18 24 1541 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4b9c0673624e7551151b2582120bfcd7.m4v ab9f70b804b73ea01d411e40b5db451a https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0eb17cea2f38fd5949739fb3be6929cf.pdf 319b31f43aed03c593c87b36fea8c510 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Don Alsbro Cold War, Vietnam War, Peacetime (00:00:11) Early Life -Born in Detroit, Michigan on May 20, 1940 -Moved to Plymouth, Michigan in 1944 -Grew up there -Father was a travelling claims adjuster for the Pere Marquette Railway -Went to the scene of train wrecks for insurance purposes -Family was allowed to travel with him -Got to see New York City and San Francisco -Father died suddenly in 1949 -Traumatic experience for Don -Fortunately, the railroad had a retirement fund set up -Father had also purchased a small apartment complex in Detroit to rent out -Fund and income from rent made it so his mother didn't have to work -Spent summers at the family cottage on Whitmore Lake -Graduated from high school in 1958 (00:02:55) ROTC at Western Michigan University -Went to Western Michigan University -Encouraged by his machine shop teacher/track coach to do something he loved doing -Inspired him to go into teaching -Had been accepted by the University of Michigan and Michigan State University -Chose Western because it had the best teaching program in the state -There was a two year requirement of phyiscal education or Reserve Officer Training Corps -There were 1500 ROTC cadets at Western -Decided to be in the ROTC -Only had to wear his uniform once a week for drill -Had to apply, and be accepted, for two extra years of ROTC -Encouraged to sign up for the extra two years -Told he would only have to do six months active duty -Also told he would be commissioned as an officer in the Army -Due to the Cuban Missile Crisis the six months of active duty was extended to two years -Took a semester off to deliver a car to Phoenix, Arizona -Allowed to return to Western and continue with the ROTC -Received orders to go to West Germany for three years at the end of ROTC training -Drove to Phoenix in spring 1961 -Commissioned and graduated in January 1963 (00:11:33) Teaching and Infantry Basic Training -Went to Infantry Basic Training from June through August 1963 before going to �Germany -Did some substitute teaching in Kalamazoo, Michigan before Infantry Basic Training -Trained for 10 weeks at Fort Benning, Georgia -Learned how to be an infantry officer -Summer was bad in Georgia -Wound up at Martin Army Hospital due to heat exhaustion -Had gotten married in May 1963 -If he took an extra year of service he could bring his wife and stepdaughter to Germany -In December 1965 he got an invitation to teach at Comstock Park, Michigan -Requested release from the Army -Could only leave early if he served a tour in Vietnam (00:15:42) Stationed in West Germany Pt. 1 -Served at Larson Barracks in Kitzingen, Germany with the 3rd Infantry Division -Became the athletics and recreation (A&R) officer for the 3rd Infantry Division -Coached the 3rd Infantry Division baseball team -Coached the brigade basketball team -Assistant coach for the brigade football team -Played against teams from all over Europe -Army wanted soldiers to play sports to avoid getting into trouble -Offered a chance to stay in the Army and work as a coach (00:18:06) Deployment to Vietnam Pt. 1 -Received orders for Vietnam in February 1966 -Once he was done he could leave the Army -Didn't know much about Vietnam (00:19:10) Stationed in West Germany Pt. 2 -Germany was a good place for American servicemen and their families -Not always enjoyable, but good for the most part -Baseball team played a championship game in Nuremberg -Same stadium where Jesse Owens ran in the 1936 Summer Olympics -Note: Most likely played in Berlin, not Nuremberg, or was at Nuremberg stadium used for famous Nazi rally in film Triumph of the Will -Basketball team played the Air Force teams (00:20:19) Deployment to Vietnam Pt. 2 -For 90 days he was attached to the 15th Infantry Regiment for infantry training -Allowed to return to the U.S. in July 1966 -Assigned to be the Civil Affairs Officer in the 11th Aviation Group in the 1st Cavalry Division -More helicopters in the 1st Cavalry Division than trucks or jeeps -Sent a welcome letter by the 1st Cavalry Division (00:22:32) Arrival in Vietnam Pt. 1 -Spent two days in Saigon being processed -Took a helicopter to An Khe -Would spend a year in An Khe working as the Civil Affairs Officer (00:23:17) Deployment to Vietnam Pt. 3 -Spent 30 days of leave in the U.S. -Received 15 days of Jungle Training at Fort Sherman in the Panama Canal Zone �-Taught how to rappel and cross rivers -Tremendous experience -Spent one week in the barracks and one week in the field -Taught how to build shelters and identify poisonous snakes -Returned to Charleston, South Carolina -Had to get to California on his own -Returned to Michigan to spend a few days with his wife and stepdaughter -Went to Chicago O'Hare International Airport -Boarded an Air National Guard C-130 at O'Hare Air Reserve Station -Took him five or six days to get to California -Landed in California and was processed in Oakland -Flew out of Travis Air Force Base -Flew between Travis AFB and Vietnam aboard a C-130 six times -24 hour trip one way -Stopped at Clark Air Base, Philippines to refuel -Went to Vietnam as an individual soldier, not as part of a unit (00:29:54) Arrival in Vietnam Pt. 2 -Landed at Tan Son Nhut Air Base near Saigon -Received three days of orientation in Saigon -Not a lot of training for officers -Learned about the country -Culture and geography -Traveled in a school bus with grates on the windows to stop grenades (00:31:26) Stationed in An Khe with 1st Cavalry Division -Flew to An Khe -Near Highway 19, in II Corps, and inland -Arrived in June 1966 along with soldiers from South Korea -Stationed at Camp Radcliff and took a bus to his unit -Didn't get to meet the officer he was replacing -Had a sergeant serving under him that had been shot down seven times -There were 400 helicopters in the 1st Cavalry Division -Had a South Vietnamese interpreter -Spoke excellent English and was college educated -He was part of a Civic Action Team -Medic, sergeant, interpreter, and himself -Worked from 9 AM to 10 or 11 PM in the village inside Camp Radcliff -Villagers were moved one mile away to a place near a river -Each villager was paid $300 to move -Enough money to build a permanent house with bricks -Moved off base for security reasons -Had a medic in his Civic Action Team who treated civilians six days a week -Very primitive area -No running water, no electricity, and no sewers -Had a hospital in An Khe that they could use (00:41:57) Interactions with Vietnamese Civilians -Worked with the village chief, the two hamlet chiefs, and the local police chief �-Set up a shower system to deal with the rampant impetigo in the area -Built a basketball court, volleyball court, softball diamond, and playground with engineers -Played games with the villagers -On Friday night showed movies to the villagers -Showed them footage from space -On Monday nights had English classes for the children -20 to 50 children came on average -On Wednesday nights they provided math classes to the children -On Christmas they brought gifts to each household in the village -Got so comfortable with the villagers that he didn't carry a rifle -Never had a problem in the entire year that he was there -Brought the village 18 piglets to bolster their economy -By June 1967 the village had 150 pigs -Gave the girls dolls for Christmas and boys sports gears -One soldier dressed up like Santa Claus (00:49:21) Working with South Korean Soldiers -South Korean soldiers put on a tae kwon do show for the villagers -Chopped bricks in half with their bare hands -For a few weeks after they treated a lot of children with broken hands -They had tried to emulate the South Korean soldiers -Showed the Vietnamese that the Koreans were formidable soldiers -By extension, it also meant the Americans were formidable as well -Prior to June 1966 a lot of American soldiers were killed on Highway 19 -He routinely traveled between An Khe and Qui Nhon to get supplies -Never had a problem thanks to the South Korean soldiers (00:53:06) Reenlisting in the Army -Initially planned on getting out of the Army after his tour in Vietnam -In October 1966 he decided to stay in the Army -Wife supported the decision -Requested transfer to the Adjutant General Corps -He was accepted and would be sent to the Adjutant General School after June 1967 (00:55:50) Travel -Went to Saigon a couple times for paperwork -Went to Qui Nhon -Went to Hawaii for R&R in February 1967 and got to see his wife -Went to Tokyo near the end of his tour in 1967 (00:57:05) Getting Shot Down -Experienced getting shot down while on a Caribou transport -Went to a leprosarium (leper colony) run by the Catholic Church to deliver presents -Incredibly clean -Ate dinner with the priests and nuns -Boarded the Caribou with his interpreter and sat down in a seat near a window -Heard a voice from nowhere say, "Don't sit there" �-Moved to a different seat and the plane took off -Shortly after take off he heard a "ping" -Gunshot had gone through the plane and hit the plane's hydraulic line -Looked out a window and saw the ground coming up fast -Saw his life flash before his eyes -Able to land back on the runway, but it was a rough landing -Learned that a .51 caliber round had gone through his original seat and hit the hydraulic line -Spent a night in the field -Didn't sleep well that night, but they didn't get attacked -The next day a plane came in and they were able to leave (01:04:17) Building a High School -The 1st Cavalry Division donated $9000 to build a high school for the villagers in An Khe -Villagers could only get a 6th grade education before the high school was built -High school had 12 rooms and two stories -Supposed to get two cement mixers to build the school -Only received one -Went to Da Nang to ask about the other mixer -Learned that the mixer had been moved to the Monkey Mountain Facility -Note: Located at the peak of Son Tra Mountain -Went to the Marine signal unit stationed there to ask about the mixer -Found it and was able to move it down the mountain -A week later they got the mixer to An Khe and proceeded with construction (01:09:38) Adjutant General Corps -Returned to the U.S. and was sent to Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana -Took the Adjutant General Career Course -Seven month course -Adjutant General Corps was in charge of paperwork in the Army -Mail, personnel action reports, punchcard processing, and court martial processing -Sent to Fort Sheridan, Illinois for Adjutant General duty -Headquarters for the 5th Army -Took care of 50 colleges in that area with ROTC -Processed commissions and ROTC paperwork for one year at Fort Sheridan -Had a lot of say in whether or not someone was qualified -Didn't run into a lot of anti-war problems -Lived in Zion, Illinois -Near Great Lakes Naval Station -Almost in Wisconsin -Enjoyable time living in Illinois -His second year at Fort Sheridan he ran a printing plant -Had 40 civilians and 10 or 15 soldiers working for him -Had presses and cameras �-Responsible for book binding -When former president Eisenhower died they dealt with press for his funeral (01:17:15) Redeployment to Vietnam -Didn't anticipate having to return to Vietnam -Told he had to do a tour as a member of the Adjutant General Corps in Vietnam -Returned to Vietnam in August 1970 (01:18:10) Stationed in An Khe with the 4th Infantry Division -Assigned to the 4th Infantry Division in An Khe -When he returned to An Khe in 1970 he was not allowed to leave the base without protection -This was as opposed to being able to go into the village without a rifle -Didn't return to the village of An Khe -Wasn't allowed to and didn't want to see what had become of it anyway -Processed paperwork as the 4th Infantry Division prepared to return to the U.S. -Processed paperwork sent to senators and representatives from soldiers -Issues and complaints -Every issue from the trivial to the serious -Usually took a month for an issue to be addressed and dealt with -Processed paperwork concerning men that went on leave and didn't return for duty -Men that went on leave in the U.S. and decided not to return for service (01:24:55) Stationed in Chu Lai with the 23rd Infantry (Americal) Division -Sent to the Americal Division/23rd Infantry Division in Chu Lai -Unit strength: 22,000 men -Worked with them for eight months -Worked as the Special Actions Officer -Cut orders for men going home on emergency leave or on R&R -Processed special orders -On one occasion he received a top secret message that had 150 copies -149 were accounted for, but one had gone missing in Da Nang -He went to Da Nang to the South Vietnamese headquarters there -Successfully found it and had it signed for -Responsible for producing the daily bulletin for the division (01:29:52) Morale & Drug Use -Morale changed during his second tour -Didn't see any evidence of drug use on his first tour in Vietnam -On his second tour he saw evidence of drug use -Soldiers still did their jobs without resistance on his second tour (01:31:39) End of the War -Remembers sitting in the chapel on Easter Sunday 1971 -Heard that Firebase Mary Ann had been overrun by the Viet Cong -Marines were pulled out in spring 1971 -Didn't think too much about what would happen to South Vietnam after the U.S. left (01:33:11) Interactions with Army of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) -Had positive encounters with soldiers from South Vietnam -Felt that South Vietnam had been left to be conquered at the end of the war -Didn't have proper funding from the U.S. to defend itself after U.S. troops left �-Friends with a South Vietnamese colonel -Had fought alongside the French forces in the First Indochina War -Able to get out of South Vietnam via Saigon in April 1975 -Left on the last helicopter out of Saigon with his family -Resettled in Corpus Christi, Texas -All 10 of his children made it out South Vietnam before it fell (01:38:42) End of Active Duty -At the end of his second tour in Vietnam he was ready to go home -Had orders for Fort Bliss, Texas -Drove to Texas with his family -Spent seven or eight months in Texas -In February 1972 he received a letter saying Army was reducing in size -Meant that his active duty was coming to an end -Active duty ended in April 1972 (01:39:53) Army Reserve -Drilled with an Army Reserve unit in Kalamazoo starting in May 1972 -Spent five years with the hospital unit there -Worked as an executive officer for seven years at Fort Sheridan -Part of the 149th Medical Detachment -Went on active duty in the summers -Did four summers at Camp Ripley, Minnesota -Did four summers at Camp Grayling, Michigan -Got promoted to the rank of colonel -Spent 31 years in the Army (active duty and reserve) (01:41:22) Civilian Work -Had teaching jobs while he was in the Army Reserve -Owned a horse farm in Niles, Michigan -Raised horses and went to shows -Got his doctorate in teaching -Coached a track team at Lake Michigan College and worked as their athletics director -Developed "Dump Your Plump," an international weight loss program -Team based, goal oriented, competitive program (01:43:38) Lest We Forget -Part of Lest We Forget -Patriotic organization -Collects the stories of veterans -Have collected the stories of 300 to 350 veterans -Educates people about American military engagements -Conducts war reenactments for World War Two, Korean War, and Vietnam War � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_AlsbroD1899V Title A name given to the resource Alsbro, Donald E (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-11-17 Description An account of the resource Don Alsbro was born on May 20, 1940 in Detroit, Michigan. In 1958 he attended Western Michigan University and enrolled in the Reserve Officer Training Corps, received his commission in January 1963 and graduated in June 1963. He received Infantry Basic Training at Fort Benning, Georgia and was stationed at Larson Barracks in Kitzingen, Germany from 1963 to 1966 working as the athletics and recreation officer of the 3rd Infantry Division. In February 1966 he received orders for Vietnam and in summer 1966 he deployed to Vietnam. He served as the Civil Affairs Officer in the 11th Aviation Group of the 1st Cavalry Division at An Khe promoting the welfare of the Vietnamese civilians in the area. He left Vietnam in June 1967 and received Adjutant General training at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana and served at Fort Sheridan, Illinois for two years. In August 1970 he returned to Vietnam for a second tour where he served with the 4th Infantry Division at An Khe and the Americal Division at Chu Lai. He returned to the U.S. and served at Fort Bliss, Texas until his active duty ended in April 1972. He continued to serve in the Army Reserve in Kalamazoo, Michigan Fort Sheridan, Illinois Camp Ripley, Minnesota and Camp Grayling, Michigan. Don served for 30 years and attained the rank of colonel. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alsbro, Donald E. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource 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/a1e2e55cc41c89c86f686e5f03a5c670.m4v e51843ac1db7a5aa38c9db45143f6dff https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/cf804f0632aa4f981325dd477a9ef5ca.pdf 51a1296a525abdf7c97a0f2f0c717ef2 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Richard Alkema World War II 52 minutes 33 seconds (00:00:10) Early Life -Born in 1926 in Detroit, Michigan. -Located very near to the Detroit River. -Father was an engineer on the Wabash Railroad. -Has a history of railroad workers in the family. -Able to keep busy with work throughout the Depression. -Attended South Western High School in Detroit. -Graduated 1944. -Sold newspapers as a teenager. -Likely heard about Pearl Harbor from the papers. -Father was from the Netherlands. (00:05:00) -Decided to enlist in the Navy after high school. -Received permission from a Federal judge in order to enlist. -His mother very hesitantly signed for his enlistment. -The fact that certain family members were in the military helped to influence him toward joining the Navy. -Two brothers in law that were involved in the military in Italy, and later Germany. -Another relative that was in the Navy. Training and Locomotive Engine Delivery to Europe -Sent to Great Lakes, Illinois for basic training. (00:10:00) -Next, sent via train to Norfolk, Virginia for gunnery training. -Boarded the Seatrain Texas ship. -At that point he had about a week of basic training, and a week of gunnery training. -Upon leaving there was a 100 ship convoy. -Left from New York Harbor. -Destined for England. -England was in need of locomotives. -While crossing the Atlantic, the ship was shot at but the torpedo went underneath their ship. (00:15:00) -However the ship was damaged. -Docked at the Falmouth, England. -Delivered two locomotive engines. -Next, crossed the Mediterranean and went to Naples, Italy. -Delivered two locomotive engines. -Baldwin engines made in Pennsylvania. -Finally the last two engines were delivered to Marseille, France. �-They knew how to use the anti-aircraft guns, however there wasn’t extensive instruction given. Pacific and Transporting Japanese Civilians -Next headed to the Panama Canal with a destination for Japan. -Travelled with some other ships to Panama. (00:20:00) -Left the Seatrain Texas ship to board the LST 801 headed for Japan. -The goal was to pick up Japanese that were remaining from the War. -Japan had surrendered by this point. -Many of them were women. -Eventually the boarded Japanese were to be repatriated back to Japan. -Picked them up at Okinawa. (00:25:00) -Usually on guard duty. -Took up laundry duty as well during certain times. -Refused to swim in the ocean because of the dangerous sharks etc. -Guards with guns would keep watch for sharks while other crew members swam in the ocean. -Experienced some bad storms on the LST. -Sea sickness amongst the crew was common. -Threw their trash overboard from meals etc. (00:30:00) -Situations to fire anti-aircraft guns to attack were seldom at that point. -During their time at Falmouth they were able to go into town. -Did not have transportation to get around. -English citizens were welcoming to them. -Did not go into town at Naples or Marseille. -At Okinawa they were able to go ashore to town. -However it was not common. -In Japan they were unwelcome to go into town. (00:35:00) -The trip from Okinawa to Japan was short. -So the interaction between the crew and Japanese being transported was limited. -Communication to the US at home was not very feasible. -Sent mail to their base. -Socialized with his fellow guard members. -Only one person was a closer friend of his. -His duration in the Navy lasted about two and a half years. -Discharged in 1946. Post War Life and Misc. -Relieved to be sent home when the War was ended. (00:40:00) -Certain ships would have the luxury of a shower stall while others did not. -LST vehicles were extremely cramped. -A lot of movies to watch to keep the crew entertained. �-LST featured showers with desalinators. -Priority was to use the pure water for laundry and drinking not bathing. -After leaving the military he worked with his father on the trains. -Made good money. -At that time their family was using one car amongst them. (00:45:00) -His work with the railroads lasted about 10 ~ 12 years. -Took flying lessons to be certified to fly a plane. -Didn’t continue on to fly as a habit or as a pilot. -Some of his friends were casualties that never returned from War. -Didn’t enroll in college after being discharged. -Became a police officer as well as working security jobs. -Worked for about 12 ~ 15 years. (00:50:00) � 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_AlkemaR1905V Title A name given to the resource Alkema, Richard (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-12-03 Description An account of the resource Richard Alkema was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1926. After graduating high school in 1944 he enlisted to the Navy. For his brief basic training he was sent to Great Lakes, Illinois. In Norfolk, Virginia he was trained to use the anti-aircraft guns to be a guardsman. Thereafter he traveled aboard the Seatrain Texas ship to Falmouth England, Naples Italy, and Marseille France to deliver locomotive engines. The ship next passed through the Panama Canal to Pearl Harbor where Richard boarded LST 801. Their next destination would be Okinawa where they transported Japanese to the mainland in the aftermath of the War. His time in the military lasted two and a half years and he was discharged in 1946. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alkema, Richard 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/94383c7e365fc4fb0051cf216d10fc77.m4v 60955664b9987c315e67e3db5ac73009 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7f2666d5f2fb7722a28b41db880daadc.pdf 4f64b9f6f00a9ae866c4804de25b0fcf PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Diane Aamoth Vietnam War Era 1 hour 18 minutes 47 seconds (00:00:40) Early Life -Born on November 13, 1950 at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan -When she was a year and a half old her family moved to Jenison, Michigan -Mother worked on an assembly line at a General Motors factory -Retired from that -Father worked for the city of Grand Rapids -Retired from that -Attended Grandville High School -Graduated in 1968 (00:01:37) Social Unrest & Vietnam War Pt. 1 -Aware of the Counter-Culture and social turmoil in the 1960s -Remembers the race riots in Grand Rapids in 1967 -Watched the news and saw businesses in Grand Rapids closed -Knew about hippies -Counter-Culture didn't appeal to her -Knew about the Vietnam War -Understood that North Vietnam and South Vietnam were fighting -Understood that South Vietnam didn't want communism (00:03:04) Enlisting in the Army -Attended Grand Rapids Junior College (now Community College) fall of 1968 -Took general education classes -Enjoyed it, but it felt too much like high school -Decided to join the Army -Every day on the way to school she passed the Army induction center -One day the thought just entered her head that she wanted to join the Army -Patriotic and felt a need to serve her country -Liked the idea of having college benefit -Father had served in the Army during World War Two -Didn't support the idea of women serving in the Army -Had an uncle that served in the Marines during World War Two -Parents were surprised that she wanted to enlist, but supported her -Urged her to do research before enlisting -Recruiter was an honest, wise woman -Happy to talk with Diane's parents about the decision to enlist -Answered every question they asked to the best of her ability -In December 1968 she went to Detroit for her Army physical -Stayed over night at the YWCA -Intimidating to be on her own �-Women were separated from the men for the physical -Remembers taking the oath and realizing that she was now in the Army -Felt proud, excited, nervous, and scared (00:09:18) Basic Training -Following her induction into the Army she boarded a plane for Alabama -Sent to Fort McClellan, Alabama for basic training -Close to Birmingham -In the Women's Army Corps -Trained separately from the men -Took a lot of classes on Army regulations, Army history, and Army hierarchy -Received a lot of physical training every day -Did drills and went on marches -Did gas training -Supposed to do a bivouack, but it was cancelled due to weather -Disappointed that she missed out on that -All of the drill instructors were women -Will never forget the first night at Fort McClellan -A drill instructor came in and one recruit said "Hello ma'am" -Should have said "Hello drill instructor" -Drill instructor screamed at her and the rest of the recruits for the mistake -Made Diane think about her decision to sign up for three years -Began to understand why drill instructors yelled at recruits -Befriended one drill instructor and is still friends as of 2015 -Emphasis on discipline and orderliness -Learned how to follow orders without question -Clothes had to be stored in a certain way -Beds had to be made a specific way -Shoes had to be polished -If everything wasn't exactly right you would get a "gig" (demerit) -Too many gigs meant starting basic training over -If you made a mistake you had to do push ups -Remembers failing to have her clothes "pressed off" (smoothed out) -Had to write "I will be pressed off" 100 times -Discipline didn't bother her -Had some downtime during training -Wrote home at night -Allowed to go to the PX (Army general store) -First time going there she was terrified she would fail to salute the right people -At the end of eight weeks of training she was relieved she made it and was more confident -Kept entirely separate from the male recruits -For gas training you went into a room and learned how to put on a gas mask properly -Instructors filled the room with tear gas -Ordered to remove gas mask and say name, rank, and serial number -She quickly said all three then got out of the room �(00:23:44) Advanced Individual Training (AIT) -For her AIT she was assigned to Clerk Typist School -Specifically requested that because she didn't want to be a nurse -Her AIT was at Fort McClellan -During Clerk Typist School she was selected for LOG X at Fort Lee, Virginia -Worked with officers who were learning how to operate during a war -Sent to Fort Lee in the middle of the night -Didn't know where she was going -Thought she was being sent to Vietnam -Exciting to do paperwork for high ranking officers -Trained with women at Fort Lee (00:26:35) Assignment to the Pentagon -At the end of AIT she was allowed to pick three different assignment locations -One of her friends suggested they both pick the Pentagon on a whim -They were both assigned to Fort Myer, Virginia to work in the Pentagon -Excited to work in the Pentagon (00:27:28) Working at the Pentagon Pt. 1 -After completing AIT she was given a leave home to Michigan -Flew from Michigan to Washington D.C. -Met up with her friend the night before they had to report for duty -Met at Washington National Airport -Got a room at the Harrington Hotel -Excited to be in the capitol -Walked up Pennsylvania Avenue in uniform -In retrospect realizes she could have been harassed or attacked -Told to expect harassment from protestors -Checked in at Fort Myer the next day -Nervous about doing clerical work for a major in the Pentagon -Assigned to be a keypunch operator -Took three weeks of Keypunch School -Keypunch: machines that used punch cards to organize information (primitive computer) -Able to reduce the error rate in the Keypunch Office she was assigned to with her friend -Verified the cards properly -Former clerks didn't do their job properly -Became a Data Analyst Specialist instead of a Keypunch Operator -Able to understand the information on the punch cards and cross reference it -Knew if someone was dead, being transferred, or getting reassigned -Worked with information coming in from all over the country and the world (00:35:55) Deployment to Vietnam -Enthusiastic about wanting to help the war effort -Wanted to be deployed to Vietnam -Knew she couldn't fight, but could at least be in the country -Requested a transfer to Vietnam, but got denied -Tried to process her own transfer orders and got caught �-Not punished though -Explained that she was needed in the Pentagon -After seeing combat veterans come back from Vietnam she is glad she didn't go -Saw some Vietnam veterans that dropped to the ground at the sound of explosions -There was a cannon they fired at Fort Myer and the veterans didn't react well to it (00:38:50) Promotions -Started off at the Pentagon as a private -Made Specialist 5th Grade in only 15 months -Attributes that to duty station, work ethic, and having good superiors -Promotions were easy until she was up for promotion to Specialist 5th Grade -Had to go before a board for evaluation -Nervous about the evaluation, but prepared herself for it -Afterwards she realized her face, arms, and neck were red from anxiety -Successfully passed the evaluation and was promoted to Specialist 5th Grade (00:41:52) Relationship with Fellow Soldiers Pt. 1 -Had one female, civilian worker and one other female soldier in the office -Rest of the workers were male soldiers -Male soldiers were uncomfortable with female soldiers at first, but adjusted to it -Never had to deal with inappropriate remarks from the male soldiers -Able to take free trips out of Andrews Air Force Base -Some men said she got the trips for free just because she was a woman -Free trips were offered equally, all you had to do was put forth the effort -Some men made outrageous claims with no backing -For example: Diane and her friend didn't do things like other female soldiers -Only female soldiers they knew were Diane and her friend -Men were respectful and, for the most part, treated her as an equal (00:46:44) Working at the Pentagon Pt. 2 -Worked at the Pentagon for a year -Transferred to the Commonwealth Building in Rosslyn, Virginia -Across from the Potomac River (00:47:04) Relationship with Fellow Soldiers Pt. 2 -Got irritated with some of the other female soldiers at Fort Myer for being too relaxed -It reflected poorly on the other female soldiers -Had contact with soldiers from the other branches of the military without any problems -Got along well with male soldiers because she grew up with sports and male cousins -When she went on dates she judged the men based on how they reacted to her being a soldier -Noticed a negative change in some men when they found out -Not supposed to fraternize with officers -Everyone respected the rule -Disappointing to meet someone only to learn they were an officer (00:50:55) Social Unrest & Vietnam War Pt. 2 �-Remembers being cautioned about avoiding protests in Washington D.C. -She was in D.C. for a concert at the Washington Memorial -Saw a car drive into the Reflecting Pool and people swarm the car -Older friend said they needed to leave -Got to the edge of the crowd and ran into tear gas -Older friend helped her out of the situation -Drove up to the White House on another occasion -Saw a line of police surrounding the White House -Noticed a gradual change in the Pentagon when it came to the Vietnam War -People started to talk about the war more -Asking how long it would take to end and what the purpose in Vietnam was -Arguments about being pro-war and anti-war -Arguments in favor of draft evasion and against it -Knew of Black Panther demonstrations in Washington D.C. (00:57:37) Race Relations -Worked with black soldiers and white soldiers -Befriended a black soldier while working at the Commonwealth Building -Offered her a ride on his motorcycle and she took the offer -Went on a ride together in the city and people stared at them -Knew that people had disdain for interracial relations -Didn't think anything of riding with a black man -Parents weren't racist and she didn't grow up in a racist area -Heard stories about racism during basic training (01:00:44) Downtime -Went to concerts in Washington D.C. with friends -Saw Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, and Jesus Christ Superstar -Hated that people complained about having nothing to do in Washington D.C. -Felt that there was plenty to do in the capitol (01:02:00) End of Service & Life after the War Pt. 1 -Considered reenlisting because she enjoyed the Army -Discipline and authority wasn't foreign to her -Met a fellow soldier in her office -Started dating and decided to get married after getting discharged -Influenced her decision not to reenlist -Got out in April 1972 and got married in September 1972 -Married for four years and got divorced -Had no children in that marriage -Army encouraged her to reenlist -Immediate promotion to the rank of Staff Sergeant (E-6) -Allowed to choose where she would be assigned -Would have picked Germany -Offered a bonus -Asked for a three month extension and got it -Offered a reenlistment despite the war ending �-Feels that the office wanted to keep her until they found a replacement for her -When they found her replacement she was able to train them (01:05:35) Women's Rights Movement -Noticed the Women's Rights Movement as early as high school -Agreed with some of what they wanted, but not the extremists -Felt that extremism would be too antagonistic -Wanted women to focus on major issues like employment equality, not minor issues -Never had problems with men in the Army, so she wasn't compelled to protest -Noticed more opportunities open up for women in the Army -Shortly after she was discharged the Women's Army Corps was disbanded -Note: 1978 -Female units were integrated with male units (01:07:40) Life after the War Pt. 2 -Finished her Associate's Degree as a legal secretary through Davenport College -Worked for a couple of the bigger legal firms in Grand Rapids -Lived in Nashville, Tennessee when she was married to her first husband -Worked as a legal secretary in Tennessee -Worked for an insurance company -Did some travelling after getting divorced -Lived with an aunt and uncle in Oregon for a year and a half -Helped build a road in Oregon and enjoyed that -Always wanted to live in Alaska and in 1980 got to move there -Got to move up there with her uncle (the Marine veteran) -Lived there for two years -Met her current husband in Alaska -Has three sons and is still married -Worked for Herman Miller Furniture for 15 years -Worked in their competitive intelligence department -Is a member of American Legion Post 535 in Lansing, Michigan -Had been part of the Grandville post -Left it because of the sexism -Joined the all-female American Legion Post in Lansing -Had been established for Women's Army Corps veterans from World War Two -Place to talk about harassment they experienced during the war -Small post with 25 members -Majority are World War Two veterans -She is the commander of that post -Would like to go on an Honor Flight in the future (01:15:11) Reflections on Service -Doesn't feel that the Army changed her, it just made her grow up -More aware of issues with the country -Learned to never make generalizations -Grew up a lot in the first week of basic training -Heard about people's lives and some of the troubles they experienced -Learned a lot in the Army, and grew up a lot, but it didn't change her as a person �-Army was a great experience for her, but doesn't believe that it is for everyone -Feels that the Army is what you make 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_AamothD1721V Title A name given to the resource Aamoth, Diane (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-01-15 Description An account of the resource Diane Aamoth was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on November 13, 1950. In late fall 1968 she enlisted in the Army and in December 1968 she reported for duty. She was part of the Women's Army Corps and received basic training at Fort McClellan, Alabama. She received clerk typist training at Fort McClellan and at Fort Lee, Virginia and wound up being assigned to Fort Myer, Virginia and working at the Pentagon. She became a keypunch operator in the Pentagon working for a major, and during her time in the Army worked up to the rank of Specialist 5th Grade (equivalent to the rank of sergeant). During her time in Washington D.C. she saw the social unrest and racism that still plagued the nation in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She worked at the Pentagon for a year and completed her service at the Commonwealth Building in Rosslyn, Virginia. She was discharged in April 1972. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Aamoth, Diane Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource 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/8f4cb38d8ec7b7ec185da95011f3b834.m4v 952919b31b46b3ee45c103e04b77b79d https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4edf0bb8f46ae0951863b8a8a22b27ec.pdf 77b605dc1db55608ce00fa76f7637b5d PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Bill Williams Vietnam War 2 hours 11 minutes 40 seconds (00:00:15) Early Life Pt. 1 -Born in Muscatine, Iowa -Grew up on a farm near Wapello, Iowa -Born on December 20, 1941 -Went to high school in Wapello -Played football -Took a road trip one summer with some friends to Colorado -Convinced him to attend college in Colorado (00:01:24) Colorado State University & Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps Pt. 1 -Attended Colorado State University -Always wanted to be in the Army so he joined the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps -Mandatory two years of service -Enjoyed being in the ROTC -Got into the Advanced ROTC in his junior year -Went to Fort Riley, Kansas for summer training -Did well there -Became the cadet regimental commander for half of his junior year -Wanted to join the Army because of memories of World War Two and the Korean War -Sounded enjoyable -Wanted to travel and experience different things (00:03:15) Early Life Pt. 2 -Family were farmers -Grew up near the Iowa and Mississippi Rivers near Burlington, Iowa (00:04:04) Colorado State University & Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps Pt. 2 -Graduated from college in 1963 -ROTC instructors were good -Combat veterans from WWII and the Korean War -One sergeant fought in the Pacific Theatre during WWII -Another sergeant fought at Pointe du Hoc on D-Day then in Korea -Taught Bill common sense things about being a good soldier -Instructed the cadets how to kill -Taught Bill about an officer's honor and how to manage well -Went to Fort Riley, Kansas for summer training -Learned about different leadership positions, from squad leader to company commander -Enjoyed training at Fort Riley �-Lived in barracks -Enjoyed being the cadet regimental commander, but felt he didn't do well with it -Received his commission as a 2nd lieutenant when he graduated from college (00:07:15) Overview of Events at Fort Benning -Upon graduating from college he went to Fort Benning, Georgia -Received Infantry Officer Basic Training -Went to Jump School (learning how to be a paratrooper) -From Fort Benning he was deployed to South Korea (00:07:47) Infantry Officer Basic Training -Taught how to call in artillery and mortar strikes -Learned how to lead troops -Learned about how to maintain vehicles -Taught by an old warrant officer -Trained solely at Fort Benning, Georgia -Good variation of terrain -Trained during the summer of 1963 (00:10:08) Jump School -Stayed at Fort Benning for Jump School for three weeks -Had to be in good shape -Trained with 600 other soldiers -First week of training was ground work -Learning how to safely land -Second week was tower training -Jumping from a 34 foot tower and riding down on a wire -Part of that second week was learning how to properly exit the plane -Had to run everywhere -Punished with push-ups -Tower had a mock aircraft fuselage so trainees could learn how to jump out of a plane -Fell six to ten feet then slid down the wire -Meant to mimic the feeling of the chute opening on a real jump -Third week of training he got to parachute out of an actual plane -Flew over to Fryar Field in Alabama -On his first jump he landed on his butt -Got yelled at over that -Supposed to run off the field -Managed to walk off the field without getting yelled at -Exhilarating experience (00:16:02) Deployment to South Korea -Received orders for South Korea -Allowed to go home on leave before going to South Korea -Visited his brother who was stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky -En route learned that President Kennedy had been assassinated -Went home to Iowa for 30 days of leave -Shipped out to South Korea in December 1963 -Flew out of Travis Air Force Base, California (00:17:06) Stationed in South Korea �-Landed at Kimpo Air Base near Seoul, South Korea -Assigned to the 7th Infantry Division -Used Military Pay Certificates (MPC) instead of dollars -Went to the Officers' Club the first night in South Korea -His unit was stationed south of the 1st Cavalry Division which was on the demilitarized zone -Had to do a 40 mile hike in the winter -Led by two incompetent captains that got them lost -Ran out of water and had to eat dirty snow -He was platoon leader for 1st Platoon -Platoon sergeant was a Korean War veteran -Murdered by another GI when said GI tried to kill some military police -Platoon sergeant went to confront the GI and was shot -GI was shot and killed by a finance unit's guard -Bill was acting company commander at the time -Transferred to a mortar platoon to be its leader -The soldiers he led were good men, but not well-educated -Some couldn't even write letters properly -They were good men though -Got to see Seoul on one weekend -Saw a lot of the Korean countryside -Went on a 20 mile road march in the winter -Saw women washing their clothes in a freezing river -South Koreans were hard working people -Had problems with thieves, and they were smart thieves -Farmers were still as poor as they had been when Korea was a Japanese colony -Seoul was modernizing, but there were still problems -Air control tower at Kimpo still had bullet holes in it -Had Korean Augmentation To the United States Army (KATUSA) soldiers attached to his unit -South Korean soldiers that were attached to the U.S. Army -Had a South Korean sergeant, corporal, and private attached to his unit -Sergeant gave orders to the corporal who then gave orders to the private -Higher ranking soldiers beat lower ranking soldiers -Commonplace and for mistakes and/or disobedience -Left South Korea after a year and flew back into Travis Air Force Base -Came home in November or December 1964 (00:27:56) Special Forces Training -Volunteered for the Special Forces while he was in Korea -Tonkin Gulf Incident happened while he was in Korea -Applied for transfer to Vietnam -Approved for Special Forces training before he was transferred though -Sent to Fort Bragg, North Carolina for Special Forces Training -It was interesting, but difficult -Learned about explosives and guerrilla tactics -First phase and it lasted three months �-Learned how to fight guerrilla soldiers -Second phase and it also lasted three months -Trained by combat veterans from WWII and the Korean War -Received Vietnamese language training from a sergeant that had served in WWII -He had been part of the elite Devil's Brigade -Moved around Fort Bragg for training -Did training exercises and airborne jumps at night -Training was geared toward fighting in Vietnam -Had to do a swimming test after being given a large meal of soup and meatloaf -Had to do three laps around a large pool -Some men completed training early and got deployed to Vietnam -Led to them getting killed in action -Completed Special Forces Training in late 1965, or early 1966 (00:32:38) First Tour in Vietnam - Duties of the Special Forces -Received leave upon completing Special Forces Training then deployed to Vietnam -Flew out of Travis Air Force Base -The function of the Green Berets was to set up outposts in enemy territory -Similar to forts in the American West during the Indian Wars -Trained indigenous Vietnamese to be anti-communist soldiers -Conducted patrols around the outpost -Keeping enemy forces out of the area of operations (00:34:19) First Tour in Vietnam - First Outpost -The first outpost he was stationed at was near Nha Trang and was the executive officer -Very little enemy activity -In May 1966 they discovered an enemy camp -All but one of the Viet Cong soldiers retreated, the last man stood and fought -A Montagnard soldier shot the Viet Cong soldier -Montagnards: Indigenous people in Vietnam who were U.S. allies -Took home a communist flag as a souvenir -Dealt primarily with Viet Cong soldiers -The first dead Viet Cong soldier he saw was an 18 year old girl -Stayed at the first outpost until he was promoted to captain (00:36:41) First Tour in Vietnam - Second Outpost -Sent to Pleiku to be the funds officer at the Green Beret outpost there -Stationed there for four months -Responsible for $1 million -Had to go to Saigon to get the money and bring it back to Pleiku once a month -Had to find travel on his own for a while -On one night he got stuck in Laos -Used the money to pay the indigenous soldiers -Some areas were quiet in terms of enemy activity while others were more active -Remembers escorting a stripper from the USO to Plei Me -Area was under attack most of the time, but it was never overrun -At the time it felt like the United States was winning -Knew there were problems with American politics -Had issues with the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnamese �soldiers) -Many were corrupt, but others were good fighters (00:42:27) Returning to the United States -Flew back to the United States -People were indifferent or outright rude to Vietnam veterans -That was of course unless you were wearing a Green Beret -Returned to the U.S. in early 1967 -Spent leave home in Iowa -People in Iowa were more friendly toward him than other civilians (00:43:29) Stationed at Fort Benning Pt. 1 -Assigned to Fort Benning to be an Infantry Instructor at the Infantry School -Had to do a three week course to learn how to be an Infantry Instructor -Went to class eight hours a day -More difficult than college -Taught a small arms course -Taught soldiers how to "snap shoot" -How to unconsciously and accurately shoot to kill (00:44:54) Weapons in Vietnam -Used the M16 assault rifle in Vietnam and later a carbine variant of the M16 -Had a "four deuce" (M2 4.2 inch mortar) on one of the outposts in Vietnam -The Viet Cong had mortars, but weren't very accurate -Usually fired off rounds quickly then fled which meant his unit never took casualties (00:46:55) Stationed at Fort Benning Pt. 2 -He was stationed at Fort Benning for 18 months -Went to Infantry Officer Advanced Course -Learned about logistics and strategy for larger units like companies and battalions -It was useful training (00:49:08) Redeployment to Vietnam -Had to return to Vietnam for a second tour in Vietnam -Men that had gone to West Point only had to do one tour in Vietnam -Knew he would be assigned to the 101st Airborne Division -Unit had a good reputation and he was happy to be assigned to the 101st (00:50:47) Arrival in Vietnam -Returned to Vietnam in November or December 1969 -Knew that he would be stationed in I Corps near the demilitarized zone -Landed at Tan Son Nhut near Saigon -From there flew up to Cam Ranh Bay and right into a sandstorm -Huts were filled with sand -From Cam Ranh Bay flew to a shoddy camp in I Corps -Taken by truck to the Screaming Eagle Replacement Training School -Went on an introdcutory patrol and got ambushed -Called in helicopter gunships -Was a company commander during his time at SERTS (00:55:13) 3rd Brigade Headquarters �-He was sent to the 3rd Brigade Headquarters -Requested an assignment to a rifle company -There were no open slots for a company commander though -Most battalions had too many captains anyway -Requested to stay at 3rd Brigade Headquarters until a slot opened -Assigned to be the assistant-S3 officer (operations and planning) -S-3 officer was a good officer to work for -Colonel Bradley was the brigade commander -He was a WWII veteran and a West Point graduate -Good man to serve under -Responsible for getting Bill an assignment as a rifle company commander -Worked as the assistant-S3 officer for four months -There was some minor, local fighting during his time at 3rd Brigade Headquarters (00:59:35) Assignment to Bravo Company -Assigned to a rifle company in late March 1970 -Bravo Company 2nd Battalion 506th Infantry Regiment 101st Airborne Division -Had to wait four or five days to get out to the field due to bad weather (01:01:15) Establishing Firebase Ripcord -Operation Texas Star began on March 12, 1970 -Attempt to rebuild the abandoned Firebase Ripcord -Bravo Company got eight replacements -On April 1, 1970 Bravo Company air assaulted onto the hill that Ripcord would be built on -There were 100 men in his company plus support personnel -Took mortar fire as soon as they landed -Colonel Lucas and Major Koenigsbauer began directing artillery fire against the enemy mortars -Started to take casualties -One of his platoon lieutenants was killed in action by a mortar -Seven or eight men were killed and about 20 men were wounded -Half of the Pathfinders were able to land -Other half could not land due to heavy enemy fire -At dusk they received orders to withdraw to a nearby hill Alpha Company was on -Helicopters tried to come in to collect the dead, but couldn't land -They buried the dead at Ripcord instead so they could be recovered later -Walked down the side of the hill Ripcord was on -Contacted A Company and told them that B Company was approaching their position -Safely got to A Company without running into enemy soldiers -They were supposed to be airlifted out of the field the next day -Heavy fog rolled in which made it impossible for helicopters to come in -Moved down to Delta Company's position -Had trouble contacting D Company -B Company was running out of food and ammunition -D Company commander was a good man -Made sure that B Company was able to rest -Separated from D Company the next day �-They ran out food because they thought that they were going to reestablish Firebase Ripcord -Walked around in the jungle for a while before getting resupplied (01:15:27) Patrols near Firebase Ripcord -After trying to reestablish Firebase Ripcord they were airlifted back to the rear -Stayed in the rear for a short time -Command didn't want the soldiers in the rear too long because it led to problems -Returned to the field in mid-April 1970 and conducted patrols aroud Firebase Ripcord -Didn't make a lot of contact with North Vietnamese troops from April-June -Discovered a lot of freshly built bunkers and huts -Usually empty, but had been occupied -Called in artillery to destroy the fortifications -He made sure that the men in his company shaved while in the field -Maintaining discipline, but also to prevent infection -Normally the platoons operated separately -Stayed with a platoon for a few days then rotated to another one -Platoons went on patrols around the company command post to secure the area -Company command post was whatever platoon he was with -Never got ambushed -Some of his platoons made contact with North Vietnamese troops closer to Firebase Ripcord -One of his platoons encountered an NVA platoon heading toward Ripcord (01:22:15) Fighting on Hill 805 -Moved to Hill 805 in early July 1970 -Air assaulted to a landing zone near Hill 805 -Watched as Cobra gunships bombarded the NVA on top of Hill 805 -He was on one of the first helicopters into the landing zone -The landing zone was lower than Hill 805 which meant the enemy had the high ground -Someone finally neutralized the NVA soldier firing down on the landing zone -His company took two casualties -One man was shot in the arm and another was shot in the back -He moved to the far side of the landing zone until another a platoon landed -One platoon went up Hill 805 and the other platoon stayed at the landing zone -That night the landing zone took enemy fire -NVA were trying to figure out U.S. troop strength at Hill 805 -Fortunately, they couldn't figure out where the U.S. troops were -The night after that Charlie Company was wiped out on Hill 902 -C Company's commander made two critical errors, one of which was his fault: -Stayed on Hill 902 two nights in a row (ordered to, not his decision) -He set up a hammock on top of the hill in plain sight (his fault) -C Company was overrun and had to wipe out the attacking NVA -B Company was ordered to withdraw from Hill 805 to be replaced by C Company -While waiting to get airlifted off Hill 805 he set up his radio �-Lightning struck the tree next to him which traveled down his radio antenna -Shock threw him fifteen feet down the hill (01:33:37) Stationed at Firebase Ripcord -Received orders to pull back to Firebase Ripcord -Once they landed he went to see the firebase surgeon, Dr. Harris -Learned that one of his eardrums had been blown out -B Company took over security at Firebase Ripcord -Bill was made the S3 officer to replace Major Koenigsbauer -Koenigsbauer was sent to division headquarters -Due to Army protocol officers had to be rotated to different positions after six months -Led to experienced officers getting replaced with inexperienced officers -Meant that Bill would be in the tactical operations center with Colonel Lucas -B Company took up defensive positions in bunkers on the perimeter of Ripcord -Every night at 5 PM they had staff meetings in the TOC and always took enemy artillery fire (01:38:49) Siege of Firebase Ripcord -Over the course of July the fighting around Ripcord got worse and turned into a siege -More artillery fire and enemy soldiers trying to get through the wire and mines -A Chinook resupply helicopter came in on July 18, took enemy fire, and crashed -The fuel spilled out, caught fire, and caused the ammunition dump to explode -Took seven or eight hours for all of the ammunition to cook off -One soldier panicked and ran down the hill through the wire defenses -Mistaken for being an NVA soldier and got shot at -Fortunately, he wasn't killed or wounded (01:43:29) Getting Wounded -At another staff meeting Dr. Harris said there was a group of GIs standing around the TOC -Bill went outside and told them to get away from the TOC -Would attract attention from the NVA mortars near the firebase -An artillery shell came in and exploded near Bill -It threw him down the stairs into the TOC and he sustained severe wounds -Crushed skull, broken jaw, severed jugular vein, and shrapnel wounds -Dr. Harris stopped the bleeding -Wounded before Firebase Ripcord fell on July 23, 1970 (01:46:59) Recovery Overseas -He was evacuated to Charlie Med (hospital) in Khe Sanh -Unconscious for five days -Woke up to find tubes running out of his body and a Red Cross nurse standing over him -Able to dictate a letter home to her -Moved to Camp Drake, Japan -Spent three weeks there �-Kept in a large warehouse-type building that was used as the hospital -Severely wounded on one side, minor cases on the other, latrines in the middle -Had nightmares every night because he couldn't find his rifle -Finally convinced himself that he was no longer in danger -Moved to the convalescent ward -Received a lot of letters from family and friends from home -Flown to the Philippines and told get food at the Officers' Club (01:53:56) Recovery in the United States -Flown to Travis Air Force Base, California and sent to a hospital -Told he had a free phone call home -Red Cross nurse called home for him because his jaw was wired shut -Transferred to Letterman Army Medical Center in San Francisco -Could see Alcatraz Island from the hospital -Could see the Native Americans who had occupied the island -Escaped the hospital during the day to go into San Francisco -Watched the cleanup operations after two oil tankers collided in the bay -Drank wine with other patients at night -On Thursdays they had to be examined by oral surgeons -Hated it -Spent eight and a half months in the hospital -Given leave twice -Got married in Akron, Alabama on one leave -Married 45 years as of February 2016 -Met his wife while he was at Fort Benning -Had to eat liquid foods -Worst ones were liquid fish and liquid beets -Experienced an earthquake (02:01:15) End of Service -After he recovered he was sent to Fort Carson, Colorado -Made the assistant S3 officer for the brigade there -Able to get up late and leave work early -Had a lot of men from Vietnam who only had three months of service left -Came up with a plan to walk from New Mexico to Wyoming along the Continental Divide -Something to occupy the soldiers that had time left, but nothing to do -Received approval for the plan and 24 men volunteered to go on the hike -Trained by doing hikes on Pikes Peak -Hiked from the New Mexico state line to the Wyoming border -Had supply points along the way -Took 50 days -Started with 24 men and only three had to drop out for various reasons -Only took six pictures -Preoccupied with the mules they brought with them -Issued a ration and a half a day because they were burning so many calories �-Got a week off after the hike -Able to spend time with his wife and baby son (02:07:03) Life after the Army -Developed psychomotor-epilepsy from his head wound -Given a medical retirement by the Army -Developed Bell's palsy, thiroiditis, and a blood disease after he left the Army -Given Social Security due to unemployability -Unable to be around people for long periods of time -Lives in the mountains of Colorado -Wife is understanding -Used to raise horses and take care of his children -Wife worked at the Post Office -Moved to some property in Lake George, Colorado and built a house and a barn (02:10:40) Reflections on Service -Hard to leave the Army and still misses the brotherhood he felt in the Army -The best and worst parts of his service happened while he was in Vietnam -Made friends, but also lost friends too � 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_WilliamsW1892V Title A name given to the resource Williams, William J (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-10-10 Description An account of the resource Bill Williams was born in Muscatine, Iowa on December 20, 1941. He attended Colorado State University and was part of the Army ROTC, graduating and receiving his commission in 1963. He went to Fort Benning, Georgia for Infantry Officer Basic Training and Jump School (paratrooper training). He spent a year stationed in South Korea serving as a platoon leader in the 7th Infantry Division. After South Korea he returned to the United States and received Special Forces Training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and in early 1966 he was deployed to Vietnam. He served at a Green Beret outpost in Nha Trang and at another outpost in Pleiku until early 1967. He took the Infantry Officer Advanced Course and was a small arms instructor at Fort Benning, Georgia for eighteen months. He was redeployed to Vietnam in December 1969 and was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division. He served as the assistant S3 officer at 3rd Brigade Headquarters for four months until he was assigned to be the company commander of Bravo Company 2nd Battalion 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. He carried out patrols around Firebase Ripcord in spring 1970 and fought at Hill 805 until B Company moved to Firebase Ripcord in July 1970 and experienced the siege of Ripcord. Shortly before the fall of Ripcord he was severely wounded and was medically evacuated. He received treatment in Vietnam, Japan, and California before completing his service at Fort Carson, Colorado. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Williams, William J. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings 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/be104c379c02f7f4aac936d2296104c0.mp4 6e5565dc5fb0a867bf1a0ecc85c21fca https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0c727892593e3e4eb85db2f4996a8349.pdf 52e054986a3a2bd975606aa04cf5e066 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Daniele Fernandez Yugoslav War/Peacetime/War in Afghanistan 50 minutes 21 seconds (00:00:10) Early Life -Born on May 28, 1977 in Brooklyn, New York -Both of his parents were from the Dominican Republic -His father owned a series of supermarkets and then a restaurant -His parents divorced when he was young -He has two brothers and three sisters -He is the oldest sibling -Three of his cousins served in the military -Prior to enlisting he was working as a deliveryman in Lower Manhattan (00:01:37) Enlisting in the Army and Basic Training -He was married to his (now) ex-wife who was pregnant -He decided that joining the Army would allow for him to provide for his family -He chose the Army based on its employment opportunities -He decided to go into the medical field -He was nervous about going into the Army -His family members that served tried to prepare him for it though -Learned that teamwork was key for success in basic training -He joined on October 1, 1997 in Brooklyn, New York -At the time the Yugoslav Wars were being fought -He was sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for basic training -During his time there his training platoon was getting a new drill sergeant every two weeks -There was a program where reservists were getting cycled to learn how to train soldiers -This meant that the drill sergeants were always tough and unrelenting (00:05:02) Advanced Individual Training -He was sent to Fort Sam Houston, Texas for ten weeks of combat medic AIT -The training consisted of learning basic emergency medical skills -How to set up an IV and give shots -How to assess trauma -How to transport wounded -Received some training by working in a ward -Learned how to give medicine through an IV (00:06:03) Adjusting to the Army -It was challenging to come from a big city -He was already tough from living in New York which helped some -Had to learn how to work with people from different states or even different countries -Learned that the more you worked with different people the more social you become -The biggest adjustment was adapting to working and living with different people (00:07:03) Overview of First Enlistment -He was sent to Bamberg, Germany where he served with the 82nd Engineer Battalion �-He was assigned to work as a combat medic -He would work on base and also went out into the field to aid companies on maneuvers -He remembers the first time that he went to Kosovo -He remembers when he got to Kosovo an EOD demolition was scheduled for that day -He was in a mess hall and no one knew there knew that it was scheduled for that day -When they heard the explosion everyone thought they were under attack -It was difficult to adjust to living in Germany compared to living in America (00:09:05) Deployment to Kosovo -During his time with the 82nd Engineer Battalion he was deployed to Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo -Remembers that Kosovo was much different than Germany -He was stuck on a base as opposed to being allowed to explore the area like in Germany -If he was allowed to leave the base movement was restricted -Being kept on the base strengthened the sense of camaraderie -There was fear that local forces might attack the base -The base had Blackhawk, Apache, and Kiowa helicopters as well as tanker aircraft -There were forces on the base from Spain and the United Arab Emirates -Navy Seabees were building up the base and the surrounding area at the time (00:10:50) Working in Kosovo -Remembers that a Special Forces Humvee hit a landmine in the Russian sector -The mission was to look for and mark where unexploded ordnance was -They would have to explain to children that certain areas were not safe to go to -Remembers that two children didn’t listen and were killed as a result -Remembers an M113 armored personnel carrier lost its brakes and almost went over a cliff -He was out doing a recon mission and their vehicle broke down -They were stuck in the field for two days -Fortunately a Kosovar family took them in while they waited for help -Some of the men in the motor pool got hurt by falling objects -Remembers a lieutenant got hit in the head by a falling light and had a concussion -He remembers treating a wounded Serbian national -His job as a combat medic was to do preliminary treatment and stabilize wounded personnel -There was an incident where some UN workers were fired upon by Kosovar militants -Two men were wounded and he was sent to treat them -It was the first time that he ever treated someone in an emergency setting (00:14:24) Working in Germany -When he was in Germany a sergeant was working underneath a vehicle and the jack collapsed -It landed on his chest and trapped him underneath it -Surprisingly he only had to spend a night in the hospital -While in Germany a soldier was mauled by a wild boar and he treated that -There weren’t any emergency situations while he was stationed in Bamberg (00:15:20) Downtime and Memories -His fondest memories are of the camaraderie when he was serving in Europe -He had a lot of fun when he was stationed in Germany -Did the same things that you would do in college, just in a different setting -In Kosovo, on Saturdays the base would have a “Caribbean Night” -He enjoyed that because of his own Dominican heritage �(00:16:30) Reenlisting and Working at Fort Jackson -After his enlistment was up he reenlisted and was stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina -He started off working in the family practice in the fort’s hospital -After that he moved on to working in the Troop Medical Clinic -Consisted of treating soldiers that were wounded during basic training -Working in a hospital was stressful, but it was also mundane -It didn’t feel like being in the Army, it felt more like a regular 9-5 job -This improved a little bit when he was transferred to the Troop Medical Clinic -He would go out to training sites to be prepared in case someone got wounded -It felt like being back in the field, but it still wasn’t the same -Dehydration was a common problem for the recruits -Head injuries were another common occurrence -Recruits would also get hurt on the obstacle course and during hand-hand combat training -Most of the soldiers were young and inexperienced -This meant that if they got an otherwise small injury it might scare them more -Example: One recruit got dehydrated, passed out, and then went into shock -An older soldier would have woken up, drank some water, and been fine -During his time at Fort Jackson there were two casualties due to heat stroke -This caused a change of protocol to ensure that that didn’t happen again -He did enjoy getting to see old friends from Bamberg coming through Fort Jackson -They were training to be drill sergeants, chaplains, or administrators -After Fort Jackson he got out of the Army (00:22:30) Deployments during Reenlistment -When he reenlisted he was sent to Bosnia, Sinai Peninsula (in Egypt), and Afghanistan -He was sent to Bosnia before the September 11th Attacks -Most likely in July and August of 2001 -He was working in an emergency room on the base -He was also going out and setting up free clinics to treat civilians -He was sent to the Sinai Peninsula after Bosnia -It was his first time experiencing the desert -He was on an outpost for thirty days -Consisted of doing nothing but lifting weights or watching TV (00:24:10) Deployment to Afghanistan -He was deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation: Anaconda -The tour lasted four months -He was in the Battle of Takur Ghar -Arrived in March 2002 -There were no bases at the time so they had to fly out of Kandahar Air Base -He was with Alpha Company 187th Infantry Regiment “Rakkasans” 101st Airborne Division -It was an intense deployment -They would have to fly into valleys in Chinook helicopters -The helicopters were loud so the enemy knew that they were coming -He was a frontline medic -He treated friendly and enemy wounded -It was fast paced and put his combat medic skills to the test �(00:26:17) Fighting in Afghanistan -When you’re in combat your fight or flight reflex kicks in -You’re always on alert which was difficult to turn off after coming home -Had to accept the things that he could control and the things that he couldn’t -Has since lived with the guilt of choosing who could be saved and who couldn’t be -It was difficult to treat wounded enemy combatants -Sometimes they even tried to fight back while you treated them -Had to let go of his ego and treat them anyway as per the Rules of Engagement (00:29:37) Getting Wounded -During his time in the Army he suffered a number of concussions -Two concussions were while he was setting up a tent in Germany and a beam fell on his head -He sustained an explosive concussion while he was on a blasting range -Another explosive concussion while he was on the AT-4 (anti-tank weapon) range -You were supposed to wait an hour between each shot that was fired -You were also only supposed to do four shots in one day -He did not do this -In Afghanistan he was resting his head on a boulder and a rocket propelled grenade hit it -The force was so strong that it knocked him away from the boulder -He fell down a hill a couple times during firefights and hit his head on the way down (00:32:50) Relationships in Afghanistan -He made bonds with the soldiers that he served with there -It wasn’t as strong as it would have been if he had deployed with the 82nd Engineers -Although the bond wasn’t as strong he still came to trust those he served with (00:33:45) Downtime in Afghanistan -There was some recreation at the Kandahar Air Base -Able to play soccer and basketball -You could watch television or go on the internet if you brought a laptop with you -Kandahar was still very basic in 2002 though -If you didn’t bring something with you, then you didn’t have much to do -For a lot of soldiers it was their first deployment and didn’t know what to bring -During downtime everyone basically kept to themselves (00:34:49) Contact with Family -When he was deployed to Afghanistan he didn’t tell his family that he was going there -They would have suffered too much from worry -The only person he told was his cousin, but even then he kept the details vague -Told her that he was doing medical training in the region -He sent letters, but never called while he was in Afghanistan -He told them that he was just training -When he got back from his deployment he finally told his family where he was -His family was upset for a while, but eventually got over it (00:36:47) End of Service -On October 26, 2003 he was discharged from the Army -He left the Army with the rank of specialist -When he left the Army the Iraq War was raging -The insurgency was becoming more intense -A lot of soldiers were disenfranchised with the Bush Administration and the war �-He didn’t want to deploy with people who didn’t believe in the war -He didn’t agree with the idea of fighting two wars at once -He felt that the only protest he could do was to not reenlist -He didn’t want to risk his life for the Iraq War -He would have stayed if Iraq had been after Afghanistan -He didn’t agree with the strategy for fighting in Iraq (00:39:14) Coming Home & Life after the War -His family welcomed him home from the Army with open arms and love -Shortly after leaving the Army he began to have problems with post-traumatic stress disorder -His family didn’t understand what he was going through -In general, the community welcomed him home positively -He was thanked by strangers for having served -Some people were antagonistic about it though -He just learned to take it in stride and ignore it -Feels that he fought so that people could have those kinds of opinions -The first years back into the civilian world were difficult to adjust to -He felt like he didn’t fit in -Also felt a sense of entitlement for having risked his life for the country -When he went back to work he looked for places that employed other veterans -Worked better in an environment that was military oriented -He didn’t feel comfortable being in a corporate setting -He now works for a biohazard cleanup company with former police officers and other veterans -Enjoys the work because it’s similar to how the Army worked -All of his friends are veterans -He stays in contact with those that he served with -He is now a member of the Student Veterans of Broward College in Fort Lauderdale, Florida -Also part of the American Legion and the Disabled American Veterans (00:46:05) Reflections on Service -The Army made him more goal oriented -He does everything step by step -It taught him to be patient, to see the value of life, and the value of living in America -He learned not to be so materialistic -He is now more family oriented -Taught him how to discipline his son better -War should be the last option -If war is the only solution then plan it and think about it carefully -Feels that Iraq was rushed into without a concrete plan -Feels that the U.S. strategy made the insurgency and terrorism worse -Feels that our lives are so wrapped up in materialism that we lose focus of what is important -We forgot that time is finite and needs to be used well, by citizens and politicians � 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 FernandezD1729V Title A name given to the resource Fernandez, Daniele (Interview outline and video), 2015 Description An account of the resource Daniele Fernandez was born to Dominican immigrants in 1977 in Brooklyn, New York. In 1997, hee enlisted in the Army and was sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for basic training and Fort Sam Houston, Texas for combat medic training. During his first enlistment he was sent to Bamberg, Germany where he joined the 82nd Engineer Battalion and was also deployed to Kosovo during that time to Camp Bondsteel. He reenlisted and was based out of Fort Jackson, South Carolina where he worked on the base, but was also deployed. He was sent to Bosnia, the Sinai Peninsula, and to Afghanistan in March 2002 where he took part in Operation: Anaconda with the 187th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Fernandez, Daniele Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Vega, Nikki (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-02-06 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/000686c1a4518afea52f25061fd76d26.m4v 701f631b1b4ceac78fcaae1579a4ff91 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8cada4415fb46689a1637cfcfaac7503.pdf cab3f9a3634550eac2caa2337d84d22d PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Peter Meloro Vietnam War 1 hour 26 minutes 11 seconds (00:00:24) Early Life -Born on April 2, 1948, in Brooklyn, New York -Grew up there -Father was an Italian immigrant and worked in a paper factory -Had a younger sister -Graduated from high school in 1965 -Went to college for one year -Had to leave because his grades weren’t high enough -Worked at bank in New York City for six months (00:01:45) Enlisting in the Army & Awareness of Vietnam War -Decided to enlist in the Army in 1967 -Knew that if he enlisted he could get a better chance of picking his job -Read the news about the Vietnam War -Knew it was dangerous -When he enlisted he was asked his preference of assignment -Wanted a job in computing, but got assigned to clerical work (00:03:06) Basic Training -Sent to Fort Gordon, Georgia, for basic training -Got one weekend leave to Augusta and it was clear that Northerners weren’t welcome -Spent most of his time on base anyway -Spent a lot of time doing physical training -Received rifle training -He’d never fired a gun in his life -Learned how to fire and maintain a rifle -Received gas training -Note: Sent into chamber filled with tear gas and exposed to it along with gas mask training -Strong emphasis on discipline -Learned that he was no longer an individual and had to work as a unit -He could be a little sarcastic, but he had no trouble making friends with other recruits -Had some difficulty adjusting to life in the Army -Remembers the shock of getting his head shaved -Strange sense of losing his freedom -Had to adjust or face the consequences -Lasted eight weeks (00:07:32) Clerical Training -Sent to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, for his clerical training -Lasted six (or eight) weeks -Consisted of typing classes, administrative classes, and more physical training -New experience to do formal typing, but it wasn’t difficult -Trained with men from all over the United States -Mostly high school graduates, but there were some college graduates -Learned how to fill out a variety of forms �-Got one pass on the weekend and got a leave during Christmas -Went to Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, for more clerical training -Trained there for two or three weeks -Learned about Army financing and accounting (00:11:55) Stationed in West Germany Pt. 1 -Received an overseas assignment for West Germany -Had orders to report to Fort Dix, New Jersey, for deployment -Placed on kitchen patrol duty for two days until his orders were finalized -Flew to Frankfurt, Germany -Pulled kitchen patrol duty there for a few days until he had orders for a unit -Assigned to an artillery battery in Ober Ulm, Germany -Unit was in the field on maneuvers and he wanted to join them -There was no spot for him, so he did kitchen patrol duty for three weeks -The base at Ober Ulm was a newer base and most likely built after World War II -He was attached to the motor pool to serve as its clerk -Kept log books for vehicles of the artillery batteries -Ordered parts for vehicles -There was quite a bit of work, especially because the log books were in terrible shape -Had to clean up the motor pool due to a Command Maintenance Management Inspection -Get the paperwork in order -Had some help from mechanics, but he did most of the work on his own -Reported to the sergeant of the motor pool -Career soldier, about 40 years old -Peter got along with him -Had a lot of contact with the drivers -Had barracks with three to four men per room -Started in a four-man room then eventually got into a two-man room (00:21:45) Cold War Tension -Never thought the Soviet Union would attack -Had nuclear shells for the howitzers -Didn’t seem feasible for two nuclear superpowers to engage in willful self-destruction (00:22:41) Stationed in West Germany Pt. 2 -Stationed in Germany from March 1968 to June 1969 -The German people weren’t very receptive -Probably walked past former German soldiers -Remembers a German family avoiding him and another soldier -There was an element of tension; unfriendly, but civil -Unit moved to Augsburg -Bigger city and more interesting -Visited Munich during Oktoberfest and other parts of Germany -Assumed that he was going to stay in Germany for the duration of his enlistment -His original battery commander went to Vietnam, and the replacement came from Vietnam -Slated for promotion to sergeant, but there wasn’t an opening, so he didn’t get the promotion (00:30:23) Deployment to Vietnam -His name came up for deployment to Vietnam in July 1969 -Allowed time to go home and visit his family before deployment -Flew from New York City to Fort Lewis, Washington -Arrived a few days late -Received a week of training (rifle training with M16, jungle training, animals to expect) �-Flew on a chartered commercial flight to Vietnam -Stopped in Japan (00:34:05) Arrival in Vietnam -Landed at Cam Ranh Bay -Oppressive heat and the overwhelming smell of burning feces and trash -Taken to a processing center and told to wait for orders (00:35:28) Assignment to 101st Airborne Division -Originally had orders to join the 101st Administration Company in Bien Hoa -Placed on a C-130 and flew up to Bien Hoa -Saw the 101st Airborne Division flag and thought it was a mistake -He was now in an infantry division -Assigned to C Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 506th Infantry Regiment -Assumed that being in an airborne division mean being a paratrooper -Learned that it had changed to air assault (dropping off troops with helicopters) -Had a brief orientation at Bien Hoa when he joined the 101st -Rifle training, jungle training, and what to expect in Vietnam (00:38:39) Joining C Company -Sent to Camp Evans to join C Company -Joined them in mid-July 1969 -Most of the company was in the field when he arrived -The soldier he was replacing gave him a thorough rundown of what to do (00:40:30) Stationed at Camp Evans Pt.1 -Started with morning report, administrative tasks -Leave orders -Assignment orders -Roster for the men wounded or killed in action -Able to monitor radio traffic and hear the fighting in the field -Didn’t always know where C Company was operating -Platoons were spread out in the Lowlands conducting patrols -The company had some enemy activity, but nothing too intense (00:44:02) Captain Vazquez-Rodriguez (Commander of C Company) -Never met a better leader than Captain Vazquez-Rodriguez -He was competent, focused, and had combat experience from the Korean War -Commanded respect -Wanted to make sure his men survived the war -Convinced that the North Vietnamese knew of, and feared, Captain Vazquez-Rodriguez -Had some contact with him -One time he accidentally sent back Vazquez’s mail -He didn’t understand Hispanic naming conventions for surnames -All Vazquez had to do was glare at him and Peter never did that again (00:48:10) Stationed at Camp Evans Pt. 2 -Worked with a few supply sergeants -One of them was incompetent, but he got along with the rest of them -In charge of getting supplies to units in the field -Didn’t have much contact with men unless they stayed at Camp Evans for an extended time (00:50:53) Battle of Firebase Ripcord -He left Vietnam on July 9, 1970, shortly after the battle began -Remembers when C Company got hit on Hill 902 on July 1st and 2nd -Heard about it and monitored the radio traffic from the company �-Knew it was a bad situation -Went to the helipad at Camp Evans to see the wounded coming in (00:52:34) Stationed at Camp Evans Pt. 3 -Got up in the morning and did his daily tasks -Leaves, coming and going of troops, emergency notifications from the Red Cross -Typed up letters for the men that had been killed-in-action -Got up early and did as much during the day as possible -Capable of getting work done in a normal shift most days -Very good conditions compared to the jungle, but it was still primitive living -Used outhouses, and had gravity-fed showers -Had a mess hall that served hot food -Had a Non-commissioned Officers Club, but he felt the field soldiers deserved it more than him (00:55:21) Race Relations & Drug Use -Didn’t notice any racial tensions in C Company -Had a Hispanic commanding officer and a black sergeant -Knew of racial tension in other units -Knew there was some marijuana use, but not too prevalent -Remembers one soldier tried to go into the field with a belt of marijuana -He was stopped from going into the field -Captain Vazquez-Rodriguez didn’t tolerate drug use -Too dangerous for men to be intoxicated in the field (00:57:53) Other Duties at Camp Evans -Pulled bunker duty briefly after he arrived at Camp Evans -Stopped doing that after he became the company clerk (00:58:09) Changing Personnel in C Company -Captain Hewitt took over C Company in June 1970 -Never had much contact with him -Brought in a man from the field to replace him when it came time to leave -Had a PhD (00:59:38) Contact with Home -Did a Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) call home once -Using CB radios to relay a signal to get his parents on the phone -Complicated and difficult to coordinate -Wrote letters home a lot -Mothers always asked if he was safe and he told her he was -Mother knew he was lying, because she saw news that Camp Evans had been attacked (01:01:08) Enemy Contact -Relatively safe from rockets and mortars -Mortar attacks became predictable -As long as you avoided a direct hit, you were fine -Took cover in a bunker and waited for the bombardment to pass -Remembers being forced to dive into a sewage ditch once during an attack -Enemy fire was fairly random -Took minor casualties at Camp Evans -Always had enough time to take cover -Bombardments never lasted long enough to cause significant damage -North Vietnamese sappers probed the perimeter, but never mounted a full assault (01:03:27) Contact with Civilians -Had civilians working on the base �-Didn’t work near the infantry company quarters -Worked as cleaners (01:03:54) Travel in Vietnam -Went to Camp Eagle for work on one occasion -Visited the USS Sanctuary (a hospital ship) to deal with paperwork for a wounded soldier -Soldier had been mortally wounded and died on the ship -Peter had to go to the ship to fill out some paperwork for the soldier -Villages were forbidden -If you were caught in a village, you got a court-martial (01:05:00) R&R -He took his R&R in Sydney, Australia -Always wanted to see Australia -Heard good things about the Australians -Went to some clubs and met some Australian women, never had to pay for a drink -Visited in early 1970 (01:06:16) USO Shows -There was some USO Shows at Camp Evans -Entertainers from Taiwan and the Philippines came to put on shows -He selected some men to go to Camp Eagle to see Bob Hope’s Christmas 1969 show -Only picked men from the field to go to that show (01:07:20) Discipline Issues -Knew a soldier that was going to receive a court-martial for being AWOL for three months -Arrested in Saigon dealing on the black market -Sent back to Camp Evans to wait for his trial -Peter was in charge of assigning him to the mess hall for kitchen duty -Threatened to kill Peter if he tried to make him work again -Next day, Peter threatened to shoot him if he didn’t go -Had another soldier huffing gas to go crazy so he’d be sent back home -Peter tried to counsel him and make him stop, but he never did -Wound up pointing a rifle at military police -Peter talked him down and stopped him from shooting the police -He was arrested and Peter never saw him again (01:11:08) End of Tour & End of Enlistment -The end of his tour in Vietnam coincided with the end of his enlistment -He wasn’t offered a reenlistment because the 1st sergeant knew Peter wanted out -Didn’t want to try and pressure him into reenlisting -Went to Da Nang, then to Cam Ranh Bay to wait for a flight to the United States -Flew home on another chartered commercial flight -Stopped at Manila, Guam, and Hawaii -He and the other soldiers went to the airport bar in Hawaii -Calm and polite, but people still left the bar to get away from them -The flight home was quiet -Only cheered when they left Vietnamese airspace -Thinks a lot of men took the time to reflect on their time in country -Landed at Fort Lewis, Washington -Out-processed there -Given a physical examination, new uniform, and a steak dinner -Talked to finance officer about final payment -Noticed he was getting extra month of pay, but didn’t question it �-Protesters were outside the base screaming and spitting at the returning soldiers -Kept away from the soldiers to prevent violence (01:17:45) Coming Home & Life after the War -Didn’t deal with any harassment on the flight from Seattle to New York -Family met him at the airport and his mother had over extended family to welcome him home -It was jarring after recently losing so many friends at Hill 902 -Took a few weeks off to readjust to civilian life -Got a job at a butcher shop -In October 1970 he got a job as a customer service representative with Consolidated Edison, Inc. -Utility company serving New York City -Worked for them for 43 years -Paid for him to go back to college and the GI Bill also helped pay for college -Got a bachelor degree and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree -Graduated in 3 ½ years -Uncle got him his job at Con Edison (01:22:17) Ripcord Association Reunions -Didn’t talk about his time in Vietnam after he came home -Avoided the topic when it came up -Got involved with the Ripcord Association in 2006 -Learned about the Ripcord Association Reunions -Heard that Vazquez-Rodriguez was attending the next reunion -Lee Widjeskog, a fellow veteran from 2nd Battalion, encouraged him to go -When he got to the reunion, C Company survivors embraced him and made him feel welcomed -Got to see Vazquez-Rodriguez again (01:25:15) Reflections on Service -Trained him how to work as part of a team -Taught him how to be understanding and accepting of different people -Taught him that it was sometimes necessary to rely on others for help -Helped him in his business career after the war � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MeloroP1957V Title A name given to the resource Meloro, Peter A (Interview outline and video), 2016 Description An account of the resource Peter Meloro was born on April 2, 1948, in Brooklyn, New York. He enlisted in the Army in 1967 and received his basic training at Fort Gordon, Georgia. He went to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, then to Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, for his clerical training. He was stationed West Germany with an artillery unit from March 1968 to June 1969. Peter received orders for a deployment to Vietnam and was sent over in July 1969. He joined C Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division as a company clerk. He worked at Camp Evans doing paperwork for the company and also monitored radio traffic when the company was in the field. He left Vietnam on July 9, 1970, and was discharged at Fort Lewis, Washington. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Meloro, Peter 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 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-10-08 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/160b88c9bea0a0638cb44278f7254f89.m4v 74133f5cacaaaa221b2ceb26331e0b53 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6b2cada618dd641b498ac318b21b3729.pdf 82e4b5bd736a0730956f0951ecdfdb0d PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Douglas McVay Vietnam War 1 hour 9 seconds (00:00:11) Early Life -Born in Monticello, Iowa, on December 18, 1949 -Near the Mississippi River -Moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, after grade school -Father worked as a farmer, so Douglas spent his early life on a farm -Got a factory job in Cedar Rapids, then got involved with the Teamsters -Mother got a job with Rockwell International -Graduated from high school in 1968 -Read about the Vietnam War and heard about it in the news -Knew the war existed, but he ignored it -Went to Kirkwood Community College -Stayed for one year then for summer classes (00:01:53) Enlisting in the Army -Dropped out of college because he was bored and decided to enlist in the Army -Didn’t put a lot of thought into it -Enlisted in August 1969 -Sent to Fort Dodge in Des Moines for his enlistment physical -Mix of draftees and enlistees -Didn’t see anyone trying to get out of service (00:03:17) Basic Training -Sent to Fort Polk, Louisiana, for basic training -Flew down to the base in a military transport -Remembers it was a loud and rough ride -When he arrived, he was issued a uniform and a place to sleep -First week was spent doing processing -Waking up at 4:30 a.m. came as a shock -Wanted to go to Pharmacy School, but he didn’t get that assignment -Did marching in the morning and class in the afternoon -Got up at 4:30 a.m., had breakfast, then did physical training -Learned about weapons -Drill sergeants had a lot of control over his life -Part of breaking individuality -They kept the recruits tired to break any rebellious behavior -Strong emphasis on discipline and unit cohesion -Punished with cleaning barracks, cleaning toilets, and marching around the dumpster -Done for accidents or infractions �-Found the Army to be unusual at first, but then he adjusted to it -Once he got over his homesickness he quickly adjusted -Basic training lasted eight weeks (00:07:20) Advanced Infantry Training -Stayed at Fort Polk for his Advanced Infantry Training (AIT) -Lasted another eight weeks -Issued an M16 rifle -Trained with grenades and other infantry weapons -Went on bivouacs and long marches -A lot of the drill sergeants had been to Vietnam -All preparation for fighting in Vietnam -Told to stay alert or, “Charlie could ruin your day” -Trained with white, black, and Hispanic recruits from all over the United States -18 – 21 years old, but had a handful of recruits in their mid to late twenties (00:09:37) Leadership School -Received orders to go to Leadership School -Spent two or three weeks training at Fort Knox, Kentucky -Learned how to drive armored personnel carriers (APCs) -Interesting experience -Got to drive in the hills of Kentucky -Basic training with the APCs -Assumed he’d drive an APC in Vietnam -Treated a little better by the drill sergeants in Leadership School (00:11:15) Deployment to Vietnam -Received orders for Vietnam -Went home for two or three weeks of leave -Went to Fort Lewis, Washington, to fly to Vietnam -Family wasn’t happy about his deployment, or his initial enlistment -Mother and sisters were upset -He saw it as an adventure -Not thinking about going into a warzone -Stopped at Anchorage, Alaska, and either at Okinawa or Japan (00:13:03) Arrival in Vietnam -Landed at Cam Ranh Bay -There were a lot of soldiers -It was foreign territory -Placed in barracks and processed -Did paperwork, issued uniforms, and getting used to the climate -Stayed at Cam Ranh Bay for a week (00:14:35) Assignment to 101st Airborne Division -Assigned to the 101st Airborne Division -Knew nothing about the division -Flown up to Camp Evans located in I Corps (northernmost part of South Vietnam) �-Flew in a military transport -Had barracks, a mess hall, and served as a central hub for the 101st Airborne Division -Stayed for a few days -Did more paperwork and given a rucksack -Pulled guard duty (00:16:20) Joining A Company -Assigned to A Company, 2nd Battalion, of the 506th Infantry Regiment -Sent out by helicopter to join A Company in the field -Dropped off at a landing zone -His platoon received him in the field -Didn’t know where he was, exactly, but knew he was operating near the A Shau Valley -Didn’t know what to do -Platoon leader introduced himself and assigned him to a squad -Squad didn’t explain anything to him other than to follow their lead (00:18:45) Patrols -Stayed in the field for a few weeks before returning to Camp Evans -Patrolled all day then set up camp at night -Used preexisting trails and forged their own trails in the jungle -It was incredibly hot -Given an M79 grenade launcher -Had no enemy contact on his first patrol -Always on alert for ambushes -There were only 20 men in his platoon, far below paper strength of a platoon -He adapted to life in the field after a few days -It was physically and psychologically taxing -Stayed quiet on patrols -Men barely talked, and when they did it was in a whisper -Pulled guard duty at night -Allowed to smoke in the field, but had to cup your hand around the cigarette at night -Patrolled the mountains and the jungle -After patrols they returned to Camp Evans for brief stand downs -Chance to sleep on a cot in a barracks -Chance to get a shower -Chance to drink some beer and relax -Only stayed for a night before heading back out to the field (00:23:50) Leadership in A Company -Doesn’t remember his first company commander -Remembers when Chuck Hawkins took command of A Company -Lee Widjeskog was his platoon leader by early 1970 (00:24:40) Enemy Contact -Remembers his first enemy contact -They were walking on a trail and took enemy fire -He took cover and waited for the firefight to end �-Scary, but survivable since he did what everyone else did -The grenade launcher was worthless in a firefight -He couldn’t pick out targets in the jungle like he could with a rifle -He walked point twice (leading the unit on a patrol) -Given an M16 when he walked point -Level of enemy activity started to increase in April 1970 (00:27:10) Establishing Firebase Ripcord -A Company was selected to lead the charge in establishing Firebase Ripcord in March 1970 -A Company’s mission was aborted before he went to the field -Patrolled the area around Firebase Ripcord after it was established (00:28:05) Firebase Ripcord -Rotated onto Firebase Ripcord for a week of base security after it was established -It was a dirty hill with various bunkers and artillery pieces -Didn’t take any incoming fire when A Company was on Ripcord (00:28:40) Battle of Firebase Ripcord Pt. 1 -Note: Battle of Firebase Ripcord from July 1 – 23, 1970 -Had brief enemy contact around Firebase Ripcord before the battle began -Only lasted five or ten minutes -Didn’t know what was going on with the other units -On July 18th, he witnessed the Chinook helicopter crash landing on Ripcord -Destroyed all the artillery pieces and the artillery ammunition -Started working close together as a full company as the battle progressed -Enemy activity got worse after July 18th -A platoon in A Company found a North Vietnamese communication line near the end -He wasn’t aware of the discovery -Had sporadic firefights and found abandoned North Vietnamese bunkers -A Vietnamese scout worked with his unit during the battle -Never used the grenade launcher during the battle of Ripcord -Couldn’t pick targets with it -Finally got a .45 caliber pistol as a backup weapon (00:34:32) Casualties -Remembers one man in his platoon getting shot in the legs -Bled out and died because a medevac couldn’t get to him in time -Sent out to gather the bodies of four soldiers -One soldier got shot in the buttocks (00:35:34) Getting Wounded the First Time -He took some minor shrapnel in his legs and back from friendly fire -Sent to Da Nang and placed on a Navy hospital ship for about a week to recover -He was considered walking wounded, so he helped on the ship (00:36:53) R&R -Went on R&R to Eagle Beach for a few days -Note: Eagle Beach was the in-country R&R location for the 101st Airborne Division -He never got his R&R because he got wounded before he could take it �(00:37:30) Battle of Firebase Ripcord Pt. 2 -On July 21st, A Company regrouped and set up outposts near their position -Could tell things were going on around Firebase Ripcord -On July 22nd, A Company moved out of its position -His squad walked point for the company, and he was selected to walk point -This meant he was at the front of the entire company -Didn’t get very far before he saw a North Vietnamese soldier -Enemy soldier ran from him -Douglas took cover behind a tree -Something exploded behind the tree and knocked out his hearing -Douglas and the man behind him started working their way back to the company -A Company got hit by satchel charges, grenades, and machine gun fire -His platoon got cut off from the rest of A Company -Leaves fell and the ground shook from all the explosions -His platoon established a perimeter and he kept moving to different positions -A satchel charge landed by him, blew off his helmet and melted his rifle -A Company regained radio contact and started calling in airstrikes -Watched as bombs exploded and vaporized the trees and enemy soldiers -North Vietnamese retreated after the airstrikes -During the battle, he’d been shot in the butt and hip, but didn’t realize it -Didn’t know about it until he got back to Camp Evans after the battle -During the night of July 22nd, they established a perimeter and waited for enemy activity -Enemy didn’t attack on the night of the 22nd (00:45:57) Fall of Firebase Ripcord -On July 23rd, Company D flew into the field and rescued A Company -He didn’t know that Firebase Ripcord had been evacuated and was going to be destroyed -Didn’t know that A Company was the last unit in the field -Didn’t know that A Company had fought off a battalion of North Vietnamese soldiers -Note: On July 23rd, the 101st abandoned Ripcord and had it destroyed by B-52 bombers (00:47:35) Recovery -He developed a severe fever and went to the hospital at Camp Evans and spent a night there -There he realized he’d been shot during the fighting on July 22nd -Taken to the hospital in Da Nang -His fever got worse -Evacuated to a hospital in Japan -Spent two or three weeks at that hospital -Family was notified that he’d been wounded and he also wrote home -Visited the American Club and went to downtown Tokyo -Because he’d been wounded twice, his tour in Vietnam was done (00:50:20) Coming Home -Flew home from Japan -Allowed to go home for a few weeks -Landed at Fort Lewis, Washington, and stayed there for a few days �-Knew about antiwar protesters -Never experienced open hostility, but he knew Vietnam veterans were disliked (00:52:21) End of Service -Placed in an armored unit at Fort Carson, Colorado, for the remainder of his enlistment -Had a medical profile -Meant that he couldn’t life over 20 pounds or be around loud noises -Placed in maintenance and pulled guard duty -Found it be very boring duty, and he spent a lot of time watching TV -Given an early discharge in May 1972 to go back to college (00:53:34) Life after Service Pt. 1 -Attended the University of Iowa for three years -He appreciated things more -Didn’t have any major problems adjusting to civilian life -His friends were against the war, but they weren’t against him -They were amazed he’d gone to Vietnam and survived -Never experienced any antiwar activity at college -Thinks that by 1972 most antiwar activity had tapered off -Note: Last major antiwar activity was in May 1972 due to Operation Linebacker -He didn’t talk about the war, because he didn’t want to sound like he was bragging -Talked with his brother-in-law about the fighting on July 22nd -Knew America was losing the war by 1970 -Didn’t pay attention to the war after he came home (00:56:48) Drugs, Race Relations, & Morale -There was weed at Ripcord, but he didn’t partake -Wanted to stay alert and stay alive -Never saw any racial tensions -There were a few black soldiers that opposed the war, but they still did their job -Morale was okay -Soldiers opposed the war, but they knew they had to work to survive (00:58:40) Life after Service Pt. 2 -After college, he got into the insurance business with his brother-in-law in Nebraska -Did that for a couple years -Worked for another company -He was self-employed after his second job -Worked in accounting and real estate -Part of the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools (00:59:30) Reflections on Service -Didn’t like the service or Vietnam, but it’s part of who he is as a person -Transformative experience -Taught him to rely on other people and to be reliable -Made him responsible -He wouldn’t send his children to fight in a war like that, but wouldn’t change that he did 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 McVayD1968V Title A name given to the resource McVay, Douglas (Interview outline and video), 2016 Description An account of the resource Douglas McVay was born in Monticello, Iowa, on December 18, 1949. In August 1969, he enlisted in the Army. He received his basic training and advanced infantry training at Fort Polk, Louisiana, then received armored personnel carrier training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. In late fall of that year, he was deployed to Vietnam where he joined A Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. For the rest of 1969 and into the spring of 1970 he patrolled around Camp Evans, then from April through July he and A Company patrolled around Firebase Ripcord. During the Battle of Firebase Ripcord (July 1 – July 23, 1970), his company fought around Ripcord, and got into a severe firefight on July 22nd in which Douglas was wounded. After being rescued on July 23rd, he was taken out of combat. He recovered in Japan and returned to the United States. He served at Fort Carson, Colorado, for the remainder of his enlistment and was discharged in May 1972. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource McVay, Douglas 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 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">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. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-10-21 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f2471e88df568b62289dc51f7aa7f618.m4v ece03e03b052939b66d49da2782fd26f https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/50d3ebac9e0d6bc87dc57de3bc7abc11.pdf 8a3293b19a66def9c8f2d57546a73185 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project John Lund Vietnam War 54 minutes 43 seconds (00:00:12) Early Life -Born in Cadillac, Michigan, in 1950 -Went through Cadillac's public schools -Father was in the rubber business and worked as an automotive supplier (00:01:00) Enlisting in the Army & Vietnam War -Parents couldn't pay for his college -Saw the GI Bill as a chance to go to college -Father served during World War II on a B-17 bomber -Uncle served with the Marines in WWII, and uncle flew a P-51 Mustang in WWII -Didn't know much about the Vietnam War -Saw recruiting posters talking about travel and exciting opportunities -Never saw any anti-war movements or anti-war sentiments in Cadillac -In July 1969 he reported for basic training -Had enlisted in the Army while in high school -Went to Detroit in April or May 1969 for his physical -Saw men trying to get out of getting drafted -Faked incontinence, psychological instability, and other health problems -Worked before going to basic training (00:04:00) Basic Training -Sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky, for basic training -Remembers the drill sergeant being intimidating -Wen through processing -Had another physical and vaccinations -Went on marches, low crawled under barbed wire, and had to go on the low bars before breakfast -Broken down and rebuilt as a soldier -Instilling psychological and physical discipline -Went on forced marches during the day and at night -Grew up spending time outdoors, so he adjusted well -Recruits from the inner city had difficulty adjusting to the Army -Some men didn't want to be there -Basic training lasted eight to ten week (00:06:47) Advanced Infantry Training -After one week of leave he reported to Fort Polk, Louisiana, for advanced infantry training -Traveled by bus to Fort Polk -Had one overnight stay -Fort Polk is located in the southwest corner of the state -Received advanced infantry training and more weapons training -Received Jungle Training -Went through mock-up Vietnamese villages and learned counter-insurgency strategies -Taught how to act if captured -What to say, what not to say, and how to survive -Taught some of the Vietnamese language and customs �-Roughly a third of the trainers had served in Vietnam -Some of them talked about their experiences -Another eight to ten weeks of training (00:09:07) Deployment to Vietnam -Came home for two weeks -Flew out of Detroit to Chicago, then up to Alaska, over to Japan -From Japan flew to Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam -Landed during the day -Massive Air Force base -First impression of Vietnam: hot and humid -Took a shower and went through a briefing -Stayed at Cam Ranh Bay for two or three days -Waiting for his assignment -Had orders to go north (00:11:13) Assignment to 101st Airborne Division -Flew north to Da Nang on a C-130, then taken by truck to Camp Sally -Located off of Highway 1 near Camp Evans and north of Phu Bai -Assigned to Recon in the 2nd Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division -Going on long range patrols -Recon teams supported the 501st Infantry Regiment and the 506th Infantry Regiment -Operating near the Laotian border -Joined his team at a firebase -Greeted by a sergeant -Ranger and a down to earth man -Tried to teach John the basics of surviving in Vietnam (00:14:00) Recon Missions -On call all the time -Teams were sent out at night for their missions -Sometimes sent as emergency responders if a unit was pinned down in the field -Usually traveled on rivers -Better to cover their tracks -Ate freeze-dried food -Better than the regular Army rations -Usually operated as six man teams, including a medic -Sometimes had a sniper operating with them -Missions could last half of a day to two weeks depending on the nature of the mission -First mission happened near Christmas 1969 -Operating near the top of the A Shau Valley -Minimal enemy activity -January to March 1970 noticed an increase in enemy activity -Lost a team member in March 1970 -Operated in the jungle most of the time -Saw black jaguars [leopards], spiders, monkeys, apes, land leeches, and snakes -Kept their distance and never had to kill any larger animals -Sent in to investigate signs of enemy activity -Collect information without making contact then get out of the area -Usually rappelled into areas as opposed to landing a helicopter in the jungle -Used the jungle penetrator systems to punch through the triple canopy jungle -Easiest way to extract wounded from the jungle �-Sometimes when they got to a landing zone the North Vietnamese ambushed them -Dropped off two to three kilometers from the patrol area -Moved at night and hunkered down during the day (00:18:33) Weapons & Supplies -Carried the M-16 assault rifle, CAR-15 carbine, shotguns, or sniper rifles -Carried weapon of choice and as much ammunition as possible -Traveled light so they could move fast -Sometimes had to run from the enemy instead of engaging them (00:19:22) Enemy Contact -Tried to push through the jungle and avoided established trails -Never cut their own trails -Followed streams -Avoiding the North Vietnamese -North Vietnamese booby-trapped existing trails -Knew of North Vietnamese troops that had been in South Vietnam for ten years -Some of the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong had fought the French since the 1940s -North Vietnamese were dedicated fighters -Found underground bunker complexes, underground hospitals, and ammunition caches -Some of the hospitals still had fresh blood and supplies -Some of the bunker complexes still had enemy occupants -Sometimes went in knowing there were North Vietnamese, sometimes just stumbled on them -During the monsoon season enemy activity subsided -Monsoons made it difficult for the helicopters -Black Widow Squadron helicopters flew in any weather to drop off and extract soldiers (00:22:26) Getting Wounded -On April 23, 1970, he got wounded -One week before they were operating near Firebase Ripcord -Note: Firebase – artillery outpost usually accessed by helicopters; away from larger base -Taking a lot of mortar and .51 caliber machine gun fire -Trying to find the enemy positions so they could be destroyed -They walked into an ambush -Had to figure out the direction of the enemy fire -Line company of infantry sent in to help John's recon team -The sergeant was killed and he got wounded -Helicopter pilots braved the enemy fire and flew in to evacuate them (00:24:32) Recovering from Wound -Flown to a field hospital in Da Nang -Shot in the right hand and the neck while trying to get to cover -Around the second or third week of May he was flown to the Air Force hospital in Cam Ranh Bay -Hot food, nurses, and a room to himself -Felt like being a civilian -Spent three weeks there doing rehabilitation (00:25:50) Battle of Firebase Ripcord -Rejoined Recon with three new teams -Two teams had been wiped out at Firebase Henderson while he was in the hopsital nd -2 Battalion of the 506th Infantry Regiment established Firebase Ripcord on March 12, 1970 [date of first attempt—firebase actually set up starting April 11] -Note: Firebase capable of destroying North Vietnamese supplies in the A Shau Valley -Had been working in the A Shau Valley since January 1970 �-Got close to Firebase Ripcord during the first week of July 1970 -Friend was killed near Ripcord on July 9 -Working with Alpha and Bravo companies of the 2nd Battalion -They had set out landmines, and nobody told the recon teams -His friend walked into the minefield and set off one of the mines -On July 14 they assaulted Hill 1000 with Alpha and Bravo companies -Expected bird calls and animal noises in the jungle, but near Hill 1000 the jungle was silent -Expected enemy resistance, but didn't expect as much resistance as they encountered -North Vietnamese had the high ground and bunkers -Seemingly endless supply of North Vietnamese troops -Pinned down by mortar fire and rocket-propelled grenades -Alpha and Bravo were losing men -Retreated to the initial drop zone -Bullets coming from everywhere -South Vietnamese pilots in World War II planes provided close air support -Good pilots -Had more air support than artillery support -Continued recon missions after July 14 and never participated in an assault again -Heard the North Vietnamese bombardment of Firebase Ripcord -Saw helicopters going to and leaving Ripcord -Didn't know the state of the battle -Collected some North Vietnamese documents during the battle, but never tapped into telephone lines (00:33:29) Fall of Firebase Ripcord -Heard about the plan to evacuate Firebase Ripcord -Evacuation of the firebase began on July 22 -Last American personnel in the area left on July 23 -Once everyone had been evacuated B-52 bombers destroyed the base -Sent to Camp Evans -After Camp Evans they drove down to Phu Bai -Passed through Hue en route -First time seeing civilians (00:34:37) Stationed at Firebase Bastogne -Taken to Firebase Bastogne near Hue -Firebase had a road leading to and away from it -Most firebases relied on helicopters -In the hills, but not in the A Shau Valley -Lost some recon men during patrols in the area (00:36:34) R&R -Had an R&R at Eagle Beach in Vietnam -Flown straight from the field to Eagle Beach, still had their weapons -Supposed to be there for two or three days -Swam and drank -Line company got hit in the A Shau Valley -Ordered to sober up to go save the trapped infantry -Got one week of R&R in Sydney, Australia -Went to bars, spent money, and had interesting experiences -Ran into a friend from Cadillac who was in the Air Force -Not good to go back to Vietnam (00:39:04) Stationed at Phu Bai �-Stationed at Phu Bai for the rest of his tour -Given a hut and allowed to keep his weapon -Didn't go on recon patrols while at Phu Bai -Felt insecure at a larger base -Worked in supply -Stationed there for 2 ½ months -Final duty station in Vietnam (00:40:12) Morale & Discipline Problems -Didn't like Phu Bai due to morale problems -No sense of camaraderie -White and black soldiers self-segregated, and he didn't like that -A lot of soldiers smoked weed -He didn't, but he drank beer -There were fights between black and white soldiers -Didn't understand it, because they needed to focus on their mission -Never saw heroin use at Phu Bai (00:42:20) End of Tour -Flew home via Tiger Airlines (chartered airliners for soldiers in Vietnam) -Passengers cheered when they left Vietnamese airspace -Landed at Seattle -Greeted by protestors at the airport -Protestors shouted insults at them and threw things at them -Given 45 days of leave (00:43:22) End of Service -After his leave ended he drove from Cadillac to Fort Ord, California -Arrived there in January 1971 -Didn't like the formality of the base -He was a sergeant at the time -Transferred to Fort Hunter Liggett, California -Working with civilian personnel -Testing laser weaponry -Fascinated him -Worked with Navy personnel -Lived in Salinas, California, and stayed there until April 1971 -Not the best community for servicemen, but not the worst either (00:45:36) Reflections on Vietnam -Strong sense of camaraderie in recon -Some good missions, and some bad missions -Remembers a helicopter being shot down near their position -Pilot survived and stayed with them in the field for a few days -Sometimes crossed into Laos, but doesn't remember anything distinct about those occasions -Recon team's call sign was ―Scorpio‖ -Supposed to change their call sign with every mission, but they liked the name -Had a low chance of survival -If you lived for one month you were considered an ―old timer‖ -All of the lieutenants were Rangers, and some of the sergeants were Rangers (00:47:42) Life after the War -Stayed with his parents -Wouldn't sleep in his bed and had recurring nightmares �-Didn't leave the house for a week -Remembers being in downtown Cadillac and a car backfired -Unconsciously reacted and dove to the ground -Got a job working in the woods -Eight hours a day working by himself -Attended and graduated from Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City -Studied conservation -Got into automotive rubber supply in Cadillac -Went back to college in 1980 to study applied science – aviation -Learned how to build a plane, and built a plane with his father -Took a while to readjust to civilian life -Had to focus on tasks to ignore the bad memories -Stays away from anything that might trigger his trauma (00:51:27) Reflections on Service -Sense of camaraderie -Taught him how to work with people -Chance to see Vietnamese and Australian cultures -Admired the Kit Carson Scouts, and even respected the North Vietnamese soldiers' dedication -Also had a deep respect for the Republic of Korea soldiers -Hopes the Kit Carson Scouts made it out of Vietnam before South Vietnam fell -Note: Kit Carson Scouts were North Vietnamese troops that defected to South Vietnam -Always got the best Kit Carson Scouts (00:53:02) Vietnamese Civilians -Had civilians at the base on Phu Bai -Standoffish -Gave haircuts to American troops -Mostly kept to themselves and did their jobs -Never stayed in civilian population centers -Closest he got to that was passing through Hue -Ordered not to shoot any water buffalo -Spent most of his time on larger bases or firebases � 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 LundJ1943V Title A name given to the resource Lund, John (Interview outline and video), 2016 Description An account of the resource John Lund was born in Cadillac, Michigan, in 1950. In the spring of 1969 he enlisted in the Army, and after graduating from high school reported for duty in July 1969. He received Basic Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and then received Advanced Infantry Training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. He deployed to Vietnam in late 1969. At Camp Sally he was assigned to a Recon unit in the 2nd Battalion, of the 501st Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division. In December 1969 he went on his first recon mission. From January through March 1970 he went on patrols in the A Shau Valley, and was wounded on April 23, 1970. After recovering he rejoined his recon unit and conducted patrols around Firebase Ripcord until its total evacuation on July 23, 1970. After the fall of Firebase Ripcord he went on recon missions around Firebase Bastogne until being reassigned to Phu Bai. His tour ended in late 1970, and in January 1971 he reported to Fort Ord, California. He completed his enlistment at Fort Hunter Liggett, California. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lund, John 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 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-08-07 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b0c388781622b710fbde60c348803aa8.mp4 b029ac3a1b8b2d7711af5ee01b482d96 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/32b362f23c4d72cf7f25c8684a41f61c.pdf a671b83c150fbd92b1f3685c2c3d1c18 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Bob Loper World War II 1 hour 56 minutes 1 second (00:00:12) Early Life Pt. 1 -Born on May 9, 1924 in Central Lake, Michigan -There were no jobs at the time, so his parents had no jobs -The first few years of his life were spent in a shack -He had one younger sister -They lived in the middle of nowhere -His biological father left, and he grew up with a stepfather from three years old and on -He and his sister were left alone a lot of the time -He and his sister slept in a loft in the shack -There were no beds, and it was similar to a hay loft in a barn -They eventually moved to an actual house four miles from Bal School -Ball School was a one room schoolhouse that taught grades 1-6 -Had one stove for the winter, and no indoor plumbing -Lived in that house for a couple years -They moved to another house that had been vacated -It had three bedrooms upstairs -They had a bannister that he and his sister would slide down -By the time they moved into that house he was eight years old (ca. 1932) -His stepfather owned a Model T car -They were near Grass Lake, Michigan by now -Remembers that there was a hill near their house -He and his sister would watch the hill at night, hoping to see the headlights of the car -They had a barn near the house in Grass Lake -He and his sister would jump off the hay loft -When he was older he would grind tree stumps for 15¢ an hour -Built two houses with his father when they lived near Orchard View Schools -Orchard View Schools are near Muskegon, Michigan -Delivered bundles of wood for $2 an hour -They lost the house they were living in and built a new one in Muskegon -Moved in before the house was done and had to brave a storm in it -Only saw his biological father twice in his life -Learned some of his trades from his stepfather -The snow in northern Michigan made roads impassible -Remembers only a horse and rickshaw could get through the snow to deliver supplies -He started school when he was seven (or eight) years old (00:13:40) Getting Drafted & the Start of the War -When he was eighteen he was taking a college prep course, planning on going to college -He was a junior in high school at this time -Plan was interrupted by the start of the war �-Received his draft notice on May 9, 1943 -Not allowed to finish high school -Remembers the attack on Pearl Harbor -Has since visited Pearl Harbor and the wreck of the USS Arizona (00:16:03) Early Life Pt. 2 -Remembers one time when he and his sister were going to catch, kill, and cook a chicken -Managed to catch the chicken, but botched the execution (00:17:08) Training Pt. 1 -Sent to Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia from Camp Wolters, Texas (Mineral Wells, Texas) -The men nicknamed it “Center Part of Hell” -Stayed there for thirty days -He was originally in an infantry unit, but wound up assigned to an airborne unit -The infantry unit was sent to the Anzio beachhead and the majority of them were killed -He was pulled out of the infantry and was reassigned to an airborne unit -After his reassignment he left Virginia to be deployed overseas -Remembers being at Camp Patrick Henry and wandering into the “colored section” -Got kicked out by Military Police because he was white (00:19:58) Deployment Pt. 1 -He boarded a Liberty Ship that was part of a twenty ship convoy -It was a terrible voyage -Had to stay below decks the entire time -German aircraft attacked the convoy and sank one of the ships -Took twenty days to reach Oran, Algeria -Received more training there -Got there in December 1943 -Joined a British convoy in the Mediterranean Sea and sailed through the Suez Canal -Destination was Karachi, India (now Karachi, Pakistan) -Hated sailing with the British -The British demanded respect and formality from non-British soldiers -The food was infested with flies -Took twenty days to sail from Oran to Karachi -The seas were rough on the Atlantic portion of the crossing -Slept in six high bunks -Conditions were bad, but the men were excited to be going overseas -He didn’t get seasick, but a lot of men did (00:25:13) Arrival in India -Only in Karachi for a short time -Took a train to Calcutta -Sent to a training base -While traveling across India he saw little villages made up of four or five shacks -The people were selling little trinkets and bananas and oranges -He and his unit were going to be a part of the 10th Air Force -Trained with gliders -Each glider had one .50 caliber gun position and room for five troops (00:30:25) Stationed in Burma Pt. 1 -The plan was to go into Burma and stop the Japanese from crossing into India �-Their mission was to establish gun positions at airstrips across Burma -Started out working with squadrons of P-40 fighter planes -The P-40s weren’t fast enough -Eventually worked with P-47, then P-51, then finally P-38 squadrons -Each one was better than the last -Remembers one pilot showing off after he shot down a Japanese plane -Wound up crashing his plane in the process of landing it -The unit that the Flying Tigers had become was there to protect them -Also to protect the Allied bombers that were flying out of Burma -Remembers a P-47 fighter plane coming back to base with forty bullet holes in it -Their duty was to protect the airstrips from Japanese air raids -At some point they were sent to a base that was used by Merrill’s Marauders -It was called the “Center Pearl of the World” due to the high amount of precious stones -You could trade rations and cigarettes for precious stones -Only getting paid $50 a month while he was in Burma -The pattern was moving from base to base and setting up new gun positions -Almost made it to Mandalay before the war ended -It was all jungle -Meant that supplies had to be air dropped into them -Spent most of 1944 and most of 1945 in Burma (00:39:30) Training Pt. 2 -Received his basic training at Camp Wolters, Texas near Mineral Wells, Texas (00:39:50) Making Rank -He was sent over to Burma as a private first class -While he was in Burma he made technician fifth grade communications chief -He should have technically been a staff sergeant -From that point on he worked almost solely on the radio (00:41:22) Stationed in Burma Pt. 2 -Each new base they went to they would set up six to eight gun positions -The battalion had about one hundred five men in it -Had a captain, a sergeant, a staff sergeant, and miscellaneous noncommissioned officers -Everyone else was a private -Traveled around the country in C-47 transport planes -They were living in British tents -American government would lease each tent for $18 a day -There were four men to a tent -The men hated those tents -One night remembers a scorpion found its way into his tent -The tents had to be covered in mosquito netting -Had to take medicine that turned their skin yellow -Most likely Atabrine to prevent contracting malaria (00:44:43) Fighting on the Brahmaputra River -There was one point where they were stationed near the Brahmaputra River -There was an island in the river that was held by the Japanese -He and a small group of men were sent to a place that was parallel to that island -Once there he was charged with setting up the telephone system �-They established a perimeter and set up a .50 caliber machine gun position -Knew not to get captured by the Japanese -Knew that the Japanese routinely interrogated, then tortured to death any prisoners -Remembers mortars being fired over his head at the island -His captain had volunteered the unit to carry out this raid -Felt that his unit needed to see action before the war was over -Slept in a hammock with his Thompson submachine gun nearby -Carried a Thompson SMG through India and Burma -Also armed with bayonets, but never had to use them -Eventually used the machine gun to rake the river island with fire -Japanese forces were either forced to retreat, or were killed by the barrage (00:50:05) End of the War Pt. 1 -Moved to one (or two) more bases before the war ended (00:50:18) Stationed in Burma Pt. 3 -They always made sure to have someone on the gun position at night at all times -They had Indian troops with them that helped guide and protect American soldiers -Regarded to be expert swordsmen -Also worked with Chinese and Australian soldiers in Burma -One night the telephone system went out -He had to go out and investigate because he was the communications chief -Had to be careful because the Chinese were trigger happy -He crawled out to the first gun position and found that it was vacant -Started searching and almost shot the gunner -Thought he was a Japanese soldier hiding in the brush -Closest that he ever got to killing someone -The gunner had gotten scared and was hiding in the brush -In the process he stepped on a telephone wire and knocked out the line -Another night he was on the gun position and his captain came up to him, visibly scared -Thought that the Japanese were attacking their position -Bob explained that the men were bored and were just shooting for fun (00:56:29) Radio Training -While in India he had to learn radio code -Had to be able to translate and transcribe eighteen words per minute -Also learned Morse code -Had a tool that would translate the radio code into a secret code -He also had a small sheet with secret codes on it -Ordered to eat the sheet if he thought he was going to be captured (00:58:31) End of the War Pt. 2 -From Burma he flew back into India aboard a small, two seat plane -Pilot knew how to expertly navigate the mountains -Sent to a town outside of Calcutta -He had Burmese money with him, which was worthless in India -Indians had killed a GI for trying to pass off Burmese money as Indian money -Decided to give it a try anyway in a small shop -Left the shop and the merchant discovered that the money was Burmese -A mob formed and chased him and his friends down �-They managed to get back to the train station and escape (01:02:55) Officers’ Displacement Center -He was sent to an Officers’ Displacement Center in India for the rest of his time -Place to process and hold commissioned officers that were returning home -He ate well and drank well there -Played pranks on each other -He had an Indian civilian that cleaned his quarters -Attended an Indian wedding, but got kicked out by Military Police because he was too drunk (01:09:02) Veterans’ Group Involvement -He is now a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars -Enjoys drinking beer at the hall and the fish dinners they have on Fridays (01:10:09) Hospitalization in Burma -In Burma he was sent to a field hospital for about two weeks -Had a temperature of 104oF -Doctors didn’t think that he was going to make it -He had an unknown disease and still doesn’t know to this day what he had (01:11:05) Living Conditions -Ate spam, dehydrated potatoes, and dehydrated eggs -When they were near an Air Force base they were able to eat better -They had two types of rations: C rations and K rations -C rations came in a can -Had a piece of candy, spam, and a canned vegetable -K rations came in a cardboard box and were more meager -Basically lived off of rations during his time in Burma (01:13:24) Working with the Flying Tigers -The Flying Tigers (or rather the unit they became) operated out of the airstrips they guarded -The Flying Tigers had started off in China, Burma, and India -American pilots that flew missions against the Japanese very early in the war -Feels that only the British got the majority of the credit in the CBI Theatre -The Flying Tigers were outnumbered and outgunned against the Japanese -Still inflicted heavy casualties on the Japanese and took few casualties (01:17:18) Glider Infantry -He was technically part of a glider infantry unit, but never did any combat landings -Only trained to do a combat landing -Heard about one glider unit that suffered heavy casualties due to a bad landing -He was part of the 667th Anti-Aircraft Airborne Machine Gun Battery (01:19:29) Coming Home Pt. 1 -Got back to the United States in December 1945 -Pulled into New York City -The voyage home was rough -Had an abandon ship alarm when they were 250 miles off the coast of the U.S. -Everyone had to go up on deck in case they had to get off the ship -The ship listed so heavily to each side that it was almost impossible to walk (01:22:03) Getting Drafted and Training -Sent to Detroit for a physical examination -If your teeth were bad they were drilled right there on the spot �-He was sent to Camp Wolters, Texas for thirteen months -NOTE: If he was drafted in May 1943 and was in Oran by December 1943 he was most likely only in Camp Wolters for thirteen weeks -From Texas he was sent to Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia (01:23:59) End of the War Pt. 3 -Hearing the news about the atomic bombs was a relief -Meant that the war would be coming to an end soon -Things started easing up (01:25:02) Deployment Pt. 2 -Got to Oran in December 1943 -Saw ships in Oran that had been damaged by bombs, or mines (01:27:07) Coming Home Pt. 2 -Got home in time for Christmas 1945 -Took a train back to Grand Rapids, Michigan -Slept on his duffel bag -Took a small freight train from Grand Rapids to Muskegon -The train dropped him off pretty close to his parents’ home -He remembers walking in the front door and seeing his mother in the living room -He kept all of the letters that his parents sent him while he was in the service -Remembers his mother sent him some candy apples for one Christmas -He was only twenty one years old by the time he got back home -He had been engaged to a girl before he was deployed -She couldn’t wait for him to come home though and got married while he was gone (01:32:49) Life after the War -He went back to work for American Coil Spring Company in Muskegon -Became an electrician -Got a better job at General Telephone Company -Got paid 75¢ an hour -Took a college course on solid state heating -Took a metallurgy course at Grand Rapids Junior College -Lasted six months -Designed a few electrical components and got them patented -Got an electrical job in Kalamazoo, Michigan -Dealing with primitive surveillance cameras -Worked there for three years until the company went bankrupt -Saw a newspaper ad that Montague Schools needed an electronics teacher -Applied for the job and got it at Montague High School -Working in a two room building that was separate from the high school -Preparing students for vocational type skills -Had students come in from five different school districts -Retired from Montague Schools in 1989 after working there for eleven years -Always jumped at the opportunity to get a new job if it meant better pay -He had a job in an electronics department for a major manufacturer -Designing vacuums and floor scrubbers -Went to work for Challenge Machinery making industrial sized paper cutters -Designed the controls for the paper cutters �-Worked for a ball bearing manufacturer -Travelled around the United States for his work -Saw California, New York, New Jersey, the southern states, and Florida -Built a house with his stepfather in 1946 -Has lived there ever since -Has been married for sixty eight years at the time of the interview -Has four children -Has three grandchildren, had a fourth that died of spina bifida -All of his children still live in Michigan and have had successful lives � 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 LoperB1766V Title A name given to the resource Loper, Homer "Bob" (Interview outline and video), 2015 Description An account of the resource Bob Loper was born in 1924 in Central Lake, Michigan. He grew up in various locations in Michigan until his family settled down in Muskegon, Michigan. He was drafted in 1943 and was sent to Camp Wolters, Texas for basic training. From there he was sent to Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia where he was transferred from the infantry to a glider infantry airborne unit, specifically the 667th Anti-Aircraft Airborne Machine Gun Battery. He was sent overseas and reached Oran, Algeria by December 1943 and received further training there and then sailed for the China-Burma-India Theatre. He received radio training near Calcutta, India and was then sent into Burma. He and his unit traveled from base to base setting up machine gun positions to protect airstrips used by the 10th Air Force from Japanese air and land forces. When the war was over he was sent back to India and then took a ship back to the United States and was discharged in December 1945. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Loper, Homer Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Zwart, Brian (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 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-04-29 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/28b1253af5b40e0b27dccb1de5fb9a1c.m4v 0c643db7e2974fbda9019d16b2cf352c https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8d7b9bdcf93f5eaed72d536b6920365a.pdf eca6290744b281e5bdae9616bdfc0760 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Tim Lamphere Cold War, Gulf War, & Iraq War 27 minutes 35 seconds (00:00:08) Early Life -Born on February 14, 1967 -Attended Ionia High School in Ionia, Michigan -Lived in a small town named Muir in Ionia County (00:01:02) Enlisting in the Army -Enlisted in the Army after he graduated from high school -Chose the Army because he knew he could get specialized training in the Army (00:01:32) Training Pt. 1 -Basic training came as a culture shock after growing up in a rural, Michigan town -Different people and different treatment than he was used to (00:02:00) Iraq War -He was still in the Army when the Iraq War began in March 2003 -First time in Iraq he served at Camp Anaconda (Balad Air Base) -Logistical supply hub -30,000 to 40,000 American troops -Base of operations for missions in the area -On another deployment he was stationed at Al-Mahmoudiyah -Rural town south of Baghdad -Last tour in Iraq was at Camp Liberty -Approximately 40,000 troops stationed there (00:03:14) Duty in the Army -Started as an infantryman -Attended and completed Ranger School -Spent three years with a Ranger battalion out of Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia -Transferred to the 82nd Airborne Division as a Ranger -Served with them for 11 years (00:04:04) Panama & the Gulf War -Fought in Operation Just Cause in Panama -Invasion of Panama in late 1989 to depose Manuel Noriega -Fought in the Gulf War (August 1990-February 1991) (00:04:17) Combat Experiences Pt. 1 -One of his most memorable combat experiences was getting wounded in Iraq -Most shocking combat experience happened in Ramadi, Iraq -Went through a doorway and an enemy soldier fired at him -His rifle jammed and he charged the combatant, tackling and suppressing him -Initially afraid, but once you go into combat you have to react without fear -A lot of realistic training and good leaders prepared him for combat (00:06:19) Process to Become a Ranger -Start out with Army basic training -Complete Advanced Individual Training as an infantryman -Signed up for and completed Airborne (paratrooper) School -Upon completion of Airborne School he was interviewed by Ranger recruiters �-Did the Ranger Induction Program -Three week program -Proving your mental and physical skills -Courses, scenarios, and field exercises -All forms of training were difficult at times -Being deprived of things you're used to having -Even in basic training you're not on your own schedule -Adapted after a first few weeks (00:08:30) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -Army provided him with structure he may not have had without it -Allowed him to become more mature and have focus (00:08:58) Length of Deployments -Operation Just Cause (Panama) lasted 30 days for him -Gulf War lasted seven and a half months with 30 days of actual combat -First tour in Iraq lasted one year -Second tour in Iraq lasted seven months -Supposed to be a year, but he got wounded -Third tour in Iraq lasted 11 months (00:09:49) Conditions in Iraq -Gulf War prepared him for his tours in Iraq -Introduced him to Arabic culture and the Middle Eastern environment -Heat was unpleasant, but adaptable -Had to constantly stay hydrated to replenish water lost from sweat (00:10:53) Contact with Family -Periodically communicated with his family while on deployments -Always in a leadership position which limited his time available to communicate with home -Army provided soldiers with good means to communicate with family -Contacted home once a week, or at least a few times a month -Sometimes it was better not to tell family everything -Would worry them too much if they knew as much as he could tell them (00:11:40) Friendships in the Army -Being a leader meant he couldn't make friends as much as lower ranking soldiers -Had a responsibility to be impartial and functional as a leader (00:12:19) Downtime -Most soldiers spent their downtime playing sports -Football and soccer were popular choices for the men -Had to play soccer on hard, rocky fields -Usually kicked rocks more than the actual soccer ball -Able to celebrate holidays if they weren't on a mission -Remembers making sure they celebrated one holiday on one tour -Did it to boost the morale of younger soldiers on their first deployment -If they weren't on a mission they still didn't have downtime -Spent the days doing training and recovery -Preparing equipment for future missions -Cleaning and maintaining weapons, vehicles, and equipment -If you weren't busy with training and recovery you got extra sleep -Extremely difficult to find time to sleep -Had to spend most of his time preparing for missions -Usually got four hours of sleep each night �(00:15:50) Combat Experiences Pt. 2 -Combat operations varied depending on circumstances -A routine patrol or an escort mission could turn into a combat situation -If a convoy got attacked they would have to engage the enemy -Usually lasted 30 minutes to an hour -If they encountered Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) that took more time -Had to call in Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians to deal with the IED -The more time they spent in an area the more likely they would get attacked -Remembers being awake for three days on one mission -Most combat situations were close quarters combat -Had only one experience with hand-hand combat -Enemy was usually 50 to 100 yards away (00:18:20) Reflections on Service Pt. 2 -Army helped develop his core values as a person -Courage, honor, duty, loyalty, respect and integrity -Molded his approach to situations (00:19:00) Casualties in Iraq -Took casualties at the start of the Iraq War -Had fellow soldiers die in his arms -Survived the total destruction of vehicles where he was the sole survivor -Struggled a little with civilian life after experiencing combat and death -Long deployments, combat, and death made him emotionally numb (00:20:25) Coming Home Pt. 1 -Always happy to see his family when he came home -Slept a lot when he came home -Spent the months between deployments trying to enjoy himself (00:20:51) Reflections on Service Pt. 3 -If he served again he would pursue a higher rank -Had promotion opportunities and he didn't pursue them -Enjoyed working with smaller units as a result of having a lower rank -More focus on the soldiers under your command (00:21:39) End of Service Pt. 1 -Retired from the Army after 26 years -Periodically reaches out to friends he made in the Army -Not as much as he thought he would have -Life as a civilian has improved -Amazed by how easy it is to get a job if you have experience in the Army (00:23:00) Coming Home Pt. 2 -Had a good experience being welcomed home by the community -It takes a while to decompress after seeing combat -Each day is better than the last -After a few months he felt more like a civilian again (00:23:55) Veterans' Organizations -Does a little work with the American Legion -Helping veterans get compensation and medical care through the American Legion (00:24:11) End of Service Pt. 2 -Body was getting too old for service -Wanted to retire of his own accord rather than be forcibly retired for health reasons �(00:24:36) Awards & Commendations -Received two Bronze Stars with Valor ('V') devices -Means being awarded a Bronze Star for valor as opposed to merit in a combat zone -Received a Purple Heart for getting wounded in Iraq -Received various Army commendations -One Bronze Star was awarded for his actions in Ramadi -Sometimes feels guilty for receiving a Bronze Star -Just doing his job -Took over in the absence of his commander and directed flight guard over Ramadi (00:25:55) Opinion of Government -Feels that Congressional policy doesn't always reflect reality -Policy limits what soldiers can/cannot do in combat -Unrealistic because enemy doesn't abide by the Rules of Engagement (00:26:50) Reflections on Service Pt. 4 -Would do it again -Wanted to be a soldier since he was a child -Service in the Army worked out like he thought it would -Army treated him well -Paid for his college and allowed him to have an early retirement � 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 LamphereT1844V Title A name given to the resource Lamphere, Timothy Patrick (Interview outline and video), 2014 Description An account of the resource Tim Lamphere was born on February 14, 1967 and grew up in Muir, Michigan. He enlisted in the Army after graduating from the high school (c. 1985). He went through basic training, advanced infantry training, Airborne School, and Ranger School. He served in Panama during Operation Just Cause, in Iraq during the Gulf War, and did three tours in Iraq during the Iraq War. On his first tour he served at Camp Anaconda, on his second tour he served at Al-Mahmoudiyah and was wounded, and his third tour was at Camp Liberty. For 11 years he served as a Ranger attached to the 82nd Airborne Division. After 26 years he retired from the Army (c. 2011). Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lamphere, Timothy Patrick Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Canine, Vicente (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Iraq War, 2003-2011--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2014-11-07 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/64f7d5fcda5679a8b82c019be876e641.mp4 025c954aff07cfac348c0e34c5841fef https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c2f5ea5430cf9a2b1f191bbde79aa144.pdf fc547e43c29d4d26923eb21eb37632e2 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Edgar Lamm World War II 50 minutes (00:00:22) Early Life -Born in Chicago, Illinois on October 14, 1925 -Specifically on the South Side in Beverly neighborhood -His father was from Chicago -His mother was from Fulton, Illinois -She went to a business college in Dixon, Illinois -Wanted to move to a big city, so she moved to Chicago and worked in a bank -Met Edgar’s father in Chicago -His father was a coffee salesman -He was his mother and father’s first child -He had a step brother from his mother’s previous marriage -Didn’t learn about that until he was twenty two though -He had a biological sister -He attended Morgan Park High School in Chicago -Almost graduated, but that was interrupted by getting drafted (00:03:27) Getting Drafted -He was drafted in 1944 four months before he graduated -He was excited to go into the service -His high school diploma was eventually mailed to him -Drafted in February 1944 (00:05:00) Basic Training and Military Police Training -First stop was at Fort Sheridan, Illinois for a couple weeks for processing -From Fort Sheridan he took a train to Fort Custer near Battle Creek, Michigan for basic training -Received basic training and Military Police training while at Fort Custer -Lasted sixteen weeks -Days started at 5AM with getting dressed and having breakfast -Went on hikes around August and Galesburg, Michigan -Had no trouble adjusting to the physical demands of the Army due to being eighteen -Remembers that some of the older men had more trouble and would pass out -Had no trouble adjusting psychologically to the Army -There was a train that ran from Fort Custer to Chicago every Saturday morning -Meant that he was able to visit his parents almost every weekend while at Fort Custer -Men that couldn’t adjust to the Army were discharged -He was assigned to the Military Police -Did not take a test, or request it, the position was just randomly assigned to him -There was nothing too unusual about Military Police training -Sent to Fort Jackson, South Carolina for further training (00:10:17) Transfer to the Infantry -When he got overseas he requested a transfer out of the Military Police �-He served with the Military Police in England and didn’t enjoy the duty -Remembers having to arrest soldiers that didn’t salute officers -Didn’t feel like he was doing anything of great importance -His request to be transferred was accepted and he was transferred to the infantry (00:11:13) Deployment and Arrival in England -From Fort Jackson he was sent up to Camp Shanks, New York -Boarded a troopship, the SS Ile de France -It took nine days to sail from New York to Greenock, Scotland -In Greenock they boarded a train and were taken to Hereford, England -By the time he got to England D-Day had already happened (00:12:34) Arrival in France -Sailed from Portsmouth, England to Le Havre, France at the end of January 1945 -When he got to France he had already been transferred to the infantry (00:13:16) Stationed in England -They lived in Quonset huts in Hereford -He was still in the Military Police while he was in Hereford -Carrying out patrols and arresting anyone who violated military protocol -They were considered to be a reserve unit -Just waiting to be assigned a destination in Europe -They were allowed to go to pubs at night and have a few beers -Just had to be back by midnight -There were a couple times that he was out late and had to sneak back to camp -Hereford was a small town and a nice town, but there wasn’t much to do -Had gotten to Scotland on November 9, 1944 -So he was stationed in England for the fall and winter of 1944 (00:15:55) Advancing into Germany -From Le Havre, France the moved into Germany -As they advanced into Germany they had some small skirmishes -Remembers one particular skirmish in Saarlautern (now Saarlouis), Germany -He was camped out in the basement of a destroyed home -Would stand guard in the bombed out living room for three hours at a time -It was usually quiet, but one night Germans began to bombard their position -Got down on his knees and prayed -Bombardment lasted roughly four or five hours -The day after the attack about a dozen German soldiers came and surrendered -Remembers that the town was completely destroyed -German soldiers would hide in the sewers and take shots at GIs trying to get water -Also remembers that the Germans would booby trap their dead -The Germans that surrendered in Saarlautern were just a distraction -Allowed for the larger group of Germans to escape -Skirmish in Saarlautern was most likely sometime in March 1945 -Travelled from France to Germany in trucks and in “40 and 8” box cars -40 and 8 box car: capable of carrying forty men or eight horses -Had made it to Linz, Austria by time the war ended on May 8, 1945 -As the Allies advanced across Europe they mopped up any remaining German forces -Remembers an encounter in Germany while walking along a road �-Heard some shots and everyone found cover -One man was hit and the medic that went to help was shot too -The captain called up a tank to root out the German forces in the woods -The German soldiers surrendered and came out, but were not wearing uniforms -They were all executed site on scene for killing the medic in cold blood -He was part of E Company 2nd Battalion 260th Infantry Regiment 65th Infantry Division (00:25:47) End of the War in Europe -The war ended on May 8, 1945 when they were in Linz, Austria -Remembers when the surrender of Germany was announced -Remembers General Patton and a Soviet general coming to inspect them -Remembers Patton having a high pitched voice -Had respect for Patton because he was a man that took action -Didn’t learn about character flaws until later (00:28:50) Post-War Duties -Stayed in Austria after the war ended and moved into the countryside -A lot of civilians had been displaced and were trying to make their way back home -Soviets were on one side of the railroad tracks and the Americans were on the other side -Americans slept in barns so as not to kick any civilians out of their homes -The Soviets would take over houses even if they were still occupied -He did befriend some Soviet soldiers and got along well with them -The civilians would follow the Americans as territories changed hands after the war -Didn’t want to get stuck in an area that was controlled by the Soviets -Fear of reprisals from the Soviet soldiers -Remembers a lot of people were just trying to find a stable place to live (00:31:17) Living Conditions -Slept in sleeping bags on the ground or in abandoned houses if they were available -Lived off of rations -When they got more rations they were also given fresh underwear and fresh socks -He always made sure to keep an extra pair of socks in his pants pocket -The rations weren’t bad, especially when you were hungry (00:33:38) Morale, Downtime, and Discipline Problems -Morale was pretty good in his unit -One man had a nervous breakdown, but everyone else calmly accepted the situation -Doesn’t remember his unit taking any other casualties besides the soldier and the medic -He would write letters home to his parents when he got a chance -Letters were censored -Received mail every two or three weeks -Pretty much everyone smoked cigarettes during the war -Something to do to unwind -Men could go into abandoned shops and get bottles of alcohol -Never became a problem in his unit though (00:36:45) Interactions with Civilians -Remembers befriending an Austrian farmer -Traded American white bread for Austrian brown bread -Enjoyed the brown bread more because it was more filling -The farmer enjoyed the white bread because it was a luxury �-The civilians that he encountered were friendly towards American soldiers -Majority of civilians that he encountered were farmers (00:38:56) Coming Home -When they got back to Le Havre Bob Hope was performing nearby -He wasn’t able to go see him though due to a lack of transportation -They occasionally got to see movies when he was back in Le Havre -Had to wait in Le Havre for six months before a ship came to take them home -While in Le Havre he would drive a truck to the docks to collect mail -Did it just to keep himself occupied since there was nothing to do -He was able to take a few trips to Paris -Got to take an Army organized trip to Switzerland -Got to go skiing -Treated to chocolate and ice cream -Trip lasted two weeks -Came home aboard the SS Ernie Pyle -Arrived in the United States and was taken to Fort Dix, New Jersey for a few days -Allowed to eat whatever he wanted -Sent to Camp McCoy, Wisconsin and was discharged from there in June 1946 -Took a train back to Chicago and then took a streetcar to his home -It was a quiet homecoming, but he was just glad to be back home (00:43:18) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -Feels that it was a wonderful experience -Gave him a chance to see the world and take part in the Second World War -Believes that he has a positive outlook on it because he wasn’t wounded -Proud to have been able to serve his country -Afforded him the opportunity to go to college on the GI Bill -Appreciates the fact that he got to serve -Probably had some depression after the war -Wasn’t severe and his parents were able to help him through it (00:45:07) Life after the War -He went to college for four years at Eureka College in Illinois -Graduated from there in 1950 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology -Wound up getting into sales -Worked for United Airlines after graduating from college -Worked all over the country: -Rockford, Illinois -Walla Walla, Washington -Pendleton, Oregon -Toledo, Ohio -Worked for them for a year -Loaded airplanes and collected tickets from passengers -Quit United Airlines and got a job as a salesman for Mars Candy Company -Worked as a salesman for them for thirty five years (00:47:41) Reflections on Service Pt. 2 -Helped him to mature -Taught him to accept things in life even if you don’t like them �-Feels that he was treated fairly by his superiors -Gave two years and four months of his life to the Army -Readjusted well to being a civilian again � 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 LammE1754V Title A name given to the resource Lamm, Edgar (Interview outline and video), 2015 Description An account of the resource Edgar Lamm was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 14, 1925. He grew up in Chicago and was drafted into the Army in February 1944. He received basic training at Fort Custer, Michigan and then Military Police training at Fort Custer and Fort Jackson, South Carolina. He was sent to the European Theatre and arrived in Scotland on November 9, 1944. He was stationed in Hereford, England with the Military Police for the rest of 1944 and was sent to France in late January 1945 as an infantryman. He was assigned to E Company 2nd Battalion 260th Infantry Regiment 65th Infantry Division. He took part in the advance into Germany and was in Linz, Austria when the war ended on May 8, 1945. He was stationed in Austria until he was sent back to Le Havre, France waiting to be sent home. In the late spring of 1945 he was sent back to the United States and was discharged from Camp McCoy, Wisconsin in June 1946. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lamm, Edgar Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Moore, Debra (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 Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-04 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3c7a7fef0990cfd1c5db613f71450702.m4v a50672d94f67c8141d500e0f7c6a138a https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/dea4d668ffbda4e195ec55007b66d3ee.pdf 9acc900e0167f5c5d5e626bd876d4755 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project James Laidlaw Cold War 14 minutes 59 seconds (00:00:22) Early Life -Born in Detroit, Michigan on December 13, 1938 -Oldest of three boys in his family -One brother died in an accident when he was only ten years old -Grew up in Detroit and graduated from high school in that city (00:01:02) Getting Drafted & Training -Volunteered for the draft after high school -Note: Could present yourself to draft board rather than enlist or wait for draft notice -Received eight weeks of basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri -Went to Fort Chaffee, Arkansas for advanced training -Learned how to be a truck mechanic -Lasted eight weeks (00:01:47) Stationed at Fort Sill -Assigned to Fort Sill, Oklahoma -Supposed to work as a truck mechanic for artillery battalion -Reassigned to be a jeep driver for a lieutenant -Stayed at Fort Sill until the battalion went to Italy in September 1957 (00:02:21) Adjusting to the Army -Had an easy time adjusting to the Army -Good education -For example, he learned to never flick a cigarette without “field stripping” it -Note: Field stripping-Tear off paper and tobacco and throw away the filter (00:03:15) Deployment to Italy -Destination was Vicenza, Italy in northern Italy near the Austrian border -Sailed to Italy on a troopship -Wasn't bad crossing the Atlantic Ocean and he didn't get seasick -Bunks were four high -Tight quarters -Stopped in Casablanca before sailing across the Mediterranean Sea -While sailing across the Mediterranean Sea to Leghorn (Livorno), Italy to they ran into rough seas -Rough seas and the wine consumed in Casablanca led to seasickness -Combated it with Pepsi and soda crackers -Everybody did kitchen patrol (KP) duty on the voyage to Italy (00:05:20) Friends in the Army -Formed friends during training -Four or five men that he trained with got assigned to his artillery battalion -One man worked as a cook -One man was an atomic weapons specialist -Artillery battalion most likely had atomic cannons or Davy Crockett recoilless guns (00:06:07) Contact with Home -Kept contact with his family via letters -Occasionally got the chance to call home �-Always looked forward to mail call (00:06:22) Stationed in Vicenza, Italy -In Italy they were guests of the Italian government -Protecting Austria and Italy from Soviet encroachment in those countries -Continued his jeep driving duty in Italy -Did physical training in the morning -Drove officers to areas used for war games -Trying to recon the area and see if it would be suitable -Battalion went into the Italian Alps for its war games -During those exercises he stayed in the field with the rest of the unit -Lived in tents and ate rations -USO was good to soldiers stationed outside of the United States -Bused soldiers to resorts in the Alps to go skiing -When he took ski lessons he broke his ankle on the beginner's hill -Could go skiing in the Italian Alsp during the war games -Through the USO he got to visit Venice and other places in Western Europe -USO helped pay for the travel expenses -Got a little too close to Yugoslavia a few times -Nothing came of it though -Unit was put on alert to be airlifted to Cambodia, but that never happened (00�:10:45) End of Service & Coming Home -Came home on emergency leave because his father died -Reported to Chicago after 30 days of leave and was discharged -Emergency leave happened near Christmas -Sent to from Italy to Paris to get a flight home -Had priority seating on the next plane back to the United States -Army acted quickly to get men in that situation back home as quickly as possible (00�:11:55) Life after Service -Easy transition back to civilian life -Went to a trade school -Got a job through a couple of his uncles (00�:12:36) Reflections on Service -Learned more responsibility -Learned how to take orders -Learned that there were consequences for his actions and he was responsible for the consequences -Glad that veterans are honored now -Feels that younger veterans deserve more respect for their service -Volunteered to go rather than get pressed into service -Army provides good training and good experience in peacetime -Glad he served and has no regrets about serving � 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 LaidlawJ1841V Title A name given to the resource Laidlaw, James Dennis (Interview outline and video), 2015 Description An account of the resource James Laidlaw was born in Detroit on December 13, 1938. After turning 18 he volunteered for the draft and was inducted into the Army. He received basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri and truck mechanic training at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. He was stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma with an artillery battalion and served as a lieutenant's driver. In September 1957 the unit sailed to Italy and was stationed in the area around Vicenza near the Austrian and Yugoslavian borders. During his time in Italy the unit conducted war games and maintained a presence in northern Italy to keep the Soviet Union from any attempts to move into Austria or Italy. Upon the death of his father he received an emergency leave home, and after 30 days was discharged from the Army in Chicago. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Laidlaw, James Dennis Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kazmierski, Austin (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-28 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a1fa9e8cc60b380481e1b53e39d7ca56.mp4 b2833473866adbe9e8d4d6c4fabf1a61 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/99f2aa2a86bc4afbd81924504c8875d9.pdf 62511826687abe9e52cf34caca97c379 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project George Kuiper World War II 1 hour 56 seconds (00:00:10) Early Life -Born in February 1926 in Holland, Michigan -Grew up in Holland -Father worked in the Holland Furniture Company -During the Great Depression he only worked three days a week -Despite having a job, the family still didn't have much -He had three brothers -His aunt lived with them -Mother stayed home and took care of George and his brothers (00:01:10) Start of the War and News on the War -Remembers hearing about the attack on Pearl Harbor the afternoon of December 7, 1941 -In school they were discussing the events unfolding in Europe and Asia -Always enjoyed history, so that stuck with him -Still, he was only fifteen (or sixteen) so it wasn't of great importance They still had family living in Germany during the war -Father would write to them once in a while -Had male relatives living in Germany that wound up fighting for the German Army -Didn't think that the war would be over before he would have to serve -Started receiving extra physical education in high school -Preparing all of the young men for military service (00:03:14) Getting Drafted -Graduated from high school in June 1944 -Received his draft notice to report for an Army physical in Detroit -This happened shortly after he turned eighteen in February 1944 -Reported to the draft board in Holland in June 1944 -Father dropped him off there Sent to Fort Sheridan, Illinois by train for processing (00:04:42) Basic Training and Field Artillery Training -From Fort Sheridan he was sent to California by train for field artillery training -The train ride was dirty from the soot produced by the steam engine -Travelled across the Rocky Mountains and the Great Salt Lake -Received his training in Camp Roberts, California -Between San Francisco and Los Angeles -Went to Fort Hunter Liggett -Proving ground for the field artillery at Camp Roberts -Received basic training and field artillery training at the same time -Trained with WWI-era artillery pieces -Learned how to prepare a charge, load a round, and set coordinates for �the gun -It took seven men to load and properly fire a howitzer -His job was to load the powder charge -Determined the range and elevation of the round -Received their coordinates from headquarters via field telephone -Later in the war, his job was to lay down telephone wire -Establishing coordinates involved trigonometry -Could fire three rounds per minute when the gun crew was trained enough -Each artillery shell weighed about ninety six to ninety eight pounds -Had to also qualify with the M1 Carbine -Went to a firing range and shot at targets 100 yards and 200 yards away -Marched around Camp Roberts -There was a strong emphasis on discipline and Army protocol -Bed had to be made just right, everyone had to have their things uniform and lined up -He adjusted well, although initially the coarseness of the drill sergeants was a shock -Believes that it would teach a lot of young people discipline -He was a little homesick at first, but got over it -Spent sixteen weeks at Camp Roberts -The howitzer was pulled by a modified tank -Could go to Paso Robles, California which was a town near Camp Roberts -Took the bus from the camp to the town -It was good to get off the base on Saturdays -If you didn't have anything to do, they'd find something for you to do (00:17:28) Pre-Deployment -After Camp Roberts he was sent across the country to Fort Meade, Maryland -Stayed there for about one week -Went to an infiltration course -Crawling under barbed wire while a machine gun is fired over your head -One day had to march eight miles to the infiltration course in the pouring rain -Afterwards had to march the eight miles back -Did the infiltration course three times -At Fort Meade he was still a replacement and did not have a unit (00:20:07) Deployment -After a week at Fort Meade he was sent up to Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts -Stayed there for two days -Boarded the RMS Aquitania (sister ship of the RMS Lusitania) -Sailed alone and left after dark -He pulled guard duty, four hours on eight hours off, looking for U-Boats -Took seven days to sail across the Atlantic Ocean -Weather wasn't too bad -Some men got seasick �(00:22:14) Arrival in the European Theatre -Arrived in Glasgow, Scotland -Went by train to Southampton, England -Boarded a ship and was given a loaf of bread and a ring of bologna -It was a small transport ship -Had to sleep in hammocks -Anchored just outside of Le Havre, France -Couldn't go into the harbor because it was heavily damaged -Had to climb down the side of the ship using rope ladders to board LSTs -Also dealing with twenty foot high waves -In Le Havre they boarded "40 and 8" boxcars and traveled to Paris -"40 and 8" boxcars: capable of carrying forty men, or eight horses -By now it was November 1944 -In Paris he went to a replacement depot and was assigned to the 191st Field Artillery Battalion (00:26:10) Joining the 191st and the Battle of the Bulge Pt. 1 -From Paris he traveled to Belgium in open topped trucks to join the 191st -By the time he joined them it was mid/late December 1944 and extremely cold -Saw a lot of American planes flying east into Germany on bombing runs -German planes would show up occasionally and strafe them -The first night that he joined the battalion he was placed on guard duty -It was freezing and he could see Germans and Americans exchanging gunfire -They followed the infantry and the tanks as they pushed the Germans back -They were attached to the 4th Armored Division -Working with "split trail" howitzers that had longer barrels -Pulled by trucks -Took an hour to set up one gun -After it was set up the 1st lieutenant would sight the gun -He was assigned to #1 Gun in A Battery -They would receive orders to do "harassing fire" -Fire a shell every two minutes at the Germans to keep disrupting them -Had to learn how to sleep through the artillery fire -Wore long underwear, two pairs of pants, combat boots, a sweater, and a heavy jacket -Also wore a wool cap under his helmet -This was all just to keep from freezing to death -Not allowed to light a fire because it would give their position away to the Germans -German 88mm gun crews could spot the fire and zero in on their position -Didn't know anything about the progress of the battle or the progress of the war -Just advanced and followed orders to carry out fire missions -Some days they advanced a couple miles -Other days they had to stop and bombard the German positions before moving (00:34:53) Rhine River Campaign Pt. 1 -The next major fighting was crossing the Rhine River at Worms in early spring 1945 -Their job was to ire shells over the river to cover the Army Engineers �-The Army Engineers were trying to set up a pontoon bridge to cross the river -Had to contend with German artillery and German Me 109s -One plane got so close that he saw the pilot's face -Could see low level dogfights and high altitude bombers going into Germany -Punched through the German lines and advanced fifty miles into Germany -The German line closed behind them and they ran out of gas for three days -German bombers would come in and harass them -One gun got hit and one truck was hit and they took some casualties (00:38:22) Battle of the Bulge Pt. 2 -Once the Germans had begun to retreat, they began to advance out of the Ardennes Forest -This would have been near the end of January 1945 -Could see charges tied to trees along the road -Germans were going to try to block the road but retreated too quickly -Couldn't see any of the German frontier fortifications due to the snow (00:40:00) Rhine River Campaign Pt. 2 and Advancing into Germany -While crossing the Rhine River the Germans tried desperately to stop the Army Engineers -The Germans failed and he was one of many that crossed on that pontoon bridge -Before crossing over some men found a warehouse and found several big cases of wine -After they had crossed the Rhine River they had to deal with mined roads -Remembers seeing German soldiers leaving their foxholes and retreating, some without guns -Got caught behind German lines for three days before they could get refueled -Once they got refueled they kept advancing and were at the front of the advance -Because of this they didn't see a lot of prisoners -Went through towns that they had had to shell -Saw the civilians living in the rubble -Pushed the Germans back every day -There was still some last ditch German resistance near the end, mostly artillery harassment -Remembers one night after crossing a river he was camped out next to a house -German artillery was so intense that he thought it was a thunderstorm -The next day he saw an artillery shell lodged in the porch of the house -Had it not been a dud, he probably would have died -Started seeing more civilians retreating east that were trying to get away from the Allies -Had been brainwashed into thinking the Allies would kill any civilians they saw -Proved the propaganda wrong and just drove around the civilians (00:48:00) End of the War Pt. 1 -Got into Czechoslovakia by the time the war ended on May 8, 1945 -The 191st entered Czechoslovakia on April 29, 1945 -Saw Ohrdruf Concentration Camp in Germany around April 7, 1945 -First concentration camp liberated by the U.S. (April 4, 1945) -Saw corpses laid out like cord wood, couldn't fathom the inhumanity �-Went back into Germany for a while after the war on occupation duty -Russia had begun to set up their occupation zones -He was reassigned to the 405th Infantry Regiment for a while -Then he was reassigned to a unit within the 4th Armored Division (00:50:14) Field Telephone Work -Enjoyed laying down wire for gun batteries more than being on a gun crew -Safer than being on a gun, surrounded by gunpowder -Rode around on a weapons carrier -Combination of a jeep and pickup truck (00:50:58) End of the War Pt. 2 -With the war over they were able to stay in houses and sleep in beds -Had more contact with German civilians, and contact became more positive after the war (00:51:44) General Patton -Only saw General Patton a few times during the war, and that was close to the front line -Tried to avoid him, simply felt that he didn't need to be where high ranking officers were (00:52:12) End of the War Pt. 3 -Stayed in Germany on occupation duty until early 1946 -Drove around Germany in a jeep, transporting personnel around the country -Got to drive on the Autobahn -Saw that the parts of Germany that were intact were clean and advanced -Towns and cities had been flattened by the bombing -Could smell rotting bodies in the rubble -Some men in his unit would try to help civilians whenever it was possible -Everyone mostly kept to themselves though -He got to take a short trip to Paris -Another culture shock seeing brothels -Got to see Notre Dame -Stayed in a hotel -His travel companions brought back prostitutes at night -The vacation only lasted a few days -Knew that venereal disease was pretty common problem -One soldier needed ninety consecutive shots of penicillin to treat his infection -Did some duty with the Military Police on a train -Stopping people from jumping on the train, or stealing anything -Black market activity was a problem after the war (00:59:04) Coming Home and Life after the War -In early 1946 he received orders to go home -Took a train across northern Germany and northern France back to Le Havre -Boarded the SS George Washington and sailed to New York -From New York he was taken to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey for a few days -Took a train to Camp Atterbury, Indiana and was discharged there -Worked as a mechanic in a garage for a few years after the war -Started working on boats and started his own boat repair shop in Zeeland, Michigan � 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 KuiperG1775V Title A name given to the resource Kuiper, George (Interview outline and video), 2015 Description An account of the resource George Kuiper was born in February 1926 in Holland, Michigan. He grew up in Holland and in February 1944 he received his draft notice. In June 1944 he reported for duty at the draft board in Holland, was processed at Fort Sheridan, Illinois and was sent to Camp Roberts, California for basic training and field artillery training. After sixteen weeks of training he was sent to Fort Meade, Maryland for an additional week of training and then left the United States out of Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts. He sailed over, stopping in England, and arriving in Le Havre, France. He was sent to Paris where he was assigned to the 191st Field Artillery Battalion attached to the 4th Armored Division. He joined the battalion in Belgium in mid/late December 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge and was assigned to #1 Gun in A Battery and also laid down field telephone wire for the gun batteries. After the Battle of the Bulge they advanced into Germany, crossing the Rhine River at Worms, going south and seeing the Ohrdruf Concentration Camp, and entering Czechoslovakia on April 29, 1945. After the war ended on May 8, 1945 he was reassigned to the 405th Infantry Regiment and then 4th Armored Division before being sent home in early 1946 and getting discharged at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kuiper, George 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 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-27 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/24ac16db7d36d40da24a319c22046a5e.m4v 7bd82c8340aa9b6ace9b70961af408f2 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/bc31ab1ce2f1978f298f636aae02e04f.pdf f11522a11291585b4fab1b3e4f32e868 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Harry Kooyman Cold War/Vietnam War 55 minutes 43 seconds (00:00:38) Early Life -Born in the Netherlands in 1944 -Known as the “Starving Times” because of the Second World War -Mother couldn't produce enough milk to feed him -She used milk from a cow with Hoof-and-Mouth Disease -This resulted in Harry getting very sick and nearly dying -Born in a village near Rotterdam -Family moved to the United States when he was four years old -Started out in New Jersey then moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan in the early 1950s -Started on a farm in New Jersey then father became a day laborer in Grand Rapids -Father found work with Reliable Cartage in 1953 -Trucking company that serviced A&P Grocery Stores -Mother's uncle lived in Grand Rapids -One of the relatives that sponsored them when they were working on citizenship -Convinced them to move from New Jersey to Grand Rapids -Attended Mayfield Christian School -Went to Grand Rapids Christian High School -The church provided his family with a scholarship -Church wanted children sent to Christian schools (00:03:57) Enlisting in the Navy -Went to an Air Force recruiter in Grand Rapids and said that he wanted to be a pilot -Told that he did not have the requirements to be a pilot in the Air Force -Went to the Navy recruiter and asked if he could enlist to become a pilot -Recruiter said he could -Enlisted in the Navy in 1962 -He was 17 years old, so he needed his parents' approval -They supported him (00:05:28) Cold War -Kept track of major Cold War events in the 1950s and early 1960s -There was still a lot of positivity and optimism in the country in the early 1960s -Remembers when John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth in February 1962 (00:05:49) Basic Training -Sent to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois for basic training -Reported for training on June 27, 1962 -Completed his basic training in September 1962 -Basic training lasted about 10 weeks -Went from Grand Rapids, to Detroit, to Chicago -Remembers being greeted by a drill instructor screaming at him and the other recruits -Told his serial number and ordered to never forget it -As of 2016 he can still remember it -The first few days of basic training consisted of getting uniforms and information about the Navy -Took literacy and physical exams at Fort Wayne, Michigan before going to Great Lakes Naval Station �-Took an aptitude test at Great Lakes Naval Station and was asked what he wanted to do -He said he wanted to be a pilot, so he was placed in Naval Aviation -Told he would be an aviation electronics technician -Large part of basic training was learning how to think as a part of a unit -If you made a mistake, then you and your unit were punished -Had to psychologically adjust to life in the Navy -Had personal and barracks inspections almost every day -Trained by career officers -One of the trainers was a World War II veteran -He was a good man -Received a lot of physical training -Went in skinny and came out of basic training with 20 pounds of muscle -Mornings consisted of classroom instruction -Afternoons consisted of physical training -Two thirds of the original recruits were washed out or recycled -One recruit was discharged because his father died -A few men tried to commit suicide and were discharged -Some men couldn't pass the written tests or the physical exams and had to start over (00�:12:02) Electronics Training Pt. 1 -Given two weeks of leave after basic training -Sent to Memphis, Tennessee for advanced training -September 1962 to March 1963 -Eight hours of electronics training every day in Memphis -Started off with the basics of electronics and then worked up to complex electronics -Designated as an Aviation Electronics Technician Airman -From Memphis he was sent to Naval Air Station Glynco, Georgia for specialized training (00:13:30) Cuban Missile Crisis -Remembers the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962 -Told to be aware of what was going on -Woke up one morning and saw soldiers sleeping on the floor of the barracks -Never saw so many aircraft in his entire life -Convinced that the United States and the Soviet Union were going to war (00:15:15) Electronics Training Pt. 2 -First part of electronics training in Tennessee was learning about electronics in general -One month before leaving Memphis he volunteered for flight duty -Only one of ten men selected -Sent to Naval Air Station Glynco for specialized training -Worked with classified electronics equipment used in radar planes -Part of Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) (00:16:30) Civil Rights Movement -There was a lot of Civil Rights activity in the south -He had never had any problem with black people -Saw a segregated bathroom and a segregated water fountain in Tennessee - “Colored” water fountain was filthy and not taken care of by the city -Told to stay out of Civil Rights politics -KKK tried to come onto the base in Memphis -Got up to the guard towers and turned back without incident -Brunswick, Georgia (near NAS Glynco) was very segregated -Befriended a black technician in training �-He couldn't go to movies or restaurants with Harry due to the race laws (00:19:23) Electronics Training Pt. 3 -Completed training in Georgia in June 1963 -Worked in a module on the ground at NAS Glynco -Exact replication of the type of aircraft he would be working in -Could not take study material out of the module -Worked with radar equipment and electronic countermeasures -Learned how to collect radar information from enemy planes and resist electronic attacks (00:20:51) Stationed in Hawaii Pt. 1 -Sent to Naval Station Treasure Island, California -Transfer station to receive orders -Flown to Naval Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii -Near Pearl Harbor -Rural area surrounded by sugar cane fields -There were 2,500 men in his squadron -Largest squadron in the Navy -There were patrol, antisubmarine, utility, and helicopter squadrons at the base -Deployed once a month for two weeks per month to go on patrols over the eastern part of the Pacific -Flew from Midway to the Aleutian Islands and then return to Midway -Flights lasted 14 to 16 hours to fly from Midway to the Aleutians -He worked in the Combat Information Center (CIC) as an Electronic Countermeasure operator -Did everything but fly the plane -Had a lounge area and an eating area on the plane -Flew in a Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation -Four engine, turboprop aircraft -Went on to flying in the Boeing 707 -There were 20 to 30 men on the plane -Had two crews, and they switched every four hours -Stationed in Hawaii for two years (00:24:08) Downtime in Hawaii -Had two days off after each deployment -Had three days off before each deployment -Visited Honolulu and Waikiki Beach to meet girls -Played a lot of cards during downtime -Relaxed atmosphere and not too many people in the 1960s -Sometimes the military personnel were seen as intruders by the Hawaiians -Teenagers were the most antagonistic -Former military personnel were positive toward servicemen -Locals wanted the servicemen to spend money (00:26:45) Stationed on Midway -Not much to do at Midway when they weren't flying out of the island -A lot of birds at Midway -Flew into aircraft when they took off or landed -Post-flight and pre-flight took three hours -Spent most time on Midway sleeping -Had a movie theater, bowling alleys, and a basic TV station -There were military families on Midway -There was a high school �-Servicemen played sports games against the students -Housing on Midway was very clustered -He lived in barracks close to the airstrip -Went swimming (00:29:08) Aleutian Islands -If they had engine troubles or deliveries to make they stopped on Adak or Kodiak -Always landed during the winter -Windy, cold, and much more intense than Michigan winters -Had to refuel the plane once on the Aleutian Islands -Even in winter weather gear he felt the wind cutting through his clothing (00:30:15) Stationed in Hawaii Pt. 2 -Arrived at Hawaii in June 1963 and left in March or April 1965 -Squadron was decommissioned (00:30:38) Vietnam War -The Tonkin Gulf Incident happened in the fall of 1964 -Had to stay on the base when it happened -Thought they were going to be sent to Vietnam -Incident deescalated -After a while they were allowed off the base for four hours -And a little while later they were allowed off the base for 24 hours (00:31:40) Assassination of President Kennedy -At Hawaii when President Kennedy got assassinated -Took off at 9 AM Hawaii time on November 22, 1963 -Came back later in the day and nobody greeted them on the runway or answered the radio -He got off the aircraft and brought a ladder up to the aircraft -Walked into the barracks and nobody was there -Went into the TV room and everyone was there -Told that President Kennedy had been assassinated -He was shocked -Traumatized the whole country -Memorial services held at the chapel at NAS Barbers Point -Chapel filled up for every memorial service (00:34:20) Encounters with Soviet Aircraft -Noticed Soviet “Bears” (Tupolev Tu-95, strategic bomber) in American airspace -They were checking American reaction time -If they saw a Soviet plane they relayed their finding to NORAD -NORAD contacted fighter squadrons in Alaska to go and scare off the Soviet bomber -US government didn't want any more surprise attacks after Pearl Harbor -His squadron provided radar coverage of the majority of the Pacific Ocean (00:36:10) Stationed on the USS Bennington (CVS-20) -Asked where he would like to be stationed for the last six months of his service -His preferences were not taken into consideration -Placed on a ship headed for Vietnam -Allowed to visit home in March (or April) 1965 before reporting for duty -Shocked to be back in cold weather -Spent one or two weeks at home -Visited his parents and his future wife (girlfriend at the time) -Knew Vietnam War was escalating -Viet Cong and North Vietnamese were getting more aggressive �-Assigned to the USS Bennington (CVS-20), an aircraft carrier -Antisubmarine squadrons on board -Boarded the ship in June 1965 -Joined the ship at Pearl Harbor -Assigned to VS-38, an antisubmarine squadron -Flew the S2E -Twin-engined and effective aircraft -Went on the WESTPAC Exercise -Sailed to Yokosuka, Japan then to the Philippines then to Bangkok, Thailand -Made very few flights as the plane captain -In charge of the entire aircraft -Had to make sure repairs were made and everything on the plane worked -S2E carried two pilots and two technicians -Had some experience with observation work -Flew night missions that lasted four hours -Flew search and rescue patterns over the Mekong Delta and the Vietnamese coast -Took pictures of boats in the Mekong Delta and off the Vietnamese coast -Viet Cong were using sampans and small boats to offload supplies from trawlers -Flew very low and fast -Did visual observation -Radar didn't work with wood boats like sampans -Had to avoid getting shot at -Never got shot at to his knowledge -Never saw any muzzle flashes (00:43:23) End of Service & Coming Home -Left the USS Bennington in August 1965 -Ship resupplied in Yokosuka, Japan and that's where he left it -Wanted to go to college and was allowed to leave early because of this -Given two hours notice that he could get off the ship and go home -Stopped at Naval Station Treasure Island, California -Not a lot of encouragement to reenlist -Released from service just before Secretary of Defense McNamara extended everyone's service -Worked in an office at Treasure Island before being discharged -Had to find sailors with “bad time” (spent time in the brig) and extend their service -Families were waiting for their servicemen -Watched as they received their extensions and were deployed to Vietnam -Probably the worst day of his life -Discharged so he could attend college at Grand Rapids Junior College (now Community College) (00:47:09) Life after Service -There was not a lot of antiwar activity in Grand Rapids -Remembers blood drives being held at Grand Rapids Junior College for the troops in Vietnam -Transferred to Western Michigan University -More antiwar activity there -Stayed quiet about being a veteran -Married by the time he got to WMU and lived in married housing -He and his wife befriended another veteran and his wife and spent most time with them -Started with a major in Drafting Technology -GI Bill went into effect, so he decided to go to college for four years instead of two -Changed his major to Industrial Education �-Taught for Grand Rapids Public Schools for 20 years -Taught at Grand Rapids Community College and at Jordan College as an adjunct professor (00:49:15) Progress of Vietnam War -Followed the news on the Vietnam War -Friend from middle school/high school was killed in action in Vietnam -One or two month(s) after Harry got out of the Navy -Brother-in-law enlisted in the military in June 1967 -Watched everything that happened in Vietnam (00:50:07) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -He wasn't a good student in high school -Navy taught him that he had to be a good student -Learned how to study -Got the second highest exam score on his final electronics exam -Lonely time in the Navy -Being in the Navy prompted him to reconnect with his high school girlfriend -Led to them dating and eventually getting married in November 1966 (00:52:49) Contact with Home -Wrote his girlfriend the entire time he was in the Navy -There was a two week delay in getting letters when he was in the Navy -Had to pick up letters at Midway or at Hawaii -Called collect to phone home -Cost $1 per minute to call his family or his girlfriend (00:53:53) Reflections on Service Pt. 2 -Learned about how different people live -Appreciation for different individuals -Made friends in the Navy that he is still friends with -People he would die for, and he knows they would die for him -Completely different mindset than being a civilian -A lot of civilians, especially now, don't understand the military mindset � 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 KooymanH1897V Title A name given to the resource Kooyman, Harry (Interview outline and video), 2012 Description An account of the resource Harry Kooyman was born in the Netherlands in 1944 and his family moved to the United States when he was four years old. He grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan and after high school he enlisted in the Navy in 1962. He received basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois and naval aviation electronics training in Memphis, Tennessee and Naval Air Station Glynco, Georgia. He was assigned to a patrol squadron at Naval Air Station Barber Point, Hawaii from June 1963 to March/April 1965 where he flew patrols from Midway to the Aleutian Islands in search of Soviet aircraft. In April 1965 he was assigned to the USS Bennington (CVS-20) and served with VS-38 an antisubmarine patrol squadron. He flew observation missions over the Mekong Delta and along the Vietnamese coast until he was discharged from the Navy in August 1965. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kooyman, Harry 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 Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2012-11-12 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/017aef057036015a8b2787d4cb382766.m4v 55dda55bba157bcc4cab33b5607b0c8b https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a59f921b0f416a6fc41ee05b67c4840f.pdf a2fc6be29f40011a22244e339c2551fc PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Ryan Klingeman Iraq War 59 minutes 58 seconds (00:00:10) Early Life -Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on November 2, 1981 -When he was three years old his family moved to Allendale, Michigan -Grew up there and attended Allendale High School -Father worked for Steelcase -Mother drove a school bus for Allendale public schools -Graduated from high school in 2000 -Attended Grand Valley State University on a scholarship -Attended for two years (00:01:04) September 11th Attacks & Enlisting in the Marines -After the September 11th attacks he decided to enlist in the Marines -Remembers being at class when people started telling him to turn on the news -Watched the events of that day unfold -Less than a year after the attacks he decided to enlist in the Marines -What was Saddam Hussein capable of doing if terrorists could do so much damage? -Felt he should do his part to protect the country and stop enemies of the country -Grandfathers had served in World War II, and great-grandfathers in earlier conflicts -A lot of his friends had enlisted in the other branches, so he decided to join the Marines -Different than his friends and saw it as more of a challenge -Two weeks after enlisting he was considered ready for basic training -Most recruits take months to prepare -Being in good physical shape and having some college education sped up the process -Did various physical tests and aptitude tests -Went to Lansing, Michigan to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (00:03:54) Boot Camp -Sent to Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, for boot camp -When he landed at the airport he could see the obstacle course and facilities at the base -Placed on a bus and told to keep his head down -Arrived at night -Drill instructor came on board, screaming orders to get off the bus and stand at attention -Issued gear, had his head shaved, and went through processing -Did paperwork for hours -First experience with stress and sleep deprivation -Assigned to a squad bay for three days -Cleaning and waiting for more recruits to form a training platoon -Boot camp started with Phase 1 -It was difficult -Remembers the drill instructor saying something funny and he laughed -Drill instructor shoved him onto a footlocker and he realized they could hit him -Had no difficulty with the physical training -Learned that all he to do was follow orders and do what the drill instructors said -Recruits were punished as individuals, then punished as a group for mistakes �-Teaching them that mistakes in combat would affect the entire unit -Boot camp lasted 13 weeks, split into three four-week phases -Phase 1: Basics of being a Marine, learning discipline, and receiving martial arts training -Phase 2: Extensive bayonet training -Phase 3: Go to Camp Pendleton for rifle training -Had a half-hour on Sundays for relaxation -At night, the recruits had to sleep with their rifles -Told when to sleep and when to wake up -Went through “the Crucible” -Three days of marching with a full pack and three, meager meals a day -Teaching you to endure the hunger, pain, and exhaustion of being in combat -Had 110 recruits in his training platoon -Some of those men washed out due to the stress of basic training -Some of the recruits tried to escape -Some men added to the platoon because they had been held back -Graduated with fewer recruits than what they started with -Did his basic training in the summer of 2003 -Post-invasion of Iraq -Emphasis on preparing for war (00:13:54) School of Infantry -Got ten days of leave after graduating from boot camp -Parents came out to California to see him graduate from boot camp -Returned to Michigan for his leave -Went to Camp Pendleton, California, for the School of Infantry -Assigned to be a 03/11 Bravo (rifleman) -It was very difficult -Did a lot of classroom work -Learned about different weapons -Took land navigation courses -Carried 200-pound backpacks -Gained 20 pounds of muscle -Went on escape & evasion courses -Learning how to avoid being captured if stuck behind enemy lines -Went through mock villages -Similar to rural Iraqi and Afghan villages -Did gas training -Hit with CS gas (tear gas) and putting on gas masks -Fears that terrorists or insurgents might use chemical weapons -Learned about house-house searches -Platoon sergeant training him had served in Afghanistan -Gave good advice -School of Infantry lasted two months -He was eligible for Recon Training, but swimming didn’t appeal to him (00:18:28) Stationed in Michigan -He had joined the Marine Reserves -Upon completion of training he joined the 1st Battalion, 24th Marines in Saginaw, Michigan -More training and more classroom work -Majority of battalion had been deployed to guard bases along the Kuwaiti border -Spent most of his time exercising and cleaning the base �-Learned about different forms of radio communication -Given a housing allowance, but he stayed with a friend in Saginaw -Stayed at Saginaw for three months, and after one month the battalion returned -Sent to Poland for training with international forces -Stormed beaches on the Baltic Sea in World War II-vintage amphibious vehicles -Germans were disciplined -Majority of Russian soldiers were conscripts and acted like it -Woefully under-trained and didn’t want to be there -Stayed there four or five weeks -Stayed at an Air Force base -First time out of the United States -Experienced a lot of different people and different cultures -After the training in Poland he returned to Saginaw (00:23:18) Pre-Deployment Preparation -He had planned on re-enrolling in college, but there was a deployment rumor -The deployment didn’t happen -He went full-time for the Reserves -Went on field exercises and worked on the base -In mid-2005 they received deployment orders -Went on longer field exercises -Went out to California in early 2006 for extensive training -Did assault courses, had live-fire mortars and live-fire machine guns -Trained at Camp Pendleton -Went to 29 Palms for a large, combined forces exericse -Did patrols in mock villages with other branches of the armed forces -He looked forward to being deployed -Older than a lot of the other Marines -Being in 29 Palms exposed him to the desert environment (00:27:10) Deployment -Given a week of leave to say good bye to his family -Father was proud, but mother was worried -He had gotten married and was able to see the birth of his daughter -Went back to 29 Palms for four or five more weeks of training -It was beneficial -Went through mock villages -Had soldiers act as combatants and simulated rounds (similar to paintballs) -Paid a lot of attention to the news coming out of Iraq and Afghanistan -News shifted from being positive to being negative -Reports of civilian deaths, war crimes, and the torture of prisoners -Flew from the United States to Germany to Kuwait on a commercial airliner -Stayed in Kuwait for two days (00:30:42) Arrival in Iraq -Flown up to Al-Taqaddum Air Base (TQ) in Iraq on a C-130 -Located in Al-Anbar Province -Made a combat landing -A spiraling descent toward the runway to avoid antiaircraft fire -Spent a night there -It was a large base with a Taco Bell and indoor plumbing -Sent to Camp Baharia near the city of Fallujah �-Took a convoy to the forward operating base (FOB) at an abandoned train station north of Fallujah -Started the transition process to take over from the previous unit -Shown the perimeter, shown weak points, and informed about the situation -Attacks were getting progressively worse due to the Muslim holiday of Ramadan -More attacks -Insurgents attacked during transitions because units were vulnerable -Upon arrival at the FOB they took mortar fire and a suicide car hit the base -The suicide attack killed some Marines that were slated to go home (00:33:49) Operating in Fallujah -Getting to know the area and making contact with the civilians -Went on patrols and went to houses to make sure the people had military-issued ID cards -The civilians were friendly -Learned that the overly friendly people were hiding something -Within a few weeks they started encountering improvised-explosive devices (IEDs) and snipers -Had a good intelligence group that gathered information for raids -Made raids every other night to capture high value insurgents -Worked closely with local officials, the Iraqi police, and the Iraqi Army -Intelligence group worked with sheiks to get information about insurgent activity -Most of the Iraqis hated the insurgents, but didn’t want to risk retaliation from them -They wanted to give information to the Americans, but feared the insurgents -Able to call home and rest at Camp Baharia -Used abandoned buildings as outposts in the city -Stayed there for three or four days with nine or ten men -Watching routes with high IED activity and supply routes -Went on combat patrols -Mix of hunting for high value targets and looking for insurgents -Didn’t get a lot of sleep during those patrols -Did patrols in vehicles and on foot -Kept it random so the insurgents couldn’t establish a pattern -He preferred foot patrols -Able to move faster and get out of situations easier -Realized that a presence alone wouldn’t suffice -The Iraqis wanted to see results from the presence -Civilians could get compensated for damaged property -Spent his nine-month tour in that area (00:42:02) Enemy Presence in Fallujah -At first, they were attacked quite a bit -Once they started doing raids and engaging the insurgents the attacks decreased -There were two types of raids: hard and soft -Soft raid meant going in quietly (for example, going roof to roof to get into a house) -A hard raid usually meant kicking down a door or blowing up a wall to get into a house -During raids they had a fire team go up on a nearby roof to provide cover for the raid party -Civilians liked what the Marines were doing -Invited them in for tea and exuded hospitality -Civilians hated the insurgents because of things like beheading prisoners and abusing children -Started to notice large groups of civilians feeding information to the intelligence groups (00:45:45) On Base & On Outpost -The base was small, roughly the size of a football field -Didn’t have much down time �-Only had four hours a day to clean rifle, do laundry, and catch some sleep -On outposts they slept in shifts -On outposts the insurgents hit hard with RPGs and assaults -Used the RPG as a distraction then hit the other side with small-arms fire -The abandoned houses they used as outposts had belonged to wealthy Iraqis -Had walls around property -Sat up on the roof with thermal scopes -Able to stop insurgents before they crossed the perimeter (00:48:25) Casualties -Most casualties came from IEDs and snipers -Command kept them informed about the men wounded or killed -Battalion numbered at about 900 to 1,000 Marines -23 were killed during that tour -90 to 120 were wounded during that tour (00:49:32) Weapons -He carried a Benelli shotgun during raids with a lock-busting round -Carried an M-16 rifle with an M203 under-barrel grenade launcher for patrols -Sometimes carried an M249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon); a light machine gun (00:50:26) IEDs, Snipers, & Protection -Friend got wounded by an IED nine days after the battalion arrived -Insurgents used three, 155mm artillery rounds bound together as an IED -When they got stronger armor on vehicles, the insurgents made stronger bombs -Used smokescreens to avoid snipers -Used Humvees and 7-ton trucks as personnel carriers -The trucks took IED blasts better than Humvees (00:51:45) End of Tour & Coming Home -He was still in Iraq when Saddam Hussein was executed on December 30, 2006 -The Iraqi people celebrated, but the insurgents used it as an opportunity to attack -Left Iraq in April 2007 -Returned to the United States and got 30 days of leave -Rapid transition from being in a combat zone to being in civilian society -Strange to be sitting in his living room with his wife and nine-month old daughter -Allowed to decompress for a few days in California before going home (00:53:56) Training Exercise in Haiti -Opportunity came up to train Haitian soldiers on raid tactics and drug enforcement -Did urban assault exercises -The Haitians were poorly-equipped, violent, and not friendly like the Europeans and Russians -Stayed there for five weeks (00:55:00) End of Service Pt. 1 -He found a civilian job and decided to become a member of the inactive Reserve for rest of enlistment -Wife was against him reenlisting anyway (00:55:26) Contact with Home -He had access to a satellite phone to call home -Didn’t like to call much because it upset his wife -There were a few times when the base got attacked while he was on the phone -Used email a few times -Mostly wrote regular letters to stay in touch with his family -Wrote a letter every day �(00:56:37) Readjusting to Civilian Life & End of Service Pt. 2 -Being in crowds scared him for a while (Insurgents used crowds of civilians as human shield) -Had his wife drive for a while after he came home (Insurgents hid IEDs on roadsides) -Didn’t go out in public that much after he came home -Worked as a supervisor for a distribution company until 2015 -Returned to Grand Valley State University on the GI Bill -Studying to be a high school history teacher -He is in his senior year at Grand Valley (as of the interview) -Went on inactive reserve in 2009 and was discharged in 2011 (00:58:40) Reflections on Service -Taught him leadership skills -Instilled in him a strong work ethic -Learned a lot and met a lot of different people -Difficult to reconnect with friends that didn’t serve in the military -Bonds with other friends that served in the other branches � 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 KlingemanR1953V Title A name given to the resource Klingeman, Ryan A (Interview outline and video), 2016 Description An account of the resource Ryan Klingeman was born on November 2, 1981, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 2002 he enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve, and in summer 2003 he went to boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California. He volunteered to be a rifleman and went to the School of Infantry at Camp Pendleton, California. Upon completion of training he joined the 1st Battalion 24th Marines in Saginaw, Michigan and went to Poland for a multinational training exercise. In mid-2005 the unit received orders to deploy to Iraq. They trained at Camp Pendleton and 29 Palms before deploying to Iraq in 2006. Ryan and the rest of his unit was stationed at Camp Baharia near Fallujah, Iraq, and they operated out of a forward operating base north of the city. He spent his nine-month tour in Fallujah. He went on patrols, conducted raids to capture insurgents, and stood watch at outposts in the city. They left Iraq in April 2007 and returned to Michigan. He participated in a joint-training exercise with the Haitians before going inactive reserve in 2009, and in 2011 he was discharged from the Marines. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Klingeman, Ryan 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 Iraq War, 2003-2011--Personal narratives, American United States. Marine Corps Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-09-23 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/92cbd0d6c4523c07c7ffd33d0bc41490.m4v 44d0987d44e56edc44d2c8e134136f80 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b854b2e7f292d2d85e5f32f43b2dc26f.pdf 17ee39963f4afa69206a89efa890c4b7 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Jim Keatley Vietnam War 2 hours 9 minutes 47 seconds Part 1 – 1 hour 11 minutes 30 seconds (00:00:40) Early Life -Born in Bremerton, Washington, in 1945 -When he was nine months old the family moved to California -Father had been interning in Bremerton as a machinist -Got a job at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California -Lived in an old mining town until the base had civilian housing -Grew up in China Lake -Graduated from high school in 1963 -Attended San Diego State University for a while then transferred to Bakersfield College (00:02:48) Getting Drafted -Granted a draft deferment while he was at San Diego State University -Lost his deferment when he transferred to Bakersfield College -Draft board said he would be drafted at the end of the school year (most likely in 1966) -Had a draft physical in December (most likely 1965) -Basic physical examination -Got a summer job and decided to wait to get drafted -Quit a week before his brother's wedding then decided to wait to get his draft notice -Kept waiting for his draft notice, and after two weeks he called his draft board -Told him they forgot about him and would send him his draft letter -Received his draft notice three days later -Reported to a local bus station to be taken to the induction center in Los Angeles -Walked up to the counter and talked to the Specialist 4th Grade (Spec. 4) at the desk -Handed over his papers and the spec. 4 berated him for being late -Jim defended himself by saying he reported on time as instructed -A sergeant came over to assess the situation -Decided Jim was in the right and relieved the spec. 4 -Placed in an old motel for a night -Reported to the induction center the next day for processing (00:09:16) Basic Training -Sent to Fort Ord, California, for basic training -Arrived at mid-afternoon -Placed in barracks for the night -Assigned to guard duty -Two spec. 4s tried to get into the barracks -Jim stopped them and asked their business -Said they wanted to teach a new recruit a lesson -Recruit left his footlocker open, they would steal from it -Jim told them they wouldn't do that and took down their names -They attempted to proceed with their theft -Jim turned on the lights and woke up everyone �-He then told them to leave or face 45 angry recruits -Spec. 4s left without incident -The next day his sergeant talked to him about the situation -A week later, his sergeant told him the situation had been dealt with -Applauded Jim's action and promoted Jim to squad leader -Sergeant also had the spec. 4s demoted for their action -Did a lot of physical training -Getting prepared for combat -Psychologically breaking down and rebuilding the recruits -Be disciplined, learn to survive, and keep your comrades alive -He was in good physical shape -Helped him get his life in order -Did what he was told even when it was frustrating -For example, they usually had Sunday afternoons to themselves -One Sunday afternoon, the sergeant said he wanted to inspect their personal boxes -Meant they lost that Sunday afternoon (00:17:40) Advanced Infantry Training -Assigned to Infantry at the end of basic training -Sent to Fort Polk, Louisiana, for advanced infantry training (AIT) -Arrived at Fort Polk in late 1966 -Fort Polk had “Tigerland” (a training area set up like a Vietnamese village) -Received mortar training -Went on field exercises -First night in the field he and the other men were ordered to dig a foxhole three feet deep -Due to the water in the ground he only dug down eight inches and hit water -Meant he had to sleep in about two feet of water -Had an infiltration range -Go from Point A to Point B without getting “captured” -Given a map -If they were caught, they would be sent to a mock prisoner-of-war camp -He was traveling with a group of six or seven other men -Walked into an ambush -Taken to the prisoner-of-war camp -Gave his name, rank, and serial number -Interrogator wanted his unit name and Jim refused -This prompted the interrogator to punch Jim in the chest -Interrogators continued to slap and abuse Jim for not answering their questions -Brought to a flag pole, sat down, and tied up -Interrogators kept slapping him, kicking his arms, and stepping on his chest -Despite the abuse, Jim refused to answer -Chaplain came up to him and asked him for his unit, and Jim refused -Chaplain untied him and told him he could leave the camp -Jim was wary, at first, then left and trucks brought him back to base -The prisoner-of-war camp experience taught him to survive -Trained with the M14 rifle, the Light Anti-Tank Weapon, the .50 caliber machine gun, and bazookas -Learned how to sight and fire mortars -Learned how to calculate targets -Taught them nothing about Vietnam -Some of the instructors had been to Vietnam, but didn't talk about their experience �-Taught about some booby traps and what to look for -Received CS gas training -Placed in a room while wearing a gas mask, then the room filled with CS gas (tear gas) -Once the room was filled with gas they had to take off their gas masks -Received grenade training -Learned how to read maps -Took proficiency test and received a very high score -Granted a weekend pass to get off base, but he had no money -Broke his foot during AIT -Medic told him not to walk and gave him a note -Gave the note to his sergeant and the sergeant didn't believe him -His platoon helped him march back to camp -Returned to Fort Polk and got two days of kitchen patrol duty -Went to sick bay to get his foot treated -They didn't believe him, so he went back out for training -Did 2 ½ weeks of training with a broken foot -AIT lasted eight weeks (00:33:04) Leave before Deployment -Went to California for a month of leave -Went to the hospital at the base at China Lake -Received x-rays and told that he had indeed broken his foot -Told he could have it re-broken and reset, but it would take months to heal -Decided not to have that surgery -Had foot surgery 15 years later -Parents and brother weren't happy that he was being deployed to Vietnam -He knew a lot of Americans were getting killed in Vietnam -Knew that the US was fighting against the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong (00:35:30) Deployment to Vietnam -Got on a bus and reported to a place near Fort Ord -Flown to Vietnam on a chartered jet -Stopped at Hawaii -Landed at Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam -Hot, humid, and sandy -Taken to a building and stayed there for two days (00:36:53) Assignment to 1st Cavalry Division -Assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division in An Khe -Located in the Central Highlands -Verdant, beautiful region -Flown up to the base -He expected to be assigned to Charlie Company as an infantryman, specifically on mortars (00:37:55) Working in Battalion Supply -At the headquarters the new men were asked if any of them could type -He said that he could -Placed into the Headquarters Company for Battalion Supply -Battalion Supply had its own area on the base at An Khe -Office building, eating area, small shower, outhouse, barracks, and Quonset hut with supplies -Took over as a supply clerk -Had four days to learn how to do the job -Promoted to the rank of E4 (Specialist or Corporal) �-Worked with captain, lieutenant, sergeant, sergeant first class, and warrant officer -Captain, lieutenant, and sergeant were usually at LZ English -Jim was placed in charge of handling the supplies at An Khe and training a new private first class -Warrant officer and sergeant first class usually stayed on base, but busy with their own tasks -LZ English was also in the Central Highlands, about a 90 minute drive from An Khe -Took him four weeks to really learn the job -Officers and sergeants were supportive -Got only four hours of sleep each night during that four week period -1,200 men depended on him to know how to do his job and do it well -In charge of supply paperwork and insuring that the troops got their supplies -Helped two officers that had lost some material in a fire -The Army wanted to hold them responsible for the costs -Jim managed to get some supplies to make up for the material lost -This allowed the two officers to have their records cleared -Stayed at An Khe for six months (latter part of 1967) (00:47:04) Contact with Vietnamese Civilians -Vietnamese civilians worked on the base at An Khe -Remembers one funny incident involving a Vietnamese cleaning woman -The outhouses at An Khe had three toilets, not separated by walls -He went to use one of the toilets, leaving a space between himself and the other man -A Vietnamese woman was sweeping around the outhouse -She came inside, sat between the two men, and used the bathroom -Shocked Jim how nonchalant the Vietnamese were about things like that -Vietnamese civilians on the base mostly cleaned or did other maintenance work -Brought laundry to a Vietnamese family living in the town of An Khe -Family was grateful for the American presence -He learned about some of the Vietnamese culture (00:49:49) Prostitution & Drug Use -There was a brothel in An Khe -Drugs were available in An Khe -Knew some men that visited the brothel -Dangerous because some of the women could be agents for the Viet Cong or North Vietnamese -Men contracted diseases -Saw men going on patrols and getting high beforehand, or using while on patrols -Saw it as unacceptable in a combat zone -Putting yourself in danger and putting others in danger (00:51:48) Guard Duty at An Khe -Pulled guard duty one night at An Khe -When he was on guard duty he was stationed in the “green zone” -Open space, well-lit, surrounded by barbed wire, and with a few bunkers -Aim was to keep intruders from getting past the “green zone” into the base -While on guard duty he saw a jeep approach with a sergeant and a lieutenant -Lieutenant was still wearing his lieutenant medal (two gold bars), and had his sleeves rolled up -Clearly an officer, and a target for the Vietnamese -Jim ordered the two men to halt and identify themselves -The two men didn't stop -He challenged the two men two more times, and they refused to stop again -Jim loaded his rifle and ordered the men to stop again -The sergeant stopped, but the lieutenant kept walking �-The lieutenant approached Jim and started yelling at Jim for pointing a rifle at an officer -Jim told the lieutenant he broke protocol and was drawing too much attention -Jim told his commanding officer about the incident the next day -Asked his commanding officer what would've happened if Jim had shot -Jim would have been tried by the Army and charged with murder -He would've been fined a carton of cigarettes for the crime -He would've then been given a carton of cigarettes to pay his fine -Meant Jim would have been protected from actual prosecution (00:58:20) Supply Networks -Soldiers came to him to ask for supplies which allowed him to create a network with other troops -One officer wanted 1,200 spare uniforms and 1,200 spare pairs of socks for the battalion -Men needed to be able to change their clothing to avoid skin infections -Jim worked it out and got the supplies -He had enough clothing that the men could change their clothes every day -Had another sergeant come from the maintenance battalion asking for a new pair of boots -Jim had a few extra pairs of boots that would fit the sergeant and he gave them to the man -The sergeant worked in the kitchen -Two hours later a truck pulled up with four soldiers -They unloaded a refrigerator and gave it to Jim -Filled with soda, beer, chicken, and steak -Gift to Jim from the sergeant for getting a pair of boots -Men networked to get extra supplies so they could sell those supplies on the black market -Jim always saw his networking as a way to help the unit, not himself -One friend needed a gun cleaning rod for his rifle -The friend went to the supply tent at LZ English and was told he needed a requisition form -The supplies at LZ English were basically free for the taking -Jim went out to LZ English and told the man at the supply tent not to ask for requisition forms -The men in the field needed supplies for survival without bureaucracy in the way (01:08:33) Traveling to LZ English -Unsafe to drive between An Khe and LZ English -Remembers driving between those two places and taking fire from a bamboo patch -An armored vehicle came up to Jim's convoy and dealt with the enemy force -Roads between An Khe and LZ English were made of red clay -This clay produced dust which lowered visibility and made driving dangerous -Had mirrors shot off of his jeep when he drove between An Khe and LZ English -Remembers while traveling between the two places he saw a water trailer on the side of the road -The soldier in charge had most likely stopped off to get a bite to eat -The men in the field needed that water -Jim picked up the trailer and brought it base Part 2 – 58 minutes 12 seconds (01:11:33) Stationed at Dak To -Never experienced any infiltrations or attacks while stationed at An Khe -4th Infantry Division got hit hard while at Dak To -Remembers talking to a Specialist 4th Grade in the 4th Infantry Division -Placed in charge of a company of 21 men -Note: Company usually consisted of 200 men led by a lieutenant -The 12th Cavalry Regiment went to Dak To to relieve the 4th Infantry Division �-Stopped at a village en route to wait for the convoy to assemble -Vietnamese man and his son came up to the convoy bearing fruit -Wanted his son to know the Americans were there to help -Proceeded to Dak To with tanks and armored personnel carriers -When he arrived at Dak To he was told that he was expendable -Base was taking fire when they arrived -A Vietnamese shell hit a plane near the ammunition dump -Caused the plane to explode which then caused the ammo dump to explode -When he arrived at Dak To he spent two hours loading dead bodies onto trucks -Given weapons left behind by the 4th Infantry Division -South Vietnamese troops had been ordered to deal with the North Vietnamese troops -The South Vietnamese left when the ammo dump exploded -Fortunately, the North Vietnamese didn't attack when the South Vietnamese left -Remembers looking up at night and watching helicopters firing mini-guns at enemy positions -The tracer rounds burned red and looked like a single red line from the helicopter to the ground -Stayed at Dak To for three or four weeks -Marines tried to take a nearby hill from the North Vietnamese -Tried assaulting from the bottom of the hill and lacked proper supplies -Cavalry landed on the top of the hill and worked down it rather than fight up it -Marines were typically under-equipped and used outdated helicopters -Stayed at Dak To the entire time that the 12th Cavalry Regiment was there (01:21:18) Stationed at Quang Tri & the Tet Offensive -Received orders to move to Quang Tri -Traveled as a convoy -Stopped in Da Nang -Stayed at the Air Force reception center -Hadn't showered or had a hot meal in three or four weeks -Air Force had a buffet and encouraged the soldiers to eat to their fill -Felt like being in the United States -Stayed there for two days -Passed through Hue shortly after the Viet Cong were pushed out of the city -Note: This would've been at the end of January 1968 during the Tet Offensive -Saw destroyed Vietnamese vehicles -Buildings pockmarked with bullet holes -Reached Quang Tri -Heard a rumor that the North Vietnamese were moving toward Quang Tri -Intended to push out the Americans wipe out the city -Quang Tri was predominantly Catholic -North Vietnamese equated Catholicism with capitalism and imperialism -Caught a few North Vietnamese soldiers -Interrogators brought them up in helicopters -One of the prisoners refused to talk, so she was thrown from the helicopter -The other two prisoners decided to tell everything they knew -Learned that three regiments of North Vietnamese soldiers were moving toward Quang Tri -This allowed American forces to intercept the North Vietnamese and stop them -Saved Quang Tri from certain destruction -Happened shortly after the Tet Offensive (01:27:15) Rules of Engagement -There were certain rules of engagement governing which towns could be attacked �-Remembers being in headquarters and there was mortar fire coming from a village -A gunship requested permission to fire on the village -Headquarters denied permission, but the gunship opened fire anyway -Ground forces investigated the village after the incident -Found mortars, machine guns, and recoil-less rifles -Knew some groups of American troops that crossed the demilitarized zone in North Vietnam -American ground forces forbidden to enter North Vietnam -Too many rules made it impossible for the United States to ever win the war (01:29:15) Interactions with Army of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) -Saw ARVN units at Dak To and Pleiku -ARVN troops at Pleiku stole some material from American troops -Chased them down and got back their possessions -Noticed ARVN troops watching them with a machine gun -Had no respect for ARVN soldiers -Respected the Montagnard soldiers -Montagnard: Ethnic group of hill people that fought for the United States -Tenacious fighters, disciplined, pro-American, and followed orders (01:31:35) Cities in Vietnam -Passed through the city of Kontum while en route to Dak To -Mud plaster buildings painted orange and brown -No modern buildings -Busy city -Saw ARVN soldier with a face scarred by burns -Asked what happened to him -He had been with the North Vietnamese and was wounded by a gunship -After that he defected to South Vietnam and joined the ARVN (01:33:55) R&R -Went to Manila in the Philippines for his R&R -His brother had married a Filipino woman -Got to meet his sister-in-law's family -Enjoyed his time with them -Always interested in learning about different cultures -His sister-in-law's family welcomed him with love and hospitality -Remembers them making breakfast for him -Beer, eggs, and meat wrapped in banana leaves -Filipinos thought Americans drank beer with every meal -His sister-in-law's father told Jim about the Japanese occupation of Manila -Learned about the atrocities committed by the Japanese -He was walking home one night and found a rosary in the rubble of a building -Hid it during the war -Gave it to Jim (01:38:13) Contact with Home & Meeting his Wife -Had a lot of contact with home -Wrote his mother at least once a week -Friend got a birthday card from his fiancee's two girl friends -Jim started writing to one of the girls -Talked about religion in their letters -She was Christian and he was not at the time -Led to his perspective changing while he was in Vietnam �-Wrote to the girl for about nine months, and started writing each other every day -After his tour he was stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado -Girl moved to Boulder, Colorado -He went and met her -First time meeting in person -Eventually led to them getting married (01:43:37) Evidence of the War & Supply Work in Quang Tri -Saw a lot of bloodied, burned, or otherwise damaged material being disposed of -Reminded him that he had to just keep doing his work to keep the soldiers supplied -Kept doing the same work every day until he left Vietnam -Remembers seeing an Army funeral in Quang Tri for 28 soldiers killed in action -Somber experience -Saw gunships fly over to salute the fallen soldiers -30 minutes later the base took incoming fire (01:46:28) End of Tour -Received orders to fly to An Khe -Did some paperwork and sat around for a couple days -Went back to Cam Ranh Bay and boarded a chartered Japanese airliner -Men cheered when they took off from Vietnam -Landed at Fort Lewis, Washington -Did more paperwork -Received orders for Fort Carson, Colorado, for the last six months of his enlistment -Told to expect protestors and ignore them (01:48:15) Anti-War Protestors -Given a month of leave before reporting to Fort Carson -Met up with a friend from the Army in Los Angeles -Some anti-war protestors heckled Jim and his friend, but they ignored them -In Colorado he heard some men talk about harassment from protestors (01:49:49) Stationed at Fort Carson -While at Fort Carson, Colorado, he was placed in battalion supply -Had a maintenance soldier helping him -Essentially a day job -Battalion supply was run well and efficiently -Awarded a Bronze Star at Fort Carson for doing his job exceptionally well (01:51:22) End of Service -Had made the rank of sergeant within six months of being in Vietnam -At the end of the tour he was offered a promotion and a raise of $10 -Also meant he would have to go into combat and have to extend his tour -Decided to leave Vietnam, take his six months of stateside duty and get out of the Army (01:53:03) Life after the War -Got a job as a credit collection manager for Sears -Did that for two years -Had converted to Christianity by this time -Troubled him to go to people's houses and threaten them with reposession -Decided to quit the Sears job and return to college -Studied Wildlife Management at South Dakota State University -Moved to South Dakota with his wife -Graduated as a wildlife biologist -Taught Sunday school while in South Dakota �-Showed him that he loved teaching -Decided to join the Student Teacher Association at South Dakota State -Became president of the association after attending one meeting -Wanted to get into the teaching program, but had a GPA of 2.99 -Program required a 3.0 -Applied anyway, and was accepted -Applied for wildlife jobs and teaching jobs after he graduated from college -Offered a job at Lansing Christian School in Lansing, Illinois -Took the job and worked there for two years -Got a job at Zeeland Christian School in Zeeland, Michigan -Taught there for 22 years -Remembers helping a wayward 8th grade student with a terrible home life -Rewarding experience and he wanted to help more children like that -Got a job at Vanderbilt Charter Academy in Holland, Michigan -75% of the students there were considered “at risk” (future crime, drug use, etc.) -One of the best jobs he ever had was working with those students and helping them -Became the assistant principal of the academy and that was the best job he ever had (02:07:22) Reflections on Service -Time in Vietnam made him more selfless and aware of other people -Tried to help and save as many men in Vietnam as possible -That attitude carried over into civilian life -His experiences in Vietnam and immediately afterward led him to convert to Christianity -Made him realize that there is more to life than himself � 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 KeatleyJ1919V Title A name given to the resource Keatley, James (Interview outline and video), 2016 Description An account of the resource Jim Keatley was born in Bremerton, Washington, in 1945. In the summer of 1966 he received his draft notice and received his basic training at Fort Ord, California. Upon completion of basic training he was sent to Fort Polk, Louisiana, for Advanced Infantry Training and completed that after eight weeks. After a month of leave he was deployed to Vietnam, arriving at Cam Ranh Bay. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, of the 1st Cavalry Division in An Khe. He was assigned to Headquarters Company and worked in Battalion Supply insuring the men in the battalion received enough supplies. For six months he worked in An Khe and Landing Zone English. The 12th Cavalry Regiment relieved the 4th Infantry Division at Dak To, and he stayed there for three or four weeks. From Dak To the unit moved to Quang Tri and he spent the remaining five months of his tour at that base. Upon returning to the United States he received a month of leave and spent the last six months of his enlistment at Fort Carson, Colorado, working in battalion supply. He was discharged at Fort Carson (most likely in late 1968) with a Bronze Star and the rank of sergeant. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Keatley, James G. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-02-11 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/5b35d541b4befbade66c26ad1ec7dff3.mp4 427d59aecd3aa225816b4036f343cb5e https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/15a66974523fd5a5ebc3528820b64e96.pdf 3c11699c8a59d609cd4f37729591ff8e PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Cornelius Jonker World War II 58 minutes 34 seconds (00:00:20) Early Life -Born in September 1924 in Rusk, Michigan -His father was a pastor for a local farming church -Moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan when he was still very young -Grew up in the southeast part of Grand Rapids and attended school there -Father insisted that he always did well in school in the areas of "conduct" and "effort" -He was the second oldest child and had three siblings -One older sister and a younger sister and a younger brother -Younger brother was killed in a car crash when he was only twenty two years old -His father died at sixty one years old due to health complications from smoking -First house that he remembers living in was on Dunham Street in Grand Rapids -Able to walk to school from that house -Lost that house during the Great Depression -Moved to a house on Alto Avenue (also in Grand Rapids) and attended Oakdale School -Parents bought a house on Warden Street and he spent his teen years there -Lived there when he received his draft notice -Attended Grand Rapids Christian High School -Graduated from there in 1942 (00:04:45) Getting Drafted -Received his a letter ordering him to report to Kalamazoo, Michigan on March 18, 1943 -In Kalamazoo he was given a physical exam, told he could choose the Army or the Navy -Chose the Navy and was given a colorblindness test -Didn't pass the test so he was reassigned to the Army -He was sworn in and given a week to go home before reporting for duty -On March 25, 1943 he was taken to the train station in Grand Rapids with his friend Maynard -They were en route to Camp Grant, Illinois to be processed -Remembers getting on the train with Maynard and seeing men gambling -It was a definite culture shock for him -Got to Camp Grant and was given a uniform, vaccinations, and an aptitude test -He took the typing test and was classified as a 405 Clerk Typist -Got assigned to the infantry which he wasn't excited about -Fortunatey, he was assigned to a service company in a regiment -Meant that he would be in the rear, mostly safe from combat (00:08:36) Basic Training -He boarded a train and was sent down to Camp Butner, North Carolina �-Once there he boarded a two and a half ton truck and was taken to the training camp in Camp Butner -Got assigned to K Company for the duration of basic training -Basic training lasted six weeks -Sergeant training him wasn't happy about training men that weren't going to fight alongside him -Training consisted of running, hiking, and going to the rifle range -Had to go on the "infiltration course" (nicknamed "Widow's Course" by the men) -Crawling under barbed wire while live rounds were fired over your head -In the middle of basic training he was able to take a driver's training course -Lasted two weeks -By the end of it he had a license that said he could drive anything up to a 2.5 ton truck (00:11:04) Stateside Duty -At the end of basic training he was assigned to be an assistant truck driver -Assistant truck driver basically did all of the work, truck driver just drove the truck -At one point he had an operation on one of his toes due to an infected and ingrown nail -Man named Corporal Simms came to him and said he needed an assistant company clerk -Cornelius took the job and became lifelong friends with Corporal Simms -As the assistant company clerk he would type up rosters and set payrolls for the men -Got to know the history of the men in his regiment -Cpl. Simms was made head of the payroll department which made Cornelius the company clerk -Became a Technician, 5th Class -He was reassigned to be the mail clerk for the company -Typed up paperwork for the 1st Sergeant and also collected and distributed mail -Eventually was reassigned to be a truck driver and went overseas as a truck driver (00:17:24) Serving in Germany Pt. 1 -When he was in Germany there was a time where he needed to go collect ammunition -Went out on the Autobahn to an ammo dump and collected the ammunition -Had to drive back at night without the lights on -Eventually made it back to 2nd Battalion safely -They were just inside Germany, close to the Belgian border -Saw a lot of bombed out towns -Air Force and ground forces had gone in first and driven the Germans out -His job as a truck driver was to make sure the troops had enough ammunition -Periodically saw a German V1 "Buzz Bomb" go overhead -If the rocket engine turned off then he knew that it was coming down and took cover -At night a lone German plane would fly over their position and randomly drop bombs on them -Nicknamed that plane "Bed Check Charlie" -Dropped devestating antipersonnel bombs -In the town of Simmerath there were jeeps trapped in the town �-Germans had the town covered with artillery fire making it difficult to get in -He volunteered to be one of the drivers to go in to recover the jeeps -Got into the town and started taking artillery fire -Shrapnel landed in the mud at his feet and was so hot that it sizzled -One by one, they managed to get the jeeps out of the town -Had to dodge German artillery on their way out (00:25:04) Deployment to the European Theatre -He was assigned to be a truck driver before his unit left the United States -NOTE: He was most likely in the 78th Infantry Division -Went up to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey on October 5, 1944 -NOTE: In the interview he says 1943, but the year would have actually been 1944 -Left on October 13, 1944 aboard the USS General G.O. Squier -Had to sleep in the hold on canvas cots in tight sleeping quarters -Fed two meals a day -Stank so bad in the galley that he ate on the deck of the ship -Some men got seasick, but he did not -They were part of a twenty ship convoy -Arrived at Plymouth, England on October 25, 1944 -While aboard the ship he would watch the other transports and the destroyers escorting them -Able to make it to England without incident other than a few U-Boat sightings -Prior to leaving the United States he had bought a pipe and a can of tobacco -Would pass the time on the ship sitting on deck and smoking his pipe -Also had cigarettes available and they were only five cents a pack -Quit smoking before he came home -He wasn't nervous about going overseas -He had his faith whenever he felt any uncertainty or apprehension -Never felt despair, or fear for his life though (00:29:42) Arrival in the European Theatre -After landing at Plymouth they took a train to Bournemouth, England and continued training -Boarded a troop transport and sailed across the English Channel, landing at Le Havre, France -In Le Havre there was a lot of rubble and he could really see the effects of the war -Boarded a "40 and 8" boxcar (designed to carry forty men, or eight horses) -Traveled in that across France bound for Belgium -It was rainy and muddy -When they got to Belgium they slept in barns -Remembers that the Belgian farmers were very friendly and very helpful -By now it was November 1944 -NOTE: The 78th Infantry Division reached Belgium on November 27, 1944 (00:32:07) Serving in Germany Pt. 2 -Simmerath, Germany was close to the Belgian border �-Had been reduced to ruins -Used the basements of buildings because those were still intact -His company followed infantry as they advanced into Germany -The 78th Infantry Division captured the Schwammenauel Dam in early February 1945 -In early March 1945 they captured the Ludendorff Bridge (aka the Bridge at Remagen) -Germans tried to destroy the bridge before its capture, but failed -After it was captured by U.S. forces the Germans tried to bomb it at night -Remembers American antiaircraft batteries firing at the German planes -Eventually the Germans were able to destroy the bridge -Proved to be irrelevant, U.S. forces were already across the river -After the bridge was destroyed Army Engineers set up a pontoon bridge -Didn't know much about the progress of the war, just knew that they were advancing -Only a few months after the the Ludendorff Bridge, Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945 (00:36:35) Incident with German Prisoners of War -After crossing the Rhine River he was traveling as part of a small, three truck convoy -They stopped on the side of the road to eat some lunch -They saw an American soldier running towards them, shouting for help -He led them to where he had come from which was a nearby road -Turned out that this man and a few others had captured some Germans -In the process of transporting them their jeep had struck a land mine -Two of the Germans had been killed and the third was in shock -Two of the American soldiers were wounded -Cornelius and the other drivers called in assistance and medics (00:41:42) Other Duties in Germany -One of his other duties as a truck driver was to transport dead GIs -Remembers recognizing one dead soldier as a medic that he had known in the U.S. (00:42:19) End of the War -When the war ended they weren't able to celebrate, but they were relieved that it was over -After the Germans surrendered they were sent to Bad Wildungen -It was a spa town that had hot baths -It was a nice place to be -They could go hunting in the woods around the town -There were German prisoners of war that would do menial tasks and help hunt -He was sent up to Maastricht, Holland on temporary duty for six weeks -This was around August 1945 -He was stationed there with three (or four) other men from the regiment with their trucks -His job was to take men from the train station to quarters in Maastricht �-The next day he would take them to resort towns for R&R -After dropping them off he'd pick up troops that were done with R&R -He was picked for that duty because he kept his truck clean and presentable -The atomic bombs were dropped on Japan while he was stationed in Maastricht -Good news because the division had been slated to participate in the invasion of Japan -After he was done at Maastricht he returned to his unit -Got promoted to be the motor pool sergeant -Part of the occupation force in Berlin for a little while -Got to see how ruined the city was (00:47:30) Coming Home -After Berlin he was sent to Camp Chesterfield, France to wait to be sent home -Sailed home on the SS George Washington -Same ship that President Wilson used during WWI to discuss the Treaty of Versailles -The voyage home was very rough -Landed in New York in January 1946 -First thing that he did was go to a restaurant and order a steak -A couple in the restaurant paid for his dinner out of gratitude for his service -From New York he took a train to Camp Atterbury, Indiana -Honorably discharged there and then went home to Grand Rapids -He had been in the service for thirty four months (00:50:02) Leave Time in the Army -He didn't have a lot of furlough time when he was in Europe -Most of his liberty was when he was still in the United States -Most of what he saw in Europe was what he saw while moving through Belgium and Germany -Only got to come home once before he was sent overseas -Remembers that his mother thought that she would never see him again (00:53:38) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -Certain that being in the rear was a blessing -Doesn't believe that it affected him that much -He was offered a chance to reenlist and get promoted to master sergeant -Refused the offer though -Didn't hate being in the Army, just wanted to get out and go home -It didn't take anything away from him, and it definitely helped him to grow up (00:55:47) Life after the War -He started his own business later in life -After the war he was working in a factory running automatic screw machines -He and a friend started their own business in Hudsonville, Michigan -It became very successful -Named Topcraft Metal Products -Started that business when he was 47, and retired when he was 64 �-Came home and just moved on with his life (00:57:37) Reflections on Service Pt. 2 -He is not ashamed of being a soldier -Thankful that he survived and is still around -Made some great friends in the Army, but also made some "enemies" � 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 JonkerC1771V Title A name given to the resource Jonker, Cornelius Richard (Interview outline and video), 2015 Description An account of the resource Cornelius Jonker was born in September 1924 in Rusk, Michigan. When he was young his family moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan and he grew up there. After turning eighteen he received his draft notice and was sworn into the Army on March 18, 1943. He was processed at Camp Grant, Illinois and was sent to Camp Butner, North Carolina where he received basic training and driver's training. While at Camp Butner he served as a clerk and then as a truck driver for the 78th Infantry Division. In October 1944 the 78th Infantry Division left for the European Theatre, and by the end of November 1944 he was in Belgium. While in Europe he and his division saw action at Simmerath, the Schwammenauel Dam, and the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen. After the war, he was stationed in Bad Wildungen, Germany; Maastricht, Holland; and Berlin, Germany. He was eventually sent home and was discharged from Camp Atterbury, Indiana in January 1946. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Jonker, Cornelius 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 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-15 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/237168ac838ec5047c105d95b38cefa7.mp4 700139e0ca8e976193beccf8bc4b54ed https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0b37f300e93d8b0955ad4aa7809962c9.pdf d8765401a2a1728a9b56326aedcb0838 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Frank Jones Vietnam War 2 hours 11 minutes 39 seconds (00:00:16) Early Life -Born on February 15, 1950 -Grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Mother was a housewife -Father worked at General Motors -He had six younger siblings, he was the oldest -He attended South High School until it closed -After it closed then he attended Central High School -He graduated from high school in June 1970 (00:01:28) Awareness of the Vietnam War & Civil Rights -He was very aware of the Vietnam War -Paid attention to all of the news about it -He knew that there was a draft and was hoping it would be over before he was old enough -He was also very aware of the Civil Rights Movement -South High School had had mostly black students -He was not aware of prejudice until he attended South High School -The younger students were more antagonistic than the older ones (00:04:03) Getting Drafted -During the summer of 1970 he was working for a cousin in construction -His draft number was 68 -All of the men between the ages of 18 and 26 were issued a number 1-300 -If you were given a number between 1 and 100 you were the first to get drafted -He received his draft notice in August 1970 -Told his fiancée that he wasn’t going to get married before he deployed -Didn’t want to leave her a widow if he was killed in Vietnam -His family was upset when he got drafted -Remembers that his grandfather was especially upset -When he boarded the bus for Detroit he could see his grandfather waving and saluting -There was a certain amount of pride in going to fight for his family -He didn’t agree with being sent to fight to protect South Vietnam -He was sent to Detroit to be given a physical examination and to be inducted -Making sure that you were fit for service before being inducted -It was basically pointless because they were accepting everyone -He shouldn’t have been accepted for service and learned this in Jump School (00:10:17) Jump School Pt. 1 -When he was in Jump (paratrooper) School at Fort Benning, Georgia his knee gave out -He went to the infirmary where a doctor told him that he should have never been drafted -He had a hip bone deformity that was liable to cause his knees to give out -If this happened in the field he, and other men, would be in danger �-He was given a “permanent profile” which barred him from combat service -He was placed into a unit that guarded the company commander -If you were in this unit you didn’t have to pull guard duty for the base (00:14:31) Basic Training -He was sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training -Took the bus from Detroit to Fort Knox -He was resigned to his fate and tried to make the best of it -Saw it as a learning experience -He adjusted pretty well to living in the Army -He didn’t know what to expect going in -The only advice he was given was to never volunteer for anything -You never know what you might be volunteering for -There was a lot of running and physical training -Went out to the gun range to shoot the M14 and M16 rifles and the .45 caliber pistol -Enjoyed those exercises -The drill sergeants had been to Vietnam and most of them were career soldiers -It was a transitional step for them between Vietnam and serving in the United States -They gave the recruits a lot of tongue-in-cheek advice about fighting in Vietnam -Some of it was practical though -Told not to go into bunkers because they would probably collapse -Never go anywhere alone, always bring a friend -There were no “safe zones” so don’t pretend there are (00:20:33) Fort Sill Pt. 1 -When he was sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma he became a clerk for a captain there -He was allowed to live off base -He didn’t think that he would be deployed to Vietnam -He made plans to get married -He was given thirty days of leave and went to Grand Rapids to get married -Three days before the wedding he was told he was going to be deployed -His “profile” had been reevaluated and he was deemed fit for combat -Decided to go ahead with the wedding and to get married -After the wedding he drove back to Fort Sill with his wife and packed his belongings (00:22:54) Advanced Infantry Training -After six weeks of basic training he was sent to Fort Polk, Louisiana for AIT -AIT was focused on preparing soldiers for fighting in Vietnam -Learning how to set up booby traps and also how to spot them -It didn’t compare to actually being in Vietnam though -Didn’t show soldiers the awful reality of war (00:25:37) Arrival in Vietnam Pt. 1 -When he arrived in Cam Ranh Bay he was placed on kitchen patrol duty -He went out to have a smoke with another soldier -As he was walking back to the kitchen searchlights came on -He was told that Vietnamese soldiers were spotted on the perimeter -He became a clerk for an officer in Headquarters Company -His job was to process promotions and leaves and decided if those things were granted �(00:28:12) Jump School Pt. 2 -After only about a month of AIT he was sent to Jump School at Fort Benning -It consisted of a lot of running -He did all of the training except for the five training jumps out of an airplane -This was because of the trouble that he was having with his hip (00:29:32) Medical Troubles after the War -After getting discharged he was told to go to Detroit to get evaluated for compensation -A month later he was told that he was considered 25% disabled -Allowed him to receive $25 a month -When he went to the Veterans’ Affairs Hospital in Kalamazoo he was denied further assistance -He was told that there was nothing wrong with him -He was also told that Vietnam veterans were always just faking to try and get money -He got in touch with a liaison for Veterans’ Affairs -He was able to apply for more disability assistance -After further evaluation it was decided that he was actually 95% disabled -He doesn’t trust the military or the government for the way veterans are treated (00:35:38) Further Training -His plan was to take as many training courses to delay being deployed to Vietnam -After AIT he had been told that he qualified for leadership training at West Point -Ultimately turned down the offer because of the commitment it meant -He opted to go to Jump School which meant six more weeks of not being in Vietnam -He was going to apply for Green Beret training, but wasn’t able to -He was sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma -He remembers at Jump School you would do “static line jumps” from a tower -You were told to spread eagle on the way down -One older soldier didn’t and had a heart attack and died on his way down (00:40:00) Relationship with Other Soldiers -He made good friends with the men that he trained with -He knew one recruit from New York City that he would joke around with -Eventually they both got in trouble for messing with a drill sergeant -In basic training the majority of the recruits were draftees -Some men were also from the National Guard or the Army Reserves -They had joined one of those organizations to avoid going to Vietnam -There were some discipline issues in basic training -Some of the punishment was called for -He remembers recruits would make sure that other recruits got into line -One recruit refused to take a shower, so he was beaten with bags of soap (00:45:05) Deployment to Vietnam -He received orders to go to Vietnam in spring 1971 -He flew to Seattle from Grand Rapids and then flew out of Seattle for Vietnam -Stayed in Seattle for three or four days -Got to see Carlos Santana perform for free (00:49:20) Arrival in Vietnam Pt. 2 -When he got to Vietnam he already knew he was going to join the 101st Airborne Division -He was going to be sent up to Phu Bai from Cam Ranh Bay -He remembers when the jet entered Vietnamese airspace three fighter jets escorted them �-From the air the country looked beautiful and green -On the ground it was trashy looking -While he was in Cam Ranh Bay he ran into the captain he worked for at Fort Sill -He was also heading up to Phu Bai and needed a clerk -Offered the job to Frank who took the position (00:53:08) In the Field -Despite being a clerk he went into the field a few times -The first time that he went into the field a volunteer was needed -The job was to either carry the M60 machine gun or a PRC25 radio -The M60 was heavier and with the PRC25 you got to carry a .45 caliber pistol -Frank volunteered to take the radio -Once the radio antenna was unreeled he realized what a mistake he had made -He was now the most obvious target for the North Vietnamese -During his first time in the field he learned to never say “repeat” on the radio -Repeat meant for the artillery to unleash everything on the last given coordinates -He quickly corrected himself before anything serious happened -During another time in the field a soldier tripped a booby trap -He acted quick enough and dropped flat on the ground -He only got hit with some shrapnel in the legs as opposed to losing his legs -Frank escorted the wounded soldier back to the field hospital -He was allowed to watch while the surgeon removed the shrapnel -He never actually saw the North Vietnamese or the Viet Cong, they were always in the distance -His unit only took minor casualties -Nothing serious enough to send them back to Saigon, Japan, or the United States (01:01:15) Enemy Contact and Civilians -They would drive through towns in convoys -Children would always approach the vehicles to try and ask for something -They would have to tell them to get away because they might be a suicide bomber -If they didn’t listen they would have to shoot at the child -It was that or risk losing a truck full of soldiers -He had some contact with South Vietnamese soldiers -They were worthless as a fighting force though -There were also the Montagnard people that lived in the Central Highlands -They were a neutral party in the conflict, but aided the United States occasionally -Helicopter gunners would also shoot at water buffalo -The military would then have to pay the villagers to compensate for their loss -Eventually the gunners were told they would have to pay for it (01:07:05) Bad Officers and “Fragging” -There was an incompetent and selfish lieutenant in his unit -He refused to sign the application that would grant soldiers their Combat Infantry Badge -Having a CIB meant higher pay -He did not believe that any of these men deserved to have it -After being in Vietnam for only eight weeks he demanded to get a CIB -Frank said that he would only process his application if he signed the others -Argued that all of Vietnam was a combat zone -The lieutenant caved and signed all of the applications �-He got along well with some of the men that were at the brigade level -Exchanged favors for each other -He had a box on his desk with various grenades in it -Some of the men that he knew from brigade came to him -They said that there was a bad officer and they needed to get rid of him -Frank offered them the box of grenades and they took what was needed -Later on they tossed a fragmentation grenade (not live) into the officer’s room -They followed that with a tear gas grenade -The officer stumbled out of his room and fell down the stairs breaking an arm (01:13:50) Friendship with the Medics -He got to know the medics well -They were allowed to do more and get away with more -He remembers a soldier came in with a syphilitic cyst on his pelvis -The doctor was annoyed that the soldier’s lack of common sense -Lanced the cyst with a huge needle and without anesthesia -Frank’s job was to hold down the soldier while the cyst was drained -He had a good time with the medics -Frequently smoked marijuana with them (01:20:08) Morale and Discipline -Soldiers were sick of the war -Morale wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t good either -There was a lack of discipline in the ranks -Men from the motor pool would take vehicles into the town of Phu Bai to collect prostitutes -They would then take them back to the medics to see if they were safe or not -He had a friend that got seven days of leave and seven days of R&R -Wanted to fly back to Detroit so he could see his family -Frank approved the R&R destination -At the end of the fourteen days Frank got a call from Detroit -The man said he couldn’t leave his wife and children just yet -Frank gave him ten more days of leave -If he was late though, he would not help him -Ten days later, at noon, the soldier showed up on time (01:25:44) Natural Dangers -He was behind the medic’s tent having a smoke when he saw a vibrant green snake -Grabbed a stick and decided to play with it -Before he could do anything a soldier tackled him to the ground -Told him that it was a Bamboo Viper -If he had been bitten by it, it probably would have killed him -An experience like that made him realize that he really wasn’t in the United States -Someone grabbed a shovel, cut off the snake’s head, and put it in a bottle of formaldehyde (01:28:44) Living Conditions -While the officers were down in Cam Ranh Bay the enlisted men would raid their clubhouse -Gave them a chance to get beer and liquor that they usually couldn’t have -Because of being the clerk for a captain he had his own “hooch” -Other enlisted men had to sleep in a barracks with ten other men -The size of his hooch was about ten feet by ten feet �-He had an actual bed -He was able to have larger personal possessions -The first night there he sprayed the room with cockroach repellant -That night in bed cockroaches were crawling onto the ceiling then dropping onto him -Learned that it was better to just not spray repellant -Another night he heard a door opening and then closing -Concerned that it was a possible intruder -Went and investigated and saw that it was a rat the size of a small dog -Paid Vietnamese civilians to come capture the rat, who then ate it -Because of the favors that he did for people he was able to get fancy, rare liquors (01:37:36) Drugs -Aside from marijuana there were hard drugs coming into the country (cocaine and heroin) -Remembers that heroin was the most common, and the worst problem -There was one soldier that refused to go home to his wife and children -His addiction was so bad that he was spending all of his money on heroin -Eventually had to be handcuffed in the plane and was sent home -The heroin was also 95%-98% pure -This meant that it produced a strong high, but it was easier to overdose on -He doesn’t remember medics in Headquarters Company dealing with overdose cases -Soldiers that had that severe of a problem were sent to Saigon to detox -Soldiers would smoke “scag joints”: marijuana cigarette mixed with opium -Commonly used by the helicopter gunners (01:41:42) Racial Tensions -Racial tensions were high and apparent -He tried to act as a liaison between the white and black soldiers -Black soldiers would isolate themselves and refuse to work with white soldiers -In the field racial divisions did not exist -In the rear though, the races did not mix even if the soldiers were friends -He could not understand all of the unnecessary animosity -Believed that they were all in the same situation together -He tried to break down barriers between the two races, but it was no use (01:47:17) Coming Home -He left Vietnam in February 1972 -Through a series of favors and due to the advance of the communists he was sent home early -He went down to Cam Ranh Bay to wait for a chartered flight back to the U.S. -When they flew out of the country three fighter jets escorted them -Once the jets were gone they knew they were out of Vietnamese airspace -They stopped in Okinawa on the way back -Landed in Seattle and was waiting for a flight to Chicago -While in Seattle there was a question about his orders to be sent home early -Contacted the proper authorities in Vietnam and the problem was resolved -He missed the flight to Chicago and got a flight to Kalamazoo, Michigan instead -He was greeted at the airport by his wife and his parents -Afterwards they drove back to Grand Rapids and his time in the service was over (01:54:18) Readjusting to Civilian Life & Life after the War -He was harassed by protestors �-While at Ferris State University the Veterans’ Club was looked down upon -Feels that veterans from the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan are treated better now -Directly because of how veterans from Vietnam were treated -Finds it ironic that people that once harassed him now thank him for his service -He had to censor himself in terms of the language he had gotten used to using in Vietnam -He lived with his in-laws for a little bit -He found work at an ice cream parlor -He wanted to have a job like that to readjust to being a working civilian again -He attended Ferris State University for a couple years -Decided that it just wasn’t for him though and left -He worked for his father-in-law for a while -Finally settled on working at General Motors with his father -Stayed with that job for thirty one years -After the war he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder -Believes that he has handled it pretty well though -Hasn’t allowed it to control his life -Appreciates life and his family in spite of the PTSD (02:06:09) Veterans’ Groups -He was involved with the Veterans’ Club at Ferris State University -He was in a veterans’ group at General Motors -He became a salary employee though which caused a conflict of interest -He plans on getting involved with the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion -He also thinks highly of those who volunteer at the Veterans’ Home in Grand Rapids (02:08:36) Reflections on Service -He doesn’t regret the time that he spent in the service -He views all of it as a learning experience -It showed him how the world actually works -Exposed him to the more bizarre, but very real parts of American society and the world � 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 JonesF1725V Title A name given to the resource Jones, Frank (Interview outline and video), 2015 Description An account of the resource Frank Jones is a Vietnam War veteran that was born on February 15, 1950 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After graduating from high school in June 1970 he was drafted into the Army in August 1970. He trained at Fort Knox, Kentucky; Fort Polk, Louisiana; and Fort Benning, Georgia. He was stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and was deployed to Vietnam in October 1971. In Vietnam he was assigned to Headquarters Company for the 101st Airborne Division in Phu Bai. He worked as a clerk for a captain, but also went out into the field on a few patrols. In February 1972 he received an early out and his tour in Vietnam ended. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Jones, Frank 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 Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-01-29 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/df3e5c3676a098af17f518632436f2d7.m4v 2a2e63c4c95f244bedb8f5e9ad444e8f https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/378579d5a92baa4b0cca70b8db303f2b.pdf a99d64538a54e2baefca924d4ce311d7 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project TJ Johnson Cold War – Vietnam War Era 1 hour 16 minutes 28 seconds (00:00:48) Early Life -Born in Chicago, Illinois, on October 19, 1952 -Seventh child out of a total of nine -Tight-knit family and they took care of each other -Remembers the first time he became aware of social problems in Chicago -His brother witnessed some boys stealing instruments from their church -Brother told on the boys, the boys found out, and they promised to retaliate -This was TJ’s first memory having to be on the defensive when he left home -As he got older he became more aware of people fighting in the street -He was in the choir and was an alter boy -Family lived in a two bedroom apartment -Had his siblings, a cousin, and an uncle living with them too -Father got a promotion (or a new job) which allowed them to move into a house -Stayed for a year and then his father went bankrupt -Moved to the LeClaire Courts low-income housing project in west Chicago -A lot of gang activity in the area -Had four bedrooms, but multiple families lived in one apartment -Lived there from the 5th grade through high school -Graduated from high school in 1969 (00:07:06) Young Adult Life -Went to Winston-Salem State University -Saw it has chance of getting away from the gangs and other unrest -Brother was in the Blackstone Rangers -Race riots, emergence of Black Panthers, and the Democratic Convention Riot in 1968 -Had experienced severe racial tension in school -Went to a school with 3,000 white students and only 300 black students -Every spring there was racial violence -Got homesick and couldn’t keep up with the classes -Dropped out after his first semester -Worked with his former basketball coach to start a basketball program at a Chicago school -Did that for two years -Brother came home from Vietnam with a drug addiction -Stole some things from the school leading to TJ getting fired -Worked as a bus driver until a passenger threatened TJ with a pistol -Decided that he didn’t want to get killed on the job (00:12:27) Enlisting in the Army -One of his friends suggested that they join the Army -Recruiter promised them bonuses, promotions, and any job they wanted -At the time he had a fatalistic outlook about life -He’d either get killed in Chicago, or get killed in Vietnam -In August (1972?) his friend decided not to enlist, but TJ went ahead with it -Vietnam War veterans told him his life would change for the worse �-Taken by bus to the airport -Remembers the bus got stuck in traffic near a liquor store -He jumped off the bus and bought a bottle of liquor to pass around on the bus (00:17:10) Basic Training -Stayed at a receiving station for three or four days of processing -Getting his head shaved, doing paperwork, and meeting the other recruits -Taken to Fort Polk, Louisiana, on a cattle truck -Had to stand up during the ride -It was hot and crowded -Arrived at Fort Polk where they were greeted by drill sergeants screaming at them to get off the truck -At that time drill sergeants were still allowed to hit recruits -Fell into formation -TJ was cracking jokes and one of the drill sergeants heard him -The drill sergeant, a massive black man, confronted TJ -TJ was placed in charge of the men in his barracks -If they misbehaved TJ would be punished -Told the expectations of a soldier -Did drills in the morning -He was made the Physical Training Non-commissioned officer -Led the other recruits on their runs -Ran five miles every day -Enjoyed being in charge -Had to pass a series of tests to go onto Advanced Individual Training -One of the tests was a land navigation course -Placed in the woods at sundown and told to get back to base -He started walking and became the de facto leader of his platoon -Supposed to be back to base by midnight, and at 2 a.m. they were still in the woods -TJ was leading the men, so when he fell off a six foot ledge the rest of the men followed -Eventually, the black drill sergeant found them and led them back to base -Proud of TJ for leading the men and getting them all back to base (00:25:26) Advanced Individual Training -The Army needed men for the infantry and the field artillery -He volunteered for the field artillery -Took a test and scored high enough to be a surveyor -Survey teams went in the field to gather data for artillery coordinates -Trained at Fort Hood, Texas -Part of the 1st Battalion of the 92nd Field Artillery Regiment -It didn’t have a survey section, so he was made the acting Staff Sergeant (E6) -Meant he was second in command of his platoon -Rumors that they would be sent to West Germany or Vietnam -There were fights between troops returning from Vietnam and new soldiers -Created “Combat Football” (contact soccer) to build morale and channel aggression (00:32:15) Race Relations in the Army -He worked as the Race Relations Non-commissioned Officer for his unit -On June 19 (“Juneteenth”) the black soldiers wanted to celebrate the holiday -Note: June 19, 1865: Oldest known celebration of emancipation and end of the Civil War -TJ went to General George Patton (IV) to get approval for the holiday -After a racist tirade General Patton allowed for the celebration of the holiday -TJ had historical workshops, and only a few soldiers showed up �-Rest of the men went into town to drink -Decided to drive up to Hippie Hollow (near Ft. Hood) with a few friends -A few black soldiers got caught stealing from a PX (military general store) -TJ was placed in charge of guarding them until transfer to Fort Leavenworth -Guarded them for 30 days and wound up bonding with them -Black and white soldiers self-segregated -Had to be in charge of black and white soldiers that hated each other -If a black soldier associated with white soldiers he was an “Uncle Tom” -On another occasion TJ went up to close the day room on base -A group of black soldiers refused to leave -He tried to threaten them with jail and an Article 15 (non-judicial punishment) -He grabbed a cue ball and a pool cue to fend off the other soldiers -One of them hit TJ in the head -He went to get the officer on duty -Officers were allowed to have a sidearm -Soldiers followed him and the officer couldn’t bring himself to shoot -One of them stabbed TJ with a broken pool cue -He decided to leave and was taken to the hospital -Military Police asked him about his side of the story -Command decided to ignore the incident -The black soldiers deserted anyway (00:43:56) Training in West Germany -Sent to West Germany for six months of training -Trained every day, all day -Behaved like you were at war -Went out on maneuvers every day -Had daily strategic meetings -A German colonel wanted TJ’s survey team to get coordinates for mortars -Seemed pointless to do a survey for mortars, but he had orders -He was able to do it without his full team and the equipment -Surveying for mortars didn’t require that level of specificity -Colonel yelled at him for not taking it seriously and being disrespectful -TJ argued his point which got him thrown in a German brig -US couldn’t help him -TJ’s commanding officer went over the chain of command to get TJ out -While in Germany he learned that non-commissioned officers were cornerstone of Army command (00:50:25) End of Service -Returned to Fort Hood, Texas -Asked if he wanted to reenlist -Offered $30,000 and promotion to Sergeant First Class -Decided when it was time, he would reenlist because he didn’t want to return to Chicago -Things started going downhill at Fort Hood -One of his men had a nervous breakdown and received a Section 8 medical discharge -Decided not to reenlist and left the day before his enlistment ended -Technically AWOL, but the Army decided not to press charges -Had money taken from his separation check, but got an honorable discharge -He was ready to be done with the Army -Burned his uniform -Sick of the arbitrary decisions made by the Army and the favoritism �(00:53:37) Army Reserves -Decided to stay in the Army Reserves -Trained once a month, and two weeks a year -All the good of the Army without the complications and bureaucracy -Able to still serve his country and be a leader of men -Satisfying a feeling instilled in him since basic training -Remembers the first time he had to make a leadership decision -In basic training there was a recruit that just couldn’t be a soldier -Threat to himself and to others -Made the call to have him discharged without incident -Taught him to make hard decisions for the sake of his soldiers (00:56:38) Reflections on Service -Being in the Army makes a deep psychological impression on a person -Connection to a weapon and to kill on command -Connection with other soldiers -Difficult to come out of the Army and be a civilian -Lacked the regimen and discipline of the Army -Difficult to connect with civilians -Instilled in him a strong survival instinct -Able to sleep leaning on his rifle, or take a bath using water in helmet -Taught him to grow up and be responsible for himself and others -Finds civilian life to be impersonal compared to life in the Army -Have to go through the proper channels to deal with a problem (01:02:04) Life after the Army -Eligible for VA benefits if injured in the service regardless of context of injury -Didn’t want to take the benefits because he didn’t want to be connected to the government -Took the GI Bill and went back to college at Southwest Missouri State University -Had a drinking problem and a lack of focus -Moved to Sparta, Missouri, to live with one of his friends from the Army -Ultimately dropped out of college -Worked for a year and got fired -Went to the VA for a few therapy sessions, but felt annoyed instead of relief -Moved back and forth between Chicago and Missouri -Felt anxious and miserable -He had money, but no direction or satisfaction -Tried out for the Chicago Bears then tried out for the San Diego Chargers -Too old for the Chargers, but decided to stay in San Diego -Transferred to the Reserve unit in San Diego -Felt comfortable being in San Diego due to its military environment -Had health problems and a World War II veteran advised him to go to the VA -It took a fellow veteran to convince him to do that -Within a month he started receiving benefits -He was homeless and disabled which got him multiple significant benefits -Income-based rent for housing -Alcoholics Anonymous to help with his drinking problem -Therapist and a social worker -Got a career, lost weight, started traveling, and attended therapy -Now helps troubled, younger soldiers to give them direction -He’s proud of his service now and isn’t ashamed to talk about 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 JohnsonA1932V Title A name given to the resource Johnson, Antonio Earl (Interview outline and video), 2016 Description An account of the resource TJ Johnson was born in Chicago on October 19, 1952. Due to growing up in a challenging and often dangerous environment he decided to enlist in the Army (most likely August 1972). He received basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana, and field artillery training at Fort Hood, Texas. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion of the 92nd Field Artillery Regiment at Fort Hood, Texas. He served as the acting staff sergeant in his unit and also served as a surveyor (gathering coordinates for artillery batteries) and the race relations non-commissioned officer. He served in West Germany for six months of field maneuvers. TJ completed his enlistment at Fort Hood, but remained in the Army Reserves (most likely until the late 1970s). Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Johnson, Antonio Earl Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-03-17 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2aec4f5e32e7bcadc47001017a0dcfd5.m4v 3116963fbf4da33107730a6e606a9175 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/37a065b42dc6b63837e5e8e38ae6177b.pdf 90f4648df22427e0c74c8983d518b99b PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Dwight Jamison Korean War 26 minutes 54 seconds (00:00:02) Early Life -Born in Big Rapids, Michigan on February 15, 1928 -Brother enlisted in the Army Air Force in 1943 -Served in India during World War II -Base with aircraft that brought supplies into China (00:01:15) Enlisting in the Army -Interested in joining the military since youth -Served in the Michigan National Guard -Father served in the National Guard in the 1920s -Wanted to enlist before he turned 18 years old, but father forbade it -Enlisted in the Army -Father's National Guard service prompted him to enlist in the Army -Lived across from the recruiting center in Big Rapids -Enlisted on his 18th birthday -Two weeks after enlisting he went to Detroit to take his physical exam -Went to Detroit with his friend who had also enlisted -Dwight passed the exam, but his friend failed it (00:03:16) Basic Training -Sent to Camp Polk, Louisiana for basic training -Watery and swampy location -Basic training lasted eight weeks -Time in the National Guard prepared him for basic training -Went on a bivouac -Remembers being woken up at night by the drill instructors -Raining and ordered to march 20 miles through swamp -Had to hold rifle over his head -Saw a five foot long water moccasin (00:05:04) Stationed in Japan -Deployed to Japan -Served in southern Japan at an Army hospital during the Korean War -Worked in supply -Brought wounded soldiers from the air strip to the hospital -Would rather have been fighting in Korea -Remembers bringing in one soldier that was severely wounded -New nurse put a wound tag on the soldier -He asked if it would hurt and she started crying -Had been hit by an artillery shell -Hit in the ribs, arm was hanging by a strand of muscle -Worked on a hospital train three times -Going between south Japan and Tokyo -Had a Turkish soldier in his train car -Couldn't speak English and played a harmonica �-Only song he know how to play was the Turkish national anthem -Cared for the wounded in his car -None of them were too severely wounded -Remembers a B-29 bomber en route to Guam after a bombing run over Korea -Severely damaged, lost its landing gear, and had wounded aboard -Had to land without its landing gear -Navigator, tail gunner, and one other crewman was wounded -Bomb exploded under the navigator and injured his feet -Stripped the wounded and collected their personal belongings for storage -Navigator had a beautiful pair of boots -Cleaned the boots for the airman and held onto them -Airman told Dwight he got the boots in Monaco (00:14:32) Japanese Civilians -In Japan he met an older Japanese man who worked as a mechanic -Helped repair Dwight's jeep -Had two daughters -Often spent evenings with him and ate dinner together (00:15:48) Christmas in Japan -Remembers one Christmas all of the cooks in his unit were gifted bottles of rum -Indulged with them to celebrate the holiday -Decided that he preferred sake over rum (00:16:39) Friendship & Exploration of Japan -Is still in touch with a friend he made in the Army -Friend's parents lived in Tokyo -Explored the parks and monuments in Tokyo -Saw the place where many Japanese had committed seppuku (ritual suicide) (00:18:10) Downtime in Japan -During one winter he went skiing in northern Japan -In the summer the Japanese grew crops in the mountains -Ran into cornstalks buried under the snow -Went head over heels and a ski hit him in the back of the head (00:19:57) Rank -Made the rank of corporal before the Korean War (prior to June 1950) -Tried to get promoted to staff sergeant, but there was no need for another sergeant at the time (00:20:22) Contact with Family -Kept in touch with his family while he was in Japan (00:20:35) Hospital Duty in Korea -Sent to an area near Pusan, Korea -Established a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) field hospital (00:21:23) Coming Home & Life after the War -He was back in the United States by the time the war ended in 1953 -Glad it ended -American people didn't pay much attention to the returning veterans though -At Camp Stoneman, California -Had flown back to the United States from Japan -Flight took 36 hours -Stopped at Wake Island and Honolulu, Hawaii -Arrived at Camp Stoneman early in the morning -Didn't recognize the towers on the houses �-Didn't know what TV antennas were -Hadn't been in the United States for four and a half years -Left the United States in 1946 and got back in 1951 -Visited the nearby town of Pittsburg, California to get a meal -Got heckled by a group of locals for being in the Army -Lost faith in the American people -Made him want to return to Japan -Took a train across the country back to Michigan -Trip took two and a half days -Left his experiences in the Army behind him -Had trouble finding a job -Went back to Big Rapids, Michigan Interview ends abruptly � 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 JamisonD1835V Title A name given to the resource Jamison, Dwight Carson (Interview outline and video), 2015 Description An account of the resource Dwight Jamison was born in Big Rapids, Michigan on February 15, 1928. He served in the Michigan National Guard as a teenager and enlisted in the Army in 1946. He received his basic training at Camp Polk, Louisiana and after that was deployed to Japan. He served at a hospital in Japan during the Korean War, helping with supplies and bringing wounded soldiers from a nearby airstrip to the hospital for treatment. He was also sent to an area near Pusan, Korea to help establish a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. In 1951 he returned to the United States after four and a half years in Japan and served at Camp Stoneman, California. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Jamison, Dwight Carson Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Hansen, Mia (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-17 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3011f13add33890319260fec1a3ea5b9.m4v c8113203b7fdaede4cd8e720d45c77d6 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/5f5a4f2f4fbd1fe8cf90490de38ad193.pdf 6a7e5292fb2527bc382e05c4aed96f55 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Franjo & Etela Ivkovic Yugoslavian War 34 minutes 56 seconds (00:00:10) -Their situation started in Yugoslavia in September, 1990. -Franjo was born in Yugoslavia on March 19, 1964. -Etela was born in Yugoslavia on May 24, 1967. -Refugees from the Yugoslavian War in 1990. -Separationists wished to have their independence. -They are from the area that is now Serbia. -Next, Croatia wished to gain independence as well. -Croatian population was much more mixed of different ethnicities. -The borders between the various states began creating more physical borders. -They worried what may happen if they were to become a minority in their state. -Three major religions: Catholic, Orthodox Catholic, and Muslim. -The Yugoslavian constitution requires men from age 18 to 65 to be drafted. -Discussed leaving to Hungary if it seemed like he were being drafted. -Government did not have enough draftees, and so they would pick people up from populated buildings. -The police came to their door and Etela hid in the attic while they left. -The War in Croatia was getting very bad. -Franjo’s cousin and several friends were drafted (00:10:00) -People that came back from the War were “not normal anymore”. -They crossed the border to Hungary and encountered many of the people they already knew. -Decided to stay in Hungary. -Individuals they worked with bought a bar/pizzeria so they began working there. -The lead up to the War happened quickly. -Lived in Hungary for three months. -People began going to Sweden to obtain refugee status. -The UN had recognized the civil war and refugee status. -They decided to go to Sweden. -However, the EU was becoming fearful for being overwhelmed with refugees. -Authorities in Sweden asked where they came from. -They explained they came from Hungary. -Have relatives in the US. -Sweden authorities rejected their entry to Sweden. -Sent via train back to Yugoslavia. -Had enough money for food thanks to their employment. -Upon arriving home, their parents were shocked claiming it was too dangerous. -For the next day they stayed indoors all day so nobody would know they were there. -Did not trust anyone. �-There was a UN refugee camp in Vienna, Austria. -Left on a train in the evening for Vienna. -Police on the train asked for their passports. -They lied to say they were going to Vienna to buy goods to import back to Yugoslavia. -After an extensive ~10 minute inquisition, the man sent them on their way. -Refugee camp was full of thousands of people. -It was an old military camp from the Austrian monarchy. -UN refugee center for people from all over the world. (00:20:00) -People may have been in the camp for months or years already. -Refugees from Yugoslavia were held there for the moment. -It wasn’t yet clear where to send them. -Nobody wanted the refugees. -UN began paying bed and breakfast type places to host refugees in Austria. -They spent seven days in the camp. -Stayed for eight months in the bed and breakfast. -Were not allowed to work due to protectionist laws. -They attempted to learn the local language, German. -Austrian government decided to only offer refugee status to those that were directly involved with the action of the War. -They denied their refugee status, but they were not sent out of the country. -Granted a temporary working permit. -Required visiting the local unemployment office once a week. -Very long line. -Each week they insisted that they couldn’t be given work because they can’t speak German. -Franjo got a job at a locksmith shop. -He spoke Hungarian and they needed Hungarian translation. -Because he got a job, Etela was not allowed to work. -Eventually, four years from then, she obtained an under the table job. -They were not making enough to live from his job alone. -She worked to do misc. tasks for the bed and breakfast. -They lived in Austria for five years. -Later she began working sewing in a factory for men’s underwear. -Paid on the amount produced. -Made decent money. -Began saving money to buy tickets go to the US and obtain a visa. -At the American embassy in Vienna, the ambassador granted their visas. -Worked for three and a half years under a sponsor. -The sponsor ended the sponsorship so they were preparing to leave the country. (00:30:00) -Came to the US in 1996. -They lived with his uncle for 4/5 years. -Eventually they moved to Bloomington, Michigan. -They learned English while living and working in the US. � 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 IvkovicF1826V Title A name given to the resource Ivkovic, Franjo and Etela (Interview outline and video), 2015 Description An account of the resource Franjo and Etela Ivkovic are a Yugoslavian couple that fled Yugoslavia during the Yugoslavian War. Franjo was born in Yugoslavia on March 19, 1964, and Etela was born there as well on May 24, 1967. The two of them left for Hungary temporarily when the War drafting was intensifying. A later attempt to enter Sweden was rejected. They managed to leave Yugoslavia on a train to Vienna, Austria where they stayed in a UN refugee camp. For the next five years they struggled to work in Austria. Eventually they saved enough money to come to the US with a sponsorship and they are now full US citizens Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ivkovic, Franjo and Etela Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Schmehling, Madeline (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-25 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/69cd8877944b32d0e5e16248fd307fac.m4v c68fec778796cf3226543aeb236c2ef1 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4978eaf7a8b2f6813105633b1a323f07.m4v df40c9f14e11d17b73328ff3c721e5de https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0be258e2c3a068bd021f45350a6c5a79.pdf c4d424928ce215bb61daf469e5c58af2 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Bob Elliott Vietnam War Part 1 – 57 minutes 48 seconds (00:00:55) Early Life -Born in Hart, Michigan on November 22, 1948 -Lived in Hart until halfway through the third grade -Moved to Muskegon, Michigan -Lived in Muskegon until 1966 -Dropped out of high school when he was 17 years old -Grandparents raised him -Grandfather worked in manufacturing -He worked in the summers -Grew up lower middle class (00:02:55) Vietnam War & Enlisting in the Marines -Knew Vietnam War was going on -Read the newspapers and watched the news reports at night -Wanted to serve his country despite the war -Had a better chance of survival in the Marines than in the Army -Didn't want to be on a ship on the water or a target at an air base -Enlisted in March 1966 with a three month delay before starting basic training -Took his physical and mental exams at Fort Wayne in Detroit -A lot of men went directly from Fort Wayne to basic training -Thorough physical -Marine Corps wanted all of your medical records since childhood -At that point he was still in high school -One month after enlisting he left school and got a job -Worked until he left (00:08:10) Basic Training -On July 21 or 22, 1966 he reported for basic training -Flew from Detroit to Los Angeles where he changed flights then flew to San Diego -Drill instructors greeted the men at San Diego and started barking orders -Exciting and totally unexpected experience -Boarded a bus and went to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego -A drill instructor ordered them off the bus and told them they belonged to the Corps -Arrived there early in the morning -Shaved head, handed over civilian belongings to be sent home, issued fatigues and boots -Got an hour of sleep then got physically kicked out of bed -First part of basic training consisted of physical training -Getting physically conditioned -Started every day with three to five miles of running -After a run they had breakfast and followed breakfast with calisthenics -Went on another run before lunch and followed lunch with more calisthenics -After a couple weeks they started taking classes -Taught the history of the Marines -Received weapons training �-Learned about the parts of a rifle, information on the rifle, and how to take it apart -Taught protocol and the United States Code of Military Justice -Learned that the only time you called a non-commissioned officer 'sir' was in basic training -If you made a minor mistake you were usually punished with extra exercise -At least once a day they marched past the jail to see prisoners breaking concrete as punishments -Screamed at by guards worse than drill instructors yelled at recruits -Minor infractions were obviously punished with less severity -Remembers one recruit failing to pass a rifle inspection -Recruit had to dig a grave for the rifle, bury it, exhume it, and clean it -All leather had to be polished -Everyone got it wrong at least once -Sometimes drill instructor scuffed clean leather so you had to redo it -At first he didn't understand the abuse, but eventually understood it -Learned that it was about working as a unit and not as an individual -Once he got through basic training he adjusted well to the Marines -Had to do two extra weeks of basic training because he was assigned to Physical Conditioning Platoon -He was overweight and needed extra help getting into shape -Dietary restrictions and extra exercise -Only a few men did not complete basic training -Remembers one man died in training because he had a fever of 106o and refused to get help -Only time a drill instructor talked to them like equals was after that (00:22:03) Infantry Training -Sent to Camp Pendleton north of San Diego -Received two weeks of infantry training -Had been assigned his Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) at the end of basic training -Test scores from induction and a need for Marines doing that specific job were factors -He wanted to go into explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), but was not given that MOS -His MOS was 2531-Voiced Radio Communication -Meant that he would receive shortened infantry training -Trained with all weapons at Camp Pendleton -Machine guns, bazookas, etc. -Went on an infiltration course -Crawling through mud and barbed wire under live fire -Learned how to use hand grenades -Marines assigned to the infantry stayed at Camp Pendleton for two weeks longer (00:25:53) Radio Training -Sent to another part of Camp Pendleton for his radio training -That training lasted four weeks -Taught how to use radios -Learned the NATO Phonetic Alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, etc.) -Had to get a background check and security clearance to do radio work -Only technical information he had to know was how to change a battery and operate a radio -Learned how to properly talk on a radio -Enunciate your words and keep the microphone away from your mouth -Learned how to talk in secret code -Used three different types of radio: -PRC-25 (common radio for communication, man-portable) -Mark 84 (vehicle mounted radio) -PRC-45 (portable radio for ground-air communication) �-Didn't learn a lot about communicating with different units or different branches (00:30:57) Stationed at Hawaii -Went home on leave after radio training -Reported to staging barracks and waited for enough Marines to go to Hawaii -Stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay on Oahua, Hawaii -Assigned to the 1st Battalion of the 27th Marine Regiment of 5th Marine Division -First assignment was with a radio platoon -Learned more about communicating with other units -How to send a situation report, call in supplies, and call in a Medevac helicopter -After five months he was reassigned to a mortar platoon -Learned about forward operating procedures -Calling in mortars and artillery -Extensive classes on calling in airstrikes and artillery strikes -How to get jets in and out of a combat zone as quickly as possible -Pilots needed to know where to go after dropping their bombs -Spent a little over a year in Hawaii -Days at Hawaii were 85o, sunny, and it was a great place to be assigned -Got up at 6:30 a.m. and worked until 4:30 p.m. -Sometimes went into the field for a week for field training -Spent downtime by going to the beach and surfing -It was a 40 minute drive to Honolulu (00:36:35) Deployment to Vietnam -Always knew he could be deployed to Vietnam -Knew about Marines getting wounded or killed in Vietnam -Unit served as a replacement unit -Get trained in Hawaii then be sent individually to Vietnam -Only a few men got sent to Vietnam while he trained in Hawaii -Stayed in Hawaii until the end of January 1968 -Told they were going on a training cruise to Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, and Australia -Boarded a ship in Pearl Harbor and saw crates of ammunition being loaded onto the ship -Knew that they were being sent to Vietnam before they were told -Crossed the International Date Line and were told they were being sent to Vietnam -Weren't given a lot of information about what their role in Vietnam would be (00:41:00) Arrival in Vietnam -When they got to Vietnam they were told they were supporting the 1st Battalion in the 1st Marines -Unit had fought at Hue during the Tet Offensive and the area needed support -Landed south of Danang -Originally supposed to dock in the harbor at Danang -Plans changed and they went ashore in landing craft -North Vietnamese sappers had sunk a ship and effectively blocked the harbor -Didn't get any ammunition when they went ashore -Nets were dropped over the side of the ship and they climbed down into landing craft -When they got to shore they were picked up by trucks and taken to a base -Spent the first couple weeks adjusting to the heat -Did light exercises and stayed active to acclimate (00:44:58) Early Operations in Vietnam -Operated at a base ten miles south of Danang called Bong Song -Not much enemy activity in the area, but there was still fighting in Hue -Didn't have a lot of combat veterans in the unit �-Fortunate enough to find a communication Marine that had been to Vietnam before -Told not to trust any Vietnamese civilians and to just leave them alone -Told to remember their training and use it -First patrol lasted six or seven hours and they operated from morning to sunset -A week later they went out to the field and stayed the night -Set up a camp, established a perimeter, and had men stand watch -The next morning they packed up and returned to base -Didn't rush into combat and learned to look for booby traps and trails in the jungle -Every other time they went out they ran into small groups of enemy soldiers -On one patrol their point man tripped a landmine near a creek and the North Vietnamese opened fire -He called in a Medevac and artillery to fight back against the Vietnamese -Sporadic enemy contact -Started operating at squad strength (~10 men) to platoon strength (~40 men) -Depended on how long they would be in the field and the size of their area of operation -Had a mortar section that was within range of their patrol and could support them if necessary -Usually had three radio operators in the field -When they got ambushed at the creek he was the only radioman with a working radio -He called in situation report, mortars, Medevac, and artillery -He worked with a forward observer who worked with the mortars -Didn't stay at the base much -When he did, he stood radio watch and took in messages coming in from the field -Usually worked with a unit going out on patrols -At the end of patrols they returned to base, cleaned up, resupplied, then returned to the field (00:55:07) Operation Allen Brook -On May 4, 1968 the Marines launched Operation Allen Brook -Loaded onto trucks and went to Go Noi Island 25 kilometers south of Da Nang -Mission: make contact with enemy and stop North Vietnamese from launching a major offensive -Knew there was a high possibility of running into a large contingent of enemy troops -Made contact with highly trained, highly skilled North Vietnamese regulars preparing an offensive End of Part 1 Part 2 – 1 hour 7 minutes 17 seconds (00:00:43) Operation Allen Brook -Got into combat the first night of that operation -Spent 45 days in the field -Only five or six days/nights without enemy contact and that was because of the rain -Moved during the day and set up camp at night -Enemy tended to attack at night -Sent out teams with strengths from four men to 25 men -Scouting the enemy or engaging the enemy -Forcing the enemy to move or fight -Went on a few “Stingray” patrols -Four man team going into the field and going to the high ground -One sergeant, a machine gunner, a radioman, and a forward observer -Look for enemy movement, report it, then call in artillery or an airstrike -Alerted nearby units if the enemy was moving toward them -Hard to tell the size of the enemy force �-Heard enemy officers giving orders and could tell their direction -Enemy waited until it was really quiet at night to mount an attack -Stealthy soldiers -Could get right up to the perimeter before launching their attack -Larger groups of enemy troops had rockets and mortars -Mimicked American tactics -Had to call in artillery and an airstrike on their position twice -Jet dropped napalm 100 yards from their position -Safe distance for napalm is 1,000 yards -Met up with other units after clearing an area then split up again -Assigned to different platoons and different companies within the battalion depending on need -Stayed with Alpha Company during Operation Allen Brook -Alpha Company suffered 20-25% casualties, but lighter than Delta Company -1st Battalion was never up to strength after Operation Allen Brook -Needed replacements, but never received them -Hard to tell how much damage they inflicted on the North Vietnamese -Alpha Company took four prisoners of war -Hard to find enemy bodies -North Vietnamese were good at collecting their dead and wounded -Discovered an underground hospital that covered four acres -Found a table that still had playing cards on it -Found operating tables with fresh blood -Sent down smaller Marines to investigate the tunnels -Engaged enemy forces during the day -Foliage limited their line of sight -Six foot tall elephant grass and overgrown rice fields -Established a field of fire and tried to force the enemy to retreat -Noted trails on maps and never went down the same trail twice -If you went down the same trail twice you set yourself up for ambushes or booby traps -Civilians were told to leave the area or they would be considered enemy sympathizers -Only had to search and destroy one village in the Go Noi Island area -Most civilians had evacuated the area before Operation Allen Brook -Objective was to clear out the enemy and allow the civilians to return (00:15:27) Establishing Camp Eagle -Returned to base after Operation Allen Brook -Got resupplied and rested -Went to a hill between Hue and Phu Bai -Secured an area between Highway 1 and the ocean -Objective was to secure the area so the 101st Airborne Division could establish Camp Eagle -Found new and old trails -Set up booby traps -Only got shot at once during that operation -When the Marines left the North Vietnamese overran the area -North Vietnamese had waited until the 101st Airborne Division moved in -Believes they had been waiting for the right moment to launch their offensive -Last major operation for the 27th Marine Regiment -Conducted in July 1968 (00:18:20) End of First Tour & Coming Home -Not much activity in August 1968 �-Didn't get a leave before being deployed to Vietnam -Two months in Hawaii equaled one month in Vietnam -Went on a few patrols in early August -Told he could turn in his gear and relax until he went home -Left Vietnam in early September 1968 -Flew from Da Nang to Okinawa and got his personal effects back -Dress uniform and he had his records updated -Stayed in Okinawa for four days -Flew on a chartered civilian airliner to Los Angeles -Got off the plane and all of the men were happy to be home -Greeted by protestors throwing stuff at them and spitting on them -Mad and disappointed -Aware of antiwar sentiments, but didn't expect it to be directed at troops -Thought race riots were going to be more of a problem than protestors -Came home on leave and in uniform -Young woman was scared of him because he was a Marine -She believed Marines had committed atrocities -He politely explained to her that that simply wasn't the case -Had 20 days of leave (00:26:56) Redeployment to Vietnam -Reported to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina -There was talk about the Marines going on a training cruise in the Mediterranean Sea -Didn't want to be back on a troopship again -Could volunteer for another tour in Vietnam to avoid going on the cruise, so he did -Spent the rest of his time at Camp Lejeune waiting to return to Vietnam -Went on leave then reported to a Marine company in California -Only one of four combat veterans in that unit -Spent a month at Camp Pendleton -A few of the men asked about Vietnam, but most were too scared to ask questions -Helped on the Escape and Evasion Course at Camp Pendleton -Played the part of a Viet Cong aggressor -Marines had to get across the course without getting “captured” -Flew to Vietnam from California (00:30:25) Stationed at Quang Tri -Assigned to Headquarters Company of 3rd Marine Division -Got to Vietnam in February 1969 -Quang Tri was the last major city before reaching the DMZ -Marines started using seismic intrusion devices -Placed the gadgets 100 feet apart on a trail then go back about 1,000 yards -Established the coordinates and gave the coordinates to artillery crews -Transmitters detected troop movement -Worked with C Battery at Camp Charlie -Setting up the seismic devices was not as dangerous as he thought it would be -Knew what to look for and avoid in the way of booby traps -Avoided enemy troop movement -Didn't have enough men or firepower to engage in combat -Only went out for three or four hours -Seismic intrusion devices were given to the Marines from the Army -Worked very well �-Only two times when North Vietnamese forces managed to get out of the area before artillery (00:36:33) Stationed at Con Thien -Had ground radar jeeps -Detected North Vietnamese artillery positions at the DMZ and directed fire on those positions -Counted 120 explosions out of 100 shells fired on one occasion -Secondary explosions from munitions exploding -Sent over a recon plane to survey the damage -Found destroyed Soviet artillery pieces -Operated out of the Marine base at Con Thien -Situated on a hill, a natural observation point -There were a few Montagnard hill people near Con Thien -Marines gave them food when they came out of the hills -Only civilian presence in the area -North Vietnamese stayed away from the area -Second tour lasted six months (00:40:38) Stationed Near Laos -Left Con Thien and went to a mountain base near Laos -Simple base with radar bunkers and guard bunkers -Stood watch -Near the end of his second tour -Nothing happened at that base -Noticed movement once and called in air strikes (00:42:38) Morale, Racial Tension and Drugs -Morale was good on both tours -Always worked as a team -Wanted everyone to get home alive and everyone shared that mentality -If you looked out for everyone, they looked out for you -There was some racial tension, but only if you made it -He had no problem with non-white Marines -Everyone was in the same situation regardless of race -Racial tension would cause conflict in the field which would threaten everyone's survival -The unit on his second tour was predominantly white -A couple men heavily used drugs -He dabbled with marijuana as a way to relieve stress -Couldn't buy hard liquor in the Marines -Easier to walk down the street and buy a pack of 10 joints for $10 from a Vietnamese civilian -Only smoked or drank when it was safe at a base -No Marines used drugs when they went on patrols -Allowed to have beer on a base, but no hard liquor -Got a substantial beer ration after Operation Allen Brook (00:50:20) Service with South Vietnamese Troops -Worked with South Vietnamese troops on two occasions -The soldiers he worked with were good soldiers -Held their own and were good men -Showed the Marines the area so they didn't get lost -Showed Marines how to look for trails and other things -Worked with them early in his first tour -Had some interpreters at Headquarters Company on his second tour �(00:52:07) Contact with Civilians -After Operational Allen Brooke and during Camp Eagle they crossed a village near Highway 1 -Brought food, candy, and a corpsman with extra medical supplies -Always made sure they had extra supplies to give to the civilians -Some civilians were glad that Americans were -Understood the American mission and wanted them there -Some of the civilians were bitter and wanted the United States to leave Vietnam (00:54:46) End of Second Tour, End of Service, & Coming Home -At the end of his second tour his enlistment was done -Marines tried to get him to reenlist -Two Army generals had come to Con Thien for inspection -Gave Bob a letter of recommendation for promotion -Tried to barter with his commanding officer to get the promotion if he extended his tour -CO told him he couldn't give him the promotion -Bob wanted a promotion to sergeant, but could only get promoted to lance corporal -Decided that it was time to get out of the Marines -Flew from Vietnam to Okinawa, and from Okinawa to Marine Corp Air Station El Toro, California -Stayed at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro for out-processing -Bought civilian clothes -Flew back to Michigan in civilian clothes -Noticed a diminished sense of animosity from civilians -Told protestors to stop harassing troops, but didn't get combative (00:59:25) Life after the War -Planned on drawing unemployment and relaxing for a while -Home for a week and got a job -Took a while to get his initiative back -Took a few night classes at his old high school to get his diploma -Used the GI Bill to attend Muskegon Community College -Got his associate's degree -Started a family -Studied for two years at Grand Valley State College (now University) -Got his journeyman's card as a carpenter -Moved to Holland, Michigan and got a job with an automotive supplier -Worked his way up and became a process engineer -Had trouble readjusting to civilian life -Time at college helped him return to civilian life -GVSC had counselors and other veterans to talk to -There were a lot of veteran students at Grand Valley -Non-confrontational atmosphere -Noticed more antiwar sentiments and animosity in the workplace -Got turned down for three good positions because he served in Vietnam and saw combat (01:04:50) Reflections on Service -Glad he served, but wouldn't do it again -Made him a better person -Matured quickly in the Marines -Taught him self-reliance and how to take care of others -There were a lot of lessons to learn being in the service if you accepted the lessons (01:06:00) Miscellaneous Details -Major objective of Operation Allen Brook was keeping the North Vietnamese out of Danang �-On “Stingray” patrols they relied on line of sight observations -Used binoculars and telescopes -Viet Cong relied heavily on improvised explosives -Basically, make a booby trap out of anything that will produce an explosion and shrapnel � 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 ElliottB1772 Title A name given to the resource Elliott, Robert (Interview outline and video), 2015 Description An account of the resource Bob Elliott was born in Hart, Michigan on November 22, 1948. He enlisted in the Marines in March 1966 and began basic training in late July 1966. He received his basic training in San Diego and Infantry Training at Camp Pendleton, California. He remained at Camp Pendleton for Radio Training then was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay on Oahua, Hawaii with the 1st Battalion of the 27th Marine Regiment of the 5th Marine Division. In late January 1968 the unit sailed to Vietnam and went ashore near Danang. They operated out of a base near Bong Song and conducted patrols in the area. He participated in Operation Allen Brook near Go Noi Island and helped clear an area for the establishment of Camp Eagle. In September 1968 he returned to the United States and was briefly stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He voluntarily redeployed to Vietnam and arrived there in February 1969. He was assigned to the Headquarters Company of the 3rd Marine Division and helped with artillery operations around Quang Tri and Con Thien. At the end of his second tour he was stationed at a base near Laos. He returned to the United States at the end of that summer and was discharged from the Marines at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Elliot, Robert Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Marine Corps Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-26 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0d36f49b5335dc44c344e1ce201a90b6.m4v 6292e03c6da1b370e4862f15499b91a6 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7e8b352bf99a8fce3032fb60e20abcef.pdf 70537fbdaa5087d9f1f10b6f6ba3484e PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Thornell Billingslea Vietnam War 1 hour 14 minutes 45 seconds (00:00:40) Early Life -Born in Detroit, Michigan, on June 29, 1947 -Grew up in Detroit -Father was a career soldier -Raised by his mother and great-grandmother -His mother worked in the school system then in the state hospital system -They were poor and lived on the East Side of Detroit -Attended John J. Pershing High School -Father was a sergeant major in the Army -Sent money home -Had a younger brother -Parents got divorced shortly after the birth of his younger brother -Graduated from high school in 1965 -Worked for Chrysler for nine months and got fired -Worked for TRW Incorporated in Warren, Michigan (00:02:45) Getting Drafted & Awareness of Vietnam War -Received his draft notice in 1966 -Didn’t know a lot about the Vietnam War -Saw it on the evening news -Aware of fighting in Vietnam -Took his draft physical when he turned 18 years old -His eight paternal uncles and his four maternal uncles served in the military -He expected to serve regardless of the draft (00:03:50) Basic Training -Reported to Fort Wayne, Michigan, to be sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training -The drill sergeants asserted their dominance and intended on making soldiers out of the recruits -Thornell expected this after talking to his uncles -First few days of basic training spent on testing and processing -Did calisthenics every morning before breakfast -Received rifle training -Got some Jungle Training -Did hand-hand training -Went on long marches -Marched up “Suicide Hill” with a full backpack -Strong emphasis on discipline -Remembers standing in formation, at attention, when a bee stung him and he didn’t move -Drill sergeants taught him a lot -Emphasized that discipline and hard work in basic training meant survival -He adjusted easily to Army life -Lifelong athlete made physical training easy, and he understood the discipline aspect �-Some of the men had difficulty adjusting -In the fourth or fifth week one man swallowed aluminum foil on purpose and got discharged -He was drafted with some of his friends and was able to train with them too -Basic training lasted eight weeks (00:09:15) Advanced Infantry Training -He volunteered to be a paratrooper meaning he would receive Infantry Training before Jump School -In Advanced Infantry Training (AIT) he received Infantry Training and more Jungle Training -Sent to Fort Gordon, Georgia for AIT because it was closer to Fort Benning than Fort Polk, Louisiana -Focused on infantry tactics and how to survive behind enemy lines -Received more training with the M-16 rifle -Went on an overnight maneuver -Sent into the wilderness and told to get back to base -Trained with a full range of infantry weapons -M79 grenade launcher, M60 machine gun, M72 LAW (antitank weapon), rifle-mounted grenade launcher, and the .50 caliber machine gun -Simulated conditions in Vietnam -Had a mock village for patrol training -A couple of the sergeants had been to Vietnam -Advised the men to keep their feet dry and powdered to avoid infection -Avoid the villages and the women -Watch out for booby traps -Received booby trap training -Close, but not the same as the real thing -Visited Augusta, Georgia, twice during his time at Fort Gordon -Noticed the racism and discrimination -Certain hotels refused him, and other black soldiers, service -Got robbed while in a hotel -Called the police and they were no help -On the way back to base a black soldier got into a fight with a few white men -Wondered why he should serve a country with citizens that hated him -Stayed at Fort Gordon for six weeks (00:16:55) Airborne Training -Sent to Fort Benning, Georgia, for Jump School (Airborne Training) -Ran five miles in the morning and did calisthenics then got breakfast -Received parachute training -How to land without injuring himself -Jumped from a training tower -Part of the intense physical training was to ready the body for landing after a jump -Also preparing to do a lot of walking and running -Only three men dropped out -One man broke his leg -Started with jumping off a stool and landing with a tuck and roll -Moved onto going down a zip line from a tower -Did this every day for the first three weeks -In the fourth week he did training jumps from a plane -Had to do three successful jumps to get his Airborne wings -First jump was phenomenal and exciting, but subsequent jumps were scarier (00:20:13) Deployment to Vietnam -Sent to Fort Campbell for two weeks �-Received orders for the 173rd Airborne Brigade -Missed the 173rd’s combat jump in Vietnam (Operation Junction City) -Went home on leave -Visited TRW because most of the workers were veterans -Accepted well by his community -Proud of his accomplishments in the Army -Sent to Fort Dix, New Jersey, and flew to San Francisco -Boarded another plane in San Francisco and flew to Vietnam -Stopped at Hawaii and Okinawa en route (00:22:12) Arrival in Vietnam -Landed at Tan Son Nhut Airbase in the morning -First impression of the country was that it was hot, and surprisingly peaceful -Received a brief orientation upon arrival -What to do, what not to do, and stay away from the women (00:23:08) Joining the 173rd Airborne Brigade -Assigned to Alpha Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 173rd Airborne Brigade -Operating out of Bien Hoa at the time -When he arrived at the base nobody was there except for support personnel -Rest of the unit was in the field -Assigned to a hut -He was by himself on his first night in country -Remembers halfway through the night something trying to get up on his bunk -He swatted at it and it yelped -Relieved to discover that it was a puppy -The unit returned and he was assigned to 1st platoon in Alpha Company -He met with the men in his unit -Despite being the “new guy” he made friends quickly -Diverse mix of races -About 60 percent black, 20 percent Hispanic, and 20 percent white (00:26:38) First Patrol -Went out in helicopters to get into the field -Started taking sniper fire before hitting the landing zone -Reached the landing zone and jumped out of the helicopter -10 to 12 foot jump from the helicopter -Hit the ground running -Advancing toward the snipers and returning fire -Killed one of them and the other two retreated -Walked away from the landing zone and got to a place to make camp -Dug foxholes, ate C-Rations, and took turns standing watch -On this patrol Alpha Company moved as a company; not platoons or squads -Operated in a mix of jungle, fields, and rice paddies -Never walked on trails, and instead made their own trails -Walked in a ten yard spread -The other men knew how to operate in the field -A Native American soldier took care of Thornell and taught him how to survive -This same soldier could smell Viet Cong soldiers and knew where they had been -It was a quiet patrol -Encountered another sniper, but he retreated -Went on this first patrol in March 1967 �(00:31:05) Moving to Pleiku -Stayed at Bien Hoa until May 1967 -Went to Taipei, Taiwan, for R&R -Unit moved to Pleiku shortly before his R&R -Stayed there for three weeks and experienced the monsoon (00:31:54) Enemy Contact – Bien Hoa -Always had light enemy contact around Bien Hoa -Encountered Viet Cong troops and never North Vietnamese Army troops -Usually ran into individual snipers or squads of Viet Cong troops -Captured one Viet Cong soldier and sent him back to base for interrogation -Unit didn’t take any casualties while operating out of Bien Hoa (00:33:00) Operating out of Bien Hoa -Patrols lasted two to three weeks -After patrols they returned to base and went to a bar in Bien Hoa -Never saw any civilians on patrols -Didn’t go through villages or farms (00:34:04) Operating out of Pleiku -General Westmoreland wanted to focus efforts on Pleiku -This prompted the 173rd’s move to Pleiku -Traveled to Pleiku by way of convoy -Passed through the Ia Drang Valley and heard “Hanoi Hannah” on the radio -Operated out of Pleiku for two or three weeks -Had a small base at Pleiku -Went on small patrols -Remembers a firefight wherein a few American soldiers got wounded -First time seeing wounded American troops -Had orders to wait for the enemy to shoot first, but they tended to ignore that order for survival (00:36:41) Operating out of Dak To -Moved to Dak To in early June 1967 -Started encountering heavier resistance than before -More concentrated fire and organized attacks -Found enemy tunnels, bases, and other signs of human activity -Operated as a fully company -About 125 to 130 men in the field during patrols -Dak To was a small base in the Central Highlands and it had an airfield -Allowed them to fly out to the field and go on patrols (00:39:05) The Battle of the Slopes (Hill 1338) -On the third patrol out of Dak To they fought the Battle of the Slopes on June 22, 1967 -On June 21 they found a tunnel system and set up camp near the complex -The next day, Thornell and a few other men stayed behind to gas the tunnels -The rest of Alpha Company moved on -Rejoined his platoon in the midst of an intense firefight -When Thornell reached his platoon a quarter of the men were either hit, or killed -The jungle was too thick for an outflanking maneuver -Alpha was spread out and pinned -Later found out that it was Alpha Company against a battalion of North Vietnamese troops -North Vietnamese attacked in waves -He lost his radio and was the only man not wounded or dead -Thornell tended to the wounded while returning fire �-Attack helicopters and jets came to try and hit the North Vietnamese positions -Limited visibility and proximity of the enemy troops made airstrikes impossible -Thornell went to the main body of Alpha Company to inform them of his platoon’s position -He returned to his platoon and tended to his lieutenant and medic -Lieutenant had a severe head wound and medic had been disemboweled -It started to get dark, so Thornell decided to go to Alpha and see if they could get evacuated -On the path he encountered three North Vietnamese soldiers -He shot and killed one, -Used his knife to kill another, -Killed the third with his bare hands -Realized that Alpha Company had left the area -Began walking back toward the base at Dak To -Took him three days to get from Hill 1338 to Dak To -Only had one meal and limited water -Lived off of grubs and vegetation -Whenever he saw Vietnamese troops he took cover and let them pass -Reached the perimeter of the base -Guard on watch recognized him and helped guide him through the minefield -Lieutenant and medic died from their wounds -Note: 76 men of Alpha Company had been killed and 23 men wounded -Most of the men had died from the wounds -Survivors also said the North Vietnamese executed some of the wounded (00:48:33) Recovering from the Battle of the Slopes -Had to get reinforcements to rebuild Alpha Company -He helped identify the dead -Identified the body of his friend, Eddy -Went out on another night patrol on June 28 -Hadn’t gotten much sleep, so he fell asleep on watch -Punished with having to dig an 8’ x 8’ x 8’ hole -General Westmoreland came to the base at Dak To -Thornell was called to go before the general -Awarded the Bronze Star for his actions at Hill 1338 -Got some sergeants from other companies to rebuild Alpha Company -Majority of reinforcements came fresh from the United States (00:52:53) Officers in Alpha Company -Got a new lieutenant that graduated from West Point -He was book smart, but lacked experience -Most West Point graduates were over ambitious and cared more about commendations -Some of the men wanted to “frag” (assassinate) the executive officer (XO) of Alpha Company -Felt he was incompetent and prejudiced -Thornell’s friend, Eddy, had been a typist and company clerk -Good position since he was married and it was safer -The XO found another typist, a white man, and replaced Eddy -Got Eddy sent to the field and ultimately killed at Hill 1338 (00:54:55) Battle of Dak To & Getting Wounded -The Battle of Dak To became an extended campaign -Went out on a patrol on July 9 -Hit the landing zone and immediately took sniper fire -Captain called in artillery to neutralize the snipers �-One of the artillery rounds fell short -Severely wounded Thornell and nine other men -He had been wounded before, but this time he almost lost his arm -Given morphine and got evacuated to a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) -Woke up two days later and told to write a letter home (00:58:19) Recovery & Coming Home -Evacuated to the Philippines for more surgery -Sent to Japan and stayed there for a month -Almost had his arm amputated -A colonel stepped in and did the surgery, saving Thornell’s arm -Flown to Alaska then Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland -Bused Valley Forge General Hospital, Pennsylvania -Nine months of rehabilitation -Went to the gym every day and played basketball -Visited New York City and Philadelphia -Went home on leave after a month at the hospital -Went to the Philadelphia airport -Protester spit on him and he got into a fight with the protester -Police broke up the fight and backed Thornell -Family welcomed him home and called him a hero -Brother got sent to Vietnam since Thornell was home (01:03:10) End of Service -Sent to Fort Knox for the rest of his enlistment -Didn’t make sense to him since he had a medical profile -Couldn’t handle a weapon or lift more than ten pounds -Got to Fort Knox about one week after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. -Troops had been deployed out of Fort Knox to deal with riots in the cities -He stayed in the day room and played music to pass the time -Majority of black soldiers and even some white soldiers didn’t want to go to the cities -Discharged in August 1968 -Army encouraged him to leave (01:05:41) Life after the War -Got married in September 1968 -Went back to work for TRW -Stayed until 1986 -Went to Wayne State University on the GI Bill and studied social work -Wanted to do more work with his hands, though -Got a scholarship with BASF to become an electrician for the company -Ultimately moved to Kentwood, Michigan and lives there as of the interview (01:08:05) Reflections on Service -Gave him a lot of discipline and the ambition to complete his goals -His service also left him with PTSD and severe injuries -Has chronic pain in his arm and had to have 13 surgeries (01:09:25) Coping with PTSD -Had two sons, a wife, work, school, and his own small business -Overworked to avoid his PTSD -If he stayed busy he couldn’t focus on the bad memories -Played basketball and drank a lot to avoid the memories -Started getting treatment for his PTSD in 2005 �-Had retired in 2002 which gave him more time to focus on his experiences in Vietnam -Started seeing a psychologist and going to group therapy -Works with other veterans to help them with their PTSD -Runs a veteran group on Tuesday nights -Does peer-to-peer counseling as an independent therapist -Is working with an Afghan War veteran as of the interview � 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 BillingsleaT1929V Title A name given to the resource Billingslea, Thornell (Interview outline and video), 2016 Description An account of the resource Thornell Billingslea was born in Detroit, Michigan, on June 29, 1947. In 1966 he was drafted and received his basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He volunteered to be a paratrooper and received his Advanced Infantry Training at Fort Gordon, Georgia, and his Airborne Training at Fort Benning, Georgia. He went home on a short leave before being deployed to Vietnam. Thornell landed at Tan Son Nhut Airbase and was assigned to Alpha Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. He joined his unit at Bien Hoa and was assigned to 1st platoon. He went on patrols out of Bien Hoa, Pleiku, and Dak To. While at Dak To he fought in the Battle of the Slopes (Hill 1338) and after getting separated from his unit walked for three days to get back to Dak To. Thornell was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions at Hill 1338. He was wounded on a patrol on July 9, 1967, and after recovering was stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky until he was discharged in August 1968. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Billingslea, Thornell Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-03-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/bc451503d8bbd96184a55b3557c11dab.m4v f36f9fcb39b5b74242c8209fd3b30c9a https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/428337fc153b0953087d2507872ca8f1.pdf 0c719d42f9e339a74c61f283f95e8982 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Tom Bilecki War in Afghanistan 27 minutes 24 seconds (00:00:02) Serving in Afghanistan Pt. 1 -Did two tours in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom -Stationed at Forward Operating Base Frontenac 26 miles north of Kandahar -First tour was in 2004 -Second tour was in 2012 -FOB Frontenac was a good base -Had good housing made out of shipping containers -Had beds -Showers -Dining facilities -Each tour lasted nine months -Federal government federalized his National Guard unit prior to being deployed -Meant that they were technically part of the Army -Three months of pre-deployment training and nine months of tour -National Guard and regular Army troops got along better -National Guardsmen pulled half of the missions in Afghanistan during his tours -Served as an operations sergeant -Worked in the unit command post -Assisted the commander in planning missions and the logistics -Monitored the radios and computers when soldiers went on missions -Reported mission progress to higher-ups -Remembers on one night six Taliban militants infiltrated FOB Frontenac -Came out of Pakistan -Launched their attack at 2:30 a.m. -Heard helicopter gunships firing at the militants inside the FOB -Sirens sounded and he decided that it would be best to get out of bed -Waited to see how long the shooting lasted and if it was moving toward him -Most of his unit was in the field, so he was essentially on his own during the attack -Went up on top of his living quarters to watch as U.S. infantrymen fought the militants -Felt pretty safe during the attack -Only six militants, and their objective had been to sabotage artillery positions -By the end of the firefight all six Taliban militants had been neutralized -10-14 American soldiers wounded in action, and one Afghan national killed in action (00:05:45) Conditions in Afghanistan -Found FOB Frontenac's location to be desolate and flat -Situated in the high desert -Meant the desert itself was about 3,000 feet above sea level and mountainous -Arrived in January during the rainy season -Meant everything was muddy and ugly -In the summer it got really hot -On one summer day it got up to 136o -Fatigues and body armor made it feel even hotter �-40-50% humidity during the summer -Had a sandstorm every ten days -Forced them to shut down operations -Storm lasted about one day -Could always see the storms coming (00:07:50) Deployment to Afghanistan -Had one year of advance warning before deploying to Afghanistan -Twice a month he reported for four days of training to prepare for deployment -Enough time to alert his civilian employer that he was being deployed -Army provided him with a packet to give to his employer explaining the situation (00:08:46) Serving in Afghanistan Pt. 2 -Not too many memorable experiences in Afghanistan -Remembers one instance when his unit got ambushed -He was on the radio in the command post listening to the battle -Had to Medevac a dozen men -Battle lasted from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. -Had to listen to the entire battle on the radio -Directed air support to aid the troops -Medevacs to evacuate wounded, helicopter gunships, and drones -Drones allowed him to have a bird's eye view of the battle -Medevacs went into a “hot” (taking enemy fire) landing zone if necessary -Nobody was killed in action during that battle -Worst casualties were a few men needed amputations and a few men with broken backs -Happened on his second tour -Nobody was killed on the first tour -All things considered, deployments were relatively safe in Afghanistan -Low casualty rate considering the number of men deployed to Afghanistan (00�:12:39) Contact with Civilians Pt. 1 -Not allowed to go off the base on his own -His unit patrolled 16 villages near FOB Frontenac -Seeing what the civilians needed -Trying to win the “hearts and minds” of the people -Civilians sided with whomever gave them better stuff -Trying to convince the Afghans that Americans were better benefactors than the Taliban (00:13:22) Contact with Home -Able to keep in touch with his family during his tours -Had a good internet connection at FOB Frontenac -Had a phone connection -There was a communication center on the base with phones and computers -Able to Skype with his family -Signed up for a communication plan that cost him 4¢ per minute (00:13:52) Food in Afghanistan -Food was good in Afghanistan -Rarely ate Meals Ready to Eat (MREs; similar to rations in World War II, Korea, Vietnam) -At them for a month after the Taliban attack at FOB Frontenac -Mess hall caught fire during the attack and burned to the ground (00:14:34) Personnel at FOB Frontenac Pt. 1 -800 to 1,000 American troops stationed at the base -400 to 500 civilians doing laundry, working in the mess hall, or doing mechanical work �(00:15:05) Working as an Operations Sergeant Pt. 1 -Stressful when you knew that lives were on the line -Mentally prepared himself for that reality -Not a lot of choice on what he was assigned to do in the Army -Took aptitude tests during training -Offered assignment in the Army based on test scores and need for type of personnel (00:16:00) End of Service Pt. 1 -Served in the Army National Guard for 17 and a half years -As of the interview he is now officially discharged from the National Guard -Discharged with the rank of E5 (sergeant) -Initially thought he would only serve six years in the National Guard then end his service (00:16:35) Work Routine in Afghanistan -Usually only had an hour off each day -Spent it by going to the gym at FOB Frontenac -Busy the rest of the day -Worked 12 hour days -When he wasn't working as the operations sergeant he worked with Afghan interpreters -Worked 254, 12 hour days, in a row -Soldiers that went on patrol had one day off per week to resupply and do maintenance work -Rest of the week, they went outside of the base for six or seven hour long patrols (00:18:10) Contact with Civilians Pt. 2 -Only went off the base once a month -Went with soldiers to nearby villages -Providing health and welfare -Handing out books and toys to civilians in the villages (00:18:42) Patrols -When he went off the base he traveled with a platoon -Minimum unit strength: four vehicles and 16 soldiers -More concerned about IEDs than direct enemy contact -16 mile radius around FOB Frontenac was the area of operations for his unit (00:19:41) Working as an Operations Sergeant Pt. 2 -Had a few men subordinate to him that worked with him in the command post (00:19:56) Enemy Contact in Afghanistan -Militants took potshots at vehicles, but to no effect -Average IED could destroy a tire, but not the entire vehicle -By 2012, vehicular armor could withstand the average IED blast -One IED was big enough that when it exploded it flipped over a vehicle -Only major IED his unit encountered -One soldier had to have both of his arms amputated (00:20:46) End of Tour -Always happy to know that he had reached the end of his tour -New unit moved in two weeks to a month before his unit left the base -Trained them and informed them of the situation in the region -He was sent to Kandahar Air Force Base 28 days before the rest of his unit left the base -He was no longer needed at the base (00:21:50) Personnel at FOB Frontenac Pt. 2 -There were a lot of American contractors in Afghanistan -American civilians working for corporations that had contracts with the government -Biggest threat to contractors was traveling outside of the base �(00:22:40) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 & the War in Afghanistan -Glad that he served and went on deployments -He would go again if he was ordered to, but he wouldn't volunteer for it -Thinks the United States will leave Afghanistan and be replaced by Chinese forces -Feels the U.S. could have done more to fight the war in Afghanistan -Believes that America needed to invade Afghanistan following the September 11th Attacks -Doesn't feel that Iraq got media attention than the Iraq War -During his second tour in Afghanistan (2012) the Iraq War was effectively over -Training at Camp Shelby, Mississippi when Osama bin Laden was killed (May 2, 2011) (00:25:37) End of Service Pt. 2 -Since he got discharged he has relaxed and gone on a few vacations -Discharged from the National Guard in April 2015 -Intends to work with veterans' organizations in the future (00:26:30) Reflections on Service Pt. 2 -Service and deployments made him a more worldly person -Introduced him to other worldviews -Feels that Americans, as a whole, need to be more aware of those different worldviews � 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 BieleckiT1845V Title A name given to the resource Bielecki, Thomas G (Interview outline and video), 2014 Description An account of the resource Tom Bilecki served in the Army National Guard in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. He did two tours, one in 2004 and another in 2012. He was stationed at Forward Operation Base Frontenac 26 miles north of Kandahar. He served as an operations sergeant in the command post helping plan missions and call in air support for units in the field. Once a month he accompanied patrols to nearby villages and helped distribute books and toys to Afghan children and also got an idea of what the Afghan civilians needed in the way of aid or supplies. After 17 and a half years in the Army National Guard he retired with rank of sergeant. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bielecki, Thomas G. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Neering, Grant (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 Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American United States. National Guard Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2014-10-19 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives