15 24 1541 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/fc3f0423fa905e90e4f741c8f31c7651.m4v 6f0f32278e6b863b3c990d2d26015cc3 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/aafa5eab7adee777236e586060dde9b6.pdf a8b51943b773f004f9dd786f917ec385 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Ken Bucy Vietnam War; Cold War; Iraq War 30 minutes 49 seconds *Note: Times in the outline coincide with timecode in interview (00:18:24) Early Life -Born in Anderson, Indiana, on April 25, 1947 -Went to a famous church in Anderson (note: possibly Church of God) -Grew up in Anderson and through two years at Anderson College -Planned on getting a liberal arts degree so he could become an Air Force pilot -Kicked out of the college after his second year because he didn’t have enough money (00:19:19) Enlisting in the National Guard & Assignment to 151st Infantry Regiment -Planned on attending the state college, but received his draft notice -Decided to enlist in the National Guard -Assigned to an airborne infantry unit, the 151st Infantry Regiment of the 38th Infantry Division (00:19:42) Deployment to Vietnam -After basic training and advanced infantry training, the 151st Infantry Regiment was mobilized -Removed from the 38th Infantry Division and became a Ranger unit -Sent to Fort Benning, Georgia, for more training -Deployed to Vietnam in late 1968 after Christmas -Only National Guard unit in Vietnam (00:20:40) Missions in Vietnam -Operated out of a basecamp about 30-40 kilometers north of Long Binh -Established the base when they arrived in Vietnam -Operated as Long-Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) units (Company D, 151st Infantry) -Six-man teams that went into the field for a week -Watched rivers and trails for enemy troop and supply movement -Intelligence they gathered went to II Field Force Vietnam -Sent out large infantry units to intercept and disrupt enemy movement -Primary objective, aside from gather intelligence, was to stay quiet and avoid capture (00:22:17) Casualties & Bond -Lost six men out of his 206-man company -Extremely low compared to other infantry units -His unit was different than any other infantry unit in Vietnam at that time -Comprised of brothers, cousins, brothers-in-law, and friends from school -Formed a close bond, making them more effective -It also meant they took their losses much harder -Still have monthly association meetings at Camp Atterbury, Indiana -140 men still alive as of 2016 �(00:24:42) Returning to United States -Returned to the United States and was placed in the inactive reserves -Arizona State offered him a scholarship, and he accepted -College paid-for by GI Bill and scholarship -Fell in love with the state of Arizona (00:25:25) Reenlisting in the National Guard – Band -Joined the Arizona National Guard after graduating from college -There was a National Guard band near the unit -Wound up spending a total of 17 years with that band (00:26:00) Seminary & Chaplain Assistant -After 12 years in the National Guard, he felt the calling to attend seminary -Went to the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth -There was a National Guard unit four blocks away from the seminary -Headquarters unit for the 2nd Brigade of the 49th Armored Division -They needed a chaplain assistant, and he took the position -Took the chaplain assistant course by correspondence -Introduced to the chaplain -Outstanding man and enjoyed serving with him -Worked together for 3 ½ years (00:28:16) Army Reserve Instructor -Didn’t like the new chaplain, so he became an instructor in Army Reserve school system -Returned to Arizona -Trained noncommissioned officers in the chaplain assistant reclassification course -Served as an instructor for 12 years -Had gotten certified during a conference in San Antonio -Learned that he enjoyed teaching -Got promoted to the rank of E8 (1st sergeant, or master sergeant) -Taught the chaplain assistant course seven or eight times during his 12 years as an instructor -Some of the chaplain assistants he taught went on to become chaplains (00:30:48) Field Exercise at Fort Hood -As a chaplain assistant, he went to Fort Hood, Texas, for a field exercise -Went into the field with the chaplain -Chaplain had to drive the jeep so Ken could offer “protection” from the passenger seat -Turned out, the chaplain enjoyed cross-country driving -One day, they got an order to go into the field because a soldier wanted to see the chaplain -Drove out to that unit’s location and parked under a tree -Walked 300-400 yards, then low-crawled the rest of the way -This was so that they didn’t alert the “enemy” to the unit’s presence -The men of that unit praised Ken for following protocol (00:36:00) Returning to the Band in Arizona -After 12 years, the school he taught at reorganized, and he didn’t like it -Returned to Arizona to resume service with the band in Arizona �(00:36:25) Voluntary Deployment to Iraq -In 2003, his band played for three units called-up for service in Iraq -Deeply moved him -Knew that a chaplain, somewhere, needed an assistant -After a week of deliberation, he decided to volunteer for deployment to Iraq -Contacted the National Guard, and they said they had no opening for him -A few months later they called him and said they had an opening -Assigned to an infantry brigade in Louisiana that needed a chaplain assistant -Spent a total of 19 months with them -One of the most rewarding times during his career in the Army -Knew he was exactly where he needed to be -The chaplain he served with had been in that unit for 19 years -Younger men related to Ken because he had prior combat experience -Trained at Fort Hood, Texas, for six months -Trained at Fort Irwin, California, for five weeks (00:39:52) Tour in Iraq -Travelled from the United States, to Kuwait, to Iraq -Built their own chapel -Originally held services in a tent without air-conditioning -He was picked to supervise the construction of their chapel in Camp Victory -Helped by Army Engineers -Made a baptistry out of 1,000-gallon water tank, cut in half (00:42:08) Retirement & Life After Service -Retired from the Army in 2007 -Taught Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets for three years -Permanently retired after that -Enjoyed teaching, especially with students that wanted to be there -Involved in local politics since 2010 (00:43:33) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -He didn’t become an Air Force pilot, but he made the most out of his experiences -Feels his time in the Army showed the efficacy of a good non-commissioned officer -He was offered the chance to go to Officer Candidate School -Declined, because he wanted to be on the ground with the troops (00:44:22) Basic Training -While in basic training, he knew how to march due to his experience in marching band -Picked to call cadence and lead his training platoon during marches -Sergeant tasked him with “procuring” two new mops from another unit -He, and a few other squad leaders, went out at night and got the mops (00:46:37) Barbeque Party in Vietnam -In Vietnam, they had two or three extra vehicles in their motor pool -During the tour, they lost a copy of their communications/electronics operating instructions -Basically, all the secret call-signs used by units in radio communications -As a result, all the units were called in to the basecamp until they got a new CEOI �-A couple soldiers took one of the extra jeeps and a trailer to Saigon to get meat and beer -The soldiers used six, 55-gallon drums to make a giant barbeque pit -Had a three-day party -Still has no idea where the extra vehicles came from (00:48:47) Reflections on Service Pt. 2 -Company D of the 151st Infantry Rangers were the most decorated infantry company in 1969 -Proud to have served 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_BucyK2054V Title A name given to the resource Bucy, Ken (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 Ken Bucy was born in Anderson, Indiana, on April 25, 1947. He enlisted in the Indiana National Guard and was assigned to D Company of the 151st Infantry Regiment of the 38th Infantry Division. Upon completion of basic training and advanced infantry training, the 151st became a Ranger unit. He received more training at Fort Benning, Georgia, and was deployed to Vietnam after Christmas 1968. They conducted long-range reconnaissance patrols out of a base north of Long Binh. After returning to the United States, he was placed in the inactive reserve and studied at Arizona State. He joined the Arizona National Guard after graduating from college and served in a National Guard band for a total of 17 years. After 12 years in the National Guard, he attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and became a chaplain assistant in the 2nd Brigade of the 49th Armored Division. He served with them for 3 1/2 years, then served as an Army Reserve instructor for 12 years. He returned to the National Guard band in Arizona and served with them until he volunteered for service in Iraq in 2003. Ken served in Iraq as a chaplain assistant in a Louisiana infantry brigade. He retired from military service in 2007. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bucy, Ken 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 Iraq War, 2003-2011--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/54719c67ded5839f1fb1ac5a9b34afca.m4v f5d6815a83bb4bfbbe2a3b07a838eed8 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0319198c314b2b4b58190e8db5730c6f.pdf dc2c41f16f840c4f3482f6e2571de484 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Joe Beyrle World War II 1 hour 25 seconds (00:00:27) Early Life -Born in Muskegon, Michigan on August 25, 1923 -Attended St. Joseph Catholic High School in Muskegon, Michigan -Attended Catholic schools for entire education and taught by Dominican nuns -Had a scholarship to the University of Notre Dame -Registered for college there -19 years old when he graduated from high school -Had been held back during elementary school because he couldn't speak English (00:01:28) Start of the War -Went to a pool hall called “The Hub” after church on December 7, 1941 -Heard about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on the radio (00:01:57) Enlisting in the Army -Enlisted in the Army after coming home from registration at Notre Dame -Note: Mentioned later in the interview, enlisted on September 17, 1942 -Went to Camp Custer, Michigan -Heard a pitch about the paratroopers -Newly formed unit at the time -Decided to join the paratroopers -Approved to join the unit (00:02:57) Training at Camp Toccoa -Sent to Camp Toccoa, Georgia for the first part of training -Army sent psychiatrists to see why soldiers would willingly jump out of airplanes -95% of men joined because they wanted the extra $50 -The first 40 times he rode in an airplane, he jumped out of it -Colonel Robert Sink was his commander -Difficult training -Men usually washed out before getting to Fort Benning, Georgia -Even something as simple as falling behind in a run meant getting kicked out -Men that washed out were placed in W Company (“washed out” company) (00:04:43) Assignment to the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment -Assigned to I Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division -Served with men from all over the United States -Received radio and demolitions training before joining the unit -Joined the 506th at Camp Mackall, North Carolina -Went on maneuvers in Tennessee -Moved to Fort Bragg, North Carolina -Processed there to go overseas (00:05:58) Preparation for D-Day Pt. 1 -Sent to England and arrived there on September 17, 1943 -Exactly one year after he enlisted -Didn't know about the invasion of France until two days before the invasion -Saw a sand table indicating the planned drop zones for the paratroopers �-Note: A sand table is a 3D topographical map for planning purposes -Supposed to land five miles behind Utah Beach -Knew they would have to fight to reach the key bridges -Felt prepared to do the combat jump (00:08:20) Secret Missions in France -Called to the battalion headquarters -He was Technician 4th Grade-Radio Operator at the time -Commanding officer volunteered him for an OSS (predecessor to CIA) mission into occupied France -Briefed in Bournemouth, England by an OSS agent to prepare for the mission in France -Objective was to deliver gold to the French Resistance to fund their resistance efforts -Jumped into France on his own -Most of the Resistance fighters he encountered spoke English -Did two of these missions in France -Both missions were easy thanks to his training -Each mission lasted about two weeks -Moved from safe house to safe house -On one mission he rode on a horse -Ordered to shoot the horse if intercepted by a German patrol -Horse knew how to get to a French Resistance safe house -Flown back to Barmouth, England and then rejoined the 506th -His cover story was that he was visiting his “sick” brother stationed in northern England -Returned to the 506th in early May 1944 (00:14:37) Preparation for D-Day Pt. 2 -Did a few practice jumps in England -Similar terrain to France -Not allowed to make contact with the outside world (write letters, radio, etc.) -British civilians didn't ask any questions -There were 2,000 men in the 506th -Four companies per battalion -5,000 men had originally applied to the 506th -On his third practice jump they were told about the invasion of France -Shown the sand tables, given French francs, and a French-English phrase book -Didn't know the scope of D-Day -Didn't know about the involvement of the beach landings or the other airborne units (00:17:45) D-Day Pt. 1 -Left England out of Exeter late on June 5, 1944 -Landed in France on 1:30 a.m. on June 6 -There were 17 men per C-47 plane (known as a “stick”) -He was part of I Company headquarters unit -Fourth man to jump out of his plane -Jumped with I Company's commander -Objective was to land one mile from key bridges, regroup, and capture the bridges -Jumped five seconds too early -Landed on a church roof in the town of Saint-Come-du-Mont -Had he landed at the intended drop zone he probably would've been killed by artillery -Jumped at 400 feet -Took fire from German troops -Slid off the church roof and fell into a cemetery -Didn't get injured on the jump �-Taught to relax and tumble when he hit the ground -Once he reached the ground he cut himself out of his chute -Carried a 30 pound radio and 125 pounds of other weapons and gear -Thompson sub-machine gun, M1A1 carbine, a belt of .30 caliber ammo, and two rockets -Other paratrooper landed at the house across from the church -Original drop zone was a large field surrounded by hedgerows -Germans had artillery focused on the drop zone -Remembers a lot of noise from the gunfire -Moved out of the cemetery and got onto the railroad tracks -He was by himself and going the wrong way -Saw an electrical substation -Placed explosives on the generator and destroyed it -Improvised attack to help disrupt the Germans -Made his way toward Highway 13 -Ran into a hedgerow and decided to jump over it (00:27:45) Captured-The First Time -Jumped over the hedgerow and fell into a German machine gun nest manned by nine or ten Germans -Germans pointed their guns at him and took his weapons from him -Because he had a Thompson SMG they thought he was an officer -Note: Usually only officers carried the Thompson -Didn't know if he was going to be captured or executed -Taken to an underground headquarters in an orchard -Only gave his name, rank, and serial number as per the Geneva Convention -Female German intelligence officer knew his unit and the unit's details -Mad at him because he hadn't danced with her in England -She was a Nazi spy named Gretchen (00:31:06) Prisoner of War Pt. 1 -Note: He was captured a second time during D-Day -He was taken to an interrogation center and was beaten by regular German soldiers -Hadn't eaten for 15 days -Called a German officer a son of a bitch -Beaten so bad that he lost consciousness and woke up two days later in a hospital (00:32:29) Captured-The Second Time -Had been marched out of Saint-Come-du-Mont toward Carentan with other prisoners -Took artillery fire and got away from his German captors -Took a piece of shrapnel in his butt and two Americans lost their legs -Got separated from the other American soldiers and managed to jump into another German position -This time the German soldiers took his dog tags (00:35:19) Prisoner of War Pt. 2 -Marched to Carentan then to Saint-Lo, onto “Starvation Hill” - “Starvation Hill” was a monastery being used as a collection area for prisoners of war -From “Starvation Hill” he was sent to the interrogation center and then to the hospital after the beating -Once he recovered he was moved to Alencon to Chartres to Paris -Marched through Paris for German propaganda -French civilians were forced to throw garbage at the prisoners of war -Staged by Nazi officials, believes the civilians were held at gunpoint -Prodded with a bayonet to keep moving -Taken to a railroad station and they were loaded onto 40 & 8 boxcars -Note: 40 & 8 boxcars could carry 40 men or 8 horses �-50 prisoners were loaded onto these boxcars -Traveled for seven days and seven nights -Had to defecate in overflowing buckets -Train got strafed on the second day of travel -About a dozen men were killed and a dozen men were wounded -Treated the wounded as best as they could -Reached Lindberg, Germany -Greeted by German soldiers and guard dogs snapping at the prisoners of war -Registered as prisoners of war -Assigned a prisoner of war dog tag with ID #80123 -Deloused and showered -Remembers en route to Saint-Lo they were in unmarked trucks -Resulted in getting strafed by an American plane -A POW in his box car had jumped into an old latrine ditch and stunk -Aware of the genocide being carried out by the Nazis -Didn't know if the showers would produce water, or poison gas -Allowed to keep his American uniform (00:42:01) Prisoner at Stalag IV-B -Transferred to Stalag IV-B (prisoner-of-war camp) in Muhlberg, Germany -Highly organized prison camp -Remembers on September 17, 1944 learning about Operation Market Garden -German soldier told him the 101st Airborne Division dropped into Holland -Knew that France had been liberated (00:43:42) Prisoner at Stalag III-C Pt. 1 -Moved to Stalac III-C (another prisoner-of-war camp) in eastern Germany (now part of Poland) -He was part of the first group of American prisoners-of-war to arrive at the camp -Surrounded by barbed wire -24 men per barracks -Three-high bunk beds -Kept there from September-November 1944 (00:44:30) First Escape & Recaptured -Escaped from Stalag III-C in November 1944 -Started receiving Red Cross care packages once he reached Germany -Each package came with dehydrated food and five (to seven) cigarettes -He didn't smoke, so he collected every pack of cigarettes he received -Bribed a German guard with 40 packs of cigarettes to let him cut the wire -Had walked the camp line and befriended the guard -Learned that a pack of cigarettes on the black market cost equivalent of $50 -Escaped with two other prisoners -Jumped aboard a freight train and wound up in Berlin -Wanted to contact the German Resistance for help -Asked an older railroad worker for help and he refused -Asked another German worker who agreed to help him and the other prisoners -The German turned Joe and the other American prisoners over to the Gestapo -Held at Gestapo headquarters and beaten for two weeks -German Army officials threatened to kill the Gestapo officials to get back the POWs -POWs “belonged” to the military, not the police (00:48:32) Stalag III-C Pt. 2 -Returned to Stalag III-C and placed in solitary confinement for 30 days �-Bread and water diet -Red Cross came to inspect the camp and he was released from solitary confinement -German government didn't want any evidence they were abusing prisoners-of-war (00:49:37) Second Escape -In January 1945 he and a few other prisoners planned a second escape -Knew how the war was going and that the Nazi regime was nearing its end -Worked with a German “ferret” named Schultz -One prisoner faked a heart attack while Joe and another prisoner assisted him -Schultz escorted them to the edge of the camp then started a diversionary fight -Sneaked onto an old man's cart to get out of the camp -Germans realized the prisoners had escaped and sent out a search team with dogs -Two of the prisoners were killed, but he managed to get away from his pursuers (00:51:54) The Red Army -Traveled east for a week and came upon a farmhouse -Asked for food, but the family denied him for fear of retaliation from the Germans -Hid in the barn -Soviet forces camped at the farm and he observed them for a day before coming out -Identified himself as an American and asked to talk to an officer -Requested to fight with the Red Army, and the male officer denied his request -A female officer intervened and said Joe could fight with them -Rode on a Soviet tank across Germany for 30 days -Liberated his old prison camp with Soviet forces -Advanced toward Berlin and en route got attacked by German Stuka dive bombers -He was wounded and was sent to a Soviet hospital for recovery -Met Marshal Georgy Zhukov -Joe needed proof of his American citizenship, but lacked the paperwork -Marshal Zhukov got him the proper paperwork (00:55:53) Getting Back to the United States -Went to Warsaw, Poland to try and find an American embassy -City was destroyed and there was no embassy -Polish man took him to a convent run by the Sisters of St. Joseph -Spent four or five days there getting treated by the nuns -The Polish man visited him every day -Went to the Red Army headquarters in Warsaw and presented his paperwork from Marshal Zhukov -Requested transit to Moscow -Took two weeks to travel by train to Moscow -Taken to the American embassy in Moscow -Explained his situation to the American Marine major at the embassy -Told Joe that the Pentagon believed he'd been killed in action on June 10, 1944 -Meant that he couldn't stay in the embassy because he was “dead” -Moved to the Metropol Hotel in Moscow until the embassy could sort out his records -Once he was confirmed alive then he could return to the embassy -Flown to Odessa, Soviet Union (now Ukraine) and returned to the United States from there � 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_BeyrleJ0102V Title A name given to the resource Beyrle, Joseph R (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-11-01 Description An account of the resource Joey Beyrle was born on August 25, 1923 in Muskegon, Michigan. On September 17, 1942 he enlisted in the Army, applied for the paratroopers, and was approved for that unit. He trained at Camp Toccoa and Fort Benning, Georgia receiving Airborne Training and training with radios and demolitions. He joined I Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division at Camp Mackall, North Carolina. He and the rest of the unit left the United States and went to England arriving there on September 17, 1943. He participated in two, secret OSS missions in occupied France prior to the invasion of France. On June 6, 1944 he parachuted into France and was subsequently captured by German forces, twice. He was interred at Stalag IV-B then at Stalag III-C where he escaped. He was recaptured in Berlin and returned to Stalag III-C. He escaped again and linked up with the Red Army. He traveled with them for 30 days before getting wounded. Once he recovered he went to the American embassy in Moscow and returned to the United States by way of Odessa. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Beyrle, Joseph R. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings 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 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3472a515100db4841e72767c22e79d5f.m4v 66c839d2b3dabffdb247896caf30fe73 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3bde94d64d7c5daa9f00af09471738dc.pdf 877c862dd626aa477b1cbdd4cfc8ce4e PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Lewis Berra Vietnam Era-Cold War 33 minutes 41 seconds (00:00:42) Early Life -Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1942 -Grew up in Detroit -Father worked as an arc welder -Died in an on the job accident when Lewis was five years old -Mother worked domestic jobs while Lewis was in college -Went to St. John Berchmann Catholic School for grade school -Went to Servite Catholic High School for high school (00:01:18) Vietnam War -Aware of the Vietnam War -Interested in being a pilot (00:01:34) University of Detroit & the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) -Went to the University of Detroit -Joined the ROTC with the intention of becoming a pilot -Part of the engineering program at the University of Detroit -After sophomore year he received hands-on training and got paid while doing it -Guaranteed a job after college -Only downside is it took five years as opposed to four years to complete degree -Worked three months on the job and received three months of classwork -Trained as a civil engineer with the State Highway Department -Rotated through the various engineering positions -Since he was studying engineering, that meant he had to do at least two years of ROTC duty -Two additional years were optional, and he decided to opt in for that -Passed the written exam to be a pilot, but failed the eye exam at Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan -Offered chance to be a navigator and considered that -Looked into engineering officer position in the Air Force and decided to go with that (00:04:20) Officer Candidate School & Waiting for Active Duty -Sent to Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio for Officer Candidate School (OCS) -A lot of of physical training and learning how to deal with stressful situations -Similar to basic training for enlisted men -Lasted 60 days -Commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in August 1965 -Had to wait until June 1966 to receive his orders -Between August 1965 and June 1966 he worked for Michigan Consolidated Gas Company -Went through a training program -Rotated through the various divisions of the company -Six month training program -Worked as an engineer for the company -Guaranteed a job with the company after he completed his active duty (00:06:10) Stationed at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base Pt. 1 -Sent to Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming in the summer of 1966 -Strategic Air Command base at the time �-He was part of the base civil engineering squadron with a focus on missile engineering -Working with intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) -Francis E. Warren AFB oversaw ICBMs in three different states -Responsible for maintaining electronics, air conditioning, structures, and launch control facility -He started working at the base as a staff officer -Did that for two years -Promoted to chief of operations -In command of 350 personnel -Very high morale -Half of the personnel were civilians and the other half were military personnel -Stationed there until 1969 (00:08:21) Stationed at Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay -Reassigned to Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Goose Bay in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada -Another Strategic Air Command base -Americans provided the KC-135 refueling planes and the Canadians provided fighter jets -Americans and Canadians were organized and cooperated with each other -Part of base operations -Meant he helped oversee electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and snow-removal personnel -Also responsible for maintaining base infrastructure and base housing -Most of the infrastructure problems stemmed from weather and the age of the buildings -Base opened in late 1941 -Served there until 1970 (00�:11:00) Air Force Reserve Pt. 1 -Active duty with the Air Force ended in 1970 -Considered staying on active duty and making a career out of the Air Force -Decided to get out of active duty so he could get his Master of Business Administration (MBA) -Joined the Air Force Reserve (00�:11:36) Problems in the Military -Had problems as the military, as a whole, transitioned from the draft to an all-volunteer force -Problems with letting men into the Air Force that probably shouldn't be in the Air Force -When he was in the Reserve he encountered a lot of men putting in their time to avoid the draft -Had to motivate those men because they felt pressured to be there -Knew about racial tensions in the Air Force -Tried to manage the recruits that were unprepared for Air Force service -They had trouble with applying what they learned in training -Had skilled non-commissioned officers help the recruits (00:16:40) Air Force Reserve Pt. 2 & Civilian Life -Almost made an active duty career out of the Air Force because he enjoyed active duty -Got his MBA and his law degree at the University of Detroit thanks to the GI Bill -Worked at Michigan Consolidated Gas Company for six months while in the Reserve -The Department of Housing and Urban Development opened an office in Detroit -Needed engineers and wanted him because of his experience in the Air Force -Interested in getting into the management side of engineering which is why he got his MBA -Started as an engineer at the Department of Housing and Urban Development -Once he got his MBA he worked as the chief of construction estimating -Moved to Indianapolis, then Grand Rapids, Michigan; to Chicago, and back to Grand Rapids -In Grand Rapids became the head of the office -Stationed at Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan from 1971 to 1990 -Served as the construction engineer �-In 1978 he became the squadron commander -From 1990 to 1995 he worked in the Office of Civil Engineers in the Pentagon -Promoted to the rank of colonel -Spent two weeks a year in the summer and one weekend a month training and going on deployments -More responsibilities due to having such a high rank (00:19:35) Deployments in the Reserve -Went on construction related deployments with the Reserve -Every third year he went to Europe for NATO support operations -Idea was to be familiar with the NATO bases in the event war broke out in Europe, again -The other two years were spent at various bases in the continental United States -Construction related projects on various bases -Set up support buildings, repaired buildings, and carried out demolition projects -Electrical, mechanical, and structural projects -Went to Germany several times, deployed to Spain, Italy, and England for NATO operations (00:21:15) Air Force Reserve Pt. 3 -The squadron size varied during his time in the Reserve -Maximum number was about 250 men, and 60 men at the minimum -Had men in the Reserve trying to avoid the draft -Also had men with prior military experience that wanted to continue to serve -Had very high morale in the Reserve (00:22:55) Gulf War -His Reserve unit was not called up during the Gulf War -Initially, there was resistance from the active duty leadership to involve Reserve units -Ironically, a lot of Reservists had more experience than younger active duty personnel (00:25:02) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -Proud to have gotten to lead the troops he led during his time in the Air Force -Satisfied to accomplish the missions assigned to him -Bonded more with the men in the Reserves because he spent more time with them -Believes that it made them a more effective unit -They knew their strengths and weaknesses (00:26:52) Service at the Pentagon -Promoted to the rank of full colonel when he served at the Pentagon -Worked in Planning and Resources -Established policy and allocated resources for engineering projects -Managed budgets for civil engineering commands around the country -Near the end of his career he saw more civilian contractors used for engineering projects -There were a lot of base closures after the Cold War ended -Helped consolidate units at the open bases and make sure they had the proper resources -Never noticed any tension between the military personnel and the contractors -Generally good relationship between the two groups (00:31:10) Stationed at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base Pt. 2 -While at Francis E. Warren AFB he never worried about getting hit by a nuclear bomb -Figured that if a nuclear war began it was the end of the world any way -Never dealt with any anti-nuclear protestors -Francis E. Warren AFB oversaw missiles in Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska -Citizens in those states tended to be fairly pro-military -Winters in Wyoming were rough, but survivable (00:32:57) Reflections on Service Pt. 2 -He would serve again if he could �-Felt that he accomplished something for the nation's defense -Developed close friendships with the men he served with -Still in touch with them as of 2016 � 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_BerraL1883V Title A name given to the resource Berra, Louis (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-08-13 Description An account of the resource Louis Berra was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1942. He attended the University of Detroit and was part of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) there. He received his Officer Candidate School training at Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio and received his commission as a 2nd lieutenant in August 1965. In June 1966 he received orders for Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming where he served as a staff officer and the chief of operations until 1969. He was transferred to Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay in Canada where he helped with base operations until 1970. From 1971 to 1995 he served in the Air Force Reserve at Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan, various bases all over the continental United States, and at NATO bases in Europe. From 1990 to 1995 he served in the Office of Civil Engineers in the Pentagon and reached the rank of colonel. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Berra, Louis Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource McGregor, Michael (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. 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/6d7c453b380f512d27f119071857e1f4.m4v 9203954d192cf5cbcdd2f386a3b94bb2 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7bfd1a72b72d42fea24be2a01c9d21ef.pdf b1689ff5989670c0dbbbbe849689ff70 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Joseph Bailey World War II & Korean War 55 minutes 47 seconds (00:00:23) Early Life -Born in Prescott, Arizona, in 1922 -Lived out of town -Went to 13 schools over the course of 11 years -Wrestled, played football, boxed, and ran track (00:01:12) Enlisting in the Navy -The draft began in September 1940 in anticipation of America entering World War II -He was working in a papermill in Oregon City, Oregon -Didn’t want to get drafted into the Army, so he decided to enlist in the Navy -Based on later information, he most likely enlisted in January or February 1941 (00:01:39) Basic Training -Sent to Naval Training Center San Diego for his basic training -Lasted seven weeks -For the first three weeks the recruits were kept on the base -Transferred to North Unit -Trained there for the other four weeks -Learning more about the Navy and its various protocols -Quartered in barracks -Had two-high bunks -Tied sea bag to his bunk -Kept everything he would bring to sea with him in that bag -Mostly Navy-issued clothing -Had good food -Assigned to guard duty sometimes -Issued a rifle, but no ammunition (00:04:18) Metalsmith School -Sent to Metalsmith School for four months -He had experience with welding, which prompted that assignment -Received that training in San Diego -Started off as an apprentice seaman, then got promoted to seaman 2nd class -Pay went from $21 a month to $36 a month -He helped build the Metalsmith School -Learned about the different types of welding -Mostly gas welding and arc welding -Had normal work days, and usually got off work around 5 p.m. -Pulled guard duty when he wasn’t doing any welding �-Usually had enough to work on, so there wasn’t much downtime -If there was downtime, he would go into San Diego -Visited Mission Beach because it was cheap entertainment -On leave, he would hitchhike home -If he had a seven-day leave, he got to spend two or three days with his family -Got into a lot of fights with the Marines in San Diego -Each group was proud of their branch of service and fiercely defended its honor (00:09:49) Service aboard the USS Whitney (AD-4) -His first ship assignment was to the USS Whitney (AD-4) -Joined the crew in July (or August) 1941 at Pearl Harbor -It was an auxiliary ship that tended to destroyers -Took care of 11 destroyers -Supplied them with fresh water, fuel, and various repairs -Had a constant stream of ships in need of service -He was initially assigned to the welding shop, and he slept in a hammock -Transferred to the blacksmith shop because they needed more help -Stayed in Pearl Harbor unless they went to sea for exercises with destroyers -Assisting the destroyers and participating in combat training -Joseph was assigned to the 3in. antiaircraft gun -Fired at tow targets (targets towed by planes) (00:13:20) Service aboard the USS Thomas Jefferson (APA-30) -Transferred to the USS Thomas Jefferson (APA-30) in 1942 -Transport and supply ship -By early 1942, the Japanese had captured a lot of territory in the Pacific -General MacArthur left the Philippines in February 1942 -Transferred command to General Stillwell -Stillwell [MacArthur] pulled U.S. forces to Bataan hoping to hold out until help came -Eventually ran out of supplies and had to surrender -The original plan was for the Thomas Jefferson to run the Japanese blockade -Reach Bataan and get supplies to the besieged troops -When he joined the Thomas Jefferson he was a fireman 2nd class -The Navy needed officers, so he applied for the Naval Academy -Failed the algebra portion of the test -Commander offered to send him to preparatory school for nine months -He could take the test again, but if he failed, he’d be sent to the Army -Decided not to risk it -This led to his assignment to the Thomas Jefferson (00:18:08) Attempted Supply Mission to the Philippines -He joined the Thomas Jefferson at Pearl Harbor -Loaded with food and ammunition bound for the Philippines -Told when they reached Midway they were sailing for the Philippines, alone -The crew voted to wire the ship with explosives �-This was to deny the Japanese the supplies if they were stopped -Stopped at Midway and each man was given two beers and a chance to relax -Sailed on for the Philippines, but someone in the crew sabotaged a propeller shaft -Retuned to Midway for repairs, then set sail again -Sailed for four days then received word that Bataan had fallen to Japanese forces -Plan had been to slip into a Japanese convoy to get to the Philippines -They would have then beached the ship near Bataan to offload their supplies -Returned to Pearl Harbor to unload the supplies, then sailed to San Francisco (00:24:05) Assignment to the USS Annoy (AM-84) -Sent to Naval Station Treasure Island in San Francisco for reassignment -Stayed there for three weeks -Assigned to the USS Annoy (AM-84) being built in Portland, Oregon -Went to Bremerton, Washington, to wait for the ship to be completed *Note: Based on when he left the USS Thomas Jefferson and when the USS Annoy was completed, it’s safe to assume he was assigned to the ship shortly before it was launched in April 1942 -Conducted sea trials aboard the Annoy to see if it was ready for duty (00:25:00) Aleutian Islands Campaign -In June 1942, Japan invaded the outer islands of the Aleutian Islands -They occupied Attu and Kiska, and bombed Dutch Harbor -In response, the United States assembled a force to take back the islands -Sailed to Kiska, and by the time they arrived, Japanese forces had retreated -Conducted minesweeping missions around that island for two months -Participated in the liberation of Attu -Took 11 days to take that island *Note: The liberation of Attu happened before Kiska -Conducted antisubmarine and antiaircraft patrols around the Aleutian Islands -Surveyed other islands in that chain -Spent 19 months sailing around the Aleutian Islands -In September 1943, they escorted a damaged destroyed back to the United States (00:26:42) Assignment to the USS Impeccable (AM-320) -Given seven days of leave, then joined the crew of the USS Impeccable (AM-320) -Fleet minesweeper -Capable of dealing with four types of naval mines: -Contact: mines moored to the ocean floor that are triggered by contact -Cut them loose, then had following ships destroy them -Acoustic: mines triggered by noise from a passing ship -Had an instrument on the bow of the ship to falsely trigger mines -Electric: mines triggered by the electrical field of a passing ship -Ship was degaussed and towed an electric wire to trip those mines -Pressure: mines triggered by the displacement of water -Used depth charges to trip those mines -Only encountered that type during the occupation of Japan �-Each of these mines was capable of sinking, or crippling, a ship -Sailed with convoys -Aside from minesweeping, they conducted antisubmarine and antiaircraft patrols -Mostly did the latter during the Battle of Okinawa -Convoyed with ships to the Marianas Islands -Participated in the liberation of Kwajalein (January 31 – February 3, 1944) -Participated in the liberation of Eniwetok (February 17 – February 23, 1944) -Convoyed ships to Iwo Jima -Mostly escorting “baby flap tops” (otherwise known as escort carriers) -Liberty Ships that had been converted into simpler, smaller aircraft carriers (00:35:23) Overview of Battles -Present for the bombing of Pearl Harbor -First major campaign was at the Aleutian Islands -Saw action at Attu -Stopped the Japanese from establishing a foothold in mainland Alaska -From there, they could have bombed the West Coast -Saw action at the Marianas Islands, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa -Swept mines and searched for Japanese submarines and aircraft at those places (00:36:30) Commendations -Awarded the Pearl Harbor Commemorative Medal with one battle star -Given to service personnel that were present for the bombing of Pearl Harbor -Awarded the American Defense Service Medal -Given to active duty personnel between September 8, 1939, and December 7, 1941 -Awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four battle stars -Given to personnel that fought in the Pacific Theatre -Awarded the Navy Good Conduct Medal -Had four years of service without getting into serious trouble (00:37:47) Life after World War II -Enlistment was slated to end in 1947 -Had accumulated 180 days of leave, but had only used 40 days of leave -Discharged from active duty in December 1946 -Moved to Belding, Michigan -Got a job with a company that made electric appliances -His wife was from Belding, so they decided to move back to Michigan -Worked for the electric appliance factory for two years -Moved back to Oregon City, Oregon, and got a job at the papermill -Placed in inactive reserve for four years, and that was supposed to end in 1951 (00:42:55) Korean War -He was called up for service in the Korean War in September 1950 -Discharged in 1952 -He was a chief motor machinist mate -Placed in command of the engine room on the USS Moctobi (ATF-105) -One of the first duties they did was tow a barracks ship from San Diego to Hawaii �-He was transferred to an oiler based out of Hawaii -Sailed to Kwajalein and stayed there for six months -Went on to Sasebo, Japan, and refueled ships bound for Korea -Finally got enough points and was directed to Yokohama to return to the United States -Note: Points awarded based rank, combat, length of service, and dependents -Sailed from Yokohama to San Francisco, and was discharged there (00:46:11) Life after the Korean War -Returned to work at the papermill in Oregon City -Worked on paper machines -Retired when he was 60 years old (c. 1982) -Had a son and a daughter -Wife was pregnant with their daughter when he was called up for the Korean War (00:47:50) Life in Japan – Korean War -The oiler didn’t have a cook, so they went ashore at Sasebo and hired a local girl to cook -Gave her money to get food, then come back and cook for the sailors -Ate a lot of exotic fish, octopus’ tentacles, and rice (00:49:43) Veterans’ Groups & Reunions -There was a Pearl Harbor Survivors Association meeting in Las Vegas in December 1998 -Went to Hawaii in 2015 for the 74th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor -Stayed for a week -As of the interview, planned on returning in 2016 for the 75th anniversary event -In 2015, there were only 22 survivors able to come to the event -Most had either died or were incapable of making the trip (00:54:17) Reflections on Service -In the Aleutian Islands, they swept a huge number of mines, and it was dangerous work -Ironically, by being in the Aleutian Islands he avoided seeing more combat -Delayed his assignment to a fleet minesweeper, which probably saved his life -Could have been all over the South Pacific in the middle of the action � 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_BaileyJ2086V Title A name given to the resource Bailey, Joseph (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-02-26 Description An account of the resource Joseph Bailey was born in Prescott, Arizona, in 1922. He enlisted in the Navy in early 1941. He received his basic training and attended Metalsmith School at San Diego, and was assigned to the USS Whitney (AD-4). He survived the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and shortly thereafter was assigned to the USS Thomas Jefferson (APA-30). After an abortive attempt to bring supplies to American forces on the Philippines, he was transferred to the USS Annoy (AM-84) and participated in the liberation of the Aleutian Islands and subsequent patrols around those islands. He was then reassigned to the USS Impeccable (AM-320) and witnessed the liberation of the Marianas Islands, the invasion of Iwo Jima, and the invasion of Okinawa. His active duty ended in 1947 and he was placed in the inactive reserve. He was called up for duty in September 1950 due to the Korean War and was assigned to the USS Moctobi (ATF-105). He was then transferred to an oiler. For six months they refueled ships at Kwajalein before sailing to Sasebo, Japan, to continue refueling operations. He was discharged in 1952. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bailey, Joseph Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Frost, Elaine Snyder (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/2e2dfa8741f6d3fd64cf1a533b06979f.m4v 8686b85f2792c71f2bf8fb91659b004c https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/48b72adeafa7b1332a18447966d0f79e.pdf 3d2b89cde3ed4ec785c3ec130a9bd17d PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Gust Anton Korean War 1 hour 1 minute 24 seconds (00:00:12) Early Life -Born in Chicago on December 17, 1928 -One of four boys -All of them wound up being in the military -Father owned three restaurants in Chicago -Lost all three of them during the Great Depression in 1934 -Worked for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) for six months -Got a job with Derby Foods, a food manufacturer in Chicago -Lived in a Polish neighborhood -They were the only Greek family in the neighborhood -He was bullied because of his Greek heritage -Played soccer in high school -Worked for B&G Studio making photo prints (00:02:27) World War II -He was on a streetcar going to a movie and he heard snippets of talk about Pearl Harbor -When he got home, he learned that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor -Tried to enlist near the end of the war, but he was turned away -Partly because he had a lazy eye, but also because he was only 16 years old (00:04:30) Getting Drafted -Graduated from high school in 1948 -Continued working for B&G Studio -Had started in high school and moved on to more complex work -Taking photos, developing photos, and enlarging photos for high-end displays -Got married on October 21, 1951 -Got drafted in December 1951 -Hadn’t paid any attention to the Korean War, which had begun in June 1950 -Had to report for basic training in January 1952 -Pushed through the draft physical because the Army needed soldiers (00:06:43) Basic Training -Sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky, for basic training -Platoon sergeant was a black man who had fought in Korea -Had visible bullet wounds -Company commander had fought in Korea and had received a battlefield commission -Did a lot of hiking -Received training with machineguns, bazookas, and rifles -There was a high emphasis on discipline �-Taught that listening well in training led to a higher chance of survival in combat -Had trouble with adjusting to getting up at 3 or 4 a.m. -He didn’t have any trouble with following orders or being around different people -There were some recruits who couldn’t adjust to either -Basic training lasted eight weeks (00:09:47) Mechanic Training -Received eight weeks of mechanic training -Offered a chance to go to Officer Candidate School, but he declined -Would have meant signing up for another two years in the Army -Did his Mechanic Training at Fort Knox -Learned how to work on 2 ½ ton trucks and their engines -Taught how to do quick repairs with minimal tools -Very basic truck maintenance training (00:12:00) Deployment to Korea -Sent home for two weeks of leave then went to Fort Lewis, Washington -Flown out to Washington then had to wait for a ship -Eventually boarded the USNS General Simon B. Buckner -Immediately assigned to kitchen duty -Got special quarters since he had to rise early and work late -Took nine days to reach Camp Drake, Japan -The Buckner carried troops as well as troop-dependents (wives and children bound for Japan) -Had good weather on the crossing because they took the Southern Route -He didn’t have to do the “King Neptune Ceremony” because he was in the kitchen -“King Neptune Ceremony”: Hazing for men crossing the Equator -Got off at Camp Drake and waited a few days for further orders in Korea (00:15:45) Arrival in Korea & Assignment to 84th Engineer Battalion -Sailed over to Korea and went ashore at Inchon in amphibious landing craft -By the time he arrived, the fighting had moved to the 38th Parallel -*Note: 38th Parallel had been the border of North and South Korea -Assigned to the 84th Engineer Battalion on the Imjin River near the 38th Parallel -They were working on the Teal bridge -A week after arriving, American planes strafed them -They were mistaken for North Korean or Chinese troops -There was destruction everywhere -Thousands of children without food, parents, or appropriate shelter -American soldiers gave them whatever they could -Many of them suffered from frostbite -Arrived in Korea in December 1952 -Had spent a few months waiting for a ship at Fort Lewis -Passed the time campaigning for General Eisenhower’s presidency -Hoped he would end the war before they’d have to be deployed -Before landing at Inchon, he saw artillery flashes in the distance -Told that he was being sent where he saw the flashes �-Met with the captain of the 84th Engineer Battalion -Asked Gust why he’d been drafted since he had a lazy eye -He had been sent to them as a tank mechanic, but they needed a photographer -Previous soldier was leaving and Gust had experience with photography (00:23:16) Photography in Korea -Issued a jeep with a broken heater -Had winter gear, but was still cold -Luckily, he was familiar with the portable heater and was able to repair it -Allowed him to use his jeep as a mobile photo studio -Started out by using a camera that used film cartridges -Could take two photographs with each cartridge -Took photos of construction, of battle damage, of dead soldiers, and of wounded soldiers -Felt that he did good work -Also had a 35mm camera -CIA heard that he was a good photographer -They took away the older camera and gave him extra film for the 35mm -He took the pictures and turned over the film to the CIA for development -Much easier camera to operate -Had bought the first 35mm for $10 off a soldier returning to America -Wound up getting rid of it after a while -Bought a 35mm Canon camera at the PX (post-exchange) in Seoul (00:28:33) Combat, Battle of Outpost Vegas, Battle on May 28th -There were Marines based near his unit -They cycled on and off the frontline every three days -Worst picture he ever took was of a dead, young Marine -Prior to March 26, 1953, there was sporadic fighting on the frontline -Patrols running into each other and getting into firefights -On March 26, 1953, the Battle of Outpost Vegas took place -3,500 Chinese and North Korean soldiers hit their position -He was pulled off the line because he was considered too valuable to lose -500 yard from the Teal bridge, the Marines were overrun at Outpost Vegas -Watched from a mile as the Marines and Engineers fought and held the bridge -In the end, 214 Marines were killed, 19 taken prisoner, and 801 wounded -Met one of the wounded Marines in 2009 -Thousands of Chinese soldiers killed -*Note: Estimated 1,351 Chinese killed in that battle -They were sent in a suicidal human wave -Soldiers were issued a rifle with two rounds of ammunition -Every third soldier was given a spear -Expected to pick up rifle after riflemen died -After the battle he found a Russian “burp gun” (PPSh-41) -Turned it over to the CIA for examination -Took photos of the dead and wounded after the battle �-Koreans had to break the arms and legs of dead soldiers to be able to transport them -Things quieted down after March 26 -Air Force hit North Korean and Chinese positions with napalm bombs to deter them -There were minor skirmishes after the Battle of Outpost Vegas -On May 28, 1953, there was another battle with the Chinese -He was pulled off the line again and watched the battle from a distance (00:36:20) Daily Life in Korea & Visiting Seoul -On an ordinary day, the sergeant would give him specific photo orders -Mostly taking pictures of damaged vehicles to account for materiel losses -Mostly took mundane pictures for documentation purposes -Once or twice a month he would drive to the PX in Seoul for supplies -During his time in Seoul, he wound up taking over 500 “human interest” photos -City was destroyed save for a few buildings -North Korean snipers stuck behind enemy lines hid in Seoul -Took potshots at American and U.N. troops in the city -The civilians living in Seoul had a very tough life -Visited a family living in a very simple house -Had an underground fire pit to heat their home (00:40:18) Contact with Korean Soldiers -Worked with KATUSAs (Korean Augmentation to the United States Army) -Korean soldiers that were attached to the U.S. Army -They were hardworking and tough soldiers -Fought for the independence of their country -They remembered Japanese oppression and didn’t want North Korean oppression -Some of their officers had studied in America and were well-educated (00:41:45) Morale & Discipline Problems -They spent most of their time on the frontline, so there was no chance for issues to arise -Able to get some Korean moonshine nicknamed “Lucky 7” -Avoided it since it caused one soldier to go blind -In Seoul, there were English teahouses which served alcohol (00:43:07) Weather -In March, it started to get warmer, but it was still cold -In the summer, it wasn’t hot, but it was more tolerable than the winter (00:43:45) International Troops -Had British and Australian troops stationed near his unit -The British and Australian troops hated each other -Australians detested the British because they felt that the British were arrogant -Gust got along well with the Australian and Canadian troops (00:45:00) Fellow Soldiers -His sergeant taught him how to survive the winter in Korea, specifically avoiding frostbite -He was a career soldier who had been in for most of his life -All the enlisted men were draftees -Some of the officers had been in the Reserve and had been called up for active duty �(00:46:28) Armistice -On July 27, 1953, North and South Korea agreed to an armistice -Company commander sent him to Seoul to look for beer, but couldn’t find any -Went to the Air Force base and asked if they had any -They had 20 cases of Korean beer which they allowed Gust to take with him -Went through 20 cases of two-liter bottles in three days -Despite the armistice, there were still snipers and skirmishes with North Korean troops -Technically, the war never ended allowing for tensions to flare occasionally -For example, the “axe murder incident” on August 18, 1976 (00:49:19) Postwar Duty -With the war “over” he was placed in charge of the company PX -Sold candy, cigarettes, and cameras -Had a very small building to work in -Soldiers wanted cigarettes because they were a barter currency in Seoul -Could trade cigarettes for sex or alcohol -He got the job because his predecessor got caught engaging in the black market (00:51:19) Generator Incident & Change of Command -His unit had a large generator on Teal bridge, and it was lost in the Battle of Outpost Vegas -It was either destroyed or knocked into the Imjin River -The captain couldn’t go home until they recovered it or found evidence of it -Gust went to the Canadians and made a deal with them to take their generator -Allowed the captain to go home and the lieutenant to take command -As of the interview, Gust and that lieutenant are still good friends (00:53:08) Korean Civilians -It was heart wrenching to see the suffering Korean children -Inspired him to become a Shriner and help with the Shriners Children’s Hospital -Abandoned and suffering children were everywhere in Korea -Koreans were so desperate for material, they used parachutes for their homes (00:54:19) Coming Home & End of Service -Knew that he would most likely head back to the United States in December 1953 -Could’ve gotten out earlier, but had to wait an additional 28 days -Returned to America on the USNS General R.L. Howze -Rough seas -Encountered a Merchant Marine ship with a man suffering from appendicitis -Sent a doctor from the Howze over in a lifeboat to treat the man -Repaid with Greek liquor -Landed at San Francisco -Everyone was moved to tears when they saw the Golden Gate Bridge -Sent to Fort Sheridan, Illinois, to be discharged -Wanted to be home for Christmas -Discharged on December 25, 1953, with his wife waiting for him at Fort Sheridan (00:57:53) Life after the War -Had a job with Sears repairing washing machines then working in their warehouse �-Had PTSD, but wasn’t diagnosed until 2000 -Didn’t know how to react with people -Had 10 jobs over the course of his working life due to his PTSD -Married for over 50 years until her death -The VA had open enrollment for insurance in Benton Harbor, Michigan -He signed up, got examined, and qualified for help for PTSD -Got terrific help from the VA � 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_AntonG2095V Title A name given to the resource Anton, Gust J (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 Gust Anton was born in Chicago on December 17, 1928. He was drafted in December 1951 and reported for duty in January 1952. He went to Fort Knox, Kentucky, for his basic training and mechanic training, then went to Fort Lewis, Washington, to wait for his deployment to Korea. He sailed to Korea aboard the USNS General Simon B. Buckner, and after a brief stop at Camp Drake, Japan, arrived in Korea at Inchon in early December 1952. Gust was assigned to the 84th Engineer Battalion near the 38th Parallel, and due to prior photography experience was made a photographer in that unit. He not only documented equipment damage, but also photographed the dead and wounded. He witnessed the Battle of Outpost Vegas on March 26, 1953, and another major fight on May 28, 1953. Gust also photographed Seoul and the people living in the city during the war. After the armistice was signed on July 27, 1953, he served as the company PX clerk (Army general store) until returning to the United States in December 1953. He was discharged at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, on December 25, 1953. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Anton, Gust J. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4c518581998ba6a4e088bc60542975ec.m4v d31921a93dc65c98bf93ac38d78b9948 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3b24e3d994b13549ae16496c75cf8306.pdf 49b83ca0ba8d78a6023a6353c0d54289 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Raymond Acker Cold War; Vietnam War 17 minutes 57 seconds (00:00:11) Becoming a Chaplain -First served in the Army as an enlisted man -Served overseas with the 549th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion as a radio operator -Returned to the United States and attended Philadelphia College of Bible -Attended the Reformed Episcopal Seminary -Did his graduate work at the Dallas Theological Seminary -Commissioned in the Army as a staff specialist -Received his 1st lieutenant chaplain commission at Fort Wadsworth, New York in 1964 (00:01:14) Pre-Vietnam Service -Went on active duty in July 1965 and served as a chaplain at Fort Polk, Louisiana -Left Fort Polk in 1966 and was stationed at Okinawa (00:01:32) Service in Vietnam -Deployed to Vietnam in March 1969 -Attached to the 159th Transportation Battalion (Boat) -Operated out of Vung Tau -In charge of moving supplies in the Mekong River Delta -He went to various ports in the Delta in the 159th’s area of operations to meet with the troops -Endorsed by the Independent Fundamentalist Chaplains of America -Held services for soldiers -Went to the USNS Corpus Christi Bay (helicopter repair ship), and held services on the ship -Occasionally took enemy rocket attacks at Vung Tau -Remembers during one attack a rocket hit the fuel area -Held some memorial services for soldiers -Mostly noncombat fatalities -Not much contact with the pilots (00:05:29) Stationed at Fort Polk -Before Vietnam, he served at Fort Polk with an advanced infantry training battalion -First battalion to train for combat in Vietnam -Had a mock village -Few noncommissioned officers or officers with prior experience in Vietnam -Changed over time as more men served in Vietnam -Time at Fort Polk was an outstanding part of his military career (00:07:35) Stationed at Okinawa -During his time at Okinawa, Chief of Chaplains Frank Sampson came to visit the troops -At this time, Raymond was with the 96th Ordinance Battalion -A the father of one of the soldiers in the 96th had served with Sampson in WWII �-Flew to a Marine base near where Sampson was visiting an Army unit -On the way to meeting Sampson, Raymond drove his truck into a ditch -The accident resulted in a sprained ankle -Thought it was the end of his Army career -Later attended Sampson’s retirement party in Washington D.C. -He avoided bringing up the incident at Okinawa (00:11:00) Stationed at Fort Hood -He was stationed at Fort Hood with the 1st Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division -The day before his promotion he planned on throwing a promotion party -He was in the chapel offices when he heard a crash and dust filled the hallway -Went down the hall to investigate the source and found a truck in the corner of a room -It was a beer truck that had been delivering to the NCO Club uphill -Brakes had failed causing the truck to roll downhill into the chapel -Fortunately, nobody was in the room when the truck hit the building (00:14:34) Reflections on Service -Joined the chaplaincy because of his time as an enlisted man -Opportunity to meet the spiritual needs of military personnel -Later in life, he encountered numerous men that had heard of him during his time as a chaplain -Didn’t know them at the time, but they remembered him -Feels he made a significant spiritual impact as a chaplain -Accomplished without directly guiding or forcing soldiers � 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_AckerR2053V Title A name given to the resource Acker, Raymond A (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-10-26 Description An account of the resource Raymond Acker first served in the Army as a radio operator with the 549th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion. He attended Philadelphia Bible College, the Reformed Episcopal Seminary, and the Dall Theological Seminary and was commissioned in the Army as a staff specialist. He received his 1st lieutenant chaplain commission at Fort Wadsworth, New York, in 1964. He started serving at Fort Polk, Louisiana, in July 1965 before going to Okinawa in 1966. He deployed to Vietnam in March 1969 and was attached to the 159th Transportation Battalion (Boat) out of Vung Tau. He conducted chaplaincy duties in the Mekong River Delta and aboard the USNS Corpus Christi Bay. After his tour in Vietnam he served at Fort Hood, Texas, with the 1st Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Acker, Raymond 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 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/c09644b97dfe4a0f977f8863913b8371.pdf eefb1d4e88f75bd26e0e26e6d9d8550b PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project James Schmehil 2nd interview Peacetime – Gulf War & War on Terror 23 minutes 36 seconds (00:00:10) Early Life -Born on February 25, 1963 in Virginia -Had one brother and one sister -Lived in Virginia for two years then the family moved to Chicago -Grew up in Chicago (00:01:01) Enlisting in the Air Force -Enlisted in the Air Force in October 1981 -Father had served in the military for three or four years -His uncles had served in World War II and the Korean War -He aspired to be a pilot -Made a 24 year career out of the Air Force -18 years old when he enlisted (00:02:35) Nuclear Missiles -From 1982 to 1984 he was a missile crewman for the Titan II nuclear missile -Had to know how to carry out a launch sequence and the guidance system (00:03:09) Air Force Academy -He was accepted into the Air Force Academy Prep School -Studied there in 1983 and 1984 -Completed the Prep School and went to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado -Studied there from 1984 to 1988 -Graduated and was commissioned as a lieutenant (00:04:04) Service as a Flight Instructor -Went to Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, for pilot training -Program took a year to complete -Stayed at Laughlin AFB as an instructor on the Cessna T-37 training jet -Served as an instructor from 1989 to 1992 -Trained pilots to fly jets in the Gulf War -Effectively served as an instructor until 2005 when he retired -Only three years when he flew C-130s and was assigned to Honduras on a remote assignment -Rewarding to serve as an instructor -Had six months to teach a cadet how to actually fly a plane -Had six months after that to teach a cadet how to fly a plane like an Air Force aviator -Sometimes, new pilots didn't understand certain dangers, or why something was dangerous to do -Likens it to a teenager driving a car for the first time -Some of the cadets simply were not capable of being pilots -Had some challenges with cadets that were unacceptable for flight -Flew the Northrop T-38 trainer at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana -Flew with copilots of the aircraft stationed at the base -Cheaper way to get the copilots flight time so they could become pilots (00:10:01) Flying C-130s -In 1995 he was assigned to Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, where he flew C-130 supply planes -Carried paratroopers, personnel, and cargo �-Got a remote assignment to Saudi Arabia -Stationed there from October 1996 to January 1997 -Flew supply missions to bases in the Middle East -Picking up and delivering cargo (food, equipment, and weapons) -Serviced outlying bases that relied on aircraft resupplies -During one intelligence briefing they were told militants were taking potshots at American planes -Saw some planes come back with bullet holes in the fuselage -No one ever shot at his plane (to his knowledge), and he never returned with any damage (00�:12:55) Returning to Service as a Flight Instructor -In 1997 he returned to the United States and was assigned to Randolph Air Force Base, Texas -He was back in the T-37 teaching pilots how to be instructors -He would act as the student on training missions and deliberately make mistakes -Taught the pilots how to correct mistakes -In 2000 he became a trainer on the new T-6 Texan II trainer -Trained at Beechcraft Corporation headquarters in Wichita, Kansas -Did his remote assignment to Honduras in 2002 and returned to the States in 2003 -Continued work with the T-6 Texan II from 2003 until his retirement in 2005 (00:14:38) Personal Relationships in the Air Force -Met his wife at the Air Force Academy during a Valentine's Day Dance -She was the sister of one of his squadron mates -Became incredibly close with the people he trained with and lived with -Sought out people from similar backgrounds with similar personalities -Gained new friends wherever he was assigned -Still in touch with a lot of his friends from the Air Force -Most of them live all over the country, only one lives in Michigan (00:16:53) Life after the Air Force -Moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, after he retired from the Air Force -Excited to move back to a northern state where there were four seasons in a year -Briefly lived in Canada after retiring -Adjusting to the civilian workforce was the most challenging part of returning to civilian life -Lack of accountability with workers -Workplace politics -Works for National Heritage Academies (chartered school system) -Headquarters is in Grand Rapids, Michigan -81 private schools in eight different states -Works as a computer programmer at headquarters -Department IT and developing software for the schools for use by the students -Laptops, digital projectors, and smartboards are becoming more common (00:21:50) Reflections on Service -Air Force career was a great time in his life -Doesn't regret his service and he would do it again -Great adventure -Taught him teamwork -Everyone has abilities and talents to contribute to the larger effort and reaching a common goal � 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_SchmehilJ1822V Title A name given to the resource Schmehil, James G (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-25 Description An account of the resource James Schmehil was born on February 25, 1963 in Virginia. He enlisted in the Air Force in October 1981. From 1982 to 1984 he served with a Titan II nuclear missile crew, and from 1983 to 1984 he studied at the Air Force Academy Prep School. In 1984 he attended the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and graduated in 1988 with the rank of lieutenant. He received pilot training at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, and served as an instructor there from 1989 to 1992 and at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. In 1995 he was assigned to Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, where he flew C-130s, and from October 1996 to January 1997 he flew C-130s out of Saudi Arabia. In 1997 he served at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, teaching pilots how to be instructors and in 2000 began working on the T-6 Texan II trainer. From 2002 to 2003 he had a remote assignment to Honduras. Upon returning to the United States he continued working with the T-6 Texan II until his retirement in 2005. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Schmehil, James G. Jr. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Salinas, Jacob (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States. Air Force Type The nature or genre of the resource 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 application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/49478378bef610c8a5bc979b697a3e08.pdf 21e1fdc2137c1dc28391a58a6ba8c0eb PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Merton Powell World War II 27 minutes 3 seconds (00:00:11) Early Life -Born in Topeka, Kansas in 1924 -Grew up there -Father owned a car dealership -Ultimately moved the business to New York City -Merton, his brother, and his mother stayed in Topeka -Graduated after Pearl Harbor was attacked (00:01:36) Start of the War -Remembers hearing about the attack on Pearl Harbor in the news -Shocking event (00:02:13) Life after the War Pt. 1 -Earned a bachelor’s degree after the war -Studied at the University of Missouri (00:02:30) Enlisting in the Navy -Brother was already in the military -Didn’t want the war to end before he could fight -Enlisted in the Navy in 1943 -Army was never available for enlistment, but the Navy was -Enlisted in Kansas City -Requested the Navy Air Corps -Wanted to be a pilot -Accepted into that program (00:03:44) Basic Training -Sent to Chadron, Nebraska for basic training -Did a lot of classroom work -Learned semaphore -Learned about the different kinds of ships in service and how to recognize them -All of the men got kicked out of Naval Aviation Training -He was able to reapply and get accepted back into the program (00:05:40) Advanced Training -Sent to California -Prior to going to California went to Iowa to do some College Training -On the train ride to California he had to stand the entire way -Traveled with civilians -Got to California in two days -Doesn’t remember eating or sleeping for the entire journey -Started flying the N2S Stearman in California -Biplane -Had two seats: one for the instructor and one for the cadet �-Got a lot of flight time in the Stearman -Happy when he got to fly solo for the first time -Received a lot of classroom training -Progressed through training as an individual, not as a part of a larger unit -Had to be able to identify aircraft and ships in an instant (00:11:20) End of the War & End of Naval Service -He was in California when the war ended -Served in the Navy with the Naval Reserve until 1947 -Discharged from active duty in September 1945 -Note: Japan informally surrendered on August 15, 1945; formally on September 2, 1945 -Discharged from the Naval Reserve in 1947 -Between September 1945 and 1947 he served in the Reserve -Still in the Reserve when he finished college -Met up once a week for drills while he was in the Reserve -Got his degree at the University of Missouri -Eventually, the Navy told him that they no longer needed him -He would have liked to stay in (00:14:09) Service in the Air Force -Enlisted in the Air Force in 1949 -Took general college courses which meant he could become an officer -The catch was he wouldn't be an officer unless he went to war -In the Air Force during the Korean War (00:17:20) Flight Training in the Navy -Enjoyed flying in the Stearman the most -Ended training before he got to fly in any other aircraft -During a solo flight he got lost -Had to land at a local airfield and ask for directions -Had civilian instructors (00:19:46) Reflections on Service -Learned that he was able to take care of himself -Got used to adjusting to changing situations -Whenever he moved to a new base he was on his own (00:20:40) Survival Training -A lot of his training was in the water -Preparing him for service aboard an aircraft carrier -Practiced having to ditch in the ocean -Had a mock-up cockpit and a pool -Sat in the cockpit and the cockpit was submerged in the pool then flipped over -Had to get out of the cockpit then swim to the edge of the pool (00:22:01) Life after the War Pt. 2 -Finished all of his college -Returned to Topeka, Kansas -Worked for Senator Barrett of Wyoming -Went to work in the White House during the Eisenhower Administration -Head of the Correspondents' Section with a half dozen other people -Left the White House after President Eisenhower completed his second term �-Worked as a business professor and taught a variety of schools -Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas -Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan -University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming -Salina Area Technical College in Salina, Kansas -Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College in Michigan -Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan (00:24:50) Spirit of Grand Rapids/Talons Out Honor Flight -Went on the Honor Flight on May 16, 2015 -Opportunity to thank veterans for their service -Chartered flight to Washington DC -Greeted, thanked, and honored by politicians and civilians for their service -Had a personal assistant for the entire trip -Remembers 2,000 people greeting them at East Kentwood High School when they came back -Enjoyed it very much -Treated to dinner � 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_PowellM1922V Title A name given to the resource Powell, Merton E (Interview outline), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-02-16 Description An account of the resource Merton Powell was born in Topeka, Kansas in 1924. He grew up in Topeka and enlisted in the Navy in 1943. He received basic training in Chadron, Nebraska then went to Iowa for College Training before going to California for Flight Training. He was accepted into the Naval Aviation Program and was able receive flight training in the N2S Stearman. After the Second World War ended in September 1945 he was discharged from active duty. He remained in the Naval Reserve until 1947. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1949 and served briefly with them. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Powell, Merton E. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy United States. Air Force 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.) Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/23dcc63edbe14fbd107cd1d82c8a07a9.pdf f320422886daa94b204248ed5bdc9b0a PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Bryan Tobias Peacetime 22 minutes 42 seconds (00:00:26) Enlisting in the Air Force Pt. 1 -Graduated from high school -Enlisted six months after graduating from high school on the delayed enlistment program -Graduated in May, and started training the following the following May -Enlisted in the Air Force (00:01:53) Basic Training -Almost missed the bus to get transported to basic training -Didn't know where to pick up the bus in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Flew from Detroit to San Antonio, Texas for basic training -Note: Most likely Lackland Air Force Base -Basic training was a rude awakening -Got screamed at by drill instructors as soon as he and the other recruits got off the bus -He would do basic training again -Remembers his drill instructors scaring all of the recruits -Purpose of basic training was breaking down the recruits and rebuilding them as a unit -Remembers doing physical training and learning military time (24 hour clock) and jargon -Went to the firing range -Learned how to break down and fire the M16 rifle (00:04:10) Advanced Training -Received advanced training in the area of mechanics and materials handling equipment -Worked with forklifts and aircraft loaders -Aircraft loaders were the size of a school bus without the shell -Had a deck that could be elevated to load supplies onto aircraft -Spent 16 weeks training in Illinois -Note: Most likely at Chanute Air Force Base (00:05:06) Adjusting to the Air Force -Adjusted well to the Air Force and enjoyed it -Liked the lack of ambiguity -Believes that Air Force food is the best food in the military -Least demanding physical training in the military -Only had run a mile and a half in 16 to 18 miutes -Made friends easily and quickly in the Air Force (00:06:35) Assignments in the Air Force -After completing training in Rantoul, Illinois he spent eight years in Anchorage, Alaska -Note: Most likely received advanced training at Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois -Note: Most likely stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska -After Anchorage he was reassigned to Fort Walton Beach, Florida in northern Florida -Note: Most likely Eglin Air Force Base -Never stationed outside of the United States -Alaska counted as overseas duty despite being in the United States (00:07:37) Friendships in the Air Force Pt. 1 -Had a brotherly relationship with the other airmen �-Looked out for each other both during duty and off duty -Friendships continued after he got out of the Air Force (00:08:51) Contact with Home -Only allowed to write letters during basic training -When he was two-thirds done with basic training he was allowed to call home -Allowed five minutes of phone time once a week -During advanced training he was allowed unlimited phone time during his downtime (00:09:43) Downtime -Spent his downtime fishing and working on cars with friends -Helped friends with various projects -Helped install a septic system -Helped set up mailboxes (00:10:30) End of Service & Life after Service Pt. 1 -Discharged when he was in Florida -Packed up his belongings -Allowed to fly home, or drive home -Chose to drive home with his precious possessions -Challenging to readjust to civilian life -Lots of ambiguity in civilian life -Civilians could question orders without repercussions (00:12:18) Friendships in the Air Force Pt. 2 -Maintained contact with a friend from Tennessee -Best man at Bryan's friend's wedding -Stood as best man at another Air Force friend's wedding -Still keeps in touch with him via phone calls and spending time with him -Meets with a friend who lives in Ohio (00:13:34) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -It was both a positive and negative experience serving in the Air Force -Hard to understand ambiguity after leaving the service -Taught him how to follow orders without question -Still has a “military personality” without thinking about it -Taught him to be decisive -Do what you mean and say what you mean -Has positive feelings about the military as a whole -Questions the political and military leadership in some instances -Questions America's position as the world police -Understands America's strength and why it's called to do that role -Doesn't always agree with America's actions, but understands the reasoning (00:16:39) Enlisting in the Air Force Pt. 2 -Chose the Air Force because it had the best eduction opportunities and best food in the military -Air Force is the most “civilian” branch of all of the branches of the military -Most civilian atmosphere -Learned how to work with computers, trucks, and infrastructure -Most practical skills to have as a civilian -More beneficial training experience than combat training -Air Force introduced him to computer work -Foreign experience, but good experience (00:19:12) Reflections on Service Pt. 2 -Only enlist in the military if you're committed �-Knew men that enlisted without being committed and wound up in correctional custody -There were a lot of men that refused to conform to military life -Worked in correctional custody for six months and saw a lot of men like that -Have to be physically and emotionally prepared for military service (00:20:54) Life after Service Pt. 2 -Received well by family and his community -By the 1980s, the social perspective about the military had changed since the Vietnam War -Civilians understood troops fought the wars that outside actors started -Treatment of veterans has improved since the Vietnam War -He is comfortable being a veteran � 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_TobiasB1847V Title A name given to the resource Tobias, Bryan L (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-04-20 Description An account of the resource Bryan Tobias enlisted in the Air Force six months after he graduated from high school. He received basic training in San Antonio, Texas and received mechanical and material training in Rantoul, Illinois (most likely at Chanute Air Force Base). After training he spent eight years in Anchorage, Alaska (most likely at Elmendorf Air Force Base) and completed his service at Fort Walton Beach, Florida (most likely at Eglin Air Force Base). Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tobias, Bryan L. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Tobias, Timothy (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. Air Force 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.) Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b4349b7c202e0b5be61c50a1dcc8dc47.pdf 4bf4d9cdb1c86df90164a14815fdc9a4 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Nicholas Wieringa Vietnam War 6 minutes 17 seconds (00:00:05) -Born on December 10th 1948. -Part of the Army infantry as a specialist 4th class. -Born in Grand Rapids. -Nine siblings all lived on a dairy farm. -Went to barbers school. -Drafted about three months after finishing barber school. -One brother was a cook in Colorado for the Army. -Another brother was a Russian translator stationed in Greece. -Learned to adapt to military life well. -Served basic training in Fort Knox, Kentucky. -Served AIT training at Fort Louis, Washington. -In Vietnam the War was hectic. -18 firefights during the year he was there. (00:03:00) -On one occasion after a violent battle they ended up having to pick up the body parts. -Difficult but eventually get used to such things. -Had one long lasting friendship from the military, a friend from St. Thomas. -Communication with family was all done through the mail. -No real recreational time in Vietnam. -Typically sent out on patrol for 21 days at a time. -After returning to the US finished his time at Fort Knox. -Returned to the US on a plane. -Family and friends were supportive once he returned the general public less so. -Didn’t have significant difficulty returning to his civilian lifestyle. -His military experience made him appreciate what he has, friends and family. -Enabled him to value the life that he has. � 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_WieringaN1850V Title A name given to the resource Wieringa, Nicholas J (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-24 Description An account of the resource Nicholas Wieringa was born in 1948 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was part of the Army infantry as a specialist 4th class. At Fort Knox, Kentucky he undertook basic training, and then had AIT training at Fort Louis, Washington. Nicholas was deployed to Vietnam at an especially hectic time of the War during which 18 firefights broke out. After his return to the US he served the remainder of his enlistment at Fort Knox before being discharged. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Wieringa, Nicholas J. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Skinner, Jordyn (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. ArmyOral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings 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> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8936776d506282bbadfdaeba1430dc88.pdf cbd22704f6fe405f53bddbdbee0ac3ea PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Claude Robinson World War II, Korean War 33 minutes 3 seconds (00:00:08) Early Life -Born in Detroit Michigan. -Achieved the rank of Major. -A senior in high school when Pearl Harbor was attacked. -Enlisted into the military on October 18th, 1943. (00:01:42) Military Training and WWII -Sent to Jefferson Barracks Missouri for basic training. -Prepared for the aviation cadet program to train for the Air Force. -Educated at the University of Missouri instead of an academy (predated its use). -Continued on to San Antonio Texas for flight training. -At that time it was called the Army Air Corps. -First served in Yuma, Arizona (after a number of special training schools). -Because they had too many potential pilots, they retested and assigned for more specific assignments. -He was sent to Navigational School in Hondo, Texas. -Graduated from Navigational School in June of 1945. -Next, went to Carlsbad, New Mexico for bombadeering school. -After that went Yuma, Arizona for radar school to be a radar specialist. -Assigned to fly B-25 planes. -Went on patrols over the Pacific toward the end of WWII. -Re-assigned to the B-29 plane as an observer and navigator. -Discharged from the Air Force on December 1st 1945. -Re-assigned to South Ridge Air Force base in Detroit to the reserves. -In 1950 he was called into active duty for the Korean War. -Reported to Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. -Initially he was intended to go overseas, however because he was a bridge engineer with Wayne County Road Commission, he was considered necessary to remain in the country and sent back to South Ridge. -Re-assigned to reserves and changed to the Engineering Corps. (00:10:00) -Many of the events his squadron was involved with were deemed classified because it was the squadron that bombed Tokyo. -Did early proto training for what would become landing/taking off from an aircraft carrier. -The Japanese bombing missions were strictly voluntary. -While he was at South Ridge WWII ended. -Pursued his engineering degree after the War. -Two degrees in civil engineering, and a masters in structural engineering. -He was injured in a stateside training accident where another plane misfired upon the plane he �was in. -Many of the men present in his training were injured during the parachute training. -Using heavy nylon parachutes at the time. -Gunnery training: purpose was such that any person on the plane could take over any of the various gun turrets. -During pilot training he trained using the Piper Cub. (00:00:00) -Values his time in the military. -Since he was only 17 and a half when he entered, he believes it helped give him necessary life skills. -After being discharged, returned home after three years away. -Decided to marry his long-time girlfriend. -There was some feeling of being separated from those who hadn’t spent some years in the military. -Further ahead in life and not the same experiences to talk about. -Received a degree from University of Missouri. -Worked on a degree for masters of business administration, but decided not to finish. -Worked for American Seating. -President or CEO of some of their divisions. -Hopes that younger generations don’t have to endure war such as the World Wars. -Grateful for the training and opportunity he received, and to those that died in war. -His father served in WWI. � 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_RobinsonC1808V Title A name given to the resource Robinson, Claude G (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-24 Description An account of the resource Claude Robinson was born in Detroit, Michigan. After Pearl Harbor he voluntarily enlisted in the military in 1943 and was sent to Jefferson Barracks Missouri for basic training. In Yuma Arizona he was assigned to fly patrols using the B-25, the squadron involved with bombing Japan. Later he would be re-assigned to fly on the B-29. When the War ended he was discharged from the Air Force on December 1st 1945 and put into the reserves. He was considered to join the Korean War in 1950 however his job as an engineer was considered too crucial to be sent overseas. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Robinson, Claude G. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Schantz, Jacob (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Air ForcesOral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Type The nature or genre of the resource 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> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/939dec2fb99869eada4272b6183cc2be.pdf 6525dbd4d84f5672e15e83a329ae20ec PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Frank Persico World War II 46 minutes 16 seconds (00:00:24) Early Life -Born and raised in Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts -Full, legal name is Innocent Frank Persico -Called Innocent until high school -Went by Frank from then on -Had three brothers and one sister -Parents were Italian immigrants -Went to public schools growing up -He was the only child in the family, besides his sister, to get a college education -Dreamed of becoming a baseball player when he grew up -Played baseball in high school and was the captain of the team -Tried out for the Boston Braves, but got rejected -Played as the catcher -Attended Hyde Park High School -It was a cooperative-industrial high school that prepared students for trade work -For one week he went to regular classes and one week he did shop work -Did electrical work for a Milwaukee based company that had a shop in Hyde Park -When he graduated he already had a job -Graduated from high school and worked for a year before joining the military (00:05:03) Start of the War & Getting Drafted -Attempted to enlist in the Marines -Rejected due to eyesight -Out of high school when Pearl Harbor happened -At the movies on December 7, 1941 -Came out of the theatre and saw the news boys selling papers about the attack -The draft was in effect for men twenty years old, or older -Draft had been in effect since 1940 -All the young men felt the need to serve their country -Got a draftee number when he registered for the draft -Learned that volunteers were treated with more respect -He had tried to enlist, but was drafted into the Army anyway -The draft board needed to fill their quotas which led to his getting drafted (00:09:02) Basic Training -Excited for basic training -He had only been sixty miles from home before basic training -Went to Fort Devens, Massachusetts for processing and induction -Transported there by cattle car �-Got to the base at 2AM -Assigned to a bunk and only got two hours of sleep -Woke up to a drill sergeant blowing a whistle and picking recruits for kitchen patrol -Learned to be obedient and listen to orders -Issued uniforms by soldiers that had been there for only two days -Got poorly fitting uniforms -Officer made sure you got the right size shoes though -Enjoyed basic training -Young and full of energy -Took basic training in Florida -Went on marches and learned to take orders -Did field training -Shooting rifles -Crawled under barbed wire and they set off fake gas -Taught you to react fast and take combat seriously (00:15:26) Mechanic Training -Took three tests at the end of basic training -Army was trying to figure out what your skills were -He scored highest as a mechanic -Sent to Lincoln, Nebraska for Aircraft Mechanic School -Most likely Lincoln Army Airfield -Did field training in the woods -Army Air Force put an old plane in the woods -Lived in tents and had to work on the plane with minimal resources -His tent was placed in poison oak -Woke up covered in hives -Learned all about aircraft -He excelled in engines and got sent to Chanute Air Field, Illinois for Engine School -Broke down and repaired engines (00:18:07) Assignment to 461st Bombardment Group -Sent to Salt Lake City, Utah -Stayed there for five days -Got assigned to the 461st Bombardment Group -Sent to Wendover Field, Utah -In the middle of the salt flats -Met the noncommissioned officers (corporals and sergeants) he would work with -Moved to Hammer Field in Fresno, California -Got assigned to a squadron, a ground crew, and a bomber -Learned how to work on bombers as a crew -Four mechanics to a bomber -Fourteen planes in the squadron -Made sure that the bombers were ready to go on missions -His job was to inspect the bomber and make sure it was fit for flight -Spent most of his time as an inspector (00:23:52) Deployment to the European Theatre �-Waiting for orders to go overseas -Bomber crews needed to have enough training before deploying -Bombers flew over to Europe in February 1944 -Ground crews went across the country and boarded a Liberty Ship in Newport News, Virginia -Sailed across with a convoy -It took thirty four days to reach Italy -He didn't get seasick -Advised to lie down in your bunk, eat crackers, and drink tea -He listened to the advice and didn't get seasick -The men that didn't listen got violently ill -Had to use hoses to wash away the vomit -If the weather was good he went up on deck (00:28:02 ) Stationed in Italy -Saw a few Italian laborers working around the airfield -Employed the civilians so they could have some money -They cleaned and helped at the mess hall -Once they got established they were able to go into town -Met the Italians, visited shops, and saw what life was like for the Italians -Went to the wineries and got jugs of wine -Remembers planes crashing upon landing -Had an accident where one man was working on a hydraulic system -The line broke and the battery ignited the fluid starting a massive fire -Five planes were destroyed -Watched the planes explode from a ditch -Saw an engine fly through the air -No one got hurt, so it all felt like a movie -Salvaged parts if they could -Got very little information about the war's progress -Only news came from the Stars & Stripes -Knew nothing about the war in the Pacific Theatre -Had two brothers serving in the Pacific -Knew that their bombers were flying missions to Romania -Bombing the oil fields to deprive the Germans of fuel -At the end of the war the Germans had no gas and a paralyzed military -Able to bomb planes that were stuck on the ground -English bombers flew missions alongside American bombers (00:33:29) End of the War, End of Service, & Coming Home Pt. 1 -Remaining German forces in Italy surrendered on May 5, 1945 -On May 8, 1945 the remaining German forces surrendered -On May 7, 1945 he was moved south to Torretto Airfield -Assigned to a bomber crew returning to the United States -Boarded their bomber and flew out of Italy -An engine went out and they were forced to land in Sicily -Waited seven days for a new engine -From Sicily flew to Marrakech, Morocco then to Senegal then to Ascension Island �-From Ascension Island to Natal, Brazil then up to Hunter Field, Georgia -Got a leave then reported to Drew Field, Florida -Preparing to move to the Pacific Theatre for the invasion of Japan -On August 6, 1945 the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima -On August 15, 1945 Japan surrendered -Units started to break down and men started going home (00:36:45) Contact with Home during the War -He wasn't homesick during the war -Used V-Mail (Victory Mail) to communicate with home -Form of mail that relied on microfilm for quick and easy transport -Wrote to his parents and a friend in the Navy -Didn't write much though -Some men wrote a lot -Especially the married men -He wrote to his brothers fighting in the Pacific Theatre (00:37:43) End of the War, End of Service, & Coming Home Pt. 2 -Wasn't worried about going to Japan -Just didn't want to do it -Learned later about how bad the invasion could've been -After the war ended he went to Mass and thanked God for getting him through the war alive -Had to wait a week to hear when he was going home -Didn't do anything but sleep, eat, and sit in his bunk waiting to go home -Reported to the supply room and got a new uniform when it was time to go home -Allowed to sign up for benefits through the Red Cross if you were injured during the war -Given $25, a final paycheck, and told to get off the base -Had to wait until the next morning for a train back to Boston -Tried to sleep in an empty barracks on base -Got kicked out because he was now a civilian -Got a hotel room for the night -Took a train back to Boston -Got off at the station and called home to tell his parents he was coming home (00:43:00) Life after the War -Went back to his old job -Government made sure that servicemen had their old job waiting for them -Worked as a machinist -Worked their for three weeks and decided he wanted to get out -Went to work for the Metropolitan District Commission -Started going to college at night -Worked his way up to being an engineer over fifteen years -Got his certificate as a registered professional engineer -Did architectural work and retired from that -Never hated a day of work (00:45:21) Reflections on Service -Doesn't feel that being in the service had much of an impact on his life -Feels that it was just another part of his life �-Does believe that it helped to be more considerate and wordly � 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_PersicoI1799V Title A name given to the resource Persico, Innocent Frank (Interview outline), 2005 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2005-10-22 Description An account of the resource Frank Persico was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. He graduated from high school and then Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. He registered for the draft and eventually got drafted and assigned to the Army Air Corps. He was processed at Fort Devens, Massachusetts then received basic training in Florida. He went to Lincoln Army Air Field, Nebraska for Aircraft Mechanic School then to Chanute Army Air Field, Illinois for Engine School. He was assigned to the 461st Bombardment Group in Salt Lake City, Utah and joined the unit at Wendover Field, Utah. He trained with them at Hammer Field, California and deployed to the European Theatre in February 1944. He was stationed in Italy for the duration of the war, and on May 7, 1945 he returned to the United States. He was stationed at Drew Field, Florida until Japan surrendered in August 1945. He was discharged after the war and returned to Boston. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Persico, Innocent Frank Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Staples, Jessica (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Air ForcesOral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Type The nature or genre of the resource 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> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b11f91896cbb0cf85847ba0f30b9c88c.pdf 22aa47f8b4cae9a10966d0d6b7dcb353 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Jim Oudman (student interview) Vietnam War 44 minutes 23 seconds (00:00:10) Early Life and Basic Training -Born in California, but “married into” living in Grand Rapids Michigan. -Drafted into the military with two friends. -Had basic training at Fort Knox Kentucky with said friends. -After basic training, one of the friends was sent to Germany, himself and the other sent to Vietnam. -Most were flown to Vietnam, however he was sent on a “nice” trip via a ship. -Trip was 22 days long on a troop ship. -Army, Marines, and Navy all cohabited. -His role on ship: four hours of guard duty, four hours off. -Shipped out from San Francisco, first stop was Pearl Harbor Hawaii. -Next arrived in Vietnam. -Ship was the USS Breckenridge. (00:06:00) Vietnam -Napalm, tracers, and signs of war were observable from the deck where ship docked. -Those going ashore were doing so “Normandy style” – rope ladders and vehicles. -Water was chest height. -Landed at Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. -Desert like environment. -Extreme heat. -Food: WWII C-rations from 1941. -The year was 1965-1966. -Aforementioned friend was assigned to Military Police. -Back at Fort Knox basic training, he was in Fifth Tank Battalion. -After basic training, he went to Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Fort Story Virginia. -On the rifle team. -Someone approached him to go to sniper training before Vietnam. -Disliked the idea of being alone in Vietnam in a sniper role, so declined. -AIT lasted about eight weeks, then sent to Vietnam. -Turned 21 while in Vietnam. -Encountered sniper fire while in Vietnam. -Several incidents during his time in Vietnam: -Bumped (literally) into a man that turned out to be outfitted with explosives. (00:20:00) -Riding with a vehicle that accidentally injured a local. -A man decapitated by pressurizing a tire without the typical restraints. -Incredible monsoons. -His time in Vietnam lasted a year, from 1965-1966. �-Discharged in June of 1966. -After returning to the US he was so acclimated to the heat he was shivering in typical warm weather. -Communication with home usually in the form of letters. -Washed laundry in water in their helmets. -Monsoons did great damage to their encampment. (00:30:00) -Recreation: swimming. The Cam Ranh Bay was so salty it was easy to float. -Required guarding from sharks. -Disassembled a fork lift and created a motor scooter from the parts. -At that time in Vietnam there was no real infrastructure, roads etc. -Affixed Napalm to wing tanks on F-4 Phantom planes. -Received blister scars on the hands from the napalm residue. -Has neuropathy in the legs due to exposure to Agent Orange. (00:35:20) Post War Life and Misc. -Earlier in life, took art throughout high school. -After leaving military used the G.I. bill to attend Kendall School in Grand Rapids. -Studied graphic art and advertisement design. -Got into advertising as a career. -Advice to younger generations: a more victory oriented mindset required in war policy rather than being restricted and prolonged. -Viewing imagery, such as on TV/movies, reminiscent of Vietnam can be difficult because of the instant emotions and memories it may bring up. -One instance: received a warm and unexpected thanking from a local Vietnamese American tailor. � 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_OudmanE1825V Title A name given to the resource Oudman, Edwin James (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-26 Description An account of the resource Jim Oudman was born in California, and now lives in Grand Rapids Michigan. When he turned 18 he was drafted into the Vietnam War, and received basic training at Fort Knox Kentucky where he was in the Fifth Tank battalion. At Fort Story, Virginia he put his skills to work on the rifle team during Advanced Individual Training. Thereafter, in 1965, he was sent to Cam Rahn Bay Vietnam on the USS Breckenridge. During his time he worked on a number of jobs for the Air Force and Navy such as affixing napalm wing tanks to F-4 Phantom planes. After a year in Vietnam he was discharged from the military in June of 1966. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Oudman, Edwin James Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Mortenson, Sarah Jane (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. ArmyOral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Type The nature or genre of the resource 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> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/071340a7c4158c380df8c473a54f2bc7.pdf 745d961489f5ae2a8b2d08984cee932c PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Michael Moloney U.S. Army Length of interview (20:12) (00:00) Early life              (00:10)Born on September 15, 1967 in Detroit, Michigan Dad was a college professor and his mother was a homemaker His father taught math, math history, and Latin. Michael had 11 brothers and sisters Before joining the army, Michael worked in the printing industry, they printed product manuals for companies such as Ford (2:00)Enlisted in 1988, he joined because he wanted to get some direction and financial assistance for college (3:15) when he told his parents he had enlisted, he simply told them that his new boss was Ronald Regan (3:50) Michael left for Fort Sill, Oklahoma on December 31, 1987. It was the only time he was asleep before midnight on New Years When he first got to the fort, everyone was nice and he was surprised (5:06) He was a surveyor for field artillery (5:30) At first, the screaming of the drill instructors was intimidating, but he eventually got used to it (6:00) Even though he tried to physically prepare himself for the army, it was still extremely difficult (7:30) The food was surprisingly good, they could eat whatever they wanted Deployment (8:30)       Went to Germany in 1988, he spent a total of two months there playing war games. Michael remembers being killed on his birthday (9:20) Michael was able to see a lot of historical landmarks from the Second World War (10:40) His favorite memory of Germany was ordering a beer at Burger King. Nuremberg was another nice place to visit (12:20) He met a man who was at one point a prisoner of war in Texas, he was very kind to Michael and his friends (12:50) Michael was never able to visit Berlin, he now wishes that he had (14:20) He kept in touch with his family by writing letters, he estimates that he wrote over 100 letters while in Germany �Home (15:30)     (15:40) His enlistment ended when he was at Fort Riley, Kansas. He took a 17 hour train ride from Kansas to Detroit (17:25) After arriving in Detroit, he returned to his old job in the printing industry for three months until moving to Michigan State University (18:00) Michael is a lifetime member of the Big Red One (First Infantry Division) (18:30) The army taught him patience. Michael thinks about his experiences every day and encourages young people not to take service lightly. � 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_MoloneyM1806V Title A name given to the resource Moloney, Michael G (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-23 Description An account of the resource Michael Moloney was born in Detroit, Michigan on September 15, 1967 and served in the United States Army as an artillery surveyor in the First Infantry Division. He joined the army in 1987 and trained at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Michael was sent to Germany in 1988 where he spent a period of two months playing war games. He recounts the people he met and the opportunities he had to visit historical locations from the Second World War. After his time in the service, Michael enrolled at Michigan State University. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Moloney, Michael G. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Moloney, Rachel (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. ArmyOral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Type The nature or genre of the resource 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> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e8dde90fda421d2504e36d1c8ce59835.pdf d8bfceda2e9990742baf4144b0a6d560 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Donald C. Johnson World War II 1 hour 32 minutes 30 seconds (00:00:08) Early Life -Born in Lindsay, Nebraska in 1922 -Father worked as a contractor -Moved to a farm seven miles from Lindsay in 1924 -Only child -Grew up on the farm -Remembers the Stock Market Crash of 1929 -Came as a shock to his father -Life got harder as the Great Depression continued -Life was a little easier for them at first because his family owned a farm -Able to grow their own crops and raise their own livestock -Had to deal with dust storms caused by the drought -Concerned about whether they could continue to feed themselves and their livestock -Graduated from high school in 1941 -Felt fortunate that he was able to go to school -Went to Oklahoma in the summer of 1941 to help with the harvests -Worked north into Kansas then back to Nebraska -After Nebraska went to South Dakota and worked on the harvests there -Worked into North Dakota all the way up to the Canadian border -Rain hampered the harvest in North Dakota -Returned to Nebraska in late October 1941 to help with the corn harvest -Had to do it on his own because his father had suffered a sun-stroke (00:09:07) Start of the War -On December 7, 1941 Japan bombed Pearl Harbor -Heard about the attack late in the afternoon that Sunday -Went into town and heard the news -Things changed dramatically in the days following the attack on Pearl Harbor -Congress declared war on Japan on December 8 and on Germany on December 11 -Rationing went into effect -On January 1, 1942 he went to Martin Aircraft School in Omaha, Nebraska -Did that so he could get a job working in an aircraft factory for the defense industry -Knew the attack on Pearl Harbor had dealt a significant blow to the Pacific Fleet -Noticed that everyone became focused on the war effort and fighting until the U.S. won -Aircraft school lasted two months -Had to take a physical and learned that he had a hernia -Made him ineligible for work until he got it treated �-Had surgery in Omaha -Took fifteen days to recover and only costed $75 -Got hired by Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company in Buffalo, New York -Went to work on May 1, 1942 -Worked for them for five and a half months (00:16:05) Enlisting in the Army Air Force -On June 30, 1942 he registered for the draft then went back to work -Knew if he was drafted he would get drafted into the infantry -Did not want to get drafted into the infantry -Enlisted in the Army Air Force because he felt it would be a better fit -Reported for duty on October 1, 1942 -Only twenty years old at the time -Needed his parents' permission because he wasn't twenty one years old -Father agreed to it because he didn't want Donald to be an infantryman -Fascinated with planes, but didn't want to become a pilot -Couldn't become a pilot because he startled easily (00:22:12) Basic Training -Went to basic training by train -Went on marches and days started early during basic training -Took basic training in Rome, New York -Most likely Rome Air Depot -Received physical training -Placed on guard duty at night after a few weeks -Ordered to give three warnings to an approaching vehicle then shoot -Armed with a sawed off shotgun -On one occasion he was tested to see if he reacted properly to an approaching vehicle -He reacted well and was commended for it -Took further tests to see what his classification would be (00:26:18) Assignment -Sent to Syracuse Army Air Base in Syracuse, New York after basic training -Classified as an Army Aircraft Mechanic -Meant he would be a flight engineer and a gunner aboard a bomber -At Syracuse between Christmas 1942 and New Year's Eve 1942 (00:30:01) Army Aircraft Mechanic Training -Sent to Tyndall Field, Florida for aerial gunnery training there -Flew in an AT-6 -Fired at tow-targets pulled by another plane -Trained with machine guns -Had painted rounds to see which gunner hit the target -Did well with that except for accidentally severing the tow-target cable once -Trained at Tyndall for three months -Sent to Sheppard Field, Texas for aircraft mechanic school -Received six months of training �-Learned about B-25 and B-26 engines -Wound up assigned to a B-24 in the future (00:34:42) Training with the 461st Bombardment Group Pt. 1 -Sent to Mountain Home Army Air Base, Idaho -Bored and waiting for something to happen -New pilots were training with the B-24 at Mountain Home -He was assigned to a new B-24 crew in the 764th Squadron, 461st Bombardment Group -There were ten men in a B-24 crew -He was assigned to the waist gun position -Did aerial training as a crew during the day and night -Flew training missions as far south as Texas -On one training mission they were returning to base at night and almost hit another B-24 -The prop wash was so strong it cracked their plane's windshield -Had numerous other close calls -Remembers a few crashes while training at Mountain Home -Received two months of training at Mountain Home -First phase and second phase training -Allowed ten days of delayed en route -Meant he could go home for six days to spend time with his family and friends -Reported to Hammer Field in Fresno, California in November 1943 -Completed third phase training at Hammer Field -More training missions during the day and at night -Didn't know whether they were going to the Pacific Theatre or the European Theatre -Assumed they were going to the Pacific Theatre -Didn't want to go to the Pacific after hearing about atrocities committed by the Japanese (00:48:52) Deployment to the European Theatre Pt. 1 -In mid-January 1944 they left Hammer Field in a new B-24 -Flew up to San Francisco (00:49:47) Training with the 461st Bombardment Group Pt. 2 -On one training mission they started leaking gas -Caused a fire on one of the engines -Happened because of a mechanical problem with one of the gas caps on the wing -Able to land and fix the problem without incident (00:54:42) Deployment to the European Theatre Pt. 2 -En route to San Francisco their third engine was running too hot -He was able to fix it -Ordered to fly to Florida -Stopped at Midland, Texas -Knew they were bound of the European Theatre at that point -Hit some bad weather in Texas -Flew to Tennessee then to Florida -Received orders, but they were told not to open their orders until after fifteen minutes -Opened their orders immediately because they wanted to know where they were going �-Learned they were going to be based in Italy -Stopped in the Caribbean then flew to Brazil -Had to do a 500 hour inspection in Brazil -Repairing anything on the B-24 that needed attention -Replaced spark plugs -Flew to Dakar, Senegal -In the middle of the desert -Sand was bad for aircraft engines -Took nearly twelve hours to fly from Brazil to Senegal -Had some navigation problems -Flew to Marrakesh, Morocco then on to Tunis -Flew over the Atlas Mountains -Waited in Tunis for their airfield to be ready (01:03:55) Stationed at Torretto Field, Italy & Flying Missions -Stationed at Torretto Field, Italy near the town of Cerignola -Got to Italy in February 1944 -Rendezvoused with other bombers from the 461st Bombardment Group -Runway was soft at Torretto Field -Caused one bomber to lose its landing gear upon landing -Flew his first mission on April 3, 1944 over Yugoslavia -Easy bombing mission -In June 1944 they bombed a target in Wiener Neustadt, Austria -Bombed factories in southern Germany and Austria -Bombed targets in the Balkans, southern France, and northern Italy -There was a high concentration of German troops in northern Italy -During the raid on Wiener Neustadt they lost their #2 engine -German fighter planes shot down stragglers that fell out of formation -Lost their #3 engine -Dove under the clouds to throw off the German planes -Can only assume the Germans thought they were crashing and left them alone -Bombed targets in Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria -Participated in the bombing of the oil fields at Ploesti, Romania -During the raid at Wiener Neustadt they decided to land at the Partisan strip at island of Vis -They continued to lose engine power -Ordered to dump their auxiliary generator -Would have been suicide because that's the only power they had left -He removed the wires, but didn't ditch the generator -Ordered to reconnect the generator so they could get to Vis -Finally made it to the island of Vis -Watched a B-17 in front of them crash into the mountains -Stayed there for three or four days and a C-47 brought them back to Italy -Continued with missions after getting a new bomber -Last major mission was during the invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944 �-Bombed submarine pens on the coast of southern France -Not much opposition because the Germans had retreated (01:23:37) End of Service & Life after the War -Decided he didn't want to go back into farming -Father sold the family farm and moved into town -Wound up being better since his father was aging and had poor health -Discharged on August 30, 1945 -Went to work in Newman Grove, Nebraska for International Harvester -Married in 1947 -Moved to Omaha with his wife -Worked for Watson Brothers Transportation for fifteen years -Worked for UPS until he was sixty nine years old -Raised a family -Had a daughter and two sons -Both sons are deceased -Both committed suicide, one in 1982 and one in 1996 -One son served in the Air Force in the Vietnam War -Committed suicide because of what he experienced during the war -Served as a cargo pilot delivering assault rifles near the end of the war -Vietnamese civilians tried to board his cargo plane -Got as many of them aboard as he could -People climbed into the wheel wells to escape -Many fell to their death as a result of that -He didn't see the point of doing it when Vietnam was lost -Manufacturers wanted their guns delivered to turn a profit � 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_JohnsonD1801V Title A name given to the resource Johnson, Donald C (Interview outline), 2005 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2005-10-21 Description An account of the resource Donald C. Johnson was born in 1922 in Lindsay, Nebraska. Enlisted in the Army Air Force in summer 1942 and reported for duty on October 1, 1942. Received basic training at Rome Air Depot, New York and was classified as an Army Aircraft Mechanic (flight engineer and gunner) at Syracuse Army Air Base, New York. He received Gunner Training at Tyndall Field, Florida and Flight Engineer Training at Sheppard Field, Texas. Sent to Mountain Home Army Air Base, Idaho where he joined a B-24 crew in the 764th Squadron of the 461st Bombardment Group. He trained there then went to Hammer Field where they received more training. In mid-January 1944 they left the U.S. and arrived at Torretto Field, Italy in February 1944. They began flying missions in April 1944 bombing targets in northern Italy, southern Germany, Austria, southern France, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. He was discharged on August 30, 1945. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Johnson, Donald C. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Staples, Jessica (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Air ForcesOral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Type The nature or genre of the resource 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> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/20155d6c3f6b76a9f46c8c1e0f054923.pdf 217430b7475451ac9ab062332956d24c PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Robert Howard Vietnam War 15 minutes 33 seconds (00:00:05) -Born on August 3rd, 1942. -Enlisted in the Army from 1962-1965. -Served in Vietnam. -Highest rank achieved was sergeant first class. -Born in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. -At that time the economy was doing well, life was comfortable living there. -Wasn’t enthusiastic about college at Central Michigan University. -Became enthralled with ROTC and decided to join the military. -Enlisted for airborne operations. -Father died while he was in basic training. -Missed candidate school entry, waited 4/5 months to go to the next class. -Assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. -Served in the 187th Airborne Regiment. -Went through jump school to be a paratrooper, and ranger school. -Went to further training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. -Trained for a field artillery data computer. -Sent to Vietnam with the military assistance crew, specifically in order to make maps. -Attached to a Special Forces team. -They were located at the Annam plateau in Vietnam. -Surveyed the drop zone. -Returned to 82nd Airborne division. -Became a Staff Sergeant at a liaison section directing artillery fire. -The computer he was trained to use allowed them to make maps of south east Asia. -At that time there were no usable maps. (05:00) -Granted the capability to map without use of chains and benchmarks. -After returning to the 82nd Airborne division, they were activated to go to the Dominican Republic. -Took a liaison section, including naval artillery fire directed by Marines, Air Force, and his own section of men with seven men and four vehicles. -Politicians insisted they not fire on buildings in Dominican Republic due to the fact that Christopher Columbus landed there and there was historic value. -Ran simulations four times a day in case they needed to be called to action. -One of his crewman was killed, and 28 others. -Part of their purpose was also humanitarian. -Distributed U.N. rice. -Did medical calls, vaccinations, cleaned up remains -Following this he was discharged from the Army. �-Civilian life; everyone was three years ahead in life and felt like he needed to catch up. -Took work in Lansing where he met his wife. -Began having children and starting a family. -Most memorable moments in service: selected for Trooper of the Year. -Also Trainee of the Year in basic training. -Received the American Freedom Medal. (10:00) -Advice to those considering military: join the best. Trusted and highly skilled. -82nd Airborne Division has incredible respect and close bonds. -Does not regret choosing to join the military. -Cites inspiration from JFK’s inaugural address (“Ask not…”). � 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_HowardR1833V Title A name given to the resource Howard, Robert E (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-29 Description An account of the resource Robert Howard was born in 1942 in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. His enlistment with the Army lasted from 1962 to 1965 while he was part of the Vietnam War. Robert was assigned to the 82nd airborne division in Fort Bragg, North Carolina where he undertook paratrooper training and ranger school. At Fort Sill, Oklahoma he would continue training in order to use a field artillery data computer. In Vietnam he was attached to a Special Forces team with the purpose to make maps where none yet existed. In the Dominican Republic he directed artillery fire as well as helped to distribute humanitarian aid. After his time there he was discharged from the Army. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Howard, Robert E. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Howard, Adam (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. ArmyOral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings 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> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/dce1da87f3e95533c9982698d6166fee.pdf 81effb19a0abfa91b8fac4fc0a15ab4d PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Timothy Hanna United States Army Length of interview: (33:22) Early life (00:00)      (00:30) Born on November 20, 1965 in Grand Rapids, Michigan He has two sisters and one brother He volunteered for the army in 1984 just before graduating high school Timothy trained at Fort Dix, New Jersey, Military life was very strict (4:20) After training, he went to Washington (state) where he was a welder; the work shifts often lasted over ten hours Germany and later life (5:30)              (5:50) Timothy received training in Germany in preparation for any Cold War hostilities that may have occurred (6:30) Many people in Germany were friendly to the American personnel, this had a lot to do with the level of support the Americans gave them (8:40) While in Germany, Timothy was a welder in a motor pool (10:30) On the weekends, Timothy and his friends went sightseeing and visited various bars and restaurants. There was also a large concert that brought together bands such as Scorpions and AC/DC. (12:00) One of his favorite places to visit was Bastogne, a key location during the Battle of the Bulge (13:20) When the Berlin Wall was taken down, Timothy breathed a sigh of relief, for people were hurt trying to get out of East Germany. (14:30) Timothy signed up for four years of active duty and two years of inactive duty. It was during his inactive years that the Berlin Wall came down (15:30) He was at work when he heard about the 9/11 terrorists attacks. Tim did not rejoin the army as a result of the attacks. If they wanted him to rejoin, he figured they would give him a call (18:30) Upon returning from Germany, things were different. He tried to contact people that he had not seen in four years (21:20) On the way back from Germany, he was nervous about how much change had occurred while he was gone (23:20) Food was available at all times, either from the cooks or from the many restaurants near the base. He enjoyed the different ways the Germans prepared food (27:30) After leaving the service, Timothy immediately got a job as a machinist (30:00) He had no fear of Russian aggression after the Berlin Wall was taken down � 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_HannaT1809V Title A name given to the resource Hanna, Timothy Lee (Interview outline), 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 Timothy Hanna was born on November 20, 1965 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 1984, he joined the United States Army and was sent to Germany as a welder in a motor pool. While in Germany, Timothy visited iconic locations from the Second World War. He recounts various events throughout his life such as the fall of the Berlin Wall and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Hanna, Timothy Lee Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Santiago, Erican (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. ArmyOral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Type The nature or genre of the resource 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> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/fd65181d9a4e731f6a4e8b12b5c2ea84.pdf 2a2d13d99230d37ee06640388f0846ba PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Daniel Doane U.S. Army Length of interview (8:16) (1:50) early life and service         (1:00) Born on June 29, 1926. Served in the army Before he entered the service he went to George Davis Technical High School, graduated in 1944 (3:15) He went to college on the G.I. Bill, graduated in 1952 (3:30) he had three siblings in the navy, one was a quarter master on a LST (4:23) He tried joining the navy, air force, and marines but was turned away because of bad vision (4:40) signed up for a chemistry course at Grand Rapids Junior College but on the first day of class he was in Detroit joining the army (September 1945) (5:00) after spending a few weeks in Fort Sheridan, he was sent to Texas and then Mississippi, he was very homesick. Mississippi was much better than Texas because there were more trees (7:20) Daniel was eventually sent to Chitose Air Base in Japan, most of the base was under-ground � 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_DoaneD1803V Title A name given to the resource Doane, Daniel Edward (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-22 Description An account of the resource Daniel Doane was born on June 29, 1926 to a family of six children. He joined the army in September 1945 and was sent to Fort Sheridan Illinois. After spending several months in the United States, Daniel was sent to Chitose Air Base in Japan. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Doane, Daniel Edward Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Doane, Lindsay (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Air ForcesOral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Type The nature or genre of the resource 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> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7525427ed1e0e5af192e06b84d5eecda.pdf 243f82f9573b1a159d1ee274fee54e9d PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Afghan War William Becker Length of interview: (10:48) (00:20) Early Life    (00:20) Born on June 6, 1988 in Hoffman Estates, Illinois (00:30) His father was an accountant and his mother was in sales (00:40) Before joining the service, he was attending college for an associate’s degree in engineering sciences (00:45) Joining the Service         (00:48) He was inspired to enter the service by his grandparents who served during World War II and two uncles that served in Vietnam (1:09) William joined the military because college wasn’t going according to plan. He chose the Marine Corps because he wanted to fight with the best. (1:30) In January of 2008, he spent three months in boot camp, from there they went to Marine Combat Training for one month (1:55) When he was in boot camp, he completed the final test (the Crucible) with a sprained ankle. The drill instructors said that he had more heart than most Marines that went through training. (2:30) William was trained in fire support; his job was to call in mortar and naval gun fire. (3:00) Adapting to military life was difficult at first but he eventually got used to it. The barracks they had were very nice. William was stationed in California at the Twenty-Nine Palms Marine Base. (3:40) Since he was stationed in the middle of a desert, having a social life was difficult if you didn’t have a vehicle (4:05) William was deployed to Afghanistan twice (4:08) First Deployment     (4:08) During his first tour, he stopped in Germany as well as an air base in Kyrgyzstan where he spent several weeks. From Kyrgyzstan he was sent to Helmand Province in Afghanistan. (4:30) His job was to go out with an eight man team for several weeks to a month and report on suspicious activity. If they saw anything, they were to call in mortar support. (5:10) If he wasn’t on patrol, William was on guard duty at his base or helping the one cook that they had make food. (5:30) His job was often difficult because he had to watch his friends fight the enemy while he observed. There were times that he felt that he couldn’t help them. �   (6:00) During Operation Cobra’s Anger, the Marines were attacking the town of Nawzad. William went into the town with a small group of Marines and reported on what was happening during the fight. He communicates regularly with the men he served with. (6:40) When he was in Afghanistan, he had occasional access to internet and phone services, which allowed him to communicate with his family. (7:00) There was little time for recreation during his first deployment. Although a TV was brought in so they could watch the Super Bowl, William was on patrol that night and was unable to watch it. (7:30) Second Deployment and Homecoming        (7:30) During his second deployment, William was stationed at Camp Leatherneck in Helmand Province. His job was to make sure that no friendly aircraft were in the air during an artillery strike. (7:55) William also guarded detainees; additionally, if someone called in with detainees ready to be picked up, William went out to get them and bring them back to base. (8:20) Returning home was strange initially. After spending months with military personnel, it was hard to get used to civilian life. (9:00) When he returned home, there was a small parade and a party at his local VFW. (9:20) Adjusting to civilian life was difficult for a while but he got used to it. (9:40) He keeps in touch with his comrades on social media and pays close attention to them because the suicide rate among veterans is very high. (10:00) The military showed him how the world works and that there really aren’t any rules. You can be killed at any moment, therefore it is crucial to live each day as if it were your last. � 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_BeckerW1811V Title A name given to the resource Becker, William Karl (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-04-25 Description An account of the resource William Becker was born on June 6, 1988 in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. He joined the United States Marine Corps and worked as an observer. William served two tours in Afghanistan, both in the Helmand Province his task was to observe firefights and call in mortar and naval gun support. The missions he took part in include Operation Cobra's Anger, which was the attack on the town of Nawzad, Afghanistan. During his second tour, William was stationed at Camp Leatherneck where he guarded detainees and continued his duties in fire support. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Becker, William Karl Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Becker, Ryan (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American United States. Marine CorpsOral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Type The nature or genre of the resource 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> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/348432f1c070a543045f9bd79e3c05ee.pdf 856eb5923cabb67e1bdb3570c214ca09 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Joseph Filko World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War 1 hour 2 minutes 41 seconds (00:00:06) Early Life and Enlistment -Born in 1921, in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. -Father worked in a steel mill, and mother was a housewife. -Seven siblings. -Joined the military due to the lack of employment in the Depression. -A cousin in the Marines returned from China and this helped convince him to enlist to the Marines. -Entered the military in October 1939 at the age of 17. -Tough “break you down” training style. -Basic training lasted for 12 weeks. -Initially stationed at Fort Mifflin, Philadelphia. -Guarded the fort. -Across the street at the Navy yard the battleship Washington was being built. -Helped inspire him to put in for sea duty. (00:04:35) Mixed Topics: WWII, Korea and Vietnam -First time in combat – August 4th 1942 in Guadalcanal. -Attacked by kamikaze, sunk one of their aircraft carriers. -Personally involved in combat three times. -He was motivated to see the world, and so he desired to be on a ship. -Roughly 1940 at this time before Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan. -The aircraft carrier at the time was using the old catapult takeoff, and a crane to load on planes. -His duration aboard the ship lasted two years. -The carrier travelled around the Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima areas. -Made some good friends, some of which are still in touch with him. -Most memorable experience – an unexpected torpedo attack. -After which they retreated to Pearl Harbor. -Some casualties from the attack. -The men were buried near Pearl Harbor at the Tonga. (00:10:00) -This took place early in his military career. -Life on the ship was pretty good. Barber shop, ice cream, showers. -Life on land was tense, always keeping your guard up. -Left the military after WWII. -Worked for the State Police of Pennsylvania, however it didn’t pay much. -At that time ex-Marines were paid $20 a week for 52 weeks while they searched for a new job. -Eventually he quit because the pay was so low. -Re-enlisted into the Marines and entered into the Korean War. -Did not use his G.I. Bill. �-Got married while he was still in the military. -Worked for the US Post Office later in life for 20 years. (20 years in the Marines as well) -He was considered for an officer position, but they reconsidered due to the fact that he had been in the “brig” in his first enlistment. -Was punished for retaliating against a superior that kicked him. -Ten days punishment in the brig. -Discharged in 1945, returned to the Marines in 1948, and finally discharged again in 1962. -Works with some of the Afghanistan war veterans to help them cope with PTSD. -At that time there was no assistance for PTSD when he suffered some of its consequences. -Symptoms such as restless nights, dreams, etc. -His son wished to enter the military however he wasn’t accepted due to asthma. -Four children. -Went on recruiting duty in Lansing. -Met his wife in Lansing. -She worked for the State of Michigan. -At that point he was in the Marines for about 15 years. -He spent about ten years overseas. Moved often. (00:20:00) -Son was born in North Carolina. -Received about 16 various medals: -Good conduct, American Defense, Korean Defense, WWII Victory, American Campaign, Asiatic Pacific Campaign, National Defense, United Nations Service, Navy Accommodations ribbon, Combat Action ribbon, Honorable Discharge ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation for Republic of Korea and Vietnam. -At the date of this interview he will be 94 as of August. -Taught marksmanship in the service. -At the time of the bombing of Japan, they were positioned to invade if necessary. -He visited Hiroshima after the War had ended. -It was still in a “horrible” state, even then. -Korea: it was “kill or be killed”. -Could be bitterly cold temperatures. -Flamethrowers and white phosphorous was a terrible weapon used in Korea. -His time in Korea was before the 38th parallel. -Reaction to the bombing of Japan – welcomed the fact that the War would be over. -His cousin that was in the Marines retired after a 20 year career as well. (00:30:00) -His parents did not favor his enlistment into the Marines. -Took a couple months of convincing them to sign the papers. -Never experienced sea sickness while on the ship. -Upon enlistment he was three or four months from turning 18. -Frequently communicated with his family by mail. -Military censored their mail for sensitive information. -After being discharged, the first time, they lived in Pennsylvania. -Lived in Lansing once he was discharged the second time. -His parents came from Czechoslovakia in Europe. �-Since they could not write English well his sister helped them write letters. (00:35:00) -Vietnam was the worst combat experiences of the various Wars he engaged in. -The gray blur between friend and foe, combatants and civilians made things difficult. -Went to Vietnam in 1961. -A colonel he knew from WWII was a captain in Vietnam. -This captain sent him back with a special unit to Okinawa. -Korean War was preferable in part because of the strong demarcation. -Everything across the Imjin River was declared to be a threat. -The local South Koreans loved the Americans because the Japanese treated them so badly. -The local Vietnamese were indifferent. Mainly concerned for food. -Ate C-rations for food. -His duration in Korea lasted 14 months. -Intended to be there for 9 originally. -Stationed at the 38th parallel, and crossed through some point. -General McArthur’s firing was frustrating for the troops. (00:44:00) At this point in the interview the discussion shifts to questions from the class. -Sleeping in the field was taken in shifts so someone could keep watch. -Korea was extremely cold. They put alcohol into the anti-freeze to keep it from freezing. -His role on the carrier ship was as an M.P. as well as manning the guns. -Extent of his war injuries – a slight shrapnel wound to the leg. -Leisure time, for fun they would re-assemble guns blindfolded, watch movies, went swimming off the ship in Fiji. -Marines taught them how to scuba dive, however it wasn’t necessary. -Heard about the Pearl Harbor attack while walking through New York. -Going aboard the USS North Carolina. -Believes the carrier that was sunk by their carrier may have been called the Ryujo. -Finds fault with the Japanese internment; the Germans or Italians had not been interned. (52:35:00) -Had the opportunity to become a sniper, however he had no interest. -Marine initiation aboard the carrier. -The “shellbacks” would initiate the “pollywogs”. -Shellbacks were crewman that had crossed the International Dateline. -Pollywogs were those that had not; novices. -If all three of the carrier guns were being fired at once, the decks must be cleared of all people. -20mm guns that were extremely volatile. (01:00:00) At this point various medals, photos, and certificates are displayed to the camera. -Favorite location he travelled to on his tour was Panama. -Spent 30 months in Panama. � 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_FilkoJ1829V Title A name given to the resource Filko, Joseph James (Interview outline), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-03-19 Description An account of the resource Joseph Filko was born in 1921 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His military career would span 20 years and three separate wars. The financial climate of the Great Depression drove him to enlist in the Marines in 1939 at age 17. He wound up at Fort Mifflin, Philadelphia where the sight of the USS Washington inspired him to join on for sea duty. In 1942 his aircraft carrier was attacked by kamikaze at Guadalcanal. Initially Joseph left the military in 1945 after WWII ended, however working for the State Police offered little pay and so he re-enlisted in 1948. In Korea he was stationed at the 38th parallel and lasted for 14 months. As if that weren't enough he was also sent to Vietnam in 1961. After a period of some time he was sent with a special unit to Okinawa. Finally he was discharged for the last time in 1962. Joseph was decorated with a variety of 16 medals and ribbons for his career. Later in life he worked for the US Post Office for 20 years before retiring. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Filko, Joseph James Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Sarna, Lilly (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Marine CorpsOral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Type The nature or genre of the resource 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> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/cdf793ae08d32e7a91a3cc1897f3d8d8.m4v 52e9425c531a55314520b4ff078f01c8 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e9b34bcf5ec08dfe687e133f00812004.pdf 175ab9e34447e6ef3c83d3df59bb25aa PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Dick Hollebeek World War II 1 hour 17 minutes 09 seconds (00:00:11) Early Life -Born in 1924 in Sanborn Iowa. -Father a minister -Moved to Lynden Washington in 5th grade. -Frequently listened to radio, even speeches from Mussolini and Hitler. -Heard about Pearl Harbor attack on the radio at home. -After hearing this news he informed people at the church. No one believed him. -Hadn’t followed world news too closely. -Offered numerous jobs that could keep him out of military. -Refused and instead asked for an early calling from the draft board. -Father was not an isolationist. (00:03:47) Basic Training and the Salvage Repair Company -Entered service on March 17th 1943. -Sent to Camp White Oregon for basic training -Nicknamed “the Alcatraz” of Army camps. -The desert environment made for red clay and rain that kept boots heavy with debris. -Made training difficult. -Drill instructors were previously in Panama. -Some training involved: 80 mile long hikes in four days, swimming across a river, compass work at night. -Captain was around 40 years old. -Training at Camp White lasted about 6 months. -Assigned to the 216th Salvage Repair Company. -As part of a battalion that would repair equipment and materials that could be repurposed. -Received infantry training and repair work. -Training continued once in England. (00:10:00) -His particular specialty was running the sewing machine to repair clothing, tents, etc. -Medford Oregon was nearby. -During downtime many would go to bars. -Went to chapel at Camp White on Sundays. -Congress had recently passed a law requiring a furlough before going overseas to War. -Received a six day furlough. -Informed only his father, and no one else, that he was being sent overseas. -Devised a coded way to send letters to his father that could inform him of his current location. -A certain letter of a certain number word of every third sentence. �-Shipped out from Camp Shanks New York. -Arrived by train, an old coal fired train. -Trip duration of almost five days. -Stopped at North or South Dakota where they were given a drill and fed. -Stopped at Chicago stock yard. -At Camp Shanks about a week and a half. -Speaking about the medical shots he received entering basic training. -Received twelve shots. -Shown a film about hygiene. -At the end of the night he passed out. -Spent one night in New York City in his time at Camp Shanks. (00:18:21) Ocean Crossing and England -Departed on the Queen Elizabeth. -It was next to the Normandy which was damaged. -Crew of 15,000 troops. -Two meals a day: stewed tomato, and a “blind robin” (dried fish). -Good weather for the trip. -Route went south of Azores, then straight north to Glasgow Scotland. -Took a train to Wales England. -Stayed in Wales until a place was found for them in Liverpool. -One instance: a drill done in the rain resulted in most the soldiers coming down with a cold. -Next they were sent to Seaforth Barracks near Liverpool England. -Barebones with straw packed mattresses for beds. -Interacted with locals, very nice people, went to church with a local girl. -Liverpool had many British and American troops. -British and American troops didn’t like one another too much. -Damage from German bombings was evident. -Didn’t experience bombings while in Liverpool. -Experienced three air-raids during a furlough in London. -First, in a Red Cross building. -Another at 10 Downing street where there was a crater. -Germans used regular bombs. -Third time, at a theater where he decided to stay for the movie. (00:28:30) France -Travelled to France in July. D+39 -Crossed the channel on the SS Invicta. -Climbed down rope nets to water and waded ashore. -German prisoners of war were being held on shore. -Landed on Utah Beach of France. -He was a rifle grenadier. -Grenades were kept strapped to his legs. -In the confusion of the night the unit was spread out and not collected again until three o’clock the next day after hours of marching. -Estimated to be about 5-6 miles from the front lines at that point. �-After about a week and a half, their trailers arrived and were able to commence salvage repairs. -Digging foxholes during the day. -Took a piece of shrapnel as a memento, one that he still owns. -Timeline of their advance from his personal records: -July 19th landed on Utah Beach. -July 20th in Isigny. -August 3rd at Saint-Lo. -August 20th at Vire. (00:36:26) Belgium -Longest stop on the route in Vivier Belgium. -From October 26th to December 24th 1944. -Stayed in a paper factory that was damaged but out of the weather. -Germans were V1 buzz-bombing the area. -One nearby knocked him against a wall. -Among locals the children were most friendly. -Encountered fleeing locals as the Battle of the Bulge was starting. -Evacuated on December 24th in trucks. -Temperatures were below zero and ~16 inches of snow. -Arrived in Gistoux around 2:30 AM. -Stayed in Gistoux until February. -Worked to return to a normal routine making some repairs. -One instance of a German attack: a plane dropped “butterfly bombs” near a slit trench. -About seven members of their unit were injured. -One suffered severe damage losing both of his feet. -Previous events of injuries: someone diving onto barbed wire, and a suicide. (00:48:52) Germany -Proceeded toward Germany to Aachen. -Went through Aachen after it was captured. -At a paper factory in Duren Germany they were sprayed with DDT to keep rats away. -Proceeded to Castle, Calder, and Hersfeld where they were located when the War ended. -Witnessed thousands of German POWs as they advanced. -Some SS prisoners wished to be perceived as regular military and the other Germans had beaten some to death. -SS members were arrogant. -German military soldiers as young as twelve. -Witnessed a group of Russian women, likely laborers, being sent back to Russia. -Remained in Hersfeld Germany from April 25th to August 6th. (00:55:15) End of the War, Return to the U.S. and Misc. -Once the War ended they no longer needed to do salvage repair work. -Their unit was given various options to go to Switzerland, Paris, England. -Went to Switzerland where he was treated well with respect. -Went to Paris, saw Notre Dame and other cathedrals. -Sent to Camp Boston in France to await orders. �-Secretly they were being considered to be shipped to Japan or the Pacific. -However Japan surrendered four days before embarking. -Bound for Boston once again. -Arrived in Boston on November 22nd, Thanksgiving Day. -The ship ride back to the US was very rough with high winds. (01:00:00) -Arrived in Buchenwald concentration camp about 2-3 weeks after its capture. -By that time it was “cleaned up” although still quite terrible. -Gallows, ovens, just a few remaining prisoners. -Back to the return home Boston in the US. -The one millionth soldier to return home was given the key to the city in celebration. -The man had to be carried considering he was drunk. -Celebration dinner was just about any food you wanted. -After his father’s death, his family moved to Grand Rapids. -And so his discharge came out of Camp Atturbury Indiana. -Father died while he was in Hersfeld Germany. -No viable way to return home at that point. -Wished to see his uncle in the Netherlands but the Army insisted it was too dangerous. -He was granted a day off with his friend where they attended a local church service. -Discharged from Camp Atterbury Indiana and proceeded to Grand Rapids Michigan. -His mother and two sisters were living in upstairs of his aunt’s home. (01:10:00) -Work life: -Found a job at a local factory -Worked with a photographer and went to school for photography. -Went to work at Steelcase for 32 years. -Married in 1948. -Currently married for 66 years. -Appreciates the role of discipline the Army imbued in 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_HollebeekD1881V Title A name given to the resource Hollebeek, Dick David (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-09-17 Description An account of the resource Dick Hollebeek was born Iowa in 1924 but moved to Washington during his youth. He enlisted in the Army in March 1943 and was sent to Camp White Oregon for basic training. Dick became part of the 216th Salvage Repair Company, and his particular focus dealt with patching clothing, tents, and sewing material. When the time came he shipped out from Camp Shanks New York on the Queen Elizabeth. In England he would spend time at Seaforth Barracks near Liverpool, and witnessed a number of air raids. After D-Day his Company traveled to Utah beach in France where he was a rifle grenadier. After a grueling march they spent an extended time in Vivier Belgium, and later Gistoux. Finally their Company made it to Aachen Germany, and all the way to Hersfeld where the European portion of the War was called to a close. This included Buchenwald concentration camp as well. Post-war, Dick was eventually sent to Camp Boston in France where he waited to be sent home. After returning to the US, Dick was discharged from Camp Atturbury and stayed in Grand Rapids as his family had moved there to Michigan. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Hollebeek, Dick David 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 Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ac7521d7917840d0b1e0805b3780f016.m4v 735911666036a39137b6939a626f45f2 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/600508edbf89ee33cdde6f05357898be.pdf bfdeb6fa6df206ef75d6ffa4b152bd2c PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project David Zylstra World War II 1 hour 44 minutes 40 seconds (00:00:09) Early Life -Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1924 -Has lived in Grand Rapids all his life -Attended West Side Christian High School -After graduating attended Calvin College (prior to service), Brooklyn College (during service), and the University of Michigan (after the service) -He had seven siblings -Father had a sheet metal shop in their backyard -House and shop were located at 1233 Muskegon Ave, Grand Rapids -Got through the Great Depression without much trouble -Father had come to the United States in 1890 at the age of four -Started working in a furniture factory in Grand Rapids when he was twelve (00:02:12) Start of the War -Before Pearl Harbor knew that Congress was split about direct intervention in the war -Knew that the United States was giving supplies to the British and Soviets -On December 7, 1941 the public opinion of the war changed dramatically -Everyone came together with a common purpose -Knew about the fighting happening in Europe -Saw that Hitler was rapidly conquering countries in Europe -Wondered if Germany would try to invade America -Fear that the Nazis were going to take over the world -Remembers coming out church on December 7 and his cousin running up to him -Told David that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor -Went back home and listened to the news on the radio -Knew when he was fifteen (1939/1940) the U.S. would probably get involved -And he'd have to fight in the coming war -War bonds were being advertised -Father bought some -Some people started Victory Gardens -Rationing went into effect -Meat, gasoline, sugar, coffee, and chocolate -There was some black market activity in Grand Rapids -Knew a man that had slaughterhouse and he was probably involved in smuggling (00:08:19) Getting Drafted -Graduated from high school in 1942 and went to Calvin College -All of the young men at Calvin knew that they would eventually be drafted -Had a deferment because he was a student �-It was a strange feeling being deferred -Considered enlisting -Remembers recruiting stations with lines of young men out the door -Had a brother enlist in the Army Air Force -Decided to just wait to get drafted -Got drafted in August 1943 -Reported to Fort Custer, Michigan for processing (00:10:36) Basic Training & Army Specialized Training Program -Sent to the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia -Knew some men at Fort Benning that had gone to Calvin College with him -Got approved for the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) before basic training -Received 17 weeks of basic training -The ASTP sent soldiers to college for engineering, medical, and linguistics training -He was assigned to the ASTP engineering program at Brooklyn College -Took a troop train from Fort Custer to Fort Benning -Took a couple days to go from Michigan to Georgia -People always waved at them as they went south -Civilians gave overwhelming support to the troops -The sergeants were tough and expected obedience from recruits -It was good training -Had to do 15 mile marches in one day with only one canteen full of water -Not allowed to stop for water -Good discipline -If you resisted, you were punished with extra Kitchen Patrol (KP) duty -Learned to never volunteer -Asked by a sergeant if any of the recruits drove a Buick -He and a few other men raised their hands -Brought around to the back of a building where there were wheelbarrows -Each one had "BUICK" written on the side -He had some difficulty with adjusting to the Army -Some men would go out on Saturday nights, drink, then come back and hassle the other recruits -He and the other recruits got sick of it, so they took action -Removed the light fuses and put their footlockers in the middle of the floor -After that the drunks never bothered them again -All men in his section were going to ASTP after basic training -Sent to Brooklyn College in January 1944 -Stayed at Brooklyn College one term then the program was shut down -Had regular engineering courses with professors -After the program was cancelled he became an infantry replacement -Assigned to the 75th Infantry Division when they were on maneuvers -Had weekends off while at Brooklyn College -Explored New York City -Had mathematics and physics classes (00:23:27) Assignment to the 75th Infantry Division �-Joined M Company, 291st Infantry Regiment, of the 75th Infantry Division -M Company was a heavy weapons company -Had water cooled machine guns and heavy mortars -Attached to line companies that were on the attack -His duty was as a gunner -Didn't know where they were headed after maneuvers on the border of Texas and Louisiana -Had rain for three weeks -Split into red and blue teams -Red team was the "enemy" -Got a shipment of bad ham and everyone in M Company got food poisoning -The maneuvers took place in swampland -Had to watch for ticks and snakes -Slept outside in tents -Maneuvers lasted ten weeks -He got there the second week of maneuvers -Received heavy weapons training -Had to learn how to shoot the machine guns and mortars -Had to crawl under barbed wire for 100 yards while a machine gun fired over him -One man got wounded by friendly fire during maneuvers -Sent to Camp Breckenridge, Kentucky for further training -Some of the men in his unit were welcoming and friendly and he respected them -Other men were abrasive and hostile toward the replacements -Stayed at Camp Breckenridge for two, or three, months (00:31:04) Deployment to the European Theatre -Got to go home for a week -He was engaged at the time -Planned on meeting his fiancee in Chicago while stationed in Kentucky -Got delayed due to a visiting general -Finally got to Chicago at 5AM -Went to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey and sailed out on the USAT Edmund B. Alexander -Sailed with twenty one other ships in a convoy -Took ten, or eleven days to reach Europe -Ran into bad weather and a lot of the men got seasick -Had a destroyer escort following them -U-Boats tried to attack the convoy, but were driven away by the destroyer (00:35:37) Arrival in the United Kingdom -Arrived at Swansea, Wales -Received extra training -Got to the United Kingdom on November 2, 1944 -Went on patrols and went into town on the weekends -Went on five, to ten, mile marches -Got to meet and talk with some English civilians (00:37:28) Arrival in France -Received new weapons and got the larger weapons to go overseas -Knew then that they were going to mainland Europe and into combat �-Boarded a British ship and sailed across the English Channel to Le Havre, France -Division landed in France on December 13, 1944 -Harbor was clogged with sunken ships so they had to take a landing craft to shore -It rained nonstop for three days when they arrived -Saw French civilians in the countryside -Learned quickly that the French would urinate on the side of the road -Got to go into Paris -Learned that the French had places called pissoirs (00:39:25) Advance into Belgium & Battle of the Bulge -Moved across France on 40 & 8 box cars -Train only moved 20 to 25 miles per hour -Destination was Belgium -Stopped along the way -French were always friendly and gracious of the American presence -Gave the civilians candy and cigarettes -Heard artillery being fired the closer they got to Belgium -When they arrived in Belgium they arrived next to 155mm howitzer positions -Remembers when they fired it was like lightning striking right next to them -Knew they were going to go into combat -Went to Manhay, Belgium to relieve the 106th Infantry Division -Furthest point of the German advance -106th had suffered heavy losses and numerous men had been captured -Ordered to hold Manhay at all costs -Got heavily shelled the first night there -Germans were only 1000 to 1500 feet away from Manhay -Shelling lasted for an hour -Ground was frozen so they could only dig down six inches -Germans used shells that exploded at tree level producing more shrapnel -The front line near Manhay was incredibly thin -Stayed there for a few days -Moved to a spa town in Belgium (probably Spa itself) -Stayed in a Belgian man's home -Very hospitable and told them he had fought in the Belgian Underground -Had to move from town to town liberating each one from German rule (00:48:35) Fighting in the Ruhr Pocket & Advancing into Germany Pt. 1 -Liberated the suburbs of Essen and Dortmund in Germany -Met stiffer resistance once they got into Germany -Even German children were throwing rocks at them -German soldiers dressed in American uniforms infiltrated their ranks -Wreaked havoc on the supply lines by misdirecting traffic -Didn't move at night unless they absolutely had to -Sent out patrols to capture German soldiers -His job was to carry a radio and go with the forward observer to direct mortar fire -This placed him directly on the frontline and in immediate danger -Moved on to attack a suburb of Dortmund with L Company �-Germans were lying in wait in the rail yard and ambushed them with machine guns -He stayed calm during the attack then ran for cover while still taking fire -Even with the presence of American tanks the Germans held their position -Lost two tanks to well placed hand grenades -Advanced to attack a hill near the suburb -Germans fired indiscriminately killing American troops and civilians -Had to go house to house to neutralize snipers -In the cellar of one house found a group of 30 elderly German civilians in hiding -Germans would deal as much damage as they could then retreat -Went up against the German Tiger tanks -Tiger tanks had thicker armor and more powerful guns than American tanks -Captured an aluminum factory along with several thousand workers -Captured the town of Orsoy on the Rhine River (00:59:15) Interactions with Civilians and Prisoners of War -German civilians tended to retreat before American forces arrived -They would politely evacuate any German civilians that had stayed behind -Had German prisoners of war working in places like Camp Brooklyn and Camp New York -Camps used to send GIs home, confine German POWs, and process freed Allied POWs (01:01:20) End of the War in Europe Pt. 1 -In Westphalia, Germany when Germany surrendered -Had to wait for the Russians to reach the Elbe River before they advanced further -Had to deal with hundreds, if not thousands of displaced persons (DPs) after the war -Many of them were trying to get home to their respective countries -Fed a lot of them -Eventually had to stop DPs from traveling because they clogged the highways -Helped an elderly Polish man and two younger Poles get ready to go home -Had to travel from western Germany to Poland with a horse and wagon -Gave them supplies and a sign that said, "Poland, or Bust!" -At the aluminum factory in Dortmund there were thousands of Polish slave laborers -Found an old mansion and surrounded it -Without firing a shot sixteen German soldiers came out and surrendered -Oldest of the group was sixty years old -Still has a Mauser pistol from that encounter -Found a beautiful Prussian uniform in the mansion -Near the end of the war when they captured the mansion -Thinks that the German soldiers were glad to be taken prisoner (01:09:41) Medic Friend -Had a friend in the Army that was a medic -Remembers one night they were writing letters together �-Medic was called to help a wounded soldier -Didn't receive a bronze star because he already had one from a previous act -In France there were wounded American soldiers, trapped in a town -Put Red Cross arm bands on German POWs -Sent them into the town to retrieve the American soldiers (01:11:35) Christmas 1944 -Spent Christmas 1944 in Belgium -One soldier played a pipe organ and they sang Christmas carols with a Belgian family -On Christmas Eve he watched 22 planes get shot down and only three parachutes emerged -Watched dogfights take place between American planes and German planes (01:13:38) Chaplain -Remembers gathering in a barn before an attack -Chaplain addressed the men, told them with blunt honesty not all of them would survive -Turned out to be right, because the next day there were fewer men (01:14:34) Back Injury -En route to Trois-Ponts, Belgium in a convoy -His vehicle hit a crater in the road sending him and a few other men flying -A 200 pound soldier landed on top of him -Thought that he broke his back -Got a ride to a nearby town where a division was staying -Next day got a ride to a field hospital, then from there to a hospital in Paris -Placed in a bed next to a recently freed American prisoner of war with tuberculosis -David still tests positive for TB 70 years later -Man died the next day -After his hospital stay in Paris he was sent to Etampes, France for rehabilitation (01:17:39) Fighting in the Netherlands -After recovering from his injury he rejoined the 75th in Neer, Netherlands -Could see German soldiers across the Maas River -Saw a German soldier going into a house and fired three mortars at the house -After that the soldier did not emerge -Spent most of February 1945 in the Netherlands (01:19:10) Fighting in the Ruhr Pocket & Advancing into Germany Pt. 2 -Pushed into the Ruhr Pocket in March 1945 -Germans were so desperate they were using horses to pull 88mm artillery guns -If a horse was killed, German civilians would go out and scavenge the meat (01:20:01) Seeing Prime Minister Churchill and General Montgomery -In the Netherlands when he saw Prime Minister Churchill and General Montgomery -Had linked up with British forces -Heard sirens and saw motorcycles coming down the road �-Saw Churchill in his car, with a cigar, giving the V for Victory sign (01:21:17) End of the War in Europe Pt. 2 & Occupation Duties -In a town in Westphalia, Germany when the war ended -German soldiers were happy that the war was over -German troops were replacing their uniforms with civilian clothing to escape getting captured -Contracted hepatitis after the war was over -Had a fever of 102ºF and got sent back to a hospital in Paris to recover -Spent three weeks there -Had to stay in Europe for nine more months after the war to get enough points -Stationed in the Information & Education Office at Camp New York in France -Working with an Army established university network in England and France -Specifically with the Biarritz American University in Biarritz, France -A man tried to recruit him to help sell a damaged jeep to some Frenchmen -David turned it down -A jeep was stolen every day in Paris -French wanted the jeeps after the war, and eventually they were legally sold -Knew that there was a huge black market for cigarettes in France -There was very open prostitution in Paris -A woman set up a pup tent and charged only 300 Francs per customer (about $4) -Trying to provide a living for her daughter -Got 15 college credits at the American University in Biarritz, France -Beautiful town on the Spanish border -Gave local children candy and oranges -Gave civilians any spare food -Stayed there for six months -He played the trombone in the university band -Had a university newspaper (01:33:10) End of Service & Coming Home -In Camp New York when he received word that he could go home -Shipped his Mauser home to avoid it getting stolen -Got discharged on March 10, 1946 at Camp Atterbury, Indiana -Given $300 by the Army and hitchhiked back to Grand Rapids, Michigan -Took a ship back to the United States from France -Took five days to get back to the U.S. and didn't run into any storms -Wanted to kiss the ground when he got home, but there were too many GIs (01:36:40) Life after the War -Prepared to get married upon coming home -Had been dating for three years -Got married on June 1946 -Enrolled in the University of Michigan -Attended the extension school in Grand Rapids -Went to the Ann Arbor, Michigan campus for one year -Got a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration �-During the war became friends with a man from Grand Rapids named Robert Dice -Robert Dice was captured by Germans in Colmar -Ran into each other at the University of Michigan and became friends -David got a job at American Seating Company in Grand Rapids -Robert got a job with the Hartford Insurance Company as an adjuster -After a year and a half got David a job at Hartford as an adjuster (01:42:17) Reflections on Service -Matured a lot during his time in the Army -Realized how prevalent racism still was among the Southern soldiers -Appalled by how the Southerners considered the black soldiers to be subhuman -Shocking coming from a Northern, egalitarian atmosphere -Learned a lot about life -It was a wonderful experience -Believes that there are better ways to learn about life than through war � 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_ZylstraD1785V Title A name given to the resource Zylstra, David B (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-06-24 Description An account of the resource David Zylstra was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1924. In August 1943 he received his draft notice. He was processed at Fort Custer, Michigan and accepted into the Army Specialized Training Program. He received basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia and then went to Brooklyn College, New York for the ASTP engineering course. When the ASTP was cancelled he was sent to join the 75th Infantry Division on their maneuvres in Texas and Louisiana in spring 1944. He was assigned to M Company of the 291st Infantry Regiment and received heavy weapons training. The division left the United States in fall 1944 and arrived at Swansea, Wales on November 2, 1944. In December 1944 the 75th went to France and arrived at Le Havre on December 13, 1944. David saw action in Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge, in the Netherlands, and in the Ruhr Pocket during the advance into Germany in spring 1945. At the end of the war he was in Westphalia, Germany and Camp New York, France helping with the processing of GIs, German prisoners of war, and the Information and Education Office for the American Universities in England and France. He also attended the American University in Biarritz, France. He returned to the United States after nine months of occupation duty and got discharged on March 10, 1946 at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Zylstra, David B. 