technologies In 1984, the software organization he was with moved to North Carolina o Larry worked in computer design and programming. In the late 1980s, several overseas companies started to make products with similar codes as IBM. He was involved in litigations work until his retirement from IBM in 1995 �o   In 1996, he continued to work three days a week at IBM In 2010, he and his wife moved to Michigan to be closer to their children Larry is grateful for his time in the military because he met a lot of good people and it allowed him to have a career at IBM � 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_KosterL1763V Title A name given to the resource Koster, Lawrence R (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-14 Description An account of the resource Lawrence Koster was born on May 13, 1935 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After attending Calvin College for two year, he enlisted in the army with the idea that he would be allowed to finish his degree. Since his test scores were high, he was given special training to maintain the Nike Ajax Missile system. Once he completed his training, he was stationed in Fort Bliss, Texas where he trained recruits in the maintenance of the Ajax Missile System. He discusses the tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union during this time. When he left the military, Lawrence took advantage of his electronics experience and went to work for IBM. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Koster, Lawrence R. 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 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/02a33e0d11e84786e6917df5db6fc1c5.m4v 762eadfcb326f7151fc7716b6e34ee14 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/fd690ff8c4fbe94b316a094a290317f9.pdf 78c9a96e40294955733a5f7f93d6fc52 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Robert Knight Cold War-Post Korean War 1 hour 1 minutes 32 seconds (00:01:50) Early Life Pt. 1 -Born in Decatur, Michigan on March 28, 1933 -Ancestors settled in Decatur in 1828 (00:02:08) Service in the Air Force -Enlisted in the Air Force -Discharged from the Air Force with the rank of staff sergeant (00:02:22) Grand Rapids Home for Veterans -Resident at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Arrived three months prior to the interview date -Doesn't enjoy living there -Nothing in common with the other residents (00:03:10) Early Life Pt. 2 -Went to school in Decatur -Started school in 1939 -Father owned and operated the family's 2,000 acre farm -Father came from a wealthy family -Lost a lot of money during the Great Depression and people asking for money -Farm buildings are still standing as of interview date (2016) -Father studied at an older college in the eastern United States -Also studied at the University of Notre Dame -Graduated from high school in June 1951 -After high school he worked in Kalamazoo, Michigan at the Gilmore Brothers Department Store -Worked there for one year -Moved to Chicago to learn how to asses antique pewter and silver items for Marshall Field & Co. -Worked as an assistant buyer of antiques -Did it because it interested him and he enjoyed the work despite it not paying well (00:06:56) Life after Service Pt. 1 -Managed contracts for Loyola University -Did that for ten years after the Air Force -Mostly did grants for the medical school (00:07:33) Enlisting in the Air Force -Enlisted in the Air Force on March 3, 1953 -Didn't want to be drafted into the Army (00:08:05) Basic Training -Sent to Sampson Air Force Base for basic training -Near Geneva, New York -No heat in the barracks, so it was very cold -Base was located on Seneca Lake -Didn't enjoy the military very much, but would rather be in the Air Force than the Army -Recruits came from all over the United States, but most were from the Midwest -Most of the training instructors (Air Force equivalent of drill sergeant) were good men -Remembers one TI that he didn't like �-Rural background, uneducated, and generally unlikable -Basic training lasted eight weeks (00�:10:26) Technical School -Sent to technical school at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base near Cheyenne, Wyoming -Old base built in 1867 -Quartered in some of the original buildings -Trained there for two or three months -Studied property accounting and material services for the Air Force (00:11:40) Joining the 1st Pilotless Bomber Squadron -Sent to Patrick Air Force Base, Florida to train with a guided-missile unit -Stationed there until he was deployed to West Germany -Unit size was 600 men -He was part of the 1st Pilotless Bomber Squadron -Later attached to the 36th Fighter-Bomber Wing (00:13:29) Stationed at Bitburg Air Base Pt. 1 -Deployed to Bitburg Air Base, West Germany in March 1954 -Near the ancient city of Trier -Located in western Germany -Known for wine making (00:14:58) Promotions in the Air Force -1st Pilotless Bomber Squadron was relatively new which led to easy promotions -Quickly ascended through the ranks -At the end of his enlistment he was offered a $2,000 reenlistment bonus -Declined because he had no interest in staying in the Air Force (00:15:40) Stationed at Bitburg Air Base Pt. 2 -He worked in the supply section -Ordered supplies, parts, and equipments for the squadron -Had a manual to go by for ordering materiel -Squadron had B-61A Matador missiles -Stationed at Bitburg Air Base for two and a half years (00:16:38) Travel in Europe -Traveled all over West Germany -Met some interesting people and old German families -Old aristocratic families -Had never seen extravagant houses like that -Befriended some family members from the von dder Marwitz noble family -Often a guest at their home on the Rhine River -Learned that members of the old aristocracy hadn't had to fight in World War II -Visited family friends and relatives that lived in a suburb of Copenhagen -Part of an Air Force program called, “Meet the Danes” -Danes had wonderful food and wine -Stayed with the Bjerregaard family that was from Jutland, Denmark -Wife of the family was an accomplished pianist -Family had served as part of the Danish Resistance -Spied against the German occupation forces -Lived in a small house -Good gardeners and cooks -Spent every major holiday with them and bought presents for the children -Learned about the ancient Norse mythology �-Visited Rome with a priest who served as a courier to the Vatican -Spent two weeks in Rome and ate his dinners in fine restaurants (00:24:54) Maneuvers -Went on maneuvers while at Bitburg Air Base -Enjoyed the rations until he got sick on them -Went on maneuvers around Bitburg -Had gone on maneuvers in the United States, so it didn't come as a shock to him (00:25:35) Deployment to Germany -Sailed to West Germany on the USS General Harry Taylor -Troop transport -In service until 1993 -High waves meant they had to stay inside the ship, or risk getting swept overboard -Had to hold onto food trays, or risk losing your food during a meal -Had to find something to hold onto while taking a shower, or risk falling onto the tile -Took nine or ten days to cross the Atlantic Ocean -High winds during the voyage (00:27:50) Stationed at Bitburg Air Base Pt. 3 -Bitburg had been the location of a German base from World War II -Quartered in one of the barracks -Across from the base chapel and it was a good, clean building -Base was expanded during his time there -Squadron grew from 600 men to 1,000 men (00:29:13) Missile Testing in Libya -Tested missiles in the Sahara Desert -Remembers going swimming in the morning before it got too hot in the afternoon -Squadron asked for volunteers to go to Libya and he decided to go -Sent to Tripoli -Very old city -Forbidden to go into certain parts of the city -Went anyway out of curiosity -Arabs were friendly people, but easily offended -Operated out of Wheelus Air Base (now Mitiga International Airport) -Former Italian air base called Mellaha Air Base, used by the Luftwaffe in World War II -Had problems with Libyans sneaking onto the base and stealing supplies -Stationed in Libya for one month -Made sure the unit had enough supplies for missile testing -Ordered parts while at Bitburg -Parts had to be shipped over from the United States (00:34:13) Food -Had some German food served at the mess hall in Bitburg Air Base -Allowed to go into Bitburg to eat -Tried Bitburger Premium Pils beer -Food at the mess hall was pretty good -Had German cooks and some could speak English (00:35:50) German Civilians Pt. 1 -German women gravitated toward American servicemen and saw them as potential husbands -Some German women served as informants for the German government -Most German civilians didn't express negative opinions about the U.S. to American servicemen -Remembers going into a bar patronized by Germany Army veterans �-Not friendly and didn't go back -Bitburg had been frequented by Nazi officials during the Second World War -There were some people in Bitburg that still had sympathies for the Nazi regime -Predominantly Catholic population in Bitburg (00:38:33) Commendations -Awarded the Good Conduct Medal -Awarded the Army of Occupation Medal (00:39:05) Cold War Politics -Some German women worked as informants for the East German government -Tried to get American servicemen to tell secrets -Bitburg Air Base was in far western Germany near Luxembourg -Distant from Berlin and relatively removed from Cold War issues on the border (00:40:05) Contact with Home -Wrote to his mother -Father was dead by then -Wrote to friends from high school -Communicated by way of letters because they were virtually free -Could call home, but it cost money, and he enjoyed writing letters -Wasn't too bothered about being away from home -Enjoyed seeing the places where his family came from (00:41:17) Prostitution Pt. 1 -Luxembourg was popular with servicemen due to prostitution -Some prostitutes in Bitburg also worked as informants -Shunned by the community (00:42:13) Downtime in Bitburg -Spent time at the Non-commissioned Officers' Club -Had excellent food, beer, and wine -Better than the Officers' Club -Excellent wine country in Bitburg -A lot of white wine due to red wine required a lot of sunlight (00:44:20) Prostitution Pt. 2 -Other airmen invited him to Luxembourg -He went a few times, but wanted to save his money and didn't like the idea of paying for sex (00:44:59) Fellow Airmen -One of his bunk mates was from the American South -Had a few girlfriends in Luxembourg -Another one of his bunk mates had a Luxembourgian girlfriend, but was married -Non-commissioned officers were allowed to have alcohol in their barracks -He kept a case of beer under his bed and had a beer when he got up in the morning -Good man despite some of his dysfunctions -Remembers his third bunk mate was nicknamed, “Peanuts” (00:47:17) German Civilians Pt. 2 -Had a girlfriend who was from East Berlin -Frowned upon by the Air Force -Maternal grandmother was from Germany -Learned how to speak High German through her -Impressed and surprised Germans with his fluency in German (00:49:44) End of Service & Coming Home -Left as individuals according to their enlistment length �-Got discharged early and was home in time for Christmas 1956 -Left Bitburg Air Base and was discharged in New York in December 1956 (00:50:45) Life after Service Pt. 2 -Returned to Decatur, Michigan -Studied at Michigan State University for two years -Excelled in languages and social studies, but disliked complex mathematics -Majored in language and literature -Studied at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts -Went back to work for Marshall Field & Company as an assistant buyer -Did it because he enjoyed the work -Worked at the Michigan Avenue store in downtown Chicago -Remembers a work was stealing from the company and selling it to another business -Robert discovered a secret set of duplicate keys -Man had worked for Marshall Field & Co. for a long time -Ultimately got fired, but was not arrested -Worked at Morningside Antiques in Santa Fe, New Mexico -Helped them get organized -Worked for them for several years after leaving Chicago � 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_KnightR1937V Title A name given to the resource Knight, Robert James (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-03-31 Description An account of the resource Robert Knight was born in Decatur, Michigan on March 28, 1933. He enlisted in the Air Force on March 3, 1953 and received his basic training at Sampson Air Force Base, New York. He received property accounting and material services training at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming and then went on to Patrick Air Force Base, Florida where he was assigned to the 1st Pilotless Bomber Squadron. The squadron was attached to the 36th Fighter-Bomber Wing and was deployed to Bitburg Air Base, West Germany, in March 1954. He worked in the supply section at the base, went on maneuvers, and went to Wheelus Air Base, Libya for missile testing in the Sahara Desert. He left Bitburg Air Base in December 1956 and was discharged in New York in that same month. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Knight, Robert Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Erichsen, Wallace (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. 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/ecae43eab3405843dafa7ff7069708e7.m4v 2492e61fdb717bb64225f1f9309df4b6 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4f8c667b453020ca1931fa787066f47e.pdf fa29c40bc8952ab37e9421fef8184146 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Herb Kitchens Cold War (Post-Vietnam War) 12 minutes 29 seconds *Note: Times on the outline correspond with the interview’s timecode (02:48:40) Early Life -Born on October 24, 1940, in Bauxite, Arkansas -Grew up in Arkansas -Attended college in Arkansas and served a pastor in Arkansas for 12 years before enlisting -Attended the Missionary Baptist Seminary in Little Rock, Arkansas -Became a pastor part of the American Baptist Association -Got a lot of experience as a pastor before joining the Army (02:50:22) Enlisting in the Army -He was attending graduate school and a friend planned on becoming a Navy chaplain -Herb talked with his friend about the chaplaincy and some of the benefits -Wanted to work with soldiers, and felt he had a patriotic duty to fulfill -He was in seminary during the Vietnam War, so he couldn’t serve -First considered joining the Air Force, because Little Rock Air Force Base was nearby -Turned down because the Air Force had already met its quota of chaplains -Navy didn’t appeal to him because he couldn’t swim -Decided to join the Army in 1974 (02:52:10) Basic Chaplain’s Course & Stationed at Fort Hood -Attended the basic chaplain’s course at Fort Wadsworth, New York (after being at Fort Hood) -Took nine weeks to complete that course -Went on active duty after having a medical complication dealt with -Sent to Fort Hood, Texas, without a uniform and before he took the basic chaplain’s course -Signed into Fort Hood in October 1974, didn’t go to the course until January 1975 -Not unusual for chaplains to do that at the time -Spent his first three years in the Army at Fort Hood (aside from training) -Assistant chaplain in the division artillery of the 2nd Armored Division (02:54:56) Stationed in West Germany -Sent to West Germany in 1977 -Part of the 12th Engineer Battalion (attached to the 8th Infantry Division) on the Rhine River -Tour in Germany lasted three years -He loved his time in Germany -Learned how to drive a bulldozer so he could help the engineers -Inadvertently drove through a tank firing range, fortunately nothing happened -Gave him and his family a chance to travel around Europe and see the famous cathedrals -Part of a great unit �-He was made the post chaplain at Anderson Barracks near Dexheim, Germany -Worked with the German civilian clergy (02:57:40) Advanced Chaplain’s Course -Returned to the United States in the summer of 1980 -Went to the advanced chaplain’s course at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey -Lasted from the summer of 1980 to around Christmas 1980 (02:59:03) Stationed at Fort Hood (Second Time) -Sent back to Fort Hood, Texas, and was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division -Made the 2nd Brigade chaplain -Did that for three years -First time being a supervisory chaplain -Good learning experience -Formed long-lasting friendships at Fort Hood during his second time there (03:00:22) Chaplain’s School -Received orders to go to the Chaplain’s School to serve with the staff and faculty -Had to get a master’s degree in education to be able to work at the Chaplain’s School -Choice of studying near Fort Hood, or near Fort Monmouth <Tape ends before the interview is completed> � 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_KitchensH2063V Title A name given to the resource Kitchens, Herbert E (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-10-27 Description An account of the resource Herb Kitchens was born on October 24, 1940, in Bauxite, Arkansas. Prior to joining the Army, he attended the Missionary Baptist Seminary in Little Rock, Arkansas, and served as a pastor for 12 years. He joined the Army as a chaplain in 1974. He was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas, in October 1974, but didn't take his basic chaplain's course at Fort Wadsworth, New York, until January 1975. He spent his first three years in the Army at Fort Hood and served as an assistant chaplain in the division artillery of the 2nd Armored Division. He was sent to West Germany in 1977 and was assigned to the 12th Engineer Battalion at Anderson Barracks near Dexheim, Germany. He returned to the United States in the summer of 1980 and took the advanced chaplain's course at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. He returned to Fort Hood and served as the brigade chaplain of 2nd Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division for three years. After Fort Hood, he received orders to go to the Chaplain's School and serve as part of the staff and faculty. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kitchens, Herbert Earl 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 Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988--Personal narratives, American Persian Gulf War, 1991--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/b1cc9806fc2cec87c3205977e084abd3.m4v b6b6edf2adcdcd0aae2e3d1fed2ce5ad https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/97eede2a9c060131799b4dacc098f930.pdf 3893e56022381b149c971ed92bcc8813 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Herman Keizer (FB 2015) Vietnam War & Stateside Service 1 hour 40 minutes 16 seconds (00:00:48) Early Life -Born in Chicago on May 21, 1938 (00:01:30) Getting Drafted -Oldest of seven children and had to pay for his college tuition -Went broke in his third year in college which meant he had to drop out -When he dropped out he lost his draft deferment -Shortly after leaving college he got drafted (00:02:02) Becoming a Chaplain -When he got drafted he spent two years in the Army as a Chaplain's Assistant -Served at Fort Belvoir, Virginia from 1962 to 1964 -Served in the Army Reserves while studying at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Attended the Calvin Theological Seminary in 1968 -Commissioned as a chaplain in the Army (00:02:32) Vietnam War & Just War Theory -Vietnam War was getting unpopular and he wanted to get out of the Army -Professor wanted him to stay in and be an advocate for the soldiers -Had learned about the Just War Theory while at Calvin -Three part theory: -1. Justice Before War: Avoid war at all costs until war is the last resort -2. Justice in War -Discrimination (only fight and kill enemy combatants, not civilians) -Proportionality (no use of excessive force in war) -3. Justice After War -How do you foster peace following the war? -War reparations and establishing a new government -Most ambiguous part of the Just War Theory (00:05:35) Serving in Lai Khe with the 1st Infantry Division -Assigned to the 1st Battalion of the 26th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division -1st Infantry Division was slated to go home, which meant a reduction in chaplains -He was made the chaplain for the 3rd Brigade -Served with another Protestant chaplain and a Catholic chaplain -Based out of Lai Khe -Surrounded by combat zones -Lai Khe took rocket fire all the time -Flew out to firebases with the troops -Artillery outposts away from major bases -Supporting units in the field -During one operation they had to call in artillery fire -Lost a few men due to friendly fire -Volunteered to go into the field so he could be with his troops -Troops knew that he had served before -Respected him because of that �(00�:10:05) Cambodian Campaign -Went into Cambodia in the spring of 1970 -Got wounded during his time in Cambodia -Helping establish a firebase with four companies -Went out on a patrol with the first company -Discovered a Vietnamese medical center and a training area for sappers -Sappers: Combat engineers tasked with destroying fortifications -Knew they would get attacked within a matter of days -A few nights later their firebase got attacked by Vietnamese forces -Concussion of a rocket blast ruptured his air mattress -He sustained a concussion and a skull fracture -Helped get the wounded to safety -Treated a wounded man who had the back of his head blown away -Urged to get out of the field and get treated for his wounds -Refused, and stayed in the field to conduct memorial services for the dead -Put in for a Silver Star, but got a Bronze Star with a 'V' (valor) device -During his ten months in Vietnam he received multiple Bronze Stars (00:14:13) Convoy Incident -He was in a convoy, and in each truck there was at least one man with a loaded rifle for security -A little girl ran up to the first truck in the convoy and threw a grenade into the truck -A soldier in Herman's truck shot and killed the little girl -The soldier began sobbing because he had his own daughter back home -Herman stayed up with him all night and talked with him (00:15:35) Service in An Khe with the 4th Infantry Division -The 4th Infantry Division in An Khe needed a chaplain -Herman volunteered for the position -Sent to Pleiku -Created an amnesty program for drug users in the 4th Infantry Division -Joined the 1st Battalion of the 22nd Infantry Regiment -Slogan of the 22nd Infantry Regiment was, “It's the regulars, by God!” -Found the slogan funny because it was painted on his chaplain's jeep (00:17:34) Drug Problems in Vietnam -A lot of men in the 4th Infantry Division were getting addicted to heroin -In Vietnam, the heroin was about 99% pure -In Vietnam, a daily heroin habit cost approximately $10 -In the United States, such a habit could cost $100, if not more -Objective was to get the men sober in Vietnam before returning to the United States -If they returned home with the habit they could resort to crime -Most dangerous drug in Vietnam was heroin -Men turned to drugs for escapism -War had turned increasingly unpopular with the public from 1968 to 1970 -Men were frustrated with fighting a war that the public did not support -Frustrated with fighting a war in South Vietnam as opposed to in North Vietnam -Destroying and killing in the country they were supposed to defend (00:20:14) Moral Issues with the Vietnam War -Disagreed with tactics and overall strategy employed by the U.S. in Vietnam -Indiscriminate killing of noncombatants -Search & Destroy missions -Going into suspected villages and then destroying them �-Lack of morality in fighting the war -Men were being forced to fight a war they didn't believe in -No formal political recourse to protest the war -Could be drafted at 18 years old, but had to be 21 years old to vote (prior to 1971) -Three soldiers came to him to get conscientious objector status -One sergeant was opposed to the tactics being used in Vietnam, but not the mission of the war -Herman helped him file the paperwork to receive conscientious objector status -Government rejected the proposal -Eventually refused to fight and was imprisoned -The other two soldiers also opposed the tactics being used -One soldier refused to fight and was imprisoned -The other soldier refused to fire his weapon during a firefight and lost two friends -Saw Vietnamese prisoners-of-war thrown from helicopters for refusing to divulge information -Enlisted men and junior officers fought the war, not the high-ranking officers or politicians (00:28:08) Helicopter Crash -An Khe had originally been a base for the 1st Cavalry Division -Helicopter-oriented unit, which meant the base had helipads -One helipad was awkwardly placed which prompted the 4th Infantry Division to build a new one -Herman was riding in a helicopter and the pilot went to land -Forgot how to land at the new helipad which resulted in the pilot hitting high-tension wires -Destroyed the rear rotor blades and put the helicopter into a tailspin -Force of the tailspin threw Herman from the helicopter at a height of about 175 feet -Landed in elephant grass which helped cushion the fall -Rolled 50 or 60 meters before coming to a rest -Broke both of his arms because they took the brunt of the force (00:30:45) Recovery from Helicopter Crash -Took five months to recover from the crash -Once he was stabilized in Vietnam he was sent to Camp Zama, Japan -After Camp Zama he went to Great Lakes Naval Hospital in Chicago -Parents lived in Chicago, but his wife was in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Had survivor guilt -Felt he should be with his troops in Vietnam -Reflected on the randomness of life and death in war -He survived a fall that should have killed him -Another man was sniped, and killed, just for lighting a cigarette at night -Met his baby son for the first time while recovering at Great Lakes Naval Hospital -Humiliating experience -Couldn't feed himself or clean himself (00:33:49) Stationed at Fort Carson -Made the hospital chaplain at Fort Carson, Colorado -Stationed there from 1971 to 1972 -Administered to the sick -Some cancer patients -Remembers one terminal cancer patient -He was going to be transferred to Denver, but wanted to stay at Fort Carson -Herman helped the patient stay at Fort Carson to be close to his family -Once the man died, he helped the man's wife clean his body for the funeral -Followed the news on the Vietnam War -Began to work on Selective Conscientious Objection �-Wrote several papers to be presented to Congress -If there is an unjust war, then you must reject it on moral and legal grounds -Wanted to help people recognize the immorality of the Vietnam War -Some officers at Fort Carson objected -His commanding officer understood because his father had been a chaplain commander (00:39:43) Drug & Alcohol Program -Started at Drug & Alcohol Program while stationed at Fort Carson -Recommended AA meetings for his commanding officer's deputy, a one star general -Stayed sober for ten years until he relapsed and died in a car crash in Germany -Herman's program because the basis for the Army's larger drug & alcohol program (00:41:27) Overview of Army Career -Planned on staying in the Army until he retired after 20 years of service -A new protocol allowed him to stay in for 30 years, if he so chose -Reached the 30 year mark and was technically supposed to retire -Working on a sexual harassment case at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds -His commander wanted him to stay in -He “retired” Herman, then brought him back in to continue his work -Planned on staying in for two more years then retiring -Secretary of Defense wanted him to stay in for two or three more years after that -Needed Herman's help with the State Department's Office of International Religious Freedom (00:44:17) Sexual Harassment in the Military -First major case of sexual harassment that he worked on was at the Aberdeen Proving Ground (1996) -Male non-commissioned and commissioned officers were assaulting women in their showers -Abusing power they held over female soldiers -Read the reports then wrote a plan to deal with the issue -Put together a team of doctors and lawyers to deal with the problem -Worked for a week putting together the plan -Briefed the Chief of Staff of the Army and his secretary -Briefed the House Armed Services Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee -Military was chauvinistic and gender-segregated at the time -Women were a minority in the military -Felt the military needed a separate and impartial tribunal to deal with sexual harassment cases -His advice, as of the interview (2015), is still being debated (00:50:51) September 11th Attacks -He was working at the State Department on September 11, 2001 -Heard that a jet had hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center -Turned on a TV and watched the jet hit the South Tower -State Department was ordered to evacuate due to a bomb threat -During the evacuation he important hard drives in his safe -Advised the staff at the State Department to go home -Take separate subways -Felt they would be safer at home and easier to contact -Walked over the Memorial Bridge to the Pentagon -Helped cordon off an area to put the dead until a mobile morgue could be set up -Went into the central courtyard of the Pentagon to help administer to the first responders -Visited hospitals in the area -Lost 45 friends on September 11th -Went into the State Department the next day -Called and told that Secretary of State Colin Powell wanted to speak with him �-Congratulated Herman for sending staff home and getting them to safety -Secretary of Army needed a chaplain to help coordinate living arrangements for families of Reservists -Created a plan for families to stay in a hotel close to the base rather than in the base (00:57:21) Moral Health of Soldiers -Always concerned about the moral health of soldiers -Especially Reservists because they don't have a permanent network of support (00:58:34) Truth Commission on Conscience in War & Moral Injury in War -In 2009, two women from the West Coast approached him to put together a commission -Truth Commission on Conscience in War -He was suggested as a person to help them and he accepted -Had worked on a similar project before -Met with 80 or 90 commissioners at the Riverside Church in New York City -By 2009 they learned they could deal with psychological problems -Couldn't handle philosophical/religious questions soldiers had -Put together an “Eight Step Protocol” -Similar to the penance used by the Catholic Church during the Roman Empire -Christians couldn't serve in the Roman Army -Meant swearing allegiance to the emperor -Roman soldiers were allowed to convert to Christianity -Had to do nine months of penance -Navajo tribe had a similar integration process for its warriors -Knew a Vietnam War veteran that went through it -Both were ways for soldiers to rejoin their communities -Veterans need to tell their stories and tell it to an interested and empathetic community -Religious communities could help expedite that process -Has written on the concept of Moral Injury in War -Wrote a grant request for the Truth Commission -Granted $650,000 by the Lilly Endowment -Drew on his pastoral experience from the Vietnam War -Remembers being on Highway 1 and talking to a tank crew -Learned none of them had taken communion since arriving in Vietnam -Performed communion -Symbol of God's understanding and experience of human suffering -Used the Psalms as a source of inspiration -Psalms that expressed anger and frustration with God or the writer's enemy -Psalms of Lament -Psalms were a touchstone for soldiers in Vietnam -African tribes perform(ed) a similar ritual of reintegration for their warriors (01:10:23) Moral Effect on Soldiers & Community Pt. 1 -War is an alienating experience and distances soldiers from the self and from their communities -Soldiers experience a tremendous sense of loss upon coming home -Loss of unit, loss of mission importance, and loss of security -Loss culminates in grief which turns into guilt or shame -Guilt is more common with Vietnam War veterans -Shame is more common with veterans from Iraq or Afghanistan -All-volunteer military makes soldiers feel bitterness toward, and alienation from, their communities -A lot of Vietnam War veterans have returned to Vietnam -Feel that they need to make restitution, or make amends with the Vietnamese -Many Vietnamese neither remember, or are affected by, the war �-As a result, any American gesture is good, but not solving anything -Has noticed that a lot of new veterans go into intense, civil service careers -Firefighters, police, etc. -High rate of veterans wanting to go back to the war, even if they are incapable -Glad that we no longer blame soldiers for the war anymore -Herman was called a “baby killer” and was spit on when he was in the Army (01:19:55) Political & Social Nature of War -Every conflict since World War II has been an undeclared war -Lacking in strategy and lacking in legal, popular (Congressional) declaration -Lack of support from the Veterans Affairs -Soldiers need to rejoin their communities, not anesthetize themselves with alcohol or medications -American leadership has abandoned its moral agency in war, and by default it's placed on soldiers -It is a problem that has historical and moral precedents -We should not go lightly into war -Americans need to open a dialogue about about what war destroys -And if something is destroyed, can it be brought back, if ever? -Society has become materialistic and self-aggrandizing (01:29:48) Military-Industrial Complex -A new question is what if we begin to dismantle the military-industrial complex? -Basically, what if we downsized our military and disarmed? -American society is largely based on the manufacture and trade of weapons -Civilian manufacturing has been replaced with military manufacturing -The militarization of the police only fuels the military-industrial complex -Universities focus too much on science and mathematics -Lucrative fields that can support research & development for the military -Doctors of psychiatry endorsed, or excused, the torture of Iraqi prisoners -Soldiers, American citizens, and foreign citizens suffer for the profit of the wealthy (01:34:06) Moral Effect on Soldiers & Community Pt. 2 -Americans need to reestablish a sense of community to discuss pressing topics -Everything from starting a war to human sexuality -There is no discussion between parents and children or between neighbors -Soldiers come home to an isolated and disingenuous society -Soldiers need to tell their stories and be tangibly repaid for their service -Not walk in parades or be given a quick “thank you” in passing -Soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan are coming back with different kinds of trauma -For example, soldiers that deal with the recovery of the remains of soldiers killed by explosives -There is usually little, if anything, remaining to be sent home � 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_KeizerH1723V Title A name given to the resource Keizer, Herman Jr. (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-01-16 Description An account of the resource Herman Keizer was born in Chicago on May 21, 1938. He was drafted into the Army in 1962 and served as a Chaplain's Assistant at Fort Belvoir, Virginia until 1964. He studied at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and also attended the Calvin Theological Seminary in 1968. He was commissioned as a chaplain in the Army and was deployed to Vietnam. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion of the 26th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division and operated out of Lai Khe. He went into Cambodia in the spring of 1970, and due to actions there received a Bronze Star for valor. He joined the 4th Infantry Division in An Khe where he developed an amnesty program for soldiers suffering from drug addictions. While at An Khe, he broke both of his arms in a helicopter crash. He recovered at Camp Zama, Japan, and at Great Lakes Naval Hospital in Chicago. He served as the hospital chaplain at Fort Carson, Colorado, from 1971 to 1972 where he wrote an essay on Selective Conscientious Objection and wrote the basis for the Army's drug and alcohol program. He also worked on a case dealing with sexual harassment in the Army. He served at the State Department and helped with evacuation of personnel during the September 11th Attacks. After he retired from the Army he has stayed active with support groups for veterans, and helped with the Truth Commission on Conscience in War, and has also written on Moral Injury in War. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Keizer, Herman Jr. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Vega, Nikki (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American 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/c2cc37fe55f82d5c0636e3c660e382cd.m4v 315533310f586ba2703039cac688576a https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2a0e4ac1680d613e25570f86efdfc951.pdf 3091b92eec2e298cf76384f5100b623c PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Robert Keegstra World War II 40 minutes 55 seconds (00:00:32) Early Life -Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on April 20, 1919 -Grew up in Grand Rapids -Lived in several different houses that his father built -Father worked in the retail lumber business -Started his own company, Keegstra Lumber Company, in Grand Rapids -The Great Depression was difficult for his family -Father only brought home $25 a week, the rest went to keeping the company open -Had customers -Those that couldn't pay worked off their debt -Attended three different grade schools -Graduated from Grand Rapids Christian High School in 1937 -Took a year off after he graduated -Worked for his father -Hitchhiked around the United States -Saw the East Coast -Went to Calvin College in Grand Rapids -Studied there for two years -Majored in economics and business -Decided to transfer to Northwestern University in Chicago -Prior to transferring to Northwestern, he went to a program in Indiana about selling Bibles -Tried to sell Bibles in small towns in Texas, but he didn't make any money doing that -Attended Northwestern University for one year (00:04:55) Enlisting in the Navy -Got drafted when he was at Northwestern University -Had tried to enlist in the Army Air Force in Detroit -Turned away because he didn't meet all of the physical requirements -On the day he was supposed to report for the draft he went to Detroit and joined the Navy -Enlisted on August 7, 1941 (00:06:22) Basic Training -Went to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois for basic training -Part of basic training was figuring out where you would work the best -Accepted that, either way, he had to serve (00:07:02) Yeoman School -He knew how to type, so he volunteered for Yeoman School -Meant he would be doing secretarial-type work -Keeping track of where sailors were on base and filing other paperwork -Note: A wide range of administrative and clerical duties -Sent to Toledo, Ohio for Yeoman School -That school lasted 16 weeks -Graduated and made the rank of yeoman �(00:07:54) Stationed at Naval Air Station Glenview Pt. 1 -He did so well in Yeoman School that he could select where he wanted to be assigned -Selected Naval Air Station (NAS) Glenview in Glenview, Illinois -Near where his girlfriend lived -While stationed at NAS Glenview, he lived at his girlfriend's house and hitchhiked to the base (00:08:38) Start of the War -Remembers hearing about the attack on Pearl Harbor on the news -Came as a shock because he hadn't followed fighting in Europe and Asia since 1939 -Knew that it was the beginning of America's involvement in the Second World War -Noticed food and gas rationing go into effect -Remembers blackouts at night -Either had to turn off your lights or put up thick curtains to block out light -Meant Axis bombers couldn't see where their targets were if they made it to the U.S. -On the coasts it was so enemy subs couldn't see the silhouettes of ships (00:09:57) Stationed at Naval Air Station Glenview Pt. 2 -Worked at Glenview as a yeoman -It was not a large base -Place where Naval Aviators trained (00�:10:34) U.S. Naval Reserve Midshipmen School -Had three years of college and decided that he wanted to advance himself in the Navy -Sent in paperwork for U.S. Naval Reserve Midshipmen School (officer training) -Sent to Abbott Hall at Northwestern University for his officer training -Lasted 16 weeks -Studied navigation and gunnery -Received physical training -Learned about the different components of the Navy -Did so well with his school that he stayed at Abbott Hall and served as a navigation instructor -Graduated from U.S. Naval Reserve Midshipmen School on the morning of October 30, 1942 -Promoted to the rank of ensign -Got married that same night -Served at Abbott Hall as an instructor for a year (00:15:15) Stationed in Hollywood, Florida Pt. 1 -In January 1944 he was sent to Hollywood, Florida to serve as a navigation instructor -Wife and daughter were able to go with him to Florida -Lived off the base -Instructed there for a year and a half (00:15:48) Getting Married -Had a military wedding -All of his groomsmen were officers that trained at Northwestern University -His best man was his roommate when he went through officer training (00:16:26) Stationed in Hollywood, Florida Pt. 2 -Hollywood is south of Fort Lauderdale -On the coast of the Atlantic Ocean -Meant they had to have blackouts at night -Remembers a tornado went through Hollywood -Filled the hotel on Hollywood Beach with sand -Students lived in the hotel -He and his family lived in an apartment two or three blocks from the hotel -Lived in the city of Hollywood in the winter, and lived at Hollywood Beach in the summer �-Had maid service in the apartment -Knew U-Boats were near the coast -Naval Aviators and ships did training maneuvers off the coast -Most likely kept the German submarines away -Took students out on the water navigation training -Sailed to Nassau, Bahamas -Borrowed two boats from the Coast Guard and sailed to Havana, Cuba for the day -Training for the students, but recreation for the instructors -Mix of classroom work and practical training concerning navigation -Didn't do too much gunnery training -He didn't have a car at first when he moved to Hollywood -Went up to Grand Rapids, bought a used car, and drove it back down to Florida -Wife stayed in the apartment and took care of their daughter -The navigation school in Hollywood closed after a year and a half (00:21:19) Assignment to the USS Savannah (CL-42) -Assigned to the USS Savannah (CL-42) -A light cruiser -Went to New York City to board the ship -When he arrived he discovered it was in dry dock receiving repairs -After a few days of waiting around he received new orders -Sent back to Hollywood, Florida for Radar Training -Wife visited him for a few days -Received one month of training -Went to Rhode Island to bard the ship -Joined the ship in early March 1945 (00:23:07) Duty aboard the USS Savannah -Worked in the Combat Information Center (CIC) -Tactical center of a warship that processes information for the ship's area of operations -Received further radar training aboard the Savannah -If a plane was coming he could see it on the radar scope -Went to the Gulf of Mexico near Pensacola, Florida for training -Chance for pilots to get used to being launched off the ship's catapult -Operated in the Gulf of Mexico for the remainder of the war -Had been on a larger ship on a larger body of water before -Took a passenger ship across Lake Michigan to Chicago when he was a boy -He didn't get seasick on the Savannah but his stomach felt uneasy at first (00:26:12) Possible Transfer to Pacific Theater -Considered requesting a transfer to the Pacific Theater -Wrote to a friend serving in that area and asked him what he thought about that idea -Advised Robert not to do that (00:26:37) Rationing -Everyone, civilian and military, was treated the same during the war concerning rationing -Had grocery stores for military personnel at the places he served at -Wives were allowed to shop there -Could also go to Miami to get groceries when he was stationed at Hollywood, Florida (00:27:39) Stationed in Hollywood, Florida Pt. 3 -His duty in Hollywood was similar to a regular civilian job -Pulled guard duty at the dorms some nights -Never had any intruders or troublemakers when he pulled guard duty �-Navy moved families into the hotel when the tornado happened -One family to a room with one bed -Meant a four-person family had to share a one bed hotel room (00:29:38) Visiting Havana, Cuba in the Navy -Allowed to get off the Savannah at the various ports the ship stopped at -Remembers going ashore at Havana, Cuba -Able to explore the city -All of the Cubans he encountered were friendly people -In 1945 there were no signs of revolutionary activity (00:30:36) Visiting Havana, Cuba as a Civilian -Visited Havana again in the 1950s while the revolution was underway -Fidel was gaining power throughout the country -Armed guards everywhere -Not allowed to take pictures (00:31:34) End of Service -Discharged from the USS Savannah on October 22, 1945 in New Orleans -Sent north to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois for his final discharge -Asked if he wanted to stay in the Navy Reserve, but he declined (00:32:48) Life after the War -Went back to Northwestern University -Graduated with a degree in business marketing -GI Bill helped him get through college -Got a job with an electric company in Chicago -Managed various railroad accounts and filled their orders -After two or three years he was transferred to Grand Rapids, Michigan -Worked for the electric company for a total of three or four years -Father planned on retiring from running Keegstra Lumber Company -Robert wanted to stay in Grand Rapids to raise his children -He quit the electric company job and bought Keegstra Lumber Company from his father -Managed the family business for over 25 years until he sold it and retired -Kept in touch with his best man -Lived in Marquette, Michigan, so he was able to drive up and visit him once in a while (00:36:06) Spirit of Grand Rapids Honor Flight -Event began around 5 AM on May 16, 2015 -Served breakfast at Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids -Chartered plane was filled with veterans and their sponsors -As well as prominent local politicians and business leaders -Had been to Washington DC before, but never got to see the nation's memorials like he did on that trip -Had a wonderful time and felt they were all taken care of well -Had dinner in Washington DC in a WWII mess tent -Returned to Grand Rapids and went to East Kentwood High School -3,000 people welcomed them home and thanked them for their service (00:38:43) Reflections on Service -Felt he had very good duty because he didn't have to go overseas or see combat -Feels that he did his share by helping to train other servicemen -Recognizes that a lot of men had it terrible during the war -Believes that fighting a war effectively means this: -90% of your manpower is dedicated to logistics and training, 10% is dedicated to fighting -Very thankful that he enlisted in the Navy �� 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_KeegstraR1930V Title A name given to the resource Keegstra, Robert (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-02-27 Description An account of the resource Robert Keegstra was born on April 20, 1919 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He enlisted in the Navy on August 7, 1941 and received his basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois. He went to Yeoman School and after 16 weeks graduated as a yeoman in the Navy. He was stationed at Naval Air Station Glenview, Illinois when the war began. In the summer of 1942 he went to U.S. Naval Reserve Midshipmen School at Abbott Hall at Northwestern University and graduated from that training on October 30, 1942 with the rank of ensign. He stayed there and worked as an instructor for a little over a year, then was transferred in January 1944 to Hollywood, Florida where he worked as a navigation instructor. In March 1945 he joined the crew of the USS Savannah (CL-42) and trained in the Gulf of Mexico through the summer and early fall of 1945. On October 22, 1945 he left the ship in New Orleans and shortly thereafter was discharged from the Navy at Great Lakes Naval Station. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Keegstra, Robert 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. 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/bb68308bcef85da3eaca912660ef29b0.m4v f08b147bd6d2833a7b1e7899a5f54992 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7b458e21fb624306ba8a1fe3aed51a20.pdf e4dc53e55c581131532b2627cebad78e PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Richard Johnson Vietnam War; Cold War 20 minutes 45 seconds *Note: Times in the outline correspond with the timecode (02:27:42) Early Life & Enlisted Service -Born in Lincoln, Kansas, in January 1932 -Drafted into the Army in October 1953 -Served in the Army for two years -Got an early discharge so he could go to seminary -Didn’t want to go back into the Army after his time as an enlisted man (02:28:30) Becoming a Chaplain -After completing seminary, he worked as a pastor -National Guard needed a chaplain -He took the job for the extra money -Enjoyed working as a chaplain in the National Guard -Served with them for three years (02:29:03) Active Duty & Stationed at Fort Riley -Decided to go on active duty -Assigned to Fort Riley, Kansas, in October 1965 -Originally assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, but it was being prepared to go to Vietnam -Transferred to the 2nd Brigade of the 9th Infantry Division (02:29:40) Tour in Vietnam -In January 1967, he was deployed to Vietnam -With the 9th Infantry Division for his entire tour in Vietnam -Transferred to the 1st Brigade -Operated in the southernmost part of Vietnam in the Mekong River Delta -Had mechanized infantry -Went to Bearcat Base -Part of a ready reaction force in the area -He tended to three battalions and worked with the Catholic chaplain -Did that for his entire tour -Left Vietnam on January 2, 1968, barely missing the Tet Offensive in late-January -Watched tracked vehicles from his unit getting destroyed on live TV in Saigon -Knew the exact vehicles and the men in those vehicles -He wanted to go back to Vietnam to be with them -Felt like he couldn’t do anything to help them -Held services in the field and at Bearcat Base during stand downs -Usually held six services on Sunday �-Flew out to companies in the field using the battalion commander’s helicopter -If he couldn’t use that helicopter on Sunday, he went during the week -Whenever the chaplain showed up, it was “Sunday” -Flew out of brigade headquarters -On one Sunday, he was at Bearcat Base after doing four services in the area -In the mess hall eating lunch with the helicopter pilot -Planned on going to the hacienda base at the rubber plantation -Note: Most likely the Michelin rubber plantation near Saigon -Heard the alarm go off at the airfield -There was a firefight north of Bearcat and his pilot had to leave -Meant that Richard would have to drive to the plantation in a jeep -There had been an ambush on the road to the plantation -Decided to go with the chaplain’s assistant and Catholic chaplain -Made it to the plantation without incident -Saw where the ambush had happened -Reminded that he was in a combat zone when he had to deal with soldiers killed-in-action -Mostly lost soldiers to ambushes -Held 30 memorial services during his time in Vietnam -Fewer services than the average because his unit had tracked vehicles -Armored and heavily-armed; kept the enemy away (02:40:52) Coming Home & Stationed at Fort Ord -Good to come home after Vietnam -Assigned to Fort Ord, California, to work with basic trainees -A lot of them were from Los Angeles and opposed the Vietnam War -One man was gay and wanted to get out of the Army -Counselled him, and he eventually reconciled being gay in the Army -Reconnected with his family -Read Dr. Seuss books to his children every night (02:45:29) Stationed at New Cumberland Defense Depot -Stationed at New Cumberland Defense Depot near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania -Made the post chaplain at that depot -Worked with the military and civilian personnel -Held Bible studies -Felt like having a civilian church -Being at New Cumberland was one of the best assignments he had (02:46:34) Reflections on Service -Feels that the biggest contribution of the chaplaincy is helping soldiers with moral dilemmas -Helping the men understand the nature of good and evil in the world -Understanding the complexities of the world and the necessity of fighting evil -Felt more prepared for the chaplaincy than for the ministry after seminary -Had seven years of experience as a pastor, and two years of military service � 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_JohnsonR2062V Title A name given to the resource Johnson, Richard H (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 Richard Johnson was born in Lincoln, Kansas, in January 1932. He first served in the Army as a draftee and was inducted in October 1953. He served for two years before getting an early discharge to go to seminary. Upon completion of seminary he joined the National Guard and served as a chaplain for three years before deciding to go on active duty. He was assigned to Fort Riley, Kansas, in October 1965 and originally worked with the 1st Infantry Division then was transferred to the 2nd Brigade of the 9th Infantry Division. In January 1967 he was deployed to Vietnam and served with the 9th Infantry Division. He mostly tended to troops in the Mekong River Delta, conducting services in the field and at Bearcat Base. He left Vietnam on January 2, 1968, and was stationed at Fort Ord, California. He was also stationed at the New Cumberland Defense Depot, Pennsylvania, and served as the post chaplain. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Johnson, Richard H 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/6118a9682d44d06bac564b406a594497.m4v 6730bea2b3a189061abea05102197ab2 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/135cc00d5d00aa7f6ebcdee77f93e70a.pdf dd07be137732f4ec412addf827a57c12 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Donald Jansen Cold War; Vietnam War 28 minutes 9 seconds *Note: Times in outline correspond with timecode on video (01:59:23) Early Life -Born in Holland, Michigan, on May 6, 1937 -Grew up in Holland and lived there until he was 29 years old -Moved back to Holland in 2011 (02:00:07) Joining the Army & Becoming a Chaplain -Joined the Army in 1967 -Graduated from seminary in June 1967 -Spent the summer at Detroit General Hospital studying clinical pastoral education -There during the riots -Ordained in September 1967 -Went on active duty at Fort Hamilton, New York, in October 1967 -Part of the Reformed Church in America -Graduated from Western Theological Seminary -Took his basic chaplain’s course at Fort Hamilton (02:01:00) Stationed at Fort Bliss -Sent to Fort Bliss, Texas -Assigned to basic training brigade and had some duties at the reception center -Most soldiers went to advanced infantry training, and the majority went on to Vietnam -Caused the men and their families a lot of stress and anxiety -Parents called to ask questions, and the some of the men were married -He did more individual counselling than marriage counselling -Spent a year at Fort Bliss (02:02:23) Tour in Vietnam -Deployed to Vietnam in fall 1968 -Assigned to the 184th Ordnance Battalion -Second largest ammunition dump in Vietnam (had 120 “pads” of ammunition) -Supplied outlying areas -He had area coverage including a maintenance battalion and the 84th Combat Engineers -Travelled by convoy or helicopter -Went to Dak To on the Cambodian border -Base was located southwest of Qui Nhon -Travelled as far north as An Khe and Pleiku -Experienced ambushes on convoys -Travelled in a ¼ ton jeep covered in sandbags �-Went through the Mang Yang Pass -Viet Cong stayed on the cliffs and dropped grenades on the convoy -Travelled via the 8th Transportation Group -Gun trucks went with the convoy to offer better protection -Never stopped to engage the enemy, just kept shooting and driving -Their base camp was vulnerable to sappers -One night, they lost $20-30 million worth of ammo, and a lot of troops -Constantly dealt with penetrations -Rocket and mortar attacks -Saw the devastating aftermath of the Tet Offensive -Not safe anywhere in Vietnam -Had friends in the infantry who experienced a lot of combat -The best memory of Vietnam was the camaraderie he experienced with the troops -Saw evidence of PTSD long before effective treatment was implemented -He is active with the Vietnam Veterans of America and veterans’ support groups (02:07:54) First Tour in West Germany -Sent to West Germany and attached to the largest armored maneuver brigade in the Army -Had four battalions of armor, artillery, and other support units -A lot of the men had been to Vietnam and suffered from PTSD -No treatment options available to them in Germany -Operated 30 miles north of Frankfurt -Did a lot of field duty -Tanks from his unit were sent to the Middle East during a conflict -Note: Most likely the Jordanian-Palestinian Civil War -Stationed in Germany for three years (02:09:23) Stationed at Fort McPherson -Due to his interest in training and the war on drugs, he was sent to Fort McPherson, Georgia -Took drug & alcohol abuse classes, and developed a treatment and prevention program -Got his doctorate of ministry degree with a focus on pastoral counselling -Focused primarily on family counselling -Paid for by the GI Bill -At Fort McPherson at the beginning of the all-volunteer Army -Felt that it shouldn’t have happened -Saw a lot of soldiers take advantage of the high enlistment bonuses (02:11:14) Advanced Chaplain’s Course and South Korea -Sent to the advanced chaplain’s course at Fort Wadsworth, New York -Deployed to South Korea for two years (02:11:41) More CPE & Stationed at Fort Sam Houston -Sent to Yale New Haven Hospital, Connecticut, for further clinical pastoral education -Utilized that training at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, Texas -Spent most of his time in the burn ward -Had 75 beds -Felt like being back in combat �-Nothing more horrifying than severe burns -Sent to the main post chapel at Fort Sam Houston -Served there for six (or eight) months (02:12:33) Final Tour in Germany -Returned to Germany for his final tour -Attached to the 207th Military Intelligence Brigade (largest MI unit in the Army at the time) -Had a battalion that flew out of an airport near Stuttgart for recon flights -Had a human intelligence battalion -Monitored communications -Served with the 207th for three years -Served at the Pattonville chapel for most of a year -Note: Pattonville was a large housing area for Army personnel near Stuttgart -Had a community of 5,000 residents during his time there -1,000 students attended the local school -The 207th gathered top secret information from East Germans and other communist states -Sifted through the raw intelligence to try and find anything noteworthy -He did a lot of family counselling and held a lot of family retreats -Had a “rolling retreat” for the soldiers -Started with a prayer breakfast, then a tour down the Autobahn to Munich -Pointing out different kinds of religious architecture -Always stopped at the Dachau concentration camp -Never got any easier to see that place -Worked with Lieutenant Colonel John Koehler -Became the White House Director of Communications during the Reagan administration -Learned a lot about the lives of the troops he ministered to -Multi-ethnic, multi-religious environment and he thrived in it (02:17:25) Life after Service Pt. 1 -Retired from the Army in late 1987 after 20 years of service -Ministered at three churches over the span of 10 years -There was an opening at the VA Hospital in Battle Creek, Michigan, so he took it -Worked there for 10 years then permanently retired -Saw the VA make progress -Veterans received good care, but still had to wait a long time to actually get that care -Mostly did psychological work -Had four nursing homes -Two that specialized in hospice and dementia/Alzheimer’s care -State-of-the art facilities -Had a psychological ward -Dealt with PTSD and substance abuse -Learned a lot from the veterans -Incorporated skills he’d learned in the chaplaincy to connect with them (02:20:50) Work with the 3rd Armored Division & Memory from German Tour -Worked with a lieutenant colonel in the 1st Brigade of the 3rd Armored Division �-Went on to become the commander of forces in Europe -Had a high expectation of the chaplains under his command -Expected them to know the Bible and preach a positive message -During a tour in Germany, he remembers when his chapel almost burned down -His chaplain’s assistant accidentally left the stove on while they were gone -When they returned, the stove pipe was red hot and the room felt like an oven (02:23:22) Reflections -Feels it’s important for chaplains and other troops to tell their stories -Helps humanize soldiers and remind people that soldiers have lives before the military -Always played on softball teams as a way of bonding with troops -Needed good stamina as a chaplain to keep up with the rest of the soldiers (02:25:04) Marriages -Married to his first wife 19 or 20 years, but divorced 10 years after he left the Army -Single for 13 or 14 years, then he married a former Army chaplain -Have been married for 12 years (as of the interview) -She worked on the Family Advocacy Council and taught noncommissioned officers -Did that for 12 years in the Army -Still a very patriotic couple (02:26:10) Life after Service Pt. 2 -Still does committal (burial) services for the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion -Remembers doing 30 committal services in two months at the VA Hospital in Battle Creek -There was a national cemetery conveniently located next to the hospital -At one time, he had four remains in need of a burial -Not one family member came to claim them or be part of the burial -Always committed to ensuring those veterans were buried with full military honors < Tape ends before the interview does > � 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_JansenD2061V Title A name given to the resource Jansen, Donald J (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-10-29 Description An account of the resource Donald Jansen was born in Holland, Michigan, on May 6, 1937. He graduated from Western Theological Seminary in June 1967, was ordained in September, and went on active duty at Fort Hamilton, New York, in October 1967. He was sent to Fort Bliss, Texas, to serve as the chaplain for a basic training brigade and did that until he was deployed to Vietnam in the fall of 1968. He served with the 184th Ordnance Battalion and operated out of Qui Nhon. He ministered to soldiers in his unit as well as troops in a maintenance battalion and the 84th Combat Engineers. Despite being a chaplain, he experienced ambushes on convoys, rocket and mortar attacks on the base, and sapper attacks. After Vietnam, he was sent to West Germany for three years, then returned to the United States for service at Fort McPherson, Georgia. He also served at Fort Wadsworth, New York, and in South Korea for two years. Donald served at Brooke Army Medical Center then at the main post chapel in Fort Sam Houston, Texas, before doing a final tour in West Germany with the 207th Military Intelligence Brigade. He retired in 1987. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Jansen, Donald J. 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/76c221eb74b4089f54800ffffcdff7a0.m4v 391eb6acb104e0ac0c1e1be33f87b716 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/207c503e7154d2859a28c86fedd118a1.pdf b39cdda8d8b4606b9385221c1ccd3762 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project John Hoogland Cold War (Pre-Vietnam); Vietnam War; Cold War (Post-Vietnam) 1 hour 19 minutes xx seconds (00:00:39) Early Life -Born on April 20, 1934, in Decatur, Michigan -Father was a minister -He was the third of four children -Moved around Michigan because his father had three separate churches -One in Decatur, one in Muskegon, and one in Grand Rapids -World War II was a big event for his childhood -Father followed the news of the war and shared the news with John -Showed John on a map where battles occurred -Church had a flag with stars representing the men from the church in the military -Each gold star represented the men killed-in-action -Graduated from high school in 1952 -Attended Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Majored in English and philosophy -Considered becoming a minister, but he didn’t feel the call -Attended the University of Michigan to get his master’s degree in comparative literature -Returned to the Calvin College Seminary -Eventually graduated from that in 1959 (00:03:30) Enlisting in the Army as a Chaplain -After his first year of seminary he wanted to try being a chaplain -Got a commission as a 2nd lieutenant – staff specialist -Chance to get ministerial experience in the Army instead of in a church -Attended the Chaplain’s School to see if he even wanted to be one -Nine-week course -Decided he wanted to become a chaplain after completing seminary -Went to the Chaplain’s School at a base near New York City -Didn’t have an Army commitment yet -Learning the basics of being a soldier (marching, saluting, wearing the uniform) -Returned to Calvin and completed his seminary work -Volunteered for two years of service (00:06:22) Stationed at Fort Leonard Wood Pt. 1 -Sent to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, for one year as his first assignment -Received orders to go to West Germany while stationed at Fort Leonard Wood -Placed on active duty as a reserve officer -Served with combat engineers stationed at Fort Leonard Wood -Held regular services on Sunday �-Went with men to the field for exercises -Like being a minister, just in a different atmosphere -Did counselling for soldiers -Helping soldiers that received break-up letters from their girlfriends -Preventing suicide and men going AWOL -Held Sunday evening film showings -Took two or three men aside to ask them to help watch out for at-risk soldiers -Held Wednesday night open counselling -Had some World War II veterans on active duty, but Korean War veterans were more common -Talked about their experiences, the humorous and sad ones -Helped prepare him for his future tour in Vietnam -Knew what questions to ask soldiers in Vietnam and make them comfortable -Wife lived with him at Fort Leonard Wood -They’d gotten married after his first year of seminary (00:11:27) First Tour in Germany Pt. 1 -Wife was excited to go to Germany with John -Paid for by the Army -Chance for their children to see a different country -Made sure to drive them through Switzerland -Positive attitude about being in Europe -Good the children’s emotional well-being, too -Stationed in Kitzingen -Stationed in West Germany from 1960 through 1963 -Cold War tensions ran high -He was with the 3rd Infantry Division -Soviets could have attacked through three routes: -Via the Netherlands, via Austria, or through the Fulda Gap -3rd Infantry Division defended the Fulda Gap -He went to the field during alerts, and never knew if it was a drill or the start of a war -Berlin Wall went up in August 1961, and the Cuban Missile Crisis happened in October 1962 -During both events, it was business as usual, but with a heightened sense of alertness -During alerts, they assembled and waited for further orders -Had war broken out, he would’ve gone to war and his family would’ve been evacuated -Combination of fear there would be a war, or optimism nothing would happen (00:15:54) Officer’s Commission -Ultimately, he spent 30 years in the Army -After his first tour in Germany he decided he wanted to make a career out of the Army -Applied for a regular commission as an officer in the Army -Granted him job security in the Army (00:17:30) First Tour in Germany Pt. 2 -The Germans treated the American soldiers well -Understood the American presence -Knew the Soviet world was not a good place to live �-People were desperate to escape East Germany -He passed through East Germany on his way to Berlin -Vehicles were inspected by East German border guards -Trying to see if he was smuggling people out of East Germany -Knew that he had to be courteous and complacent with the East German guards -Brought family with him to see Berlin -Wonderful experience -Life in Germany was roughly similar to life on a base in the United States -Some soldiers had trouble with the local Germans -John had to deal with the fallout from some of those negative encounters -If a soldier got a bad letter from home it was harder emotionally for that soldier -The large distance made it more difficult -He helped soldiers secure emergency funds if they needed extra money -Able to speak a little German -Wife and children also picked up some German -School on base had German and American children -Chance for an exchange of languages to happen -First tour in Germany lasted three years (00:21:51) Stationed at Fort Dix -After his tour in Germany he was assigned to Fort Dix, New Jersey -Worked with basic trainees -Stationed at Fort Dix from 1963 through 1966 -Vietnam War had started to heat up -Trainees were concerned about being sent into combat -Wanted to talk to John about being deployed -Visited New York City -Family enjoyed living at Fort Dix (00:24:04) Deployment to Vietnam -Received orders to deploy to Vietnam in 1966 -Family accepted it -He worried the most about his four-year old son -While in Vietnam he addressed a lot of his letters to his son -Promising what they would do together when he got home -Later, he asked his son if he remembered those letters -His son confessed he never believed a word of them -“Why couldn’t he (John) just drive home to do those things?” -Didn’t understand how far away Vietnam was -Flew to Vietnam in a chartered civilian aircraft -Stopped in California, Hawaii, and Okinawa before landing in Vietnam -Landed at Saigon at Tan Son Nhut Airbase (00:30:09) Working in Vietnam -Worked with American advisors operating in four provinces in South Vietnam -Operated from the Mekong River, to Cambodian border, to South China Sea �-Had the radio call sign of “Thinbuster 6” -Flew out to Special Forces outposts on the Cambodian border -There were 200 advisors in his unit spread out over four provinces -40 soldiers at headquarters, and four soldiers at each outpost -Remembers ordering communion wine -Thought he ordered six – eight bottles of wine, he got six – eight cases of wine -Distributed the excess to Protestant and Catholic Vietnamese clergy -Never ran out of communion wine, and it built community relations -His first impression of Vietnam was that it was a foreign country with foreign people -Got to know the Protestant minister in My Tho (location of the unit’s headquarters) -Minister was trying to build an orphanage/school in My Tho -John gathered donations for that project -Never saw it completed, but it was completed after the war -There were four advisors to a company of South Vietnamese soldiers -Advisors knew how to do multiple tasks including radio use and first aid -John knew everyone except for the brand-new soldiers in the area (00:37:08) Casualties in Vietnam -Three months into his tour, his commander requested his help -Two men had been killed-in-action, and he needed John to sign off on the body bag tags -John still visits the Vietnam War Memorial to see the names of those men -Between ten and fifteen men were killed during John’s tour in Vietnam (00:38:50) Travel in Vietnam -When he went to the field he travelled by helicopter, and two gunships provided cover -If those gunships were shot down he would’ve been defenseless -Had a jeep, but only allowed to use it in My Tho -Too dangerous to travel on his own -Commanding chaplain forbade him from travelling alone outside of My Tho (00:40:28) Contact with Vietnamese -He had no contact with the South Vietnamese soldiers -Had some contact with Vietnamese civilians via the local clergy -Wonderful and devout people (00:40:58) Opinion of the Vietnam War -He didn’t want to discuss the politics of the war during his tour -He favored the war, because he felt the Vietnam War shared parallels with the Korean War -Defending the defenseless South Vietnam from North Vietnam -North Vietnam was backed by China and the Soviet Union -Felt it was a good war, but it was still a war the United States lost (00:42:11) Mortar Attacks -Occasionally took mortar rounds at My Tho -Knew where bunkers were on base -Practiced how to get from wherever he was to the nearest bunker -During the first mortar attack he got to a bunker and couldn’t get the door opened -Didn’t realize the door didn’t open like on the rest of the bunkers �-After a mortar attack he inspected some fragments and discovered they had been made in China (00:43:53) Stationed at Fort Hood Pt. 1 -After his tour in Vietnam he was sent to Fort Hood, Texas -Part of the 1st Armored Division as the brigade chaplain -During a meeting, a 2-star general requested to see John -John thought he was in serious trouble -Met with the general and two other chaplains that served in Vietnam -General wanted them to deliver the bad news to families in the area -He never enjoyed going to some small town to find a family to tell them their son was dead -Remembers telling an elderly woman that her son had been killed in Vietnam -Had to go find the woman’s husband at a local bar -He walked into the bar wearing his chaplain uniform and the bar fell silent -As soon as the father saw him, the man burst into tears -Experiences like that still follow him years after the war (00:49:57) Coming Home from Vietnam -When he came from Vietnam his wife and daughters came running to him, but his son held back -Did everything with his son that he promised to do when he got home from the war (00:50:53) Stationed at Fort Hood Pt. 2 -Sent to Fort Hood, Texas, after his tour in Vietnam -Stationed at Fort Hood for three years -Racial and military tensions on the base -Didn’t want his services to be racially divided -Ensured his services were integrated across racial and gender lines (00:52:31) Advanced Chaplain Work -Sent to the University of Wisconsin to get a master’s degree in journalism and communication -Allowed him to teach at the Chaplain’s School -Studied at the University of Wisconsin for 1 ½ years -Went to the Chaplain Board -Got involved with character guidance lectures and workshops -Made the editor of a new, nonexistent chaplain’s journal -He started the Military Chaplain Review -Lasted until its spending was cut -Living at Fort Meade, Maryland, when he got involved with higher-ranking chaplain work (00:54:30) Stationed at Fort Hood Pt. 3 -Had black soldiers help him with services at Fort Hood -Regularly included the minorities and women in his services at Fort Hood -Also made no distinction between enlisted and commissioned soldiers during services -Young and old soldiers (00:55:54) Stationed at Fort Monmouth Pt. 1 -Became the post chaplain at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey -Stationed there after his second tour in West Germany -Continued to ensure his services were egalitarian and welcoming �(00:56:40) Stationed at Fort Hood Pt. 4 -Drugs were an issue at Fort Hood -Hope open-door Wednesday night counselling -Counselled couples struggling with addiction problems -Visited local AA meetings and brought soldiers to them that wanted help -Put together four-man groups for movie committees -Teaching those soldiers group work and how to think independently on projects -1st sergeants could refer soldiers to get counselling from John -Confidential counselling -Continued to recruit soldiers at Fort Hood to watch out for soldiers having emotional crises (01:01:58) Second Tour in West Germany -His second tour in West Germany lasted from 1974 through 1978 -Stationed at a corps headquarters in Stuttgart -Travelled around the corps area meeting with chaplains and touching base with them -Worked with Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish chaplains -Ran services at the chapel at headquarters -Children attended high school in Germany -Capable of travelling around Europe on their own -Knew how to use the passport and railroad system -Always encouraged his children to have a positive attitude about going to Europe -Cold War wasn’t as tense and a Soviet invasion seemed improbable -Still had alerts to measure the readiness of the troops in the event of an attack -Most men reported to assembly areas without problem -Fewer morale and discipline problems in West Germany during his second tour -He was less connected with soldiers, though, because he was at headquarters -German civilians still had a good attitude about the Americans -Lived off-base -Chance for children to experience German and German culture -Remembers a German woman bursting into tears when she saw John -He looked like her brother who most likely died in Soviet captivity during WWII -For the most part, the Germans and the Americans got along well (01:08:45) Stationed at Fort Monmouth Pt. 2 -Sent to Fort Monmouth after his second tour in West Germany -Reported to Fort Monmouth as a lieutenant colonel -Promoted to colonel after three or four months -Good duty -Served as post chaplain for three years -Capable of making progressive influence, especially for women and African-Americans -Held neutral Protestant services -Continued to incorporate soldiers from every walk of life regardless of rank (01:10:30) Director of Personnel Office – The Pentagon -Wanted to extend his time at Fort Monmouth for another year -Almost had it, but his commander moved him to a different assignment �-Became the Director of Personnel for chaplains at the Pentagon -In charge of 1,400 chaplains around the world and where to send them -Gained a reputation as having tremendous control over the chaplains -He didn’t understand because he wasn’t power-hungry, just doing his job -Didn’t like sending soldiers to unsavory posts -Worked at the Pentagon for four years (01:14:40) Life after Service -Went to Midland Park, New Jersey -Served as a Christian Reformed minister for 13 years -Helped at a religious center at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey -Worked with Catholic and Jewish clergy -Served as a minister there for eight years -Returned to Grand Rapids, Michigan, at his children’s encouragement -As of the interview, he lives in an active senior community -Enjoys spending his time doing exercising classes (01:17:35) Reflections on Service -Gave him a broader perspective than he would’ve gotten as a civilian minister -Experience with people from different backgrounds -Chance to work with Catholic priests and Jewish rabbis -Exposed him to war and all its horrifying effects on people and the human psyche -The psychological impacts last long after the initial event -Feels he made the right choice making a 30-year career as a chaplain in the Army � 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_HooglandJ1952V Title A name given to the resource Hoogland, John J (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-09-22 Description An account of the resource John Hoogland was born in Decatur, Michigan, on April 20, 1934. During his first year in seminary he attended the Chaplain School and was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant - staff specialist, then returned to Calvin Seminary to complete his seminary work. His first assignment was at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, where he held regular services and worked with the men on the base. He received orders for West Germany and was placed on active duty as a reserve officer. During his first tour in West Germany, he was stationed at Kitzingen with the 3rd Infantry Division from 1960 through 1963. After his first tour in Germany he applied for, and was granted a regular commission as an officer in the Army. He was stationed at Fort Dix, New Jersey, from 1963 to 1966 and received orders to deploy to Vietnam in 1966. John worked with American special forces advisors in the southernmost part of South Vietnam and operated out of My Tho. After his tour in Vietnam he went to Fort Hood, Texas, and served as a brigade chaplain in the 1st Armored Division for three years. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Hoogland, John J. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army 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/9a9bb5e27591dccd2bf7c643d9b1d92c.m4v ea254e3d4539a01341488bb7eae8660d https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/345e391257c8cc97dc6543cbb991ba8b.m4v 7d743b1e1935bab9346333cfb6b7747e https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/24228e225e062e173fad8ded1b031296.pdf 517e5d9de74ef28429c67c5913144944 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Kyle Herring War in Afghanistan Part 1 – 48 minutes 52 seconds (00:00:17) Early Life -Born in Frederick, Maryland on October 11, 1987 -Lived there for one or two years -Moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan -Parents were originally from Maryland -Lived on the southeast side of the city near Kalamazoo Avenue -Moved to Kentwood, Michigan when he was in middle school -Suburb of Grand Rapids -Attended East Kentwood High School -Last class to graduate early -Graduated in February 2006 -Father worked as an aerospace engineer for General Electric -Mother worked in healthcare for Spectrum Healthcare (00:01:20) September 11th Attacks & Start of the War on Terror -He was in eighth grade when the September 11th attacks happened in 2001 -Didn't have TVs on in the morning -Teachers came in around 9 a.m. or 10 a.m. and told the students the U.S. had been attacked -Rest of the day watched the news reports coming in from New York and Washington D.C. -Aware of the severity of the attacks -Possibly more aware than other students because his family served in the military -Father served in the Marines and mother served in the Army -Father had fought in the Gulf War -Thought the U.S. would be invaded following the attacks (00:03:39) Enlisting in the National Guard -September 11th attacks contributed to his decision to join the military -Had always wanted to be a soldier -Wanted to serve in the Marines like his father -Father advised against it -Felt that Kyle would get more out of a different branch of the military -Wanted to do something with technology -When he was 16 years old he started talking with Marine recruiters -When he turned 17 the recruiters asked him to sign the paperwork -Kyle wanted to be an aircraft controller -Recruiters told him he could be in the infantry or the engineers -Friend enlisted in the Michigan National Guard -Got the job he wanted and an enlistment bonus -Talked to a National Guard recruiter and watched some different videos about technology jobs -Decided he wanted to be a multichannel transmission systems operator-maintainer -Military Occupational Specialty code: 25 Quebec -Enlisted in the spring of 2005 (00:05:40) Drilling with the National Guard -Able to start drilling with the National Guard before completing basic training �-In the summer of 2005 he visited Europe and saw London, Paris, and Barcelona -When he returned from the Europe trip he started doing drills with the National Guard -One weekend a month through the summer and his senior year (00:06:35) Basic Training -Sent to Fort Benning, Georgia on January 1, 2006 for basic training -Left Lansing, Michigan early in the morning -Landed at Atlanta and told to go to the clock tower in the airport and wait for a bus -At 9 p.m. a woman came to the tower and told him to follow him if he was a recruit -Very informal greeting -There with 100 or 200 other recruits -Pulled up to Fort Benning and drill sergeant boarded the bus -Told if they listened to him they would be fine -Went through processing at 10 or 11 p.m. -Given sweatshirts and sweatpants and ordered to change into them -Didn't sleep much the first night there -First week was spent processing -Basic training wasn't too difficult -Expected it to be like the basic training in the film, Full Metal Jacket -Disappointed that it wasn't tough -Felt prepared from hearing about his parents' experiences in the military -Graduated from basic training in April 2006 -Drill sergeants yelled at them, but not to an extreme degree -Spent most days exercising, sleeping, or going to classes -Remembers one exercise called “belly, back, and feet” -Push-ups, flutter kicks, and jogging in place -Had to change exercises when the drill sergeant commanded -A few men had trouble adjusting to the military -Trained with other slightly older recruits -Only three or four men didn't pass basic training -One of his bunk mates had to be medically discharged due to heart problems -Remembers a group of Ohioans didn't adjust well to the discipline, but they made it through -Sundays were cleaning day -One of the Ohioan recruits hid in a wall locker and slept all day on Sundays -Did a lot of weapons training, physical training, and marches with full packs -Basic infantry training -Firing a rifle, digging a foxhole, basic first aid, and using a radio (00:14:08) Signal Training -Sent to Fort Gordon, Georgia for Signal Training -Lasted 21 weeks -Trained with truck-mounted radios and satellite radios -Trained with old technology and new technology -Radios used by the French in the 1990s -French radios were set to OCONUS -Overseas radio setting, and permanent unless rewired -Learned how to rewire those radios to be used in the United States -Second part of training consisted of satellite communications (00:16:21) Joining the 156th Signal Battalion -Returned to Grand Rapids and was assigned to C Company of the 156th Signal Battalion -Stationed at Grand Valley Armory in Wyoming, Michigan (suburb of Grand Rapids) �-Did drills one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer -Attended Grand Rapids Community College while not drilling with the National Guard -Did the basic weekend/month and two weeks/summer schedule for two years -Enjoyed drilling in the National Guard -Bond forming and team building -Everyone worked well together and did a good job together (00:17:48) Medic Training -Discovered that he didn't enjoy communications work -In early 2008 the 156th Signal Battalion became part of the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team -This resulted in the creation of a combat medic position -He wanted to become a medic, requested the position, and got it -Sent to Parks Reserve Forces Training Area (Camp Parks), California in the summer of 2008 -Base was situated in the middle of a wealthy area -Close enough to San Francisco that they could take a train there -Medic training usually took six months, but they did it in three months -14 hours of training for a while -Studied a chapter in class and read the next chapter at night -The next day took a test on the material they studied in class -Took the National Registry of EMTs Exam and half of the trainees failed it on the first attempt -Second time they took the test three quarters of them passed -Got practical training -Trained with practice mannequins, learned how to give shots, and place IVs -Rode in a civilian ambulance in Oakland, California -Treated an old woman, a homeless man, an infant, and responded to a car accident -Did that all in one, eight hour shift -Resuscitated a man in the emergency room and pronounced an infant dead an hour later -Doing practical work like that gave him confidence he hadn't had before -First half of medic training focused on basic EMT skills -Second half of medic training focused on Army medicine -For example: properly using tourniquets and moving litters -Did field exercises in the desert -Remembers on one exercise he didn't drink water until 5 p.m. -Acting squad leader and made sure the other soldiers stayed hydrated -He just forgot to do the same for himself (00:24:19 Pre-Deployment Training & Preparation -Returned to Grand Valley Armory -Alerted for mobilization -In early 2009 they received equipment and started their training -Went to Vermont for mountaineer training with the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team -Fun -Learned how to walk horizontally across a steep grade -Did a 20 foot rappel -On the first rappel he was carrying a 50 pound aid bag -Had to do his first rappel with the pound bag -Did a 150 foot rappel down a cliff face -Returned to Michigan after mountaineer training in Vermont -Started dating his future wife -Dated a few months and decide to try for a long term, long distance, relationship -Sent to Fort Polk, Louisiana for combat training �-Three weeks -Ran practice convoys -Worked in an aid station -Did that in September 2009 -On December 3, 2009 they received their federal orders -Bused to Camp Atterbury, Indiana -Did three or four days of processing -Vaccinations and various physical tests -Land navigation training and a brief introduction of what to expect in Afghanistan -Medics received Brigade Combat Tactical Training -One week of intense medical training -Trained by special forces medics and surgeons -Learned about what IEDs could do to a person -By 2009 the Army knew more about IEDs and damage potential -Learned that they had to go back to Fort Polk because they missed a training step -Three more weeks of combat training -He was originally assigned to a Military Police platoon with brigade headquarters -Platoon got reassigned to the 1st Squadron of the 172nd Cavalry Regiment -Part of the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team -Did field exercises in the woods in Fort Polk -Taught the Rules of Land Warfare -What a soldier can/cannot do in combat -At Fort Polk they had fake enemies and fake civilians -Lived and operated in a fake Afghan city -Had Afghan nationals and fake reporters -Rifles with blank rounds, fake bombs, and helicopters -Pre-deployment training was worse than the actual tour in Afghanistan (00:33:23) Deployment to Afghanistan -Received orders to fly directly from Fort Polk to Afghanistan -Given 24 hours of leave -He and the other men went to Bourbon Street in New Orleans -Last time they could drink before being deployed to Afghanistan -Stayed at Fort Polk for a few days then flew out of Louisiana at 3 a.m. -Flew to Afghanistan on a chartered civilian flight -Stopped in Canada, Iceland, Ireland, and Germany to refuel -Allowed to get off the plane in Germany -Place for soldiers to eat, stretch their legs, and buy souvenirs -There were political issues with Russia which altered their flight path to Afghanistan -Flown to Kyrgyzstan -Landed at a Soviet-era airport -Beautiful and cold country -Bought an Iranian cell phone that worked in the Middle East -Boarded a C-130 and flew to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan (00:36:20) Arrival in Afghanistan -Received two days of training at Bagram Air Base -Boarded another C-130 and flew to Sharana, Afghanistan to get to Ghazni -Had to do a combat landing at night because the base took fire on a regular basis -Plane corkscrewed down to the runway -C-130 dropped the ramp and they were ordered to march off the plane �-Only had 15-20 rounds of ammunition and it was pitch black -Told to go to a reception area at the other end of the runway -Went into a transient tent -Disgusting and one of the worst places he had to stay -Contacted the unit they were replacing in Ghazni -Needed more ammunition before they they moved -In RC-East (NATO designation for eastern portion of Afghanistan) -Unit they were replacing came to pick them up from Sharana -Traveled in Cougar Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) armored transports -Brought them a trailer full of ammunition -Told to watch out for IEDs en route to Ghazni (00:39:45) First Contact with Enemy Troops -Reached a place called Four Corners en route to Ghazni -Afghan police were taking fire and the American forces were ordered to assist them -Got out of the MRAP and went to the left of the road -Told to watch out for a man riding a red moped -Afghan forces were taking fire on the right side of the road -Walked forward 100 or 200 yards -The red moped showed up -Everyone pointed their rifles at the man and he quickly turned around -Not the target -Took cover behind a berm and returned fire -He was ordered to stay down and hold his fire -If he, the medic, got wounded then who would take care of him? -Taking small arms fire -After 10 or 15 minutes the militants scattered and they proceeded toward Ghazni (00:42:25) Stationed in Ghazni -Final destination was Forward Operating Base (FOB) Vulcan in Ghazni -Ghazni is the capital of Ghazni Province -There was another FOB, called FOB Ghazni in the city -Provincial reconstruction, helicopter base, and a forward surgical team -FOB Vulcan was a former Soviet base from the Soviet-Afghan War in the 1980s -Shared it with an Afghan battalion -Minimal enemy contact -FOB Ghazni got hit by mortars and rockets on a regular basis -FOB Vulcan wasn't a large base -150 Americans stationed there -Shared the base with Polish forces -NATO commander was Polish and had a Polish 155mm artillery unit (00:44:20) Patrols in Afghanistan -Started their mission after a week of being at FOB Vulcan -Mission was to train Afghan police in the area -Went to the towns of Waghaz and Qarabagh -First time at Waghaz they took mortar fire from the mountains -Established contact with the town chieftain -Moved to Qarabagh after patrols in Waghaz -Stayed there for a few nights -Lived on Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) and trained the Afghan police -Pulled security at night �-Set up a post on top of an old prison -If they saw movement they had orders to retreat -Had only 20 men at Qarabagh and couldn't taken on an enemy force -Arrived in Afghanistan in March 2010 and started conducting patrols soon -Had Thursdays off because Friday is the Muslim holy day (00:46:50) Fighting around Waghaz -The second time they went into Waghaz they took mortar fire, again -Brought a TOW missile launcher and a forward observer to call in artillery support -Fired the TOW at the enemy position and it flew into a group of trees -Mortars were landing around the compound -Knew the militants were bad shots, but they could eventually get a direct hit -Called in Polish artillery to knock out the mortar position -Lieutenant was fairly incompetent -Called in the wrong coordinates -Resulted in the artillery hitting 1,000 yards off target Part 2 – 45 minutes 39 seconds Note: Separate DVD, but time code continues (00:49:33) Fighting around Waghaz -Polish artillery was off the mark -United States artillery procedure is to fire to the right of the impact area -Polish artillery procedure is to fire to the left of the impact area -Shot again and were even more off the mark than the first time -Decided to get into MRAPs and go into the hills to find the mortars -Had F-16 fighter aircraft providing air support -Went up to a little bridge in the hills -Good chance there would be IEDs -He was in the third vehicle in line -Two of the MRAPs got across the bridge without incident -His MRAP shifted to the right and hit an IED -It was two antitank mines stacked on top of each other -Blew off a tire -Militants had been planning an ambush on the convoy -Disable a vehicle then attack with machine guns and rockets -F-16s scared them off -No one in his vehicle was injured -A few men sustained minor concussions -Recovery vehicles took forever to reach them -Traveling at one kilometer/hour (or a little over ½ mile/hour) -F-16s ran out of gas and had to leave the area -B-1 strategic bomber came to provide air support -Stayed there for a while -Pilot radioed the recovery convoy and told them to go faster -Getting bored and wanted to leave -Finally got picked up and his MRAP was repaired within a few days (00:53:30) Leaving Ghazni -Spent three months in Ghazni �-Only American forces in the area, and they were a small force -Got replaced by a larger American force -Ghazni hadn't been a bad place to be stationed -Had internet, hot food, showers, and civilians did their laundry (00:54:15) Ambushed outside of Qarabagh -Wanted to go to Qarabagh to say good bye to the Afghan police chief -Bitter and nervous that the Americans would leave and not be replaced -Stayed overnight in Qarabagh and ate breakfast with the police the next day -Left Qarabagh and he was in the last vehicle in the convoy -MRAP in front of him hit a 500 pound IED -Blast threw vehicle into the air and flipped it over -Gunner survived because he bent down to pick up a bottle of a water -Felt the shock wave in his truck -The gunner in his MRAP returned fire with machine gun and grenade launcher -His truck took three rocket propelled grenades -After each blast the gunner got back up and returned fire -MRAP caught fire and had to be evacuated -Made his way to the destroyed MRAP -Half of the vehicles in the convoy were damaged or immobilized -Ran through the blast zone and the IED produced a crater in the highway -Everyone in the destroyed MRAP was out of the truck and were wounded -Six wounded -Inside of that MRAP was covered in blood -Started treating the wounded -One soldier had internal bleeding -Told the platoon sergeant they needed to get the wounded out of the area -Other soldiers went off the road to hunt down the militants -Polish sent in helicopters to pick up the wounded -He didn't know the Polish were sending in helicopters -Saw a Mi-24 Hind fly overhead -Same helicopter used by the Russians -Astounded at the sight and didn't know what to expect next -Militants retreated -Helicopter pilot saw the blast crater and decided to land in the adjacent field -Helped get the wounded to the helicopter -Told the flight medic about the situation -Another helicopter showed up -Thought there were six litter wounded, not ambulatory -Polish armored vehicles came to support them -Patrolled the area and found a few weapons -Got into a new convoy and went to FOB Ghazni -Ate and got cleaned up -Visited the wounded -Let him put three of the more severely wounded into a helicopter -One of the men went to Germany and two went to Bagram Air Base (01:04:55) Stationed at FOB Lightning -Flown to FOB Lightning in Gardez -Spent two weeks at FOB Lightning -Worked with the 82nd Airborne Division �-Did patrols and went on a convoy to a FOB near Pakistan -FOB Lightning was a larger base -Had a mess hall open at all times with iced coffee and a panini machine -Had internet access -Could contact his family and his fiancee (01:06:20) Stationed at Charikar -Sent to Bagram Air Base for one week to await further orders -101st Airborne Division replaced them -Sent to the city of Charikar near Bagram -Worked with United Arab Emirates soldiers -Stationed at the police station in Charikar -Shared the barracks with Afghan police -Went on two foot patrols each day -Did two, three hour shifts of guard duty -One of his jobs was to bleach the water used for showering -Built up area -Civilians were allowed to go into the police station -Medium-sized city with three-story buildings -Able to send the interpreter into town to get local food -Had french fries and kebabs -American dollar was very strong -Avoided eating cold food and dairy products -Spent six months in Charikar out of a total of nine months in Afghanistan -Did the same routine every day -Brought a firearm with him everywhere he went -Got comfortable carrying a firearm with him -Never fired his rifle in anger -Medic shouldn't have to return fire in a combat situation (01:12:30) Enemy Contact in Charikar -One night they were sleeping and someone fired a rocket propelled grenade at the station -Local that angry about a political decision made by the U.S. military -No wounded and no killed -Pulled guard duty at night because he enjoyed the coolness of the evening -One night he heard fire on Route 1 -Went into the tactical operations center (TOC) -Told NATO Macedonian forces had been attacked -Being sent to Charikar -When the Macedonians arrived they were on edge -Jumped out of the trucks and pointing their rifles -An American unit near them hit an IED and lost their medic (01:14:52) U.S. Ambassador visit to Charikar -U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan came to Charikar to visit the provincial governor -Had jets, layers of security, and Secretary of State security forces -Afghan police were on the road in front of the governor's compound -Remembers a blue tanker truck coming up to the compound -Afghan police let it go through the roadblock -Secretary of State security thought it was a suicide truck -Turned out to be fine -Ready for it to explode and deal with the consequences �(01:16:52) United Nations Presence -United Nations World Food Program operated in the area -Used white vans and SUVs with no armor -Drove around Charikar -Never made sense to him why they'd use civilian vehicles -Never got attacked (01:17:50) Contact with Afghan Civilians -A lot of contact with Afghan civilians -Patrolled the markets in Charikar -There was a canal next to the police compound -Threw candy to children who stood on the other side of the canal -A sucker hit a little girl in the head -Brought her and her father over to the compound -Gave her another sucker, and a stuffed animal, and bandages -Father was happy and understood that it was an accident -Afghans knew that he was a medic and less intimidating than the other soldiers -Thought he had magic pills that could treat anything -Remembers in Qarabagh a man approached him and said his leg hurt -Couldn't give him pain pills because he could be allergic -Gave him a red Tic-Tac -Man came back a week later complaining of leg pain again -Gave him a yellow Tic-Tac and the man requested a red one -There was a blind man in Charikar that asked to be healed -Couldn't grasp that Kyle wasn't a doctor or a miracle worker -Apologized to the man and gave him some American money for his trouble -Treated one Afghan policeman with an infected ankle from wearing his boots wrong -Took a picture together -Trusted the Afghan interpreter because he was in just as much danger as they were -Gave him a first aid kit and a shotgun or an AK-47 rifle if they had a spare (01:22:50) Mystery Weapons Cache -He was on guard duty one night and an Afghan police cargo truck came into the compound -Truck was filled with crates of rifles, ammunition, rocket launchers, and rockets -Helped the Afghan police unload the truck -Went into a basement on the compound and it was filled with weapons and ammunition -Didn't know it existed -Had no idea why the Afghan police had it -Radioed 86th Brigade headquarters and told them about the weapons cache -They didn't know it existed either -Piles of Chinese, Egyptian, Soviet, and unmarked weapons (01:25:37) End of Deployment & Coming Home -Deployment ended in December 2010 -Stayed at Bagram Air Base for one week -in Thanksgiving 2010 President Obama came to Bagram Air Base -Delayed coming home -Out processed at Camp Atterbury, Indiana -Came home to Grand Rapids and was greeted by the community -Stopped at Kyrgyzstan en route to the United States -One soldier broke his ankle walking out to the plane �-Had two choices: fly home with a broken ankle, or stay behind for treatment -Decided to fly home with the broken ankle -Took a year to get his ankle fixed (01:27:02) Assignment to the 126th Cavalry Regiment & Current National Guard Service -While on his deployment he was promoted to the rank of sergeant (E-5) -Spent three more months with C Company of the 156th Signal Battalion -Moved across the hall at Grand Valley Armory and was reassigned to 126th Cavalry Regiment -Placed on full-time orders for a couple years then became Active Guard Reserve (AGR, career) -Worked for eight months as a National Guard recruiter at Grand Valley Armory -Went back to work as medical readiness sergeant with the 126th Cavalry Regiment -Job as of time of interview -Managing medical documents -Overseeing a platoon of medics -Administering flu shots -Medical exams -General healthcare of soldiers (01:28:15) Reflections on Service -Made him a calmer individual -More confident -More to life -Drinks less after his deployment -Appreciates life more -Spent nine months without TV, cell phone, and limited internet -Misses the order and routine of Afghanistan -Still maintains a routine as a civilian (01:29:46) Wounded in Ghazni -In Ghazni after the 500 pound IED explosion -He was in the mess hall and the FOB started taking rocket fire -Ran toward bunkers and a rocket exploded in front of him -Attack happened near Easter 2010 -Doesn't remember the blast, but remembers getting up from the ground -Saw a man lying in the middle of the road -Acted without thinking -Base was still taking rocket fire -Wounded man was a Navy corpsman -Entire right side was peppered with shrapnel -Polish ambulance came to help treat the corpsman -Helped the Polish soldiers treat the man -Reunited with his platoon -One week later he found the corpsman survived and was being treated in Germany -Spent three months in therapy due to sustaining a traumatic brain injury -Didn't qualify for a Purple Heart -Placed on rest for two days and ordered to relax -Still has ringing in his ears and memory problems -Works with a lot of soldiers that have traumatic brain injuries -Is able to relate with them � 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_HerringK1933V Title A name given to the resource Herring, Kyle (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-03-17 Description An account of the resource Kyle Herring was born in Frederick, Maryland on October 11, 1987, but grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He enlisted in the Michigan National Guard when he was 17 years old in spring 2005 and drilled during his senior year. In January 2006 he received basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia then went to Fort Gordon, Georgia for signal training. He joined C Company of the 156th Signal Battalion at the Grand Valley Armory in Wyoming, Michigan. In early 2008 a medic slot opened and he volunteered for it. He received medic training at Parks Reserve Forces Training Area, California. In early 2009 they received deployment orders and spent most of 2009 training in Vermont Camp Atterbury, Indiana and Fort Polk, Louisiana. He was attached to 1st Squadron of the 172nd Cavalry Regiment of the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. They deployed to Afghanistan in March 2010 and he was stationed at Forward Operating Base Vulcan (Ghazni) for three months working with local police in Waghaz and Qarabagh. He suffered a concussive injury in Ghazni. He was also stationed at FOB Lighting (Gardez) and at the police station in Charikar for six months. In December 2010 the deployment ended and he returned home. After three months he joined the 126th Cavalry Regiment and went on full-time, active duty as the medical readiness non-commissioned officer. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Herring, Kyle 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 Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American United States. National 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/f5f4f3709edbac807c9294c862ea6fb8.m4v 824b0779830da12e22bad39b3da6d887 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/73edb6b94b7cb12aed0dfb6caf66e05f.pdf aa1502059f8fea763b5250d015cce51a PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Billy Hayes Vietnam War; Cold War (Post-Vietnam) 18 minutes 46 seconds *Note: Times are referring to the time code at the tape’s start (01:40:19) Deployment to Vietnam -Assigned to the 27th Surgical Hospital while at Fort Lewis, Washington -Originally planned on deploying to Vietnam in November 1967 -Got moved to spring 1968 -Allowed him to see the birth of his daughter -Enough time to move his wife and daughter to southern California -Flew to southern California and boarded the USNS Geiger -Set sail for Vietnam on March 5, 1968 -Arrived in Vietnam on March 26, 1968 -Chance to get acquainted with the men in the 27th Surgical Hospital -Hadn’t gotten that chance while at Fort Lewis -Sailed over with a Navy chaplain and three other Army chaplains (01:43:14) Arrival in Vietnam -First offloaded an artillery battalion at Nha Trang before he disembarked at Da Nang -Learned about the Tet Offensive that had happened in late-January 1968 -Forces at Da Nang were still recovering from the attack (01:44:03) Stationed at Chu Lai -Sailed down the coast in a Landing Ship, Tank, to Chu Lai -The 27th occupied the abandoned Marine hospital while their hospital was built -Six weeks later moved into their new hospital near Highway 1 -He stayed at Chu Lai until late-November 1968 (01:45:12) Stationed at Phu Bai -Swapped units with plans to be stationed at the base on the old Michelin rubber plantation -Swapped units again and was assigned to the hospital at Phu Bai (01:46:26) Casualties -Saw a lot of casualties serving as a hospital chaplain -Focused on doing his tasks and trying to ignore the blood and gore -Stayed with men while they were in the operating room -Answered their questions, eased their anxieties, and prayed with them -Remembers one African-American Marine who had lost his leg above the knee -Stayed with him, on and off, for several days -The man’s stoicism and faith helped ease Billy’s anxieties about seeing wounded men (01:48:44) Easter Service 1968 -Held an Easter sunrise service in Chu Lai �-The Americal Division was holding their own Easter sunrise service nearby -As he finished his service, a soldier came up to him and said a chaplain had been wounded -Billy went to see the wounded chaplain in the operating room -The man had given the prayer invocation and sat down when a bullet hit his arm -A bullet had fallen out of the sky and hit with just enough force to break skin -Nothing too serious, but serious enough to warrant a Purple Heart (01:51:49) Stationed at Fort Gordon -After his tour in Vietnam, he was stationed at Fort Gordon, Georgia -Served as the basic training chaplain and worked with soldiers bound for Vietnam -Transferred to the garrison side of the base after the basic training program ended -Worked with the post chaplain and as the religious education chaplain -Worked with a rabbi, Catholics and their programs, and the Sunday school -Spent about 2 ½ years at Fort Gordon (01:53:35) Chaplain Career – Stateside -Accepted to the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas -Studied there for a year and got his master’s degree in religious education -Went to Fort Lewis, Washington -Managed their religious education program for three years -By this time the Vietnam War had ended -Served there for 3 ½ years -Attended the Chaplain Advanced Career Course at Fort Wadsworth, New York, for a year (01:54:54) Service in West Germany -Sent to West Germany -Served with the 1st Brigade of the 1st Armored Division for a year -Became the brigade chaplain and served at Ray Barracks, Friedberg, Germany for two years (01:55:55) End of Service -Returned to the United States and went to the Army Chaplain’s School to be in the faculty -Worked in various capacities at the school for three years -Focus on combat and logistical exercises -Final assignment was at Fort Ord, California -Nearing his 20-year mark, and as a reservist he would’ve had to retire -Wife convinced him to get out of the Army -Better chance of getting a job as a Baptist minister at 45 years old -Wonderful way to end his career (01:57:32) Reflections on Service -Exposed him to other Christian denominations and made him more openminded -Realized other Christians were just as faithful and convinced of their beliefs -Privilege to administer and help the wounded soldiers in physical and emotional pain -Found he had more in common with other sects than he thought he did � 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_HayesB2059V Title A name given to the resource Hayes, Billy M (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-10-28 Description An account of the resource Billy Hayes deployed to Vietnam with the 27th Surgical Hospital on March 5, 1968, and departed by ship out of San Diego. He arrived at Da Nang on March 26, 1968, then sailed down the coast to Chu Lai. He served at the hospital there until late-November 1968 and was reassigned to Phu Bai. Upon completion of his tour in Vietnam he returned to the United States and was stationed at Fort Gordon, Georgia, for 2 1/2 years. Over the course of his career he studied at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary worked at Fort Lewis, Washington, in the religious education program attended the Chaplain Advanced Career Course at Fort Wadsworth, New York served in West Germany with the 1st Brigade of the 1st Armored Division. He returned to the United States and served at the Army Chaplain's School as part of the faculty, and completed his 20-year career at Fort Ord, California. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Hayes, Billy M. 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/89f6738c8245bd508f5880ee885d0a5d.m4v 1a8c37feecc0b832a9f23fd1c164f93b https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/05bb5981537234a53cce82e7af0ad76f.pdf 6dfd522f1e7e37d54bb074fafcd585fe PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Seymour Harkema Cold War – Korean War period 42 minutes 28 seconds (00:00:10) Early Life -Born in 1930 on the southeast side of Grand Rapids, Michigan -Father worked as a shoe repairman -Helped his father with work sometimes -Father had some financial troubles during the Great Depression -Lost a few houses during the Great Depression -Seymour was the youngest child in the family -His oldest brother could have been old enough to be his father -Had a scrapbook of airplanes and equipment used during World War II -Four of his brothers were in the military -Graduated from Grand Rapids Christian High School in 1948 -Attended Calvin College for three years (00:02:49) Enlisting in the Air Force -Decided to enlist in the Air Force -Knew he would be drafted, and didn’t want to get drafted into the Army -Being in college meant that he had a better chance of selecting his training -Researched the other military branches -Decided that with the Air Force he’d always sleep under a roof -Enlisted in December 1950 -Allowed to be home for Christmas -Reported to Detroit to be sworn in on December 26, 1950 (00:05:25) Basic Training -Sent to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, for one week -From Lackland he went to Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, for his basic training -Sent to Lackland for processing -Got to stay in a barracks -Training at Sheppard lasted a month -Basic training consisted of a lot of marching and learning how to take orders -Strong emphasis on discipline -Bed had to be made a certain way -He messed up once and had to clean the barracks’ steps with a toothbrush -Trained with a friend from Calvin College -Aside from him, he trained with a diverse mix of men from all over the country (00:08:40) Technical School -Did some testing in basic training and he qualified for technical school -Sent to Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, for technical school �-Good living conditions -Trained there from February to October 1951 -Learned about basic electronics -Mostly classroom work -Started with very basic science courses that he’d already had in college -Aware of the Southern culture -Got to visit New Orleans -Trained with men the same age as him (00:13:14) Stationed at Lowry Air Force Base -Sent to Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado, for specialist school -Training lasted six (or eight) weeks -Became an instructor at Lowry -Focused on gun, bomb, and rocket sights for fighter aircraft -Emphasis on the F-84 and F-86 fighter jets (newest aircraft at the time) -Always felt his work was militarily important -Needed adapt pilots to fight in the Korean War against the Soviet pilots -Had radar-guided sights -Taught operation of sights to the pilots, and maintenance to the technicians -Spent 11 months at Lowry (00:16:50) Mobile Training Unit -He went home on leave, and returned to Lowry only to discover the school had been disbanded -Decided to do an interview for a mobile training unit based out of Chanute Field, Illinois -Got accepted -Continued his gun, bomb, and rocket sight training as well as armaments of the jets -The F-84 and F-86 had machineguns, bombs, and air-ground rockets -Moved around to different bases -First place he went to was Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan -Stationed there for one month -Returned to Chanute Field between assignments -Went to Alpena and Oscoda, Michigan, to work with the National Guard -Went to George Air Force Base, California (00:20:02) Stationed in Japan -Sent to Japan -Note: Possibly Itazuke Air Base or Ashiya Air Base -Interesting experience -Lived in a half-tent/half-walled building -Korean War was still going on -Worked with men who had experience in Korea -Transitioning from the F-80 to the F-86 -Had strong skills coming into Japan -Those men appreciated the training they received -Visited Tokyo -Stationed on Kyushu and was well-acquainted with the Japanese �-They invited him into their homes for dinner -Didn’t notice any hostility from the Japanese -Went to Nagasaki one time -Travelled to different bases in Japan -Allowed to fly from one base to another -Stationed there for three months -Went to Okinawa for three months -More confined than Japan, but very similar -Returned to the same base in Japan for another three months (00:25:35) Going to Korea -He went to Korea at least once a month -If you spent one day in Korea per month you didn’t have to pay income taxes -Flew over and socialized for a day then returned to Japan -Had a pilot friend stationed in Korea -There was a lot of tension felt by the pilots in Korea -Dangerous job and they knew they might not return from missions -The pilots were officers -The reason he could talk to the pilot was because they were college friends (00:28:58) Stationed at Hawaii -He returned to the United States after being stationed in Japan -Went back to Chanute Field for reassignment -Told he could get assigned to Hawaii, but he would need to reenlist for two years -Decided to opt for an early discharge to go back to college -The Air Force then realized they had nobody to send to Hawaii -He was assigned to Hawaii for the last three months of his enlistment -Worked with the National Guard and got to know the Hawaiian people -Stationed at Hickam Field (one of the places attacked on December 7, 1941) -By now, it was 1954 and the Korean War was over (00:31:30) End of Service -Strongly encouraged to reenlist -Wanted to know why he didn’t want to reenlist -He wanted to get out of the Air Force and return to college -Didn’t enjoy the regimentation of the military (00:32:11) Life after Service -Originally went to Calvin College for teaching, but didn’t want to do that after his service -Decided to attend the University of Michigan to study electrical engineering -Studied there for 3 ½ years -GI Bill paid for his college -Got married in January 1955 -Fiancée had stayed in Michigan, but visited him while he was at Lowry -While at Chanute Field he drove up to Michigan to visit her -Regularly wrote to each other during his time in the service -Had a career as an electrical engineer �-Worked for the Martin Company in Baltimore, Maryland -Wanted to get a job transfer to Denver, but that didn’t happen -Worked for them for four years -Got a job with Vitro Laboratories in Silver Spring, Maryland -Worked with them for 23 years -Worked with missiles -Missile launching electronics for submarines -He never got to go on a submarine -Retired from his work in Silver Spring and got a job with the Martin Marietta Corporation -Finally got to move to Denver -Retired fully in 1992 -He and his wife split their time between the mountains of Colorado and Arizona -Moved back and forth between those two places for a few years -Decided to move back to Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 2004 -Both children lived there -Moved into the Holland Home (00:41:28) Reflections on Service -Led to his career in electrical engineering -Confident it influenced him, he just can’t be sure what that effect was � 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_HarkemaS1736V Title A name given to the resource Harkema, Seymour (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-03-28 Description An account of the resource Seymour Harkema was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1930. In December 1950, he enlisted in the Air Force and received his basic training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. Upon completion of basic training he went to Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, for electronics training then went to Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado. At Lowry, he learned about and became an instructor for radar-guided weapons sights on the F-84 and F-86 fighter jets. Once he left Lowry he joined a mobile training unit based out of Chanute Field, Illinois, and he served as an instructor at various bases in Michigan with the National Guard. He spent a total of nine months in Japan on Kyushu and Okinawa working with fighter pilots flying during the Korean War, and went to South Korea once a month during the war. After Japan, he returned Chanute Field, and for his final assignment he was stationed at Hickam Field, Hawaii, for three months until his enlistment ended in 1954. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Harkema, Seymour Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American United States. Air Force 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/53c81f35a813b8662309d29ebc7751ec.m4v ae205c9852379f96acdac7ed0174c14d https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e20d803f407e28a550bd4a00580012a1.pdf eda8a9351af6e90afe2eafee83fcc924 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Vietnam War Leigh Freeman Length of interview: (1:22:56) (00:00) Early Life      Leigh was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1950 His father served in the Second World War o He was shot down over Austria and became a prisoner for 18 months o Due to his traumatic experiences, Leigh’s father was volatile towards his five children (Leigh, one other son, and three daughters). Leigh’s father was a business machine repair man; however, he lost his job because he was an alcoholic o In addition to the alcohol, Leigh’s father was also a diabetic o He was warned by his doctor to stop drinking but he refused and died at the age of 47 (after Leigh returned from Vietnam). Leigh attended Omaha North High School and graduated in 1969 o He wanted to go to college but since he didn’t have any the money to pay tuition, he went to Los Angeles to work in his uncle’s warehouse o It was a Teamsters Union warehouse. They refused to allow Leigh to join the union because they figured that he was going to be drafted soon o Leigh returned to Omaha and started to work at another warehouse After a short time working in Omaha, Leigh went to the local draft board and told them to select him during the next round o He figured that after he put in his two years, he would receive the G.I. Bill and be able to attend college (3:35) Military Life    He received his physical examination in Omaha On the day that he was drafted, Leigh met Rick Thomas o They were both sent to Fort Ord, California o Throughout the first day, men continued to arrive from Los Angeles and other areas o The men were put through tests. Leigh and five other men were pulled aside and told that they had scored well enough to become helicopter warrant officer pilots. However, it they chose to accept this, they would have to serve an additional six years after training. Only one of the six men chose to do this, the rest of them wanted to get out after two years The training at Fort Ord lasted for eight weeks �          o They did a lot of physical training and weapons training (which included rifles, grenades, and bayonets) Leigh missed some exercises because he was often selected for KP (kitchen patrol) (7:35) There was a platoon in each of the barracks o The leader of Leigh’s barracks asked Leigh to be a squad leader; however, Leigh felt that he was a better follower than a leader Adjusting to military life was difficult. During the second week of training, a drill sergeant approached Leigh and asked why he didn’t know him. Leigh had done his best to stay under the radar and not make a spectacle of himself At the start of the training, Leigh had a hard time keeping up with the other soldiers. Towards the end, Leigh would help others complete the exercises Almost all of the men training Leigh had been to Vietnam After basic training, Leigh was sent to another part of Fort Ord for Advanced Infantry Training o Most of his time was spent practicing fire missions for mortars o Leigh spent a lot of time doing KP and missed out on more important training such as M60 operation (an important skill that he would need in Vietnam) (11:30) Leigh and his buddies had more freedom during AIT. o They went into the surrounding towns, rented motel rooms, and drank beer o Leigh also traveled to Los Angeles to visit his uncle who owned the warehouse The officers who trained Leigh on mortars told him that the last few groups that came before them were sent to Germany instead of Vietnam o Unfortunately, Leigh’s class received orders to go to Vietnam. One of the men in his class didn’t have to go because his brother was already over there Leigh was sent to Oakland Army Terminal where he was assigned KP duty before boarding the plane to Vietnam o There were anti-war protestors asking them to refuse to go to Vietnam o Leigh’s friend Marcus almost went over the fence to join them. In retrospect, Leigh wishes that Marcus would have because he wouldn’t survive the Ripcord campaign They eventually boarded a charter plane headed toward Vietnam o The plane stopped in Hawaii for 30 minutes and briefly in the Philippines (16:00) Vietnam   When they landed in Long Binh, Vietnam, the heat was almost unbearable o During the bus ride from the airport, Vietnamese children threw firecrackers at the bus. This scared the men who had just arrived and didn’t know what it was like to be fired upon o When Leigh first arrived at the barracks, he was assigned cleaning duty until he was assigned to a unit The men from Fort Ord were assigned to the 101st Airborne Division o They were sent to an airport and boarded a plane to Phu Bai �    When they got to Camp Evans (end of April 1970), they were put through a replacement training program for the division o They learned how to work an M16, M79, LAW, claymore mines, and hand grenades o A defector from the NVA taught them how the enemy got through base perimeters o During a night class, Leigh could see red and green tracer rounds off in the distance Leigh, Rick, and their friend Willy were placed into the 2nd Battalion of the 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division o Willy was assigned to Alpha Company while Leigh and Rick were assigned to Charlie Company o Leigh was designated as a rifleman, though he had been trained on mortars (22:45) Since Leigh and Rick were new to the company, they pulled guard duty on the bunker line of Camp Evans The next morning, Leigh and Rick were sent to Firebase Ripcord and Willy went to Firebase O’Reilly. Leigh never saw Willy again (23:30) Firebase Ripcord         When they approached the firebase on the helicopter, it seemed as though they were going to fall out Leigh and Rick were taken to the west side of the firebase where a man named John was positioned o John (who was also from Omaha, Nebraska) was alone in his fighting position o Ripcord was a round hill with hog and razor wire wrapped around it They had to wrap more wire around their area and dig bunker positions o While they were doing this, they saw aircraft bombing enemy positions Leigh remembers that there was a board that showed how many Americans had been killed or wounded on Ripcord The Charlie Company commander was Captain Vazquez o The first time Leigh met Vazquez was when he stopped at his position to teach him how to properly destroy a boulder with a pickaxe They were on Ripcord for three or four nights before they were taken on a combat assault o Rick became an M60 gunner and Leigh was his assistant gunner o After they landed, their sergeant (Ives) went around to make sure everyone was surviving the heat. Several men were taken out of the field due to heat exhaustion o For the first week or so in the field, Leigh didn’t have a cleaning kit for his M16, a weapon that could easily jam in jungle conditions (30:50) Charlie Company had no contact with the enemy during this trip o Cpt. Vazquez moved very quickly through the jungle. Leigh believes that this kept them from contacting the enemy Sgt. Ives taught them how to dig a foxhole and how to protect it. He also showed them where to place their explosives and other ammunition when they weren’t on the move �       On many occasions, Charlie Company moved from dawn till dusk o The Jungle was frightening during the night. On one occasion, Leigh almost detonated a claymore because he heard a strange noise in the distance o While on guard duty, Leigh had to catch fireflies in order to check the time on his watch When they went to Firebase Gladiator, Leigh and Rick saw a human ribcage lying on the ground o On another occasion a body fell from a chopper and they had to pick it up o Charlie Company got no enemy contact during the first 30 days of Leigh’s time in the field After Leigh got back to Camp Evans, he was sent to a hospital in Phu Bai o He had a severe case of jungle rot on his leg that had developed into cellulitis. His leg as severely swollen and would need to be amputated if he waited any longer o The doctors in Phu Bai operated on his leg and gave him antibiotics. Leigh remained at the hospital for five days before he was flown to Cam Ranh Bay where he stayed for three weeks o Cam Ranh Bay had nice facilities, food, and activities for Leigh to take part in o Leigh’s leg had healed in two weeks but the doctor gave him an extra week in Cam Ranh because he was angry that the army had placed Leigh in the infantry when he was trained as a mortar man The extra week in Cam Ranh allowed Leigh to miss the fighting on Hill 902 o When the men in Leigh’s company returned from 902 on July 2, Leigh found out that several of his friends had been killed (40:00) Shortly after his return to Camp Evans, Leigh’s left arm had swollen up just like his leg o He was put in the Camp Evans hospital and pumped full of penicillin o This stint in the hospital allowed him to miss the fighting on Hill 1000 After Hill 1000, what was left of Charlie Company was sent to Firebase O’Reilly o It was said that Charlie Company was down to 30 men. They soon received replacements o They remained on O’Reilly until June 21st; they pulled guard duty and continued to fortify the firebase After O’Reilly, they took part in a combat assault on Hill 605 o Charlie Company pulled guard while Delta Company (1st Battalion 506) and Delta Company (2nd Battalion 506) got out; Charlie Company was the last unit to leave the hill o The LZ on hill 605 was hot (red smoke) so the men in Leigh’s squad had to get out of their chopper and run for cover. While they waited for the two D companies to evacuate, airstrikes hit the surrounding terrain o At one point, their position was hit with CS Gas and none of them had gas masks. Sgt. Ives told them to get down and take it o The choppers would come in every 30 minutes for the men in Charlie Company. As it got dark, Lt. Campbell put out a strobe light; this made Leigh nervous because he knew that there were NVA positions all around them �      o Leigh forced himself on the second to last chopper because he didn’t want to be on the hill any longer than he had to be (45:55) Shortly after returning to Camp Evans, Charlie Company got orders to go back to the Ripcord area o A Chaplin called all the Catholics and told them that a lot of them probably wouldn’t come back from where they were going. He forgave all of them of their sins o While they were waiting for the choppers, they were told that Col. Andre Lucas had been killed on Ripcord (July 23). Shortly after hearing this news, it was decided that Charlie Company wasn’t going into the field They were sent to Eagle Beach for some training and went into the field on July 29 or 30th near Firebase Catherine o Since there were only five or six men in Leigh’s platoon that had been there prior to Ripcord, they were put in different squads so that they could spread the experience o Since Rick Thomas was wounded and sent back to the U.S., Leigh was no longer an assistant gunner. Instead, he was ordered to walk point; he did this for about 60 days o Leigh didn’t worry about dying anymore because so many of his friends had been killed. He thought it was only a matter of time before he was killed o They went up to Firebase Catherine while it was being closed down. While they were on the firebase, they were sprayed with agent orange o Leigh was ordered to set up an ambush outside of the perimeter. He didn’t know the best way to do this so he just placed his men in a bomb crater. He later learned that this was a bad idea (52:30) After they left Catherine, they conducted operations in areas such as Firebase Helen o They were on Firebase Helen in September when they learned that Janice Joplin and Jimmy Hendrix had died In December, Leigh was put into Echo Company stationed at Camp Evans o Leigh remembers that a lot of soldiers were using drugs. One man had injected himself with so much heroin that he couldn’t pull the needle out of his arm o Leigh was offered heroin but declined because he didn’t want to get hooked on it Prior to his placement in Echo… In Late October, Charlie Company was patrolling when they discovered that they were being followed by NVA troops o The NVA placed booby traps called “toe poppers” that would blow the foot off of whoever stepped on one o On one occasion, Leigh stopped the column because there were empty ration boxes strewn all over the trail that they were on. Shortly after they all stopped, a sergeant stepped on a booby trap and his foot flew through the air. This happened every time the company stopped at a LZ After a few incidences with the booby traps, Echo Company started making their own landing zones �        o While Charlie Company was blowing down trees for an LZ, a handful of NVA soldiers started firing at their position. Leigh and two of his comrades dove for Leigh’s rifle. Leigh was unable to grab his gun before one of the other two did so he took cover from the enemy fire o Leigh couldn’t find his rifle after the incident and had to march for two days without a weapon. The medic also marched with him because he had been severely shaken by the incident (1:02:00) Leigh was eventually sent back to Camp Evans for leadership training o When he arrived, the instructor told the class that a lot of units placed their “duds” in the program to get them out of the field After the training program, he was placed in Echo Company as a mortar man o He had completely forgotten his mortar training Echo Company had access to a lot of marijuana o Leigh and his squad would operate the mortars while they were high. They often forgot to pull the pins out of the mortar rounds; the shells would land but wouldn’t explode After Christmas, he got to go to a Bob Hope show After the Christmas season, Leigh and his unit went to Firebase Jack o One night, he was in a bunker when he discovered a rat chewing on his hair Before Echo Company moved off Jack, they offered Leigh a job pulling permanent KP duty back at Camp Evans o He would do whatever tasks the kitchen workers needed him to do. They made him carry a loaded weapon because the enemy could have attacked at any time o The kitchen workers got angry with Leigh because he started to sleep too late when he should have been at work He was eventually taken off KP duty and placed on the bunker line o Drug use was rampant on the bunker line. Most of the men smoked marijuana and there were some that used heroin o Leigh saw a lot of antagonism between whites and blacks o One night, Leigh was high and sleeping on top of a bunker when the base started to take incoming mortar fire. Leigh refused to move because he didn’t care what happened to him When his time was up, he was flown to Cam Ranh Bay and then to Fort Louis, Washington (1:12:20) Post-Vietnam Life     When he arrived at Fort Louis, he was given a uniform and a ticket to Omaha While he was sitting in the airport, a military policeman ordered him to button his jacket All of his family was waiting for him at the Omaha Airport After a 30-day leave, Leigh reported to Fort Sill, Oklahoma o Leigh got out early in August 1971 so that he could enroll at the University of Nebraska in Omaha o He often had panic attacks in class; he would hide in the library until they passed �    o He decided to become a history teacher; however he was kicked out of his student teaching placement because he would rant about the Vietnam War o After being kicked out of student teaching, he got a degree in English After college, he did a lot of odd jobs because he didn’t get along with others well enough to keep a job (1:17:30) In the mid 1980s, Leigh decided to go back for his teaching degree. He enrolled at Kansas State University and got a degree in English teaching o He also got therapy that allowed him to function in a classroom Leigh got a teaching job in Kansas City, Missouri o After eight years, Leigh’s PTSD led to his transfer to several different schools. By 2010, Leigh couldn’t find an education job Leigh appreciates the chance that the army gave him to get a college 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_FreemanL1890V Title A name given to the resource Freeman, Leigh (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-10-09 Description An account of the resource Leigh Freeman was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1950 and was the son of a World War Two veteran. He was drafted in 1969 and trained at Fort Ord, California. When he arrived in Vietnam (April 1970), he was placed in Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. Charlie Company was sent to places such as Firebase Ripcord and Gladiator however, Leigh was in the infirmary when the company was heavily engaged on Hill 902 and Hill 1000 in July 1970, but did see action at Hill 605 at the end of the Ripcord campaign. After suffering a traumatic experience in the field, Leigh was moved to Echo Company for the remainder of his tour. After he returned from Vietnam, Leigh got a master's degree in education and held various teaching jobs. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Freeman, Leigh 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/94449d2f90a4b3e644528c4c361dcb6f.m4v f10750e97e91eed13eeab5a096878c28 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/48f38a973136f552fa17cc46cae8a348.pdf 50dd04efefe6eaababa5056450901145 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Jerry Everitt World War II-Postwar 1 hour 6 minutes 8 seconds (00:00:19) Early Life -Born in Big Rapids, Michigan on April 5, 1927 -Grew up in Big Rapids -Mother stayed at home to take care of the family -Father worked for the county road commission as a night watchman (law enforcement) -Also did other odd jobs like build barns and break horses -Had work through the Great Depression -He had seven brothers and sisters -Attended Big Rapids High School through the tenth grade -Did some factory work -Made 25 cents an hour -Made plywood in a dry kiln -Only 15 or 16 years old (00:03:06) Start of the War -Doesn't remember where he was when he learned about the attack on Pearl Harbor -Paid some attention to the fighting in Europe and Asia before Pearl Harbor -Brother was in the Michigan National Guard -When the U.S. entered the war, the national guard was federalized -Part of the 126th Infantry Regiment of the 32nd Infantry Division -Fought in New Guinea -Remembers rationing going into effect -Always had a sweet tooth, so he had to make sure he didn't use up his part of the sugar ration -Neighbors did a little black market trading with used tires -Good people though -The factory he worked at did not have to convert to wartime production (00:07:56) Enlisting in the Navy -Remembers a lot of people he knew were joining the military -One of his friends worked at Ferris Institute (Ferris State University) training servicemen Morse Code -He helped his friend with that work -Friend that worked at Ferris Institute enlisted in the Navy -Told Jerry the Navy had better food than the Army -Enlisted in the Navy on March 20, 1945 -Unconcerned with maybe having to invade Japan -Had his physical exam in Detroit then came home for a bit before reporting for duty (00�:10:47) Basic Training -Went to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois on April 30, 1945 for basic training -Learned how to march and use a variety of firearms -Taught how to recognize Allied and Axis aircraft and ships -High emphasis on discipline -Wasn't difficult for him to adjust -Some men had problems, but he feels they would've had problems anywhere -Contracted pleurisy �-Spent a week in a hospital -Led to him training with men from Missouri -Lasted six weeks -Doesn't remember Victory in Europe Day (May 8, 1945) -Not allowed to go into Chicago (00:14:26) Deployment to the Pacific Theater -Came home for a short leave after basic training -Took a train to Portland, Oregon and boarded a transport -Sailed to Hawaii and gathered supplies -From Hawaii sailed to the Philippines -During the voyage across the Pacific Ocean they received word that Japan surrendered -Doesn't remember any major celebrations on the ship, but there was a sense of relief -Got a little seasick on the voyage -Slow roll of the ship caused it -Found that if he ate something he felt better (00:17:53) Service on the USS LST-457 Pt. 1 -Arrived in the Philippines in late August 1945 -Boarded the USS LST-457 in the Philippines -Note: LST (landing ship tank): landing craft capable of carrying troops, vehicles, and supplies -He served as a regular seaman on the ship -Sailed to Los Negros Island in the Admiralty Islands -Picked up a small load of supplies -Pulled onto the beach and had a bulldozer clearing an area for the ramp -The bulldozer's brakes failed and it went right into the water -Some of the officers wanted jeeps, so they found a few and drove them onto the ship -Told they had to take the jeeps off to make room for the supplies -Still managed to get their jeeps on before they left -Picked up a half dozen soldiers that had gotten separated from their unit -Brought them back to the Philippines -USS LST-457 was slated to return to the United States, so he left the ship (00:22:40) Service on the USS San Clemente (AG-79) -Boarded the USS San Clemente (AG-79) in Manila in late 1945 -Note: Supply ship and it used to be called the USS Wright (AV-1) -Didn't get to go ashore in Manila -Served in the laundry room -Sailed to Shanghai, China from Manila on January 3, 1946 -Anchored in the Huangpu River -Went ashore a lot in Shanghai (00:24:30) Service on the USS LST-457 Pt. 2 -Prior to leaving USS LST-457 they sailed up to Okinawa -Fleet was still assembled there in preparation for the invasion of Japan -Sailed north to Japan -Had to stay in a group when they went ashore -Everything was flattened and devastated -Possibly went ashore at Osaka -Sailed from Japan back to the Philippines and boarded the USS San Clemente (00:26:51) Shanghai, China -While they were in Shanghai they had Chinese civilians come aboard to help work -He had a Chinese boy helping in the laundry room on the USS San Clemente �-Worked 24 hours a day and seven days a week in the laundry room -Worked days for a while, then rotated to nights -Had a heating plate in the laundry room -Allowed to get steak, pies, and bread from the mess hall to make food in the laundry room -Older Chinese man made coffee for him and the other sailors -He never drank any of the coffee, rather, he wanted hot water with sugar in it -The Chinese boy that helped in the laundry room could speak three or four languages -They shrank down a Navy uniform and gave it to him -Noticeable tensions between the Nationalists and the Communists -Rickshaw drivers avoided neighborhoods controlled by the Communists -Visited the European sector -Remembers going into European hotels and ordering whatever food he wanted -Didn't see any British of French residents though -Never had any problems with the Chinese civilians (00:32:18) End of Service (First Time) -Sailed from Shanghai to San Francisco -Sailed through the Panama Canal to New York City -Took a train to Chicago and was discharged on June 5, 1946 (00:33:48) Reenlisting in the Navy -Decided to reenlist in the Navy on August 22, 1947 -Was married -Had gotten married in June 1945 after basic training -Had a job at Calvinator in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Living with wife's family in Grand Rapids -Thought that if he made a 20 year career out of the Navy he could get benefits (00:37:52) Electrician School -Reported to a major Navy base in New Jersey -Either Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst or Naval Weapons Station Earle -Sailed through the Panama Canal to San Diego, California to attend Electrician School -Learned the trade of being an electrician -Trained on a Patrol Craft, Submarine (PCS) -Officer candidates learned how to operate sonar -Learned how to track submarines by chasing American submarines -He worked on the radio -Had trouble doing that because he couldn't hear radio transmissions -Did other jobs on the PCS -Captain liked to go fishing, so they went fishing off the coast of California -Not supposed to go fishing, but they did anyway -Wife lived with him while stationed in San Diego -Lived off the base -Remembers experiencing his first earthquake in San Diego -Thought a man was making the floor shake -Realized that that was impossible because the floor was concrete (00:43:45) Service on the USS Molala (ATF-106) Pt. 1 -Transferred to the USS Molala (ATF-106), an ocean-going tug -Sailed back to the Philippines -Stationed at Subic Bay north of Manila -Used primitive drones for gunnery practice -There was a missionary in the Philippines that needed a wing for his airplane �-They ran the wing over to him -Sailed around the Philippines -Visited Tacloban where his brother fought in the war -Didn't see much damage from the war -Had contact with the Filipinos -Got along well with them (00:48:40) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -Meeting other people taught him that while people are different, they're also largely the same -Believes 80% of people want to just live their lives and get along with each other -Ultimately, the color of one's skin is irrelevant to their humanity; we are all the same (00:49:40) Service on the USS Molala (ATF-106) Pt. 2 -Sailed from the Philippines back to Japan -Remembers the crowded trains in Japan -So many people packed in the train you couldn't fall down -From Japan they sailed back to the Philippines -By the late 1940s the communists had taken control of most of China -There were concerns that the communists would advance on the British colony of Hong Kong -They were sent to Hong Kong as part of a force to deter the communists -Sailed to Guam to pick up a dry dock to bring back to the United States -Took a long time to sail back to America -Used a three inch steel cable to tow the dry dock -At one point they had to get refueled at sea -During the refueling the cable broke -Had to repair the cable before they moved on, and the tanker waited for them -Tanker crew was not happy that they had to wait around -Sailed through the Panama Canal and dropped off the dry dock on the Atlantic side -Passed back through the Panama Canal and sailed to Long Beach, California -Discharged at Long Beach (00:53:57) Visiting Hong Kong -When they were anchored at Hong Kong he was able to go ashore -Only visited the city a couple times -Didn't notice any tension in Hong Kong related to the civil war (00:55:10) End of Service (Second Time) -Discharged at Long Beach, California on March 23, 1950 -Decided not to make a career out of the Navy -Stayed in the inactive Navy Reserve, but never did anything with them (00:56:02) Life after Service -Returned to Grand Rapids, Michigan -Worked at different factories in Grand Rapids -Moved to Lowell, Michigan in 1970 -Lived near a school in Grand Rapids, so it was easy for children to go to school -Busing program began and they didn't want their children scattered all over the city -Decided to move to Lowell so they could decide where their children went to school -Had a job with General Motors -Worked there until he retired (00:59:36) Spirit of Grand Rapids Honor Flight -Went on the May 16, 2015 Spirit of Grand Rapids Honor Flight to Washington DC -Chance for local veterans to be honored and thanked for their service -Thought Washington DC was very interesting �-Had a police escort through Washington DC -He thought the most impressive monument he saw was the Washington Monument (01:02:55) Reflections on Service Pt. 2 -It was a period of his life different than any others -Grew up in the Navy -Made him more worldly -Learned that people of different nationalities are still human beings -Desirous of the same things that all people want in life -Most people just want to get along and live in peace -Showed him that any notions of discrimination are stupid � 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_EverittL1931V Title A name given to the resource Everitt, Lawrence Jerry (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-03-03 Description An account of the resource Jerry Everitt was born in Big Rapids, Michigan on April 5, 1927. He enlisted in the Navy on March 20, 1945 and received his basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois. He served aboard the USS LST-457 in the Philippines, Japan and the Admiralty Islands then transferred to the USS San Clemente (AG-79) around the Philippines and in Shanghai, China. They returned to the U.S. on the San Clemente and was discharged in Chicago on June 5, 1946. He reenlisted in the Navy on August 22, 1947 and went to Electrician School in San Diego. He served on the USS Molala (ATF-106) in the Philippines and in Hong Kong. After towing a dry dock back to the United States from Guam he was discharged from the Navy for his second, and final time on March 23, 1950 at Long Beach, California. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Everitt, Lawrence Jerry 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. 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/c5fadf0331b977a1a1905a3873635689.m4v 55e8f135c75d055ffb189f626e3250f5 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/732f273e05d72f42d6005de727d455f4.pdf cd44038d80d13e18ab2e501c1b4a1e45 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Norris Einertson Cold War (Pre-Vietnam); Vietnam War; Cold War (Post-Vietnam) 28 minutes 3 seconds *Note: Times in the outline correspond with the timecode on the interview (01:12:13) Early Life -Born on August 6, 1930, near Westbrook, Minnesota -Lived in Minnesota for three years during seminary -Spent 24 years on the family farm before going to college -Ultimately returned to Minnesota after 29 years of active duty in the Army -Helped his father on the farm because his father wasn‟t ready to retire -Felt the call to the ministry after graduating from high school -Waited six years before going to college -Attended Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota -Part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (01:14:22) Serving with the 1st Infantry Division -First assignment was with the 1st Infantry Division based out of Fort Riley, Kansas -Served with division artillery for 20 months -Transferred to the 2nd Battalion of the 16th Infantry battle group -Sent to West Germany for seven months -Stationed at Wildflecken, about ten miles from the East German border -Watching the East German and Russian movements -Returned to Fort Riley and he was assigned to support command -Served with the 1st Infantry again in Germany as the division chaplain from 1976-1978 (01:16:08) Tour in Vietnam -Served in the Mekong River Delta with the 34th Engineer Group -Had two combat engineer battalions and three construction battalions -Operated in all of IV Corps (southernmost area of South Vietnam) -Viet Cong were the primary belligerents in the region -Worked with the 9th Infantry Division in My Tho -34th Engineer Group was based out of Can Tho -Stayed with the same unit for his entire tour -Didn‟t see a lot of combat -Had some alerts at night -Grabbed his flak jacket and his helmet and went to the closest bunker (01:17:45) Chaplain’s Advanced Course & Stationed at Fort Ord -Went to the Chaplain‟s Advanced Course after his tour in Vietnam -Sent to Fort Ord, California, after completing the Chaplain‟s Advanced Course -His first assignment was to help deal with riots happening on base �-That assignment lasted seven months -Worked at the personnel control facility (akin to a jail) -Had 1,000 men on record as being held in the facility -Did body counts to account for the men at the facility -Lucky to account for 600 men, the rest were AWOL st -Transferred to the 1 Combat Training Brigade after the personnel control facility (00:19:51) Chaplain’s School -Sent to the Chaplain‟s School as part of the staff and faculty -Sent as a writer and worked as the chief of reserve components (01:21:11) Stationed at Fort Gordon -Sent to Fort Gordon, Georgia -Stationed there for four years -Started as the deputy post chaplain -Promoted to colonel and became the post chaplain (01:21:38) Stationed in Washington D.C. -During his time at Fort Gordon, the Army chief of chaplains met with Norris -Wanted him to come work at the office in Washington D.C. -Norris declined, then 15 months later the chief of chaplains asked again -Norris agreed and relocated to Washington D.C. -Worked as the executive officer in the chief‟s office in Washington D.C. -It was a good job -Saw how the chaplaincy worked from a command level (01:22:44) Chief of Chaplains -Promoted to brigadier general on December 1, 1985 -Promoted to major general and became chief of chaplains on July 1, 1986 -Worked closely with other parts of the Army staff -Defending personnel resources from spending cuts -Grew the chaplaincy by 100 chaplains over the course of his four years as chief -Always striving to keep the Chaplain Corps happy -Enjoyed his time as chief of chaplains (01:26:24) Life after Service -After he left the Army he became a pastor -It felt strange to do assignments that he didn‟t feel met his strengths -In the Army, someone better suited to the task could have done it -As a pastor, he was on his own (01:28:45) Transitions in the Army -During his time as the chief of chaplains the Army was going through a transitional period -Early retirements -Change in policies -Rebuilding the Army‟s morale after the Vietnam War -He worked to restore the proper attitude toward the military within the military -Saw firsthand the lack of morale and discipline in Germany in the „70s -Army had started to recover from Vietnam in the late „70s, but still had work to do �(01:30:45) Drugs & Race Relations -Noticed drugs were becoming a problem in the late 1960s and early 1970s -Dealt with soldiers that had drug problems -Replaced those soldiers with older, married men, and the drug problem disappeared -Replaced those older soldiers with young soldiers, and the drugs returned -Race relations were also tense during the 1960s and 1970s -The chaplains tried to maintain fairness -Race relations improved after Vietnam and the civil unrest of that time -First African-American chief of chaplains succeeded Norris -Chaplains were key in the Army‟s “Garden Plot” -Plan to restore order in cities after significant civil disorder -Reaction to the race riots in Watts, Newark, and Detroit -Army looked to the chaplaincy during times of crisis -Helping with the drug problem, race relations, and family counselling -Drugs were a problem at Fort Ord and he worked with the medical staff to deal with it (01:35:00) Changes in Chaplain Practices -Chaplaincy worked on making religious accommodations for soldiers of specific beliefs -For example, creating specialized rations for certain religious groups -Jewish, Muslim, and Seventh-day Adventist soldiers -These changes in the Army prompted changes in other branches of the military (01:38:05) Fondest Memory -He considers his fondest memory to be when he decided to become a pastor -Wanted to serve as a chaplain, and became one in 1961 -Chance to connect with veterans in the church -Better way to help men <Tape ends before the interview is complete> � 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_EinertsonN2058V Title A name given to the resource Einertson, Norris L (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-10-27 Description An account of the resource Norris Einertson was born on August 6, 1930, near Westbrook, Minnesota. He studied at the Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and became a chaplain in the Army in 1961. His first assignment was at Fort Riley, Kansas, where he served with the division artillery for 20 months. Norris was reassigned to the 2nd Battalion of the 16th Infantry Regiment and served at Wildflecken, Germany, for seven months. He returned to Fort Riley and was assigned to support command. His next duty was a year-long tour in Vietnam with the 34th Engineer Group based out of Can Tho in the Mekong River Delta. He returned to the United States and attended the Chaplain's Advanced Course then served at Fort Ord, California. He went on to serve at Fort Gordon, Georgia, and eventually became the post chaplain then went to Washington D.C. to serve as the executive officer in the chief of chaplains' office. Norris was promoted to brigadier general on December 1, 1985, then became the chief of chaplains on July 1, 1986. He served for four years as the chief of chaplains, then retired from the Army. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Einertson, Norris L. 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/1222973ab43c85a83928248e2b67c531.m4v 77f7e90de6dac0f215f50237d48758f3 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3610982dce5a5086a5ef3c0b0ec2ceec.pdf a3ea90da1764f58f93593e05fa4dedb9 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Gary Doublestein Vietnam War; Cold War; Iraq War; War in Afghanistan 1 hour 56 minutes 6 seconds (00:00:10) Early Life -Born on November 15, 1952, in Plainwell, Michigan -Grew up on a farm in Wayland, Michigan -Attended high school there (00:00:37) Enlisting in the Navy -Everybody was very aware of the draft during the Vietnam War -He wanted to serve his country, and do it in the Navy -He wanted the experience that the Navy offered, and his father had served in the Navy -Didn’t want to kill anyone, so he wanted to enlist as a hospital corpsman -Needed his mother’s permission, because he was only 17 years old -Recruiter tried to dissuade him from becoming a hospital corpsman -He would have gone into the field with the Marines -Mother refused to sign for him if he pursued being a hospital corpsman -Agreed to go in as an aviation recruit to repair aircraft -Took an aptitude test at the start of basic training -Signed up to be a hospital corpsman (00:03:30) Basic Training -Reported for basic training in June 1970 -Graduated high school on June 6, 1970, and reported for duty a couple weeks later -Went to Naval Training Center San Diego, California -Took his physical in Detroit -Given a choice between Great Lakes Naval Station or Naval Training Center San Diego -Chose San Diego so he could ride on an airplane -Saw a lot of men trying to get out of service -Some were extremely happy to be classified as 4-F (unfit for service) -He saw the Navy as an adventure and a chance to pay for college -Landed in San Diego and was picked up by a bus -Upon arrival at the base, drill instructors immediately started screaming orders -Letting recruits know that the drill instructors were in control -Placed in a transit barracks for about three hours of sleep -During processing, the recruits got their heads shaved and were issued uniforms -Purpose of basic training was to break down the individual and rebuild as a sailor -Consisted of two, seven week-long phases -First seven weeks focused on the basics of becoming a sailor -Marching, knot tying, history, rules and regulations, folding clothes, and inspections -At the time, he didn’t understand the purpose of the discipline, but expected it �-At one point during the first seven weeks, he got called to go to the chaplain’s office -Reported to the office and his brother was there waiting for him -He was doing basic training at the same time -Chaplain gave them four hours to go off base and visit San Diego together -During the second seven weeks, the recruits were treated with more respect -Introduced to potential jobs in the Navy -Joined the “Blue Jackets Choir” -Added two weeks to basic training -Went off the base for performances -Became the admiral of the choir (00:13:46) Hospital Corps School -Went to Hospital Corps School at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego -14-week course -Learned the basics of first aid and some more advanced medical skills -Akin to advanced EMT training (00:15:00) Stationed at Camp Pendleton Pt. 1 -Requested several possible duty stations on the East Coast -He was sent to Camp Pendleton, California -Disappointed at the time, but it worked out well for him -Assigned to the Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital -After six months, he met his future wife, a Navy nurse -She was an officer, and he was an enlisted man -They worked together for a while -Took a long time to muster up the courage to ask her on a date -Dated for three months (00:18:16) Deployment to Vietnam & Getting Married -Received orders to go to Vietnam with the USS Kitty Hawk -Decided to ask his girlfriend to marry him, and she said yes -He was only 19 years old at the time -Got married in Whittier, California, and had a short honeymoon -Believes that he got orders for Vietnam as punishment for fraternizing with an officer (00:21:14) Stationed at Camp Pendleton Pt. 2 -Stationed at Camp Pendleton for a year-and-a half -Worked on the surgery floor helping with post-op care -Learned how to use IV catheters because they were new at the time -Worked in the emergency room -Treating marines because of some of their antics -Attached to 1st Fleet Service Regiment -Manned a clinic and worked with a doctor sometimes -Usually worked on his own -Thought he would be sent to Vietnam with the Marines �(00:23:03) Assignment to the USS Kitty Hawk -The USS Kitty Hawk was an aircraft carrier -Decommissioned in 2009 -Carried 100 planes and 5,500 personnel -Excited to go aboard ship until he did -Noisy, hot, humid, smelly, and tedious -Joined the ship in the Philippines -Flew from San Francisco to Clark Air Force Base, Philippines -Took a bus down to Subic Bay and waited a couple weeks -Took a helicopter carrier out to the Kitty Hawk, then flew over -It was extremely hot and humid in Subic Bay -Never visited Olongapo City near Subic Bay -He was just married and didn’t want to risk getting an STD -Never met anyone bound for the Kitty Hawk (00:25:50) Service on the USS Kitty Hawk -Assigned to the medical department -Initially assigned to the medical records section, and fought to get out of it -Reassigned to the lab to help with lab work -Stood watch in the emergency room (00:26:57) USS Kitty Hawk Riot -Near the end of his first cruise, there was a race riot on the Kitty Hawk -In his opinion, it was not solely race motivated -Cruises were supposed to last six months, then return to the United States -Instead, they received orders to go back to Vietnam -Sailors were extremely angry and frustrated with the decision -Came to a head when a black and white sailor got into a fight -The fighting spread through the ship -He treated the crewmen injured in the fighting -One man had to be medically evacuated due to severe head injuries -The Marines rounded up everyone except for the corpsmen -Placed them on the hangar deck -Acted as the shipboard police -He felt the Marines were self-policing -They wouldn’t have tolerated dissent in their ranks -He treated all crewmen regardless of race (00:30:14) Combat Operations -They operated in the South China Sea, about 50 – 100 miles off the South Vietnamese coast -Had flight operations day and night -Always heard the roar and shudder of jets taking off and landing -Longest time on line was 120 days -Conducting combat flights in 1972 -Wasn’t aware of the major offensives taking place in Vietnam -Just followed orders and tried to ignore being hot and miserable �-Operating from April 1972 to November 1972 -Never a day on the line without flight operations (00:33:05) Casualties on the Kitty Hawk -One of his first memories was hearing about a flight crewman getting sucked into a jet engine -Nothing they could do, because there was very little to send home -Some flight crewmen got blown off deck -A resting cable snapped and a cut flight crewman’s legs off -If the crewmen were blown off deck they usually weren’t recovered -12-story drop to the ocean, which was usually fatal -If the fall didn’t kill you, the sharks would have -One man that went overboard was rescued -Ironically, he threw himself overboard -Made Section 8 (mentally unfit for service) (00:35:57) Life on the Kitty Hawk Pt. 1 -He never felt the ship move except in typhoons -The gravity was thrown off, and felt like he was taking a deeper step -Never got seasick (00:37:25) Contact with Home on the Kitty Hawk -Wrote letters every day, but it took weeks to receive mail -Often got a bunch of letters at once -Tried to read them in order and respond in kind -Called his wife on time in the Philippines -Had to wait eight hours and call her at 3 a.m. (00:38:56) Life on the Kitty Hawk Pt. 2 -Had typical shifts on the Kitty Hawk -Worked sick call -Had day shifts and night shifts -There were galleys at the fore and aft (front and back), that operated at all hours -He wound up eating a Milky Way and a Coca Cola for breakfast instead -Worked in the lab -Usually got off work around 5 or 6 p.m. for the day shifts -There were movies at night, and propaganda on the local TV network -He would spend time smoking his pipe and writing letters home -Slept in small beds that were about the size of a coffin -Stacked four high and he had the bottom bunk -Each man had their locker underneath their bunk (00:41:08) Ports of Call on the Kitty Hawk -Stopped in the Philippines a lot -Visited Hong Kong; Singapore; Sasebo, Japan; and Mombasa, Kenya -Most of the ports they stopped at couldn’t accommodate the ship due to its size and crew size -At Mombasa, they anchored offshore and took a ship to shore (00:42:30) Stationed at Naval Air Station Miramar -Returned to the United States in November 1972 �-Learned at an early age how much he valued being with his wife -His wife was still stationed at Camp Pendleton when he got back from his first cruise -Kitty Hawk was bound for Bremerton, Washington, for dry dock repairs -He was technically supposed to go with the ship -Requested a transfer so he could be closer to his wife -Assigned to Naval Air Station Miramar near Camp Pendleton -Worked with Squadron VF-213 -A land and sea-based F-4 squadron -Part of the Kitty Hawk’s complement of fighters -Stationed at Miramar for a year -Did some clinic duties -Went to Fallon, Nevada, for flight exercises -Allowed to bring his wife with him -Got approved for a ride on an F-4, but he never got to do it (00:44:57) Second Cruise on the Kitty Hawk Pt. 1 -Went on the Kitty Hawk for sea trials after its dry dock repairs -Set sail for second cruise -On December 11, 1973, there was an explosion in Number 1 engine room -He was sleeping at the time, and another sailor roused him from his sleep -Had he not been wakened he would have died from smoke inhalation -Everyone moved up to the flight deck until the fire was under control -The explosion caused three of the four ship’s propulsion systems to be shut down -This, in turn, caused the ship to list to portside -Limped to Subic Bay, Philippines, for repairs -He helped treat sailors for minor burns and smoke inhalation -Established a makeshift clinic -Below decks the ship reeked of smoke and the walls were covered in soot -Had to spend a lot of time cleaning up after the fire -*Note: He says nine men died in the fire, but it was only six (00:49:12) End of Navy Service -His second cruise lasted from November 1973 to June 1974 near the end of his enlistment -Got off the ship at Subic Bay and waited to return to the United States -Contracted a gastrointestinal disease -Had to hide it until he got back to the United States -If the Navy knew he was sick, he would’ve had to stay until he recovered (00:51:00) Second Cruise on the Kitty Hawk Pt. 2 -During his second cruise, they went to the Indian Ocean with a task force -Had to sail with supply and fuel ships, since there were no bases -Visited Mombasa, Kenya, during that operation -Did a show of power for the shah of Iran -Found it to be a ridiculous waste of time and resources -Started running low on supplies after a while -Drank Kool Aid without sugar, and had the same meals a few times in a row �-Resupplying at sea was difficult -Ships had to match speed then transfer supplies on a line (00:52:52) Becoming a Doctor & Enlisting in the Air Force -After the Navy, he planned on going to college -Appreciates that his wife, a college-educated nurse, married him, a high school graduate -Planned on attending Lake Superior State College, but there was no housing -He contacted Western Michigan University, and they accepted him -Used his entire GI Bill to study at WMU -Wanted to become a doctor then, but had a lot of difficulty with chemistry -Decided to pursue being a physician’s assistant -Two-year program and he would graduate with a bachelor’s degree -Applied for that program and was accepted -He found work in Cheboygan, Michigan, but wanted to pursue medical school -Michigan State University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine was looking for PAs -He needed to take a physics course to apply -Took it at Lake Superior State College and did the labs at a local high school -Had three children by now, and needed to have a way to provide for them during medical school -He got accepted into medical school, but had no way to pay for it -Joined the Air Force for its Health Professions Scholarship Program -Paid for medical school, supplies, stipend, and rent at Spartan Village -Wife and children came with him -Lived in a two-bedroom apartment -His children loved the community -Finished medical school in three years -Meant he owed the Air Force three years -Went to the Grand Rapids Osteopathic Hospital for his five years of residence -Did some drills with the Air Force, but wasn’t paid during residence -No risk of getting pulled from residency -After residency, he went to Military Indoctrination for Medical Service Officers Timecode starts over at 00:00:00, but the interview continues (00:00:03) Military Indoctrination for Medical Service Officers -Sent to Sheppard Air Force Base, Kansas, for MIMSO -Basic introduction to basic military customs -How to dress and act as a member of the armed forces -He was one of only two Vietnam War veterans -Upon graduation, they went to a fancy restaurant -Fairly uneventful (00:02:03) Stationed at Minot Air Force Base -Offered the chance to be assigned to a base in England or Germany -He declined because his children were young and he wanted to bring his dog -If he brought his dog, it would’ve had to be quarantined for six months �-Assigned to Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota -Never met more decent and friendly people than in Minot -Lived on base -Everyone there was like one big family -Watched each other’s houses when they went on vacation and stocked the fridge -He had a very busy OB/GYN practice -Delivered over 250 babies per year -Did a lot of surgeries -Didn’t have to worry about the business side of things and could focus on his trade -During his first year, he had a great mentor who taught him a lot -Minot was a Strategic Air Command base -Served as headquarters for all the nuclear missile sites in North Dakota -Had at least 10,000 – 15,000 people on the base -Stationed there when the Berlin Wall fell -Had been used to seeing B-52s constantly circling the base -They were always ready for a nuclear mission -After the Wall came down, there were no more B-52s -Good place to raise his children -Sometimes it got down to -40 degrees, but they got used to that -After three years, he appreciated the unique beauty of North Dakota (00:07:42) End of Air Force Service -He was asked to continue his enlistment, but he wanted to return to civilian life -Besides that, his latest work partner was insufferable and hostile -At the time, he didn’t know that as an officer he had to resign his commission -Only way for an officer to leave the service -Went to Grand Haven, Michigan, and started a practice there -Worked with another doctor -Eight months later, the Gulf War began -Started receiving letters that he could be called up for service -One week before the war ended, he received a letter telling him to prepare for service -Contacted the Air Force and told them he couldn’t abandon his practice -Community relied on him -Told that he could resign his commission and be out of the Air Force -Immediately decided to resign his commission -Following the resignation of his commission, he was out of the military for over a decade (00:11:39) Enlisting in the Army Reserve -In 2003, he became an OB/GYN director at Metro Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Debated that decision -Had gotten sick of being on-call with his practice, but it was a long drive -Ultimately decided to take the job -In the interim, he had some time off, and in that time, went to the Muskegon Air Show -Seeing the aircraft and his bitterness about 9/11 made him long to serve -The Army Reserve was represented at the event �-Army Reserve medical unit based out of Walker, Michigan -Two weeks later he joined the Army Reserve -Did basic Army indoctrination -It was a culture shock compared to the Air Force -More gritty -Went into the field for a week of bivouac and training -It was exciting since he’d never done anything like that before (00:15:09) Stationed at Fort Wainwright -His first mobilization was to Fort Lewis, Washington, in 2005 -When he got to Fort Lewis, he received orders for six weeks at Fort Wainwright, Alaska -He was ecstatic since he had always wanted to visit Alaska -Thoroughly enjoyed his time at Fort Wainwright and spent a lot of time fishing -Didn’t want to return to Fort Lewis, but had to do two weeks there (00:16:53) First Tour in Iraq – Stationed at Camp Bucca -Sent to Camp Bucca in southern Iraq in 2006 and near the Persian Gulf -He was an Individual Mobilization Augmentee, which meant he was assigned to a specific unit -Worked at the emergency room at Camp Bucca -Helped with detainee transfers -Got to know what life was like for the infantry -120 to 130-degree heat -Went out with a full medical pack and full body armor -Crossed the desert -Brought prisoners from Baghdad to Camp Bucca, and vice-versa -Formed up convoys at night then moved out -Had to stop at bridges to checked for IEDs -Went to Basra to load detainees on to C-130s -One time they had engine failure and had to make an emergency landing -Another time they took off from Baghdad -Started bobbing, weaving, and he saw red lights in the window -Learned afterward they were avoiding a missile lock -Another time, they started taking mortar fire -Had to circle up the convoy and take cover -The infantry perfectly defended the position -Decided then he would never be captured and executed -There weren’t too many combat casualties in need of treatment at Camp Bucca -There was a prison at Camp Bucca -Shortly after he arrived, there was a riot -Guards were authorized to use lethal force, but they refrained -Able to quell the riot without killing any of the prisoners -Treated detainees when they had medical issues -Some of them faked their complaints -Not a lot of combat operations out of Camp Bucca -His first tour lasted four months, because the Army didn’t want reservists to lose their skills �(00:27:11) Second Tour in Iraq – Stationed in Iraq -In 2008, he was deployed to Tikrit -Stationed at the old Iraqi air force academy -The place was pockmarked with bullet holes -Stayed in an old barracks with very basic accommodations -Attached to a medical unit based in Tikrit -Did sick call and assisted in surgery -Common to get rocket fire, but the insurgents were poor shots -Treated soldiers from combat operations and wounded Iraqi civilians -Felt he did a lot of good -One Iraqi was severely wounded -Had to perform a mastectomy because her breast was severely infected -A lot of civilians wounded by the cross fire -Had Iraqi interpreters and learned a lot about their culture -Had Turkish soldiers in Tikrit -Ate dinner with them once -Forbidden from going outside the base into the city -Always had to carry a weapon -He carried a 9mm pistol for self-defense -Became an annoyance after a while -Whenever he heard multiple incoming helicopters he knew there were a lot of wounded troops -Established a formula for meeting new soldiers -Opened a box of cigars, light one, and wait for people to come and ask for one -This was his way of introducing himself to the unit -Remembers after one operation they lost a few men -The soldiers gathered around, smoked cigars, and no one spoke -He was in Tikrit during the troop “surge” -Lost a lot soldiers defending Tikrit, and it was painful to hear that ISIS took the city in 2014 -Made some close, long-lasting friendships during his time in Tikrit (00:37:08) Catholic Work Overseas -Played guitar for masses at Camp Bucca every week when available -In Tikrit, he did that at least once a week if not more, and had a choir backing him -Worked closely with the Catholic chaplain in Afghanistan and travelled with him (00:38:54) Contact with Home in Iraq War -Did four months in Tikrit -During his time in Iraq, it was easier to communicate with his wife -Had email during his first tour at Camp Bucca -When he got to Tikrit, Skype was available to soldiers -Able to have video contact with his wife almost every day -Never told his wife he did a convoy until after it was done -He couldn’t talk about where he was going anyway -Enjoyed the convenience of the internet, but missed the sentimentality of the letters �(00:40:30) Civilian Life Between Deployments -Worked for Metro Hospital from 2003 – 2008 -Didn’t like driving from Grand Haven to Grand Rapids, and he didn’t want to move -Tried to start an OB/GYN program there, and they denied him that -Mercy Health wanted him to join them, and they wanted him to start his program there -He took the job offer (00:42:25) Stationed at Fort Drum -Sent to Fort Drum, New York, for four months -Located in Watertown, New York -The Army hospital was located downtown -Wife was able to visit him during that mobilization -They both saw the St. Lawrence Seaway (00:43:05) Tour in Afghanistan -Deployed to Afghanistan -Served as the command surgeon for the 865th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) -Supplying a large area of operations -He had to go to outposts and forward operating bases to make sure they had supplies -Flew there, drove there, went with convoys, and took helicopters -More administrative work than medical work -During one flight to FOB Wolverine a group of special operations soldiers got on his helicopter -Flew low, at night, with none of the lights on -Got to FOB Wolverine without incident -Spent the night there, and left the next day -Rocket attacks in Kandahar were a daily problem -Killed a few soldiers relatively often -The alarm was a robotic, British accent that said, “Rocket attack” over and over -Eventually stopped going to the bunker -Learned that if you lived long enough to hear the alarm, you were safe -Those were the worst accommodations he ever had for an overseas tour -Shared a room with four other colonels -Had to share a bunk for a week on rotation until he got his own bunk -Travelled with a priest and met some Afghan tribal leaders -Went to a bazaar in Kandahar -Bought some nice Persian rugs for a good price -Traders were disappointed if you didn’t haggle with them -Went to one of the forward operating bases located up in the mountains -It was beautiful, and there were snow-capped peaks in the distance -When he arrived in February, it was cold and rainy -By March, it was sunny and hot -Spent four months in Afghanistan (00:50:23) Retirement from Army Reserve -Retired from the Army Reserve -Medical school and residency had contributed to his time in active duty �-Retired on November 15, 2015, at the age of 60 years old -Had 16 years of active duty -Retired with the rank of colonel (00:52:13) Reflections on Service -Part of him misses being in the military -He wouldn’t be disappointed if he was called up for service again -Always in the right branch of service at the right time of his life -In the Navy, he matured and met the love of his life -In the Air Force, he gained stability and the chance to become a doctor -In the Army, he could serve as an older man, do something useful, and formally retire -Hopes there isn’t a war that needs his service, but he would gladly go if called � 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_DoublesteinG2094V Title A name given to the resource Doublestein, Gary L (Interview outline and video), 2017 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-01-17 Description An account of the resource Gary Doublestein was born on November 15, 1952, in Plainwell, Michigan. In early 1970 he enlisted in the Navy, and in June reported for basic training at Naval Training Center San Diego, California. He went to Hospital Corps School at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego, and was then stationed at Camp Pendleton, California. Gary stayed at Camp Pendleton for a year and was then assigned to the USS Kitty Hawk. His first cruise on the Kitty Hawk lasted from April 1972 to November 1972. In that first cruise, he witnessed combat flights into Vietnam as well as a mutiny on the ship. He returned to the United States and was stationed at Naval Air Station Miramar, California, until he rejoined the Kitty Hawk. His second cruise lasted from November 1973 to June 1974 and he was aboard ship when one of the engine rooms exploded. He left the Navy in June 1974, and enlisted in the Air Force in the late 1970s (c. 1978) to pay for medical school. He was stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, for three years and resigned his commission in 1991. In 2003, he enlisted in the Army Reserve. He served at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, in 2005 at Camp Bucca, Iraq, in 2006 at Tikrit, Iraq, in 2008 and his final deployment was in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. He retired from the Army Reserve on November 15, 2012. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Doublestein, Gary L. 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 Iraq War, 2003-2011--Personal narratives, American Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American United States. Army 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/3ff30273a8668124be4f59083d343584.m4v 0269687133efbe5c88b92508bd52ff56 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d47fb41ebdeaefd2a78e21d9e676ab01.pdf 08b64a151497289b145a8318d094c77f PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Grover DeVault Cold War (Pre-Vietnam); Vietnam War 22 minutes 13 seconds *Note: Times used in outline are with the time code on the tape (00:49:18) Early Life -Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, on August 20, 1929 -Grew up there (00:49:45) Becoming a Chaplain -Interested in the chaplaincy while in college -Read about a Marine chaplain that had served in the South Pacific in World War II -Part of C Company of the 50th Armored Division of the New Jersey National Guard -Joined the National Guard while in college -Promoted to the rank of corporal because he knew how to use a typewriter -Went to college in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Columbia, South Carolina -Attended seminary at Philadelphia Faith Theological Seminary -Started as American Baptist then moved to the Independent Bible Churches (00:50:57) Stationed at Fort Belvoir -Assigned to Fort Belvoir, Virginia -Initially assigned to the garrison and had a chapel in the community -Reassigned to DeWitt Army Hospital for a year -Received training at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (00:51:23) U.S. Army Polar Research -Assigned to the U.S. Army Polar Research on Greenland -Did two, nine-month periods on the island -Helped with the construction of Camp Century under the ice cap -Had a chapel carved out of the ice -Conducted services at the North Pole for scientists stationed there -Went to the Long-Range Navigation System of the Coast Guard -Conducted services and brought them basic entertainment like board games -Got to take pictures of a polar bear -Befriended the Catholic chaplain during their time on that assignment (00:53:50) Stationed in West Germany -Stationed on the East/West German border with the 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment -Stationed in West Germany for three years -Served as the regimental chaplain at Fulda, Germany -The 14th Armored Cavalry was tasked with defending the line in the event of a Soviet invasion -Had to defend the line until the 3rd Armored Division arrived -The 14th Armored would have been wiped out in the event of an invasion �-General Creighton Abrams told Grover to report directly to him about the 14th Armored -Abrams trusted the chaplains to be honest and direct about issues in the units -Race relations were tense in Germany during his time there (00:55:36) Tour in Vietnam -In Vietnam, race relations were very tense -Remembers a group of black soldiers had captured a military police lieutenant -Grover negotiated for the safe release of the officer without a firefight -Awarded the Legion of Merit for his actions -Deployed to Vietnam after working in the Arctic -Part of the 80th Support Group -Operated out of Da Nang -Worked with two mission agencies -Went to Montagnard tribes to help record their unwritten languages -Built a Catholic orphanage -Ultimately built four churches and eight schools for the Montagnards -Established a good connection with those tribes -Placed a grave marker where four missionaries were killed -Ten days before leaving Vietnam, a close chaplain friend of his was killed-in-action -This chaplain was coming to visit Grover before Grover left -On the way, his truck hit a landmine resulting in his death -Grover went to the mortuary to identify the chaplain -Passed out when he was told it was his friend (00:59:45) Stationed at Fort Detrick -Sent to Fort Detrick, Maryland, to recover from his tour in Vietnam due to PTSD -Made lifelong connections while stationed there -Stationed there for one year (01:00:17) Getting Master’s Degree -Sent to Union Theological Seminary in New York -Studied there for 18 months -Got his master’s degree in arts and education (01:00:30) Stationed at Fort Hood & End of Service -Sent to Fort Hood, Texas -Started there as the post chaplain -Became the religious education director -Completed his service as the 13th Sustainment Command (COSCOM) chaplain -Had civilian workers working for him while at Fort Hood -Retired after his service at Fort Hood (01:01:53) Life after Service -Taught at a college in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for six years -Worked as a minister at a church for six years -Got involved with Cadence International and Malachi Ministries -Providing troops with a “home away from home” -Returned to Lancaster �-Did ministry and mentoring -Started the State Police Chaplaincy which grew to have 48 chaplains -He was a first responder at the West Nickel Mines School Shooting in the Amish community -Arrived on the scene when the shooter killed himself -Met a man whose granddaughter had been killed in the school, but didn’t know it yet -Worked as a liaison to that community after the shooting (01:04:38) Reflections on Service -Totally broadened his outlook on life -Made him more faithful -Made him more understanding of other people -Improved his relations with other races -Taught him to cherish education -There were a few disappointments, but none enough to ruin the entire experience -The training he received at Walter Reed was indispensable -Stayed involved with the chaplaincy after he left the Army -Started scholarships at colleges for chaplains -Part of a chaplains’ association -Marvelous experience working with other chaplains -Had strong and impactful mentors -Wife was involved with the chaplaincy as a civilian -She loved the military and helped with some of his duties as a chaplain � 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_DeVaultG2057V Title A name given to the resource DeVault, Grover G (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-10-25 Description An account of the resource Grover DeVault was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, on August 20, 1929. He originally served in the New Jersey National Guard with C Company of the 50th Armored Division before joining the regular Army as a chaplain after studying at Philadelphia Faith Theological Seminary. Grover served at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, as the garrison chaplain and at the DeWitt Army Hospital for a year. He served with the U.S. Army Polar Research at Greenland and helped with the construction of Camp Century, and also went to remote outposts to conduct services. After Greenland, he served in West Germany with the 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment at the Fulda Gap. He was deployed to Vietnam and in Vietnam served with the 80th Support Group. While in Vietnam, he worked with the Army and mission groups to help the Montagnard tribes. He returned to the United States and served at Fort Detrick, Maryland, for one year then studied at Union Theological Seminary. He completed his service at Fort Hood, Texas. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource DeVault, Grover George 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/0b0e1404e4caf392fd919d764124ac29.m4v 83451062e4469ba7a99cc21e852d6f44 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/323d5f01d45515310478fca54787f43e.pdf af2b90791f44a30bf67835f9114ea9f6 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Tom Cannan World War II 45 minutes 19 seconds (00:00:10) Early Life -Born in Eldorado, Illinois, in 1922 -In southern Illinois near the Kentucky border and the Ohio River -Grew up there -Mother died when he was four years old -Father worked as a car salesman, owned a hardware store, and some plumbing and heating work -Lost everything because of the Great Depression -Eventually found work as a night watchman at a coal mine -Graduated from high school in 1940 (00:01:36) Citizens’ Military Training Camp -Went to Citizens’ Military Training Camp at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin -Received some training with field artillery -One month of training -If you did a month a year, for four years, you were qualified to go to Officer Candidate School -Returned home after completing that -Did that training in 1940 (00:04:10) Start of the War & Enlisting in the Navy -He was in Missouri visiting family when he heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor -Joined the Naval Aviation Cadet School in 1942 -Had originally gone to Marion, Illinois, to try to join the Navy Seabees -Went back and forth for two or three months to get in -Told he didn’t have enough experience to work in construction -Did aptitude testing in Marion and in St. Louis -Needed two years of college to become a pilot, but the Navy had an alternate program -Three months of training, 35 hours of flight time, but no pay -Opted to do that program so he could become a pilot cadet (00:07:36) Training at St. Ambrose College -Sent to St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa, for his pre-cadet training -Had a “ground school” -Learning about aircraft engines, meteorology, and civil air regulations -Got 35 hours of flight time -Upon completion of that course he had his pilot’s license -Learned to fly in a two-passenger, single engine plane -There were about a dozen men in his class -Some washed out, but the majority graduated -Sent home and told to wait to be called for service �(00:10:58) Navy Pre-Flight Training -Sworn in at St. Louis then told to wait for another call to report -Went to the University of Iowa for Navy Pre-Flight Training -Three months of training -Basic indoctrination, radio code training, more meteorology training, and more air regulations -Deeper training than at St. Ambrose (00:12:36) Navy Primary Flight Training -Sent to Naval Air Station Hutchinson, Kansas, for his Primary Flight Training -Worked with larger aircraft and received more detailed training -Flew the Stearman Model 75 biplane -Got 60 hours of flight time -Flew during the day and did two or three nights of night flying -Flew one hour at a time -Started with flying out of the base then returning to it -Moved on to flying from the base, to another base, back to home base -Spent most of his time on the base -One Sunday he went into town and a local family invited him to dinner -Stayed in touch with them (00:16:50) Navy Advanced Flight Training -Went to Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, for Advanced Flight Training -Flew the SNJ (Navy’s version of the T-6) -250 horsepower single engine with retractable landing gear -Started learning how to take off and land on an aircraft carrier -Had the runway marked to be about the same size as a carrier’s flight deck -There were fatal accidents -Bruce Bradford, his former roommate during Pre-Flight Training, was killed in a crash (00:21:20) Discharged from Navy & Enlisting in the Army Air Force -Cadets without two years of college would be discharged or could enlist for six years -Decided to take the discharge -Went to the nearby Army airfield and enlisted in the Army Air Force (00:23:30) Instructing at Parks Air College -Assigned to Parks Air College in St. Louis to train Army pilot cadets -Given one month of instructor training -Served as an instructor for a year-and-a half -Used PT-19s -Low-wing aircraft with fixed landing gear -Taught the cadets maneuvers and basic acrobatics -Rolls, loops, and Immelmann maneuvers -Trained them how to do take offs and landings, and day and night flying -Enjoyed working as an instructor -No cadets were killed during his time as an instructor -Very safe because of strict testing for cadets -The college had been a civilian facility taken over by the Army Air Force �-Had some older civilian instructors -Did six months of instruction before he was sworn into the Army Air Force -Lived with a family in Sikeston, Missouri, near the college -Community had mixed feelings about the military presence -He lived with an elderly couple -Some of the instructors were respectable, and the others were wild -Army eventually closed the training field (00:29:19) Army Cadet Training -Placed into Army Cadet Training at Keesler Field, Mississippi -Did three months of Army basic training -Trained alongside fresh recruits and some instructors from Parks Air College -Basic military indoctrination, and a waste of time for him -Went on bivouacs, did drill, and discipline (00:31:41) Army Flight Training -Sent to various fields around San Antonio for the Army’s version of flight training -Proceeded to Lancaster, California, for more flight training -He had befriended a bomber pilot that led the raid on the Ploesti Oilfields -Helped get Tom into flight training at Lancaster -Did three check rides at Lancaster and was told he was already qualified (00:34:30) Instructing at Marana Army Air Field -Sent to Marana Army Air Field near Tucson, Arizona -Trained returning B-17 pilots how to become instructors in the T-6 -Mix of nice men and cocky men -Remembers a close call when the plane stalled, fortunately, the pilot got them out of it -Some of the men didn’t respect him because he’d never flown a bomber -One experienced pilot was killed when he crashed his plane into a mountain -Escorted the remains back to Atlantic City, New Jersey -Met the pilot’s family -Wife gave birth to a son the day he was killed -Spent two weeks with the family and attended the funeral -By then, Japan had surrendered and the war was over -He saw the Miss America competition (September 8, 1945) (00:41:15) End of Service -Sent to Williams Field, Arizona, for the last couple months of his enlistment -Discharged in late 1945 (00:42:06) Life after the War -Returned to Illinois, got married and lived in Illinois for 69 years -Worked in heating and air conditioning, and owned his own shop -Wife was the bookkeeper and helped at the shop -Consistently worked on the local hospital’s mechanicals (00:43:24) Reflections on Service -Taught him maturity and responsibility -Felt like he did a necessary job during the war, but felt the branch transfer wasted time � 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_CannanT2097V Title A name given to the resource Cannan, Thomas (Interview outline and video), 2017 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-01-24 Description An account of the resource Tom Cannan was born in Eldorado, Illinois, in 1922. Prior to military service, he went to the Citizens' Military Training Camp at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, for a month of training with field artillery in 1940. In 1942, he joined the Naval Aviation Cadet School after receiving three months of preliminary flight training at St. Ambrose College, Iowa. He went to the University of Iowa for Navy Pre-Flight Training, then on to Naval Air Station Hutchinson, Kansas, for Primary Flight Training. Tom then went to Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, for Advanced Flight Training, but was discharged from the Naval Aviation Cadet program due to not having two years of college. He enlisted in the Army Air Force and became an instructor at Parks Air College in St. Louis, training Army pilot cadets. He served as an instructor there for a year-and-a half then went to Keesler Field, Mississippi, for three months of Army Cadet Training. After that training he did Army flight training at Army airfields around San Antonio, Texas, and at Lancaster, California. He was selected to be an instructor at Marana Army Air Field, Arizona, and for the last couple months of his enlistment was at Williams Field, Arizona. He was discharged in late 1945. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Cannan, Thomas 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 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/910c404055ad9cc6aba776fa8261b45f.m4v e3aae25b042c8a6680d13d3d22e5eaaf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3070292a276d4d1f635717a201446d77.pdf 3ff89ef56bbf09e84a415c3b86ca60a2 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Jimmy Butt World War II 46 minutes 51 seconds (00:00:11) Early Life -Born in Tippo, Mississippi, on October 13, 1921 -Lived on a cotton plantation until he was 16 years old when his parents died -Moved in with an uncle living in Wetumpka, Alabama -Graduated from high school there in 1939 -Attended Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama -Great Depression hit Tippah County hard -Virtually every farmer lost their property -Cotton had been estimated to sell for 30 cents, but it only sold for 6 -Farmers had to take out huge loans just to survive -They couldn’t pay them back, and their farms failed -Parents had had a 600-700-acre plantation (00:02:22) Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) -Two years of ROTC was mandatory for male students at Auburn University -Before Pearl Harbor, he didn’t pay attention to the fighting in Europe or Asia -Trained with horse-drawn artillery pieces -Enjoyed drilling and marching -Easy to hitchhike home because of the ROTC uniform -After two years of ROTC, he applied for advanced ROTC -Paid $21 per quarter -Extremely helpful since he was paying his way through college -$400 per year for tuition -Note: In 2017, this would be equivalent to $6,938 (00:04:00) Start of the War -Accepted into advanced ROTC in spring 1941 -After Pearl Harbor, the ROTC cadets knew they would be called for service at any moment -Decided to stop studying and enjoy themselves until they were called to service -Military science professor told them to keep studying -Didn’t get called up until after they had been graduated -Graduated from college in February 1943 -Had been forced to take summer classes to accelerate his education (00:05:11) Officer Candidate School, Survey School, & Extra Training -Upon graduation, he was inducted as a corporal in the Army -Sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, for Officer Candidate School -Also the location of the Field Artillery School -Awful transition for a college graduate �-Had never been in such a strict environment -Total uniformity in everything (the way they stored uniforms and made beds) -Frustrating requirements -Trained with a mix of ROTC graduates and men who had enlisted in the Army -Men with military experience taught ROTC cadets how to dress and assemble rifles -ROTC graduates helped teach the military men about artillery -He had studied artillery during his time in the ROTC -Trained with mechanized artillery at Fort Sill -Had used 75mm guns in ROTC, and trained with mechanized 105mm guns at Fort Sill -After OCS, he was commissioned and sent to Survey School -Had background in surveying in college -As a survey officer, he went out to the field with a piece of paper and an instrument -Figured out where to place guns and how to create an effective field of fire -Got within a few hundred yards of targets to create reference points -Used by forward observers to call in shots -Completed OCS on June 23, 1943 -Went to Survey School for a month -Sent to another school for a month (00:10:30) Stationed at Camp Van Dorn & Assignment to 63rd Infantry Division -Assigned to the 63rd Infantry Division at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi -Being from Mississippi made it easier to rent a room for him and his wife -Got married on June 22 so she could pin the lieutenant bars on him for commissioning -Got to Camp Van Dorn in September 1943 -Group of recruits came and he helped train them -That first group was combat ready by early 1944 and they were deployed -Got another group of recruits and did six more months of training with them -He was in the 863rd Field Artillery Battalion -When the first group deployed, all the enlisted men went over to Europe -Most of the noncommissioned officers went, and a handful of officers too -He was happy to get to stay with his wife for another six months -In the mornings, he did survey and fire direction training -In the afternoon, he went to the field and trained or oversaw gas training -Note: Gas training was to prepare soldiers for the eventuality of gas attacks -Technically, he was only scheduled for one night off the week -Created a system that allowed to go home more than one night a week -Focused on training, but knew the Allies were winning the war (00:14:25) Deployment to European Theatre -In the fall of 1944, he received his deployment orders -Infantry left in October 1944, and he left on Christmas Day 1944 -The infantry fought at the Colmar Pocket (November 1944 – February 1945) -Took heavy casualties -He departed from New York City, sailed south, then sailed across the Atlantic Ocean -Went over on a former luxury liner �-Packed with soldiers -Everyone got seasick on the voyage -No lights allowed at night -The officers took turns going into the hold to be with the regular soldiers -Entire hold smelled of vomit -Stayed in a room with six other officers (only meant to house two people) -Took eight days to reach Europe (00:17:07) Arrival in Europe -Landed at Marseille, France -Had passed through the Gibraltar Straits and was escorted by two destroyers -Supposed to take a torpedo if a U-Boat attacked them -Disembarked at Marseille and taken to a raised area like a plateau -Got to Europe in January 1945 -It was bitter cold, and they set up tents -Had to stay in the tents for a week waiting for their artillery pieces (00:18:39) Fighting in Saar River Area -Once they got their guns, they went north through France to Saarbrucken -Went on the frontline there -Joined the rest of the division there -Started intermittent fire missions immediately -Firing at random positions to disrupt the Germans and keep them awake -Working on straightening out the frontline by eliminating pockets of German resistance -During this time, a forward observer was killed, which led to him becoming one -Stayed in Saarbrucken until early spring 1944 (00:20:23) Fighting on the Siegfried Line -Had perfect maps, so they didn’t need survey officers -Assigned to forward observer duty on March 13, 1945 -Assigned to the lead platoon in an infantry company -Went with them in case they needed artillery support -During one fight, they got pinned down by a machinegun -He called in artillery and neutralized that position -Bracketed that position -Dropping shells to left and right and narrowing down to target -Took several days to punch through the Siegfried Line -Artillery bombardment preceded the ground assault -First long range, then medium range, then short range artillery -The culmination of artillery sounded like a freight train in the sky -Bombardment lasted 30 minutes -Started advancing toward Siegfried Line and encountered a German pillbox -Got pinned down and too close to call in artillery -Felt like an eternity -Still dark and the Germans used flares -He would dig, then stop when a flare went up �-He was about 50 yards away from the pillbox -One soldier tried to charge the pillbox with a white phosphorous grenade -Shot and went down, and the man was engulfed in flame -Germans eventually surrendered -Shot after they surrendered as revenge for the burned soldier -One of the worst firefights he experienced -After the fight at the pillbox, they were allowed to hang back and let other units advance -Germans had fortified the Siegfried Line -Concrete-reinforced pillboxes, trenches, and Dragon’s Teeth (concrete blockades) -Continuous line they had to punch right through -During one firefight, he and another officer figured out they were firing at each other -Took two or three days to get through the Line -Tanks showed up and helped them pursue and disrupt the German retreat (00:28:23) Crossing the Rhine River & Advancing through Germany -Advanced to the Rhine River and crossed it on a pontoon bridge -Occupied as much territory as possible to disrupt the Germans -Turned south and advanced toward Austria -Relieved by the 36th Infantry Division, who captured Hermann Goring -The 63rd Infantry Division liberated the Landsberg Concentration Camp -He wasn’t there to see the liberation -Encountered pockets of resistance as they moved through Germany -Remembers being on a hill overlooking Forchtenberg -Surveyed the area and didn’t see any signs of German movement -Received orders to call in a strike on the center of the town -As soon as he did, the Germans opened fire on his position -Watched the infantry take the town -Passed through the town after it was secured and saw wounded civilians -Got to the Autobahn and found some German jet engines hidden in the woods -Missing their engines -The nearby town had been working on building the engines -Didn’t see many German civilians -Started seeing large numbers of German soldiers that had surrendered near the end of the war -Remembers the mayor of Heidelberg coming to the general of the 63rd and surrendering -Passed through the town without a fight, and left it unscathed -Passed through numerous cities without any organized resistance aside from random snipers -Took weapons and gear from prisoners then directed them toward the rear for processing -Some were in good shape, but many were old men and young boys -Liberated three or four labor camps -Men, women, and children covered in lice -Had a special medical unit to delouse them -Let them leave and go to the rear, but robberies and rapes started to happen -Had to gather them back up and place them in the camp until rear troops arrived -Slave labor from Yugoslavia, Russia, Poland, and France �(00:36:29) Occupation Duty Pt. 1 -After Germany surrendered in May 1945, he became part of the Army of Occupation -Anticipated an organized insurgency led by the SS and Gestapo -Charged with occupation duty in a county -Set up in a German industrialist’s mansion -Huge living room with piano, swimming pool, and horse stables -Went horseback riding in the mountains in the morning -Swam in the pool in the afternoon -Sang around the piano at night -Quartered there for six weeks (00:38:05) Living Conditions in Europe -During the war, he got little to no sleep -Managed to catch an hour or two of sleep if they occupied a house -No baths or showers -Lived on energy bars and the occasional C-ration -Had field kitchens in the Saar area when he joined the rest of the division (00:39:09) Occupation Duty Pt. 2 -After initial occupation duty, they went into the field to prepare for the invasion of Japan -After a day or two of training, the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan -Once the Japanese surrendered, it was just a matter of waiting to go home -Didn’t have enough “points” to be sent home immediately -Note: points awarded based on rank, combat, length of service, and dependents -Transferred to the American military government in Germany -Started in the Food & Agriculture Section in Karlsruhe -Going to food facilities and estimating damage -If there was minor damage, they reported it and got it fixed -If a facility was beyond repair, it was abandoned -Did that for a few months until that section was closed -Assigned to run an Officers’ Club in Karlsruhe -Planned parties and kept the bar stocked -Impressed by the Germans’ cleanliness and their hospitality -Felt like being home -Shocked by the amount of devastation he saw in German cities -Entire cities reduced to rubble -First time he saw that, after the war, was in Stuttgart -Served there as a message center chief until turned over to civilian control -Directing communications since networks had been destroyed -Able to call home -Wrote a letter to his wife telling her the day and time he would call (00:42:55) Coming Home & End of Service -Left Germany in late summer 1946 -Got back to the United States in September 1946 -Travelled on a slow boat filled with returning soldiers �-Left out of a port in northern Germany (possibly Bremerhaven) -Landed at New York City -Took a train to Fort Bragg, North Carolina -Discharged from the Army there (00:44:00) Life after War -Returned to Auburn, Alabama -Wife had bought a house for them and she got a job there -Got his master’s degree at Auburn University on the GI Bill -Joined the research faculty at Auburn University -Did that from 1948 – 1956 -Got a job in Michigan -Has lived there ever since (00:45:15) Reflections on Service -Impressed by the unity of America during the war -Everybody helped in some way -Feels that farmers get overlooked despite how much they contributed to the war effort -Farmed with old equipment -Managed to feed the country, the Allies, and the Soviet Union -After the war, it was a good, economically booming time � 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_ButtJ2091V Title A name given to the resource Butt, Jimmy L (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 Jimmy Butt was born in Tippo, Mississippi, on October 13, 1921. He was in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps at Auburn University and graduated in February 1943. He attended the Officer Candidate School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and was commissioned as an officer on June 23, 1943. He completed Survey School a month later. In September 1943, he went to Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi, and joined the 863rd Field Artillery Battalion of the 63rd Infantry Division. On Christmas Day 1944, he sailed to the European Theatre and in January 1945 joined the rest of the 63rd near Saarbrucken. He participated in the fighting on the Siegfried Line and the eventual crossing of the Rhine River into Germany. He was with the division as it advanced through Germany and witnessed the liberation of multiple slave labor camps. After Germany's surrender in May 1945, he was part of the Army of Occupation and served in Karlsruhe and Stuttgart. He left Germany in summer 1946 and was discharged at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in September 1946. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Butt, Jimmy L, 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 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