17 24 1541 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/89ea6f04d0c0b10d963a0a0f5b1bd160.m4v 0e7ffdca13fae3bf0be5684072dac540 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3e2e54b46492edf5a95d9a95feb15a7c.pdf a953af64355b55c895f21be56dbd158f PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Raymond Lantz World War II 1 hour 15 minutes 38 seconds (00:00:08) Early Life -Born on September 26, 1922 in Washington, Illinois -Father managed a farm there -Didn't live there very long -Lived in Constantine, Michigan and Elkhart, Indiana growing up -Went to high school in Three Rivers, Michigan -Did not complete high school -Dropped out in junior year -Father worked as a barber during the Great Depression -Father worked on commission -Charged 25¢/haircut and got 15¢ from that -Had to support five children with that money -Left high school when he was sixteen, or seventeen -Went to work -Worked on farms and then at a door manufacturer -Paid $30 a month at the farms, but also got three meals a day and a bed (00:03:48) Start of the War & Getting Drafted -Working in Grand Rapids, Michigan and was on his way home to Constantine, Michigan -Driving in the car and heard the report on Pearl Harbor on the radio -Knew about the fighting in Europe and Asia and that Hitler was basically conquering Europe -Working for a sheet metal company when he received his draft notice in November 1942 -Reported for his physical exam, and after getting accepted was given 14 days of leave (00:06:20) Basic Training & Cook School -First stop was Camp Grant, Illinois for processing -Sent there by train -Sent to Camp Beale, California for basic training -Took a week to get there by train -During the war they sold tickets, but it didn't mean you would have a seat -Had to stop and let other trains go by that were carrying raw materials -Camp Beale was thirty miles north of Sacramento -First part of basic training consisted of exercises, marches, and getting fit -Did a 32 mile march in eight hours carrying a 46 pound pack -He was part of B Company, 83rd Medical Battalion, 13th Armored Division -His duty in that unit was as a cook -Had volunteered for KP (Kitchen Patrol) duty to keep from marching -Sent to Cook School -Trained for 16 hours a day -Eight hours of classroom work, and eight hours of kitchen work �-Had to learn how to cook, about nutrition, and how much food to prepare -Had to work around boundaries set by rationing -Government put together a 30 day menu -Food supplies largely depended on their location -Remembers cooking a lot of sheep once -The rations they got were nutritious, if anything -Had a good variety of vitamins and minerals (00:14:12) Stationed at Camp Beale, California -Stationed at Camp Beale for one year -Could get passes to go off the base -He visited St. Mary's, California -Small town near the base -He was married at the time -Wife wrote him every day and he wrote back when he could -Wife stayed with his parents and her parents -Wife helped the war effort by working on a farm -After basic training he received 14 days of leave to go home -Seven days of visiting and seven days of travel -Remembers one cook being 42 years old, but the majority of the men were young draftees -Went on maneuvres with the unit -Their job was to cook on a mess truck -Had gasoline stoves -Had to get up an hour early to pump air into the stoves -Stayed over night in pup tents -Also had to dig foxholes -Cooks received rifle training just like infantrymen -Trained with the M1 Garand and later received the M1 Carbine -Oldest daughter was born while he was at Camp Beale -Got to see her when she was only three weeks old -Wife and daughter came out to visit him -They lived off base for a few weeks then returned to Michigan -Had a Class A pass -Meant he could leave whenever he wasn't on duty -Worked from 3AM - 10PM (00:22:11) Stationed at Camp Bowie, Texas -Sent to Camp Bowie, Texas after one year at Camp Beale -Reassigned to the 54th Evacuation Hospital -Working as a cook for that unit -Did not go to Camp Bowie alone -All of the cooks got the flu when they went to Camp Bowie -He and the mess sergeant were the only healthy ones -Mess sergeant burned himself trying to light a stove -Raymond managed to prepare, cook, and serve breakfast on his own -Then he came down with the flu and had to report to the sick bay -Camp Bowie was close to Fort Worth, Texas �-Only about 50 or 60 miles away from Fort Worth -Able to visit Fort Worth -Stayed at Camp Bowie until they went overseas -Stayed there for nearly one year -Lived off the base in Texas -Had the rank of Technician 4th Grade (T4) (00:28:54) Following News of the War & Contact with Family -Main source of news was the Stars & Stripes -Didn't have good radio reception -All of his brothers were in the service along with one brother-in-law -A sister-in-law was in the Women's Army Corps (WACs) -Kept in touch with each other while in the service -Father wrote him a postcard every day -Father wrote each of his sons a postcard every day (00:31:44) Deployment to Hawaii -Knew that eventually he would get deployed -Left Camp Bowie in late 1944 -Went to Seattle, Washington to ship out -Deployed with the 54th Evacuation Hospital -Destination was Hawaii -Got there by ship -As a cook, he had to work on the ship -Did the best that he could with what he had available -Tried to give the soldiers what they wanted -A lot of men got seasick on the trip to Hawaii -Combination of bad weather and men not having sea-faring experience -Took a couple weeks to reach Hawaii -Sailed with three other ships -Zig-zagged to avoid getting torpedoed (00:35:44) Stationed in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii -Stationed in Schofield Barracks in Oahu, Hawaii -A more permanent base than Camp Bowie, or Camp Beale -Had an actual kitchen to work in -Met up with his brother in Honolulu -Had a pass for four, or five, days -If you could see your relatives you were given extra leave time -Had figured out that his brother was coming to Hawaii -Did this by piecing together information from censored mail -Went to Pearl Harbor almost every day for a month waiting for his brother's ship -Soldiers' wives would come to the mess hall to eat sometimes -Had one tablecloth specifically saved for the wives' table -He didn't provide food for the entire 54th Evacuation Hospital -Provided food for his own company, not feeding the doctors -Cooked for officers on a rotating schedule (00:42:56) End of the War & Deployment to Japan �-Left Schofield Barracks in 1945 -Stayed in Hawaii during the invasion of Iwo Jima and Okinawa -Read about the invasions in the Stars & Stripes -Crossing the Pacific Ocean when the atomic bombs were dropped -Sailing toward the staging area for the invasion of Japan -Sailing on board a Landing Ship, Tank (LST) -Cooked while on the LST -Ran into a bad storm en route to Japan -The swells were so high that they blocked out the ship behind them -One man was so sick that he couldn't move and just laid in a pool of vomit -Raymond tried to help by giving the man soda crackers and water -Man had to be dropped off en route otherwise he would have died -Raymond didn't get seasick -Got close to being seasick, but didn't throw up -After Japan surrendered they sailed up to Japan on September 4, 1945 -Only two days after September 2, 1945, the date of the formal surrender of Japan (00:50:13) Occupation Duty in Japan Pt. 1 -Disembarked in Tokyo Bay -Took over a barn and turned it into a kitchen -Used lye water to clean the building -Set up stoves -Lived on K Rations for a couple days while the stove got set up -Used gasoline for the stoves -There wasn't much left in Japan -Remembers Japan had been flattened by bombing -Every major road intersection was bombed out -Entire country was in bad shape -Saw Japanese civilians -Felt sorry for them -Understood that the people couldn't be blamed for the attack on Pearl Harbor -Had Japanese civilians working in his kitchen -One Japanese boy named Jimmy served as his interpretor -Had lived in San Francisco before the U.S. entered the war -Jimmy's family returned to Japan in 1941 shortly after Pearl Harbor -Jimmy had received training to be a kamikaze pilot -Japanese civilians were so hungry and desperate they collected trash to eat -Stayed in Japan for a few months (00:56:40) End of Service Pt. 1 -Received points during service -Points awarded based on rank, dependents, length of service, and combat seen -Had amassed 29 points at the end of his service -Hawaii was considered overseas duty because Hawaii was a territory at the time -Meant getting points for not being Stateside -Originally needed 85 points to be discharged, then it got reduced to 50 points �-Had to stay in Japan for an extra 30 days because the unit didn't have a replacement cook (00:58:53) Occupation Duty in Japan Pt. 2 -Never got to see any of the Japanese cities -Figured that it wouldn't be worthwhile since the cities were in ruin anyway -Went for a walk and found a burned out building in the countryside -Next to it was a large piece of sheet metal on the ground -Covered a hole in the ground where five, or six Japanese were living -Gave a Japanese civilian a loaf of stale bread to take home -Some men would go off base and get into trouble -Drinking and fraternization were the biggest problems with GIs in Japan (01:03:15) Life after the War Pt. 1 -Owned a sheet metal company for thirty five years after the war -Did that without graduating from high school (01:05:46) End of Service Pt. 2 and Coming Home -Left Japan in early 1946 -Took a ship back to the United States -Arrived in Seattle, Washington -Wasn't a big ship and had poor ventilation so the ship stunk -Boarded a train in Seattle, Washington -Worked as a cook on the train -Had a kitchen set up in the box car -Did that from Seattle to Chicago -Didn't mind working on the train -Got discharged at Camp Grant, Illinois in February 1946 -Took a train from Chicago to Grand Rapids, Michigan (01:09:07) Life after the War Pt. 2 -Went back to work at the sheet metal company that he worked at before getting drafted -Did that for 17 years -Started his own sheet metal company -His old manager came to work for him -Installed heating ducts all over the United States -Had 62 people working for him -Worked on some of the buildings at Grand Valley State University and Ferris State (01:11:36) Reflections on Service -Had nightmares and lashed out at his wife after the war -It was difficult for a couple years -Developed from being in a state of constant stress, plus ingrained combat training -Had a job to do and did it and just tried to take it in stride -It was hard coming back and readjusting, but getting his job back helped with readjusting � 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_LantzR1786V Title A name given to the resource Lantz, Raymond (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-06-23 Description An account of the resource Raymond Lantz was born on September 26, 1922 in Washington, Illinois. He was drafted in Grand Rapids, Michigan in November 1942 and went to Camp Grant, Illinois for processing. He was sent to Camp Beale, California for basic training, and then became a cook in B Company, 83rd Medical Battalion, 13th Armored Division. He was stationed at Camp Beale for a year, and then went to Camp Bowie, Texas where he was reassigned to the 54th Evacuation Hospital. He stayed in Texas until late 1944 when the unit was sent up to Seattle to be deployed into the Pacific Theatre. They sailed to Hawaii and he was stationed at Schofield Barracks until late summer 1945. They sailed up to Japan and arrived on September 4, 1945 two days after the formal surrender of the Japanese. He was part of the occupation force in Japan for a few months working as a cook. He returned to the United States in early 1946 and got discharged at Camp Grant, Illinois in February 1946. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lantz, Raymond 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/11fe2e61f6e8bcd3822fbf44431dd1d9.m4v 7df1cb0de0e30b3afe2964a574867b07 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2bf4b607f64982516e8124fc01667fd3.pdf 71583053503407aee2afe9b4e4b10194 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Bernard Lakowicz World War II 1 hour 5 minutes 5 seconds (00:00:27) Start of World War II & Getting Drafted -Young when Pearl Harbor was attacked -Remembers playing pool with his friends when he heard the news -He was eighteen, or nineteen, when the attack happened -He and other young men decided that they needed to serve their country -There was a freeze on enlistment immediately after the attack -Got drafted in February 1943 -Sent to Kalamazoo, Michigan for processing -Most likely Fort Custer -Sad about the attack on Pearl Harbor, but didn't know what it was -Happy to go fight, initially, but then hesitant after hearing about the fighting -Took his Army physical in Kalamazoo (00:02:54) Basic Training -Took a train to Camp Grant, Illinois -Stayed there for two days -From Camp Grant went to Fort Lewis, Washington for basic training -Joined the 44th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis -Stationed at Fort Lewis for nine months (00:03:31) Joining the Army Air Force -In November 1943 he volunteered for the Army Air Force -Sent to Sheppard Field, Texas -Took exams to see if you'd be good as a pilot, co-pilot, navigator, or bombardier -Stayed there for a few weeks -Sent to Kansas State College in Manhattan, Kansas -Taking courses pertaining to be an airman -Received four months of pre-flight training (00:04:36) Infantry Training -Removed from the Army Air Force and placed back in the infantry just before D-Day -Sent to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri -Received some more training at Fort Leonard Wood -Placed in a division with men from the Army Air Force and Army Specialized Training Program -Some of the smartest men in the Army -Men were disgusted about being placed in the infantry and made it known -Called to formation and addressed by a man named Sergeant Duck -One man said, "Quack, quack" as a joke -The sergeant looked irritated, but didn't react to it -The infantrymen initially looked down on the former airmen and former ASTP men -That is until he and the other airmen proved that they could be infantrymen �-Received four months of training at Fort Leonard Wood -Note: He was assigned to K Company, 386th Infantry Regiment, 97th Infantry Division (00:07:11) Amphibious Training -Sent to Camp San Luis Obispo, California for amphibious training -Their first phase of amphibious training was in rubber rafts -Sent to Camp Callan, California for additional amphibious training -Learned how to launch invasions from regular ships with LCIs (Landing Craft, Infantry) -Didn't like going from the relative safety of being in an aircraft to being an infantryman -Realized after the war that airmen were in equal danger -Additionally, only 78 men were killed in division, and 400 were wounded -This was out of 15,000 men -Note: The 97th sustained 178 Killed in Action; 669 wounded in action (00:09:46) Deployment to the European Theatre -From Camp Callan he was sent to Camp Cooke, California -Preparing to deploy to the Pacific Theatre of Operations -Got issued winter uniforms and new orders for the European Theatre of Operations -Sent to Fort Dix, New Jersey around New Year's Eve 1944 -Boarded troopships bound for Europe -Took ten days to cross the Atlantic Ocean -Placed in a camp for two weeks then moved to the frontlines -Note: Most likely at Camp Lucky Strike in France -Arrived at Le Havre, France -Note: 97th arrived on March 2, 1945 (00:11:22) Advancing into Germany -Crossed the Rhine River at Bonn, Germany -This would have been on April 3, 1945 -Their objective was to close the Ruhr Pocket in the Ruhr Valley -Neutralized the remaining Germans in the area -After the fighting in the Ruhr Pocket they advanced on Czechoslovakia -They were on the frontlines, shooting and being shot at by German troops -One day they were surrounded and ordered to dig in -He was called up to be a message runner -Left his foxhole and gave it to another soldier -He was only 25 feet away and a shell hit the foxhole killing the other man -Initially counted himself lucky, then the survivor guilt set in -The day after the foxhole incident they encountered German anti-aircraft batteries -The batteries were being used as anti-personnel positions -A tracer missed him by only six inches -So close that he felt the heat from the round -Two days later they started to move on Dusseldorf, Germany -This would have been in late April 1945 -Encountered huge factories and found mass quantities of hidden gold -There were huge wooden pallets of gold in the basement of factories -Most likely worth millions of dollars -Also found stolen art �-Had no idea what the Nazis were planning to do with the gold and art -Took German prisoners of war in Dusseldorf -Germans knew that they had lost the war -There were hordes of prisoners and they didn't know what to do with them -Passed them onto another unit that could handle the Germans -He personally took German soldiers into custody NOTE: From 00:17:40 - 00:18:15 the tape skips (00:18:16) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -One of the men from his unit wrote about his experiences -Mentioned the soldier killed in Bernard's foxhole -Forty years after the fact and it still caused him to lose sleep thinking about that event -Thought about how it could have been him (00:19:03) End of the War in Europe -On April 12, 1945 President Roosevelt died -They were in a little town that they had just taken over -Soldiers had fled so quickly that they left their dinner on the table -Everyone was shocked about the President's death, no one knew that he had been sick -Always remembers April 12 as the anniversary of President Roosevelt's death -Moved on to Solingen on April 17, 1945 -Near the end of the war they started taking a lot of prisoners of war -Moved into Czechoslovakia near the end of the war -This would have been on April 25, 1945 -Took more German prisoners -Had so many that they didn't know what to do with them -Found a brewery and got a keg of beer after a soldier threatened to shoot the brewery owner -Didn't personally see a concentration camp -Headquarters Company found one though -Talked to one soldier that said it was terrible and the stench was unbearable -Aware of the German atrocities -Made him, and other soldiers, want to kill more German soldiers -Did not kill any German prisoners out of anger though -Validated their being in Europe -Stationed in Czechoslovakia for only five days -Knew that the soviets were going to take over Czechoslovakia later on -The 78th and 69th Infantry Divisions were scheduled to move into Czechoslovakia -Had seen heavy fighting and were given that duty as a relief (00:26:04) Redeployment & End of the War with Japan �-His division received orders to return to the United States to be redeployed to the Pacific -Moved to a town in Germany on the border of Czechoslovakia -Stayed there for two days -Went back to Le Havre, France -Left Le Havre on June 16, 1945 -Sailed back to the U.S. and landed in Boston -This would have been on June 24, 1945 -Nobody liked the prospect of being redeployed for the invasion of Japan -His division would have been one of the first units to land -Given thirty days of leave before reporting to Fort Bragg, North Carolina -Realized that they needed to finish the war -He thought about being redeployed -Focused more on being back in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Visited his sister, brother-in-law, and parents in Grand Haven, Michigan -Reported to Fort Bragg and went to Fort Lawton, Washigton -Crossing the Pacific Ocean when they heard the news that the war was over -Remembers all of the soldiers being happy that the war was over (00:29:54) Post-War Occupation Duties -Spent 30 days on the ship while docked in the Philippines -Only got off the ship once for four or five hours -Sailed up to Yokohama, Japan -Had heard about the atomic bombs, but didn't know much about them -Learned more about the bombs after he came home -There were some Japanese civilians that would talk to him -Majority of them were friendly -Realized that the Japanese to blame were the militaristic fanatics -Placed in a camp for a month and a half -Selected for Military Police (MP) training -After completing that training he was assigned to a vehicle checkpoint in a small town -Checked trucks that passed through the town -At night he would make sure that none of the GIs went to the local brothel -Did that for two months before being sent home (00:32:15) End of Service & Coming Home Pt. 1 -Sent home after two months of MP duty -Arrived in Fort Lawton, Washington and took a train to Camp McCoy, Wisconsin -Got discharged there (00:32:41) Japanese Civilians -While he was in Japan one of his jobs was to guard a fuel depot -Japanese civilians would try to sneak in and steal some gas out of desperation -He took pity on them and would give them a few gallons of gasoline -Befriended one teenage Japanese boy -He brought Bernard a homemade English-Japanese phrase sheet -Some civilians would try to speak English and strike up conversation with U.S. troops -He believes that most of them were fine with surrendering -They knew that resistance to an Allied invasion would have meant certain death -Most civilians would have only been armed with basic, wooden tools �(00:34:55) End of Service & Coming Home Pt. 2 -Received his discharge papers at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin -Told that if he waited another day the Army would pay for a ticket home -He was anxious to get home and decided to hitchhike back to Grand Rapids -Parents were really happy to see him -They didn't know that he had been discharged -His two other brothers had served in the military during the war -One brother had awful survivor's guilt after the war -Had allowed another man to take his place on the frontline and was killed -Younger brother had served on a landing craft in the Navy -Served near the end of the war -Volunteered despite not being able to be drafted due to being the yongest (00:37:41) Life after the War -He was treated normally by civilians -Didn't get asked questions about his service, and didn't get special treatment -Atributes this to the fact that so many other young men also served -Just came home and started his life again -Enjoyed seeing other men in his neighborhood that had served in the war -Only one man from his neighborhood had been killed in action -Went back to work at the factory that he worked at before the war -Took a test to get into the Postal Service as a mailman -Passed the test and worked as a mailman for twenty seven years -Got married on June 21, 1947 -Wife was already engaged, but she ultimately chose Bernard -Married for sixty seven years -She died on July 4, 2014 -All of his other relatives have since died -There are only twenty two men left from his unit -144 have since passed away -He was able to find seventy five of the men that he served with, after the war -Excited to go on the Talons Out Honor Flight to Washington D.C. in May 2015 -Brother-in-law will escort him to Washington D.C. -He served in the Navy during the war -Note: At the time of this outline being written the May 2015 Honor Flight has taken place (00:46:23) Reflections on Service -Doesn't believe that people care about things that happened "a long time ago" -Troubled by the lack of belief that things like the Holocaust happened -There are some things that he would rather forget and not talk about even 75 years later (00:48:17) Photographs and Medals -Photograph of K Company, 386th Infantry Regiment, 97th Infantry Division -Taken at Camp Cooke, California sometime in 1944 -Photograph of Bernard while he was in the Army �-Collection of medals that he was awarded during his time in the service -Seen and identified: Bronze star, Army of Occupation Medal, American Campaign Medal European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with Two Battle Stars, 97th Infantry Division patch, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, Sharpshooter Badge, World War II Victory Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal -Can opener used to open C Ration cans -Romanized Japanese-English common phrases translation sheet given to him by the Japanese boy � 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_LakowiczB1784V Title A name given to the resource Lakowicz, Bernard (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-15 Description An account of the resource Bernard Lakowicz was drafted in February 1943. He went to Kalamazoo, Michigan (most likely Fort Custer) for processing, and from there went on to Camp Grant, Illinois and then on to Fort Lewis, Washington for basic training. Joined the 44th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis and was stationed there for nine months. In November 1943 he volunteered for the Army Air Force and trained at Sheppard Field, Texas and Kansas State College, Kansas. Prior to D-Day he was removed from the Army Air Force and was sent to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri for infantry training where he joined K Company, 386th Infantry Regiment, 97th Infantry Division. He received amphibious training at Camp San Luis Obispo, California and Camp Callan, California. He and the rest of the 97th deployed to the European Theatre out of New Jersey in early 1945 and landed at Le Havre, France in March 1945. The 97th moved up to the frontline and crossed the Rhine River at Bonn, Germany in April 1945 and advanced steadily through Germany closing the Ruhr Pocket and taking thousands of German prisoners of war. The unit stayed briefly in Czechoslovakia and then got redeployed to Japan for occupation duty. He was sent home in early 1946 and got discharged at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lakowicz, Bernard Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Childress, Jim (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/a18300bc603b8bb9160d71508207e05b.m4v 298747f3e7d17c0aaf8f7741be8ce788 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d758c39b1ac6454f732c49d18c388459.pdf 567b0a474657b3dca6c064c839934c6d PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Marv Kuzawa World War II 49 minutes 04 seconds (00:00:18) Family and Reactions to Pearl Harbor -Born in 1921. [No born on date is stated, but 21 at enlistment in 1942 would be 1921] -Shocked and concerned about the news from Pearl Harbor. -Enlisted into the Navy. -Oldest brother was in the Navy. -Hoped to join him however he was placed in the Seabees. -Reaction at work to Pearl Harbor: surprise and worry. -Five brothers. -Oldest brother was in the Navy long before War. -Other three brothers went into the Army. -One in France, one in Alaska, and one within the US. -All three returned home. -Mother and sisters often worried with all five of them in the military. -In retrospect: glad to have done his job, however war is senseless. -Twenty-one years old at the time of enlistment. -Graduated from Union High School 1940. -Enlisted in 1942. -Sent to Camp Perry Virginia for training. -Lasted for 6 to 8 months. -Next he was sent to camp in California, then shipped out to Kodiak, Alaska. (00:09:38) Alaska – Kodiak and Aleutian Islands -Time from enlistment to shipping to Alaska - about 8 to 10 months. -Took some adjusting to Alaska’s extreme colds. -Built roads and living quarters. -Stay on Kodiak Island lasted about a year. -After Kodiak, they were sent to one of the Aleutian Islands. -Island was uninhabited. -Built roads, and an airstrip. -Stay lasted about 6 months. -Upon completion of the job, transferred to 14th Construction Battalion. -Difficult to leave friends that had been made. -Seabee comrades were from all over the country. -Downtime in the Aleutian Islands: playing chess, wood carving, artful wood burning, and rarely skiing. (00:17:15) the Pacific – Hawaii and Japan -Next shipped out to Honolulu Hawaii to build Quonset huts. -This job lasted six months. �-This was two years after Pearl Harbor, however visible damage remained. -After Hawaii, they shipped to Okinawa Japan. -This was two weeks after the invasion from the Marines and Army. -One instance: working building docks while Zero planes were being chased and attacked. -Rescued a ship full of crewmembers that had become stuck on nearby rocks. -Arrived on Okinawa May 1945. -In Okinawa until November of 1945. (00:25:00) -The reaction to the nuclear bombing in Japan was welcome in expectation that the War would soon end. -Never expected to be sent to Japan. -People expressed surprise at the wide scale damage this new type of bomb could do. -Not close enough to areas of combat to say much about the battles going on. -They would give local children “treats”, and expressed trust. -Given notice to return home in November. -During time between end of War and November spent a lot of time reading books. -Traveled home on the USS Topeka to Washington state where he took a train to Chicago. -Discharged at Great Lakes in Illinois. -Met his brother by coincidence, and took the train home together. -Reaction to veterans, as well as himself, in Grand Rapids was welcoming and happy that the War was ended. -Overwhelmed by attention his time in the military receives. -Appreciative of those in the military that never returned. [34:00 to 47:00] [This portion features photos from his military career. Unfortunately the sound is so choppy I can’t make out anything that’s being said. Perhaps everything from 34:00 onward need not be in the document?] -Full name: Marion “Marv” Kuzawa. -Always went by Marv. -Didn’t even know of his legal first name until seeing his birth certificate upon enlistment. � 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_KuzawaM1880V Title A name given to the resource Kuzawa, Marion (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-08-11 Description An account of the resource Marv Kuzawa enlisted in the Navy in 1942 at the age of 21. For basic training he was sent to Camp Perry, Virginia. Eventually he was placed in the Seabees and sent to Kodiak Island and the Aleutian Islands in Alaska to construct infrastructure for the War. After being transferred to the 14th Construction Battalion, Marv was sent to Honolulu Hawaii to build Quonset huts where the effects from the Pearl Harbor attack were still evident. In May of 1945 Marv arrived in Okinawa Japan to construct infrastructure for the ongoing invasion, and he was present in Okinawa during the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In November 1945 he left Japan on the USS Topeka and coincidently met up with his brother as they were both discharged at Great Lakes military base in Illinois. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kuzawa, Marion Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Childress, Jim (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 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/c00297a8894e22ee3797fd79a10e8b11.m4v 37f497b1e1baff90b3bf89692fa82645 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/aa8dbabb714f1ee4a3ff44991bc32709.pdf ff1dfb7492b70e9e162e6aeaa508fa3f PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Alfred Kowalewski World War II 1 hour 8 minutes 9 seconds (00:01:13) Early Life -Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Memorial Day, 1925 -Father had lived in Poland and Russia before moving to America when he was 18, or 19 -Mother was born and raised in Grand Rapids -Older brother was killed in action in World War One just before the Armistice -Family was paid $300 by the government -Father worked at a furniture factory -He was a meticulous worker -Had three sisters and one brother -Brother died in 1972 from a heart attack -Older sister died in a car accident -Husband and her children survived the crash -Other sister is still living -Other sister has since passed away from cancer -Went to St. Isidore's Catholic Elementary School -Went to Catholic Central High School -Graduated from there in 1942 (00:08:07) Enlisting in the Navy -He studied at a National Youth Administration school in Grand Rapids -After graduating from high school in 1942 -Welding and machine school -Decided to go into the Navy as opposed to getting drafted -Enlisted in July 1943 -Given a basic physical exam to make sure he was healthy enough to serve (00:10:23) Basic Training -Sent to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois for basic training -Enjoyed basic training -Did a lot of marching -Did gas training with tear gas -Learned how to put on a gas mask in a gassed environment -Received survival training -How to use pants or a sheet as a floatation device -Discipline didn't bother him -Tried to volunteer to be a tailgunner on a torpedo plane at the end of basic training -Not old enough (00:12:11) Diesel School -Sent to Chicago for Diesel Mechanic School -Stayed there for six weeks -Visited his aunt a lot and went to Mass �-One time sat through three Masses waiting for his aunt to pick him up (00:13:30) Amphibious Training -Sent to Little Creek, Virginia for amphibious training -Got up in the morning and started the landing craft -Went out on Chesapeake Bay for maneuvres -Half of the landing craft wouldn't start -Did that for six to eight weeks -Sent to Fort Pierce, Florida for advanced amphibious training (00:14:29) Deployment to the European Theatre -Went to Panama City, Florida to wait for a ship -Got redirected to New Orleans to pick up a ship there -Received more training there -Boarded a ship and sailed up the East Coast -Went to Nova Scotia then sailed to Iceland -On April 6, 1944 at 2:30 in the morning he was in the engine room of his ship -Part of a 40 ship convoy -Heard explosions -General quarters were sounded and he went to his gun position -Germans had torpedoed the ships on each side of his ship -Couldn't stop to help any of the men in the water (00:17:00) Training in England to Prepare for D-Day -Went to Falmouth, England -Operated out of Weymouth, Portland, Southampton, and Plymouth -Training how to move supplies between England and France -Heard reports of Landing Ship, Tanks being sunk off of Slapton Sands, England -Happened on April 28, 1944 during Operation Tiger; preparation for D-Day -The ships were attacked by German E-Boats (similar to PT Boats) -Over 700 men were killed in the attack -Note: 946 killed, 200 wounded -The attack during Operation Tiger was kept secret for years (00:19:37) D-Day Invasion Pt. 1 -Started loading troops and supplies for D-Day -England was a massive staging area on the eve of the invasion -Ships, guns, and supplies spread out all over England -Saw British Spitfires flying out to intercept German bombers -Started moving across the English Channel, but had to turn around due to bad weather -Orders changed and they received word to launch the attack on June 6, 1944 -Unreal to see 5,000 ships sailing toward France -His ship was carrying 25 tanks as well as jeeps and soldiers -Had breakfast on the morning of June 6 and a priest held Mass for everyone -Boarded a landing craft along with 30 infantrymen and they were lowered to the water -Rendezvoused with the other landing craft waiting for the order to attack -Received the order to invade; they formed a line and charged toward the beach -Water was deeper than expected -Men stepped off the landing craft with 70 pound backpacks -Half of them drowned before they got to shore �-German machine guns opened up on them immediately -Soldiers were ripped apart before they got to shore, body parts flying everywhere (00:23:22) Stationed on Omaha Beach Pt. 1 -After the beachhead was secured his crew stayed on Omaha Beach for about one month -Unloading supplies from ships to sustain the advance into France -Remembers a massive storm on June 19, 1944 that sank more ships than the Germans on D-Day (00:24:30) USS Cheboygan County (LST-533) -He was stationed on the USS Cheboygan County (LST-533) -Landing Ship, Tank (nicknamed Large, Slow, Target by the men) -Carried 25 tanks -Carried two Higgins boats (landing craft for infantry) -Could carry 32 infantrymen and 4 sailors -Had a plywood body and a steel ramp -Very little armor and no protection from machine guns or mines -Underwater Demolitions Teams tried to clear out the mines -Unable to get all of them though -Saw a Higgins boat vaporized by a mine on D-Day (00:26:33) D-Day Invasion Pt. 2 -The sector he landed at on Omaha Beach was the place where 2,000 men were killed -Most likely Easy Red -His position was the engineer tending to the motor on the Higgins boat -Not allowed to try and rescue the wounded, or recover the dead during the invasion -Had battleships bombarding the German positions -Could feel the concussions from the artillery -Tried to get tanks ashore using a large inflatable skirt -Called Duplex Drive tanks (nicknamed Donald Duck tanks) -Dropped off too far from shore and only two made it to shore -Communications were limited to walkie talkies and hand signals -Remembers that it was chaotic and there were bodies everywhere -Explored Omaha Beach after the invasion -Saw bodies and personal possessions scattered everywhere -Saw family photos, realized the men had been husbands and fathers -Got no sleep, and just had to keep going -General Eisenhower prepared two letters -One saying the invasion failed and he took full responsibility -The other saying the invasion was successful and a new front had been opened (00:33:00) Stationed on Omaha Beach Pt. 2 -Stayed with the Army on Omaha Beach as Allied forces advanced inland -Slept in a pup tent and ate canned soup -Also had K Rations and C Rations to eat -Liked C Rations better because they had more substantial food items -K Rations were basic and meant for survival �-Ate better when he was on a ship -Spam, fruit cocktail, and bread (00:35:17) Prisoners of War -Brought 700 German prisoners of war to England -Mix of German regulars and Polish conscripts -Some of them spoke English -Brought 300 liberated Polish prisoners of war and 18 Polish nurses -He could talk to them because he was raised speaking Polish -They were surprised that an American spoke fluent Polish -They thought he was in the Polish Navy -Remembers a Polish prisoner talking to an American soldier -Pole asked if the American was a German -American said yes and the Pole started choking him -Didn't understand that the American's heritage was German -The Poles had tattoos on their arms from when they were in a German prison camp (00:38:08) Stationed in England -After a month on Omaha Beach he returned to England aboard a Liberty Ship -Upon returning to England he boarded the USS Cheboygan County -Sailed between England and France delivering supplies -Got to visit London twice -Saw Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, and the Coronation Chair -Germans started to use V1 and V2 missiles against England -Targeted London most of the time -The British people took all of it in stride -Learned they were good people that would do anything to help their allies -Got to know some British civilians and soldiers -Went to pubs with them -Remembers that the English had superb ale (00:41:13) Battle of the Bulge -On Christmas 1944 he sailed with the LST-533 to Le Havre, France -Sailed up the Seine River to Rouen -Armed and ready to fight if necessary -Mission was to bring supplies to Allied troops fighting in Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge -Belgians and Allied troops were desperate (00:43:44) Contact with Family -Able to write his family a lot -The day after D-Day he wrote home and told his parents about the invasion (00:44:17) Reflections Pt. 1 -Enjoyed England and the English people -Never felt terrified during his time in the Navy because he always had a love of adventure -Felt that joining the Navy afforded him more safety -Felt natural being in the Navy since he grew up fishing and being on the water �-Had a lot of good men in his crew -Mix of Minnesotans, New Yorkers, and Michiganders; everybody got along -Had a good captain (00:46:04) Downtime -A lot of men gambled to pass the time -Played cards and threw dice -Heard about one soldier that made $2000 before D-Day -Spent it all because he didn't think he would survive the invasion -Got to go home on leave before being deployed -While waiting to go overseas he was in New York -Boarded a train and learned it was going to Canada -Eventually got off the train at Buffalo, New York -Shared a bottle of whiskey with a Canadian soldier (00:48:37) End of Service, End of the War, & Post-War Duty -Got disharged in March 1946 -Came back to the United States in late May 1945 -War was still being fought in Japan -In December 1945 the crew of LST-533 received orders to take supplies to Florida -Crew was angry that Christmas leave was cancelled -Sailing out of Providence, Rhode Island -Ran into a bad storm off the coast of New York -Had to turn back because the ship was taking on water -Ship was put in dry dock and the men got to have Christmas leave -In July 1945 he got 30 days of leave -Preparing to go to the Pacific Theatre for the invasion of Japan -At the end of his leave the atomic bombs were dropped and Japan surrendered in August -People were running around in Grand Rapids celebrating the end of the war -When the war ended all of the men expected to be discharged immediately -Learned that they needed 85 points to be discharged -Points given for length of service, combat, rank, and dependents -In March 1946 he went from New Jersey to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois -Got discharged there (00:52:48) Coming Home -Took a train from Chicago to South Bend, Indiana with his friend -Friend decided to drive him back to Grand Rapids from South Bend -Ran out of gas around 3AM and they pushed the car to a gas station -Friend had to turn back and Alfred hitchhiked back to Grand Rapids -Parents were happy to see him and celebrated his homecoming (00:54:46) Reflections Pt. 2 -People were willing to sacrifice for the war effort -Men enlisted without hesitation -Civilians donated scrap metal, grease (to make explosives), and live on rations -Father and sister worked at a B-24 factory -Relatives and and men from his neighborhood were in the service �-A classmate was was overboard in the Atlantic Ocean -A cousin was killed in action -A neighborhood friend was killed in action when the USS Houston sank -People gave up a lot to help out during the war -After the war, things improved and jobs came back -Believes that the Great Depression prepared people to help each other and live with less -Working on farms with his brother and brothers-in-law prepared him for work in the Navy -People helped each other, and he feels that we have lost that -He was able to talk about his experiences without problems, but most men didn't -Feels that the war traumatized other men more -Initially tried to get into the Army Air Force as a pilot -Took the test and passed, but there weren't any open slots -Enlisted in the Navy after that -In retrospect, he's glad that he didn't become a pilot since so many died in the war (01:02:36) Monkey Story -While working on Omaha Beach he spent some time sleeping on a ship -The man in the bunk above his had a pet monkey -The man was away on duty and the monkey was screeching -Al grabbed the monkey and covered it up like a baby, and it fell asleep with him (01:04:34) Life after the War -He didn't use the GI Bill after the war -Went to work after getting out of the Navy -Worked in an automotive factory for a while and various other jobs -Met his wife, Helen, and started a family -He was part of the American Legion for a while, but got busy with raising his children -He is now part of a new veterans' organization -Still busy around the house though and babysitting his great-granddaughters � 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_KowalewskiA1779V Title A name given to the resource Kowalewski, Alfred Eugene (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2005-06-05 Description An account of the resource Alfred Kowalewski was born on Memorial Day, 1925 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In July 1943 he enlisted in the Navy and was sent to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois for basic training. He went into Chicago for Diesel School then on to Little Creek, Virginia to receive amphibious training. In March 1944 he boarded the USS Cheboygan County (LST-533) and sailed to England. En route he witnessed the sinking of multiple ships in their convoy. He trained in England preparing for the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944 and on D-Day took part in the invasion. He served aboard a Higgins boat as an engineer and helped land troops at Easy Red Sector at Omaha Beach. He helped with supplies on Omaha Beach after the beachhead was secured and then operated out of England helping transport supplies and troops to mainland Europe and also bringing German prisoners of war, and freed Allied prisoners of war back to England. During the Battle of the Bulge he transported supplies to Allied forces in Belgium. In late May 1945 he returned to the U.S. and prepared for the invasion of Japan. After Japan surrendered in August 1945 he was stationed on the East Coast until he returned to Great Lakes Naval Station in March 1946 and got discharged there. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kowalewski, Alfred Eugene Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Moore, Deb (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 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/78707961d3dc4f133b4ab87a3825cfa9.m4v 1cb2c534c22a43348483e25cb6e025ab https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/cee18bd22ed62733710bd96a18d6ad76.pdf 7e5380deaa535f7d22c63b1888ee71fa PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Donald Klooster World War II 41 minutes 51 seconds (00:00:20) Early Life -Born in Munster Indiana -Attended grade school at Munster Christian School. -Drafted in 1943 at age 18. -Served for three years. -After the War graduated from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, after a half year. -Father worked to sell produce in Hammond Indiana. -Maintained work through the Great Depression. -Siblings consisted of three brothers and a sister. -Older brother, Fred, became minister teaching at Calvin seminary. -Deferred from military service due to being a minister. -Brother Jerry became a medical doctor. -Younger by two years. -Served in Navy out of Chicago. -In his youth hadn’t kept track of news about the War. -Worked on family farm in his youth, driving produce to Chicago. -Jim: younger brother by 2~6 years. -Served in the military post WWII with no combat encountered. -Sister: the youngest sibling, worked at home. -Graduated high school in 1942. -Remembers learning of the news from Pearl Harbor. (00:05:15) Drafted into Service -Drafted on March 18th 1943. -Sent to Camp Atterbury, Indiana for basic training. -Encountered a friend from home as they began training. -No prior experience with guns. -Discipline took a little getting used to. -One humorous example: promoted to Private First Class but quickly demoted for resisting guard duty. -Eventually returned to PFC status. -Basic training lasted around 8-10 weeks. -Volunteered for Airborne. -Sent to Fort Benning Georgia for parachute training. -Training: jumping from gradually increasing height. -Highly meticulous preparation of the parachute into the mechanism. -Women’s Army Corps members also on hand to pack and prepare parachutes. -Being part of the paratroopers qualified for extra pay, $4 more a month. [I think this is what they’re saying but it’s hard to hear] �-Training: running for several miles at a time. (00:10:00) -Training highly focused on the care and preparation of the parachutes. -Went on four training jumps. -Followed by a 14 day furlough, after which preparation began to ship out. -No knowledge that anyone was injured during training. -One bad experience: stepped out of plane in training jump a wrong way which led to him spinning as he fell. -Airborne training lasted around two months. -During airborne training was assigned to Headquarters Company, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment. -After training had no information yet whether they would go to Europe or Pacific. (00:14:15) the Philippines and Invasion of Corregidor -Sent to the Philippines. -Plane landed on Negros Island. -Uncertain but believes they were likely flown directly from Georgia. -Prior to the Philippines, made a brief stop in New Guinea. -Philippines invaded in late 1944. -First stop Mindoro Island. -Did more training, including shooting, at the base on Mindoro. -Didn’t follow news of the War in depth, but knew generally the US was doing well. -Invasion of Corregidor. -February 1945 combat jump in Corregidor. -Island layout was a “sniper’s paradise”. -Heavy use of tunnels made invasion difficult and costly in lives. -Certain Japanese were using explosive rounds. -Winds caused some paratroopers to land in the ocean. -Suffered casualties amongst their unit. (00:20:00) -An explosive round nearby caused shrapnel damage to the shoulder. -Received a bronze star with Philippines liberation ribbon. -Japanese would come in waves out of the tunnels at Malinta hill. -A tactic of the Japanese: at night threw rocks the size of grenades interspersed with occasional live grenades. -February 21st, a Lieutenant used a tank to fire directly into a Japanese tunnel. -Ammo cache explosion caused a huge amount of destruction as massive debris injured or killed allies as well as enemies. -Encountered MacArthur as he arrived to the island. -Not too impressed. -Due to his shoulder injury he is sent home before the War ends. -Arrive home summer of 1945. -Discharged in January of 1946. (00:27:30) Post War Life and Misc. Info �-Later in Calvin College joined the Veterans Choir. -Living conditions on the Islands were terrible. -Ate rations, not cooked food. -Received letters from his family at Philippines. (00:30:00) -Sold books after graduating from Calvin. -Worked for Hekman Biscuit Company in Grand Rapids (later became Keebler). -Then worked for a furniture company which was sold to Lazy Boy. -Photographer insisted on taking his pictures as his War experience made him well known. -After returning from Pacific, discharged from Camp Atterbury. -Not part of any other social military organizations. -Attended the Honor Flight in May 2015. -War experiences overall: -Scary and thankful it’s over. -Seeing new places, particularly poverty helps appreciate good living standard. -Speaking of native living conditions –didn’t encounter natives that he can recall. Mostly away from villages. � 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_KloosterD1879V Title A name given to the resource Klooster, Donald (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-08-18 Description An account of the resource Donald Klooster was born and raised in Munster, Indiana. He was drafted into the Army after turning 18 in March 1943. Donald attended basic training at Camp Atterbury Indiana. Afterward he moved onto Fort Benning Georgia for jump school and was assigned to Headquarters Company, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment. His unit would be sent to the Philippines where they trained in flight jumps on Mindoro Island, and then jumped into combat for the invasion of Corregidor Island. When all was said and done he had encountered General MacArthur, survived Japanese grenade attacks as well as a tunnel cache explosion, and finally became wounded in combat from some explosive round shrapnel. He was awarded a bronze star with the Philippines liberation ribbon and sent home in the summer of 1945 due to his wound. After being discharged in 1946 he graduated from Calvin College and worked at a furniture company. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Klooster, Donald Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jones, Adam (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army 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/3fda278e6f0254fa41b42c37908ee67f.m4v fdcf768011541d5d2c15f411c09d2582 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b6a8aba5291e9c58f5afa1ba67c1bf71.pdf e9df42c2f3f2db2c219d4a642caefc12 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Barry Kleinjans Cold War & Peacetime (1960-1997) 1 hour 2 minutes 55 seconds (00:00:38) Early Life -Born in Holland, Michigan in October 1942 -Grew up in Zeeland, Michigan -Father was a Seabee in the Navy during World War II -Wasn't present during the first four years of Barry's life -Father became a general contractor after the war -Built hospitals, schools, and houses -Graduated from high school in 1960 (00:01:46) Enlisting in the Navy -Enlisted in the Navy after graduating from high school -Influenced by his father's service in the Navy and the TV show Victory at Sea (00:02:07) Basic Training -Sent to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois for basic training two weeks after graduating -Subjected to the process of depersonalization -Breaking down the individual and building up the unit -Taught that you are a piece of government property -Went on marches -Took classes -Learned how the Navy worked -Learned about Navy protocols -Learned how to wash their uniforms by hand -High emphasis on discipline and following orders -Taught the history of the Navy -From the Revolutionary War to the Second World War -WWII and Korea were considered too new to be considered history -Met men from all over the country -Some were so poor that the first shoes they ever got were from the Navy -Some intelligent, college-educated men -Some black men -Adjusted well to the Navy -Understood that he was totally accountable for his actions -Received gas mask training -Shown how to put one on -Went into a room with a gas mask on, then the room was filled with tear gas -Had to take off their gas masks to get a sense of what a gas attack was like -Basic training lasted between six and nine weeks (00:07:32) Sonar School -Given two weeks of leave after basic training �-Sent to a basic school for sonar training in Key West, Florida in September 1960 -Arrived in Key West just in time for Hurricane Donna -There was a brand new school and new barracks -Used those to house civilians that were at risk for flooding -Patrolled the buildings looking for lost children -Hurricane destroyed the fresh water pipes in Key West -Had to go up the Keys to repair the pipes -The USS Bushnell helped with making the new fresh water pipes -He was placed on guard on a bridge into Key West -First encounter with the Red Cross and it was a negative one -Offered him coffee and cigarettes, but they were for sale not free -Supposed to be free for military personnel -Spent almost a year training in Key West -Learned about electricity, electronics, and sonar equipment -Training concluded with doing sonar training aboard a destroyer and "hunting" U.S. subs -Equipment was still pretty basic -Essentially the same technology from WWII with slight improvements (00:12:11) Duty Aboard the USS Thomas J Gary (DE-326) -Assigned to the USS Thomas J Gary (DE-326) out of Newport, Rhode Island -Converted destroyer-escort from WWII -Assigned to be a radar picket -Part of the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line -Watching for Soviet bombers and submarines coming over the Arctic Circle -Spent 30 to 45 days on station -Then returned to port for 10 to 12 days to resupply and rest -Spent their winters in the North Atlantic -Spent their summers in the Caribbean Sea -Worked as a school ship for Key West -Did Liberty port calls throughout the islands -Had a picket station off of the Grand Banks -Had a picket station called GIUK (Greenland, Iceland, United Kingdom) above the Arctic Circle -Worked out of Scotland -On that station for 30 to 45 days at a time -Visited Germany, Denmark, and Sweden -Treated well by the people in those countries -First American ship that they had seen since WWII -American dollar was strong, so the locals welcomed spending of the dollar -Remembers one major storm in the North Atlantic -Water temperature was 28°F -Had to remain on station -Endured 40 foot waves for 10 days -Lost material and the ship was heavily damaged as a result �-Never lost confidence in the ship's ability to stay afloat -Knew that as long as they kept water out of the ship they would be fine -Paid attention to what the veteran sailors were doing -Couldn't do much during the storm due to the weather -Never heard much activity anyway -As a sonar operator the ship would send out a "ping" to find any Soviet submarines -The problem was those submarines could hear the "ping" and stayed away from the area -Stationed about that ship for two full years -After leaving the USS Thomas J Gary he retired from active duty in 1963 (00:19:15) Cuban Missile Crisis -They had just pulled in from serving around Northern Europe and he had leave -He was hitchhiking back to Michigan when he heard about the Cuban Missile Crisis -A week after being home he was recalled for duty and the USS Thomas J Gary sailed to Cuba -Part of the blockade stopping the flow of military supplies to Cuba -Attitude on the ship was optimistic -Believed they would go to Cuba, fight if necessary, and win -Tremendous amount of material and personnel in Key West -Could see the missile bases in the hills of Cuba -Tried to stop a Russian freighter, but to no avail -Remembers sailing outside of Havana harbor (00:21:45) Sinking of the USS Thresher -In April 1963 the nuclear submarine USS Thresher sank off the coast of Cape Cod -Sank in 8,400 feet of water -USS Thomas J Gary was sent as part of the search -Searched for about one month before being relieved -Joined by a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute ship to look for the submarine -Had a plan to use depth charges to create a seismograph to find the sub -He and one other sailor were tasked with preparing and launching three charges -Had to be tied to the ship and in three layers of clothing to do that -Depth charges fall at a rate of 28 feet per second -Set to detonate at 1,000 feet -First detonated at 500 feet -Second detonated at only 250 feet -Close enough to the ship to knock out lights -Third detonated at 1,000 feet -Rewarded with medicinal brandy for going out to do that (00:25:53) Extension of Service -Had the opportunity to extend his service -An Anti-submarine warfare officer from a sister ship offered a transfer to Barry -Could sail around the world aboard the sister ship -The catch was that he would have to extend for six months -Decided against it �-Had plans to go home, get a job, get married, and raise a family (00:26:58) Navy Recruiter & Vietnam War -Began work as a Navy recruiter in early 1964 -The draft was in effect and so many men tried to join the Navy he had a waiting list -By 1966 he had a three year waiting list of men trying to get into the Navy -As early as 1963 knew that there was American activity in Vietnam -Broke his ankle and had to be in the hospital at Newport, Rhode Island -Saw men in the hospital recovering from wounds they sustained in Vietnam -Two years before ground troops were sent in -Men in the Navy already knew that a war with Vietnam was on and going to get worse -Had a first come, first serve policy when it came to recruiting in the Navy -People tried to buy their way into the Navy just to get out of the draft -Only screening process they had was conducting physicals of recruits -Took pretty much anyone and everyone -Worked as a recruiter until 1967 -Admiral Zumwalt made some changes Barry didn't agree with and he decided to get out -Also had an executive, civilian job waiting for him once he got out (00:30:16) Navy Reserves -Stayed in the Navy Reserves, but stayed off active duty until 1980 -Did two weeks of training every year -Mostly pointless because it was only two weeks out of a year -Went to Key West for one training period -Installed radar on two PT-Boats -Both of them were used for torpedo recovery and fishing -Noticed technology advancing during that time -Moving away from vacuum tubes to solid state electronics -Progress was slow though due to a lack of proper funding (00:32:02) Returning to Active Duty -Worked in construction in the late 1970s, but due to a slow economy went broke -Had to move back in with his parents -Decided to do a voluntary recall to active duty -Got in when President Reagan was building the new 600 ship fleet -Planned on staying in for only two years -Got married during that time -Got offered a lot of money to stay in -Both factors contributed to him staying in the Navy -He was able to go in as a Petty Officer, 2nd Class (E-5) so he didn't have to be retrained (00:33:13) Assignment to USS O'Callahan (FF-1051) -Sent to Philadelphia to receive his orders -Wanted a ship and wanted a ship based on the West Coast -Got assigned to a Garcia Class Fast Frigate based out of San Diego -USS O'Callahan (FF-1051) �-Older ship, but it still ran -Got married and moved to San Diego and two weeks later was on a 10 and a half month cruise -Sailed to Hawaii, through the Aleutian Islands, and down through Japan -Buzzed by Soviet Bear and Badger bombers in the Aleutian Islands -Bombers locked missiles on them which was technically an act of war -Fortunately, nothing came of it -Sailed to Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, then to the Persian Gulf -Did a radar picket in the Indian Ocean for 108 days -Came back through Japan and picked up a battle group of 40 ships for WESTPAC -Total radio silence -Sailed up to Vladivostok then turned on their radios -Vladivostok thought it was an American invasion of eastern Russia -Soviets sent out bombers to intercept the battle group -After WESTPAC they sailed back to the U.S. and it took a month and a half to get back -Refueled every two days -Done to avoid ships running out of fuel like in WWII -Stayed in port for six months then went out for another WESTPAC exercise (00:38:46) Stationed in San Diego -Went out for the other WESTPAC exercise then left the ship in the Philippines -Received orders to go back to San Diego for school -Flew out of Clark Air Base in the Philippines -At an advanced sonar school in San Diego -Learned about new sonar equipment -More computers -Primitive by today's standards, but sophisticated at the time time -Course was so new the Navy hadn't created proper diplomas yet -Got temporary certificates that said, "You done good" (as a little joke) -Went to school from 9 AM to 5 PM, but also had some duties -Wife liked that better (00:41:07) Assignment to Oliver Hazard Perry Class Frigate (1) -Transferred from San Diego to Bath, Maine to pick up a new ship -Oliver Hazard Perry Class frigate -Note: Most likely the USS Carr (FFG-52) -Good ship, but cheaply made -On one occasion the superstrucure cracked down the length of the ship -Idea was that the ships could be easily broken down and salvaged -Although they were cheap they were durable -One ship was hit by a missile and another hit a mine -Both survived -Served aboard that ship in the 1980s -Home port was Charleston -Technically stationed there for two years, but only there for six months -Went to the Mediterranean Sea for a cruise �-First time being there -Spent a lot of time in Italy, Spain, Gibraltar, and Haifa, Israel -Didn't wear your uniform ashore -Civilians could still tell that you were in the service -Always went ashore with other sailors -Made a hobby of buying canes in ports -Enjoyed collecting them and they made for a good weapon (00:45:56) Assignment to Oliver Hazard Perry Class Frigate (2) -Transferred to San Diego in 1988 or 1989 and taught advanced electronics there -Received orders for another Oliver Hazard Perry Class frigate based at Yokosuka, Japan -Joined the ship in early 1991 -Sailed immediately for Subic Bay in the Philippines -Arrived as soon as Mount Pinatubo erupted on June 15, 1991 -Spectacular explosion that shook the ship -30 to 40 miles away from the volcano and the ship still shook -Had to hose ash off the ship -Four feet of ash fell on Subic Bay -Hurricane followed shortly after the eruption making the ash like concrete -Caused buildings to collapse under the weight -Dark as night at noon from the ash -There was a huge build up of static electricity which caused St. Elmo's Fire -Personnel from Clark Air Base were evacuated to Subic Bay -Helped bring the personnel to another base to be taken to Japan -Stayed at Subic Bay for a while -After that the Navy left the Philippines -Filipinos basically wanted the Navy to leave -Would have cost a fortune to rebuild Subic Bay and Clark Air Base -Remembers the Navy's last day in the Philippines -Said good bye to the Navy's favorite bar -Removed all Navy equipment from Subic Bay including the cranes (00:50:52) Presidents and Funding -Had plenty of money at the end of the Cold War -Through the Bush and Reagan administrations -During the 1970s the Navy had poor funding -Had to go to Radio Shack to buy electrical equipment -Funding was cut again during the Clinton administration -Remembers sitting in the Chief's Club in Yokosuka, Japan watching the '96 Election -President Clinton won the election -Next day three Master Chief Petty Officers resigned with 30 years of experience (00:52:58) Gulf War & Aircraft Carrier Service -Based in Yokosuka during the Gulf War and did cruises to the Persian Gulf -Completed his tour in Japan aboard an aircraft carrier �-Hated being on an aircraft carrier -Too impersonal, too loud, and it smelled -His berthing (bed) was right under the flight deck (00:55:37) End of Service -Left the Navy in 1997 -Got transferred back to the U.S. for instructor duty -Father died in 1996 -Navy was changing again -Yelled at a recruit for being out of uniform -Recruit handed over a "time out chit" -Meant Barry had to stop yelling at him -Barry ripped up the paper -Next day got reprimanded for yelling at the recruit -Tried to explain that recruits can't be sheltered (00:57:42) Son's Navy Service -His son got in trouble on the ship he was assigned to -Had developed a minor drinking problem and was being given the drug, antabuse -Caused a severe reaction if you even used alcohol-based shaving cream -Barry researched it and found the drug is only for severe, chronic alcoholics -His son and five other sailors were being given the drug as punishment -According to naval law, that was drug abuse -He challenged the executive officer about the abuse -Officer didn't appreciate that -Ship's doctor learned about the abuse -Confiscated the antabuse -Barry saw it as a leadership responsibility to address abuse (01:00:32) Life after Service & Reflections on Service -Returned to contracting after leaving the Navy -Better equipped to deal with people after the Navy -Learned that to get something done you didn' talk about it, you did it -Decided to get out of contracting during the Great Recession -He was drawing Social Security and retirement money from the Navy -Knew that younger men needed the business, so he retired � 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_KleinjansB1739V Title A name given to the resource Kleinjans, Barry (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-04-02 Description An account of the resource Barry Kleinjans was born in Holland, Michigan in October 1942. After graduating from high school in 1960 he enlisted in the Navy. He received basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois then received sonar training at Key West, Florida. While at Key West he also helped with recovery from the aftermath of Hurricane Donna. He served aboard the USS Thomas J Gary (DER 326) on the Distant Early Warning Line searching for Soviet submarines and bombers, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the search for the USS Thresher. He left active duty in 1963 and worked as a Navy recruiter in the Navy Reserves until he returned to active duty in 1980. He served aboard the USS O'Callahn (FF 1051), received advanced sonar training in San Diego, and served aboard two Oliver Hazard Perry Class frigates and helped with the evacuation of personnel when Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991. He worked as an instructor in the U.S. until he retired in 1997. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kleinjans, Barry Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy 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/f9e9258c62c2caad4196a47dfbfc743a.m4v 93d1e455bc49490845b28365c1e3d93c https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ddcdcf4496651d2fb1fb70409cee0527.pdf 74ca1c2e038626ac126acb78152e27a4 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Donald Kiefer Vietnam War 54 minutes 41 seconds (00:00:13) Early Life -Born in Delta, Colorado on December 20, 1948 -Family moved to Fort Morgan, Colorado -Lived there for a couple years -Moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado when he was in the first grade -Lived there until he got drafted -Father worked in construction -Mother stayed at home -Completed high school -Completed two and a half years at college -Started at Phillips University then went to University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (00:01:33) Getting Drafted -Got drafted when he was at University of Colorado-Colorado Springs -Didn't have enough credits to be a full time student -Meant that he didn't have a student deferment -Reported for duty in February 1970 -Received a physical in Denver, Colorado -Everybody there cooperated -Found out later that if he weighed five pounds less he wouldn't have been drafted (00:02:47) Knowledge of the Vietnam War -The Vietnam War was a major topic in college -Knew a fair amount about the war -Gulf of Tonkin Incident -Presidents of South Vietnam -Didn't agree with the war at all -Considered going to Canada to avoid the draft (00:03:37) Basic Training -Sent to Fort Lewis, Washington for basic training -Sent there via bus from Denver -Felt like it took forever -Arrived at Fort Lewis at 2 AM -Matter of fact greeting with no yelling from drill instructors -Assigned a place to sleep -Did a lot of testing -Wound up being assigned to the infantry -Given a uniform -Trained with the men that he was inducted with -Most were draftees �-A lot of physical training -Learned how to read maps -Received rifle training -Learned about the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) -Military law and punishment -Emphasis on discipline -Woke up before dawn and began training -Physically adjusted well to the Army, but had trouble psychologically adjusting -After a few weeks realized that his life was no longer his own -Remembers one recruit that just could not adjust to being a soldier -Hopes that that soldier was not deployed to Vietnam, because he would have died -Basic training lasted eight weeks (00:08:01) Infantry Training -Stayed at Fort Lewis for Infantry School -Focus on combat skills -Learned more about the M16 rifle, M79 grenade launcher, LAW, M60 machinegun -Received Escape & Evasion Training and more map reading -Had to go from one side of a wooded area to another without being "captured" -Found the exercise easy -Instructors tried to make it seem at least a little like Vietnam -Practiced assaults on "Cheeseburger Hill" (reference to Hamburger Hill in Vietnam) -Fake booby traps set up -Instructors fired rifles at them with blank rounds -Almost all of the instructors had been to Vietnam -Given passes to Tacoma while at Infantry School -Nothing to do except go to bars (00:11:02) Deployment to Vietnam -Given 30 days of leave -Reported back to Fort Lewis after leave -Sent to Overseas Replacement Station at Fort Lewis -Got a haircut, got his bags checked, and waited for a flight -Stopped at Clark Field, Philippines (00:12:14) Arrival in Vietnam -Landed at Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam in the middle of the day on July 1, 1970 -It was extremely hot -Assigned to an in-country orientation program -Lasted about one week -Went to classes and learned about how to survive in Vietnam -Received a little cultural training and that the Vietnamese people were not the enemy -Had to adjust to the climate -Remembers hearing an air raid siren -No one seemed to care -Learned that it was for incoming mortars �(00:13:48) Assignment to 101st Airborne Division -Sent to an in-country replacement station to get his unit assignment -Heard that the 101st Airborne Division needed replacements -Assigned to the 101st Airborne Division at Camp Evans -Flew up to Hue then took a truck to Camp Evans -Arrived there between July 13 and 15, 1970 -Assigned to Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment -Given weapons, ammunition, flares, and gear (00:15:40) Operating around Firebase Ripcord -1st sergeant wanted to go to Firebase Ripcord then go into the field -Soldier that had been there knew that it was not a good place to go -On July 18, 1970 he flew out on a helicopter for a resupply mission and joined Alpha Company -Most of the trip was peaceful -As soon as they got to the landing zone they started taking machinegun fire -He expected to take fire as soon as they stepped off the helicopter -Fell out of the helicopter and landed on his face -Assigned to 2nd platoon under the command of Lee Widjeskog -No one in 2nd platoon talked to Donald -Moved to a new area at night, set up camp, and sent out patrols -Alpha Company moved as a unit and operated as a unit -Company commander was Chuck Hawkins (00:18:57) Siege of Firebase Ripcord-July 18, 1970-July 21, 1970 -On July 18, 1970 a helicopter crashed on Firebase Ripcord and destroyed artillery batteries -Found a North Vietnamese communication line and tapped into it -Unit made contact with a North Vietnamese patrol and shot a tall, blonde soldier -Note: Most likely a Soviet advisor -Heard gunfire every day -Saw explosions on Ripcord -Moved with a squad (00:21:11) Siege of Firebase Ripcord-July 22, 1970 -Eventually, North Vietnamese units moved on their position and they engaged on July 22, 1970 -They were moving off the hill they were on and encountered the North Vietnamese -Within the first five minutes of fighting he got shot in the arm -Moved up a trail to join a defensive position -Lee Widjeskog sent him to a defensive position and told him to shoot anything beyond the line -Used up all of his ammunition during that fight -Saw muzzle flashes and movement in the grass -Saw an enemy soldier stand up to throw a grenade -Firefight on July 22 lasted six hours -At nigh fall he rejoined Alpha Company -Told to dig in for the night �-Received support from gunships -Dropped flares to illuminate the enemy positions -Knew that there were a lot of badly wounded men -Donald was wounded, but still able to fight -Didn't have any contact the night of July 22 (00:28:04) Fall of Firebase Ripcord-July 23, 1970 -The next day Donald helped collect the American dead -Placed on perimeter guard until Delta Company rescued Alpha Company -Able to watch the evacuation of Firebase Ripcord -More helicopters than he had ever seen -Delta Company came up to his sector on the perimeter -Had to create a new landing zone in the jungle because the other landing zone was under siege -Had to take the men out in waves -Severely wounded men were taken out first -He was among the first men out -Took 15 to 20 minutes to get back to Camp Evans -Remembers the men at Camp Evans cheered as they returned -Handed over the radio he carried out of the field -Took a shower and went to an aid station to get his arm treated -Told to go to the field hospital -At the field hospital they wouldn't treat him because it wasn't severe (00:32:18) Treatment for Wound -Sent to the hospital in Phu Bai to get his arm treated -Received stitches and his arm got infected multiple times -Wound up spending 70 days in various hospitals -Helped on work details at hospitals -Sent to an Air Force hospital and it was very nice -Sent to the 6th Convalescence Center at Cam Ranh Bay (00:34:22) Rejoining Alpha Company in the Field -Rejoined Alpha Company in October 1970 -Didn't know anyone in the company except the company clerk -Sent to Marksmanship School at Camp Evans for a week until A Company returned -Alpha Company returned for a stand down then he went into the field with them -There was no activity in the field -Walked from one area in the field to the next -Found abandoned bunkers, but no North Vietnamese soldiers -Operated in the field with Alpha Company until February 1971 (00:35:58) Stationed at Camp Evans -He was "short" so he was placed on perimeter guard at Camp Evans -Note: "Short" means that his time in Vietnam was coming to an end -Slept in a bunker on the perimeter at night -Worked for half the night and half the day -Noticed rampant drug use at Camp Evans -Use of marijuana and heroin �-No drug use in the field -Remembers one sergeant was addicted to heroin, but handled it well -Huge divide between black and white soldiers -Not bad on the perimeter because they had been in the field -Being in the field allowed for soldiers to bond better -In the rear there was definite racial tension -Disrespecful to each other -No fights though -Stayed at Camp Evans until mid-June 1971 (00:39:38) R&R -Had the chance to take R&R out of country, but declined -Wanted to save his money -Had an in-country R&R at Eagle Beach -Lots of alcohol -Filipino and American women performed for them (00:40:40) Leaving Vietnam Pt. 1 -Had "estimated times of departure" -Meant that there wasn't a solid date for when he left -Hoped that he would get out six weeks early -Got out two weeks early -A few days before he left he knew he was leaving (00:41:50) Contact with Vietnamese Civilians -En route to Camp Evans he saw Vietnamese civilians -Felt that they were just regular people -Never had any contact with Vietnamese people at Camp Evans -Went on patrols around Camp Evans and encountered civilians -Tried to sell the soldiers trinkets and drugs -Just trying to make a living -Never worked with South Vietnamese soldiers (00:43:04) Leaving Vietnam Pt. 2 -Sent to Cam Ranh Bay to wait for a flight out of Vietnam -Stayed in roach infested barracks -Eventually got a flight and flew out of Vietnam (00:43:46) Coming Home -Arrived at Fort Lewis, Washington -Given new uniforms and any medals that they deserved -Given a brief speech about coming home -Reminded about social niceties -Told they could get a free flight home if you wore your uniform -Didn't encounter any harassment or protestors -Landed at Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Colorado -Someone picked him up and brought him home (00:45:15) Stationed at Fort Riley -Allowed 30 days of leave then had to report for further duty -Still had six months of service to complete -Reported to Fort Riley, Kansas and was assigned to the Military Police �-Job consisted of riding around in a jeep or standing at a gate -Responded to only two complaints -Base was basically empty when he reported -Unit was responding to protests in Michigan -He was assigned to the 5th Army MPs -Lived on base and had a regular, eight hour schedule -No major discipline issues at Fort Riley -Only two instances of theft that he had to investigate (00:47:32) End of Service -No effort to make him reenlist -Army wanted soldiers to get out -Got discharged in early October 1971 (00:47:55) Life after the War -Moved to Boulder, Colorado and looked for a job -Work was hard to find -Took a couple months to find a job -Worked a job as a night security guard until he fell off a building -Parents owned a remodeling business in Colorado Springs so he went to work for them -As of 2015 still lives in Colorado Springs (00:49:19) Readjusting to Civilian Life -Took a while to readjust to civilian life -First 4th of July was difficult due to the fireworks -Didn't feel that he had changed, but people around him said that he had -Sleep was difficult due to nightmares -Wife tried to wake him up from a nightmare and he accidentally punched her -In 2010 he started receiving treatment for PTSD -Tremendously helpful (00:50:48) Reflections on Service -Gets a disability check from the Army every month, but doesn't feel that it's worth it -Doesn't feel that there were a lot of positives from serving in the Army (00:51:19) Ripcord Association -Wanted to know more about the Battle of Firebase Ripcord, but no one knew anything about it -Found a book that briefly talked about Ripcord -Looked for more information on the internet -Discovered the Ripcord Association -Connected with the men he served with at the annual reunions -Chance to validate his memories and know that what he experienced really happened (00:53:39) Treatment of Veterans -Didn't talk about his experiences in Vietnam after coming home -Learned that it was best not to talk about being a veteran -Glad that new veterans are treated better and welcomed home by their communities � 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_KieferD1889V Title A name given to the resource Kiefer, Donald David (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-10-09 Description An account of the resource Donald Kiefer was born on December 20, 1948 in Delta, Colorado. He was drafted while at University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and reported for induction in February 1970. He received basic training and infantry training at Fort Lewis, Washington. He was deployed out of Fort Lewis and arrived in Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam on July 1, 1970. He was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division at Camp Evans and arrived there in mid-July 1970. He joined Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. On July 18 he went into the field and joined 2nd Platoon. He operated around Firebase Ripcord during the siege of the firebase from July 18 - July 23 and was evacuated to Camp Evans after Firebase Ripcord fell. He spent seventy days in various hospitals recovering from a wound to his arm and rejoined Alpha Company in October 1970. In February 1971 he was assigned to guard duty at Camp Evans and stayed there until mid-June 1971. Donald returned to the United States and served at Fort Riley, Kansas until he was discharged in early October 1971. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kiefer, Donald 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/b1dfae166fe48c1398ebec6ef6d4f331.m4v a5254687118e05c71efdd2b9a221a140 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7a3290871b556825977b6200bb98de31.pdf b1e5c8a058779fb1083c97ea61822638 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Arthur Kerkstra World War II 58 minutes 53 seconds (00:00:12) Early Life -Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1924 -Grew up in Grand Rapids -Father was a gardener -Had four sisters -Doesn't remember too much of the Great Depression, but knew it was a tough time -Father had steady work during the Depression -Had an uncle on welfare -Uncle was ashamed of that and didn't want people to know he was on welfare -Went to Ottawa Hills High School then transferred to Davis Technical School -Played basketball in high school -Graduated in 1943 -Graduated in March 1943 because so many young men were going to serve (00:02:42) Start of the War -When Pearl Harbor happened he remembers the paper boys selling newspapers in the afternoon -The attack came as a shock to him -Didn't know much about the fighting already happening in Europe and Asia -Wanted to enlist in the Navy shortly after Pearl Harbor -Father did not approve -Reasons being that Arthur could not swim, and he would get drafted eventually -Proved true when Arthur did get drafted -Had no idea how long the war would last -Knew that it was a serious conflict though (00:05:15) Basic Training -Got drafted in March 1943 and reported for basic training shortly thereafter -Sent to Camp Butner, North Carolina for basic training -Had no idea what to expect -Drill sergeants were good -Remembers one drill sergeant, Sergeant Peters, who had been in the Army for a while -Learned how to do hand-hand combat -On certain days went on marches outside of the camp -Started off with 4 miles, then 12 miles, and finally 25 miles -Carried 80 pound backs �-Received weapons training with the M1 Garand -Went on the rifle range -First time he ever held a gun -Awkward at first, but he adjusted -Wound up being certified as a Sharpshooter (00:08:54) Mortar Training & Assignment to the 78th Infantry Division -Transferred to a mortar unit at Camp Butner -Received mortar training -Had men carry the shells, one man carried the baseplate, and the other man the tube and tripod -Once they reached their assigned location they put together the mortar -Fix the tube to the baseplate for stability, attach tripod to tube for aiming -Learned how to zero in a target with the mortar -Fired one round past the target, one round short of target, and one hopefully on target -Adjusted well to the Army -Homesick at first, but got over it -Stayed at Camp Butner for a year -Basic training lasted two monts -Subsequent ten months were spent training and preparing for deployment -Assigned to the 78th Infantry Division (00:11:22) Deployment to the European Theatre -Deployed in spring 1944 -Shipped out of Boston on a Liberty Ship -Held two thousand men -Went over as a part of a convoy -Had destroyers and destroyer-escorts protecting them from U-Boats -Had no U-Boat scares -Thought he was seasick -Turned out to be appendicitis -Had his appendix removed on the ship -Had to be strapped to the operation table and the doctor tied to the table -This was so that everyone was secure during the operation -Pulled into Liverpool, England -Had to be carried off the ship because he was still recovering from the operation -Sent to a hospital in England to recover more -Heard the planes going over on the eve of D-Day -Knew the invasion of Europe had begun -Medical personnel wanted servicemen healed and back into combat as soon as possible -Units needed replacements and the hospital needed the space (00:17:25) Joining the 4th Infantry Division -Joined the 4th Infantry Division in France shortly after D-Day -He left the hospital and went over to France on a Landing Ship, Tank (LST) -Sailed from southern England to France -Dropped off in the water and had to wade ashore at Normandy �-Saw piles of gas masks on the beach -GIs learned that gas attacks were not a threat, so they discarded their masks -Got to Omaha Beach roughly one week after the invasion -Saw abandoned German bunkers and bodies in the water -Not too much debris on the beach -4th Infantry Division was trying to advance into France to link up with paratroopers (00:21:21) Fighting in France -Fought in St. Lo -After St. Lo had to fight through the hedgerow country -Germans pulled back to St. Lo on D-Day and were holding their position there -80,000 German soldiers in the St. Lo area -They surrounded the Germans and laid siege to St. Lo and the surrounding area -Mid-July 1944 -Killed any Germans that tried to escape -Germans eventually surrendered -Fired so many mortars that the tube was red hot -Despite the strategic advantage they still lost a lot of men -After St. Lo they advanced through the hedgerows -Had to take one hedgerow at a time -Slow advance mixed with retreats -Fought against well-trained German soldiers and had to deal with lone snipers in buildings -Initially had to fight without tanks -Tanks were eventually brought in and able to help them with the advance -Took part in the liberation of Paris in August 1944 -Had to wait four hours for General Patton so he could go into the city first -They rode on the backs of tanks into the city -Parisians greeted them in the streets and threw bottles of wine to them as gifts -Bivouacked in the city dump -Mayor of Paris gave GIs shots of alcohol as personal thanks for the liberation -Remembers the Parisians were joyous that they had been liberated -Crossed the Seine River -Germans had destroyed the bridges spanning the river -Meant they had to cross the river on boats -Engineers eventually set up temporary bridges so vehicles could cross too -Advanced northwest -Encountered sporadic German resistance -Held up their advance -Once in a while ran into SS units backed up by Panzer (tank) units (00:30:06) Fighting in Belgium & Germany -Entered Belgium in fall 1944 (specifically September) -Encountered some German resistance -Entered the Hurtgen Forest on the Belgian-German border in November 1944 -Faced stiff resistance from the Germans and had to get replacements �-He lost half of his replacements en route to the frontline -Lost a lot of men in the Hurtgen Forest -Got assigned to be a rifleman on the front line (00:34:03) Getting Wounded -Got wounded in late November 1944 in the Hurtgen Forest -Had dug a big foxhole that three or four men could sit in -Had been in it for three, or four, days -Objective was to repel the German counter-attack -Got cut off for two days until help arrived -They were on the eastern edge of the Hurtgen Forest near a German town -Every day they dug the foxhole a little deeper -Covered it with logs and sand to protect them from artillery -Thought they were pretty safe -Rotated where they sat because some parts of the foxhole were safer -An artillery shell hit their foxhole -One man was killed immediately, Arthur and his best friend, Leo, were severely wounded (00:37:29) Recovery -He and Leo were evacuated to a first aid station -From the first aid station they were moved to a series of aid stations in France -Leo eventually died from his wounds -Spent a couple days at each station -Transported by ambulance to a hospital in France -Requested a minister because he thought he was going to die -Took a plane to England -Doctors operated on both of his legs to remove the shrapnel -Placed in traction to pull his legs back to their proper shape -In England for three months recovering (00:40:40) Coming Home -Returned to the United States in February 1945 -Pulled into New York Harbor -Got to see the Statue of Liberty -Placed on a train and went to a hospital in Battle Creek, Michigan Most likely Percy Jones Army Hospital -Stayed in the hospital for fifteen or sixteen months -Gradually recovering and receiving physical therapy -Parents were allowed to visit him (00:43:04) End of the War -Couldn't believe the war in Europe was over when Germany surrendered -Remembers it was a joyous time, but muted because of Japan's persistence -People went crazy when Japan surrendered -Remembers people in the street celebrating the end of the war -Strangers hugged and kissed each other -Everybody was ecstatic that the war was over and life could return to normal (00:45:42) Living Conditions, Contact with Home, and Contact with Civilians �-Food was bad sometimes -Had to eat rations when they were in the field -Slept in foxholes in the field -Some men slept in occupied buildings, but he never did that -Difficult to write letters home -Didn't want to upset his mother who was a fragile woman -Had very little contact with civilians -Once in a while went through a small town and saw some people -Remembers a little girl giving him a pin when they passed through a town -As of 2015 still has that pin (00:49:33) End of Service -Got discharged in April 1946 -Spent the rest of his time in the Army recovering in Battle Creek -Met his future wife in January 1946 -Allowed to visit home after a while -Medical personnel encouraged visits home -Felt it would help soldiers readjust to being civilians -Got discharged at Fort Custer, Michigan in April 1946 (00:51:21) Life after the War -Only weighed ninety eight pounds when he left the Army -Proposed to his future wife in March 1946 -Wanted to get married in the summer of 1946 -Mother-in-law advised they wait at least a year so they could get more established -Took the advice and prepared more for the wedding -Got married in June 1947 -Took some night classes through the University of Michigan -Used the GI Bill -Got a job as a time keeper at a factory in Grand Rapids -Keeping track of how much workers worked and how quickly they worked -Worked that job for a few years before getting into sales -Sat at the window at night and heard German planes going over -PTSD caused by the combat he saw -Had children after the war -Leo's parents came from Pennsylvania to talk with Arthur about their dead son -Leo had been their only child -Corresponded by letters for a few years (00:56:22) Reflections on Service & Honor Flight -Didn't take too much out of his time in the Army -Calls it a time of sickness -Reference to his appendicitis and wounded legs -Couldn't talk about his experiences for a while -Is now more open about his experiences, what he saw, and what he did -Going on the Talons Out Honor Flight in May 2015 has helped him open up -Enjoyed that trip and encourages all veterans to go on it �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_KerkstraA1857V Title A name given to the resource Kerkstra, Arthur (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-07-14 Description An account of the resource Arthur Kerkstra was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1924. In March 1943 he was drafted into the Army and was sent to Camp Butner, North Carolina for basic training. He received rifle training and later mortar training. He was stationed at Camp Butner for a year with the 78th Infantry Division before shipping out in spring 1944. En route to England he was treated for appendictis and was forced to stay behind while the rest of his division went ahead. He reached France a week after D-Day and joined the 4th Infantry Division. He fought in St. Lo, in the hedgerows, took part in the liberation of Paris in August 1944, and fought in Belgium and the Hurtgen Forest. He was wounded in late November 1944 and was eventually evacuated to the United States. He received treatment in Battle Creek, Michigan and was discharged at Fort Custer, Michigan in April 1946. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kerkstra, Arthur Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jones, Adam (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army 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/a7fecd84721b8ea304167f3f1fc3a702.m4v f96d129cc573dc29a09b57fc137da723 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a4d50d1daa280483e1e2007f47200f93.pdf 17c99595aa53b89541c1fdfa0c90942b PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Milo "Mike" Houghton World War II 58 minutes 56 seconds (00:00:15) Early Life -Born in Sand Lake, Michigan in 1924. -Grew up in Sand Lake as well. -After getting into a fight at school his parents elected to have him put into the military. -He was 17 at the time. -Restricted him to serving for four years. -Entered the service at the end of December 1941. -Father and mother were farmers. -Father owned their farm. -Raised turkeys and chicken and grew crops. (00:05:00) -Had some basic machinery. -Attended grade and high school until 17. -For the most part didn’t follow news from the War. -Decided to enlist to the Navy. -A neighbor was enlisting as well. Pearl Harbor and Brisbane Australia with the USS Sperry -Sent to Great Lakes, Illinois for basic training. -Training lasted about a week. (00:10:00) -Took a train from Illinois to San Diego, California. -Prepared to board the USS Sperry. -The ship was a submarine tender. -Worked as a crane operator on the USS Sperry. -Duration of stay in San Diego was less than a week before preparation was completed. -The Sperry was newly completed and launched. -He was never seasick at all. -The trip to Pearl Harbor took about a week. -Once at Pearl Harbor he observed the docked ships were giving off smoke. (00:15:00) -Saw his brother in Pearl Harbor when they arrived. -His brother was in the military aboard the USS Virginia in Pearl Harbor. -The attack on Pearl Harbor caused him to be thrown from the ship into the water. -He survived but was badly burned. -Their stay in Pearl Harbor didn’t last long. -The USS Sperry next headed to Australia. -Docked in Brisbane harbor. -Local people were very welcoming. �-No stops along the way. -The ship traveled by itself without a convoy. (00:20:00) -At that time the submarine torpedoes were powered by alcohol. -USS Fulton was their sister ship, across the port. -Often spoke to the submarine crewmen. -A particular Captain he got to know well. -He was well respected for the amount of Japanese submarines they would destroy. (00:25:00) -Were not allowed to have cameras to secure information about submarine technology. -Their stay in Brisbane lasted for quite a while. -During that time they were not attacked by Japanese aircraft. -Did not have access to news or communication from the US. -Did not stop at Pearl Harbor on the return trip. -Directly to San Diego. -After crossing the International Date Line, the veteran crew hazed the newer crew members. -Upon returning to the US received two weeks of leave to go home. South Pacific and Okinawa with the USS Kittson (00:30:00) -Took a train to Michigan with another military friend. -Upon returning to San Diego he was assigned to the USS Kittson. -He was assigned to the job of transporting the landing crafts. -USS Kittson was new at the time. -Group of Army soldiers would climb rope nets down to the boat. -Training for the Higgins boats took place in San Diego. -The boats took quite a bit of muscle power to row. -Especially weighed down with crew and materials. -He embarks on the USS Kittson. -The year is still 1944. (00:35:00) -Ship’s destination is for the South Pacific and Okinawa. -Can’t recall whether the voyage was solo or part of a convoy. -At Okinawa the Kittson picked up members of the US Army. -The first day present in Okinawa was a “beautiful day”. -When dusk came about the Japanese aircraft attacked. -His role was rowing the boats with men to and from the ships. -During this span of three weeks all he had to eat was rice. (00:40:00) -At Midway he recalls the sight of the Albatrosses near the runway. -Required him to chase them away from the danger of the runway area. -The type of boat he was manning was not retrieved to the carrier at night. -His boat stayed in the water the entire three week period. -Kamikaze pilots would fly so low that the pilots were recognizable. -During his time ferrying Army crew they did receive water from the ship or on land. (00:45:00) �-After Okinawa the Kittson was prepared and situated to be part of the invasion of Japan. -Since the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ended the War it wasn’t necessary. Post War Life -After the War ended the military very much wanted him to re-enlist. -He had no interest in returning. -He was honorably discharged and given a Ruptured Duck lapel pin. -He was not given transportation home. -Had to hitchhike on ships back to the US. (00:50:00) -In San Diego he “hitchhiked” on a train, riding on the outside. -After his experiences in Okinawa he had contracted Jungle Rot. -After a Dr. treatment it soon cleared up. -After returning home he attempted to return to farm work. -Crops didn’t turn out as expected. (00:55:00) -Instead he became a carpenter. -Mostly building of small houses. � 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_HoughtonM1900V Title A name given to the resource Houghton, Milo (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-11-18 Description An account of the resource Milo "Mike" Houghton was born in Sand Lake, Michigan in 1924. At the age of 17 he enlisted in the Navy in December of 1941. At Great Lakes Illinois he received his brief basic training. He was bound for the USS Sperry departing out of San Diego, California where they headed to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The attack on Pearl Harbor had taken place so recently that ships were still smoking. There he was relieved to encounter his brother who was injured in the attack, but survived. Next the Sperry took him to Brisbane, Australia where they remained for some time. Eventually the Sperry returned to San Diego and Houghton would next be departing on the USS Kittson. In 1944 the Kittson traveled the South Pacific and on then to Okinawa. It was at the battle of Okinawa in 1945 where Houghton worked to ferry members of the Army to and from the ships. Although on board the Kittson and prepared to invade Japan, the end of the War made this unnecessary and he was soon honorably discharged thereafter. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Houghton, Milo Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Type The nature or genre of the resource 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/c810ea79e68bea047fd9156841adf1d7.m4v 3605d2991cdc8ac637e1e781550004d8 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c156fd49238f0d112ae905fa74da7e21.pdf abfeaeae3e0f5876944b7d424118a53d PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Fred Guild World War II 1 hour 50 minutes 37 seconds (00:00:11) Early Life -Born in Gratiot County, Michigan on October 2, 1925 -Grew up in Gratiot County -Attended a one room, one teacher country school through the eighth grade -16 years old when he left school -Went to work for a company that made house trailers -Father did a lot of jobs to supplement the family farm during the Great Depression -Had a 25 acre farm -Had six siblings -Fred and his siblings helped on the farm -They were able to keep the farm through the Great Depression (00:02:29) Start of the War -Heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor on his father's radio -Kept up with the news of the fighting in Europe and Asia prior to Pearl Harbor -Didn't think the United States would get involved -Knew where Pearl Harbor was and why it was significant -War industry cropped up in the Saginaw area of the state -Mother went to work in a carbine factory -The company he worked for did not switch over to producing war goods -Wages were frozen though which led to Fred quitting -One brother went to work at one of the relocation centers for Japanese-American civilians -Followed his brother out west to do the same thing, but couldn't find him -Hopped trains back to Chicago then hitchhiked back to Michigan -Prior to enlisting he traveled around the country -On one occasion he spent nine days in jail in Texas for hitchhiking -Worked in Texas and New Mexico (00:08:59) Enlisting in the Army -Returned to Michigan and enlisted in the Army when he was only 17 years old -Had to tried to enlist in the Navy and the Marines when he was working in Florida -Denied because he didn't have his parents' permission -Enlisted in July 1943 and reported for duty in August 1943 (00:11:24) Basic Training -Reported to Fort Custer, Michigan in August 1943 -Sent to Camp Wolters, Texas for basic training -Received infantry training at Camp Wolters on top of basic training -Learned about rifles, mortars, and antitank guns -37mm antitank gun was effective against Japanese tanks �-57mm antitank gun was effective against German tanks -Received a lot of physical training and went on long marches -Some marches were twenty miles long and they didn't get back to camp until midnight -Even later in the summer it was hot in Texas -Men passed out due to the heat -Had to take salt tablets to help combat passing out -High emphasis on discipline and following orders -If you made a mistake, or failed to follow orders you were punished -Usually punished with cleaning toilets or other menial duties like that -He adjusted well to the Army and enjoyed it -Wasn't bothered by taking orders and was in good shape when he went in -Stayed in Texas until December 1943 -Got passes on the weekends to go to Mineral Wells, Texas -Got a tattoo even though he wasn't allowed to -This was because, as a soldier, he was government property -Got a Native American style mohawk even though that wasn't regulation either (00:17:37) Airborne Training -Signed up for Airborne Training -Had to watch an introductory video before committing to Airborne Training -Showed recruits subjected to intense physical training and tough instructors -Even with that information he decided to stay in -Thought it would be an interesting experience jumping out of planes -Sent to Fort Benning, Georgia -First couple weeks were spent doing eight hours a day of physical training -Had to run almost all the time -Crawled on infiltration courses -Crawling under barbed wire, through mud, while live rounds were fired over your head -Also had fake explosives set off next to you to make it even more realistic -He was assigned to a training platoon -Half of the men did not complete the training -Either washed out or were failed out of the program -Learned about how to use a parachute and how to properly jump out of a plane -Started out by jumping out of a 35 foot tower and sliding down a cable -Learned how to pack his main parachute and the reserve parachute -Had to do "penalty push ups" at random -Went up in a 250 foot high tower and slid down a cable while wearing a parachute -Learned how to land properly so you didn't break your legs -The 35 foot tower was designed to look like a C-47 transport -Introduction to the feeling of getting yanked out of a plane -Did his first training jump at 2,200 feet -He was the first man out of the plane -It went well -Parachute was hooked to line that opened the chute when you left the plane �-This was so you didn't have to worry about when to open your chute -Did 16 jumps during training because he enjoyed them so much -Only needed five jumps (four in the day and one night) to get your paratrooper wings -After the initial part of Airborne Training he was assigned to the Demolitions School -Only did it for a week then quit -Convinced to stay in and got placed with a different class -Learned all about explosives -Different types, how to set them up, and the actual chemistry involved -Four week course -Didn't like the men he trained with in the first class -Mostly men from cities -In the second class most of the men were from the country and he enjoyed their company -Found them to be better soldiers -Completed Demolition School in early May 1944 (00:30:18) Deployment to the European Theatre -Left out of New York on the RMS Queen Elizabeth -500 nurses and 18,000 troops aboard -Spent most of his time in the brig because of a minor disciplinary issue -Wanted to go to the brig so he could have some time to himself -Brig wasn't crowded -Talked with British soldiers and learned about England and their currency -Had escorts to a certain point then sailed alone (00:32:58) Stationed in England -Arrived in Glasgow, Scotland then took a smaller boat to Liverpool, England -Sent to Wiltshire County, England where the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment had its camps -Part of the 101st Airborne Division -E Company of the 506th made famous by the TV miniseries Band of Brothers -Joined the 506th just prior to D-Day, but he did not participate in the jump into France -Had a lot of free time in England -Went into London -Experienced the German buzz bombs being launched into London -One hit so close to his location it knocked plaster off the ceiling -Saw Buckingham Palace -Didn't hear too much about D-Day when it initially happened -Heard more about the fighting in France after the men returned in July -He was assigned to a demolition platoon in Regimental HQ Company of the 506th -30 men in his platoon -Heard stories from the veterans about the fighting they experienced in France -Went on marches at night and prepared for the next major operation -Function of the demolition platoon was regular infantry duty and demolition duty -This meant finding German positions and supplies and destroying those things �-Later in the summer of 1944 they prepared for Operation Market Garden -Allied invasion and liberation of the Netherlands -Learned about what his unit's duty would be once they got on the ground -Establish a position, scout the area, and destroy German positions and supplies -Trained with magnetic anti-armor explosives -Had to get under a tank and stick the explosive to the underbelly of the tank -Trained how to disarm and dispose of German booby traps and explosives -Objective was to capture a bridge in the Netherlands -In the case of the 506th it was the bridge at Zon (00:41:50) Operation Market Garden-Dropping into Holland -On the morning of Sunday September 17, 1944 they took off from England -It took four hours to get to the Netherlands -Remembers they changed directions multiple times -Men had to urinate in a bucket and the bucket got knocked over -He made the jump without a reserve chute because he didn't want the extra weight -Carried ammunition, supplies, explosives, grenades, rations, and his rifle into battle -Flew in formation with other planes -Once they were over the Netherlands his plane took three direct hits from antiaircraft fire -Could see flames from one of the engines going past the door -All 12 paratroopers and their supplies got off the plane successfully -Plane eventually crashed and burned -They landed ten miles from their drop zone -The group of 12 men got separated from each other and had to regroup -Fred found three other men from his group and linked up with them -He landed in a tree and lost some of his gear -Remembers the sky being lit up with antiaircraft fire (00:50:48) Operation Market Garden-Battle -Eventually made their way to Zon only to find the Germans had already destroyed the bridge -Stayed there for the night -Moved with the bulk of the 506th to the city of Eindhoven -Constantly had to deal with Germans capturing bridges and major portions of the highway -They would secure one area only to lose another area to the Germans -Went on patrols and launched assaults against the Germans until a stable line formed -Instructed not to take prisoners of war -Did not have the resources or the manpower to deal with prisoners -Ordered to fight until the Germans retreated or were all dead -Went on artillery scouting missions -Got incredibly close to German positions -Relayed the coordinates to a rear position with a radio -Radio called in the coordinates to mortar teams further in the rear -After the British got cut off in Arnhem the 506th helped get the British out of the area -Didn't see many German tanks or other vehicles in the area they operated in -Too many dikes �-Germans cut off the only highway [bridge] that led into Arnhem -Meant the British had to be pulled out on boats -Operation was supposed to take three days -Wound up fighting in the Netherlands until late November 1944 (00:59:26) Battle of the Bulge -Pulled back to an old French military base near Mourmelon, France -Only there a couple weeks before the Battle of the Bulge began -Did not get substantial supplies or replacements before fighting in the Bulge -Knew that at least three men from his platoon had been killed in Eindhoven -On December 16, 1944 the Germans launched their offensive beginning the Battle of the Bulge -Received orders to go to Bastogne, Belgium -He was supposed to get a tooth taken care of, but got sent to the front anyway -Took trucks up to Bastogne -It was cold and they didn't have proper winter clothing -Saw a lot of American troops going away from Bastogne as they went toward it -Mission was to get into Bastogne and its surrounding area and defend it -Important crossroads -They stayed outside the town and linked up with elements of the 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion -Slept in foxholes and bomb craters -Remembers one German plane harassed their position -Low enough that Fred could hear the bomb release mechanism -The weather was bad and they couldn't get resupplied -Germans attacked them on the ground -Bastogne was effectively surrounded -Germans gave them two options: surrender or be wiped out -They shared ammunition and any supplies that they could scavenge -Hunted German tanks around Bastogne with tank destroyers from the 705th Tank Destroyers -Lost two tank destroyers on the first mission -The German tank they went up against was on the high ground -Rode on the tank destroyers when they were on the move -Got off when the Germans shelled them -Officer commanding the tank destroyers was incompetent -During the Siege of Bastogne around 40 German tanks were destroyed -On December 26, 1944 General Patton's Third Army broke the siege and they were saved -By the end of the Battle of the Bulge approximately 75% of Bastogne was destroyed -In late January 1945 they moved into the Alsace-Lorraine Province of France then Haguenau (01:18:25) Advance into Germany -Encountered pockets of German resistance as they advanced into Germany in spring 1945 -Captured Berchtesgaden, Germany in early May 1945 �-Found a lot of champagne -Captured a lot of German vehicles and used them to their advantage -At the end of the war groups of German soldiers surrendered as soon as they saw U.S. troops -Looked tired and hungry -Mix of young men, young boys, and old men -Even captured some women serving as clerks for the Luftwaffe -After they crossed the Rhine River in spring they encountered limited resistance -They were following other infantry units that were spearheading the advance -Got into Austria a few days before Germany surrendered -He went up a mountain in a cable car and went skiing -By that time the war was effectively over (01:22:20) End of the War & Occupation Duty -They were in Zell am See, Austria when Germany surrendered May 8, 1945 -Stayed in Austria until August 1945 -Went to Joigny, France after Austria -He left Europe by way of Antwerp, Belgium in December 1945 -Men with enough points could go home, or volunteer for more occupation duty -Men without enough points were sent to Berlin to join another unit for occupation duty -Needed 85 points to go home and be discharged -Awarded based on rank, length of service, combat seen, and dependents -By December 1945 Fred had enough points and was ready to go home -While in Germany and Austria he didn't see too many German or Austrian civilians -Quartered in a house in Austria -Family was not allowed to be in the house during the day, but could be at night -Went elk hunting in Austria and shared the meat with the civilians -Did that until a hunting party killed a farmer's cow and they were forbidden to hunt -Scavenged for extra food because they weren't getting enough rations -Captured an SS officer who was holed up in a resort -He had no intention of fighting, but didn't want to be captured -Carried a pistol with him whenever he went into town because he felt defenseless without one -Saw displaced persons and refugees -Remembers seeing the Landsberg Concentration Camp -Let the prisoners go because they pitied them -Found out many of them were not healthy enough to be on their own -Learned that those healthy enough wanted to exact revenge on their German tormentors -Had to collect the prisoners and bring them back to the camp for their own safety -Saddened the GIs, but they understood the practicality of that decision -Learned more about the death camps and concentration camps after the war was over -When he was at Joigny, France he got to see Paris and Marseilles -Also got to visit his brother who was at a camp near Paris (01:32:19) Coming Home & End of Service �-The voyage home was rough -Hit a lot of storms -One day they were only going one mile per hour -Also rough because he sailed home on a Victory Ship -Experienced 40 foot waves -Ship almost capsized multiple times -Took 12 days to get back to the United States -Pulled into New York Harbor -Sent to a camp near New York City -Some men went into New York for New Year's Eve, but he just wanted to sleep -Sent to Fort Sheridan, Illinois and was discharged in January 1946 (01:35:45) Life after the War & Serving with the 82nd Airborne Division -Visited his family -Moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan and got a job at Kelvinator -Became bored with civilian life and reenlisted in the Army into the 82nd Airborne Division -Given a 90 day delay en route before reporting to Fort Bragg, North Carolina -During that time met and married his wife -Assigned to G Company of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment -Lived off base with his wife -Worked in the offices in Fort Bragg -Stayed in the 82nd from April 1946 until October 1946 -Got sick with tuberculosis in July 1946 -Stayed in the Army for as long as he could -In and out of hospitals for two years due to TB -Got his high school degree through Alma High School -Able to test out of all the classes necessary to graduate -Went to Ferris State University -Got a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Teaching -Worked as a teacher for one semester then resigned -Four years after that he got a job as a principal in Mecosta Schools -Did that for a semester and planned on continuing with the job the year after that -Got offered a job for Lear Siegler and decided to do that instead of be a principal -Worked for them for 33 years -Gave presentations at Grand Valley State University on chemistry (01:46:06) Reflections on Service -Experience with explosives in the Army helped him with learning about chemistry in college -Enjoyed learning to work with people -Taught him to be fair and honest when working with people Interview ends at 01:48:38 � 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_GuildF1856V Title A name given to the resource Guild, Fred E (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-07-09 Description An account of the resource Fred Guild was born on October 2, 1925 in Gratiot County, Michigan. He enlisted in the Army in July 1943 and reported for duty at Fort Custer, Michigan on August 1943. He received basic training and infantry training at Camp Wolters, Texas until December 1943. He volunteered for Airborne Training and received that training and demolition training at Fort Benning, Georgia. He was deployed to the European Theatre in May 1944 and arrived in England prior to D-Day. He was assigned to a demolition platoon of the Regimental Headquarters Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. He trained in England with the 506th through the summer of 1944. He participated in Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge. In April 1945 they moved through Germany and captured Berchtesgaden and were in Zell am See, Austria from May 1945 to August 1945. He stayed in Joigny, France until December 1945 then returned to the U.S. from Antwerp, Belgium. He was discharged in January 1946 at Fort Sheridan, Illinois. He briefly served with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina from April 1946 to October 1946. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Guild, Fred 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. 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/fcd0922656f106afdc66d0914418f588.m4v aba0d7576fb1ff80665b7532e4808f7c https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0ee48380d63d2838083aa211c3cf95f4.pdf c467a0afec819cc016b783d1836112d5 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Richard Groggel World War II 59 minutes 35 seconds (00:00:33) Early Life -Born on July 22, 1924 in Kalamazoo, Michigan -Born in a house in Kalamazoo -Father worked as a grinder on a machine in the parchment department of a paper factory -Mother was into playing local sports -She was on a women's basketball team and a bowling league -He had four siblings -One older sister and three brothers -Mother's name was Esther -Father's name was Kurt -Sister's name was Dorothy -He and his brothers all served in the military -All of them survived the war -Went to Lincoln Junior High School -Went to Kalamazoo Central High School -Graduated in January 1942 (00:04:03) Getting Drafted -Tried to get into the Marines, but couldn't because his brother was already in the Marines -Got drafted into the Army in March 1943 -Sent to Camp Grant, Illinois for processing and induction (00:04:17) Overview of Service-Pre-Deployment -Sent to Camp Hulen, Texas for anti-aircraft training -Had to learn how to spot planes and differentiate between friendly and hostile planes -Went to Fort Davis, North Carolina for officer training -Graduated as a second lieutenant -Took ninety days -Officers produced from the program were nicknamed "ninety day wonders" -Helped train troops in California -Tried to get into the Airborne, but never got in -Got deployed before he could join the paratroopers (00:05:09) Deployment to the European Theatre Pt. 1 -Sent to Fort Meade, Maryland and boarded a ship -Sailed across the Atlantic Ocean -Had to zig-zag to avoid U-Boats -Landed at Liverpool, England (00:05:30) Training �-Had one semester at Western Michigan University prior to attempting to enlist in the Marines -Not his choice to go into the anti-aircraft, assigned to him by the Army -Had basic training at Camp Hulen, Texas -Difficult -Did a lot of marching -Had to do a five mile march -If you didn't complete it you didn't get a weekend pass -Had German prisoners of war working at Camp Hulen -They worked in the fields around camp -He had no contact with them -Received anti-aircraft training after his basic training -Had to learn all of the planes being used by both sides -Allies gained air superiority, so he was reassigned to the infantry -Sent to Fort Benning, Georgia for infantry training -Eight weeks of training -Days during training were eight hours long and started around 6 AM -Spent most of his time in the various bases he trained at -Went to Fort Davis, North Carolina for officer training -Second lieutenant -In charge of forty eight men -Never had a full strength platoon though (00:11:02) Deployment to the European Theatre Pt. 2 -Went to Liverpool, England -Crossed the English Channel and landed at Normandy, France -Landed there about six months after D-Day in fall 1944 (00:11:45) Fighting in France Pt. 1 -Moved into France and took up positions on the Moselle River in France -He was assigned to lead 2nd platoon -Ten men pulled from 1st platoon -Ten men pulled from 3rd platoon -At a disadvantage because he didn't have a full platoon -The 2nd platoon had a high turnover rate -Unit had lost a lot of men fighting at Metz -Moved across France toward Germany -Lost two men in the process -One man was wounded and had to be evacuated -Initially stayed in slit trenches on the frontlines -Small trenches you could stand or squat in -His feet were frozen after standing in a trench full of water -His platoon helped him get back to the rear -Pulled back for R&R -As soon as they got to the rear they were sent back to the frontline -Had nerve damage from his frozen feet (00:15:19) Deployment to the European Theatre Pt. 3 -Sailed to England on the SS Mariposa �-Soldiers played cards to pass the time -Crossing the Atlantic wasn't too bad -Crossing the English Channel was more difficult -Seas were rough -Had to go from one ship to another ship -One soldier fell between the ships, but was pulled out unharmed (00:17:16) Fighting in France Pt. 2 -Remembers hearing German buzz bombs shortly after arriving in France -Remembers the German 88mm artillery guns -Had to dive for cover as soon as you heard the incoming shell -Very little defense against the 88mm -When they returned to the frontline his platoon was assigned to a pillbox -Had bunks, food, ammunition and grenades in the basement -Had a soldier with a Browning Automatic Rifle guarding the rear door -Remembers when the Germans were only thirty five yards away -Platoon sergeant got wounded while at the pillbox -Germans probed their lines at night -They were cut off from their larger unit -German artillery knocked out their field telephone lines (00:23:15) Getting Captured -Decided to leave the pillbox to rejoin their unit -Got pinned down by nearby German soldiers -Some of the men suggested surrender -Decided it would be best to surrender rather than fight to the death -They surrendered on the far-western German frontier -They were told to come out of the pillbox with their hands up -Leader of the German troops said they had wounded his best friend -Richard thought they were all going to be executed on the spot -Taken back to a German bunker -Questioned by the Germans -He talked with the German officers and found them to be arrogant -One German soldier took his watch (00:26:20) Prisoner of War Pt. 1 -He was placed with other captured American officers -Guarded by two middle-aged German soldiers -Put on a 40 & 8 boxcar and taken to Koblenz, Germany -Arrived there around Christmas Eve 1944 -Remembers the Germans singing carols -There was an air raid when they got to Koblenz -Germans asked if they were from the Army Air Force -The prisoners told them that they were infantry -Had they been airmen the Germans probably would have shot them -Went across German to be registered as a prisoner of war -Given a POW dog tag -Taken by train to Oflag 64 in Szubin, Poland �-There were twenty four men in the boxcar -Stood, sat, and slept in eight hour shifts -Eight men stood, eight men sat, and eight men slept -Not fed -Passed through Berlin on the way to Poland -Arrived at Oflag 64 -Given some oatmeal -Quarantined for two weeks due to some of the prisoners being sick -Soviets were advancing so the prisoners at Oflag 64 were removed on January 21, 1945 -Moved to a Polish refugee camp -It was awful -Had part of a Red Cross parcel -Traded cigarettes for extra food -Poles were friendly -Slept in barns as they were marched across Poland -Some men tried to hide in haystacks -SS troops were called in to flush out the prisoners -First they used dogs, then moved on to shooting into the hay -One of the guards had lived in the U.S. and spoke English -He said he'd stay with the prisoners if they encountered the Soviets -He'd rather be captured with American prisoners than with other German soldiers -Marched 350 miles in forty five days -Walked all of that in the cold Given meager rations -Bad coffee and very little food -Once you got used to the coffee it was good -Arrived at Oflag XIII-B at Hammelburg, Germany on March 10, 1945 (00:35:50) Task Force Baum & the Hammelburg Raid -In late March 1945 a contingent of American infantry and tanks came to Oflag XIII-B -Force led by Captain Abraham Baum -Special mission to rescue General Patton's son-in-law John K. Waters -Unfortunately the mission was a failure (00:36:45) Prisoner of War Pt. 2 -Taken by train to a prisoner of war camp near Nuremberg -Witnessed a massive bombing raid on the city -The city was levelled after the raid -After Hammelburg they were taken to Stalag VII-A in Moosburg north of Munich -Germans told them if they stole anything they would be shot -Managed to sneak a chicken and cook it on a small fire -When he was at Nuremberg he ran into an old friend from Kalamazoo -Moved around to keep from being liberated by the Soviets -In one prisoner of war camp the mattresses were full of ticks (00:42:04) Liberation -Liberated by General Patton and the 14th Armored Division on April 29, 1945 -A lot of the prisoners cried tears of joy upon being liberated -Taken by C-47 to Camp Lucky Strike in France �-Examined by doctors and fed (00:43:13) Coming Home Pt. 1 -Taken by ship to England to collect war-brides before going back to the United States -Family didn't know he was a prisoner of war -Only knew that he was missing in action (00:45:30) Living Conditions as a Prisoner of War -Didn't get much food as a prisoner of war -Germans didn't have much food for themselves -Never saw organized beatings or torture at the hands of the Germans -Only saw abuse once when a German soldier hit an American prisoner -Had blankets -Men died from malnutrition -Allowed to play cards in the prisoner of war camps -Remembers watching some of the prisoners play bridge (00:48:06) Coming Home Pt. 2, End of the War, & End of Service -Took quite a while to get back to full health -Felt better after being fed at Camp Lucky Strike -Sailed from England to New York City -Given a sixty day leave after he got back to the U.S. -Visited his family -They were surprised to see him -He called his parents when he got back in the U.S. -Went down to Miami, Florida for part of his leave -In Miami on VJ Day (August 15, 1945) -Remembers everyone in the streets celebrating -It was overwhelming that the war was over -Stayed in his hotel room and thanked God that the war was over -Shortly after the war ended he was discharged in August 1945 -Had been in since March 1943 -Discharged with the rank of first lieutenant (00:54:18) Life after the War -Used the GI Bill at Western Michigan University -Initially planned on studying electrical engineering -Changed it to math and accounting -Worked as an accountant for a company that did electroplating -Worked closely with major car companies in Detroit -Had no lasting psychological or physical trauma from the war -Recovered from malnutrition after a few months -Met his wife at WMU -She was studying teacher -Married sixty six years -Had two sons and two daughters -Sue, Richard Jr., David, and Beth �� 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_GroggelR1877V Title A name given to the resource Groggel, Richard W (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-08-28 Description An account of the resource Richard Groggel was born on July 22, 1924 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In March 1943 he was drafted into the Army. He received basic training and anti-aircraft training at Camp Hulen, Texas before being reassigned to the infantry. He received infantry training at Fort Benning, Georgia before receiving officer training at Fort Davis, North Carolina. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant and trained soldiers in California before being assigned to an infantry unit. They deployed out of Fort Meade, Maryland in fall 1944 bound for the European Theatre. They moved from England to France and took up positions on the German frontier. During the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 Richard and his platoon were captured by Germans. He was moved to prisoner of war camps across Germany and Poland, he marched 350 miles across Poland and witnessed the failed Task Force Baum raid on Hammelburg prisoner of war camp. He was liberated from Stalag VII-A on April 29, 1945, and after recovery at Camp Lucky Strike, France he returned to the United States. He was discharged in August 1945 shortly after Japan's surrender. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Groggel, Richard W. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Moore, Deb (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/d13cb198a34e9bf46c3637ae2f411234.m4v 1fcac04b5a39af9b4007ed9079ab1889 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8cfbaef382a8f004481e92b331ffd627.pdf 295cafede1f902e4a9487dc15ee54837 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Leonhard Grams World War II (Polish citizen; German soldier) 41 minutes 24 seconds (00:00:12) Early Life Pt. 1 -Born on May 20, 1920, in Adamow, Poland -Town 60 miles south of Russian border in eastern Poland -Had four brothers and a sister -He was the youngest (00:01:19) Beginning of the War Pt. 1 -Not long after the war broke out, they moved to German-occupied Poland -Left everything behind and lost everything (00:01:39) Early Life Pt. 2 -His parents were farmers -They were ethnic Germans living in Poland (00:01:58) Moving to German-Occupied Poland Pt. 1 -Fled Russian-occupied Poland to move to German-occupied Poland (00:02:21) Early Life Pt. 3 -Learned Polish and German in school -Before the war, Polish and German relations were good -After the war broke out, those relations deteriorated -Some Polish people killed ethnic Germans -Before the war, he worked on the family farm -All of his siblings had gotten married, so he stayed behind to help on the farm (00:03:28) Beginning of the War Pt. 2 -Didn’t expect there to be a war -Had been living as a Polish citizen -Witnessed the Red Army come into Poland -They protected ethnic Germans (00:04:48) Moving to German-Occupied Poland Pt. 2 -Family had to choose between living under Stalin’s rule, or Hitler’s rule -They decided to move to German-occupied Poland -Got another farm -Smaller than their original farm -Continued living with his parents (00:07:24) Stationed at Tempelhof-Berlin Field Pt. 1 -On February 2, 1941, he was drafted into the Luftwaffe (German air force) -Stationed at Tempelhof-Berlin Field in Berlin -Received his training there after he reported for duty -Part of an antiaircraft crew, but never shot down an enemy plane �(00:08:30) Stationed on Russian Front Pt. 1 -Placed in boxcars and taken by train to the Russian front -Tasked with catching saboteurs placing explosives on the train tracks -Never found anyone -Went to the Russian front in 1942 -Placed on the frontline and tasked with providing support to the frontline troops -Part of a security team -Went deep into Russian territory -Remembers it being cold and snowy -In 1943, the Russians began their counteroffensive against German forces -The Russians began hitting positions with airstrikes -During this time, he was on a machinegun (00:11:30) Getting Wounded the First Time Pt. 1 -In one airstrike, bombs landed on both sides of him, and he took shrapnel in his shoulder -Stretcher-bearers collected him, but fled because the Russian plane kept circling -Once it left, the stretcher-bearers came back -He was taken to a field hospital for initial treatment, but needed x-rays -He was then moved to a more sophisticated hospital in Kiev -Learned he had a broken arm -Would have had it amputated if it had become infected -Sent to an Austrian hospital, then sent to his parents’ farm for final recovery (00:14:50) Re-Drafted into Wehrmacht -Once he recovered, he was re-drafted into the Wehrmacht (German army) -Worked with horses, but not on the frontline -Stationed somewhere in Germany (00:15:43) Stationed at Tempelhof-Berlin Field Pt. 2 -Had subterranean barracks at Tempelhof to protect against air raids -By permission, they were allowed to visit Berlin -Spent most of their time training -Received some basic infantry training with rifles and machineguns (00:17:15) Stationed on the Russian Front Pt. 2 -On the Russian front, he slept on the ground -The Russian civilians he met were friendly -They worked as saboteurs, but nothing happened during his time on the front -Formed new units in 1943 to defend against the Russian counteroffensive -Russians attacked with their air force, and the Germans had no planes in Leonhard’s sector (00:20:12) Getting Wounded the First Time Pt. 2 -While in the hospital, he was basically immobilized due to his casts -Would’ve been allowed to walk around had he been mobile -In a cast for about three months (00:21:16) Getting Wounded Second Time Pt. 1, End of War & Getting Captured -At the end of the war, he was with a unit in Austria -Got shot in the leg �-Placed on a hospital train bound for a designated hospital city in Germany -Combination of wounded Germans and prisoners-of-war in that city -Kept on the train until May 20, 1944 (19450 when French forces took him prisoner -Note: Means he was possibly in western Austria -Brought to a Catholic church by the French forces -Sent to a prisoner-of-war camp in southern Germany once he recovered -Loaded onto trucks and taken to a prisoner-of-war camp in France -No food for three days -French farmer eventually brought them some food -Taken to a barracks and repaired them -Tasked with digging up landmines -After his third week of that work, he tripped a mine -Sustained burns on his face and side, and temporarily lost his sight -Taken to Germany and was treated by French and German doctors -Regained his sight -Treated in Heidelberg -Granted a temporary discharge by the French (00:27:00) Life after War – Living in Europe -Didn’t know where his mother, or the rest of his family lived -Later learned that his mother and one of his brothers lived in East Germany -Met a farmer and worked for him for two years until he found his mother -Granted permission to visit his mother in East Germany (once he located her) -Moved to West Germany -Had originally planned on getting married in 1944 -He got drafted into the Wehrmacht in 1944 -His girlfriend was placed in a prison camp in Poland in 1944 -Reconnected with his girlfriend in West Germany, and they got married in 1946 (00:29:11) Coming to America -Came to the United States in 1959 -There was no steady work in Germany -He took any job he could find, and most of it was temporary work in the summer -Attended college to learn how to weld -His uncle was living in Edmonton, Canada, and he encouraged Leonhard to move there -Go to Canada first, then go to America -One of his brothers lived in America -He had migrated there in 1955 -Brother encouraged him to try the United States first before going straight to Canada -Came to the United States without speaking English -Found welding work with an owner that spoke German -Worked as a welder for 31 years at Superior Steel -Found work as a cabinet maker after the first job ended (00:32:14) Air Raids in Berlin -In Berlin, they were supposed to prepare for and retaliate against air raids �-Remembers a dud bomb landing extremely close to him during a raid -Picked it up and tossed it away -During bombing runs at night, all he could see was smoke and flames *Note: Air raids on Berlin had begun in August 1940 (00:33:18) Getting Wounded the Second Time Pt. 2 -Wounded in Austria during ground fighting -Doesn’t know where the bullet came from, and thinks it may have been a stray round (00:34:10) News on the War -Given no information about the progress of the war -The truth was wrapped in secrecy -Constantly told they were making progress toward victory, even as Germany lost (00:34:42) War Crimes & Other Atrocities -Knew nothing about the concentration camps or the Holocaust -Older brother was beaten by some Polish boys after the war’s end -A Russian officer intervened and saved the brother’s life -Brought Leonhard’s brother to his unit -Allowed to go to East Germany -Polish government wouldn’t allow his family to leave -Via the Red Cross, his family eventually moved to East Germany -Future wife was held at a prison camp in Poland because she was an ethnic German -Interned in 1944 near the end of the war with other ethnic German women -They were stripped and whipped by Polish officers -Some of the women were taken by the Polish soldiers -He wasn’t very interested in politics, and on the farm, he didn’t pay attention to politics -Focused on taking care of his parents and helping them (00:39:22) Death of His Father -His father died in 1941 -He was allowed to go to his parents’ farm in July 1941 to help with their harvest -His father died shortly after he returned to his Luftwaffe unit in Berlin -Most likely sometime in later 1941 (00:40:40) Wehrmacht & Stationed on the Russian Front Pt. 3 -When he went to the Russian front, he was transferred into the Wehrmacht -Issued a new uniform when he went � 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_GramsL2088V Title A name given to the resource Grams, Leonhard (Interview outline and video), 2017 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-01-10 Description An account of the resource Leonhard Grams was born on May 20, 1920, in Adamow, Poland. After war broke out in 1939, his family moved to German-occupied Poland because they were ethnic Germans. On February 2, 1941, he was drafted into the Luftwaffe and served at Tempelhof-Berlin Field in Berlin. He served as part of an antiaircraft crew and witnessed multiple bombings of Berlin. He was sent to the Russian front in 1942, and was later wounded and sent to a hospital in Austria, went back into the army and was taken prisoner by the French at the end of the war. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grams, Leonhard 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 Germany. 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/e0657f64bf9b1fc609ee77cdbb37f37e.m4v 6ebf80ab5e1b5cc5cd361be94797b165 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/fce123302ef0c60c013ec289b7e336ff.pdf 85f72a4ca4fb8e8a535de71bdf2ea4a5 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Gaetan Gerville-Reache U.S. Navy Length of interview: (37:25) (00:00) Early Life and Navy      (00:04)Born on October 8, 1976 Served in the Navy from 1998-2002 After nine months of training in Newport, Rhode Island, he became the main propulsion officer on the USS Benfold. He arrived on the ship in April 1999, just before the ship was deployed to the Arabian [Persian] Gulf (2:50) He went into the Navy on a scholarship program, he was committed for a minimum of four years (3:30) Deployment          (3:30) on the way to the Persian Gulf, they went to South Korea and Singapore. They arrived to the gulf in the middle of the summer. (4:40) he participated in operation southern watch, enforcing a no fly zone in southern Iraq. They were also enforcing an embargo on Iraq. Men on his ship boarded vessels that were trying to sneak supplies into Iraq. (7:00) they worked in tandem with an aircraft carrier. His ship had a powerful radar that would relay information to the aircraft carrier in the event of an unauthorized aircraft (8:00) He was able to visit Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Kuwait. He found that none of these places were much fun; people often kept to themselves (9:30) He kept in contact with his family by email and the occasional phone call. He missed his girlfriend and was always stressed from the work that he had to do (11:20) he had to stand watch on the ship from 2am to 7am. After that they had to complete their work day, eat dinner, and repeat the process. Gaetan lost over 25 pounds while he was deployed (12:30) When the captain was asleep, he would be responsible for the ship. (13:30) Gaetan took part in a stand-off with Iranians who would point missiles at his ship. However, this was common, Iran was always trying to assert their authority over the surrounding waters (14:30) When he was in South Korea, someone falsely reported that a vessel that had capsized. All they found when they went to look was a dead whale �       (16:00) Other than some tomahawk missiles that his ship launched, he cannot recall that there were any hostilities; however, they were always on alert (19:30) Gaetan remembers that there were around seven ships in his fleet. (22:30) If Gaetan could experience his deployment again, he would. He also states that he would rejoin the Navy if the United States ever went to war and needed experienced men. He was forced to grow up a lot and he is glad that he did. It is important to have effective and experienced officers, especially when you are new to the military. (26:44) Gaetan advises people than the military is not for everyone. It is also important to keep in mind all that the military does. (28:20) It is an honor to be a part of a group of men and women serving their country (29:30) 9/11       He was in San Diego on 9/11 getting ready to deploy that day. (30:00) His wife called him over to the television where he watched the attack (30:30) It wasn’t until he reached his ship that he realized that the United States was at war. When his ship left port that day, it was fully loaded. The one week training deployment turned into a three week endeavor. (32:00) they were monitoring Mexico and the Coast of California. Every ship that was able to float was sent out to sea. (33:10) The skies were completely quiet; Gaetan describes this as an eerie experience (36:00) though he was seeing messages coming through warning of possible attack locations, he could not relay any of the information to his wife. He could only tell her to stay off the freeways. � 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_GervilleReacheG1805V Title A name given to the resource Gerville-Re'ache, Gaetan (Interview outline and video), 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 Gaetan Gerville-Reache was born on October 8, 1976 and served in the United States Navy from 1998-2002. He was deployed to the Persian Gulf as a part of Operation Southern Watch and served as the main propulsion officer on the USS Benfold. The objective of the operation was to enforce a no-fly zone and embargo on Iraq. He visited the ports of Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Kuwait. In addition to his experiences in the Persian Gulf, Gaetan recounts September 11, 2001 and how the navy responded to the attacks thereafter. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Gerville-Re'ache, Gaetan Edward Alain Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Bursch, Michael (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 Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy 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/cadde29ca7360d3146b7c7ce0f3695dc.m4v 3d91b48e3274fd7e005385e46ce47d3d https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a75a77979ef08581d9a3df824b4d2289.pdf 45637a8940b8b46d143df5da9e25bd9e PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Stuart Eppinga World War II 39 minutes 20 seconds (00:00:18) Early Life -Parents were immigrants from the Netherlands -Fell in love in the Netherlands -Father wanted to move to the U.S., mother did not -Made a compromise: he would go and get established, she would follow -Father came to Detroit, found work as a carpenter, and made a lot of money -Stuart had a brother that was eight years older -Mother died giving birth to Stuart -He weighed less than three pounds -Small enough to fit in a cigar box -Father found a nurse that spoke Dutch -They eventually married and she became Stuart's stepmother -Older brother, Jacob, was born in the United States -Became a pastor and worked at a Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids -Did that for thirty years -Step mother was excellent -Born on June 17, 1925 -Grew up in Detroit -Went to a Christian school for the first eight grades -Went to Southeastern High School in Detroit -Taught there after the war -Graduated in 1943 -Shortly after graduating got drafted (00:03:54) Life after the War Pt. 1 -Used the GI Bill after the war to go to college -Attended Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan -Wanted to stay close to his family and close to his wife-to-be (00:04:39) Getting Drafted -Got drafted into the Navy in 1943 -Reported for a physical during the draft process -After being deemed fit for service men were assigned to a branch of the service -The soldier giving out assignments would ask them what they wanted -Then he gave them whatever he felt like giving them -When Stuart got up to the soldier he said to give him whatever -Happy being assigned to the Navy -Loved being in the water, so it felt like a good fit (00:06:03) Basic Training -Sent to Camp Peary, Virginia for basic training �-Got trained by a Marine, and the Marines hated the Navy personnel -He will never forget his arrival at Camp Peary -Got off the train and saw hundreds of men from all over the country going to the camp -Enjoyed basic training -Liked being outside and doing exercise -Enjoyed the marches, the discipline, and getting up early -Had no trouble adjusting to the military -Remembers two men being discharged -One man was young, recently married, and was basically having a nervous breakdown -The other man got discharged due to having a bad back -Trained with rifles -Received gas training -Went into a building filled with mustard gas, wearing a gas mask -Ordered to remove their gas masks then the doors were opened to go outside -Crawled on an infiltration course -Crawling under barbed wire while a machie gun was fired over his head -Understood why they were forced to do what they were forced to do -It was the best physical shape he was ever in -There were accidents in basic training and men died -Remembers men panicking on the infiltration course, standing up, and getting shot (00:10:44) Stationed in Bermuda -Given a ten day leave after basic training to visit home -Reported to Norfolk, Virginia -Sent down to Bermuda -Most likely assigned to Naval Air Station Bermuda Annex -Leased to the United States by the United Kingdom -His duty in Bermuda was to help with the maintenance of the base -Base was home to PBY-3 seaplanes -Went on a few anti-submarine patrols with them -Got to see convoys sailing for Europe and Africa -Saw troopships surrounded by destroyers and destroyer-escorts -Could see the beautiful coral reef around Bermuda -Looking for U-Boats in the Gulf of Mexico and near the U.S. -Present for the capture of U-505 in June 1944 -U-Boat now at Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago -Remembers six Italian submarines coming into their port to surrender -Talked with some of the Italian sailors -Learned that they had been attacking German U-Boats -They were disillusioned with Mussolini's incompetent leadership -The submarines were from World War I -About thirty sailors per submarine -He got along well with the Italian prisoners of war �-For a while he ran a boiler that turned salt water into fresh water -Worked for the Welfare and Recreation Department -Enjoyed that duty because he enjoyed sports -Ran the sports program -Organizing basketball, baseball, and pool games -Wanted to go where the action was -Applied for the Underwater Demolition Teams (precursor to the Navy SEALs) -Never got accepted, and in retrospect is happy he didn't -Stationed on Bermuda for eighteen months (00:15:47) Stationed in Guam -Requested a transfer after eighteen months on Bermuda -Sent to Davisville, Rhode Island then sent to Norfolk, Virginia -Assigned to a ship in Norfolk that would take him to Guam -Sailed from Virginia to the Panama Canal to Hawaii to Guam -Lived in a tent on Guam as opposed to a barracks like he had on Bermuda -There were still Japanese troops on Guam when he was there -On Guam when Japan surrendered -On Guam he was assigned to guard a work detail of Japanese prisoners of war -Assigned them work and guarded them -Had them digging ditches and removing rocks to keep them busy -Never turned his back on them for fear they would rebel and kill him -The Japanese believed they should have died fighting -Food wasn't great on Guam, but it wasn't that good anywhere -Ate a lot of chipped beef (nicknamed "shit on a shingle") -It wasn't very substantial food -Didn't lose any weight, but didn't gain any weight either (00:18:42) End of the War & Coming Home Pt. 1 -At the end of the war he had enough points to go home -Needed eighty five points to go home -Points assigned based on length of service, rank, combat, and dependents -He was urged to volunteer for occupation duty in Japan, but he declined -Aircraft carrier USS Enterprise stopped in Guam -He boarded it and took it back to the U.S. -Attended a Bible study on the ship -Got involved in a singing quartet that sang every night on the deck of the ship -They wanted him to stay on the ship as a singer, but he declined -Sailed through the Panama Canal and through the Caribbean Sea up to Virginia -Took thirty five days to sail from Guam to Virginia (00:20:47) Reassignment to Guam-Train Ride -When he went from Davisville to Norfolk he took a train -He was assigned to the last car, but got called first for dinner -It was great food -So after he ate he moved up to the fifth car, and so on, so he could get six meals (00:21:50) Visiting New York and Hawaii �-When he left Bermuda he sailed up to New York and disembarked at Pier 92 in New York City -Navy lost his paperwork, so he was given a day pass every day until they found it -Went into New York every day -Became the de facto tour guide for servicemen on leave -Returned to New York City in 1947 for his honeymoon -The shoe shiner at the Statue of Liberty remembered him -Got to see a lot of Hawaii when he stopped there -A lot of men went into Honolulu to get tattoos -He got to see an old friend from Detroit -Went sightseeing in an ambulance (00:24:52) Dangerous Situations -Most dangerous situation he was in was on Guam -Had to be aware of their surroundings at all times -There were still Japanese troops holding out on the island -Never knew if they would take a shot at you -There were a few incidents where a Japanese soldier fired a few shots at them -En route to Bermuda they had to zig-zag to avoid getting attacked by a U-Boat -Went swimming in shark infested waters (00:26:30) End of the War & Coming Home Pt. 2 -Stationed on Guam for six months before going home -Usually had the same audience every night when he sang on the Enterprise (00:26:59) Visiting Richmond, Davisville, and New York City -Got to see parts of Richmond, Virginia -In Davisville he met some Dutch marines -Talked with them -Learned they had fought the Germans as part of the Dutch Resistance -Receiving training in the U.S. to go fight the Japanese in the Dutch East Indies -Became friends with one of the Dutch Marines -Took him to see New York City -They got free tickets to everything and free transportation back to base -He survived the war and they are still friends -Write to each other at Christmas -Stuart and his wife visited the man in the Netherlands -The man came to visit Stuart and his wife in Detroit (00:29:49) Downtime & Contact with Home -Saw a few USO Shows -Had a few outdoor theatres to watch movies -Swam and snorkelled in Bermuda -Wrote a lot of letters home -Wrote to his parents and to his girlfriend -Took a while to receive mail (00:31:42) Officers & Other Branches of the Service �-Noticed that officers in the Navy were arrogant -Didn't see that as much in the Army -Definitely didn't see that in the Army Air Force -Army Air Force also had the best facilities because it was still so new at the time -Marines got into the fighting first -Glad he didn't wind up in the Marines -Had friends and relatives in the Marines who got killed in action (00:33:03) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -Feels that his time in the Navy was a very good thing -Had no idea what he wanted to do with his life -Navy gave him the direction and discipline he needed (00:33:26) Life after the War Pt. 2 -Taught at Southeastern High School in Detroit -Taught music there for twenty years -Worked as a counselor for thirteen years -Encouraged a lot of boys and girls to enlist in the military -They had no future in Detroit and no direction in life -Had a lot of them come back and thank him for that advice -Travelled a lot after the war -Navy provided them with quarters when he and his wife visited Bermuda -Wife really enjoyed that trip -Visited in the late 1970s (00:35:22) Reflections on Service Pt. 2 -Helped him mature -Believes that there should still be a draft -At least one year of service -Feels that it would provide discipline and direction -Especially beneficial for people coming from poverty or broken homes -Still corresponds with a good friend that he met in Bermuda (00:37:37) Life after the War Pt. 3 -No reunions -Is not part of any veterans' group -Got married in 1947 -Had four children -One lives in California -One lives in Holland, Michigan -One lives in Alto, Michigan -One is deceased -Died after three months INTERVIEW ENDS @ 38:23 � 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_EppingaS1873V Title A name given to the resource Eppinga, Stuart Dirk (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-09-02 Description An account of the resource Stuart Eppinga was born in Detroit, Michigan on June 17, 1925. After graduating from high school in 1943 he was drafted into the Navy. He received basic training at Camp Peary, Virginia and got assigned to Naval Air Station Bermuda Annex, Bermuda where he helped with maintenance, went on anti-submarine patrols in PBY-3s, and witnessed the capture of six Italian submarines and one German submarine. After eighteen months he requested reassignment and was sent to Guam. On Guam he oversaw Japanese prisoners of war being used for work, and was stationed there for six months. At the end of the war he had enough points to go home and returned to the U.S. by way of the USS Enterprise. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Eppinga, Stuart Dirk Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Moore, Deb (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 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/f7935da7c5606d1ca103588b44a0666e.m4v abd040056bcdb29957a7dd298c1647b9 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/df9975df33989472d7c5a9cf66457f00.pdf 99c80f2e87dc2d50d0af298253f60840 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Joseph Dubois World War II 14 minutes 32 seconds (00:00:11) Early Life -Grew up in Avery Island, Louisiana. -11 siblings. -One brother was in the military, the Navy. -Worked for Mc. Ilhenny Tabasco Sauce Company -Voluntarily enlisted to the Army Air Force. However the Air Force was full so he was placed in the infantry. -Not too difficult to get used to because of his physically active country lifestyle. -Basic training in Little Rock Arkansas. -Took 8 weeks. -Next, sent to Colorado Springs and placed in the 89th Infantry Division. -Stay in Colorado Springs lasted for ten months. -Continued with more training for about 8 months. -Took part in mock combat maneuvers for about 3 months. -Next, travelled to California mountains for a 3 month long mock combat maneuver. -Ate rations during this training. -Once this training was completed the Privates and PFCs were shipped out for D-Day. -Travelled to North Carolina to train a new Division. -He was shipped overseas in January, 1945. -Disembarked in France at the end of January. (00:03:25) Europe and Ohrdruf Concentration Camp -Gradually moved toward Luxembourg, and onward into Germany, then finally near the Czechoslovakian border when the War ended. -Returned to France after the War ended to Camp Lucky Strike. -After 2 months working at Camp Lucky Strike went to Austria until leaving for the US. -Returning to the period before the War ended: prepared to have crossed the Rhine River however another unit did so first. (00:06:15) -After crossing the Rhine, liberated Ohrdruf concentration camp. -The first concentration camp the US liberated. -Bodies everywhere. -Guards would shoot prisoners before the liberation was completed. -Large burials, burned bodies. -Made good friends in the military that endured throughout his lifetime. -On weekends went into town for things like USO dances. -Returning from the War was comforting, knowing he wouldn’t have to leave again. -Not difficult to transition into civilian life. �-He keeps in touch with the 89th Division Society. -Every two years there is a social gathering. -War time experience didn’t affect his life too significantly. -Learned to be self-supporting, truthful, kind. -89th Division fought along with Patton’s 11th Armored Division, 4th Antitank Battalion. (00:12:16) -Consulting with his military documents yields the following info regarding his military roles: -A Platoon Guard -Military service spanned from France, Luxembourg, Germany, and Austria. -Supervised the handling and distribution of rations, ammunition, supplies, and equipment. -Assisted Platoon Sargent in combat movement. [The interviewer is given several documents and papers listing more information about his service.] � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_DuBoisJ1813V Title A name given to the resource DuBois, Joseph (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-04-10 Description An account of the resource Joseph Dubois was born in Avery Island, Louisiana in a family with 11 siblings. He worked at the local Mc. Ilhenny Tabasco Sauce plant in town. Joseph completed basic training in Little Rock Arkansas. He was placed in the 89th Infantry Division as a Platoon Guard, and continued participating in training combat maneuvers in California and North Carolina. In January of 1945 he arrived in France, travelling through Luxembourg, Austria, and Germany. After crossing the Rhine River, the 89th liberated Ohrdruf concentration camp. Eventually at the border to Czechoslovakia, he awaited with his Division for the Russians to arrive at the end of the War. Once the War had ended Joseph was stationed at Camp Lucky Strike, and then later Austria until leaving Europe for home. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Dubois, Joseph Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Schmehil, Jacqueline (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/a029e6b5e47b393c07adb175a795add5.m4v f196faf55f12c02a318b5e6355b46c9d https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d7496002b91e2a96b750903a1bdb8863.pdf 748bc6124bc8a6049a32722a576b99e6 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Max Doering World War II 1 hour 17 minutes 30 seconds (00:00:14) Early Life -Born in 1924 -Born in Grand Rapids MI -Father a stock broker for Paine Webber -Despite the market crash family was doing well relative to most. -One sibling, a brother. -Followed world news of the American entry into the War closely. -Learned about Pearl Harbor on the radio. -17 years old when Pearl Harbor was attacked. (00:02:40) Enlistment and Boot Camp -Didn’t want to enlist, waited to be drafted. -Friends were drafted nearly the same time. -Enlisted in the Navy as a preference to Army. -Entered the service March ’43. -Boot camp at Great Lakes in Illinois. -Regimentation: drilling, boats, knot tying, etc. -Navy began using cots instead of hammocks at time of enlistment. -Wasn’t too phased by trainings. -Boot camp lasted roughly 8 weeks. -Seven day leave after boot camp. (00:07:55) Great Lakes Hospital Corpsman Training -About a month to six weeks of training. -Assigned due to interest in medical care. -Training not in hospital itself. -Mostly first aid training. -Completed Corpsman training end of June. (00:10:35) Seattle Naval Hospital -Train trip to Seattle over several days. -Stay at Seattle Naval Hospital about a month to six weeks. -Disliked his experience and so volunteered for Marines -Worked as 1st or 2nd class pharmacist mate -One instance; burn patients from Alaska in a torpedo attack (00:13:30) Marines -Sent to San Diego Marine Corps training center. -Approximately a month to six weeks of training. -Mostly physical training. -Then put into a replacement unit to ship out. -Traveled on a Dutch ship to New Caledonia. �-Traveled in a convoy of 2 or so other ships. (00:16:50) 22nd Marines and Marshall Campaign -Shipped from New Caledonia to Marshall Islands -Approximately a platoon unit took Higgins boats to check large Japanese gun turrets. -Guns were no longer in place but evidence of their presence remained. -Cannot recall the name of islet they were on. (00:21:03) 22nd Marines and Guadalcanal -Shipped to Guadalcanal -Approximately a four/five month long stay. -Life at Guadalcanal was routine. -Attended a Red Cross USO show. -Local tribe was scarcely present. -Traded a mattress covering for a carved hatchet-like tool. -Played a lot of poker in off time. -After arrival estimates about half the men got malaria. -While he didn’t get malaria, eventually at Guam he came down with dengue fever. -They were treated with preventative medicine. -Some of the men got filariasis and were sent back to the US. -Mother sent letters every day, and occasional packages. -At this time his brother was in the Army deployed to Europe. -Weather at Guadalcanal was heavily raining, and reached 120 degrees. -Boarded troop transport ships to ship out to Guam. (00:27:00) Battle of Guam -USS Missouri accompanied their ships (as it had in the Marshall Islands) landing nearby. -USS Missouri did engage in the conflict. -Once boarded onto the ship given instructions on destination, tactics, etc. -No memory of being shown tactical maps. -Attack was an initial bombardment, and strafing. -Navy Air Corps and the Army Air Corps involved. -Approximately 1-2 weeks after the Marines arrived the Army arrived to take up garrison duty. -Proceeded in two half-track vehicles and a Japanese battery destroyed the other vehicle killing all the passengers. -Took half-track type vehicles from troop ship to the shore itself. -Observed a surprising amount of equipment dated 1918 from WWI. -Once on shore infantry moved in and they followed behind. -The 1st Division landed on section of island by the town of Agana. -His unit the 22nd Regiment and the 4th Regiment landed as the 1st Brigade. -Proceeded to the Orote Peninsula where old Marines barracks were. -There were reportedly more Japanese by the 1st Division than this location in the western area. -The 1st Division to the east, and their 1st Brigade never met up. -Estimation of light to medium casualties. -Took the role of attending first aid to the troops. -34:20 - 38:00: Carried an injured soldier on his back to the aid station under the threat of sniper fire. �-Newer Corpsmen received instruction on giving blood plasma however he did not. -Once troops pulled out volunteered to remain on Guam as a preference to returning to Guadalcanal. -Remained on Guam for about a month without event. -Took food via Jeep to a native family. (00:42:00) Okinawa -Preparation before shipping off to Okinawa: -Initially returned to Guadalcanal to prepare for landing on Okinawa. -Troops initially speculated the preparation was for Formosa. -Heard news about the fighting going on Iwo Jima. -Landed at Okinawa on April 1st 1945. -Encountered no problems with the landing itself. No Japanese opposition was present at landing area. -Went in with the 2nd wave. -Bombardment followed prior to landing. -Six divisions involved: Three Marines, and three Army. -Tactic involved Marines taking north section of island, Army taking south section. -Japanese opposition turned out to be in the southern section. -No conflict at this time however witnessed a multitude of tracer rounds and air combat at night, such as kamikaze pilots. -Recalls that a kamikaze pilot bombed the USS Franklin. [End of the first video file interview. Start of the second video file interview] -Encountered reporter Ernie Pyle the day before he was shot by Japanese snipers. -While on the north part of Okinawa witnessed a P-47 flying close by, followed soon after by two other P-47 planes. -Later discovered that a Japanese soldier had stolen the plane and was being pursued, until it was finally shot down. -Cleared out the north part of Okinawa and began to the southern part. -The Marines took the eastern half of the south part of Okinawa, while the Army took the western half of the south. -By May 1st stopped at main fortifications until late June when intense fighting took place. -Although he was at the battle for Sugar Loaf hill, his platoon wasn’t sent in. -50:20: No action on their part was taken at night, only during the day. -As Japanese civilians were increasingly used to attack soldiers, US soldiers were ordered to shoot civilians. -E.g. women tossing grenades. -No sense exactly for the amount of casualties of his particular company. -Two casualties of note: -a 44 year old married man, with a wife and 4 boys. Owner of a gas station and a garage. -a 16 year old that had lied about his age to enter service. Died the day before receiving his orders to leave for being underage. -Took the advice that it’s best not to become deeply personally attached to any one individual soldier, so their death may not be as damaging. -Used burial jars south of Naha to hole up in during attacks. �-Securing and closing up Japanese tunnels could involve flamethrowers burning foliage and tanks plowing to seal entrances. -01:00:00: June 22nd Okinawa was declared secure. That day received his long overdue orders to be sent home. -Returned to Guam, and no more than 3 days later received orders to leave for San Francisco. -Thereafter returned to Grand Rapids August 1st 1945. War ends August 10th. (01:02:00) Post War -Early September reports to Detroit receivership. -Gets orders to go to Treasure Island, the San Francisco Naval receiving station. -Ordered to return to his old unit as the US sent Marines to China to defend from the Japanese. -Ship breaks down near Pearl Harbor and he is dropped off. -Navy receivership assigns him to Navy hospital at John Rogers’s air field. -Witnessed one of the riots with local natives and the military. -Played so much poker that he won a car to use during his time on Hawaii. -After 6 months discharged to go home. (01:07:50) Misc. -Changed companies to the weapons company after returning to Guadalcanal, but before Okinawa. -They needed pharmacist’s mates and assigned him to attend a particular platoon. -Weapons company at Okinawa was placed further back. -Some weapons consisted of: 30 caliber water-cooled machine guns, 37 millimeter cannons, French 75 on half-tracks, Browning automatic rifles, flamethrowers (were not in his platoon). -Did not have mortars. -Platoon consisted of 40 men working in pairs. -Third person in the platoon (amongst the two mentioned earlier) to be killed at Okinawa was a casualty of shrapnel. (01:12:30) Post War Continued, 1946 -Returned to college, got married, had two children. -Worked for a Swiss pharmaceutical company [likely to be Novartis] for seven years. -Turned down promotion that required moving. -Became a stock broker for 48 years. -Wife was a long time high school girlfriend. -Proposed on leave and married after the War. -Views his time in the military as a neutral necessity. -During his time training for pharmaceuticals in New York worked 6 months away from wife and his infant child. � 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_DoeringM1859V Title A name given to the resource Doering, Max H (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-07-28 Description An account of the resource Max Doering was born in 1924 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After Pearl Harbor he was drafted into the Navy in 1942 and had boot camp at Great Lakes in Illinois. After training as a hospital Corpsman, he volunteered to serve with the Marines and was placed in the 22nd Marine Regiment. He participated in the invasions of the Marianas and Okinawa. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Doering, Max H. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Type The nature or genre of the resource 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/33c00ceeb355a6bd54b36eac4c7e86b0.m4v d594d5b4b00b4fe9a60da1785a96d280 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/9eb73c3cc8ac6489ca010fe5e7b4d988.pdf ca667f645ca91d604d9789eca6959b13 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Donald Diekevers Cold War Era 30 minutes 15 seconds (00:10) -Born March 27th, 1937. -Served in the army with highest rank of Private First Class. -Born in McBain Michigan. -Lived on a farm. -Hardwork doing farm work, raising pickles and beans, milking cows. -Two brothers and two sisters. -He is the youngest. -Life on the farm was hard but considered it a good life. -Father and mother were both farmers. -Worked for a short time at a hardware store in town. -Didn‟t enjoy going to school. -Attended high school for 6 months until 9th grade. -Left school when he was 16. -Today in hindsight he wishes he had stayed in school. -Grandfather served in German army long ago. -No other family members involved in military. -Rural living in winters: heavy snow requiring horses to get through certain roads. (05:00) -17 when deciding to enlist in the Army. -His brother Hank was enlisting in the military, and so he decided he would as well. -Brother wasn‟t accepted and he was. -Changing to military life was drastically different. -Basic training wasn‟t difficult for him, farm work kept him in great shape. -“Rough” but quite doable. -Took basic training in Fort Knox, Kentucky. -Later trained at Fort Carson, Colorado. -Later still, trained at Fort Bliss, Texas. -Finally sent to Washington D.C. -Appreciates the training he received, taught him discipline. -No particular reason for choosing the Army. (10:00) -Fort Bliss training involved using the 90mm guns. -Went to Virginia Beach about once a year to train to fire guns. -Guns were rather inaccurate and difficult. -Considers his own marksmanship average, “okay”. -Parents had mixed feelings about his leaving to the Army. -Economy was bad, and they had just moved to Grand Rapids. -His favorite part of military service – being done with military service (humorously stated). �-Least favorite part was the first six weeks of basic training. -Because it was lonesome. (15:00) -Made some good, long term friends in the military. -Life in the barracks – footlocker inspections, small bunks. -Preferred the bottom bunk. -Food was not too bad, KP service could offer advantages. -Long marches were the most difficult physical task. 70 mile marches. -Other aspects not too difficult for him. -Mentally being homesick was difficult. -Didn‟t get in any severe trouble during his service. -One incident, a mild car accident where he t-boned a vehicle. (20:00) -Upon discharge, two of his brothers picked him up. -They drove all the way from Michigan. -After returning home from the Army, went back to work. -Worked at various employers for a number of years. -Met his wife in 1955 (or perhaps ‟54), before entering the service. -Communicated by mail during his service. -Discharged from the military in March, married in October of „58. -Five years later 1964 their first child was born. -Another four years later second child, soon after their third. -Did not do anything to either encourage/discourage his children from entering the military. -During one week off, hitchhiked from Washington D.C. all the way home to Michigan. -Above all the most valuable thing he gained from the military was discipline. (25:00) -During his time he would attend service at the Chaplain on base. -Most the time his time was spent working on the 90mm gun artillery. -Military helped him to be self-sufficient, able to take orders and cooperate. -No lingering trauma or sense of PTSD to speak of. � 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_DiekeversD1830V Title A name given to the resource Diekevers, Donald (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-20 Description An account of the resource Donald Diekevers was born in 1937 in McBain, Michigan. He decided to enlist into the Army at 17. At Fort Knox, Kentucky he received basic training, while further training took place at Fort Carson, Colorado, and later at Fort Bliss, Texas. Their training involved the use of 90mm artillery and lengthy 70 mile marches. Eventually he would be stationed in Washington D.C. for the last part of his service. In 1954/55 he met his wife and they finally married after being discharged from the military in 1958. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Diekvers, Donald Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Diekevers, Joseph (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 Other veterans & civilians--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/f1a75d493f392e344b9d267583bec24a.m4v 5cf0ce5f0cdfd87f0aa2d2c12dbf539a https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/bff30363b8077ffbda9ba77dc7aa266d.pdf 039fb147e26045410937bde3d9b4943e PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Oscar Carlson World War II 1 hour 26 minutes 22 seconds (00:00:44) Start of the War & Enlisting -When Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941 he realized the severity of the attack -Knew that there would be a need for soldiers -Decided to enlist in the Army -Didn't want to fight, but knew that he had to -If you enlisted there was a chance you'd get a better job -Enlisted on December 8, 1941 -A week later he got processed in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Sent by train to Fort Custer, Michigan for further processing -Stopped at every town between Grand Rapids and Fort Custer -Didn't know if he was supposed to be scared, or not -Arrived at Fort Custer around 8 PM -Made a mistake in the mess line and got yelled at (00:04:09) Early Life -Grew up in Northport, Michigan -Town located in northern Michigan near Traverse City -Grew up on a farm outside of Northport -Stayed in school through the eighth grade -Stayed in Michigan until he enlisted at the age of twenty years old -Means that he was born in either 1920, or 1921 -Worked for a farmer in the Grand Rapids area for a year and a half -Then got a job in the city of Grand Rapids -Had been working there for less than a year when Pearl Harbor happened (00:05:33) Basic Training -After a day and a half at Fort Custer he went to Camp Joseph T. Robinson, Arkansas -Drill sergeant told the recruits they didn't have to work or follow orders -If they chose to do that there would be dire consequences -Learned how to live outside -Went on marches -Spent most of 1942 at Camp Robinson before moving on -Moved on to Hattiesburg, Mississippi after basic training -Most likely Camp Shelby -Linked up with National Guard troops from Maine at Camp Robinson -He was in A Company then got reassigned to M Company -Stayed in M Company for duration of the war -Marched every day -Had to learn how to march -He had trouble with it and got yelled at and made fun of it over it �-Learned how to use a rifle -Goal of basic training was to get prepared for combat -Three regiments were formed at Camp Robinson -The 103rd Infantry Regiment, 169th Infantry Regiment, and 172nd Infantry Regiment (00:10:55) Deployment to the Pacific Theatre -Sent from San Francisco to New Zealand -43rd Infantry Division left the U.S. in October 1942 -Voyage from America to New Zealand was boring and he didn't know their destination -Remembers that New Zealand was a beautiful place -Stayed there for two weeks and got to explore the island -One regiment (the 172nd) sailed to the New Hebrides -Captain sailed into the harbor without guidance; the ship hit a mine and sank -Two men died, but the rest of the men got off the ship -They lost all of their equipment though -Sent over to New Caledonia to wait until they got equipment -This would have been in November 1942 -During that time some of the worst fighting happened on Guadalcanal -Had the 172nd not lost the equipment he would have fought on Guadalcanal -There was only one settlement on New Caledonia -It was an undeveloped island -Most of the people on New Caledonia didn't speak English -Had to regularly wear mosquito netting and sleep under it too -Spent nine months there -Sailed from New Caledonia to Guadalcanal -The day they landed there Guadalcanal was declared secure -This would have been on February 17, 1943 (00:15:45) Capture of the Russell Islands -Went to the Russel Islands on February 21, 1943 Note: The following events most likely happened on Vangunu, Rendova and New Georgia. The Russell Islands were taken without opposition and the Japanese airstrip was on New Georgia -Goal was to assemble there and establish an airstrip for bombers -Japanese had a small airstrip -They routed the Japanese and two days later brought in equipment to build the airstrip -The island they were on was a coral island; the coral was excellent building material -Constantly dealt with harassment from Japanese troops -Japanese picked off soldiers at random -Officers removed their insignia to be less identifiable -He worked as a mail runner on the Russell Islands -He took part in the invasion of the Russell Islands -Remembers stiff resistance from the Japanese �(00:21:02) Liberation of Vangunu and Rendova -Moved on to Vangunu and encountered resistance there in June 1943 -Missed the landing zone -Ship hit a sandbar and they stepped off into chest high water -Lost their radio -Natives helped them without hesitation -Showed the GIs trails and how to find the Japanese -They had to cross a mountain stream -Native man tied a vine between the two shores to help the Americans -Found a path that led to a small naval outpost held by the Japanese -Officers decided to press the attack -Got down there and thought it was abandoned -Japanese started sniping at them -He was part of a group of men sent out to scout the area -Three men got shot instantly, two of them were brothers -Ordered to fall back and Oscar fell into a sinkhole -Crawled out, but his rifle was useless -He returned to camp and the sun was setting -Ordered to dig in for the night -Japanese were in the trees firing at them -A small Japanese ship arrived at night -Heavy fighting ensued -They had Marines attached to them as support units -Left the naval outpost and moved deeper into the island, running into knee deep mud -Had to use makeshift stretchers to carry the wounded -Japanese killed the men in the stretchers, but let the able-bodied men pass -Tremendously demoralizing -Stayed at their base camp for a few days -A ship was sent to collect the troops and move them to Rendova -They had no radar at Rendova which allowed Japanese aircraft to attack without warning -A bomb was dropped so close to his landing craft that he could have touched it -Neither operation made the news -They stayed at Rendova for a while -Once those islands were secured he ferried mail between the islands -They fought the Japanese while heavy equipment worked behind them to build an airstrip -Most likely on New Georgia (00:37:07) Regrouping and R&R in New Zealand -Sent back to New Zealand for R&R and to rebuild their units -This would have been in fall 1943 -They had lost half of their men -Killed, wounded, or evacuated due to combat stress -They stayed on New Zealand for about nine months -Could go into town to get food whenever they wanted -He weighed only 100 pounds when they got New Zealand, and gained 60 pounds �(00:38:47) Stationed in New Guinea Pt. 1 -In July 1944 the 43rd was sent to Aitape, New Guinea -They set up camp there and sent out patrols to keep the area secure -Dengue fever was a problem -Skin problems were prevalent -Had to bathe in the ocean to deal with the sores -Still has scars -The fighting there was minimal -Dealing with Japanese remnants and the few reinforcments they received -By August 25, 1944 the last Japanese forces had been removed from the area -Stayed in New Guinea until moving to the Philippines (00:41:49) Liberation of the Philippines Pt. 1 -Once the troops were assembled they moved up to the Philippines in early 1945 -He helped unload troops and supplies at Lingayen Gulf -There were a lot of Japanese in the Philippines -The objective was to push to a highway that connected the Lingayen Gulf area to Manila -Held off from further advances for two weeks -Fears that the Japanese would kill the American prisoners they still had -Once that fear was negated they continued their advance toward Manila -Captured Manila in February and March 1945, but did not go to Corregidor -He helped retake the water supply for Manila in May 1945 -Most likely Ipo Dam northeast of Manila -Slept during the day and moved at night to avoid detection by the Japanese (00:47:45) End of the War, Coming Home, and End of Service Pt. 1 -After the Philippines were secured they prepared for the invasion of Japan -In Manila when the first atomic bomb was dropped on Japan (August 6, 1945) -Sailed from the Philippines to Australia -Picking up war-brides and children -Women that had married U.S. troops and fathered their children -Sailed aboard a luxury liner and got served by Merchant Marines -After the atomic bombs were dropped he knew the war would end -He had malaria at the end of the war and received treatment for it -Still can't explain what he felt when the war ended and the invasion of Japan was cancelled (00:52:54) Liberation of the Philippines Pt. 2 -Advancing in the Philippines came pretty easy -Knew not to alert the Japanese to their presence -He was in Manila when General MacArthur returned -Entered with a huge motorcade -Oscar had a pretty high opinion of him -Admired what he was able to do with limited troops and resources -When he landed at the Philippines he saw only one Japanese plane -At Clark Field they discovered dozens of Japanese planes -Learned that Japan ran out of fuel -They destroyed the Japanese planes by throwing grenades into the �cockpits (00:57:53) Stationed in New Guinea Pt. 2 -Remembers the heat and humidity in New Guinea -Most men that contracted Dengue fever succumbed to it -Constantly being wet caused skin rot -They were able to cool off at night and sleep on cots -All told, spent a year in New Guinea (00:59:55) Reflections on Service -Memories of the war are still vivid seventy years later -He kept in touch with his old sergeant until the sergeant died -Only stayed in touch with him -He is glad that he went and was able to come back alive and intact -Felt an obligation to fight and stop the fascists (01:02:13) End of the War, Coming Home, and End of Service Pt. 2 -Whenever they sailed during the war there were light restrictions -There was a "smoking lamp" and when it was lit there were no light restrictions -When it was off you couldn't even light a cigarette for fear of being seen by subs -On the voyage to Australia the smoking lamp never turned off -Symbolic that the war was truly over -The men talked about going home and were eager to go back to civilian life -Men were humble and grateful to be alive -Sailed home board the SS Lurline -Took nineteen days to get back to the United States -Sailed up the West Coast and landed at San Francisco -Saw the Hollywood sign when they passed Los Angeles -The ship was listing because so many men were on the side looking at the shore -He boarded a train in San Francisco and fell asleep as soon as he sat down -Went to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois and got thirty days of leave -Stayed with his brother -His sister and fiancee were making wedding plans -After he returned to Great Lakes Naval Station he got discharged -Went home and got married a day or two later -Based on outside sources: married on October 27, 1945 -Means that he got back to the U.S. in September 1945 (01:07:25) Life after the War -Worked for Kelvinator in Grand Rapids -Worked there for a year, or a year and a half, until he got laid off -He rented a home in Grand Rapids and his landlord was a painter -Worked for him for a while -Got hired at The Globe in Grand Rapids -Got a job at the Post Office -Started there in the late 1940s -It became his career -Worked as a clerk -Meant he had to learn the mail routes �-He worked for the Post Office until he was sixty (1980/1981) -Time in the Army counted toward his retirement -He worked for a church for ten years -Built a house that he still lives in as of 2015 -Had two sons and a daughter Interview ends at 01:14:42 (01:15:15) Photographs and Artifacts -43rd Infantry Division cap with campaign ribbons -Wedding photograph -Photo of Oscar in the Army wearing dress shirt and overseas -Headshot of Oscar while in the Army, wearing his overseas cap with regimental pin -Headshot of Oscar while in the Army -Photo of Oscar and his sister Ethel while he was home on leave -Photograph of Oscar in Army dress shirt � 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_CarlsonO1783V Title A name given to the resource Carlson, Oscar (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-12 Description An account of the resource Oscar Carlson was born in 1920, or 1921 and raised in Northport, Michigan. On December 8, 1941 he enlisted in the Army in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was processed at Fort Custer, Michigan and was sent to Camp Joseph. T. Robinson, Arkansas for basic training. While at Camp Robinson he was assigned to the 43rd Infantry Division. He trained in the United States for the majority of 1942 in Arkansas and Mississippi before deploying to the Pacific Theatre in October 1942. He was stationed at New Zealand before taking part in the occupation of the Russell Islands in February 1943 the liberation of Vangunu, Rendova, and New Georgia through the summer of 1943 securing Aitape, New Guinea in July and August 1944 and the liberation of Luzon, Philippines in January-August 1945. After the war ended he returned to the United States and landed at San Francisco. He was sent to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois and was discharged there in October 1945. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Carlson, Oscar Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Childress, Jim (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/338e1d24bebbd40d093348dde410d42c.m4v d62298c92a758cced9a7e9af724fa810 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4491a151ff55d0293c5c507018d3a8a1.pdf faa52dfcabdde6f5f8ce480fb2c0719d PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview World War II Jane Breidenfield Length of interview: (38:20) (00:15) Early Life     (00:20) Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on August 23, 1921 (00:30) She grew up in Grand Rapids and her father was a carpenter who made cabinets for ice cream stores. Eventually he was forced to work for the WPA (Works Progress Administration). He would eventually become the president of his carpenters union. (2:00) Jane went to Union High school and graduated in 1939. Before and after graduation she worked and managed a dairy store. (4:30) She learned a lot about world events from her father’s conversations. She remembers the shock of Pearl Harbor because her brother, who was in the army, was stationed in the area. (5:30) Enlistment and Training       (5:40) In 1943, she was walking by a recruiting station and decided to enlist in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC). (6:30) Jane was never asked what section she wanted to be in, they would put her where she was needed. (7:30) After taking a train from Grand Rapids to Chicago, she was taken to Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia for training. There were several train cars for men joining the navy and several for the women; the navy men never entered the women’s cabins (9:00) When Jane arrived at Fort Oglethorpe, they were given cloths, assignments, and sleeping quarters (9:30) The women had to receive various shots and attend classes. Discipline was very strict during training. Additionally, there were prisoners of war working the grounds; the women were prohibited from going near the prisoners or talking to them (11:30) Adjusting to the strict rules wasn’t difficult for Jane. Following orders in the military was like obeying the rules in school. Few women in Janes group were troublemakers (12:00) Military Life in Florida  (12:20) Training lasted a total of six weeks. While Jane was awaiting her assignment, she had to remain in a bivouac area for a week. She was eventually assigned to Orlando, Florida. When the women arrived at their station, they would have to decide on whether or not they would reenlist; Jane did but many of the women she trained with did not �              (14:30) After she arrived in Orlando, she became a plotter. A plotter placed points on a large map that detailed flight missions overseas. The information would be sent to Orlando from the personnel overseas. Most of these were bombing missions in Europe. (16:40) They received the identification of the plane and its speed through headsets. The only information the plotters received was related to the plane’s location; if something went wrong with the mission, she was not told. (17:50) There were usually four plotters working at once. Jane never attempted to learn more about the missions she was plotting. Since they were always busy plotting missions, they never got the chance to look at the officers to tell if they were concerned about the missions that were being carried out. (18:50) As the missions progressed, the markers used to plot the missions were moved in real time. (20:00) Jane was a plotter for a year and a half until better radar equipment was brought in to replace the job of the plotters (20:45) Life in Orlando was rather nice. Jane had a lot of freedom to explore the surrounding area with the small group of friends that she had. (21:30) There were two female officers, one colonel and one lieutenant who were in charge of women such as Jane. (22:00) The women were allowed to mingle with the men. Much of the social interaction between the men and women occurred in a nearby beer garden, swimming pool, and social house. (23:00) Jane would also go into towns around Orlando and sell war bonds. To do this, they entertained people by singing, dancing, and acting. (24:30) Jane established a small children’s group to travel to elementary schools and sing. (25:30) When the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps became the Women’s Army, the women had to rejoin the service. (26:00) Her experience with singing and acting was a part of her personal time as well as her military job. There was a nearby theater where she would partake in various activities. (26:45) After her job plotting and selling war bonds ended, Jane became a teletype operator. There were three shifts that the women rotated between. The most difficult part of the job was working the 6pm to 12am shift and having to get up early for inspections. (27:30) Jane began working as a teletype operator before the war ended (middle of 1945 and continued until six months after the war’s end. (28:20) Jane’s task was to send encoded messages into a room where they were decoded. After the messages were decoded, the teletype operators sent the messages to Tampa, Florida and from there they were sent to Washington D.C. (29:15) Post War Life and Reflections of Service  (29:30) After the war had ended, Jane was still working. Many of the women began to feel as if they were not needed anymore; when the women finally approached their commanding officer with their concerns, they were finally released (December 1945) �      (30:40) After being discharged, Jane returned to Grand Rapids and joined the Army Reserve (32:30) Although the reserves consisted mostly of men, Jane never felt like she was treated differently. This was much better than the way people treated them in Orlando where people couldn’t accept the women in uniform. However, this negative stigma was a result of the poor behavior of a small group of women. (34:00) In regards to racial segregation, Jane was surprised because she had never experienced it in Michigan. She remembers delivering a message and a young AfricanAmerican man was bowing to her; she felt that she didn’t deserve to be treated any differently than any other person. (35:00) Orlando was small compared to what it is today. Jane remembers that there were several great restaurants and four or five lakes to swim in. (35:50) When looking back on her experience in the service, she considers it to be some of the best years of her life. Military life allowed her to be more sociable and tolerating. Additionally, she learned to accept things that she normally would not. (37:00) Jane didn’t look for work immediately after leaving the service because she wanted to be reacquainted with her family. She would later find work in various places. � 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_BreidenfieldJ1861V Title A name given to the resource Breidenfield, Jane H (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-07-29 Description An account of the resource Jane Breidenfield was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on August 23, 1921. She joined the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (which would later become the Women's Army Corps) in 1943 and was trained at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. Jane spent her term of service in Orlando, Florida where she plotted bombing missions, sold war bonds, and worked as a teletype operator. Selling war bonds allowed Jane to participate in many theater related activities which she enjoyed and often continued in her free time. After the war ended and she was released from her duties in Orlando, Jane returned to Grand Rapids where she joined the Army Reserve. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Breidenfield, Jane H. 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. Women's Army Corps 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/add37fcc6d45c9471122992dc464efe1.m4v 7ae2593bcb47e9a84810f4c1b9970168 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b20155b7d2a4b3eafa519216358f5080.pdf 2588029efc88ac5381b53e5d47fb99d0 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Raymond Breen World War II 1 hour 4 minutes 43 seconds (00:00:25) Early Life -Born in Zeeland, Michigan -Tenth child out of twelve in the family -Three of his siblings died in infancy -Still has one sister who is ninety seven years old -Still spends time with her -Born on February 4, 1925 -Father was a woodworker and worked in a shop building furniture -Moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan when he was seven years old -Attended an elementary school on Leonard Street -Went to Harrison Park Elementary School -Attended Union High School -Dropped out after the eleventh grade -Went to work for the Grand Rapids Label Company -Worked there until he got drafted (00:03:14) Getting Drafted -Every eighteen year old man had to register for the draft -Told the officer that he wanted to get drafted as soon as possible -Six weeks later he was in basic training -Felt a duty to go and he also wanted to go (00:03:56) Stationed at Camp Butner (Basic Training, Promotion, and Maneuvers) -Sent to Camp Butner, North Carolina for basic training -Went on maneuvers in Tennessee -Promoted to the rank of staff sergeant during his time at Camp Butner -After maneuvers in Tennessee he got a fifteen day leave -After leave all of the privates and privates first class were sent overseas -Many of them fought, and died, on D-Day -Basic training was difficult -Went on speed marches and twenty five-thirty mile hikes with a full backpack -Got promoted to staff sergeant because he did his job well -As a staff sergeant he was in charge of a squad of eight men and his squad had an 81mm mortar -Trained to be a mortar squad which is what they did in combat -He was only nineteen years old -In charge of one man who was thirty five years old and had five children -He survived the war and was one of the first men sent home -Stationed at Camp Butner from March 1943 to fall 1944 -He received his training during that time, and also helped train men (00:09:04) Deployment to the European Theatre �-Spent thirteen days on the Atlantic Ocean -Sailed with a convoy -One day they woke up and the ship was in the middle of the ocean, alone -Engines had trouble and the convoy sailed on without them -Completely at the mercy of the U-Boats -Got the engines working and they managed to catch up with the convoy -U-Boats became a problem when they got closer to England -Destroyers engaged the submarines and drove them away by using depth charges -Pulled into Southampton, England on October 26, 1944 -He did not get seasick -Ran into a powerful storm -Ship almost capsized -Ship was a mess because of material getting thrown around and men getting seasick (00:12:18) Arrival in the European Theatre -Stayed in a little English town for approximately one month -Spent the time training and preparing to go over to mainland Europe -Crossed the English Channel and landed at Le Havre, France on November 22, 1944 -Moved east into Belgium and stayed in tents for approximately one week -Saw V2 Rockets going overhead toward London -Went so fast that fighter planes couldn't shoot them down -Traveled from France to Belgium on trucks (00:14:27) Fighting in the Hurtgen Forest -They received orders to move into combat and take up positions on the frontline -His division, the 78th Infantry Division, relieved elements of the 1st Infantry Division -Mortars were already set up and ready to be fired -Mortar gunner in his squad had never fired a mortar before -During a fire mission he dropped a shell too soon causing the mortar to explode -Killed him instantly -Married before deploying and had been sure he would survive the war -First man in the 78th Infantry Division to get killed in action -Their first position was in the Hurtgen Forest -Stayed there for several weeks -Stalemate in terms of advancing -Had to wait for supplies -Shelled often -Ironically, they feared the the falling branches and trees more than the artillery -German soldiers were only a few hundred yards away -They stayed in slit trenches -Finally advanced and began to push the Germans out of the Hurtgen Forest -Encountered stiff resistance and heavy shelling -Remembers a mortar landing on his slit trench -The logs covering the trench saved his life -They moved parallel to the frontline and took up a new position down the line �(00:22:07) Advancing into Germany Pt. 1 -After breaking out of the Hurtgen Forest they advanced across German farms and cities -The German people were good people, they just got deceived by Hitler -He believes they should have figured out what he was and killed him -Sometimes went into farm houses and asked for food -Germans always gave them any food they could spare -Supplemented their meager rations -Remembers going to sit down and eat his dinner once -Picked out a snow covered log and sat down -Discovered that the log was actually a dead, frozen German soldier -Had to sleep in foxholes with only a wool blanket -No sleeping bag or tent -Could only dig down a foot and a half because the ground was frozen (00:26:00) Crossing the Rhine River Pt. 1 -His battalion in the 310th Infantry Regiment was the first to cross the Remagen Bridge -March 8, 1945 -One of only two bridges left that spanned the Rhine River -Drove up to the Remagen Bridge on trucks -Ran across the bridge to the other side of the river -German Stuka dive bombers attacked in a desperate bid to stop the Americans from advancing -All of the Stukas were shot down -He remembers diving into a bomb crater -A piece of metal from one of the planes landed next to him -The Stukas crashed into the Rhine River -One of the pilots bailed down, but was shot on his way down -The bridge collapsed on March 17, 1945 killing twenty eight men -Fought in the hills overlooking the Rhine River -Suffered from battle fatigue and a high fever and got evacuated to a field hospital for three days -By then pontoon bridges were set up (00:31:30) Advancing into Germany Pt. 2 -Rejoined his unit and continued with the advance into the hills and through the towns -Got to a house and got bombarded by mortars -Went into the basement -Man in front of him was hit with shrapnel and died instantly -On another occasion he was in the backyard running parallel to a brick wall -A mortar landed only a few feet behind and obliterated the wall -Never feared the German civilians -One of the men in his unit got wounded by a German 88mm artillery shell -They were carrying him back to a town to be treated by doctors -Came upon a wounded German soldier -One GI was left behind to inspect the soldier while the group continued -A few minutes later he heard a gunshot and the GI rejoined them -Believes that that was just cold-blooded murder -He would have at least tried to help the man back to town �-Entered the Ruhr Pocket -German industrial area with larger cities -Encountered more German civilians -His duty was as a forward observer -This meant he carried a radio and helped direct fire for the mortar teams -On one occasion he was on a hill, directing fire, and the hill took German mortar fire -There was a platoon of black American soldiers dug in nearby -One of those soldiers saw Ray needed cover -He jumped out of his foxhole and ran to another one -This allowed Ray to get into that man's foxhole and survive -During that time he saw five months of almost daily combat (00:42:24) End of the War Pt. 1 -They were in the Ruhr Pocket at the end of the war -Everyone, including German soldiers and civilians, knew the war was coming to an end -Everyone also knew that the Allies were going to win -Near the end of the war they got into a village and took fire from some of the buildings -Ray went in to clear one of the houses and caught a German soldier -He was trying to change into civilian clothes to avoid getting captured or killed -Marched the German out of the house in his long underwear -The GIs and the other German prisoners laughed -At the end of the war one GI could capture one hundred German soldiers with no problem -He could march them to a holding area for prisoners without any resistance either -The German people were terrified of the Soviet soldiers -He heard about how Soviet soldiers raped German women and murdered civilians -Remembers in one engagement they sprayed a field with machine gun fire -Germans surrendered without returning fire (00:48:36) Crossing the Rhine River Pt. 2 -After they crossed the Rhine River they ran into some German tanks -He timed their shots as well as he could to avoid getting hit by a shell -Managed to dodge the tanks and find cover -Learned quickly that a lot of survival was based simply on instinct (00:50:58) End of the War Pt. 2 -His unit was in a small town in the Ruhr Pocket when they received word of Germany's surrender -There were no major celebrations, but everyone was happy -He received some leave and got to go to southern France -Got to stay in the Riviera Hotel on the Mediterranean Sea -Went there with a group of soldiers from his unit as well other units -After his leave he rejoined his unit -They moved to an abandoned German town and got established there for occupation duty �-His squad took over a small house -Stayed in that town for months just waiting to go home -Didn't have to do anything except exercise (00:53:23) Coming Home & End of Service Pt. 1 -Had to have eighty five points to get sent home and discharged -Points were awarded based on length of service, combat seen, rank, and dependents -Taken by truck to France when he had enough points -Boarded a ship and returned to the United States (00:53:56) Bronze Star -Near the end of the war he was alerted that four GIs were wounded behind enemy lines -They were in the back of a broken down truck and needed to be evacuated -Ray volunteered to take a jeep and save the men -Brought one of the men from his squad to act as his driver -Found the wounded GIs and loaded them onto the jeep -Didn't know if they were going to get shot at, or a grenade thrown at them -Managed to get all four of the men back to the rear and evacuated to a hospital -Never found out if any of them survived -Ray was awarded a Bronze Star for valor -Learned that the driver wasn't awarded a Bronze Star -Pushed his officer to make an appeal for the driver so he could be recognized -Officer tried, but nothing came of it (01:00:06) Coming Home & End of Service Pt. 2 -Feels that God was good to him and protected him during the war -Left France on January 15, 1946 -Got home on January 31, 1946 (01:01:00) Life after the War -Got a full-time job two weeks after coming home -Got a job helping his future father-in-law -Brother served in the Pacific Theatre and made it home without getting hurt -Still wakes up thinking about certain events, things he will never forget -Married his girlfriend in September 1946 -Married for sixty nine years as of September 2015 -Had three sons and one daughter -Gary, Rick, Ray Jr., and Laura (01:04:04) Reflections on Service -Something he would not want to do again, but wouldn't trade his experience for anything -Feels blessed to have gotten through it unharmed and is thankful � 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_BreenR1874V Title A name given to the resource Breen, Raymond Jay (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-09-01 Description An account of the resource Raymond Breen was born on February 4, 1925 in Zeeland, Michigan. When he was eighteen he registered for the draft, and six weeks after registering he was drafted in March 1943 and went to Camp Butner, North Carolina for basic training. He participated in maneuvers in Tennessee and was eventually promoted to the rank of staff sergeant and placed in charge of a mortar squad of eight men. In fall 1944 he left the United States with the 310th Infantry Regiment of the 78th Infantry Division and arrived in England on October 26, 1944. He stayed in England for further training before sailing to France, arriving at Le Havre on November 22, 1944. He fought in the Hurtgen Forest, crossed the Rhine River at Remagen, and helped clear the Ruhr Pocket. Near the end of the war he helped save four wounded Americans and was awarded a Bronze Star for valor. After Germany's surrender in May 1945 he was part of the occupation force in the Ruhr Pocket and stayed in Europe until January 1946 when he was sent home and dishcarged from the Army. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Breen, Raymond Jay Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Moore, Deb (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/9d5619fc1444969767965b29962d0a35.m4v d0f8d5eb89e0763faaf720e49f9d5ec1 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/349ecdcc4e704ade570b24383d2f8ff7.pdf a60e45b102a113cf72bcf4f7f9407526 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Dwight Becker World War II 56 minutes 32 seconds (00:00:21) Early Life -Born in Grandville, Michigan on March 25, 1924 -Grew up in Grandville -Attended Grandville High School and graduated from there in 1942 -Went to Grand Rapids Junior College (now Community College) in the fall of 1942 -Father was an automotive mechanic -Had his own garage -Helped his father in the summers -Able to keep the garage and work during the Great Depression -People would pay his father with food because it was more available than money -Had two younger brothers, one younger sister, and one older sister -As of 2015 all of his siblings are deceased -Both brothers served in the military after the war as part of the Army of Occupation (00:02:02) Start of the War -On December 7, 1941 he and his future-wife were babysitting the pastor's children -He was sitting on the porch in the evening when the paper boy came down the street -Selling the newspaper and declaring that Japan bombed Pearl Harbor -Affected him because he knew he was old enough to fight and the war would be long -Came as a surprise because he hadn't paid attention to the war in Europe and Asia -Items that were essential for the war effort were rationed -Car parts were hard to get -Uncle's gas station got a machine to repair old tires because tires were rationed -Gas and sugar were rationed -Had a special sticker to put on the car's speedometer -Capped the speed limit at 35 miles per hour to conserve gas -Despite the rationing he had no trouble with travel (00:05:16) Getting Drafted -In January 1943 he received his draft notice -Went to the Grand Rapids, Michigan train depot and took a train to Rockford, Illinois -Distribution center to decide where draftees were going to be sent for basic training -Note: Most likely Camp Grant (00:06:05) Basic Training Pt. 1 -Sent to Camp Butner, North Carolina for basic training �-The 78th Infantry Division was reactivated and needed its ranks filled -Got to Camp Butner and joined the 78th Infantry Division in March 1943 -Went on maneuvres in Tennessee (00:07:14) Deployment to the European Theatre Pt. 1 -Left Camp Butner in October 1944 -Sent to Camp Pickett, Virginia then went to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey -Boarded a ship in New Jersey bound for Europe (00:07:33) Basic Training Pt. 2 -He was assigned to the Medical Corps -Wanted to be in the Motor Pool, but the Army decided he'd be in the Medical Corps -Didn't have much choice, just did what the Army told you to do -Did a lot of classwork -Anatomy classes -First aid training -Learned how to dress wounds and set broken bones -Went on marches with the infantry -It was hot in North Carolina in the summer -Received no weapons training because he was a medic -There was still a high emphasis on discipline even though he was a medic -Adjusted well to the Army -Approximately 75 perccent of the recruits were 18 to 20 years old -Most of the men were also from the Midwest -Trained at Camp Butner from March 1943 to October 1944 -Expected to help infantrymen on marches if they got hurt -Treated a lot of men that passed out during summer marches -After they passed out he would carry their rifle to help them -He was assigned to the Medical Corps of the 310th Infantry Regiment, 78th Infantry Division -Stayed with that regiment when he was deployed to Europe -Once he got overseas he was attached to D Company (mortars and machine guns) (00:12:30) Deployment to the European Theatre Pt. 2 -In October 1944 they went to Camp Pickett then up to Camp Kilmer -Boarded the USAT George Washington -A ship seized from the German Empire in 1917 and made a troop transport -Didn't run into any problems on the voyage and he didn't get seasick -Zig-zagged to avoid U-Boats -Traveled with a convoy and they were protected by destroyer escorts -Arrived at Bournemouth, England on October 26 1944 -Trained there until late November 1944 -Crossed the English Channel and landed at Le Havre, France on November 22, 1944 (00:15:25) Battle of the Bulge -Took a train to the frontline on the German border and arrived there in early December 1944 -Went into combat on December 13, 1944 -The 78th held the positions they took on the Siegfried Line for three and a half weeks �-Treated a lot of men with frozen feet and frozen toes -One night got to sleep in a captured German bunker -That same night a German mortar hit his foxhole -Had he been in the foxhole he would have died -Treated frostbitten feet by putting on more socks and rubbing the feet to promote circulation -Germans pushed toward Belgium past the 78th's position -Learned later that an SS unit was going to attack the 78th's position -Fortunately, American fighter planes attacked the SS troops and diverted their attack -German artillery bombarded their positions on a daily basis -Also watched "buzz bombs" go across the sky in the distance -Had some sporadic gunfire from German scouting parties -Sent out patrols at night to find and push back the German scouting parties -Took care of gunshot wounds -In January 1945 they finally advanced on a nearby town and made contact with the Germans -Not an easy advance -Supported by American artillery (00:23:42) Advancing into Germany Pt. 1 -In February 1945 they pressed into Germany and captured Kesternich and Schmidt -Captured the Schwammanauel Dam on February 9, 1945 -On one night he went to treat a lieutenant -Bumped into a German soldier who handed Dwight his rifle and promptly surrendered -Later in February they encountered more Germans that wanted to surrender -On one instance they got to an abandoned town -A squad of German soldiers approached the town -They were ordered to surrender or be shot -Germans dropped their rifle and surrendered without incident -Most of the German soldiers they captured were old men and young boys -Germans were trying to conscript anyone that could fight -If prisoners of war were wounded he was ordered to treat them -He treated some prisoners that had minor wounds (00:28:02) Medical Supplies -Had two canvas pouches filled with medical supplies -Bandages, tapes, sulfa powder, and tubes of morphine -Various first aid tools -Water purification tablets -Could purify water in 30 to 45 minutes (00:30:09) Advancing into Germany Pt. 2 -When they were moving into another town they were on the edge of a wooded area -American artillery was called in to bombard the town and make the advance easier -Shells fell short and hit the trees, causing the trees to explode �-Shrapnel rained down on the men, and eight or nine men in his unit were hit -Two men died, one's head was blown open and the other disemboweled -The wounded cried out for help and he had to decide who to treat first -Worst case of friendly fire he experienced -Marched toward the Rhine River and once they were close they boarded trucks -They reached the town of Remagen on March 8, 1945 and crossed the Ludendorff Bridge -Walked across the Ludendorff Bridge -Remembers seeing a tank stuck on the railroad tracks on the bridge -Bridge eventually collapsed on March 17, 1945 -Germans tried to bomb the bridge with dive bombers, but failed -Moved into the village of Erpel on the eastern side of the Rhine River -Watched Army Engineers set up the pontoon bridge that would replace the Ludendorff Bridge -Once they were across the Rhine they knew the war would end soon -German civilians stayed out of the way of American troops (00:37:21) Getting Wounded -He was wounded on April 11, 1945 -Movved to attack a town in a valley and got pinned down by German artillery -Shell exploded near him peppering a leg and his beck with shrapnel -He put sulfa powder and bandages on his leg and administered morphine -Crawled to a crater to get to a low point -Laid there for a while waiting for the stretcher bearers to get to him (00:40:03) Recovery Pt. 1 -Stretcher bearers eventually collected him and took him to an aid station -Once he was stable he was taken by ambulance to a field hospital -Field hospital was basically just a large tent -Treated for three to four days -Had to stay there until his fever went down -Knew how to cheat the thermometer to make it seem like his fever was down -Wanted to get out so they could treat the men who were hurt worse -Sent to a hospital in Oxford, England -Got there in mid-April 1945 and stayed there until the end of June 1945 -Had to get the shrapnel and dirt cleaned out of his wounds -Sent to Percy Jones Hospital in Fort Custer, Michigan -Stayed there until the end of September 1945 (00:42:50) End of the War Pt. 1 -He was in Percy Jones Hospital when Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945 -He was in Oxford when Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945 -Remembers hearing about the death of President Roosevelt while in the field hospital �-Hospital staff didn't pay much attention to it because there were more pressing matters -English were sad he was gone, but glad he lived as long as he did to help them -There were not a lot of celebrations in the hospital on VE Day, but people were happier (00:44:33) Recovery Pt. 2 -Recovery consisted of rehabilitative exercise at Percy Jones Hospital -Took a mechanical drawing class while recovering at Percy Jones -Allowed to go home on the weekends to visit his girlfriend and his family -Concerned that once he was healed he would be reassigned to a unit and sent to the Pacific (00:46:01) End of the War Pt. 2 -Remembers that VJ Day was a big day at Percy Jones Hospital -People poured into the streets and celebrated the end of the war -People honked their car horns and church bells rang out (00:46:26) End of Service & Life after the War -He was discharged on September 26, 1945 at Fort Custer -He got a job at the General Motors factory on 36th Street in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Worked in the tool and die sector -Worked there for three months then the workers went on strike -Father opened Becker Automotive Supply, an automotive parts store, in Grandville, Michigan -They also had a machine shop -Left GM and worked at his father's store -He and his brothers took over the business when their father died -He took over the machine shop in 1980 -Rebuilt engines and worked on crank shafts -Retired when he was 72 years old (circa 1996) (00:50:01) Talons Out Honor Flight -Went on the Talons Out Honor Flight in May 2015 -Enjoyed it very much -Went to Gerald Ford International Airport at 5:30 AM and had breakfast with the other veterans -Sent off by civilians and serving servicemen/women -Flew to Washington D.C. and got greeted by more people when they landed -Went through D.C. on a chartered bus and had a police escort through the city -Got to see the World War II Memorial and met Senator Bob Dole -Had dinner in a field in a mess tent set up by the Army -When they returned to Grand Rapids they were greeted by people at the airport -Went to East Kentwood High School for a final ceremony -Escorted to East Kentwood High School by the police and Freedom Riders -Greeted and thanked for their service by 4,000 people at East Kentwood (00:55:16) Reflections on Service -It was an experience he will never forget -Feels that his time in the Army forced him to mature quickly -Couldn't imagine his own children fighting in the war when they were in their late teens �-Believes it was a good experience and that he learned a lot � 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_BeckerD1878V Title A name given to the resource Becker, Dwight Wendell (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-08-17 Description An account of the resource Dwight Becker was born in Grandville, Michigan on March 25, 1924. He received his draft notice in January 1943 and reported for service in March 1943. He went to Camp Grant, Illinois and was assigned to Camp Butner, North Carolina for basic training and medical training. He was assigned to the Medical Corps in the 310th Infantry Regiment of the 78th Infantry Division. He trained at Camp Butner until October 1944 when the 78th went to Camp Pickett, Virginia then Camp Kilmer, New Jersey where they boarded the USAT George Washington and sailed for the European Theatre. They arrived in England on October 26, 1944 and trained there until they went to France on November 22, 1944. He was attached to D Company and they took up positions on the Siegfried Line in early December 1944. He treated wounded soldiers and wounded prisoners of war during the Battle of the Bulge, the crossing of the Rhine River, and the advance into Germany. On April 11, 1945 he was wounded and after being stabilized in Europe he returned to the United States in June 1945. He recovered at Percy Jones Hospital in Fort Custer, Michigan and was discharged from the Army at Fort Custer on September 26, 1945. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Becker, Dwight Wendell Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jones, Adam (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army 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/f71423c8b8168094d0c4f4bd3c5a7e31.m4v 2ad403812d25ea5eceaed791ed1e11a2 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/120e5ceba7b461f296cf6dc2979febca.pdf 3c998bc76a61a5af68febe0f072e0390 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Edwin Baumann World War II 1 hour 4 minutes 11 seconds (00:00:16) Early Life -Born in Stockton, California on June 19, 1923 -Started school at five and a half years old in San Francisco -Immediately went into the first grade -When he was seven years old his parents divorced and he moved to Sonoma, California -Lived with his grandparents and an uncle on their farm -Family was poor during the Great Depression (00:01:16) Start of the War -He was eighteen years old when Pearl Harbor was attacked -Sister heard the news at a neighborhood store and told him -He didn't believe her until he heard the radio report for himself -Believed that a war with Japan would only last a couple weeks -Uncle became an air raid warden -Edwin assisted his uncle -There were a few air raids that proved to be false -When they did happen he helped his uncle tell the farmers to turn off their lights -Believed that Japan was going to invade California (00:02:50) Enlisting in the Army Air Force -Wanted to enlist and become a pilot in the Army Air Force -Required two years of college to be a pilot though -Army dropped that requirement a few years after Pearl Harbor -He went to Hamilton Army Airfield, California and to enlist as an aviation cadet -Passed the colorblindness test and the blood pressure test -Sent home to wait for orders -Enlisted in April 1942 (00:04:05) Basic Training -Called up for duty in August 1942 -At the time he was aware of the fighting in Europe and Asia in the summer of 1942 -Knew classmates from school that had joined the military and were fighting -Received a letter to report to San Francisco -Took a ferry from San Francisco to Oakland and boarded a train bound for Texas -Took four days to get to Texas -Stopped at a town in Colorado -Travelled in a "sleeper" car and slept in bunks -Arrived at the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center -Still in civilian clothes �-First days of training were spent whitewashing stones and picking up cigarette butts -He was the first one in his tent to get a uniform because his civilian shoes wore out -Hurricane hit the area -They were ordered to collapse their tents and sit on them -After that their tent leaked -While cleaning they found a piece of paper with cadet test scores on it -His group looked at it until a captain yelled at all of them to get back to work -From that point on none of the men worked too hard -Eventually got assigned to a barracks -Marched to the mess hall for breakfast and marched to the mess hall for dinner -Food was terrible -An older sergeant organized a mutiny over the food -They refused to march to the mess hall until food improved -Higher ranking officer ordered them to -Sergeant was called before the colonel because of the protest -The sergeant and colonel had been friends for many years -Colonel respected the sergeant -Made him commandant of the cadets -Food didn't improve (00:10:38) Flight Training -Edwin's next assignment was Hicks Field, Texas for Primary Flight Training -He did well in Primary Flight Training and had a good instructor -Got in trouble in Primary for not saluting an officer -Watched for any other mistakes after that -Flew PT-19s in Primary -Flew BT-13s in Basic Flight Training -The commandant at Hicks Field was a World War I veteran pilot that liked all of the cadets -Let them get away with things that they shouldn't have -Eventually made the choice to be a bomber pilot as opposed to a fighter pilot -Sent to Twin Engine School where he flew the Cessna AT-17 -Happiest day of his life (at the time) was when he solo flew for the first time -Remembers flying back to the base in the rain and didn't care -Had a good instructor in Twin Engine School -In Twin Engine School always flew with another cadet -Alternated between being the pilot and being the co-pilot -Did cross-country flights and low-level flights in Twin Engine School -Flying came naturally to him -Remembers one night flight in Twin Engine School when the engines cut out -Only eight hundred feet off the ground when it happened -He had accidentally turned off the cross feed valve -Allowed gas to flow between the two engines -Immediately turned it back on which turned the engines back on -Each phase of flight training lasted nine weeks -Took Advanced Flight Training in Lubbock, Texas -One of his old flight instructors and the instructors wife attended Edwin's graduation �-Instructors wife pinned Edwin's pilot wings on him -Appreciated their attendance -Tremendous sense of accomplishmennt -Treated like royalty -Taken to the ceremony in a police squad car (00:19:46) B-24 Training -Went up to Washington -Stayed there for a week -Originally supposed to be on a B-17 crew -Too many pilots and not enough B-17s -He was sent to Boise, Idaho from Washington to be a co-pilot on a B-24 -Joined a B-24 and went to Pocatello, Idaho for training -Pilot didn't like flying so he let Edwin do most of the flying -He got about sixty hours of flight time as a co-pilot -Sent back to Boise for Transition Training to become a pilot in a B-24 -Completed that training -Had no idea whether he would wind up in the European Theatre or the Pacific Theatre (00:21:47) Training Accident -He was assigned to a B-24 crew as a pilot and sent to Mountain Home Air Base, Idaho -Stationed there for about three weeks -On August 28, 1943 he and his crew went on an air-ground training mission -Opportunity for the gunners to get target practice -Had a fire in the nose of the bomber -No fire extinguisher -Nose gunner's machine gun caused a fire in the insulation -They braced for crash landing and he thought he was going to die -Accpeted it and wanted it to happen fast -The next thing he remembers is being on top of the bomber and the crew is running away -His left arm was injured -Bombardier was badly burned -Built a fire at night with the other survivors -Another bomber dropped medical kits for them -Next morning the ground crew evacuated them -He spent eight days in the hospital for his arm -Bombardier was evacuated to a hospital in Salt Lake City and died two weeks later -One of the gunners died in the bomber -Instructor died in the crash -Ball turret had to be grounded because he refused to fly again -He continued training with the survivors and the replacements (00:28:05) Joining the 461st Bombardment Group -Joined the 461st Bombardment Group at Hammer Field in Fresno, California -Colonel insisted on them learning how to do good formation flying -Extremely useful when flying bombing missions -He did well with formation flying �(00:30:30) Deployment to Europe -In January 1944 they went to Hamilton Field, California to pick up their B-24 -Flew to Palm Springs, California to Midland, Texas to Memphis to West Palm Beach, Florida -Originally thought they'd be going to the Pacific Theatre -Germans knew they were coming -Remembers hearing a German radio broadcast welcoming the 461st and taunting them -Flew down to the Caribbean, over to Dakar, Senegal then north to Marrakesh, Morocco -Flew over to Tunis and stayed there for two weeks getting additional training (00:32:08) Arrival in Italy -Flew up to Toretto Field, Italy -Raining when they arrived -Had to wait for the weather to clear before they started flying missions -Quartered in tents -Officers and enlisted men were kept in separate tents -Officers and enlisted men had separate mess halls (00:33:38) Flying Missions -First mission was a "milk run" -Bombing a rail yard in Yugoslavia -No flak and no fighters -Still lost two bombers due to a mid-air collision -Worst mission was his third mission -Bombing run over Budapest, Hungary -Germans attacked with Me-110s firing rockets into the B-24 formation -He watched a rocket hit a B-24 that rolled into another B-24 -Later met some survivors from those bombers -They witnessed the British bombing of Budapest -Tightened up their formation to protect each other from the German planes -So close that spent machine gun shells were hitting his bomber -Lost a wind panes in the cockpit because of that -Got briefed before each mission -Hated going to places like Ploesti and Budapest -Told what route they'd take, weather conditions, and expected resistance -Information wasn't always accurate -After briefing they went to the bombers and took off -Flew out twenty miles then got into formation -Did saturation bombing -When the lead bomber dropped its bombs the rest of the bombers followed suit -Knew they were targeting German resources and supplies -Mostly oil fields and rail yards -Flew two missions over Ploesti -On the first mission they encountered a lot of resistance -Didn't get hit -Ran into a massive amount of flak �-Dropped their bombs as fast as they could and got out -Fear didn't set in until they were back at the base -Dreaded the next mission -During the mission he focused on getting the job done, couldn't focus on the fear -Always lost at least one bomber during a mission -Didn't get emotional about it, couldn't afford to get emotional (00:46:06) Shot Down -Second mission over Ploesti didn't seem as bad -Things were fine until they dropped their bombs -Bomb bay filled up with gas -Had to wait for the fuel to drain out of the bomb bay -Lost engine one and fell behind the formation -Fortunately, they didn't get attacked by bombers -They started taking flak over Yugoslavia -A piece of flak hit the window closest to him and his face got peppered with shrapnel -They made it to the Yugoslavian coast then decided to abandon the bomber -Bailed out at 13,000 feet -The entire crew made it out okay -Only injury was the bombardier spraining his ankle on the landing -They all landed on an island off the coast of Yugoslavia -Edwin landed in a vineyard -Area was occupied by German troops (00:51:03) Captured -He started walking toward where the other crewmen landed -En route got captured by Austrian soldiers -One of the enlisted men had already been captured by the Austrians -Austrians were friendly, young, and gave them water -Rest of the crew was captured and they were reunited as prisoners of war -Austrians brought them to a small town on the island -A German doctor gave Edwin a tetanus shot because of the shrapnel -Taken to the mainland by ferry and put in a civilian jail -Next day they marched twenty miles -Bombardier was put on a mule because of his ankle -Edwin wasn't feeling good of the shot -An Italian civilian got him some tea from a nearby house to settle his stomach -They were in German custody -Germans were grufff, but not threatening -Taken to a small coastal town -Placed on a mining barge and sailed up the Mostar River to the city of Mostar -Boarded a train in Mostar -Guarded by three young German soldiers that were friendly -Traveled by train to Sarajevo and boarded another train -Taken to a prisoner of war camp in Belgrade -A few days later D-Day happened �-A German officer spoke to Edwin about it -Kept there for five days -British and Americans bombed Belgrade while they were there -Older Yugoslavian women gave them Red Cross parcels -He gave some of his chocolate to a teenage girl -They all gave some of their chocolate to the older Yugoslavian women (01:02:28) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -Volunteered because he wanted to serve his country -Didn't feel forced to serve -Doesn't regret his service -Got a lot out of it (01:03:10) Life after the War -Went to college on the GI Bill -Graduated with a degree in engineering -Worked as an aerospace engineer for thirty seven years (01:03:27) Reflections on Service Pt. 2 -Service was good to him -Prisoner of war experience definitely had an impact on him -Prisoner for eleven months and he hated every minute of it -Felt like he wasted an entire year of his life -Made him see the value of freedom when he was deprived of it � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_BaumannE1794V Title A name given to the resource Baumann, Edwin (Interview outline and video), 2005 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2005-10-20 Description An account of the resource Edwin Baumann was born on June 19, 1923 in Stockton, California. In April 1942 he enlisted in the Army Air Force to become a pilot and began training in August 1942. He received training at San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center, Texas then went on to train at Hicks Field, Texas and Lubbock, Texas, graduating with the ability to fly twin engine aircraft. He was trained with a B-24 crew in Mountain Home Air Base, Idaho and survived a crash there before being assigned to the 461st Bombardment Group at Hammer Field, California. In January 1944 he and his crew were deployed to the European Theatre and were stationed at Toretto Field, Italy. He flew bombing missions over Yugoslavia, Romania, and Hungary and got shot down on a bombing raid on Ploesti in May 1944. He was captured in Yugoslavia and became a prisoner of war for eleven months placing his liberation as sometime in April 1945. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Baumann, Edwin 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 Air Forces 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/91175a19c0388acdfaa932feaf4c9a9a.m4v a834349fc8d6b3e928c635b620ea46b6 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3af2e9166bc11b6d831ad802a063dca9.pdf 9f601cf7cc9277cd8a2c54451fbfa91e PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Robert Barrett World War II 1 hour 52 seconds (00:00:20) Early Life -Born in Ohio in 1925 -Lived in Zanesville, Ohio until he was eight years old -Moved to Columbus, Ohio -Lived with his mother and grandmother -Went to high school in Columbus -Moved to Muskegon, Michigan -Father worked as a farmer -Left the family when Robert was six or seven years old -Moved to Columbus because his father left -Went to Muskegon High School in Muskegon, Michigan -Dropped out in the 11th grade to join the Navy -He was an only child -Mother owned and operated a restaurant in Columbus -He helped her at the restaurant -Despite the Great Depression things went well for them (00:03:53) Enlisting in the Navy -Went to Reeds Lake Naval Recruiting Station in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Enlisted there -Given a brief physical examination -Only seventeen years old -Enlisted on a Wednesday -Told to get two cavities filled then report back the following Monday -On that Monday his mother and stepfather brought him to Grand Rapids -Took a bus from Grand Rapids to Detroit and was sworn into the Navy -There were twenty, or twenty five, men in his group being sworn in -Placed in a hotel for the night (00:06:23) Basic Training -Sent by bus to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois for basic training -First part of basic training was processing -Hand to hand over their civilian clothes and be issued their uniforms -Some men were issued ill fitting uniforms -Issued white uniform, blue uniform, t-shirts, underwear, socks, shoes, and hats -Issued a bag with toiletries -Toothbrush, toothpaste, and shaving supplies -Assigned to a barracks and a bunk -Place was nice and clean -He got assigned to an upper bunk �-Liked it because it was less confined than a lower bunk -Did well with basic training -Taken to a Navy dentist to have other cavities filled -A large amount of men in his barracks had to have their teeth pulled -He got reassigned to another training company and got moved to another barracks -Had picnic tables in their barracks for writing letters or playing cards -Went to get breakfast, lunch, and dinner at established times -At night they had to use steel wool to get scuff marks off the barracks's floor -Lights out at 9 PM -Began training in June 1943 -Ordered not to talk after lights out -If you kept talking you had to go on a march at midnight -Commanding officer was a Chief Petty Officer -Pushed his training company to always win competitions and do well -The men liked him -He led marches because he was short -Kept the taller men with a longer stride in step -Received swimming training -Went into a building with a gas mask and the room was filled with mustard gas -They were ordered to remove their gas masks and the doors were opened -The gas didn't bother him too much, his eyes just watered for the rest of the day -Received orders in the middle of the day to change their uniforms -Had to do it quickly and orderly (00:19:36) Gunnery School -After basic training got a seven day leave -Reported back to Great Lakes Naval Station for further assignment -He was assigned to the Gunnery School in Gulfport, Mississippi -Received thirty days of gunnery training -Fired pistols and rifles -Had to learn how to take them apart, clean them, and put them back together -Learned how to operate and fire the 20mm anti-aircraft guns -Shot at targets towed by planes -Went to the shooting range for target practice with small arms (00:22:20) Duty in the Gulf of Mexico -Went to New Orleans for assignment -He was assigned to be an armed guard on a Merchant Marine vessel -SS Alcibiadie -A tanker placed into commercial service by War Shipping Administration -One of forty five Americans on the ship -Ship had limited guns -Operated off the coast of Mexico -Transporting oil between Florida and Texas (00:23:39) Duty in the Pacific Theatre (as the SS Alcibiadie) -Reassigned to duty in the South Pacific -Sailed to Cuba -Reached Guantanamo Bay on Christmas Eve 1943 �-Remembers sitting on the deck listening to people on shore singing carols -On Christmas Day 1943 they sailed for the Panama Canal -Sailed to Brisbane, Australia -Spent a few days there -Sailed up to New Guinea -Operated around Finschhafen and Buna -Went out to refuel ships in the Pacific Ocean (00:26:25) Duty in the Pacific Theatre (as the USS Andrew Doria) -Returned to Brisbane -Ship was acquired by the U.S. Navy on August 18, 1944 -Commissioned as the USS Andrew Doria on August 23, 1944 -Fitted with more 20mm guns as well as 3in guns -Naval personnel assumed control of the ship -Sailed north to New Guinea -Operated around there again -Operated north of New Guinea refueling ships -Received orders to return to Brisbane for R&R -At the last minute received orders to pick up oil and transport it -Got orders to sail to Coolangatta, Australia -Quartered in small cabins -Got surprised with the nicest dinner they'd had in a while -Allowed to go on leave into the city -There were dances in the town -Allowed to sleep in and get breakfast when they wanted -Had no duties at the time -Continued with refueling missions -Had a lot of calls for General Quarters -Going to battle stations as quickly as possible due to enemy aircraft (00:33:47) Philippines Campaign -Received orders to sail to Leyte in the Philippines -Looked forward to it, but knew there was a good chance he could get shot -Arrived at Leyte at night -It was dark and eery -Patrolled the waters for any signs of enemy ships -Went to shore with the ship's captain to get the ship's orders -Had to go through the harbor trying to find the Andrew Doria -Refueled ships in the harbor -Formed a convoy and sailed to Lingayen Gulf in Luzon -Zig-zagged to avoid Japanese submarines -Went to General Quarters every night because Japanese planes showed up -Way for the Japanese to harass the convoy and deprive sailors of sleep -His battle station was one of the 3in guns on the aft (near the rear) of the ship -One night saw the ship behind them get hit by a kamikaze -Knew they were probably going to see some action -Japanese planes stayed outside of the kill zone for as long as they could �-At night they came at the convoy -The ships opened fire on them -Soldiers in landing ships jumped overboard -They feared the kamikazes would hit them -Nearby PT-Boats came by and rescued them -Eventually reached Lingayen Gulf -There were eighty or ninety ships in the convoy -Part of the 7th Fleet -They were anchored next to the USS Tennessee -Watched as the Tennessee bombarded the shore -Troops on the shore used flares to direct naval fire -Gave you an idea of where the Japanese troops were -Had a Piper Cub recon plane to spot Japanese planes -On January 12, 1945 the convoy was attacked by enemy aircraft -Had to change course -At 8 PM they changed course again and the convoy was attacked again -Andrew Doria shot down five out of the six planes that attacked them -Isn't sure if he is directly responsible for shooting any down -No way of knowing for sure -Sky was black with flak -The most combat he saw was in Lingayen Gulf (00:50:29) Refueling Operations after the Philippines -After Lingayen Gulf they continued with refueling operations -Newer, faster tankers would go to the U.S. to get fuel -The Andrew Doria rendezvoused with the tankers and got fuel from them -Then sailed out to the Pacific to refuel other ships (00:51:28) Morale, Contact with Home, & Friends -Morale was good on the ship -He was the longest serving sailor on the Andrew Doria -Had been on from October 1943 to March 1946 -Eventually got used to the idea that he probably was never going to go home -Got letters from home -Difficult to get letters though because they moved around so much -A lot of his friends were in the Navy -Ran into one of his friends in basic training -Whenever a ship pulled alongside them they would ask where the other men were from -Never found anyone that was also from Muskegon (00:54:30) Talons Out Honor Flight -Selected to go to Washington D.C. for a memorial service for veterans -Reference to the Talons Out Honor Flight to Washington D.C. in May 2015 -Brought his daughter with him (00:56:16) End of the War -He was on the ship in the Pacific when they received word about the atomic bombs -On VJ Day a sailor came out of the radio shack shouting that Japan surrendered �-He wasn't sure if the report was true -On August 16, 1945 the crew was told it was true; the war was over -With the war over security measures changed -No more light discipline at night -No longer worried about Japanese submarines or planes (00:58:10) Coming Home & End of Service -Received orders to sail back to the United States -Got delayed because barnacles clogged water intake valves -Stopped at the Johnston Atoll to refuel -Sailed through the Panama Canal and pulled into port at Mobile, Alabama -Had their guns removed -Sailed the ship up the Mobile River and men got sent home -Ship was decommissioned in late February 1946 and he was discharged in March 1946 -Went to a bus station in Mobile, Alabama and went home � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_BarrettR1876V Title A name given to the resource Barrett, Robert William (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-09-01 Description An account of the resource Robert Barrett was born in Ohio in 1925. In 1943 he enlisted in the Navy and received basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois. He went to Gunnery School in Gulfport, Mississippi and received training with pistols, rifles, and larger ship guns like the 20mm cannon. He was assigned to the SS Alcibiadie, a Merchant Marine vessel, as one of forty five Americans on the gunnery detail. They operated in the Gulf of Mexico transporting fuel and in the Pacific Ocean around Australia and New Guinea refueling ship. In August 1944 the ship was acquired by the U.S. Navy and became the USS Andrew Doria. They continued with refueling operations then took part in the Battle of Lingayen Gulf in January 1945. Refueling operations continued until the end of the war. In early 1946 they returned to the U.S. and the USS Andrew Doria was decommissioned in Mobile, Alabama in late February. Robert was discharged in March 1946. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Barrett, Robert William Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Moore, Deb (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 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/f30145b84afaa86dbfcecd198b6dd795.m4v 42f6301f60b517d51972c72dc26a195f https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ba281508bea3d2e278fb3ecac15f1d95.pdf e3632f63f9e330c81be3c2e9219f01e6 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Lee Bakker World War II 39 minutes 26 seconds (00:00:18) Early Life -Born in Wellsburg, Iowa -Sixth of seven children -There were six boys in his family (including him) and one girl -Father was a farmer -He helped his father on the farm -Born on October 14, 1924 -Farm grew crops, raised cattle, milked cows, raised hogs, and raised chickens -He was used to hard work -Attended Wellsburg Public High School -Played sports -Graduated in 1943 (00:02:11) Getting Drafted -Got drafted after graduating from high school in May 1943 -Father protested it because he needed help on the farm and one son was already drafted -Lee was deferred until after the harvest in 1943 -Reported to the Grundy County Courthouse then went to Des Moines -Got processed in Des Moines -Given a physical -In good physical shape (00:03:50) Basic Training -Took basic training at Camp Roberts, California -Carried three rifles and two backpacks on marches -Did that to help the men from the city who weren't used to hard work -Wore heavy work shoes -He was comfortable while the other men were not -Loved close order drills and rifle training -Had a lot of experience with shooting on the farm -Hunting vermin and birds -Thought basic training was fairly easy -Had a lot of free time -Went to the movies -Went into town when given a pass -Had a good friend from Arkansas while in basic training (00:06:00) Advanced Training & Assignment to the 70th Infantry Division -Given a thirteen day furlough home -Knew they were going to the Pacific Theatre -Heard about how vicious the Japanese troops were and the atrocities they �committed -Decided to join the paratroopers -Went to Fort Benning, Georgia for Airborne Training -Broke his legs on a training jump -Sent home to recover for a month -Sent to the East Coast to go overseas as a replacement -Before he could get deployed he received orders for Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri -Received training with the 81mm mortar at Fort Leonard Wood -Assigned to the 70th Infantry Division (00:08:14) Deployment to the European Theatre -Sailed from the U.S. to Marseilles, France in November 1944 -Didn't get seasick, but other men did -Remembers men hanging over the railing and throwing up -Some men were so sick that they stayed in their bunk and wanted to die (00:09:26) Faith in the Service -Brother was in Italy with the Army Air Force -Loading bombs onto bombers -Never worried about his brother because he had faith God would take care of him -Didn't feel nervous when he landed in Marseilles -Had faith that God would protect him -He was religious, but didn't show it (00:10:49) Fighting in France -Arrived in Marseille between December 10 and December 15, 1944 -Boarded a train in Marseille and went north to a town where the division assembled -He was assigned to H Compay, 275th Infantry Regiment, 70th Infantry Division -His company was assigned to defend a sector on the frontline -Got routed on the first day by German infantry and tanks -Retreated over a creek and the Germans stopped following them -Closest he got to an actual firefight -Stayed in their sector for twenty one days -The winter of 1944 was a cold and snowy one -Twenty one days without a hot meal -Lived off of K Rations -Got relieved after twenty one days -Objective was to keep the Germans at bay -Remembers when one shell landed really close to the mortars, but it was a dud -Engineers relieved them then lost the position -Focused on getting the job done and going home -Remembers one day when they fired their mortars the entire day -Doesn't know if any of the mortar shells he fired ever wounded or killed anyone -Just glad he never had to shoot anyone face to face (00:16:15) Advancing into Germany Pt. 1 -From Marseille went to Lyon -In mid-January 1945 they moved on to Saarbrucken, Germany -From Saarbrucken they crossed the Saar River and advanced deeper into Germany �-Didn't believe he would survive the liberation of Germany (00:17:08) Contact with Civilians -Never encountered French civilians -Had contact with German civilians -Had difficulty communicating with them -They spoke High German and his family spoke Low German -Germans were grateful to be liberated from Nazi rule (00:18:42) Advancing into Germany Pt. 2 -Very limited fighting in Germany -German forces were retreating and didn't stop and fight -Meant they were always on the advance -Basically crossed Germany on foot -Slept wherever they could find shelter -Never got the chance to change their clothes -Germans readily gave up buildings for the GIs to use for shelter (00:20:30) Occupation Duty, Coming Home, and End of Service -After the war ended they were assigned to occupation duty in Germany -Spent most of the time playing softball -On occupation duty in Gross Bliedersdorf near Frankfurt -He was the pitcher on the softball team -That didn't last long because he ruptured a disc in his back -Did it trying to move a stove while on kitchen patrol (KP) duty -Sent to a hospital in Frankfurt to recover -Spent a lot of his time reading -German doctor ultimately advised that he be sent back to the United States -Flown back to the U.S. -Flew from Frankfurt, Germany to the Azores to Newfoundland, Canada -From Canada flew to New York -Sent to O'Reilly General Hospital in Springfield, Missouri -Given two options: medical discharge or receive an operation -Opted to take the medical discharge -Dealt with a bad back until 1951 -Received an operation from the Veterans' Hospital -Already had a bad back from farm work -Injury in the Army only exacerbated it (00:25:36) Medals -Received the following medals: -Combat Infantry Badge: awarded for being in a combat zone -Good Conduct Medal: awarded for good condut in the military -European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 3 battle stars -Awarded for being in the European Theatre and in three major battles (00:26:05) 81mm Mortar -81mm mortar was composed of a tube fixed to a base plate with a tripod for aiming -His job was to drop the mortar shells into the tube -Gunner set up the tripod with stakes for aiming -Fired one shot low, one shot short, and one shot for effect �-If you fired those shots well enough you hit your target -It was a two man operation firing a mortar (00:27:45) End of the War in Europe & Occupation Duty -In Germany for Victory in Europe Day (May 8, 1945) -For the men it was basically just another day -No major celebrations -On top of occupation duty they trained for the invasion of Japan -Invasion was cancelled after the atomic bombs were dropped -Feels it was a terrible thing to do, but it saved a lot of lives (00:29:08) Life after the War Pt. 1 -Did not use the GI Bill after the war -When he was at O'Reilly General Hospital he was given a thirty day furlough -Went home and got married to his high school sweetheart; her name was Lois -Got discharged in September 1945 -He couldn't work, but Lois worked as a teacher -He also received severance pay from the Army -Lived with his in-laws for a while -Father-in-law had a house in the area; he and Lois moved there -About seven miles from Ackley, Iowa -Lee got a job driving an ice cream truck in Ackley -Also delivered ice cream mix to Iowa Falls, Iowa -Hurt his back again -Looked into working for a hardware store in Ackley, Iowa -Electrician in Ackley needed help, so Lee helped him doing electrical work -Enjoyed it and the electrician was a great mentor -Started his own electrical company in Wellsburg in 1949 -Hurt his back again -In 1951 he went to the Veterans' Hospital in Des Moines for back surgery -In 1956 he got a job as a mail carrier for the Post Office -Did that for twenty eight years -Had to retire because he had heart surgery when he was sixty two years old -As of the interview he is the last surviving member of his immediate family -Brother survived the war, but died in his seventies -Member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars -Has been a member of the American Legion for seventy years -Never went to any meetings -Never suffered from any psychological trauma (00:36:19) Reflections on Service -At the time, all young men knew they were going to go into the service -Matured in the Army -Enjoyed the Army -In the service for one reason: to defeat the Nazis -Felt they did their job to the best of their abilities -Thankful to God that things turned out the way they did (00:38:10) Life after the War Pt. 2 �-Lois died when she was fifty three years old -Remarried after Lois died -Married to Thelma for thirty five years -Had four boys with Lois -Dwight, Randy, Mark, and John -Has many grandchildren and great-grandchildren � 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_BakkerL1875V Title A name given to the resource Bakker, Lee Richard (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-09-01 Description An account of the resource Lee Bakker was born in Wellsburg, Iowa on October 14, 1924. After graduating from high school in 1943 he was drafted in fall 1943. He was inducted in Des Moines, Iowa and received basic training at Camp Roberts, California. After basic training he tried to be a paratrooper and received the training at Fort Benning, Georgia, but broke his leg. He was then sent to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri where he trained with 81mm mortars and was assigned to the 70th Infantry Division. He left the U.S. in November 1944 and arrived in Marseille, France in December 1944. He was assigned to H Company of the 275th Infantry Regiment of the 70th Infantry Division and fought in France, and Germany (liberating the city of Saarbrucken) and crossing the Saar River. He was stationed in Germany for occupation duty until he threw out his back and returned to the United States. He received treatment at O'Reilly General Hospital in Springfield, Missouri and got medically discharged in September 1945. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bakker, Lee Richard Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Moore, Deb (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Air Forces 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