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 Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f8ab030f573c52fc0fdd68e3b783b27a.m4v 9812cf0df14b559519c751212146b81c https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/46c449a7730033a55ebaeabd2d07f204.pdf 1123527ed915219fe36dc1c1ba1a893d PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project David Yonts Vietnam War 1 hour 26 minutes 59 seconds (00:00:15) Early Life -Born in West Virginia in February 1950 -Came from a family of coal miners -When he was nine or ten months old his family moved to Kentucky -Grew up in Kentucky -Attended school in Kentucky -Met his wife when they were in high school -Got married when she was still a junior in high school -Got a job working with cars -Graduated from high school in 1968 -Had a job at a Studebaker dealership in high school -Went to work for his uncle at his uncle's Texaco station (00:01:54) Getting Drafted -Married for one year when he got drafted on August 31, 1969 -Wife came home from work and he told her that he had been drafted -Given ten days to report for duty (00:02:53) Knowledge of the Vietnam War -Didn't know a lot about the Vietnam War -Heard stories about soldiers coming back from Vietnam -Knew that he didn't want to go fight in Vietnam -Didn't know the politics of the war (00:03:39) Basic Training -Went to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training -Went from Ashland, Kentucky to Fort Knox by bus -Arrived at Fort Knox at dusk -Greeted by a private first class screaming at the recruits to get off the bus -Assigned a place to sleep -Next day given a haircut, a quick breakfast, vaccinations, uniforms, boots, and clothing -Took an entire day to get processed -Most of the recruits were from Kentucky, West Virginia, and Michigan -In retrospect understands why basic training was done the way it was -Drill instructors were trying to break down individualism -Teaching them discipline and to follow orders -Learned not to be flip with superiors -Taught to work as a unit -Help each other and think as a group rather than as an individual -Received weapons training -Did well with rifle training -Wonders if that led to him getting assigned to the infantry �-Only had two or three recruits that had to start basic training over -Some men were physically and mentally unfit to be soldiers -Completed basic training anyway -Majority of men were capable of being soldiers (00:10:59) Infantry Training -Sent to Fort Ord, California for Infantry Training -Company commander was a Ranger in the 101st Airborne Division -Meant that he was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division -Training lasted eight weeks -More physically demanding than basic training -Learned how to rappel out of helicopters -Received more weapons training -Learned how to read maps -Went through simulated Vietnamese villages -Knew then that he was going to get deployed to Vietnam -Went on a lot of marches -Not allowed to go off base until the seventh week of training -Only thing to do was to go into town and drink (00:14:55) Assignment to Fort Hood -During seventh week of Infantry Training he learned that his wife was pregnant -Wanted to go home, or at least stay in the U.S. until his wife gave birth -Talked to a chaplain who talked to David's superiors -Granted a deferment and assignment to Fort Hood, Texas until his wife gave birth -Worked in the motor pool at Fort Hood -Daughter was born on May 6, 1970 -Able to talk to his wife on the phone -Went to the PX and bought some celebratory cigars -Same day that his daughter was born he received orders for Vietnam (00:17:35) Deployment to Vietnam -Given three and a half weeks of leave home before being deployed -Got to see his wife and his baby daughter -Felt like a part of his heart was torn out knowing he might die in Vietnam -Took a lot of pictures with his wife and daughter -When he was in Vietnam he sent a lot of voice recordings back to her -Went to California and boarded a plane -Stopped in Alaska and picked up more military personnel -Flew to Japan -Flew on a chartered American Airlines jet (00:20:03) Arrival in Vietnam -Landed at Saigon -Went through an in-country orientation process -Explained the assignment process -Did it backwards alphabetically, so his name was the fifth one called (00:21:05) Assignment to the 101st Airborne Division -He was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division operating near Phu Bai -Flew up to Phu Bai in a C-130 �-Gto to Phu Bai on July 1, 1970 -Received more in-country orientation -Cultural awareness training -Told by one sergeant to shoot first and ask questions later -In theory, U.S. troops only shot at someone after being shot at -In reality, if you waited to shoot you would probably get killed -Got assigned to Alpha Company of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne -He had already received air assault training in California, so he didn't need to go through SERTS -Note: SERTS: Screaming Eagle Replacement Training School -Joined Alpha Company on July 7, 1970 at Camp Evans (00:24:35) Siege of Firebase Ripcord Pt. 1 -Note: Since July 1, 1970 the North Vietnamese had been attacking Firebase Ripcord -On July 8, 1970 he went into the field to join Alpha Company -Boarded the third helicopter out of Camp Evans that day -Told that he would be dropped off at Firebase Ripcord and A Company would go there -Couldn't go directly to A Company because they were in a firefight -Remembers the countryside going from green and vibrant to brown and war torn -Thought the firebase didn't look too bad -Immediately assigned to a foxhole on the perimeter with three other soldiers -The three other men had been in the field and told him the situation -Heard a lot of small arms fire around the bottom of the hill Ripcord was on -From July 9 - July 23 (fall of Ripcord) they were under siege -He never got into the field -Assigned to a bunker on the perimeter at night -First night on the perimeter he didn't sleep -Set out land mines at night -The next day they were turned around so the explosion would go toward the bunker -North Vietnamese had gotten that close without being detected (00:30:13) Firebase Ripcord-Details -Ripcord was on the top of a hill -Tactical operations center (TOC) was at the top of the hill in the middle of the hill -Artillery batteries surrounded the TOC -Farther down the hill was the perimeter consisting of bunkers and foxholes -Each bunker was 20 to 30 feet apart -Perimeter was 30 feet away from the bottom of the hill -Bunker dugout was the size of a king size bed -Wood made a roof over the dug out -Sandbags went on top of the wood -Each bunker was manned by four men -A trench went out to a collection of foxholes in front of the bunker �-Called the bunker the "house" and the foxhole "his porch" (00:33:30) Siege of Firebase Ripcord Pt. 2 -Bombardment of Ripcord got more intense as July went on -Heard movement beyond the perimeter -Ordered not to fire because it might be American soldiers and not Vietnamese -Took a lot of mortar fire -His bunker never took a direct hit -A lot of shells landed around his bunker though -Later in July they took more small arms fire -Had a nearby bunker that served as their latrine -Couldn't go to the bathroom without worrying about getting hit -Only went if he absolutely had to go -Got resupplied by helicopters during the siege -Helicopters would fly in, quickly drop off supplies, then fly out as fast as they could -On July 18, 1970 a Chinook helicopter was shot down and crashed into an ammunition dump -If the hill was a clock, the helicopter crashed at 3 o'clock and he was at 7 o'clock -Initially thought a B-52 accidentally bombed the firebase -Ordered to stay in his bunker and stay down until all of the ordnance had cooked off -Learned to stay aware, understand that he could get killed, and to look out for himself -Heightened security and put two men on watch instead of just one man -Noticed more Cobra gunships operating around Ripcord -Escorting the "Loach" recon helicopters onto and off of the firebase -On the morning of July 21 things got even worse -Started to seriously consider that he might not survive the battle -Bombardment got even worse -Late on July 22 they saw more enemy movement (00:41:55) Fall of Firebase Ripcord -On the morning of July 23 he actually saw North Vietnamese soldiers beyond the perimeter -On July 23 he received word that Ripcord was going to be evacuated and destroyed -Upset that they were just letting the firebase fall rather than stand and fight -Saw Lieutenant Colonel Lucas get mortally wounded by a mortar shell -Throughout July 23 men were getting pulled off the hill -Told that the bunkers to the left and right of his would go first, then his bunker would go -Had to decide the order of men in his bunker to get evacuated -Pulled straws and he was the third man to go out -Still doesn't know if the fourth man made it out -Had to leave all of his gear and personal possessions behind except for his rifle -Boarded a helicopter with two other combat capable men and two wounded soldiers -Remembers the gunners laying down suppressing fire as they took off (00:48:22) Regrouping & Going into the Field -At Camp Evans learned that Alpha Company had been hit and lost a lot of men -Received more replacements �-He tried to help the new replacements adjust to Vietnam -He was supposed to be a squad leader, but got assigned to the M60 machine gun instead -Didn't want to be on the M60 for too long because it drew too much attention -Once A Company had enough men they returned to the field -Pattern was this: go to the field, make some contact, then retreat from the field -Didn't understand why they retreated from the field -Learned later that the U.S. was pulling out of Vietnam -Became the radio-telephone operator (RTO) for Captain Chuck Hawkins -Called in rations, medical evacuation, and supplies for the company -Hawkins explained that the Army didn't want a repeat of Ripcord -That's why they didn't stay in the field for too long if they made contact -Assigned to be the RTO for a new company commander -He told David that if he stayed in the field two extra weeks he would make him sergeant -Declined because he didn't want to risk getting killed -After Ripcord, A Company took 10 to 15 casualties -Some of them were accidents -Remembers one new man from the Industrial Midwest (Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, etc.) -David tried to watch over him and protect him -Landed on an old landing zone -Never should have used an old LZ -Most likely being watched or booby trapped -David got off the helicopter and ran down to the tree line -New man followed him and tripped a land mine -Killed instantly -Only found a boot and his glasses -Army listed him as missing in action (MIA) -Angered him because the man was dead, not missing (00:59:32) Life after the War Pt. 1 -As of 2015, despite hardships, he and his wife are still married -Had four children -After the war had a quicker temper and his family went through a lot because of his PTSD (01:00:40) Interactions with the Vietnamese -While in the rear they could go into Phu Bai, so he saw some Vietnamese civilians -Had a Vietnamese interpreter known as a chu-hoi -Meant that he was a Viet Cong soldier that defected to South Vietnam -Didn't interact with many civilians -At the time he hated all of the Vietnamese, but now he regrets feeling that way (01:01:55) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -Has no desire to return to Vietnam or see the remains of Firebase Ripcord -Doesn't want to relive the war -Also doesn't want to step on an unexploded land mine near Ripcord -It wasn't always bad in Vietnam, there were some good times -Feels that sometimes you just had to laugh to deal with the stress �(01:02:55) Downtime & R&R -Got to see Bob Hope in Phu Bai -Men from the field were allowed to sit in the rows closest to the stage -Thankful to Bob Hope for doing those shows for the troops -Saved his R&R for the end of his tour in Vietnam -Able to see his wife in Hawaii -It was a good R&R -Got to spend a week together -Difficult to leave his wife again -Took some comfort in the fact that the war was coming to an end -Drank a lot when he was in the rear -Refreshing to go on R&R, but strange to go back into the field so quickly (01:07:25) Leaving Vietnam & End of Service -Left Vietnam on June 15, 1971 -Told he'd be placed in the inactive reserves because he had less than six months of service to do -Flew from Vietnam to Japan to Alaska to Washington -Outprocessed and discharged in Washington -Given a ticket to fly home to Kentucky -Strange to think only a week ago he had been carrying a rifle in Vietnam -Told to travel in civilian clothes to avoid harassment (01:09:26) Treatment of Veterans Pt. 1 -Son served in the Army for 20 years -Deployed to Iraq three times -Made sure that every time his son came home he had a big welcome home party -Didn't want his son to go through what he did upon coming home -When he came home he was ostracized by the public for being a Vietnam veteran -One woman accused him of killing children -Blames some of the harassment on other Vietnam veterans -They came home and talked about raiding villages and executing civilians -As a result of that, people thought all soldiers did that -For most veterans it was difficult to get a job -Fortunately he still had a job with his uncle at the Texaco station -Only 21 years old when he came home from Vietnam -Barely old enough to vote and buy alcohol -Treated like a war criminal despite being so young and not being a war criminal -People asked his wife why she stayed married to a Vietnam veteran (01:12:52) Life after the War Pt. 2 -Continued to work with cars after he came home -Eventually got a job at an Oldsmobile dealership -Moved to Florida in 1982 and worked for a dealership there -Started his own car repair business in Florida -It was successful and he sold it -Went into used cars sales -Owned a used cars lot for 12 years -Helped with a friend's security business �-Had a contract with a hospital -Got him a job at the hospital as the security director -Led to him getting interested in medicine and becoming a nurse -Hospital paid for him to go to Nursing School -Got into a motorcycle accident in 2007 and retired from everything after that (01:15:14) Readjusting to Civilian Life -Worked 70-80 hours a week -Didn't understand why he worked so much until after the motorcycle accident -Realized that he worked so much to distract himself from the war memories -Got treatment for PTSD through the VA -Took a year of classes with other Vietnam veterans -Advised to file for PTSD compensation and Agent Orange compensation -70% physical disability and 30% psychological disability -Diabetes, neropathy, and hypertension from stress and chemical weapons (01:19:36) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -Sees the Vietnam War getting repeated through the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan -Government's reluctance to compensate those veterans for their sacrifice -Politics getting in the way of giving treatment to veterans -Believes the psycholoigcal effects of Vietnam will continue for years, if not generations -The indirect effects will last for the spouses and children of veterans (01:23:05) Treatment of Veterans Pt. 2 -Has just started wearing a Vietnam veteran cap -Still gets negative reactions from people, but it has gotten better -Actually receives thanks from people (01:24:24) Reflections on Service Pt. 2 -Leadership abilities -Respect for people -Accountability for his actions -Would serve again if called and would go to Iraq with his son if he could -Willing to fight for the country and rights if necessary � 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_YontsD1886V Title A name given to the resource Yonts, David (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-10-08 Description An account of the resource David Yonts was born in February 1950 in West Virginia. He grew up in Kentucky and on August 31, 1969 he was drafted. He received basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky and infantry training at Fort Ord, California. Due to his wife being pregnant he was allowed to serve at Fort Hood, Texas until May 6, 1970 when he received his orders for Vietnam. He was deployed to Vietnam and got to Phu Bai on July 1, 1970. He was assigned to Alpha Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division and served at Firebase Ripcord until the firebase fell on July 23, 1970. He served with Alpha Company until he left Vietnam in June 1971. Upon arrival in Washington in late June 1971 he was discharged. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Yonts, David 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 Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/90b3022c68d9a0ba21369910a09fbee1.m4v f8a717d58c6575186b0faa799d94edbd https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c8dc8e6b24a8d75f3566f3a880e6c1fd.pdf bc69b24a3969107cd08e7bec509a32ef PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project James Wyatt Vietnam War 32 minutes 15 seconds (00:00:06) Early Life, Basic Training and Berlin Wall Crisis -Born December 4th, 1936. -Highest rank achieved was Specialist 4th class. -Drafted into service. -Knowing that drafting was inevitable, he chose to pre-empt the process and enter in 1960. -22 years old at the time of entering military service. -Chosen as a temporary training sergeant during basic training. -Training: 15 mile hikes with a 40lb backpack. -Chose other leaders from the groups. -Encouraged soldiers as their energy waned. -Made friends with squad leaders he worked with. -Flew to Berlin with Military Air Transportation Service (MATS). -Stationed in Mannheim. -Locals were mostly friendly. -During the duration of his time in Berlin, the Berlin Wall was built. -Afterward the locals became noticeably friendlier to their presence. Soldiers became more religious. (00:05:00) -Sent to NATO school. -Dispersed information to troops and trained them in fundamentals. -The Berlin Wall crisis caused extensions on the troop’s service periods. -After his year and a half was up he was extended by a mere few days before he returned to the US. -Communicated with his mother often in the mail during his time abroad. -Limited places to socialize with other English speakers. -Attempted to learn some German. -Due to the Berlin Crisis, there was no ability to take leisurely language classes. -Sent out to the field much more often. -Soviet threat seemed intimidating at the time. -Being somewhat isolated abroad. (00:10:00) -His return from military life was treated by the public with some degree of skepticism and suspicion. -Not anger or derision like some Vietnam veterans. -After returning home he became a police officer. -Had an interest in the job for a long time. -Grand Rapids police were hiring. -Since he was from Grand Rapids he decided to apply. �-Personally believes that the containment in Vietnam was the right thing to do. -In Mannheim he was stationed at what was once a Panzer building. -Remnants of the Polish army were still present at the time. -Due to the fact Russia was present in Poland. (00:16:10) -Believes that Vietnam War was mishandled and hampered by political posturing. -Cuban Missile Crisis was quite scary. -Believes that JFK handled it well. -Thoughts on Watergate scandal: intentions were good, but methods were not. -The fall of the Berlin Wall was emotional and a great moment for him to view on TV. (00:26:00) -His brother was in WWII. -Involved in major battles such as the Philippines -Aboard USS Washington. -Has a rather “military family”. -Older brother in the service. -Uncles and cousins as well. -Father was in Turkey in WWI. � 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_WyattJ1816V Title A name given to the resource Wyatt, James E (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-23 Description An account of the resource James Wyatt was born in 1936. At the age of 22 he pre-empted an inevitable drafting by enlisting in 1960. During his military career his highest rank achieved was Specialist 4th class. Although his service was during the Vietnam War era, he was located in Mannheim, Germany in the time of the Berlin Wall Crisis. Wyatt was also sent to NATO school where he was able to train troops in the fundamentals. After being discharged he returned to the US and became a police officer. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Wyatt, James E. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Wyatt, Peyton (Interviewer) Caledonia High School (Caledonia, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf