33 24 1541 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/121a4a03867685068fe611803de7753a.pdf 407e33a2449000615ee0509fcbccad1a PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview World War II Katherine Powers Total Time – (08:00)              She was married to Thomas Powers He served in the Navy (00:11) He was in the Navy for three years during World War II o He was drafted into the Navy She was sad because he was deferred twice before he was drafted (00:40) o He worked in the Brooklyn, New York Navy yard She had known Thomas before he was drafted o They had been married for nearly a year before he was drafted Before the draft, he worked as a shipfitter (01:17) When in the Navy, he was stationed on a carrier – USS Merrimack (01:41) o They would pick up wounded soldiers and sailors and bring them back to a base (02:04) He served in France, Italy, Iceland, and maybe Germany (02:35) o It was freezing cold in Iceland He was able to send letters from Europe o A lot of words were cut out of the letters (03:29)  They were censored by the government (03:36)  They would speak in code so that they could know where he was o She did not receive as much mail when he was in Germany  He could write a letter in May and she would not get it until June (04:31) She worked two jobs while her husband was gone (05:00) Women worked in many jobs when the men were gone (05:31) Thomas had a brother in the Navy and one in the Army He was injured by a fragment of gunpowder that hit his left eye (06:25) o Had several minor surgeries while in the service to fix 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 PowersKT Title A name given to the resource Powers, Thomas (Interview outline), 2010 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Powers, Katherine Description An account of the resource Katherine Powers was wife to Thomas Powers, a Navy seaman during World War II. The couple had been married for one year before Thomas was drafted to serve in Europe. While serving, Thomas worked on the USS Merrimack picking up wounded and stranded soldiers and bringing them back to a base. Katherine remembers the job market opening up for women during this time as she worked two jobs. Thomas and Katherine were able to remain in contact through letters throughout the war. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fata, Devon (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Navy World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text 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 2010-05-31 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> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf 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/624da354523b4f5e3e16380551b06579.m4v 045aa036d509bcf21bdd649f6d645180 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/1bbefabc6502f32b02224301e0366170.pdf 3c66bdefdc98cdbb3ff19f94d735bdfa PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview William Peterson Length: 16:23 (00:40) Background Information    William was born on May 1, 1924 He had been working with his father to train bird dogs before he enlisted in the Navy William spent 3 years in active duty during WWII and then re-enlisted in the reserves for 4 years during the Korean War (2:25) Pacific  William began working as a photographer in New Guinea during WWII  He flew in B-24s taking pictures to make maps of the area and other islands  He also took many photographs of the civilian population of New Guinea  There were about 1,000 other men stationed on the island off New Guinea where he was based (8:50) Back to US  After working in New Guinea William was an instructor in Florida for a few months teaching photography and skeet sharp shooting  William also worked with the Australian government on intelligence maps of the Pacific  He enjoyed working with Australia and was able to take a few trips there  William later opened his own western store and continued skeet shooting  He became a professional skeet sharp shooter and won many awards  William learned many survival skills while in the Navy � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PetersonW Title A name given to the resource Peterson, William (Interview outline and video), 2009 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Peterson, William Description An account of the resource William Peterson was born on May 1, 1924 and enlisted in the Navy for 3 years of active duty during WWII. He was stationed in New Guinea where he worked taking aerial photographs for making maps and also taking photographs of the civilian population. After his time in New Guinea, William worked as an instructor for a few months in Florida teaching photography and skeet sharp shooting. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource VanDenBerge, Austin (Interviewer) Forest Hills Eastern High School (Ada, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text 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 2009-06-05 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> 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/1bad9a350fd38a18e6e43a39826af444.m4v 6e1f0a6564a8011dda6815d06824aeaf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a83e9fc513b74561cd7f8ecb60c726c0.pdf 4ab7547daba494b30dabae4b488171f6 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veteran’s History Project World War II Gerald Page Length of Interview (01:29:50) Background (00:00:00) Born October 1, 1925; Reed City, MI U.S. Army Air Corps, World War II Enlisted in 1942 during his last year of high school; graduated in 1943 Sworn in August 3, 1943 at Fort Custer, Battle Creek Active Duty on November 1943 Went into Fort Sheridan, Chicago, didn’t stay there long Sent to Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri, for basic training  Went through physical examination, medical exams (eye tests, specifically), testing of intelligence; training lasted until January His father owned businesses Decided to join the Army Air Corps, a romantic inclination (wanted to be a pilot)  Most of his friends went into the Navy, which didn’t appeal to Page Gunnery School/Training (00:05:00) After finishing in St. Louis, given options of doing odd-jobs around air bases or going to Gunnery School Did a lot of running, hiking, physical tests during basic training Left St. Louis and was sent to a Mechanic’s School in Amarillo, Texas doing grunt work Sent to Salt Lake City, then to Curry, Nebraska  Stayed for a week or two and was then sent to Gunnery School in Las Vegas, Nevada  There until summer  Given a small break to go back to Reed City �Went to Lincoln, Nebraska where he was put into a crew Sent to Ardmore, Oklahoma to do phase training Three or four months in Gunnery School (00:07:35) Shot everything that had a bullet, a lot of training with all types of weapons  Moving targets, air targets  Used colored bullets when hitting from the air  Was miserable training because they were out in the desert near Las Vegas during the summer  A lot of men washed out during this time  Flew in B-17’s  Three men in a plane, taking turns shooting; lots of smoke and incredible heat (100 degrees) Lived and flew with his crew in Lincoln, Nebraska (00:09:20)  Did camera missions, sometimes shot actual bullets at targets  There for three months; camp was named Gene Autry, but was called Ardmore (Oklahoma)  Doing more gunnery training here while the pilots, navigators, and bombardiers did theirs On a pilot mission when the propeller started ‘windmilling’ and they had to feather it (00:10:35)  Couldn’t get it feather and everyone was told to get their parachutes on and get ready to bail out  Eventually got the engine to feather and landed in Ardmore  The next day in class, Page was called and taken to the area where a parachute was laid out  It was the parachute he was using the day before  It had been burned because it had been laying near a socket, very lucky they didn’t bailout the day before � One the mission, had to shut off the engine because the vibrations from the propeller made the plane unbalanced Southern Italy (00:13:05) Supposed to fly to England to pick up a plane in Nebraska  The night before this mission, had a navigational mission  The navigator had led them to the wrong place, supposed to be heading for Kansas City  Had to use the radio to get direction to land at an airport  The substitute pilot had already flown 25 missions in the 8th Air Force and said he was not flying with this navigator across the ocean Page’s crew went over in a boat; went by train to Norfolk, Virginia, onto Liberty Ship in a convoy (00:14:28)  German submarines had attacked them on the way over (hadn’t known it at the time)  Towed to Azores Islands and were told by men in the Navy that they were very lucky  A torpedo had shot their ship’s propeller off Stayed on the Azores until their propeller could be fixed  The town had no room for them, so they stayed on a patrolling Destroyer, then a Tanker Eventually made it to Italy (00:16:00) 15th Air Force, took a couple days of training Came ashore in Naples, Italy  Drove a truck from the other side of Italy to Naples; very flat plains that were taken over by the US, and then to the air base at Foggia, Italy; assigned to an aircraft as a ball turret gunner (00:17:25)  Started flying out with different crews to get orientated then began flying with their original crew  Page flew more missions due to his size since only smaller men could fit in the ball turret  Ball turret was in the belly of the aircraft � Couldn’t have his chute with him A week after arriving, in his first combat Flew missions mostly in Southern Germany, Northern Italy, and some near the Alps  Had to bomb German supply routes, bridges, and towns (a lot of towns around Vienna for oil refineries)  8-10 hours of flight for missions The Average Day (00:19:45) Would be shaken awake at 1AM in the morning  Taken down to the mess hall and given a good breakfast  Get dressed and go to Group HQ for debriefing  Whole crew took the general briefing (weather briefing, as well)  Would be excused and go to the airport which was about two miles away  Pilots, Navigators, and Bombardiers would go to their respective meetings  Given electric flying suits and guns, Page was given two since he was a ball turret  Also given side arms only during missions Some men who had been shot down and taken prisoner before gave this advice: ‘take that .45 and throw it as far as you can throw it’ If captured with the sidearm, would be accused of killing, whether it was true or not Had 50 caliber machine guns in the ball turret; 16 overall on the plane  Waist gunners on each side, one gun each; the rest had two Given K-rations for lunch (little boxes) (00:23:30)  Breakfast had eggs; Lunch had cheese; Dinner had a meat dish  Given any one of these choices after debriefings  Would usually keep these until they were flying back Have to be 25,000 to 30,000 feet to begin flying in formation � Supposed to be on oxygen at 10,000 feet but they didn’t always do that, didn’t start feeling effects until 11,000 or 12,000 feet Never ran into Italian fighters because they had already surrendered before Page arrived (00:25:10) Encountered German fighters, initially ME 109s, but later jet powered ME 262s  Couldn’t compete with them, would go 500 mph versus the US fighters 200 and 300mph  Didn’t see these planes until later missions Encountered flak all the time, every time; very frightening, a ‘great big black boom’  None of Page’s crew was ever seriously injured by flak Last mission (00:27:05) Going over an oil refinery east of Vienna Out of 27 planes, nine were shot down Would see six or seven men get out of the plane, some with and without parachutes, then watch the plane spiral down and explode Glad he didn’t have to fly again after that Recently read a book that explained the reason why so many planes were shot down at the end of the war: they had a lot more guns and flak from Russia (00:28:08) Had a total of 15 missions There always was someone in the unit who got injured during missions due to flak mainly Page then describes a particularly gory accident with a mechanic and a turret (in Page’s aircraft) Scheduled to fly the next, but it was cancelled, their final mission (00:30:16) The War ended May 6, 1945  The next morning, woke up and never saw so many people so drunk; a celebration Stayed in Italy until November, hadn’t been in the service as long � Some of the ground crew had been there for over three years, some four Sent to Russia after being assigned smaller crews, still given missions (00:32:00) Most of the men from the ground crew were gone on their 30-day leave in the U.S. The Japanese were still fighting, so the ground crew’s leave was cut down to ten days Living Conditions (00:33:15) Six men to a tent, all the crew together  Had to pitch it themselves, theirs had been burnt in some places  Had to build their own furnaces, a lot of empty gas barrels to use  When Page first came there, had to eat outside, no dining hall  No toilet facilities  The food was decent until the War ended Stayed in touch with he family through V-mail (00:35:50) Took sixty days to get from the U.S. to Europe (due to the Azores incident)  Letters from the States were also in V-mail; photograph, to make it faster Had PX’s to buy basic things like toothpaste, socks, etc. Eventually a building was made as a mess hall  After the War was over, a club house was built, but they never got to use Given a pack of cigarettes, cost a dollar Nobody ever drank before a mission, wouldn’t be allowed to go up (00:39:00)  Beer was also rationed, two a week  The men would go to town to get wine, cognac, etc.  Could go into town, but it wasn’t safe; one of Page’s mechanics was attacked Discharge (00:40:50) The Radio Operator in Page’s crew managed to get hold of six sidearms before he left �First thing they did when they arrived in the U.S. was stand in a line, then strip and hand over their packs  Given back their belongings back, but not their flight jackets among other things  The next stop, given steaks in a mess hall Came back through Norfolk, on an aircraft carrier, a converted cruise ship  Went through the Northern Atlantic, very rocky journey back Rest Camps (00:43:00) Doesn’t recall anyone doing anything for good luck (before missions), maybe some praying  When Page’s crew got into the plane, they would flip to see who got what K-ration meal Could smoke in the planes, but not when they had to oxygen masks on The money made by the PX would go to getting entertainment from traveling shows every few months Remembers an Indian man piercing himself with needles Bob Hope had come to Foggia once, but too many people so Page didn’t attend After five missions, went to rest camp in Capri (an island off of Italy) for a week (00:45:40)  Would go to rest camp after every five missions  Didn’t always go with his crew, got separated from them  Had rest camps in Rome, as well  Took quite a few tours around, very beautiful place  In Capri, young boys would take a boat out and dive for octopi without masks or gear  Beautiful caves, a lot of nice scenery (a particular church on a hill) Bombing Missions (00:50:20) Page’s squadron was separated during a mission  If a squadron is ever separated, the commander selects the ‘Target of Opportunity’ �Flying lower than they should have been and see a marshalling yard full of cars (rail yard) with red crosses on them Deciding whether or not to bomb the field Someone argued that cars bound for hospitals would not be put here Commander gives the order to bomb it; created a large explosion, all ammunition trains Did a lot of missions bombing marshalling yards, but their General (Sparks) got the idea of bombing Berlin (00:52:00)  800-900 miles away from where they were  10-11 hours, extra fuel Bombed Berlin, lost a lot of planes coming back (would run out of gas and have to land) Stationed South of Rome, east of Naples (Foggia Flats) Had three groups use the airport, one was British (Bombers- Lancaster) Would send only one plane at a time, continuous bombing (may have had larger gas tanks as they could stay in the air longer) Later, when Page visited Germany, would hear soldiers complaining how the British bombings kept them up all night (00:54:24) Had a good crew, strong, young (oldest was 23) (00:55:00)  Remembers one particular pilot (substitute) who would go crazy whenever they flew into flak, ‘We’re gonna get killed!’ Flew north over Europe, would land in Munich (00:57:00) Could see the roads filled with people who didn’t know where to go (after VE Day) Stayed in Munich for a couple days Remembers going to a bar where a black GI was drinking and when he left, a barmaid asked Page whether or not his skin tone can ‘rub off’ After Service (00:58:30) Got back to the US on an aircraft carrier to Norfolk, VA Went to Indianapolis, Indiana (Camp Atterbury) where he was discharged � On the base for two days, only; during December Took the train back to Michigan, hadn’t told his folks  But his dad was already there with tears in his eyes; may have been waiting for every train for Reeds City, Page never asked him Had been let out earlier, many of his friends were not out (01:00:30) Would visit the bar with the few discharged (except Page was only 20)  A friend of his, who worked for the paper, managed to make him an identification card (police were cracking down on underage drinking) First summer back, state was offering to pay any Veteran $20 a week pension check Went back to college in the winter (February 1946) to Western (Kalamazoo) joined the football team Took accounting, had awful English (his whole class was made to use 8th Grade Grammar books) Attended on the GI Bill, covered most expenses Didn’t keep in touch with his friends in the Army (01:05:00)  Had been contacted by the former Radio Operator in his crew (1956) Has gone to some State Organizations, VFW After college, wanted to work for an oil company Eventually his father went into his own business with Page He and his wife then decided to buy a small resort, Page’s Resort Also became a teacher in Middleville (1953) also did administration Had reenlisted for Reserves; Korean War began, but wasn’t called up (01:16:32) � 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 PageG Title A name given to the resource Page, Gerald (Interview outline and video), 2010 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Page, Gerald Description An account of the resource Gerald Page served in the US Army Air Corps during World War II as a ball turret gunner on a B-17. Page served from 1943 until 1946 and flew a total of 15 missions in the 15th Air Force, mostly over Germany and Austria. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Erichsen, Wallace J. (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Air Corps Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text 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 2010-05-25 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> 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/998bdb715322a0373d498f97192de2f4.mp4 db7f00e3416c574b9d6026b305ceac37 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/26c77d23b93c977560aa5afb4956280c.pdf 78fcebde84eb466703731069adc1bd4a PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview World War II John Pylman Total Time – (58:06) Background      He was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan (00:29) He attended the Christian school system (00:48) Was raised in a Dutch neighborhood with values He had two brothers and one sister (01:15) o His older brother served in World War II as well  He never faced combat He was born November 29, 1924 (02:12) Enlistment/Training – (02:19)            Reviewing his options, he enlisted into the Army Air Force - June, 1943 (02:46) He completed one year at Calvin College and then went into the Air Force o If he was not in college, he could have potentially left nine months earlier The Air Force was a personal preference (03:48) He signed up at the Grand Rapids armory (04:06) He went to basic training in Miami Beach, Florida (04:16) o They took a train from Detroit, Michigan (04:37) o There was a Sergeant in Miami Beach waiting for the new soldiers Basic training was six weeks long (05:12) Training was a challenge o It was tough, but doable (06:02) He made a lot of friends at basic training o Played basketball with many of the guys After basic training, he was sent to Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio for college training detachment (06:41) o Here you find out how skilled you are in academics – primarily math (06:50) o He was evaluated on chances of being successful (07:30)  He chose navigation – spent 9 months in the program (08:19) o There was always physical training involved throughout all of training The training was extremely adequate (14:05) He was sent to Texas to be placed with a crew (14:39) �           o His crew was assigned in November, 1944 He had graduated from the school in September, 1944 Was assigned an aircraft to fly to England (15:20) o The crew flew through Savannah, Georgia, Bangor, Maine, and Gander Field, Newfoundland (15:36)  They were snowed in at Gander Field – December 1944 (15:45)  Cleared to fly after two weeks (16:03) They landed in England three minutes early and fifteen miles to the right (17:20) As a navigator, he had to tell the pilot the heading that the crew takes (17:57) o The navigator has to keep the crew on course, keep track of weather, and simply get the crew there (18:16) There were crews that missed the British Isles and were lost (18:52) There were only months to develop the confidence in one another (19:13) He remembers a time when he had navigated his crew far off course – they flew over New Orleans (20:12) o They later checked his compass and it had been registering ninety degrees off (21:14)  He had been leading the crew on course with the exception of the bad compass When they landed in England, he was given a new plane (21:57) They had new orientating missions Grafton Underwood, England (22:16) After this, he was assigned a B-17G (22:34) o It was considered a very reliable plane (22:58) There were nine crew members (23:13) Active Duty – (23:44)        He was then sent on missions to Germany o Had three missions in February, 1945 (23:53) o They flew nearly every other day in March, 1945 – 15 missions  That was considered a lot (24:30) o There nearly 900 planes bombing Germany at this time (24:46) At this point, there was not very much fighter opposition (25:08) The end of the war was the best time to be bombing Germany (25:32) His first targets were over the Ruhr, Germany (26:04) o Also had a flight to Munich, Germany (26:14)  It was an 11 hour round-trip He logged 175 hours and 55 minutes of combat time (26:23) There was some damage to their plane o There were 45 holes in their plane after one trip (26:42)  No one in the crew was hit There were repair crews that would fix the planes to be ready the next day (27:45) �                      On one mission, they lost an engine at 15,000 feet – 5,000 feet below bombing level (28:30) o They were directed to leave the flight Flying in formation is easier on the navigator – you follow the leader, serving as a navigator (29:56) o Close formation is the best defense as well as the best target Everyone is business as they approach the bombing sites (31:10) o Begins as soon as the plane hits the coast o There is no messing around during the actual mission (31:29) He flew in 22 missions – 30 is considered a complete tour (32:30) o After 30, you are sent home He was re-assigned to an Air Force base in Istres, France (33:44) They were sent back and forth between Istres and northern Africa to deliver salvaged materials (34:15) o Mainly to keep the crew sharp He was there on occupational duty from June, 1945 – May, 1946 (34:39) He was, for the most part, out of danger Only 3 months felt like there was potential danger (35:15) In Africa, there was a lot of free time Based on the military point system, it was primarily a time of building up points in order to be sent home (35:37) While others were being sent home, he became Squadron Command (36:22) o He was only a 1st Lieutenant at the time He was able to go and travel Europe in a jeep for 10 days (37:14) o Traveled to the French Riviera o Then went to Copenhagen, Denmark (37:34) On the trip, him and his friends went to Berlin, Germany o They went into a biergarten wearing their uniforms (37:52)  They did not receive a great reception Coming home, they were sent by boats (38:41) One weekend, while serving in Europe, they went to London, England (39:33) o They were given many privileges as a combat crew o On the trip, their plane was sent on a mission with another crew  The plane faced trouble and was lost – the crew included On the base, soldiers could play poker, spend some money, and drink beer (41:16) He was very interested in wrestling There was entertainment that came on the weekends (41:56) o He was not impressed with the entertainment – too much drinking He was able to diligently write to his future wife and mother during this time (42:32) o He received weekly letters He had a friend [Huff] who loudly came in one night and turned his light on got it shot out by a friends slingshot (46:39) The checks were sent back home – one hundred dollars every month – the other sixty dollars were kept for the necessities (48:55) � He says that everyone who knew anyone serving in the war was worried about their safety After the Service – (50:52)        The military experience has helped change his views – he believes that war should be avoided at all cost (51:06) o Any war that America goes in to as a country, the country should be totally committed to the war (51:42) Humans should never be sacrificed for a political reason He was able to use the G.I. Bill and finish his final three years of college, get his Masters Degree, and got his Doctorate as well (52:35) o All were done with the help of the G.I. Bill  Does not remember running out of support from the bill (52:46) Never joined any kind of veterans organizations Was a part of the reserve until 1955 (53:04) Learning to follow directions and how important direction are was an extremely valuable lesson that he learned by serving in the military (53:50) o He could not choose if he followed directions, but he could choose how well he would follow them o It is important to know how to give directions as well as take them (54:49) He served as a principal of a school for many years (55:11) � 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 PylmanJ1383V Title A name given to the resource Pylman, John (Interview outline and video), 2012 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pylman, John Description An account of the resource John Pylman was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan November 29, 1924. After attending Calvin College for one year, he decided to enlist into the Air Force in June of 1943. John was sent to Miami Beach where he spent six weeks in basic training. After the six weeks of basic training, he was sent to Wittenberg University in Ohio where he received college training detachment. John chose to become a navigator and was assigned to England with a crew of nine members. While serving in Europe, John went on twenty-two missions across the continent. He finished out his service by delivering salvaged materials from North Africa. 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 Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Army Air Forces World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text 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 2012-05-10 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> 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/69f84567e77ed657197df3e111565277.mp4 bce78177687f736a1bbe94909cfea0c4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b59d7ffb180537fdf14a13fc214a55e5.pdf 4f1b89af59870608f595b8add7ffddc7 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview National Guard Band Dave Pugh Total Time – (50:52) Background         He was born in Lansing, Michigan in 1961 (00:23) His family moved when he was two years old to Grand Rapids, Michigan During high school he was very involved in music (00:34) o He enjoyed the music, the interaction, and the friends When he went to college, he decided to take some music classes (00:51) o He enjoyed all of the same elements as he did in high school o During a rehearsal the Director told him that there was a place that needed some trumpet players that paid (01:09) o It was the first time that he realized he could make money from music (01:19) He knew that he could get a teaching degree and then teach music (01:33) One of his friends told him that he played in an Army band o He did not think that he could play in an Army band because he was in college o The band played and rehearsed once a week (01:55)  They also did summer concerts When he went to check out the Army band he found out that there were multiple local band directors that were there (02:21) o He felt like it was the beginning of networking He talked to the recruiter about being part of the group o The recruiter was very encouraging (02:39) o This was around 1980 Enlistment/Training – (02:49)   Because it was the beginning of Ronald Reagan’s presidency [Jimmy Carter had given the order to restart draft registration], he had to go and sign up for the draft (02:54) o The draft had been reinstituted o He was not afraid to go and fill out the card for the draft (03:08) He remembers watching the news about Vietnam when it was occurring (03:20) o The news made Vietnam seem scary but he did not feel like it was something to fear �             o However, he was told that if he joined, he could choose what he would do (03:41)  If you get drafted, the military gets to pick what you do o He saw joining the band as an opportunity to get better as a player, meet some people, and get paid a little (03:55) The group that he had met was part of the 126th National Guard Band (04:07) Once he signed up, they were very accommodating because he was a student (04:26) He went to Fort Jackson, South Carolina for Basic Training (04:34) o It was extremely hot – he ran, did pushups and sit-ups, and all the other typical training After Basic Training he went to AIT (Advanced Individual Training) (05:06) o He went in with the Civilian Acquired Skills Program because he had the skill of playing an instrument o He had a higher rank when he went in (05:22) A year after AIT he went to Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana to play in a band (05:30) o He enjoyed his time there – they almost convinced him to stay  They tried to convince him to finish his studies at Butler University and stay with the group (06:05) When he was at Fort Benjamin Harrison he did “graveyard duty” o There were eight of them that would drive around in a van and play at military funerals (06:21) o The majority of them were day trips He would get used to the routine of playing (06:52) It was very satisfying for him to play because he felt like he was showing honor to those that had given more than he felt like he was giving (07:04) He would sometimes be able to meet the families They played primarily at the funerals of World War II and Korean War veterans (07:22) Because he was playing in the summer, the stints were roughly eight or nine weeks o In Indianapolis the stints were a month long (07:38) At Basic Training in South Carolina, the Drill Sergeants were just as tough on him as anyone (08:00) o They want to press the soldiers to see if they will do what they are told (08:05) o There was one soldier that was having a seizure – he spoke before he was supposed to do and had to do pushups o They teach the soldiers how to respond when under pressure (08:41) He trained with all kinds of people o He was only one of three college guys (08:49) o His bunkmate was another guy from college o There were guys that probably had a GED (General Educational Development) (09:06) o There were tall guys, short guys, fat guys, and skinny guys �   They were just normal people (09:17) o The majority of the guys were from the South Most of the men that started with him also finished (09:47) o Some went through extraordinary measures to not stay in (09:52) The men in Indiana were completely different than those in South Carolina o For them it was a life profession (10:20) o Some of them were going to be lifers in the Army o He was amazed at how much like college it was (10:36) o All afternoon there were three our four hours of free time After Training/Band Attachment – (11:09)        After Fort Benjamin Harrison he had three more years of college (11:13) o He went to Central Michigan University (11:22) There was no one that he knew that got their degree in four years He graduated in 1986 (12:10) Since he had already done training, his regular duties for the National Guard was to follow the schedule that was handed down by the Band Master (12:21) o The Band Master made them feel like they had input on the schedules He had an opportunity to go to London, England for the 40th Anniversary of NATO (12:45) o They only took twenty five people in a block  He did not get to go (13:11)  He planned on going but could not spend six weeks away from his three month old child (13:33)  When his friend found out that he was not going he felt bad Every Tuesday night he was required to go to Grand Rapids, Michigan for rehearsal (14:07) o Every Tuesday night he would leave rehearsal in the middle because he had a class o He enjoyed his Tuesday nights (15:06) During the summers he had various things to do o They tried to tour the state every year (15:25)  They would do it in different portions o They played for many different things (15:41) o On January 1st they would play in Lansing, Michigan for the different inaugurations o They did military graduations (16:01)  They would go to Fort Custer, Michigan to play as well o They were the only National Guard band in the state (16:14)  There was an Army band in the state but they did not have enough to field an entire band o When he entered, the band only had 30-40 members. After ten years there were over 50 players in the band (16:20) o He sang as well �         When he joined the National Guard, there were three or four guys that had actually seen active duty in Vietnam (18:24) o There were five or six guys that had been in the band when they were deployed near the riots in Detroit in the later 1960’s o There were two or three girls in the group (18:51)  As the group grew there were more women that joined o Some men had served and wanted to come back and play (19:17) Once a year the soldiers would have to go to Fort Custer, Michigan and fire M16’s to re-qualify (19:34) o There was a certain amount of mystique of the 1970’s when things were crazy His band was attached to the hospital (20:44) o When the hospital drilled, they would drill o They were told that they were the only band in the country that was attached to a hospital (21:30) o They eventually became attached to Headquarters (21:40) After they were switched they had a lot more ease of scheduling and could do what they wanted to do o For Headquarter related duties they would play at an officer’s ball or any other kind of similar activity (22:28) His band was very good at sight reading – they had an entire folder of background music that could be played by everyone in the band o There were certain patriotic numbers that everyone would always want to here (23:18) When they were attached to Headquarters they were taken to a section that was quite large (24:07) o Some of the men were not pleased with the fact that they had to do certain duties such as digging holes o Around the mid-1980’s there was a push to not have “A fat band that just sits around. These are military guys.” (24:30)  Because he had been in Basic Training only three years before, he was fine with the switch. Some of the other older men were not okay with the change (25:07)  Some of the men stepped down because of it After five years he only made E5 (25:52) He had fifteen years of service with the band (26:14) He was nervous during the Gulf War o He believes that he came very close to going (26:59) Active Duty – (27:28)  When he was doing his weeks of active duty in the summer, the band would do a lot of fun things o In Newberry, Michigan there was a mental health facility that they were at when a veteran yelled, “Play or go home!” (28:19) �   o The once played at the Wyoming Senior Center  Everyone in the audience was in a bed or on a wheelchair (28:50) o They once went to Trinidad and Tobago for two weeks (29:47)  The band spent the first portion of their trip in Tobago  When they set up to play for the locals, they were dancing, swinging, and really enjoying their time (30:40)  In Trinidad they had a good time as well o They also had a fifteen day trip to Italy (31:45)  They played in the embassy (31:58)  It was a cocktail evening  They played for the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus in Genoa, Italy (32:08)  They played in many different cities  The people were warm, friendly, and loved Americans (32:30) o After one concert, many Italians came up to them and wanted to give them some items  One older fellow came and told him how thankful to America he was (33:27)  He told them that he was a boy during World War II when Germans came into his town when Americans arrived and defeated the Germans, saving their property (33:44)  It was the highlight of his musical life o He played in a beautiful opera house in Italy as well (34:25) o In 1989, the band was called on to be the United States representatives to go on tour in China (36:25)  They took courses on Chinese culture, language, etc.  When they were all set to go, the events at Tiananmen Square happened and they had to pull out (36:56)  He was hugely disappointed (37:05)  He had previously investigated going to China to teach English  When they had been ready to go, his wife got pregnant and they were declined work (37:27) Over the course of his sixteen years, the National Guard significantly changed o It was look in the 1970’s and then eventually tightened up (38:33)  It was good that it tightened up o It went from being haphazardly assigned to the hospital to being more appropriately assigned to Headquarters (38:48) o It seemed like he did a lot more performing in the later years He thinks the National Guard Band is good for people to see because it opens up their eyes to see that the military is not just the Infantry, Air Force, Navy Seals, etc. (39:18) After his first six years he was offered the G.I. Bill if he reenlisted for another six years (39:56) o He was already done with college so they paid a certain portion of his student loan debt (40:08)  The military paid his balance �           It was very financially rewarding The last eight or nine years were a great period of growth for the band (40:29) He had one opportunity where he played in a brass quintet o He was flown out of Grand Ledge, Michigan on a helicopter to fly to Detroit (41:22) He thinks that there was a change in the way things went on in the military o When he joined, the group went from a sloppier group to a more professional group (42:46) o As the group got bigger, better, and more professional, it seemed as though the Army did the same thing (43:14) o Soldiers in the National Guard felt like their jobs had some significance He did not stay in longer than sixteen years because his family moved (43:38) o Now he wishes he would have gone back and taken those five years His experiences in the service were extremely positive (44:14) o He started to run during the service as well o He gained a sense of confidence that he could do all kinds of physical activities o There were days that were over 100 degrees where they would not do anything (44:39)  The military would protect the soldiers (44:53) He made a lot of positive connections while playing with the band o He was able to get a job through his connections (46:20) o He was able to network through his connections (46:31) While he was teaching as a band director, he was playing with an adult band – he was able to have a standard for when he was teaching He tells young people that the Reserves or the National Guard is the best choice for them (47:17) When he was on Twitter one time, he got a reply that someone was excited to see him up there o The military obviously has people that work with social media to connect with others (48:43) o The list of jobs in the military is endless He still has several friends that were a part of his military career (50:03) � 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 PughD1074V Title A name given to the resource Pugh, Thomas Dave (Interview outline and video), 2011 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pugh, Thomas Dave Description An account of the resource Dave Pugh was born in Lansing, Michigan in 1961. Dave was in college during the aftermath of Vietnam, studying music and teaching. He enlisted into the military to be a part of the National Guard Band. He went to Fort Jackson, South Carolina for Basic Training. After AIT training he went to Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana where he played alongside a National Guard Band. During his time in the band he played at veterans' funerals, at the 40th anniversary of NATO in London, England, at the Michigan inaugurations, mental health facilities, Trinidad and Tobago, and Italy. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Byron Area Historic Museum (Byron Center, Mich.) BCTV Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. National Guard Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text 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 2011-03-29 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> 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/7fdec505d64885fd137d1534b49b35e5.mp4 f36f91c07eb4d125e2edae5fdec2c1c4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/64cfdba8f1975acbf959d21a36be205c.pdf 480f3cd4bd7c64e2c065115e5a3d111d PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Douglas Puffer Vietnam War 39 minutes 39 seconds (00:00:25) Early Life -Born on October 12, 1948 in Iowa City, Iowa -Grew up on a farm near Mechanicsville, Iowa -Father was a second generation farmer -Owned 320 acres of farmland -Attended Lincoln Community High School in Stanwood, Iowa -Graduated from high school in 1966 (00:01:16) Awareness of Vietnam War -Aware of the Vietnam War when he was growing up -A student from his high school had dropped out and joined the Marines and was killed in action -Attending the funeral made the war seem that much more real -He had no desire to go to Vietnam (00:01:54) Attending Drafting (CAD/Design) School and Life Before the Army -After high school went to Oklahoma and enrolled in drafting program in the state -Studied in that field for a few years -Was able to graduate -Got married while in drafting school -Graduated in December 1968 -He and his wife moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa where he found a job (00:02:32) Getting Drafted by the Army -Early May 1969 received his draft notice in the mail -Ordered to report for basic training in late May 1969 (00:03:08) Basic Training -Attended basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana -Training was a nine week program -He didn’t want to be there and his performance reflected his attitude -Wanted to continue being a husband and a worker, not a soldier -Physical aspect of training was challenging for him -Some National Guardsmen and Reservists were training with them -Mostly draftees though -A large portion of the draftees were teachers -Majority of the men in training were from the Midwest -Several of the drill instructors had served in Vietnam -Rarely mentioned experience there or offered advice (00:05:39) Specialized Training for M16 -During bivouac (field) training received orders for specialized training -Told he had been selected to train with the M16 -Indicated that he was most likely going to Vietnam -Had spent basic training using the M14 �-Taught how to disassemble and clean the M16 -No qualification or other firearm training with it (00:06:47) Advanced Infantry Training (AIT) -Did AIT at Fort Polk, Louisiana -Granted two weeks emergency leave because wife needed surgery -This happened after basic, but before AIT -AIT program was nine weeks -Same training as basic, but intensified -Trained for assaults at a mock up village off base -Most of the trainers had never been to Vietnam -AIT didn’t truly prepare him for the reality of combat in Vietnam (00:09:00) Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) Training -He was one of twenty five recruits selected for APC training at Fort Knox, Kentucky -Thought that that meant he wouldn’t have to walk in Vietnam -Three weeks of training -Familiarized with the vehicle -Learned how to drive an APC -Training at Fort Knox was enjoyable and served as a morale boost -Trained at Fort Knox in October 1969 -Weather made training pleasurable (00:10:02) Deployment to Vietnam -Received orders for deployment to Vietnam at the end of APC training -Given two weeks of leave -Had to report to Oakland, California -From there went to Vietnam -He was going in as a replacement -Didn’t know what his unit was going to be, or his location in Vietnam (00:10:53) Arriving in Vietnam Pt. 1 -Arrived in Bien Hoa Air Base near Saigon -First impression of Vietnam was that it was hot, humid, and stunk -Smelled different than the farm did, and worse -Saw soldiers waiting to board planes to go home -Their urgency to leave Vietnam was a definite blow to morale for him (00:11:50) Wife’s Perspective on Deployment -His wife had been emotionally prepared for his deployment -Her brothers had served in Vietnam -His deployment still had a profound effect on her (00:12:14) Arriving in Vietnam Pt. 2 -Stayed in Bien Hoa for a few days for processing and the first part of in country training -Received his assignment to the 101st Airborne Division after a few days -Had no idea where they were stationed (00:13:16) Camp Evans -Flown up to Camp Evans to join the 101st Airborne Division -Completed the second half of in country training at Camp Evans -Training consisted of basic facts about Vietnam and protocol -Assigned to Delta Company, the 2nd Battalion, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division �-Didn’t see an APC until the final week of his tour -Being assigned to the Airborne was confusing -Hadn’t taken jump training in basic training -Associated the Airborne divisions with paratrooper missions -Delta Company was in the field when he arrived, so he waited at Camp Evans -Went through processing while waiting for Delta to return -Assigned his squad and platoon when Delta returned -One soldier became his mentor and informally introduced him to Vietnam -By this time it was November 1969 (00:16:25) First Time in the Field -Stayed in Camp Evans for a few days more -Went into the field for the first time on December 10, 1969 -Didn’t know how to prepare, or what to expect -Placed on a helicopter and was flown out to a landing zone (LZ) -Expected to take fire upon landing; didn’t know LZ’s were cleared first -Walked down a hill and took a break to collect themselves -Patrol in the field had begun in a mountainous region -It was the start of monsoon season -Moved into the Lowlands afterwards -Returned to Camp Evans after being in the field for about a month -Stayed on Camp Evans for a few days before going back into the field (00:20:20) Firebase Shepard -Sent to Firebase Shepard -Abandoned artillery position -Job was to be the security detail, so that leftover ordinance could be destroyed -Firefight ensued while at Firebase Shepard -Got extracted while still taking fire -Ordinance was successfully destroyed though -Remembers feeling the heat of a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) passing over his head -Fighting at Firebase Shepard was his first experience with combat (00:22:36) Firebase Ripcord Pt. 1 -He and his unit participated in the beginning of the Battle of Firebase Ripcord -Remembers expanding a landing zone (LZ) with explosives -Got hit in the back and wounded by a falling tree -Colonel Lucas’s command helicopter picked him up -Got to observe smoke grenades being dropped from the helicopter to mark LZ’s (00:23:40) Rear Duty at Camp Evans Pt. 1 -Transferred back to Camp Evans to an aid station to be treated for wounds -Took two weeks to heal -Once he was healed enough he guarded the perimeter at Camp Evans -After two weeks he rejoined Delta Company in the field (00:24:45) Firebase Ripcord Pt. 2 -He was on and off Firebase Ripcord a few times -Field duty was getting boring, so he volunteered for perimeter guard duty at Camp Evans -First part of July 1970 which meant R&R was coming soon -He wanted an easy transition into a break �(00:26:03) R&R -Felt guilty in retrospect taking rear duty and R&R while Delta Company was at Ripcord -Met his wife in Hawaii for a week-long vacation -Flight to Hawaii was exuberant -Flight back was depressing -Had been in Vietnam for seven months (00:27:03) Returning to Vietnam -Returned to Camp Evans after R&R and pulled rear duties waiting for Delta Company to return -He was aware of Delta Company rescuing Alpha Company at Firebase Ripcord -He wanted to go back and help them, but wasn’t authorized to go -He could hear the battle and rescue operation in real time via the radio -When Delta Company returned to Camp Evans he rejoined them -Went back into the field with them and stayed in the field until September 1970 (00:28:31) Clerical & Aide Duties at Camp Evans -In September 1970 he was called back to Camp Evans to be a carpenter -Didn’t know anything about carpentry, but didn’t question it -Wound up becoming a clerk, jeep driver, and general aide -All rear area workers had been in combat for at least a few months -Officer wanted men who had seen combat to be in administration -Felt that they knew what the men in the field wanted -He made sure that Delta Company received the proper supplies and treats when possible -Wounded member of Delta Company was sent to Camp Evans to be his aid -They disassembled, moved, and reassembled two barracks together -He took a thirty day extension so that he could leave six months early -Camp Evans occasionally took rocket and mortar fire -Relatively sporadic and uneventful, but still jarring when it happened (00:31:56) Coming Home and Leaving the Army -Left Vietnam in November 1970 and arrived in Fort Lewis, Washington -Processing to get discharged took about twenty four hours -Remembers leaving on the plane out of Seattle and waking up in Chicago -Took a flight from Chicago to Cedar Rapids, Iowa -Wife picked him up at the airport (00:32:57) Life after the Army -Returned to his previous job in January 1971 -Worked there until January 1972 when he was laid off due to stagnant economy -Got another job six weeks later -He and his wife moved to Florida in 1980 -Became the supervisor of a CAD design group -Had to take night classes to adapt to design changes brought on by computers Interview ends at 00:35:06 � 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 PufferD1538V Title A name given to the resource Puffer, Douglas (Interview outline and video), 2013 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Puffer, Douglas Description An account of the resource Douglas Puffer was born in 1948 in Iowa City, Iowa. He grew up on a farm in Iowa, and after high school he attended a drafting and design school in Oklahoma where he met his wife and graduated from that in December 1968, and received his draft notice a few months later. He trained at Fort Polk, Louisiana, with specialized training for armored personnel carriers. When he deployed to Vietnam in October, 1969, he found himself in an airborne unit, Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. He was sent to Camp Evans and he and his unit saw action on and around Firebase Shepard and Firebase Ripcord, and he spent the end of his enlistment in the rear before returning home and being discharged in November 1970. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource McGregor, Michael (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text 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 2013-10-12 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> 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/3f4567caa52a7e7ea3305ad753598756.mp4 316e706e33ca7590a325bd898dfd8e2e https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d5c63e4817f22a2f3b14c7224cdc9b74.pdf f498e6b44bda2b96f003aa744ffdf58b PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Richard Prosch (01:04:35) (00:15) Background Information • • • • • Richard was born on March 27, 1921 in Indiana His family later moved to Chicago where his father had just bought a pharmacy Richard graduated from high school in 1939 and began going to Denison University in Ohio Richard had been on Christmas vacation when Pearl Harbor was attacked He signed up for the Navy in 1941 and his service was deferred until he graduated in 1943 (04:25) Enlistment • After graduating Richard was sent to only a week later to Notre Dame to take naval classes for 4 months • Richard then went to Maryland for additional training while they were waiting for their ship to be ready to go overseas • He volunteered to go on a landing invasion of France because he had been anxious and had not wanted to wait for the other ship (09:50) Overseas • Richard had previously trained in Virginia and Indiana with artillery before leaving • They landed in England in December of 1943 • It was an uneventful trip on the Mauretania and they traveled with an escort • Once in Liverpool they continued training and practiced landing on beaches • Richard had been training in Slapton Sands when an LST was attacked and sunk right in front of them (19:15) Invasion—Omaha Beach • They left from Weymouth Harbor and crossed the English Chanel • Richard then boarded a landing ship, but it was hard for him to get motivated because there were bodies everywhere on the beach • The first men on the beach were mostly all hit with bullets, but helped clear the way for others • The obstacles on the beach had all been cleared out earlier by the Navy Seals • Remembering the invasion now is like watching a movie to him �(31:40) Working with the 2nd Division • Richard and others were covered by planes as they made their way up the beach hills • He was reassigned to the 2nd Division to help spot them as they covered the beach • Richard had previously been working with the 1st Division (42:10) Normandy • Richard and others made their way inland and there were cows everywhere, but it was a very beautiful area • Bombardment had left much battle damage • They eventually went back to England on a LST and all the wounded were sent back to the US • Richard then began working with an Assault Signal Group called Jasko • The group was ordered to be sent back to the US on the Queen Mary and prepare to be sent to the Pacific (48:15) Back in the US • Richard was sent back to his home base for 10 days and then took a train to San Francisco • They left on a Coast Guard ship called the USS Shaw • Richard had gotten engaged to his girlfriend before leaving for California (50:10) New Guinea and the Philippines • On the way through the Pacific they stopped in Hollandia, New Guinea and the Philippines • Richard was working with the 6th Division in Manila for quite a while before he broke his wrist • He then boarded a Dutch hospital ship that had a Chinese crew and British doctors • His wrist was put in a cast and he was sent to Hawaii (57:35) The End of the War • Richard had been in a hospital in California on VJ Day and was very happy that the war was finally over • He was sent to Great Lakes Naval hospital in Chicago where they operated on his wrist • He then continued working with the Navy, which was trying to sell old equipment to civilians • His father asked him to work with him because he had then purchased two other pharmacies • Richard went to school for another 4 years and worked as a pharmacist for 28 years � 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 ProschR Title A name given to the resource Prosch, Richard (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Prosch, Richard Description An account of the resource Richard Prosch was born in 1921 in Indiana and graduated from high school in 1939. He attended college in Ohio and signed up for the Navy shortly after Pearl Harbor was attacked. His appointment was deferred until his graduation in 1943. Richard trained as a naval liaison to work with army units in invasions. While training in England, he witnessed the Slapton Sands disaster. He landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day with the 1st Division, and then worked with the 2nd Division as it landed the next day. He was subsequently transferred to the Pacific, and served in the Philippines. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Navy World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Video recordings Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text 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 2008-07-04 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> 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/000479559cacc346cba7d1bb769d9b4b.mp4 760558bdffe55ecc3b3a71d5018394d3 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7046aa3939d9d9322b11bae27f231158.pdf c4a372cd446b84bc6814c0c8a471fdc0 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Oral History Interview Transcript Russel Prince Born: 1922 near Cadillac, MI. WWII Veteran United States Army, October 15, 1940 to January 1945 (Red Arrow) Division Interviewed by: Jodi Moore and Joy Miedema, GVSU Transcribed by: Joan Raymer June 22, 2007 Interviewer: “What was your family like? Did you have any brothers or sisters?” Yes, I had 3 sisters and 1 brother. Interviewer: “What types of activities were you involved in growing up?” Baseball, football and swimming. Interviewer: “Were you drafted or enlisted?” I enlisted. Interviewer: “Why did you enlist?” I enlisted for the money and for the recreation – swimming and basketball. Interviewer: “How old were you?” I was 17. Interviewer: “How did your family feel about your enlistment?” They didn’t like it. 1:33 Interviewer: “What kinds of things were you required to do before you went to boot camp? You mentioned there was a swimming pool, but did you have anything that you had to do?” Yes, we had training once a week and during the summer we were at Camp Grayling for 2 weeks every summer. Interviewer: “What type of extra curricular activities did they have? You mentioned the swimming pool.” Up there, there were no extra activities it was all training. Interviewer: “What were your reactions to being sent to boot camp?” Well, we went in for a year and it didn’t bother us too much. We thought it would be something different and like I said before, the money was very important because there was no money around and we were under federal service for 1 year. 2:30 At the end of 1 �the year it was extended 6 months, but I was slated to go home on January the 1st of 1942, but Pearl Harbor happened in December before I left, so I stayed in. I had to stay in. Interviewer: “What did you think training in Louisiana was going to be like?” Well, we trained for European warfare; it was training in different areas of Louisiana compared to the territories we would be in, in Europe and the hardest part was the 6-week maneuver we had, that was the hardest part. 3:25 Interviewer: “What did you do during that 6 week maneuver?” Well, we ran an anti-tank company, we had our vehicles, we had 12 guns, which was separated 4 guns to each battalion. It was very hard to communicate and to keep track of your men and where they were. Interviewer: “What was the weather like compared to what you were used to?” Hot and humid. Interviewer: “Were there any insects and mosquito problems?” Mosquito, there was a great problem with ticks that we found down in the pine forest that we were training in. That was basically the thing, Mosquitoes and Ticks. Interviewer: “What was your favorite part of being in boot camp? Ok part?” I don’t think there was anything special. It was something that we had to go through. We were getting paid for it and the government wanted us to train for the European war. It was continual hard training. 4:46 Interviewer: “Did you feel you were well prepared when you finished training in Louisiana? Prepared to fight?” Yea, I was fully prepared. We left Louisiana after Pearl Harbor and we went to Massachusetts in January and we trained in winter warfare, combined the European theater. We were sent from there to Fort Dix, which is the debarkation point going to Europe. We stayed on the Pullman trains that we were on for 6 hours and they pulled Pullmans next to us and we transferred trains and instead of going to Fort Dix, we were headed west through the Pennsylvania mountains and we landed in California. 5:44 We didn’t know what was going to happen from there on. Interviewer: “Is that the first time you found out you weren’t going to Europe?” Yes, when we woke up the next morning on the Pullmans, we were headed west. We spent about 2 weeks in San Francisco and boarded ships to someplace; we didn’t know where we were going. Interviewer: “How would you describe the train ride across the country then?” It was very interesting because for most of us, we were young, we were going through states we had never seen and the terrain was altogether different and the people meeting the trains in the stations were different, it was different and friendly. 6:37 2 �Interviewer: “Where there any specific stops that you remember because of something people there had done?” No, we stopped and I got off the train, went to a drug store and paid for whatever I purchased and I got change in silver dollars. I had to run to catch the train with a pocket of silver dollars, that’s one memorable spot. Interviewer: “What was it like when you were waiting in California for your ship to go?” Well, we were right in San Francisco and we got passes every night to go out, it was different and interesting because we had never been that far west and it was just a different area altogether than what we had ever been in. 7:37 Interviewer: “How long did you wait in California?” We were there about 2 weeks. Interviewer: “What was the ship ride like over to Australia?” The ship ride was very, very interesting. We were on a luxury liner and they had carpenters along on the trip. They were putting plywood over all the fixtures in the ship, all the important area in the dining room etc. so we wouldn’t destroy them. It was a 21day ride going across, we were supposed to land in northern Australia, but the Coral Sea Battle was engaged and we had to detour to south Australia. Interviewer: “did anyone get sea sick?” 8:36 Not that I know of. Interviewer: “What were your first impressions of Australia when you got there?” First impressions? It was a strange country. The language was a little different, the people reacted different than we did to some things, they were more tense about the war because the Japanese were in New Guinea and they thought that would be the landing point for the Japanese to get to Australia. 9:18 They were more concerned about the war than we were at the time. Interviewer: “What type of training did you receive there?” Again we received training with our guns, with our vehicles for anti-tank work, which we were wondering about at the time, if it had ever been used, but we had to train in that because that’s what we were brought over as. Interviewer: “How was this training different than what you received in Louisiana?” It was not too much different than that, it was typical training that you would get in any part of the world I think, that you were in. Interviewer: “What kind of activities did you participate in when you weren’t in training?” In south Australia, again it was strictly training, there were no activities, nothing that we could do and we were on the base camp there. We did get off for a weekend or 3 �something to go to Adelaide, which was about 30 miles away, but other than that there were no activities to work with. 10:40 Interviewer: “Was you unit flown or shipped to New Guinea?” Shipped. We went from Adelaine down to Melbourne and to Brisbane. We were at Brisbane about 2 months at Camp Gable where we disembarked for New Guinea. Interviewer: “What were your first impressions of New Guinea?” We were wondering what they were fighting there for. It was a hot climate, it was wet, there was really nothing there. The place that we landed was Port Moresby, it was supposed to be a good size town for New Guinea, but it was all bombed out and there was no one living there. 11:37 We were sent to a cocoanut grove where we set up and waited our orders. We spent about a week in that area when we got orders to go on the Kokoda Trail over the mountains. They said it would be about a 30-day trip and we had denims, blue denims, one set that we started out with; we carried ammunition and food basically. We started out and we made 16 miles the first 10 days and from then on it got a little harder and we spent 57 days in the mountains, running into the enemy and going on. We went over the mountains and the map I had was dated 1916 and this was 1940 so it was a hard trail to find on the 1916 map. 12:44 Interviewer: “Did you run into any wild animals or anything on the trail?” No, we did not, that I could see. Interviewer: “Did you have a lot of trouble with mosquitoes here like you did in Louisiana or were they worse?” The mosquitoes were worse and that’s where we, the majority of the troops got malaria and we got it on that trip. I was bitten by a mosquito and I didn’t know why we were running fevers, but we found out later on that it was through the mosquitoes. Interviewer: “On the Kokoda Trail, did you track the days you were on the trail or did you figure that out later?” We figured it out later, from the time we left until the time we got up where, up at the front lines where they had more data on what we were doing because we lost track of time and practically sometimes where we were. 13:46 We were delayed different times by Japanese patrols that were larger than the group that we had, so we just waited them out at times. We got as far as Wairopi and we waited there about a week because we estimated a 1,000 or over Japanese troops. We had 300 men and we weren’t going to attack them. Finally the Australians came down from another trail with a larger unit. They wiped the Japanese out, we went to Wairopi and that’s where I said they had a bridge made out of cables and you walked on a single cable over a ravine. We went over Wairopi and met the Australians who were headed for the Sanananda track. We joined them and they branched off and we fought our way up to Sanananda and were put on the front lines there. 14:48 Interviewer: “How did you push through not knowing what day it was? How did you just keep going on with all the hard troubles?” 4 �Well, we didn’t pay too much attention. Our main, our greatest concern going over the trail was the Japanese and as I said, when we left we carried ammunition, small arms and all of our food ran out in about 3 days. The Air force kicked food out of the airplanes without parachutes to us on the ground. They were supposed to have dropping areas, but they never hit them. 15:32 We had to look for the food and ammunition. We kept going over the mountains like that, having food dropped, most of the food was “bully” beef, what the Australians call canned mutton. That was hard to eat after a few days. We did find some food and ammunition going across where the food was dropped to us. Interviewer: “Did you have any contact with the native people in New Guinea?” Yes, we had contact with the natives going over the mountains. We would send letters, if you wanted to call it that, notes to our parents and some guys their wives, with the natives back to Port Moresby. Well, you never knew if they go there or not. 16:27 The closer we got to the Japanese, the more we hesitated to use the natives in any way, because we didn’t know if they were working for the Japanese or if they were friendly to us, so we stayed clear of natives at that point. Interviewer: “How would you describe the native people, were they a lot different than what you would have expected?” Yes they were, like I said, we didn’t see too many of them, but what we seen, they were a little different than we expected. Some of them could speak a little English and some did not. Interviewer: “Did you have any special names that you called them or was it just the native people?” We would give them names. Any name that you would pick out, they would answer to it. Interviewer: “You mentioned that you had contact with the Australians. What was that like? The Australian forces so they come to relieve you?” No, not at Wairopi, we met up with the Australians; they were on the opposite side of the river, Kakuma River and they were battling the Japanese. They left the main force and went in a different direction. We fought out way up the Sanananda Track to where the American front lines were. 18:00 Interviewer: “What was your impression of the Australian forces?” Well, they had more fight in them than we did because they had more contact with the enemy and it was a great help to us, the way they fought, we learned a lot because we did not learn too much going across the mountains because we were not that close to the enemy at any one time. We knew they were ahead of us. Interviewer: “How would you describe any of the leaders you had, the people above you?” Well, the leaders at that time, I would complement them very good. The equipment we had, the information we had, we didn’t get information, the radios didn’t work, they tried to drop information as they kicked the supplies out of the airplanes, but some of it we never found. So, we were going more or less blind over the track and day-by-day by 5 �what we found and what we heard and how we operated on the information we could get ourselves. 19:17 Interviewer: “What was your impression of MacArthur?” I probably shouldn’t say this, but it wasn’t very good—very low. Interviewer: “What did you think you were fighting for the whole time in New Guinea?” Well, we were under the impression that if we stopped the Japanese, in New Guinea, from going to Australia, it was basically over, but that was untrue. We found that out later on. That’s what we were sent there for is-- the thought was that the Japanese were going to Port Moresby, that’s where we were, and that was a jump off point to get to Australia. That’s what we thought we were there for. 20:11 Interviewer: “What kind of weapons did you use?” Well, over the mountains we used small arms, pistols, and rifles, BAR rifles that’s a rifle that can fire quite a few rounds at once. It is a heavy gun and we had a few Tommy Guns. Interviewer: “What was the scariest part of the battles for you?” All of it, all of it. As I said, we reached the front lines and we were put on the front line, left front and there was a mixture of troops. Anti tank was the only full company and the rest were a mixture. We were there for 2 days and the morning of the 30th I think, of November, they laid down a barrage of mortar artillery and the whole front line was supposed to attack the Japanese. The right front, the center and the left, we were on the left and we broke through. The only company on the front at the Sanananda Track. 21:32 Interviewer: “Did you feel any emotion when your company was the only one to break through? Any sense of success?” No, we didn’t know, communications in the jungle at that time, there were no radios actually and communications was speaking to the man next to you and if you lost contact with him, you were lost yourself. So you had to keep men on both sides of you. We hit the Kunine grass and we started across, it’s a grass that runs anywhere from 2 feet to 5or 6 feet tall and it’s sharp, it hurts. We got about 1,000 yards into that when the Japanese stopped us. We fought and reached the swamp, we fought our way through the swamp and we got to the Sanananda track again to higher ground and it was a Japanese bivwak area and we took that over and we spent the night there, or tried to. 22:40 It was counter attack all night. Interviewer: “Did you ever get a good nights sleep while fighting?” No, there were attacks day and night. We cut off their supplies and they wanted that road back. Interviewer: “In a few hours could you make yourself fall asleep? Were you so tired?” 6 �Well, you did get some sleep—very little. We were in a perimeter, maybe 150 yards wide across the road and a couple hundred yards deep. We had that as a perimeter that we were protecting on the roadblock. We reached there and through counter attack after counter attack we got low on ammunition. Patrols tried to break through. They couldn’t and we lost contact with the main units behind us because our radio got wet and quit working. 23:50 We had 1 radio and a heavy radio at the time. A man had to carry it on his back and that got wet so we couldn’t use it. We were actually lost; they didn’t know where we were. They ran patrols until they finally found out where 1 section was and they ran a patrol that broke through with radio, food and more ammunition because we were down to nothing. With the radio, we got back in contact with headquarters anti artillery and we give the artillery points to shoot at and they finally pinpointed our position, so they knew where they could use their artillery against the enemy because they didn’t use it before, not knowing where we were. 24:42 Interviewer: “How did you feel and the group feel as a consensus, when you knew you were lost?” Well, we were wondering what we were doing up there absolutely lost. We had no idea what was going to happen, we were low on ammunition; the orders went through to use your ammunition any way you wanted to. If the patrol hadn’t come through when it did, we probably would have had to use that last ammunition. Interviewer: “While fighting, did you at any time lighten your packs? Just drop things that you thought you didn’t need?” Well, when we started over the trail, we carried a shelter half plus part of another uniform. Going over the trail, we got rid of the shelter half, we got rid of anything we didn’t need except the food and ammunition. 25:53 That was basically what we carried. Interviewer: “Did you regret leaving anything behind? No, the only thing I regret is we started out, we were supposed to get them when we had reached the other side of the mountain, we did not have helmets. When we reached the front lines, we still did not have helmets, when we got in the lost company or the roadblock, we still did not have helmets. You probably see the helmets on today’s news, ours were a lot different, but we went in without tin helmets, is what we called them. There were a lot of head wounds due to that. 26:39 The Japanese around us had advantage, they knew the territory, they would get up in the trees, camouflage themselves and the majority of our men who were wounded or killed, were head injuries because we didn’t have helmets. The Japanese could pick us off whenever they wanted to. They were more or less after leaders all the time. Captain Shirley happened to be the Captain in charge of the unit at the roadblock. He sent Captain Keith and Lieutenant Daniels on and out trying to find a way out and they both got killed with a patrol. Captain Shirley got killed, Lieutenant Huggins took over command and he later got a head injury. Lieutenant LaPonte broke through with a patrol and a radio and food and ammunition. He stayed, the oldest officer in grade, so he took charge of the unit. 27:58 Interviewer: “Did the officers then wear their insignia on their uniform?” 7 �No they did not, but the Japanese, as I said, knew everything we did. They know that patrol is going to go out at the south end of the roadblock and they attacked them. They knew the higher echelon in our command in the roadblock, from officers, Captains, Lieutenants, Sergeants and Corporals. They knew them all, but we didn’t have insignias to tell who was giving the orders. 28:38 Interviewer: “Were you afraid of the Japanese snipers?” Yes. We were afraid of the Japanese snipers, we were afraid of the Japanese artillery because we had more people wounded and killed with tree top explosions rather than direct, from the shrapnel that would hit the ground. Interviewer: “How did you deal with fighting while you had malaria?” Well, we knew we had to keep going. We couldn’t get out of the roadblock. There was absolutely no way to get out. We had to keep going or give up and we didn’t want to do that. So we fought with high temperatures. 29:28 Interviewer: “How did the men in your unit deal with everybody around them dying?” Well, it was very hard because your friends, your buddies, we had to bury them up there in very shallow graves because if you went down deep you were in water. It was a very hard thing to do. 29:50 Interviewer: “How would you describe the Japanese style of fighting? The Japanese in general, how would you describe them?” Well, they did some foolish things, they attacked at the wrong times, they were, from what we understood later on, probably worse off than we were for food and ammunition because we had cut their supplies. There was a large force that we, surrounding us, said at one time was close to 4,000. I can’t believe it, that 4,000 wouldn’t overrun 300, but that was the estimate. They had very little food. They were running low on supplies too, so they wanted that roadblock and they were trying to get it. 30:42 Interviewer: “Did you ever feel sympathy for the enemy?” No. Interviewer: “You mentioned before malaria, what other types of diseases did people get?” Dysentery, different bites that would cause problems, different insects that would get into your clothing and into your skin. Interviewer: “What type of medical aid was available?” None. Interviewer: “How did the men deal with not being able to receive aid? Did they have first aid kits?” 8 �We had these small first aid kits that we carried, but we ran out of them. We did what we could for them, but there was no way to get them out of there. There was nothing much we could do except comfort them if we could. 31:47 Interviewer: “What kinds of injuries would get men moved away from the front lines or sent home?” Well, in the roadblock there wasn’t relief. You stayed; there was no way to get back, absolutely no way to get back out. We were not in condition to fight our way back. We were just doing our best to hold our spot we had, hoping somebody could get to us, which after 22 days—at one time the Americans asked the Australian commander to take over the roadblock. He tried, but he couldn’t get there, but after 22 days in the roadblock, the Australians broke through and relieved us and the trail they used to get through, they guarded it while we were going out, so we could walk out, we had to carry a lot of people out, but those that could walk, walked and those that could walk good enough to help other ones, we managed to get out. We were up there 22 or 23 days. 32:53 Interviewer: “What kind of contact did you have with people back home? Did you receive letters while you were there?” No. No contact at all. Not like today where you can pick up a cell phone and call. If we wrote a letter it had to go back by ship and that took a month from the time we wrote it until it was delivered in Grand Rapids, it took about a month. Interviewer: “Do you know if family members ever got any of your letters or did all of them get lost?” No, they got some of them. Interviewer: “What kinds of things did men write home about usually?” Well, being single it was hard to write. You tried to write what you—you couldn’t say where you were, you couldn’t say what you were doing, just that you still had your health. 33:48 Interviewer: “Were there any signs that the war was coming to an end?” None whatsoever, no. As I said, we got out of the front lines, we had a days rest, couldn’t clean up, couldn’t put on clean uniforms, they were not available so your wearing the same uniform from September through practically New Years. We were on the front lines at Christmas, we celebrated Christmas on the front lines and at that time, I can’t tell you when because my memory is gone. If you had a temperature of 104° you stayed at the front. If you had a temperature of 105° you went back to the First Aid Station. 34:39 Somebody, I don’t know who it was, I can’t tell you, got me back to the First Aid Station and the next thing I knew, I was on a plane flying back over the mountains. It took us 57 days going across and it took 45 minutes flying back. I got to the hospital, I spent New Years there, I don’t remember it, and I spent about 3 weeks in the hospital. They couldn’t break my temperature. 35:10 Interviewer: “Where was the hospital located?” At Port Moresby. 9 �Interviewer: “What was it like there during your stay?” As I said, I don’t remember too much of it until they broke my temperature and they explained it. I had for some reason or other, the longest temperature, the longest time temperature wise that they had ever seen and I was treated pretty good in the hospital until I was fit to take a ship and go back to Australia. 35:43 So, consequently being in the hospital, in New Guinea, my troop was relieved and went back to Australia while I was in the hospital. They gave me more combat time than they had. It wasn’t combat, but it was in the zone. Interviewer: “What were you feeling about returning home?” Well, we didn’t even think about it at the time. I got back to Australia, I was sent to, I forget the name of the camp, but I was sent there for R&R, that’s the first time I ever heard of that and I had 2 weeks of it. I was transferred back to the anti tank at Brisbane at Camp Cable and again we had trucks and anti tank guns which we trained with again. It was foolish, but we did. 36:41 Interviewer: “What did you on R&R?” Not much, just relaxed, it was a small town and we went in there every night and had a meal, but you weren’t required to do anything except get up in the morning and report. Interviewer: “Once you were back in Australia, waiting to go back home, what types of things did you do?” Wait to go back home? I didn’t wait to go back home, we went back into training, we got replacements, we had to train them, which took about 3 months, then we went back to Milne Bay in New Guinea. We trained them in jungle warfare and we had anti tank guns and trucks and nobody knew why we had to train with them. We left there and we got aboard ship and we went out and didn’t know where we were going. We made a beach landing; we were one of the first beach landings at Saidor New Guinea and we were supposed to cut the Japanese off there. We went ashore, we had very little opposition and one of my details was to get ahead of the anti tank company and find positions for our guns, which I did and no tanks, no Japanese, but we found the Japanese about 3,000 yards out on the other side of a mountain range, the Owen Stanley Range. 38:29 So, our orders were to stay where we were and if the Japanese come on our side, we were to engage them, so we stayed at Saidor. We had a few encounters with the Japanese, but very few. Interviewer: “How did you feel when you were fighting with the replacements? Was it different than fighting with the men you had been with for so long?” Well, not much different, but you were a little leery about how they would act under fire and so on. There were very few times you really had to worry about it at Saidor. It was at Saidor where I was called in and said I was going to go home and I said, “why? Well, you’re number one in the regiment, the 126th regiment. I said, “how could I be number one?” Well, I had those extra days in the hospital in a combat zone, so I was sent home. 39:30 I was not sent home, I was sent to Goodenough Island and Goodenough Island was a mixture of troops, there was really nothing going on there except the R&R again. 10 �It was a long narrow island. It was 3 miles wide and 18 miles long. It was peaceful during the day. At night the Japanese Navy tried to sink that island, I thought, from the amount of bombs they dropped on it. I stayed at Goodenough Island for 3 weeks and got aboard a ship and went home. Interviewer: “How long did it take you to get home?” Going home it took us a little over 2 weeks. Going over it took us 21 days because we were in a large convoy going over and there was a lot of zigzagging, trying to stay away from the Japanese Navy and the submarines basically. On the way home we did some zigzagging when we left Goodenough Island, but further out we went fairly straight so it took less time going home that it did going over. 40:55 Interviewer: “What were you looking forward to doing at home?” I got home; I had no idea what was going to happen. In California I got transportation home, I got a 21 day leave, I had 7 copies of that leave, cigarettes were rationed, gasoline was rationed, everything was rationed, you had to have something. I went down to the board several times, I transferred the top copy that they stamp to the bottom, so I got gasoline 7 different times, I got my dad plenty of cigarettes, But it was not supposed to be done that way. 41:47 Interviewer: “When you got back to Grand Rapids, who was at the train station to meet you?” No one, they didn’t know when we was coming; we didn’t know when we were coming in. It was a surprise, we did send wires from California, but we had no idea when we would get there, not with transportation the way it was and the troop trains had to sidetrack for other trains, so we had no idea when we would get to Grand Rapids. It was more or less a surprise. Interviewer: “What was the first thing you did once you got home?” Well, I met my mother at the door, my father was working, she called him and got him home and I had a very good homecoming and some very good meals. 42:36 Interviewer: “How had Grand Rapids changed since you had left?” It hadn’t that I could see. The only thing different that I could see was there were a lot of soldiers in town and I couldn’t figure that out. There was Navy, there were soldiers and they were stationed at the Pantlind Hotel, which is now the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, and they were in the weather school there. They had a big weather school for all troops for all services in Grand Rapids at the old Kent County Airport. That was the big difference. 43:18 Interviewer: “Did you feel different at all coming home and seeing the people who were fighting at the home front as opposed to where you were?” No, not too much. I knew what it was sort of, from the Australians and the news and letters, I did get some and they explained it all. The rationing they were under, how they had to live, it wasn’t peaceful, it wasn’t luxury at that time, it was very hard. You had to have a ration point for everything you bought—meat, butter, most of the groceries were 11 �under ration points, gasoline was rationed, shoes were rationed, I don’t remember how I bought a pair of shoes, but I bought a pair of shoes, I had no ration stamp, but I bought a pair, I don’t remember how I got them. Interviewer: “So after you were done with the military, what did you do next?” Well, when I got home I didn’t get out. My orders were to go to Alabama; I forget the name of the camp. Camp McCoy, Alabama and I spent close to a year there as an instructor of the infantry, which I was not very knowledgeable about except for what I learned in the jungles, but I had to teach infantry tactics and all I knew, was anti tank. It was rather hard for me down there. 44:58 Training new inductees and training them right—we had problems because the officers in these training schools were all over age officers, they were too old to go overseas, so the only thing they could teach was by the book and they expected us to, so we got in trouble with the officers quite a bit because we didn’t agree with the training that they were getting down in Alabama. That was the hardest part. 45:35 Interviewer: “did you go right into having your own business or did you go to college after you got out?” I went to college I went to Ferris. Interviewer: “Did you use the G.I. Bill for that?” Yes. Interviewer: “When did you get married?” 1946, August of “46” Interviewer: “Did you know your future wife while you were in the military?” No, before I went to Ferris, I had to wait and I got a job, it was on Pearl Street, Adressagraph Multigraph, that was the forerunners of computers. I met my wife there; she worked there for a while after graduating from high school. Interviewer: “Did you join any men’s clubs for veterans?” No, I did join the American Legion after I got out of college, after I started working and I don’t know if it is my nature or what it was, but after the meetings all they wanted to do was talk about the war and I didn’t like that, so I sort of dropped out. 47:10 Every time you would meet them, that’s all they wanted to talk about. It was a hard thing to talk about. I don’t know what they got out of it, what they were trying to rehash I have no idea. I have never talked about it. Interviewer: “Have you gone back to Australia?” Yes. In my mind I had decided I was going to take my wife to Australia for our 50th wedding anniversary and I started looking at trips long before that and I found one a year before the anniversary and we took it, we went back to Australia. From there we went to New Zealand, which I had never seen and enjoyed. Australia to me, it had changed, it meant very little, I thought it would be more, but Australia is just like going to New York or anything along the east coast. Australia is all built on the east coast, you go around and you hit probably where Alabama is, is Adelaide, Australia, you take a train across the 12 �desert to Perth, it’s all outback as they say. To me Australia had changed, Sydney had changed because it had been built up more, the same as Grand Rapids. It was nice to see it, but I didn’t get what I thought I would out of it, but that’s why I enjoyed New Zeeland. 49:07 Interviewer: “Would you ever go back to New Guinea?” No, I have had friends--there’s a fellow in Holland that has been back twice, now what they get out of it—they went up on the Sanananda track and went through it again and I’m just not interested in that. He’s been back twice. Interviewer: “When you got out of the military, what was your final rank?” Staff Sergeant, I had a field appointment as a Lieutenant, but I was in a different—no, I was with anti tank at the time and I was offered a field commission, that’s without going to OCS school. 50:06 I found out that if I took that commission I would go to the 41st Division and I would be way down at the bottom of the totem pole for points to get back home so, I refused it. Lucky that I did because within 6 months I was on my way home. Interviewer: “When men received a higher rank, how was that usually done? Was it done on the spot or was there something they had to fill out, like paperwork?” Field appointments on the front lines were done on the spot. If you appointed for a field appointment it would take a week or 2. It went back to headquarters and I don’t know what they hashed out, but they did and they decided if you should have it or not. 51:00 Interviewer: “I think that’s about it and all the questions we have and “thank you”.” Thank you very much for having me. 13 � 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 PrinceR Title A name given to the resource Prince, Russel (Interview transcript and video), 2007 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Prince, Russel Description An account of the resource Russel Prince enlisted in the Michigan National Guard in 1940 and served in the anti-tank company of the 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd (Red Arrow) Division until 1944, when he was sent back to the US to help train new recruits in Alabama, finally mustering out in January 1945. He provides a clear and detailed account of his unit's transfers first to the East Coast and then back across the country to ship out to Australia and New Guinea. His company was shipped to Port Moresby, New Guinea, in November, 1942, and spent nearly two months crossing the Owen Stanley Mountains to join in the attack on Buna. His company broke through Japanese lines early on, and then was isolated for three weeks before it was finally relieved. He discusses the difficulties of fighting in a jungle and of the action at Buna. This interview is featured in the documentary "Nightmare in New Guinea" produced by Grand Valley State University. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Moore, Jodi (Interviewer) Miedema, Joy (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Veterans Video recordings Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text 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 2007-05-21 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> 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/be686bff21ca78acae52dae3f55eb382.m4v fd339fcb3394eb3006897fa254133483 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/1e1952555274154c51b9c3c457480247.pdf 7274ae010bcbf1f83940edf438b91d91 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Vietnam Era Interviewee: Richard Price Length of Interview: 00:50:40 Background:             He was born August 14th, 1945 in Lansing, Michigan. He lived there for about 9 months and then his family moved out to Eagle, Michigan, which is about 12 miles west of Lansing, and he has lived in the area ever since. His dad was a carpenter and his mother was a hair stylist. He has one sibling, a sister. He went to grade school in Eagle and went to high school in Portland. He graduated from Portland in 1963. After school he worked at General Motors for 9 months. He decided he did not care for that kind of work and went on to construction. He worked in construction for about a year and a half and that is when he was drafted into the Army. He was drafted in November of 1965. He knew that Vietnam was going on and had heard quite a bit about it. He figured that would where he would be going. Before he was drafted, his doctor told him that since he had bad feet and bad knees that he would not have to worry about being drafted. When he did get drafted, he went to get his physical in Detroit and they sent him right on to Fort Knox. After he got his draft notice, he was given a date to go to St. Johns, where he would then be sent to Detroit. During the physical, they took your blood pressure and look for anything out of the ordinary. He did not think it was that great of a physical, but it was an army physical. He did not get any shots until he got to basic training at Fort Knox. The base at Fort Knox was composed of old buildings made of red clay. It seemed like no matter where you looked there would always be red clay. For November, it was hot. Training (3:55)     Basic training consisted of calisthenics, forced marches, infiltration courses; it was tough work. Lucky for him he was in construction before he went in, so he was in pretty good shape. In fact, he gained weight in basic training, whereas most guys lost weight. Army discipline was definitely something he was not used to. From what he heard, it was not that much different than the training the Marines go through. It was rough mentally, but physically it was not that bad. The drill sergeant treated the soldiers like dirt, but that was the way they were trained and that was how the soldiers were trained. �    It took him a few weeks to adjust and convince himself to just go along with things or else he would be in serious trouble. They washed out 10% and had to go back to basic training, mostly due to physical issues. Some of them had an attitude, which was just going to make it tough for them. In basic training, there were about 300 people that he trained with. He did not really get to know any of them as there was not much of a chance to really talk back and forth. His basic training lasted 11 weeks. Advanced Training (7:00)        After basic he came home for a week and then he was sent to Fort Aberdeen in Maryland for advanced training at mechanics school. He went through a wheel and track mechanics school and that was for 13 weeks. Mechanic school was a little different than basic because he had more freedom. He still had to attend school for 8 hours a day. After though he was allowed more freedom to travel where he wanted. He could go off base and even have his own vehicle. It was kind of like college. He was working on all military vehicles, from jeeps to tank retrievers. The instructors there were all military personnel. Most of them were sergeants, much older than him, at least he thought. But they were probably in their mid-30’s. Once advanced training was finished, he got orders for Vietnam. They were supposed ship out in two weeks, but a couple days later, 12 of them got their orders changed to Korea. They all shipped and he got to Korea around May. Active Duty (10:30)          He flew on a four engine prop plane. It was condemned for civilian use, he found out later. He flew from Baltimore to Washington State to Fort Lewis. He did not know if they were going to make it to Washington due to the poor condition of the plane. Three days after they arrived at Fort Lewis they boarded a 727. It had civilian pilots and stewardesses, but all the passengers were military. They were going to stop in Tokyo to fuel, but the planes altimeters malfunctioned. They first noticed something wrong when the crystals in their watches began flying everywhere. When they landed in Tokyo there were emergency vehicles, wreckers and many other things lined up along the runway. They could not see anything for about 20 min. 23 people had died on the flight and there were 15-20 more that they kept from going on to Korea. He has had bad hearing for a long time and he thinks that may have affected him, but there were no other major problems that he suffered from when he got there. They found out that repairs to the plane were going to take 14 hours, so the soldiers were let out into the terminal, where all of their food and drinks would be covered. They never let them out of the airport, but they all found a bar. They really had to help each other back onto the plane when it was time to head out to Korea. �Korea (16:55)                      He flew into Pusan and was there long enough for them to figure out where everybody was going in Korea. He and 11 other mechanics were sent to Camp Rice and from there they were distributed out even more. They found out then why their orders were changed and they were sent to Korea. The North Koreans had blown up the mechanics quarters and 8 of them were killed and the other 4 had been sent home. They were there to replace them. He joined the 2nd Infantry Division, the 702nd Maintenance Battalion, A Company. His duty there was to maintain all the equipment on the DMZ. Everything from jeeps to tanks. There was a lot of repair needed. While he was there, they were looking for someone with a chauffeur’s license. Someone had once told him never to volunteer, but since he had one he did it anyway. He then spent 13 months as a battalion courier. The majority of what he did was send messages around the battalion. As soon as he landed in Korea, he knew he was in a different world. It smelled bad. It turned out to be human waste. Down south there was more foliage and the countryside looked halfway decent. When he got up to the north, there was nothing; no trees, no bushes, just nothing. He would later find out that nothing grew because the ground was full of lead. There were a lot of rice paddies, but on the mountains there were little trees. It was barren up there. There were times when crews had to be sent to the front lines. If the vehicle could not be brought back to get fixed, they would have to go there. The majority of the problems that he saw in the vehicles came from wear and tear. It was rough terrain and no roads. All they had were tank trails. There was also a certain amount of neglect or they got shot up. Officially, there was a truce and there was not supposed to be any gunfire, but that was not the case. They had North Koreans coming in every day. The biggest problem was that they look like the South Koreans, so they would just waltz right in like they belonged there. They basically knew what the South Koreans wore and they duplicated it. They once had a South Korean cutting their hair. Six months later they found out he was actually North Korean. There was a lot of rumors and information that went around in a barber shop. They heard small arms fire day and night, though not steadily. The North Koreans were used heavy weaponry as well. Being a courier was a risky job. Any Koreans they see could have been friend or foe. (25:20) Night deliveries were the worst. He was supposedly carrying top secret information around to where it needed to go. They would have to use a night light to see where they were going, so they could only see like 5 feet in front of them. It was a stressful job. �                   The lady who predicted Kennedy’s death and other events [Jeane Dixon] predicted that the North Koreans would invade on April 11th, 1967. Somebody believed her. All the compounds in the north were packed up and wired to blow. Turns out there were only 35 North Koreans that came across that day. But the way they came across would have given the soldiers a life expectancy of 11 seconds, barely enough time for him to start the jeep. That’s about the time he started getting an ulcer. He spent 13 months in Korea all with the same unit. During that time he got a week of R and R. He and six of his buddies did not have money to go anywhere so they went to Seoul. It was a break from the DMZ. He thought Seoul was a dirty place. There was nothing over there that would compare to the United States. (29:00) He worked with the South Korean military. There were a few mechanics, but most worked with paperwork in headquarters. One day he was going from Camp Rice to Camp Casey, he saw four Koreans on the side of the road. They had been working in the rice paddies and had stepped on a land mine. He loaded them in the vehicle and brought them to the MASH unit. While he was there, 35 G.I.’s in the Maintenance Battalion were killed. Never as a group though, it was always sporadic. One of the guys had actually died from encephalitis. As a courier, he would deal mostly with the battalion XO (executive officer) and the company commanders. He did not feel that any of them (the Koreans) liked us. He had a few of them tell him that they did not like us, but they liked our money. Most of them did not hate the soldiers, but they did not appreciate them either. The monsoons were nasty. It rained for 43 days without quitting. 8 men had drowned while trying to help someone. Winter there was the coldest winter he ever had. The heaters in the jeep did not work and there not enough clothes to keep him warm. Once in a while they would have movies that they could watch. Most of the time they had beer, though it was not very good. The good beer was down in the village and you had to pay more for it. (38:00) There was a recreations center that was a half a mile from Camp Rice where you could play handball and tennis among other things. Morale there was not real good. People really wanted to go home. He said they all had calendars, counting down the days until they went home. Their attitudes were not much different until the last day and then you can see that they had real hope of making it home. As far as he knows, none of the men who were serving in Korea had been transferred to Vietnam during their tour. Post Duty (41:30)    When his 13 months came to an end, he went home. He was there for about 3 weeks before he was sent to Fort Leonard Wood to get discharged. While he was there, the people there just wanted to keep them out of trouble. All the soldiers there who had come back from Korea and Vietnam would talk about what they were going to do when they got discharged. �               He did end up running a maintenance unit when he was at Leonard Wood. The sergeant there was about to retire, so he taught 5 or 6 of them what they had to do to maintain things like the sidewalks, fences and others. The Army had attempted to get the boys to re-up with incentives like ranks, money and other bonuses. The reason most of them didn’t re-up was because they knew they would be sent to Vietnam. After he was discharged he went back home. He wanted to work construction, but signed up for a plumbing apprenticeship. He would work as a plumber for 45 years. His time in the service definitely had an effect on how he sees the world. He has not trusted a politician since he has gotten back. He finds he is on a defense more than before he joined the service. He feels that the Army brought a lot of positive things into his life. In fact, looking back, he would do it again, except he would sign up for four years instead of two and he would sign up for the Seabee, which is a construction battalion. (46:05) Positive things he learned were how to live with other people in all kinds of conditions; he learned how to be responsible. He definitely grew up some. Before he entered the service, he and his stepfather couldn’t talk unless they were arguing. He hasn’t argued with his stepfather since he’s been back. The guys he served with came from every kind of background you could think of. They came from all different parts of the country. There were also black and hispanic men serving in his unit. Knowing about the movements that were back home, they were happy to be there in Korea. At least here there was a common goal. One of the good things about leadership was they would not tolerate anything racial. � 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 PriceR Title A name given to the resource Price, Richard (Interview outline and video), 2010 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Price, Richard Description An account of the resource Richard Price was drafted into the Army in 1965. He trained as a vehicle mechanic at Fort Knox, and expected to go directly to Vietnam. Instead, he and several other men from his training company were sent to Korea to replace men who had been killed or wounded in an enemy raid. The men were assigned to a maintenance company, and were kept busy repairing vehicles both at their camp and up near the DMZ. Price eventually was assigned to serve as battalion courier, and made regular trips between company and battalion headquarters and the front lines. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text 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 2010-08-09 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> 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/c91f1433111ee142666bebd638ca0410.mp4 63f22dbb0d2e65bb82beae58fc8c5bd8 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8afb8f2bbac229841f5d58b2cb761d6a.pdf b200665dc5c30817f5a103ebd076cda4 PDF Text Text ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW JULIE PRICE Born: September 6, 1952 in Stanwood, Michigan Resides: Grandville, Michigan Interviewed by: James Smither PhD, GVSU Veterans History Project Transcribed by: Claire Herhold, January 22, 2013 Interviewer: Can you start by telling us just a little bit about yourself? To begin with, where and when were you born? I was born on September 6, 1952 in Stanwood, Michigan. It’s a small town south of Big Rapids. I was the third daughter and I had two older sisters, and I had a quite a bit younger brother. Interviewer: Did you grow up in Stanwood or did you move somewhere else? No, when I was about three months old, Mom and Dad and my sisters and I moved to Rockford, to a small farm just by Myers Lake, in Rockford. And then we moved a few years after that, we moved down the road to another small farm and we stayed there until I was seven, and then we moved into town in Rockford. Interviewer: Was your father trying to make it as a farmer or was the farm kind of a side thing? 1:02 No, it was kind of a side thing. My dad worked for soil conservation for like eighteen years and when he got out of the military he went to school for that. I think it was a two or three year program. I’m not sure how long it was. But, we lived on the farm and he did that as a side thing, but when I was growing up he worked for soil conservation. Interviewer: Did you attend high school in Rockford then? Yes, I went kindergarten through twelfth grade in Rockford. Interviewer: Did you then enlist in the military shortly after graduating from high school? �Well, I had to wait until I was eighteen. In those days, girls, I believe the rule for the Air Force anyway was, girls needed to have their parents’ signature until they were 21, and boys could enlist at seventeen with their parents’ signature and after they turned eighteen I don’t believe they needed that signature. So again, we were treated differently than the males were. 2:01 I enlisted, I’d been talking about going into the service ever since I was about in first grade. I had two older sisters and my oldest sister wanted to be a teacher and my other sister wanted to get married and have a family. You’ve got to keep in mind, I was growing up in the ‘50s and ‘60s and there weren’t a lot of options for girls. Either you went to school to become a teacher or you got married and you had a family. And I looked at both those options and I’m thinking, I don’t want to do either one of those. I figured I’d had enough school for a while. It’s not that I didn’t want to go to college. I did, but not right out of high school. And I definitely didn’t want to get married out of high school. So I took all the tests and I talked to the recruiters when I was seventeen, the summer after I graduated. And I had all the tests taken, and when I turned eighteen, I signed the papers and I left for basic training toward the end of October, 1970. Interviewer: Did you have…you mentioned, your father had been in the military. 3:04 My father had been in the Army during World War II. He served in the African campaign and the Italian campaign. My oldest sister was born when Dad was still in the military, and he was back stateside, and he was working as an ambulance driver at the army post down in Battle Creek, Michigan. And my oldest sister was born at, I think it was Percy Hospital or something, down in Battle Creek. Interviewer: I think it was Percy-something [Jones] Hospital, or whatever. What did your family think about the prospect of you enlisting? �My dad was all for it, and so was my mother. Now, there were a lot of people in Rockford that would stop my mom or dad on the street and they would question how they could let their daughter, you know, go in the service because there’s only one type of girl that went in the military. My mom, on many occasions, gave them a good talking to. 4:03 And she said, “Julie is Julie. I don’t care if she goes to college, she has a job, or she goes in the military. It’s not going to change her.” That was a fallacy that so many people had. Either you were looking for a husband or you weren’t the nicest type of girl, you know. Or you were a lesbian. It was like, I didn’t fit any of those, you know, criteria. I had always been pulled toward the military since I was in first grade. Interviewer: Do you have any idea where that feeling came from or what was it about it that appealed to you? I think it was because, having two older sisters and one was set on one thing and the other was set on something else, I was always a combination of both of them. And I could kind of see the mistakes that they had made or things that they had done that I didn’t want to do. And I loved watching the old movies, you know, with Esther Williams, and I thought, this sounds fun. 5:01 Growing up in a small town, I said this is what I want to do. I want to serve my country and then go to college when I get out. Interviewer: What motivated you to choose the Air Force? Many things. The recruiter, number one, was much nicer to me than the Navy recruiter, because that was my other option. I didn’t want to do the Army and I didn’t want to do the Marines, and I thought, well, I’ll check with the Navy and I’ll check with the Air Force, but I was pulled toward the Air Force. I liked what they had to offer more so than the Navy did. �Interviewer: When you…once you actually enlist and you report, what kinds of processes do they put you through by way of testing and getting into training? Well, we went through a lot of testing beforehand and that kind of guided them into are you going into the medical, the administration, whatever. In basic training, the first thing I remember was, it was the first time I had flown. 6:02 I flew from Detroit to San Antonio, and I remember the airport being dark because we arrived at night. They herded us onto a big bus, and of course the segregated us immediately to the females went on one bus and the males went on another. They dropped us off at this dining hall. We had something to eat and then we were taken to the barracks. The next morning we were up at 5:00, lined up, in our civilian clothes, and we went to get measured for uniforms, and we had to get shoes, and the whole gamut. Then we had to get shots. We had to go through further testing. A lot of the girls got their hair cut. One of the…this sounds silly now thinking back on it, but another reason I had wanted to go in the Air Force was they wouldn’t make me cut my hair, and I had long reddish-brown hair. 7:00 It was down past the middle of my back, and I didn’t want to cut my hair. As long as I could wear it up while I was in uniform, I could go in the Air Force. So that was another deciding factor for me versus the Navy, because the Navy told me I had to cut my hair, and I said, “No, I’ve grown it since I was in ninth grade. I’m not cutting it.” But as long as I wore it up, I could have it long while I was in the Air Force. We went through shots. I remember standing in line, we had to stand at attention, and get shots and we would get a shot in each arm. Those were the days when they used the laser gun too, and I saw one young lady pass out in front of me because the person in front of her moved when she got her laser gun shot and it sliced her arm. So, yeah, that was interesting. �Interviewer: How many women were in this group with you that were all starting out together? I believe in each flight there were 125, and we had a sister flight that went through basic the same time we did so we would both graduate at the same time. 8:03 Basic training was six weeks. The first two weeks we were pretty much in civilian clothes until we received our uniforms. It was amazing, though, the difference between the time we arrived and two weeks later when we got our uniform, the camaraderie had started to cement already, because we were all going through the same thing at the same time. Interviewer: What sort of daily routine did you have at that point? We were up at 5:00. I was in basic during the fall, so we would do our marching, of course you marched everywhere in basic training, but you did your parade ground marching in the afternoon. If I would have enlisted during the summer we would have done that first thing in the morning because it got too hot in San Antonio and they were taking salt tablets. In fact, there were a few times that we had to take salt tablets. But we would get up, we would go to classes. 9:01 We’d have grooming classes. We’d have military justice, classes on U.C.M.J., classes on military protocol. Interviewer: Did they do much by way of marching and conditioning and the physical training stuff? That’s funny, because before I left for basic training I was running a mile a day and I was doing a hundred sit-ups a day thinking that this was going to be extremely physical. I wasn’t disappointed that it wasn’t, but I was surprised that it wasn’t. I thought that I’d be, you know, out of shape when I got there but I was in better shape than most of the girls that were there with me. There was some physical work, but…calisthenics, exercising. The funny thing was when �we were on the parade ground and they’d start yelling out the commands and the only ones that could make sense of those commands, that ended up in the right position were those of us who had been in the band in high school. 10:03 So out of 125 girls on the parade ground, one morning, it was one of the first times we did this, there were half a dozen of us that were where we were supposed to be and the rest of them had fallen to the wayside. So my band experience in high school, you know, junior high school and high school helped a lot too. Interviewer: What sort of people were they using as drill instructors? Were they men or women? We had females. One of the flights that started…in those days they started flights every two weeks. There was a flight that started when we were in about our fourth week of training that had a male instructor. Now, I don’t believe, he didn’t stay in the barracks. Our female instructors stayed in the barracks, I believe. But in those days, we were totally segregated. Totally segregated. In fact, when we went to the chow hall, we couldn’t even speak to the men serving us in line. We were not allowed to speak. We had to point, and that was it. 11:04 Interviewer: The women who were training, were these kind of…do you think they’d been in the army a long time? Were they older? Actually, no. I had two instructors to start with and then one of them left for two weeks to meet her husband on R & R in Thailand. So that left us with just one flight instructor, and she was only 25 maybe. And she’d been in the Air Force for I think maybe four to six years, I think. But she seemed so much older than us because she just seemed so much more mature, because, you know, most of us were coming right out of high school. There were a few that were early twenties, but for me, this was my first job. Interviewer: Now you kind of get through your first six weeks there. Then what happens? �Well, then we finished basic training and those that were schedule to go on to technical school went on to technical school. 12:06 Those of us that were going direct duty went in what they called the grad dorm. The reason for that was, I was slated to go into communications and they had to do a security background check on me, so I was in the grad dorm for about a week before my clearance went through. Thank goodness I lived in one town the entire time because my dad was approached by somebody who had been approached by an investigator, and this was just somebody walking down the street in Rockford. And they came to my dad and they said, “You know, I don’t know what your daughter is getting into in the military but they’re really being thorough.” They checked high school. They checked with the counselors in high school. They checked with my teachers. They checked with my band director. They checked with the church. They checked with the state police post in Rockford. 13:01 They stopped people on the street and asked if they knew the Emory family. They checked at the Ford dealership in Rockford, and that was the guy that came to my dad, and they said, “I don’t know what she’s getting into, but they are really checking her background.” I ended up, when I ended up in Minot, I was cleared, I had one of the top, one of the highest security clearance available stateside. Interviewer: They may not necessarily have done this kind of check on everybody, you just may have been, maybe they had slots open in Minot and they needed people, so they had to make sure you could do that? No. Well, it was because, because I was going into communication I needed to have a security check, because I was handling top-secret and above, classified information. I started off in the communications center working the switchboard for about nine months. Then after that, I was moved to the communication center where I handled classified and unclassified messages, most �of them classified, because Minot was a S.A.C. base, “Strategic Air Command.” 14:07 So, we played war games, we had recalls. Interviewer: Let’s back up a little bit. You get assigned to Minot. Did you particularly care where they sent you? Did you hope to go to one part of the country or another? No, I just…I didn’t really want to go, I didn’t want to go south. I wanted to stay in the North, but I didn’t know they were going to send me to Minot, North Dakota. I mean, everybody that’s been in the Air Force knows about Minot, and it’s not…you know, winter will start maybe in October with a heavy dumping of snow and then it gets really cold, and if it ever gets above zero, it’s a heat wave. And of course we were issued upon entering the base, we were issued our cold weather gear which included a parka that weighed about twenty-plus pounds. It’s the stuff that they issue up in Alaska. 15:00 Interviewer: What was your first impression of Minot when you got there? It was cold. Interviewer: What time of year did you get there? I got there the day after Christmas in 1970. I came home after basic training and I got my security clearance. I came home for two weeks, and then on the day after Christmas I was on a flight to Minot, North Dakota. I had been up since about 4:00 in the morning, and I got into Minot about 4:30 in the afternoon and they took us immediately after we signed in to the chow hall. And the chow hall in the Air Force is set up like a cafeteria. There are tables and stuff. And we had to walk around the perimeter of the chow hall, and there were three of us. One young lady from my sister flight and one from my flight, so there were three of us that… actually, we met up in Minneapolis then traveled the rest of the way to Minot together. And they take us to the chow hall, and as we go around the perimeter of the room, as we pass by each row �of tables it got quieter and quieter and quieter until you could hear a pin drop when we got to the serving line. 16:06 They had never had any WAF on base, we were the first ones on base. And so they were just, you know… it’s like, “Oh my goodness. They’re female in uniform.” They didn’t know what to do with us. They just didn’t know what to do with us. Interviewer: Did they let you talk to the people serving you food there? Yes, after basic training we could talk to the males, but until then we couldn’t. Interviewer: What kind of orientation did you get or did they just stick you in a switchboard or what happened then? We did some. They took us around. As I said, we were issued our cold weather gear. The barracks wasn’t ready for us, so they had a house set up in base housing for those of us that were there in Minot. The barracks as I remember wasn’t ready for us until probably early, early spring, like maybe March. But we went around, we found where we were going to be living. 17:04 They took us to where we were going to be working. We met our commanding officer, we met our first sergeant. In those days we had our duty commander and then we also had our WAF commander, which we didn’t have a WAF commander at that point. She hadn’t arrived yet and our first sergeant hadn’t arrived yet, either. So we had two commanders. Interviewer: How did they treat you or deal with you? Either your superiors or the people that you worked with on the base? Well, the people we worked with on the base, some of them had the impression that…in fact, there was one gentleman I worked with that thought that all the WAF went to technical school. And I said, “Where did you get that idea?” I said, “Of those of those who are assigned to the communications center, only one went to technical school and she’s not even working in the communications center.” 18:05 She was working doing something other than what she was �trained for. I said, “I came OJT just like you guys did.” Some of the men were informed in some of their meetings that they were going to start a WAF squadron for the men’s entertainment. And I said, “I’m here. I was assigned here. I’m not here to entertain the troops. I’m here to do a job.” As I went up in rank, I had a young boy reporting to me from Alabama. He didn’t think women should be in the service. He didn’t want to report to me. I said, “Let me tell you something. You don’t work for me, we work together.” I said, “I am not going to pull rank on you. You’re going to work with me.” And after that he was a little bit better, but he still had the archaic idea that we had no place in the military. 19:00 And that was…we had to fight the idea that, you know, the old stereotype of military women and we proved a lot of the young men wrong. In fact, we were no different than college women. You know, we didn’t refer to the barracks as barracks. They were dormitories. They were our dorms, they were our dorm rooms, our dorm mates. And of course, in those days we were segregated. The guys were across the other side of the base. Interviewer: Did the number of WAFs increase pretty quickly? Were you getting reinforcements? Yes. They had made the plan to start WAF squadrons in the northern tier bases, which they had never had before. So that meant Minot was starting a WAF squadron, Grand Forks, Malmstrom Air Force Base, a lot of the SAC bases were starting Air Force, starting the WAF squadrons. Places like Wright-Patterson already had the WAF squadron, so they were more equipped to deal with WAF than the northern tier bases were. 20:03 Interviewer: What were your basic duties then that first period there? Well, I started off in communications in the switchboard building, and I handled messages and I worked my way up to the command board where I would answer the switchboard. It was the old �plug-in type like you see in the old ‘30s movies. I know how to handle one of those. And when I worked my way up to the command board I would keep track of where the base commander and the other commanders on the base were at all times, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Interviewer: Who was supervising you? Did you have a male sergeant who was in charge? There was a male sergeant in charge. I worked…I was the only WAF that worked evening shifts. I worked, what was it? I think it was three days, three swings, and then three graveyard and then two and a half off. 21:02 And then it would start over again. Interviewer: So you couldn’t have a regular sleep pattern that way? No. Then it got to the point when we…I think it was still when I was in the switchboard, we were shorthanded so we ended up working twelve hour shifts so that meant twelve hour days. And then I was moved to the communication center where I handled the teletyping key punch messages, and we were still working twelve hour days. Interviewer: Did you have any idea of why you were shorthanded? Was there a lack of recruits and personnel at that point? Or they just hadn’t been organized enough to send someone out? I think it was a little bit of, they were still building the WAF squadron and they were also pulling personnel to southeast Asia, to Vietnam and Thailand. Interviewer: Because in the early ‘70s, in principle, they’re drawing down the ground forces, but the air forces stay pretty substantial through at least ’72 or whatever, but they’re still needing them. What was morale like, as far as you could tell, on the base during the time you were there? 22:07 �Well, I think it was pretty low because a lot of the male personnel, especially the air police that I hung out with a lot, because they were the only other ones who worked shifts like I did, because all my female, you know, enlistees were working days. They didn’t have to work nights, so they were working Monday through Friday. I was the only one that worked these weird shifts. I had, in the three years I was in, I think I had one holiday off. I can’t remember which one that…I think it was New Years Eve. I think it was New Years Eve in ’72, but morale was kind of low because a lot of the guys…Minot was a stopover base before they went to Vietnam. Now, some of them came back to Minot when they got out of their tour of duty in Minot and they weren’t the same people. 23:05 I mean, it was really sad to see these guys that were my age go to southeast Asia, come back, and they didn’t even seem like they were the same person. So morale was…it was low. Plus, Minot, Minot was cold. I mean, it was cold. And you couldn’t even play in the snow. You couldn’t make snowmen. You couldn’t go ice skating. It was too cold for that. So you were cooped up from October until usually March. Interviewer: What was it like once you got into the summer and things melted? Was it any better at that point? A little bit, a little bit. But again, I was working these weird shifts, so I didn’t really have a lot of summer activities. The base itself was about twelve miles north of the town of Minot. Minot had a state college. 24:00 They used to have a nursing program at one of the hospitals downtown. But that…I think that disappeared, you know, as it did in other cities too. There wasn’t a lot of social activities in Minot. It was an agricultural community, definitely. And one of the things we learned first off was, for the women, not to go downtown in their uniforms. Interviewer: Why was that? �We would be harassed, to the nth degree. And there were some young ladies at the business school in Minot that felt that we took away their boyfriends out at the base. And I told them, I said, “We are here to do a job. We are not here to entertain the troops.” It was interesting, so we learned real early on, wear civilian clothes when we went into town. Interviewer: Was harassment an issue on the base itself? Yes. 25:01 Interviewer: What kinds of things would go on? I was threatened at one point, because I wouldn’t talk to this one black guy that had some, he had had some problems on the base, and we all knew it and we tried to stay away from him. I picked up my mail and I was going to the chow hall in civilian clothes and he wouldn’t leave me alone, and I wouldn’t respond to him, and I got to the chow hall and he was heard threatening me. Well, the air police got on that real quick, and the office of special investigations got on it, and we found out that the young man that had threatened me had been in trouble at another base where he had raped a young girl in base housing and so they were really concerned for my safety. So I had an escort for a while, every place I went, until they found out exactly who it was, because he was in civilian clothes so I couldn’t see, you know, he didn’t have his fatigues on, so I could see hi name. 26:03 But we set up a sting in the chow hall with one of the air police that I knew, as soon as the guy came in I recognized him and they hauled him off. Interviewer: Well, that’s sort of an exceptional case. You’ve got somebody who really is socially deviant or whatever. Was there more, kind of, routine bad treatment or…? I think the bad treatment was more because they didn’t know what to do with us and they were going by what they had heard from their uncles and their dads and their moms about military women, which was not true. �Interviewer: And you were based there for something over three years? Three years. I spent my entire enlistment in Minot. Interviewer: How did the atmosphere there change, as you’ve got more women coming in and you’ve been there longer and that kind of thing? Was it different by the time you left than it had been when you started? I really don’t know because the shifts that I worked, I really didn’t interact a lot with the barracks. 27:06 And when I was …in August of ’72, I was married and my husband and I, he was in the Air Force also, we lived in an apartment downtown. So I was away from the base for the last…oh let’s see, August to February. I still had to pull CQ, which is Charge of Quarters, which would mean you’d have to stay up babysitting the dorm, basically, for a twenty four hour period of time. There were more WAF. By the time I left, there were probably, at least 150. We had two barracks of women. They were getting more used to us as the years went on. And then, I guess, after I left Minot, they integrated the dormitories too. But that was quite a few years after I left there. 28:04 Interviewer: In the kind of assignments you had, especially when you’re doing communications and not just the switchboard, did you have, sort of, were there real crises, or events, or scares or things that actually came up at any point? Yes. Interviewer: What kind of things would go on, or what do you remember about that? Well, some of it I don’t talk about, because of security. There were things going on in Vietnam, and see, being I received messages, I read them all. There were some scary things going on with plane crashes, that we would always get a safety message. I worked right next door to the command post and we communicated on a minute-by-minute basis sometimes. The only people �stateside that had a higher clearance than me were those that worked in the communication center in the command post, and the only reason I didn’t have it was because I didn’t need it because I didn’t work there. 29:10 Otherwise I would have had it. Interviewer: So you’re monitoring, maybe, what the Soviets are doing or might do? Was that part of it too? Part of it. Interviewer: But basically, if a plane crashes, if a plane crashes in Vietnam, or at least if it’s a B52 or something that a large bomber, that was stuff that got routed through… That went through all of the SAC bases, all the bases that had B52s, which, we had the next to the largest B52 wing. The largest B52 wing I believe was Grand Forks. Minot was the second largest. People get the wrong impression of Minot. They think of North Dakota as being like the Badlands. North Dakota, where I was stationed in North Dakota, it was so flat that you could stand on an ant hill and see for miles. There were no trees except for around the river and around farmsteads, because it was a farming community so around where the farm houses and the buildings for the farm were there were trees, but those were planted. 30:15 There were no trees otherwise. Another reason they picked Minot for a missile site. Interviewer: The communications you handled, were they mostly things that were related to bomber wings as opposed to the missiles, or did you get everything? Nope, everything. Everything. Interviewer: This is also a period when you’ve got détente going on, there were missile talks going on, there’s eventually Nixon’s “Declaration of Peace with Honor,” I guess, the beginning of ’73. Did you pay attention to that kind of news very much? Did that really affect what you were doing? �It didn’t affect what I was doing, plus I was working twelve hours shifts, or the three, three and three. I didn’t get to watch much TV. And in North Dakota TV went off the air at 10:00 after the news. 31:04 Interviewer: No cable, no satellites, so all the twelve year olds who watch this at some point, remember that. Somewhere in there you managed to get married. Did you know your husband before you went in the service? No, I met him in the summer of ’71, and I had known his roommate. His roommate was from back east and I knew his roommate. I had never met my husband until August of ’71, we went on what they called an “incentive flight,” from Minot, North Dakota to MacDill…no, not MacDill, McCoy Air Force Base in Orlando, Florida. They would do these incentive flights to try to get us to reenlist or re-up. My roommate and I got on this incentive flight to Florida and I met my first husband on that incentive flight and we got to McCoy Air Force Base and his parents…he was from Tampa, and his parents and his sister were there from Tampa, and they took Leonard and me to their house and, to the day I left Florida, long after my divorce from my first husband, I could not convince my former in-laws that I did not know him before that flight. 32:22 I didn’t know him, I didn’t know him. But he was convinced that he was going to take me to Tampa with him, and so we went to Tampa and then we continued to date when we went back up to Minot and then we got married the following year, and then…He was in the missile wing. He was in combat targeting. He worked one type of shift in the missile wing and I worked another type of shift, and when we got out in the middle, in the beginning of February ’73 we moved to Tampa. Interviewer: You’re in kind of an odd situation professionally as someone still very young and not in officer training or anything else like that, but you’re in a position where you’re �getting all of this high-level communication going back and forth, and in a potentially serious crisis or things that have to be managed. 33:14 What impression did you have of the system you were working with in terms of how well designed and run it was, or how effective the officers and people running it were? Did you think they kind of knew what they were doing? Some of them did, some of them didn’t. Some of the, what we called “lifers” would do whatever they could to look busy so they wouldn’t have to do any work and they would let the younger kids take over. We had one guy that was very good at that. I got along very well with the officers in the command post, very well, and they treated me with respect. I never had any chauvinistic comments from them as I did some of the enlisted men that either I worked with or were on base. 34:01 Interviewer: Were the officers mostly college educated or did they come out of the Air Force Academy? Most of them were college educated. I don’t know of any officer in Minot that had gone to the Air Force Academy. Interviewer: So they would have themselves already been through being there with women in their classes and everything else like that and that whole other experience informing it may have made some difference as opposed to the enlisted men right out of high school, I guess. Yes. Interviewer: How much pressure was there for you to reenlist? Because you did just one hitch, right? So one four years? �Yes. They tried. You know, they tried. But they couldn’t promise me anything other than Minot. It seemed like, it was very frustrating for those of us who were in Minot first, the females, because we would see other people come and they’d be there for less than a year and they’d be sent off someplace else and we were still there. Now that could be because we were in communications, I’m not sure why. 35:00 Now just before I got out, I found out that my name was on a list to be moved to another base, and that base was Iceland. Although, people told me that was a better assignment than Minot because it was warmer there and you could take the military hops to Europe. I don’t know what I did wrong to deserve that. That’s my second husband’s comment, was “You must have done something wrong to be stationed in Minot.” Interviewer: On the other hand, maybe you were actually good at it so they kept you. You got promotions. Were those, sort of, routine? Oh no, we had to work for those. Interviewer: So what’s involved in that? Just testing. We had to take, like, workbook tests and stuff and pass those. I made E4, I was a sergeant, under two years, which was very good, very good. If I would have stayed in, what I wanted to do was get into dental hygiene. You know, go to tech school for that. 36:01 Which, I found out just before I got out that, because I had not gone to technical school, I could have stayed in my job for one year and then they would have taken me and let me go into dental hygiene. But see, they didn’t know about that in Minot. They weren’t used to having women and so these were things they had to learn. So it was rather disappointing because that was one of the things I wanted to get into when I was in the service, but that’s ok. I still got to go to school on my GI Bill when I got out. �Interviewer: Was that part of your thinking when you went in? The expectation that you would go to college at the other end? I wanted to go to college when I got out. I was thinking either dental hygiene or teaching, so either way I was going to use my GI Bill when I got out. Interviewer: At the point then that you do go out, now you’ve gotten married, you’ve moved to Florida. Now, do you start going to college at that point or did that come later? 37:03 I went to college when I got out, after I was out of Minot. Let’s see, I went to Tampa in ’73, and I started going to college in ’74 and ’75. Interviewer: Where did you attend school at? I went to Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, and I went part time. I had my son in ’75, got divorced in ’76, was still going to school on the GI Bill. Then, when my son was four, we moved back to Michigan, because he was getting close to school age, so I wanted him educated in the North, not in the South. Interviewer: Why was there a difference as far as you were concerned? Seniors in high school down in Florida couldn’t even pick out their state on a map, and when I was going to college, it was interesting because a lot of my professors were from the North and they could tell those of us that were educated up here. 38:06 In fact, one of my professors, my math professor was from Holland, Michigan. Didn’t even realize it until he came to class one time and he had on a shirt with tulips on it, and I said, “You look like you just stepped out of Holland.” He said, “I am. I’m from Holland, Michigan.” I said, “Well, I’m from Grand Rapids.” As far as the education, I wanted my son educated in the North, so I moved back. Interviewer: Did you train to be a dental hygienist or something else? �No, I went to school, I was going to be majoring in history and English, and then I started out at the University of South Florida on my GI Bill, but it was too hard. I was working full time and trying to raise my son and go to school and it was too much for me. So I ended up, I was working. Interviewer: How do you think the time that you spent in the Air Force wound up affecting you in terms of how you view the world or deal with people or how you grew up, essentially? 39:07 Well, you definitely have to grow up, very quickly. I mean, you go through six weeks of basic training, you come out and the people that were your friends before you left home seem so immature when you get out of basic training. It made me more of a leader. I’m a natural leader, always have been even before the service, but even more so after the service. I can manage people, you know. My attitude has always been, you don’t work for me, you work with me. You get a lot more work done that way, and you get a lot more respect. It’s just made me a stronger person, definitely. Interviewer: Are there particular incidents or individuals or things that sort of tend to come back to you from that experience, things that you haven’t mentioned here yet? 40:06 No, but what I do remember most were the changes that I saw, even while I was in Minot, even while I was in the Air Force. Even in basic training, the rule for the length of our hair changed from not being able to fall…let’s see, what was it? Well, it started, basic training, you could have hair down to the top of your collar and that was it. While I was in basic training they changed that rule to, it could fall to the bottom of your collar, which is a good inch and half so that meant that you could have hair down to here. Now, there were several of us that kept our hair long, as I said, we just had to wear it up on top of our head while we were in uniform. Some �of the girls didn’t want to bother with it so they just got their hair cut. That was one of the first things I saw change. 41:00 When I was in Minot, the rule was when, if you became pregnant, you were out. In fact, there were several girls that ended up being pregnant, when they went into basic they didn’t realize it. They were discharged. While I was in Minot it changed to, if you were pregnant you can stay in until your seventh month of pregnancy and then you were discharged. And there were no maternity uniforms. You had to wear civilian clothes, so there were a few girls that did that. One of them became one of my friends when I moved to Tampa, but you’d stay in until your seventh month of pregnancy, wear civilian clothes, and then at seven months you were discharged. Now it’s treated like it is in the civilian world. They have maternity clothes. You’re off for six to eight weeks and you’re right back, you know, doing what you did before which is great. While I was in, the first female general became…it was General Jeanne Holms. 42:06 She came to Minot on a tour of the northern tier bases and I got to meet her. The first female pilot was allowed. Women were allowed to become air police which is our version of…that’s my husband…our version of the air police, the air police is like security, the call them security police. Interviewer: Like the MPs. MPs, yeah. But we called them law enforcement, or they were out on the flight line. I wasn’t allowed to go for my marksmanship ribbon because women weren’t allowed to shoot guns even though I was a better shot than some of the guys who were in the law enforcement or the MPs, so that was interesting. Now, there aren’t any restrictions like that. Interviewer: Were there women who would leave or wash out early? Who had problems adjusting once they got there? 43:05 �There were, there was one young lady in my flight in basic training from Oregon. She never should have been allowed to be in to begin with. She couldn’t even run the floor buffer without getting all tangled up and she’d end up going around in a circle, and she couldn’t pass any of the tests that we had. They washed her back…basic training was six weeks, and there were two week periods. They washed her back twice to start over again and she just couldn’t make it. So when I was in the grad dorm after I’d finished basic, she was there, she was being washed out. She was going home. And when I was in Minot there were a couple of women that were discharged for, they call them Section 8s, medical reasons. But other than that, no, once you make through basic training… 44:01 Interviewer: They sort of just have the right mindset or personality or whatever, and most of the people behave most of the time so you can live with that and work with it. Yes. Interviewer: Would you have any advice to offer to young women considering going into the military at this point? Or do you figure your experience was too far back to…? Oh, I’m all for it. In fact, there was a young lady that I worked with at one of my other companies and she was enlisting in the Air Force and I told her, “I couldn’t be more proud of you than if you were my own daughter.” I said, “I think the military is a great opportunity for women, especially now.” They don’t have the restrictions that we had. I said, “Just make the most of it.” I said, “Enjoy your time in. Get the experience, get the experience under your belt. You may want to make a career out of it.” But I’m all for it. I think, I think it gives you a time to grow up in between high school and college. I’m all for it. I wish more girls would go in. 45:05 �Interviewer: Did it help you, in a way, prepare you to go into the college classes where you treat the assignments as things you really had to do and take seriously? Oh yeah. It was no different than being assigned a task in the military, and that’s why I aced all my classes. I took it seriously. It wasn’t fun time. It wasn’t an extension of high school. I’m here to learn. I’m going to school on the GI Bill. It was an experience for me. Interviewer: It also makes for a good story, so thanks for taking the time to tell it to me today. Thank you. I’m glad I could share it with you. � 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 PriceJ Title A name given to the resource Price, Julie (Interview transcript and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Price, Julie Description An account of the resource Julie Price was born on September 6, 1952 in Michigan. She had to get her parents' permission to join the Air Force after graduating from high school and then went through basic training in San Antonio Texas. After training Julie had to go through a background check because she was going to be working with classified material at a Communications Center in North Dakota. While in the Air Force Julie witnessed many positive changes in the way women were treated. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Kentwood Historic Preservation Commission (Kentwood, Mich.) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Air Force Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American Video recordings Women Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text 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 2008-12-12 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> 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/5b819d8f509cff17623212e15658f836.mp4 c18e4acec829f20c4c78516da39cbe9d https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/57aaa78af015f8d3437f44ab6f5cceca.pdf 7399a952f461ba104fbb3b86894328de PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Robert Powers Disc One (01:11:21) (00:15) Background Information • Robert was born in Greenville, Michigan on January 25, 1924 • After graduating high school, Robert went to Albion College in 1941 • After Pearl Harbor was attacked, He could hardly wait to sign up for service • Robert enlisted in the Army Air Corps in January of 1942 and was able to defer his service until he had finished his first year of college • (2:35) Basic Training San Antonio, Texas • Robert started training in September 1942 and it lasted through December 1943 • He had indoctrination for 60 days and then pre-flight training • They got up early every day for calisthenics, marching, and classes • The pre-flight classes lasted for 12 weeks and then he had primary flight training (06:10) Primary Training in Arkansas for 12 Weeks • The first plane that Robert had ever seen was a PT-19 • He began flying right away with an instructor • They men had to be able to fly solo within 8 hours of flying with an instructor • Robert was able to fly solo within four hours • During training none of the men knew if they would be sent to the Pacific or Europe (10:05) Basic Flight Training in Kansas for 12 weeks • They were flying all day long and Robert really enjoyed the training • He had been learning about horsepower and the new air craft • Usually only about 20% of the trainees became fighter pilots • They then went to advanced training in Texas where they could fly newer and nicer planes • Robert flew P-40 planes, training with night flying • Those who washed out could start training to be a bombardier, navigator, radioman, etc… • Robert had gunnery training after advanced flight training • There was a graduation ceremony when everyone received their wings on December 5, 1943 (20:10) Overseas • Robert finally got his first assignment, and first began training with P-47 Thunderbolts in South Carolina • He was now a second lieutenant and knew he would soon be sent to Europe • In April he was told he would be sent over to work near the Mediterranean • They took a luxury liner to the Mediterranean and most of the pilots did not get �• • sick They landed first in North Africa at a base that did not have any P-47s, which Robert preferred He could only fly a P-51 or P-38 and chose the latter because it had two engines and was more safe (26:50) Italy • Robert was sent to the 37th Fighter Squadron in Italy after choosing his plane • It was a bomber base that supplied many fighter groups • He arrived when US planes had been targeting Germany oil supplies • He only had a few days to get used to the P-38 before his first mission • The crew chief helped him to get used to his new plane • The more experienced pilots taught him about the German flying tactics (37:50) First Missions • Robert worked with the 48th, 49th, and 37th Fighter Squadrons, all in the same base • He first mission was very exciting and he was not scared at all • They had a raid in Romania • The pilots were usually not aware of their missions or where they were flying until the last minute • Robert often flew with a fighter escort for British planes, flying about 4,000 feet above the bombers, attacking German planes (50:10) Further Missions • After each mission, they men were called in for debriefing • They continued flying in Romania, France, Poland, Germany, and Czechoslovakia • Altogether they all flew about 25-30 missions from June to July • Robert learned to never get too close to anyone because they might not be there the next day (54:30) Shot Down June 15, 1944 • Robert and others had been targeting German airfields and trains in France • They had flown past Rome and were very low on the water near anti-air craft guns on the coast • After hitting 3 airfields, the group split up to hit opportunity targets Disc Two (55:59) (00:20) Continuation • Robert saw a train for an opportunity target • His wingman told him to take out the German soldiers and that he would take out the trains • The locomotive was blown off the track and then Robert was hit in the left engine �• • • • • • • • • He was only about 150 feet above the ground when his plane jolted He was able to get back above 500 feet while the rest of the squadron was forming up He was heading south and the plane was on fire Robert knew he would not be able to make it back to the base, but also that there was nowhere to land There were rocks everywhere, German airfields, and the sea was ahead He landed in a swampy area near the sea The other planes were circling above him for protection because it was near a German barracks Robert broke his right ankle, got shrapnel in his leg, tore his shoulder, and split his head open He was able to run away from the plane and it exploded shortly after (0:45) Rescue • Robert had been wandering around in the swamp for hours and did not realize the extent of his injuries • He began to hear Germans and they had dogs; they were angry because the Americans had destroyed their trains and shot at their troops • He stayed hidden in the swamp near the water so that the dogs would lose his scent for about a day • Robert found a French farmhouse and they took him for a few days to feed him and tended his wounds • They contacted the French resistance for help and he took a rowboat across a river to meet them (11:50) Captured • While heading over to the French, Robert was captured by the Germans • He was scared they would attack him, but they had been ordered to save all fighter pilots for interrogation in Berlin • He was brought to a German base for questioning and then put on a train to Frankfurt • The city was completely devastated with no standing buildings; he was interrogated for another two weeks and attacked physically (19:25) Prison Camp • Robert never revealed anything about the Americans or French resistance while being interrogated and was sent to a prison camp for 11 months • There were about 10,000 prisoners in the camp with 24 people each to a crowded room • The camp had Americans, British, Polish, and Russians • Daily life was very boring; they played a lot of chess and bridge • Under the Geneva Conventions, officers were not allowed to be put to work • Working would have been nice because they would be able to work with civilians and time would have gone by faster �• • Robert had weighed 163 pounds when he entered the camp and his weight got down to 119 pounds in the end They heard news of the progress of the war listening to BBC on a secret radio (27:15) Escape • All of the men took turns digging with spoons and hiding the dirt they dug up • They knew they would never really escape, but had to try; it was their duty • The commanding officers were in charge of the escape plan • Military hierarchy was maintained while in the camp • The Germans would periodically search their rooms with dogs • While listening to BBC, they finally realized that the US was winning the war • In January 1945 the Russians broke the German front and they could hear bombs going off in the camp • On January 27th, the Germans marched the Americans out of the camp to hide them from the Russians • They were stuffed into box cars for days without food • Then they were brought to a Jewish prison camp and shown the gas ovens that the Jews were murdered in • They were told that they would also be put into the ovens if they tried to escape • The Jews all looked like skeletons and were horrific (35:30) Liberation • All the POWs were brought to another German camp deep in the forest • The POWs could hear the American tanks coming through the woods and the Germans had realized they lost the war • They could then see General Patton rolling up on a tank, which tore down the fences surrounding the camp • Robert was able to shake hands with General Patton before all the POWs were put in trucks and brought to Paris • They had two weeks leave in Paris, which was full of celebrating military personnel • (41:05) Back to the US • Robert took a troop ship back to the US and arrived in the New York harbor • The ship had been full of POWs • Robert had enough time in the military and just wanted to get back home • He went back to Michigan and finished college (46:20) French Family • The Germans had told Robert that the French family that had rescued him had been executed • The Mayor of Greenville had recently received a letter inquiring about Robert • A French research group was looking for him because the French family had been wondering about him • The family had survived and now they still continue to write to each other • They helped explain things to him that he had forgotten due to his injuries � 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 PowersR Title A name given to the resource Powers, Robert (Interview outline and video), 2004 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Powers, Robert Description An account of the resource Robert Powers was born in Greenville, Michigan on January 25, 1924. After graduating high school, he attended college at Albion University before enlisting in the Air Force. Robert trained for about 13 months before he was sent to a base in Italy. From there he flew about 25 missions throughout Romania, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, and Poland before his plane was shot down in France. Robert sustained many light injuries, was helped by the French Resistance, but was captured by the Germans. He remained in German prison camp for 11 months until the war ended. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Army. Air Corps World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Video recordings Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text 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 2004-12-02 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> 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/2adff0d62b75ecee8a38ddbc34dbd671.mp4 2448adcdd5efa24e771d8427d563d673 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/5034200a4053c11c60723e618064249b.pdf a9b382a879e8e2d471971a4a779bd8b8 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview World War II Grace Powers Length of Interview: 10:02 (00:02) XX (name of interviewer unknown): I’m going to start with just really simple questions to ask you. When and where were you born? GP: What? XX: When and where were you born? GP: When and where? For me? I was born in Ionia. And I was born April 1, 1923. XX: All right. What were your parents’ names and what did they do? GP: DeKuiper. Helen [unclear] was her maiden name. XX: And what did they do? What did they do for a job? GP: Most generally my dad was a farmer and then he ended up in the paper mill. And my mother was a homemaker. XX: Okay. Did you have any siblings? GP: Does that mean brothers and sisters? Yes. I had five brothers and four sisters. XX: That’s a lot. Now we’re going to start to talk a little bit about Arden. When did you marry Arden? (01:01) GP: July 2nd, 1941. XX: And what was it like growing up with him? How did you enjoy it, stuff like that? GP: How what? XX: How was life growing up with him? GP: Well, it was just before, during the war years. (knock on door, slight interruption) And, during the war years. And it was very hard to work. He worked at the time, when I met him, building silos. And he was, I’d say, about twenty-two when he quit that and he came to Kalamazoo and I met him at playing ball. �XX: All right. At the time when he was drafted into the Army, how did he tell you? Or did you just know? (02:13) GP: Well, we got a letter over the mail. And I happened to be home alone and I opened it. So that’s how I found out. XX: Were you very emotional? Were you really sad? GP: Yes. ‘Cause I already had the two boys. XX: What branch of service was he put into? I think, Army, right? GP: Army. XX: Okay. And then what day did he leave? If you remember. GP: Come home? XX: What day did he leave? GP: Let me think now. Sometime in May of ’44. (03:03) XX: and how did you react when you had to say good-bye to him? How did you react? Like, how did you feel when he was leaving to go to the Army? GP: Very very sad. Because he had one boy in one arm and one boy in the other, and the tears were just streaming down his face. And that was a sad day. XX: (interviewer gives GP a hug) If you want me to stop, just let me know, okay? How did you cope with it, you know, kind of go on every day? GP: We sold, I sold a lot of our own furniture and I went to live with my folks again. With the two boys. XX: What were your sons’ names? GP: Laverne John and James Allen. XX: I know Verne. Did you know where he was going? At the time, did you know where he was going? GP: No. �(04:19) XX: When he was over there, how often did you write back to each other? GP: Well, actually, after he went overseas, I never heard of him until I got my telegram that he was wounded. Then, after that, maybe two or three weeks, I got twenty five letters. Cause we wrote to each other every day, but they all came in a bunch. XX: What were the things that you wrote about? GP: Mostly, there were some things that he wrote in there, that they cut out, because all his mail was censored. And he was trying to tell me how bad he was wounded and where he was and they cut that out. XX: How did you feel about that? GP: Terrible. XX: You wanted to know what was going on. So you wrote to him every day, both of you did. When he got hurt, what crossed your mind, when you figured that? (05:22) GP: Well, I thought probably he was gone. Until I didn’t hear until quite a long time afterwards just what his wound, his wounds were. XX: did you still have hope that he was going to come back? GP: Oh, yeah. XX: After he was done fighting and you heard that he was going to come back home, how did you feel? GP: Wonderful! XX: Wonderful! That’s good. GP: See, he was in England, in a hospital for three months before he went back into a line of duty. But then they took him out of the infantry, which he was in, and they put him in the utility of the big artillery drivers, for the trucks. And he was delivering stuff to the front line. (06:27) XX: When he came back home from the Army, how was it different? How did you have to adjust? GP: I don’t know, I don’t think I had a problem. Neither one of us did. We were just happy to see one another. �XX: Yeah. When he went in the Army, and he came back, how did it affect your lifestyle and your learnings of the war? Like, your opinion on life? GP: I think for him, he would have loved to stay in the Army. If I would have said yes. But I said no because I had the two boys. But we got along good. I mean, he was satisfied with that. So he went right back to his job at [Clerigde-Van Company], that he had worked for before he went into service. (07:24) XX: Did you know why he wanted to go back? GP: No, he said he loved the Army life. Very much so. XX: Do you know if he had any friends? Did he make any friends over there? GP: Well, I think he got quite a few friends. But he had one friend that was real tall and they called them two “Mike and Jeff”. (Mutt and Jeff?) XX: Did you meet any of them? GP: No. I met one. One fellow, at Otsego, here. We met him and his wife when he come home, because he was wounded too. And we went into Fort Custer to see him. And his wife was there. And him and I and his wife became pretty good friends. (08:14) XX: Yeah? That’s good. Did Arden have to go back, did he go back and meet any of his Army buddies? Any of those get-togethers? Like a reunion? GP: No, he didn’t have a chance to do that. XX: And then, one last question. Do you have anything to say to the younger generations on how, what you went through? GP: Pardon? XX: What would you say to the younger generation, like me, do you have anything to say about the war, or life and… GP: Well, I think for one thing, this generation does not realize how lucky they are to have all the things that they can even talk to one another now. And see one another. And I think for one thing, you’ve got to have faith. You’ve gotta have communication together and you also gotta forgive and love one another. And trust one another, which is very important. (09:25) XX: I got actually one more question. What, the Army today, the war going on, like Iraq and stuff, what do you think about that? �GP: You know, I have mixed feelings on that. I think, for myself, I feel that our president was misinformed and therefore I think he made a mistake going in when he did. XX: Okay. That’s about it. That is wrapping up my interview with Grace Powers, my greatgrandmother. (10:02) � 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 PowersG Title A name given to the resource Powers, Grace (Interview transcript and video), 2009 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Powers, Grace Description An account of the resource Grace Harper was born in Iowa in 1923. She married Robert Powers in 1941. She and her husband had two children when he was drafted in 1944. Her husband was sent to Europe and was wounded in action and spent several months in the hospital before returning home. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Powers, Bethany (Interviewer) Caledonia High School (Caledonia, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Women Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text 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 2009-05-30 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> 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/5e6cfaa12018fdd60696eceb1b3e308b.mp4 8814dce25c72c201ba99d168ac04e2f1 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0602a54549015cd51948a6298872d893.pdf 21ee796d8ec3e5b3815ef62c3e94d022 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview World War II Gabriel Powell Total Time – (02:03:58) Background            He had nine siblings o They were all born at their home (00:46) He was born in Algoma, Michigan on January 22, 1916 (00:55) o He was born on a farm o He also grew up on the farm (01:23) The farm had cattle, they farmed with horses, and always had hogs o His father would butcher the hogs (01:55) o The family always had pig liver to eat (02:39) He went to school through the eighth grade (02:56) o There was one teacher that switched grades and this did not allow them to read together (03:33) o The school had arithmetic  He was good in arithmetic When he was in high school he did not know how to read well enough to get through History and English courses (04:45) o He could never read well until he started reading his own newspaper o He still does not understand everything that he reads (05:11) He went to Rockford High School in the eleventh grade o That summer he got a job on a farm (05:44) o When school came, his father had to tell him to go back to school  He decided that he would stay near the farm and go to Sparta High School and graduate (05:57) He graduated from Sparta High School in 1936 when he was twenty years old (07:13) After he finished high school he continued to work on the farm in Sparta (07:46) He then went to help his uncle work on his farm o He helped them crush their corn and do other jobs (08:28) He then went to work for his two brothers that had bought their grandfathers farm o When he died, the estate was split up (08:50) o Their mother gave his brothers money for a down payment on the farm (08:57) After he was discharged from the service he became a carpenter o When he was getting paid he did not have a social security number and had to go and get one (12:20) �  He went down to the Union and had to join up o The next payday he was given a raise (12:36) o He was told that he should spend the money on new tools o When the Union asked him what he was getting paid and he told them, they mentioned that he must be a master carpenter (13:01) He remembers hearing about Pearl Harbor while on a maneuver in Louisiana (13:35) o They had just returned from a maneuver and heard the next morning that Pearl Harbor was hit o He was already in the military Enlistment/Training – (14:31)         He joined the military in 1941 (14:36) When he went to get an exam he was told that he should join the Army o He found out that they were taking volunteers before the draft (15:39) o He and his friend both volunteered  His friend ended up withdrawing (15:47) o He did not receive his call until February of 1941 After he received his call he reported to the armory in Grand Rapids, Michigan (16:10) o He remembers being lined up by a man that had been in World War I o He, alongside other volunteers, were taken by train to Kalamazoo, Michigan (16:37) When in the armory in Kalamazoo, the soldiers stripped down and were given their physical o They were weighed, measured, etc. (16:52) o Once they were finished and they put their civilian clothes back on, they all had to repeat an oath (17:32) The soldiers were then sent to Fort Sheridan, Illinois (17:55) o The soldiers were immediately divided He then went to a recruit center in Fort Knox, Kentucky for Basic Training (19:53) o Fort Sheridan had all nice and new barracks o There was a Sergeant there that had a cavalry hat (20:07)  He was a filthy talker (20:20) o When they called out his name, it did not sound like “Powell”. He asked if they meant “Powell”. The Sergeant then asked, “Don’t you know your name when you hear it?” (20:46) The soldiers had to go and march during training o The soldiers were divided into different groups (22:42) o He told one of the groups that they were infantry The barracks at Fort Knox were old World War I barracks (24:36) o They had Yellow Pine flooring that would give the soldiers slivers o They had beds that were not very high off the floor (25:00) �           He remembers one guy from Montana that was awake before the wake up calls (25:17) o He said to the guy, “You damn sheep herder, stay in bed like the rest of us.” The barracks were two stories tall – he was in the upstairs level (26:04) They were with a lot of regular Army men that had been in the military for years The soldiers would sometimes have to go on marches or hikes o There was one soldier that was extremely short and he would yell at him, “Hey, get up off your knees!” (27:05) At this point he was part of an Engineering Battalion (27:14) o He was chosen to be in the battalion because of his previous experiences working with corn huskers (27:22) o A lot of the men were from Nebraska in the corn fields His battalion was part of the 1st Armored Division (25:51) The 1st Armored Division would go to Louisiana and go on different maneuvers (28:30) o They would sometimes do maneuvers in Florida and Carolina as well (29:15) He received a furlough of ten days around Christmas time in 1941 (29:44) He and his battalion eventually went up to Pennsylvania and then went to Fort Dix, New Jersey (30:46) o They were there for quite a while o He remembers some men going to the PX (Post Exchange) and coming back with cupcakes (31:35) o He ordered chocolate and vanilla cupcakes They then traveled to New York and went to a warehouse with their barracks bags (32:22) o When they came out in the daylight he could see the Statue of Liberty and the American flag (32:38) o He boarded the HMS Queen Mary (32:42) The rooms aboard the ship were extremely small Active Duty – Part I – Ireland/Scotland/England – (33:18)     They traveled North and went towards Iceland (33:25) o They were first let out on the deck at night when they were near Iceland The ship would zigzag through the water (34:03) The ship arrived in Belfast, Ireland (34:12) o The soldiers were able to get off – they got into a little tug o The tug boat that he was on was used in the evacuation of Dunkirk (34:39) When they unloaded the tug boat, he was told that he would be given a meat pie when he was done unloading o He actually did get a meat pie that was made out of sheep (35:20) �             o They did not want them and gave them all to one of the other soldiers that did There was one night where he was put on guard in Ireland and he was drinking an ale (36:58) o He went down into the tavern and he had a gun with him because he was on guard  His Sergeant came down and he got worried because he was drunk on guard duty (37:15) The first meal he had in Ireland was biscuits and dried eggs (37:41) o The egg was so rotten that he could not eat it o The biscuits were so hard that he could hardly eat it as well (38:12) There was another guy that had been in the Marines that made some biscuits for the men (38:22) At this time he was sent to Mourne Park, Ireland (39:30) o At Mourne Park, there was one time when the Scottish band came and played for the soldiers (39:56) The soldiers did a lot of training when in Mourne Park (40:49) o At the time he was in E Company o They would be in formation and one general would come and point a whip at a soldier and say, “When did you shave? Get out of here you bum and go up and shave!” (41:31) While he was there, he decided that he would go down to the trucks – his corporal told him to lay under the truck and make it look like he was working on it (43:07) He was in Mourne Park for quite a while One day the captain told him to get a driver, a truck, and a loaded gun and go pick up a soldier that is locked up from being drunk (44:19) o When the soldier, his friend, got out, he told him that he needed to go get a drink (45:58) o When they got in the truck, he started drinking the alcohol and had to be held on to so that he would not fall out of the truck o As they got back to the company, he was put in the guard house (46:40) After Mourne Park, he traveled to across to England and Scotland a couple of times (48:10) Finally the whole division was shipped and landed in England o They went around Scotland and went through one town that was dark and had coal burning factories that made everything black (48:34) One day there was a drunk guy that was Russian that came in the barracks that threw his shoes at the lights to try and turn them off (49:23) He went to a town and missed his boat – he missed his bed check o Those that missed their bed checks had to pile up sod (50:31) o It was raining when they were doing it o He was used to that type of work from when he lived at home and worked on the farm (50:49) He never got to go to London when he was in England (51:26) o He went to Manchester, England o Manchester is where he missed his bed check (51:44) � He traveled next to the River Clyde in Scotland o They parked their trucks and slept in them (52:30) o They were supposed to eat in a warehouse but they did not like to  They would go to the PX to buy their meals (52:51) Active Duty – Part II – Algeria/Morocco/Northern Africa – (53:09)           When they got ready to go, there was an awful storm o The boat they got one was made to travel on a shallow draft (53:34) o They traveled right along the coastline and could see the lights in Spain (54:00) o They eventually met up with the convoy in Gibraltar (54:08) o They unloaded in Oran, Algeria (54:17) When they got off in Oran, they saw an Arab with a barracks bag When they next landed, there was a great deep bay He remembers having to carry a friend that had appendicitis to an ambulance (57:19) o There were six inches of snow that same night o His friend soon came back (57:46) There was still fighting in Tunisia when he landed in Algeria (58:41) o Rommel was still there fighting for the Germans One night they were traveling over mountains – they moved to the “mouse trap” (59:22) o The Germans had just sliced English forces back o He worked as a patrol officer in one of the streets o He saw a plane come in and strafe past the mountain (01:00:00)  He ran and took cover o One of his friends’ truck was hit – the truck had a pig inside of it (01:00:43) They started getting shelled by the Germans o One of the men jumped out – he ran out and tackled him (01:01:55) The 1st Armor came in with a lot of food and ammunition (01:02:35) o Part of the division was moving up with their guns and flamethrowers to burn the brush o The Germans fled over the hill and got down on low ground (01:03:21) o When they ran out of food and ammunition they surrendered (01:03:45)  They had a real scene of Germans coming in with truck loads of men They were told to go to Rabat, Morocco to have a good time (01:05:00) o They were told not to take on all the women in one day and drink all the whisky in one day o Soon a lot of celebrities from Hollywood were there (01:05:27) He met General Patton one time o After the Battle of the Bulge, Patton’s outfit ran out of gas �         Eisenhower took other Generals out and they saw Germans and Americans that were trying to keep warm that had frozen and died (01:08:26)  When people say that Patton had the “blood and guts”, he says that Patton had the guts, but it was the soldiers blood (01:08:37)  Patton did not care how many soldiers were used, just wanted glory for himself (01:08:54) The Germans surrender [in Tunisia] in May of 1943 (01:09:19) They then traveled to Algiers, Algeria (01:09:30) He and some other men were assigned to B Company o They would sometimes sell their mattress covers to go to the PX and buy some stuff o There was one guy that asked if he could join because he had one hundred dollars (01:12:02)  He told them that soldiers have to be careful because some kids would get robbed  When he asked if he could go, they all said “sure” (01:12:20) When they went in town, they were drinking and trying to lose the new guy o They ran out of brandy and told the new guy to go and buy some (01:12:47) o One of the other guys said no because the new guy was going to buy two bottles of brandy (01:12:54) o They all helped finish the two bottles of brandy When they got loaded and were preparing to go home, they were noisy on the street and a Canadian MP picked them up (01:13:17) o They went right in front of the man at the desk  He said, “Hand over your pocketbook” Then next morning they received C-rations when the new guy that they had lost came up to them (01:15:06) When he loaded his truck on the boat, they eventually got to one place that was like a giant bowl (01:15:50) o His truck was picked up in a giant net and swung over next to the boat o There were bombers that were going by and strafing (01:16:18) o He thought he was going to be hit He was eventually loaded in and they took off for shore (01:16:53) Active Duty – Part III – Italy Part I – Fixing Bridges – (01:19:03)    The ship that the truck was loaded on opened up and he was able to drive off There was a jeep on shore that was leading him where to go (01:19:21) o Some of the Company was already there when he arrived o He had to unload the truck without any help (01:19:41) At one point his steering wheel just spun and the steering wheel was broke loose o The gears stuck right out where he could see them (01:20:06) o He had to be picked up by a wrecker �          o He finally got the truck fixed and went back (01:20:20) When he had previously landed with the truck, he was in Italy (01:21:14) o He landed in [Battipaglia], Italy (01:21:28) He is then working near the Liri River in Italy (01:22:50) o There were at least thirteen bridges that they were working on o When the river thawed there was a lot of water in the river (01:23:20) On one of the bridges, a soldier told a tanker that he could not pass because the bridge was not reinforced for that much weight (01:23:51) o The tanker lieutenant told the soldier to get out of the way and they started going across o The bridge tipped over and fell apart (01:24:13) o The driver got tangled up in the camouflage net and drowned (01:24:28) Six bridges were lost during one flood when the Germans opened up the dams and let the water out o When it came time to salvage the bridges, he was the first one out (01:24:55) o They went down on the flats, got a load of stuff, and went to go climb back up and could not make it  He used a Phillips screwdriver as a shear pin on the winding cable that was pulling him up (01:26:05) o He eventually got up out of the flats When he arrived in Italy in fall of 1943, he works primarily as a bridge repairman (01:27:10) o This is when a lot of fighting is going on in Cassino, Italy (01:27:15) He spent his winter in the same part of Italy of where he was working on bridges When they went farther into Italy, they would go to mess halls that were loaded with local kids (01:27:53) o When they would finish eating, they would give the leftovers to the kids He traveled to Anzio, Italy (01:28:46) o He did not have trouble getting to shore in Anzio o He slept under his truck at night (01:29:01) o The Germans had a large battle ship [they had no navy in the Mediterranean, but had battleship-sized gun that they used against the Anzio beachhead] on guard  The next morning he was digging a fox hole (01:29:40) The big German battle ship hit something in the harbor o Cranes would pick up cubes of rubble and put them on the trucks (01:30:30  The trucks would dump them off (01:30:36)  One of the other companies would chip the blocks up and use it o They built up for themselves an area built with beams and sand bags  They would get shelled sometimes (01:32:18) Sometimes a British plane would fly over and they could tell because they were louder (01:32:34) o The Germans had a similar plane that would fly very low o They would sometimes drop popcorn flares (01:33:06) �   One time they hit the net covering a truck – it set the net on fire When they were there, they would sometimes wake up to a truck full of dead men laid in it (01:33:40) o They would pick them up at night and stop in their camp o The next morning they would bury the men (01:33:56) o There roads towards the beaches were loaded with crosses from where the men were buried (01:34:08) At this time he did not have much to do Active Duty – Part IV – Italy Part II – Injury/Mussolini’s Body – (01:34:38)       He then went to B Company o They were fed very well in B Company (01:35:01) One night, it was extremely foggy, he started driving and turned his truck around before getting out o When he got out, he heard a Tommy Gun go off (01:36:02) o It was a signal to get out o The next thing he saw was a squad of guys that had long billed hats (01:36:38)  They were Germans  They cut loose and started shooting at him (01:36:54)  It sounded like a hive of bees around him  They were shooting with tracers  They then got in the ditch (01:37:47)  He laid on his back because he had been caught by the barbed wire  It cut a hole in his lip (01:38:12)  It cut open his left arm and left his veins bare  He was losing a lot of blood When he got up from being on his back, he knew that they needed to get on the road (01:38:45) o He was confused and he stopped right by a tank He then got on a half-track (01:39:15) o He was riding on the roll bar o The door of the half-track was open  He was shooting at the Germans in the ditch (01:39:46) o During the firefight, he slipped off and laid in a field until he heard his truck starting up  When he heard his truck, he got up and jumped in (01:41:18)  There was an infantry soldier that he helped into the truck because he had been injured as well They eventually drove to where the brickwork was (01:43:15) o At that time he jumped up on a straw stack and went to sleep (01:43:26) The next day he got back to the Company o His truck had been taken to maintenance to get tires put on it (01:43:59) o He was staying in a dugout �              o At one point he heard an extremely loud boom that knocked him back into the dugout (01:44:25)  He thinks that some TNT was hit st The 1 Sergeant came and told him that he needed to go to the medics (01:44:50) o There was blood mixed with straw (01:45:01) o He did not realize it – he said that he was getting where he could clear his head and could see fine o He did not go to the medic (01:45:24)  If he had, he would have gotten a Purple Heart (01:45:29) He eventually went back to his Company His wound healed very well (01:45:40) He was in Anzio for quite a while (01:46:24) One time an ox was shot and brought back for the soldiers to eat They were fed extremely well (01:47:40) o They even made ice cream o Officers from other companies would go and eat with their officers (01:48:21) One of his officers was called a clown because of his big ears There was a Swedish guy from Minnesota that was on a truck that was never used to pull trailers. He pulled the copper tubing off his trailer and made a coil (01:49:35) o He would make alcohol that was almost completely clear (01:50:41)  They called it “White Lightning” o The soldiers would mix it with grapefruit so they could drink it (01:51:01) One time an officer cussed at another officer – he was ordered to dig a six foot hole that was deep enough to be over his head (01:52:36) o He was guarding the officer that was digging the hole o He was given some diluted alcohol – he eventually went in the hole and took turns digging with the officer (01:53:10) o When they were finished, they were told to fill the hole in and move over and dig another (01:53:29) When he traveled north, he went through Rome, Italy When he was traveling through Milan, Italy, they stopped right where Mussolini was (01:54:44) o He actually saw Mussolini hanging next to Clara Petacci (01:55:19)  Her skirts were fallen down over her eyes  He noticed the leather boots that Mussolini was wearing (01:55:42)  He was shot full of holes The next day he bought a postcard that had the picture of Mussolini strung up (01:56:12) When they were traveling north, they pulled off to the side of the road to let the kitchen truck catch up so they could eat a hot meal (01:56:58) o When they had everything out to eat, they noticed three German tanks that noticed them and started shooting in their direction (01:57:21) o He hit the ground every time he heard a shot go off Colonel Stanley was killed in Rome, Italy (01:58:17) �    His Company was 2nd Platoon o 1st Platoon built Bailey Bridges (01:59:23) o One time they came to a place when it was dark – they stayed where Germans had cut out trees for camouflage He drove a military Autocar (02:00:12) o The Autocar had a hard time fitting through many of the narrow Italian streets (02:01:09) The place he stayed in during the winter was extremely cold o The building was ripped open with holes (02:02:17) o They lived in regular Army tents (02:02:26) o They had their beds and cut barrels for a stove o They used airplane gas for fuel (02:02:49) One of the cooks had a small brown dog (02:03:42) � 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 PowellG1465V Title A name given to the resource Powell, Gabriel (Interview outline and video), 2012 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Powell, Gabriel Description An account of the resource Gabriel Powell was born in Algoma, Michigan, in 1916. He grew up on a farm and worked as a carpenter until he enlisted into the military in 1941. He trained at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and was assigned to the engineer battalion of the 1st Armored Division. He went with his unit to Northern Ireland, and then to Scotland and England before landing in Algeria in 1942. He participated in the North African and Italian campaigns, mostly working on bridge construction and repair, and stayed with his unit until the war in Europe ended in 1945. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text 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 2012-11-18 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> 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/8d9401efa2bf392ba48071c6fd689d0f.mp4 cc9b3b3380e395df3f78506e6465c043 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ef2c0a1e4f38f062560d5f7354bbe1f6.pdf a7560784a0afee996c7f7d75d82cddd5 PDF Text Text GrandValleyStateUniversity Veterans History Project World War II Vern Pouch (41:44) Background Information ()      Born March 4th 1927 in FruitportMichigan. (00:06) He served in the Navy reaching a rank of Ship’s Cook 1st Class. (00:11) Vern enlisted in the Navy in 1944 at the age of 17. (00:54) He has 1 brother who also served in the Navy during World War II and the Korean War. He also has 1 sister. (1:09) He quite high school at age 16. (1:34) Basic Training (1:53)    Vern’s training took place at Great Lakes Navel Base. (1:55) After completing his time in basic, Vern attended fire school in Virginia. (2:46) From Virginia he was sent to PittsburghPennsylvania where he picked his ship [an LST] up. (2:56) Voyage to the Pacific (3:7)          The ship traveled down the Ohio River, then to the Mississippi river. The ship then stopped in New OrleansLouisiana, where the men conducted some training. (4:00) A shake down cruise was given after leaving New Orleans. (4:37)] Next the ship was sent to GulfportMississippi, to pick up supplies. (5:00) Being young, when the ship was sent to New Guinea he doesn’t remember being very afraid to be going into a combat area. (5:48) To drop supplies in New Guinea, the supplies were loaded on LCTs. The LCTs beached themselves to unload the supplies. (6:47) When crossing the Pacific, Vern’s ship did have a destroyer escort. (7:37) When traveling across the Pacific, the men did spot whales and other wild life. (8:54) Vern had little difficulty adjusting to life aboard the ship although some men did get sick. His battle stationed was a loader on a 20 mm. gun. (9:57) Ammunition could be delivered to ships and transferred between ships while at sea. (11:55) The Invasion of the Philippines (Dec. 1944) ()       During landings in the Philippines, the men simply dropped their supplies using LSTs then evacuated. (12:40) The men did take fire while dropping the supplies. (12:55) During the Battle of the Philippians, the ship did come under fire by Japanese aircraft. (15:11) After the first landing, LSTs were sent back to the island to supply up for the invasion of Mindoro. (17:03) Vern witnessed Kamikaze pilots attack the dry dock in Leyte. (17:55) Vern also experiences several large storms while at sea, bad enough that it pocked holes in the �ship. (18:44) Invasion of Mindoro Late (Dec. 1944) (19:32)        In December of 1944 while off the coast of Mindoro, Vern’s ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. This left the ship temporarily without power. (19:40) Due to the damages taken during the battle, the men were ordered to abandon ship. (22:00) Vern was attached to the ship as were most of the men. They did not want to leave the ship but were forced after explosions occurred below deck. (24:24) The men were given life jackets. (25:00) Vern held on to the side of a life while in the water but was unable to get on board. He recalls being bumped by what he believed to be sharks under water. After a short while, the men were picked up by a destroyer. (25:45) The men could not swim to shore because it was still occupied by Japanese. (27:18) The men were taken from the waters off Mindoro to Australia. Then the men were sent back to the U.S. on a 30 day survivor leave. (28:43) Service in the U.S. (30:53)   Vern was transferred to Treasure Island. Here he worked as a cook. His job consisted of purchasing sweet rolls and brewing coffee. (31:31) When the Atomic bombs were dropped, Vern had no knowledge as to what it was or the damage it was capable of creating. (33:45) End of War and End of Service (34:31)   He stayed in the Navy for a short while after the end of the war. (32:32) He met his wife and had 3 children (32:36) Thoughts on Service (35:00)      Vern would occasionally wake up violently in the middle of the night from night terrors. (35:21) Vern went on to drive Greyhound buses for 30 years. The military experience did assist him in this career. (36:00) There are several men from Vern’s service that he is still in touch with. (36:45) Vern’s advice for people to join the navy is to do what one is told to do and do it well. (39:50) Vern’s son served in the Navy as well during the Vietnam War. He served on an LST in the Delta. (40:20) � 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 PouchV0668V Title A name given to the resource Pouch, Vern (Interview outline and video), 2010 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pouch, Vern Description An account of the resource Vern Pouch, born in Fruitport Michigan, enlisted in the Navy in 1944 at the age of seventeen. After training at Great Lakes and in Virginia, he joined the crew of a new LST and sailed with her from Pittsburgh to New Orleans, and then across the Pacific, where he participated in the invasion of the Philippines. Off Mindoro in December, 1944, his ship was badly damaged and abandoned, and the crew were rescued by a destroyer and taken to Australia. He served out the remainder of his enlistment as a cook on Treasure Island in California. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Bolthouse, Marv (Interviewer) Cole, Nick (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text 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 2010-07-27 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> 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/ec8b5bb74de6502022cc457c4bc8db3f.mp4 05c8eda3688501239afed119d37943fc https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/21d688cc5cd4d67eddb753d075725835.pdf 8ff9c85196818026a0a0fd3db942e176 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Cornelius Potts (00:53:00) Pre-enlistment (00:05) • • • • Childhood (00:06) o Born in Grand Rapids on Jan. 5,1918 sometime. (00:07) Family (00:30) o His father was a carpenter & was able to find work during the Depression. His mother was a stay-at-home mom and took care of the kids. (01:03) Education (01:17) o Attended school through the 8th Grade. (01:28) His Job (01:33) o Afterwards, he mentions working at a farm and a gas station (01:44). o Recounts where he was when Pearl Harbor was attacked & listened very carefully to the radio for news on how the war was going in Europe. (02:35) Enlistment/Training (03:13) • • • Why he enlisted (03:14) o He enlisted b/c he mainly wanted to join and join his brother-in-law who was joining up. (03:47) Where he trained and what company he was in (04:35) o Didn’t remember where he trained. (04:35) o Briefly discusses his conduct & various things he learned in his program. (05:19) Among many things, he mentions his exceptional shooting abilities. (07:36) o After basic training, he joined the army band playing the French horn. Further mentions that there was nowhere in the service that someone was safe. (09:05) o Doesn’t remember when he left to go overseas. Stayed at an army base in Illinois before being shipped out to the Philippines in 1945. (11:32) o While there, he served with the 33rd Division. (12:10) Other relevant info about time in service (11:31) o Soon afterwards, Potts joined the band. He discusses doing various performances for army personnel & civilians alike. (14:07) o Reviews how he came to join the army with his brother-in-law. His brother served with the infantry. (16:35) Their individual units were in close proximity to each other on a few occasions. (18:39) Active Duty (18:51) • Voyage to the Philippines (19:31) o Potts briefly describe that he boarded a passenger ship. �o On board ship, he mentions what conditions living conditions were like. (20:50) Also mentions his seasickness on their journey to the Philippines. (22:08) • The Philippines (22:14) o Overview of his time in the Philippines (22:15)  Upon landing, he briefly relays his insights on the Philippines & its people. (22:57) His unit landed at a place near Baguio. (24:48)  By the time his unit got there the main Japanese force had left the area. While there it was his unit’s job to go into the jungle on patrol and round up Japanese soldiers. At times, Potts went on patrol. (25:58)  Much of the time, however, he spent his time with the band playing for various people such as Gen. Douglas McArthur (28:24) and Clarkson. (29:15)  Briefly describes his impressions of Japanese POWs. (30:01)  He further mentions how receptive the Filipinos were of the U.S.’s return to the Philippines. Potts mentions that they put local Filipino women to work carrying American GI ammo bags. (32:05)  Something not commonly known is that when American GI’s went into on their patrols Filipino women accompanied them. (33:10) o Living conditions (33:28)  American GIs, according to Potts, faced a monsoon-like climate with constant attacks from mosquitoes. Further mentions that GIs were equipped with medicines and mosquito netting. (34:48)  Many American GIs came down with malaria. Potts, however, never once contracted it. (35:57) o Discharge/other stories (36:16)  At WWII’s end Potts was still at Baguio, the Philippines. (36:37) Mentions further that when they left they were supposed to go to Manila and then Australia but something else happened. (37:50)  Briefly describes what his voyage aboard a passenger ship from the Philippines to Seattle, WA was like. (39:13) Mentions that he doesn’t remember what happened. Made a brief stop in Hawaii. (42:34)  Potts briefly mentions that while in the Philippines he encountered Japanese civilians who treated him with politeness & respect which was unheard of up until then b/c of American’s racial stereotypes of Japanese people. (42:52)  Upon arriving in Seattle, WA Potts took a train to Camp Grant, Illinois north of Chicago where he was discharged. (46:51)  Briefly mentions where his wife lived while he was in basic (48:32) and then mentions that she moved back to Michigan when he was sent to the Philippines. (49:54) After the service (50:02) • Adjusting to home (50:03) o After being discharged, Potts worked in a variety of capacities. However, he doesn’t remember what those capacities were. (51:21) o Briefly mentions that since he was in the Army band that he didn’t have a positive experience b/c he was treated badly. (52:01) Further shares his thoughts �regarding other Army experiences. (52:54) � 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 PottsC Title A name given to the resource Potts, Cornelius (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Potts, Cornelius Description An account of the resource Cornelius Potts is a World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1945. While still in training, he was assigned to the 33rd Infantry Division's band. His unit was based near Seattle for some time, but eventually went to the Philippines and served on Luzon. Potts experienced combat, but primarily served with the band, entertaining dignitaries including Gen. MacArthur and President Quezon Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Byron Area Historic Museum (Byron Center, Mich.) BCTV Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Army World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Video recordings Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text 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 2008-09-09 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> 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/75285e186dea49177d21209721647c78.mp4 27b531c2fe64e8e6ca3a514b0d8df0f1 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4b6b262405185342348198b5dcef515b.pdf 62ff241f868dd8a5f49054dbfeea3086 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veteran's History Project Iraq James Potter Total Time (01:17:28) Introduction (00:00:14)  James Potter was born December 1985 in Muskegon, Michigan (00:00:25) ◦ James graduated from Mona Shores High School and grew up with eight other siblings (00:01:25) ◦ He joined the Army at age 17, before he graduated high school; One of his buddies had an uncle who was an Airborne Ranger- they both got out of school to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) and scored pretty well on it (00:02:06) ▪ He officially signed up for the military on October 23rd, 2003 (00:02:22)  James was sent to Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri for basic training in Charlie Company 795 (00:06:15)  He left in January of 2005 for basic training and graduated on May 26th of 2005 (00:06:33) ◦ James picked 31 Bravo (Military Police) for his Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) (00:07:01) ◦ He thought he was mentally prepared for all the yelling at basic training but he comments he never realized how much he would expect (00:09:33) ◦ James was an athlete in high school and thought it would help as far as his training goes; he mentions that the exercises after a few weeks did catch up and he could barely move at times- he lost 96 pounds from basic and Advanced Infantry Training (AIT) in five and a half months (00:10:42) ▪ The MP training consisted of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) which were different laws as well as Law and Order training (00:13:10) ▪ A lot of the training dealt with what was going on in the Middle East as they geared their training towards that (00:15:17)  James ended up with the 114 MP Company out of Owosso, Michigan and worked with them for around four months (00:17:12)  On his very first drill, his unit asked for volunteers to go to Iraq but he was repeatedly shut down to go with the 46th MP Company (00:18:00) ◦ He was finally allowed to go and was so motivated to go because he had made a commitment to go to Iraq because he made a pact with one of his military buddies (00:19:07) ◦ The 46th MP was sent to Ft. Dix in New Jersey for intense training of integration into teams, squads, and platoons (00:20:14) ◦ They spent three months at Ft. Dix and then to Germany to Kuwait for two weeks, and finally to Baghdad International Airport in Iraq (00:23:08) Iraq (00:23:08)  In Kuwait, James' unit had to acclimate themselves to the intense heat; he mentions that some people went down as “heat casualties” while trying to adjust in Kuwait (00:24:50)  The first night James and his unit were in Iraq, they faced mortar attacks; air conditioning units �in their barracks were falling out of the walls and a fear took over James as he felt like he was in a war movie (00:28:27) ◦ James describes the process of how T-Wall barriers work and how because of them they didn't take any casualties that first night (00:29:40) ◦ The first morning in Iraq, James and his unit met all the people they were replacing and geared up as well (00:30:39) ◦ His mission was presence patrol and included a lot of driving around and waiting for something to happen; his deployment was supposed to last 15 months but only made it through eight and half months (00:31:32) ▪ James describes an incident where he and a group of soldiers were in their jeep and were faced off against a sniper that fired a few bullets into their jeep- they didn't know where any of it was really coming from (00:35:42) ▪ Interpreters worked with James' unit to help identify certain people- James' unit had four interpreters total; these people would have to cover up their faces and change names because they were working with Americans and that put them in danger (00:37:24)  James did not have a good impression of the Iraqi police he worked with; he didn't feel they were trustworthy and felt they didn't care for their country in general (00:40:23) ◦ Getting mortared was a regular occurrence for the base James was on; they were in uniform three almost his whole deployment- that meant you couldn't go outside without wearing eye protection, helmet, and vest along with a weapon with multiple magazines (00:42:22) ◦ During his deployment, three people ended up losing their lives while on patrol and sent quite a few people home with injuries- most of these injuries were caused by roadside bombs (00:43:57) ▪ Considering the circumstances, James' unit had a pretty high morale and had effective leadership as well (00:46:00)  On May 26th, 2007, James and the jeep he was in hit an explosively formed penetrator (EFP) and all four people were injured- he spent five months in the hospital and he almost lost his left arm and left eye (00:47:32)  James describes what happened in great detail the day the jeep was hit (00:47:32-00:50:20)  His injuries finally caught up with him as he saw muscle tissue hanging out from his own arm as someone told him he had a compound fracture (00:51:56)  James and a few other of the injured were flown on a black-hawk helicopter to the International Zone where there was a bigger hospital to be treated; he spent four days there and then was flown to Germany (00:55:04) ◦ After seven days in Germany, he was flown to Andrews AFB in Washington D.C for a night (00:56:56) ◦ From there he was sent to Womack Hospital at Ft. Bragg in North Carolina (00:58:15) ◦ James' left arm did not end up having to be amputated and he has some use of his fingers left still due to a surgery he went through (01:00:28) �Back to the United States (01:00:28)  James' current assignment is the 1436th Engineer Company; he ended up there because it was the closest armory to his house (01:01:58)  In 2010, he ended up deploying with the 1436th to Iraq (01:02:28) Back to Iraq (01:04:02)  James deployed with the 1436th Engineer Battalion to Iraq for his second deployment (01:04:06) ◦ On one of the patrols, they spotted and identified an EFP in the ground; they then waited for route clearance to confirm the EFP and then waited for the explosive ordinance disposal unit (EOD) to come out and dispose of the bomb (01:07:59) ◦ The second deployment to Iraq went much better for James as there was really only small incidents that would happen (01:09:40) ▪ James communicated with family and friends regularly on this deployment as opposed to his first deployment (01:12:21) ▪ The second deployment lasted 11 months as planned (01:12:57) Back to the United States (01:13:33)  James took a job back with the 46th MP Company about two years ago (01:13:57) ◦ He eventually took a position with the 1436th as a Admin Non-commissioned Officer (01:14:47) ◦ James comments that he didn't need any additional mental help but the military was great at providing the opportunity to go through it (01:17:08) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PotterJ1573V Title A name given to the resource Potter, James (Interview outline and video), 2014 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Potter, James Description An account of the resource James Potter was born in 1985 in Muskegon, Michigan. He joined the Army at age 17 before he graduated high school. He officially signed up on October 23rd, 2003 and was sent to Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri for basic training in Charlie Company 795. He chose 31 Bravo as a Military Police for his military occupational specialty. He eventually joined the 46th MP Company and was sent to Iraq. His unit spent a few weeks in Kuwait to get acclimated to the weather. James' deployment was cut short to eight and a half months as opposed to 15. On May 26th, 2007, James was hit by an explosively formed penetrator; he almost loss the use of his left arm and left eye. After being treated back in the United States, he signed up for the 1436th Engineer Company and ended up redeploying to Iraq for a second time in 2010. His second deployment lasted 11 months. He still works with the 1436th as an Admin Non-commissioned Officer today. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Iraq War, 2003-2011--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text 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 2014-03-08 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> 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/44bdf428f271ca3ce6a2dfdde1357167.mp4 bcb79b05e76456dab1e8543082656e1b https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c6fefec6d79f024d38dfa4bee33d35cc.pdf 2d9ba32cf090183e95fb781f1c09957a PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veteran’s History Project Interview Gordon Potter Length of Interview (00:38:17) Pre-enlistment (00:00:31) Born 1937 in Byron Center, Michigan His father was in a grocery business, then went into the milk business when it didn’t work out Went to Byron Center Christian and finished high school at Unity Christian in Hudsonville , Michigan (1955) Enlistment/Training (00:01:33) Worked at grocery store, from ages 14-end of high school. Was working with a friend, Larry Christian, who had a cousin going into the Navy; Potter was asked to join them the summer of 1955 • Navy was accepting 2 year enlistments through the Naval Reserves at the time, a 6 year obligation and 2 years active (00:02:15) Potter thought that this would be a good time to go into the service because it was a time of peace, Korean War just ended (mid 1950’s); but was aware of Cold War tensions (00:02:59) Signed up at Naval Reserve Center in Byron Center (00:03:45) In Mid-November (Nov. 13th or 14th) began service (00:03:56) • Immediately ordered to report to Great Lakes, Illinois on Dec. 1, 1955 (00:04:15) • When arriving, a lengthy and thorough indoctrination process was carried out (00:05:45) Potter was then sent to the other side of the base and was assigned to a company (00:06:12) • Company 711, Potter’s company number (00:06:57) Trained in military discipline and conditioning but was mainly taught how to run equipment (00:07:41) • Did some close-order drill but not to the extent that Army and Marine branches did • Attended classes all day and learned about Semaphore, different types of guns, ammunition, weapons and how to operate them. Also attended firefighting school �Was a part of the Drum and Bugle Corps, morning and evening practices (00:08:23) Trained in Great Lakes for 9 weeks (00:09:26) • 8 weeks of basic training, 1 week of Service Week (maintaining the camp) • Potter did barracks duty • During training, was given several “Aptitude Tests” (00:10:26) Was offered to go to Radio or Sonar school but the Navy wasn’t inclined to send him to school unless he signed up for more service (1-2 years) Declined the offer but because of his clerical skills, he was given a clerical job Alameda Air Station (00:10:55) Sent to California in Alameda Air Station in a place called Commander Fleet Logistics Air Wing Pacific, an office building The building was HQ for transportation stations around the Pacific (Japan, Hawaii, and U.S. West Coast) Spent 19 months there performing clerical duties • Started out as a yeoman (00:11:54) Moved to a floor called the Aviation Store Keeper office (00:12:35) Assigned to a job called Bravo Allotment • Entailed sending request from squadrons for fuel and oil for airplanes to Washington, D.C., and then writing monthly reports on how much was used. Also kept financial records for fuel and oil. Since the job was not time consuming, he joined the softball team there (00:14:05) The majority of the officers were pilots, so a plane was assigned to them, a TF-1 Twin Engine (00:14:32) • When flying, a rule for pilots was to have a mechanic or an observer on board; Potter acted as an observer, sometimes �San Diego (00:20:20) In 1957, the Navy closed Potter’s assigned office, so he was first reassigned to a place called Brown Field in California, but was sent to VR 21 in San Diego instead (00:20:33) A week or two after arrival, he was given a job in charge of ordering materiel (00:21:51) • Processed supplies that mechanics ordered, sent the requests to suppliers, then did the paperwork for buying parts • Took Potter three weeks to straighten out paper work of previous employee After the Service Stayed in San Diego for 4 months until his 2 years of service in the Navy were up (00:22:48) Went back to civilian life in Byron Center (where his parents no longer lived in) and stayed there for 2 years working; but he was still a part of the Naval Reserve (00:24:02) Prior to Potter’s release in San Diego, the Navy had released a lot of people who had been drafted (around the time he had enlisted) causing Reserves to become loaded (00:25:11) • Naval Reserves offered the choice of Active Reserve At that time, Potter was a 3rd Class Petty Officer and had taken the written exam for 2nd Class, but had to go back into Active Reserve to see his results He declined the offer and stayed in Inactive Reserve for 4 years Was released in Nov. 1961 (00:26:39) Experience Gained (00:29:26) Started working in the Fire Department on June 15, 1960 on the West Side of Grand Rapids Over 20 years Potter went from firefighter, to rescue squad, then House Captain of the rescue squad (1975) • Went into a job that was more dangerous than his time in the military (00:33:06) Feels that because of his Naval Training, he is able to deal with people better; especially with the stresses of his career as a firefighter; his eyes were opened to a bigger world(00:33:22) Enjoyed his time in the Navy � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PotterG Title A name given to the resource Potter, Gordon (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Potter, Gordon Description An account of the resource Gordon Potter enlisted into the Naval Reserve the summer of 1955. He trained in Great Lakes, Illinois and was assigned to Alameda Naval Air Station afterwards to do clerical work. His main job was managing fuel use for Bravo Allotment until he was transferred to San Diego where he continued doing clerical work. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Byron Area Historic Museum (Byron Center, Mich.) BCTV Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Navy Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text 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 2008-09-23 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> 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/9d9c562a3393cae0832fb1f738a2af02.mp4 67a14683fe9940d906096291e8617713 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3692f9c82180ffc0c42b725d4116e206.pdf a8cc629347cc6e42bd06f4410d2da938 PDF Text Text GVSU Veteran’s History Project Iraq & Afghanistan Wars Chris Potter Interview Total Time: 20:48                  (00:10) Mr. Potter served in Iraq as a Marine o His rank was sergeant (00:40) Before joining the Marines, he played a lot of sports o Lived in Grandville, Michigan (1:07) Enlisted in the Marines because his father was in the Marines during the Vietnam War (1:40) In boot camp, he said he was initially scared; was hard to get used to (2:16) Didn’t go through specialized training; learned that they were the same as everyone else in the Marines (2:38) Mr. Potter was a squad leader o 3 fire teams and a corpsman o Taught different aspects of combat (2:58) Learned how to jump out of a helicopter o In charge of this; repelling, spy-roping (3:46) During 9/11 he was in boot camp; he had already joined the Marines during the August of that year (4:02) The base he trained at was in San Diego o During 9/11, they noticed the planes weren’t flying and wondered what happened after 2 days – which is when they learned what happened (4:52) Served in Iraq & Afghanistan o His job in Iraq was a fireteam leader, and in Afghanistan he was a squad leader o Saw active combat (5:20) Enjoyed the brotherhood he had with the guys he served with (6:11) Ate MRE’s – said they didn’t have a good effect on his body (7:34) Didn’t experience as much combat in Iraq as he did in Afghanistan (8:20) It was difficult to stay in touch with his family and friends back home (8:35) Recalls passing time with the guys he served by playing board games, etc. (9:00) They celebrated holidays o Once he was able to drink with his friend (10:05) Extended his service by a year to go to Afghanistan because he trained all of the guys who were going there o Got an extra month there to train new guys �       o Once he got back to Hawaii, he had to take classes for 2 weeks on how to live a civilian lifestyle o Says things in the military have changed now (11:05) Still friends with the people he served with (11:15) He now coaches hockey and goes to school (11:48) He learned a lot about how to manage people (13:50) Recalls a funny story (15:10) Used an M-16 o Favorite weapon was a 50 caliber machine gun although he didn’t get to use it in combat (16:20) Talks about a ‘battle rhythm’ o Different actions from different platoons (17:11) Mentions that he was in over 30 countries o This is why he wanted to join; to travel o Especially loved Hawaii, Australia, Thailand, Crete o Said there were parts of Afghanistan that were gorgeous o Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia was his favorite place � 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 PotterC1364V Title A name given to the resource Potter, Christopher (Interview outline and video), 2011 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Potter, Christopher Description An account of the resource Mr. Potter is from Grandville, Michigan. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in August, 2001, served in Iraq and Afghanistan as a Marine. His highest rank was sergeant. He received his training in San Diego, where he was a squad leader. In Iraq, Mr. Potter was a fire-team leader. In Afghanistan, he was a squad leader. He was able to travel to over 30 different countries throughout his military career. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Moore, Matt (Interviewer) Green, Tage (Interviewer) Caledonia High School (Caledonia, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Marine Corps Iraq War, 2003-2011--Personal narratives, American Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text 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 2011-11-15 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> 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/566673e8c58cc527a46232d13bcb9c42.mp4 8bd754db29358d22a1a1b62c6f323fa8 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/cfa5c3307893d940a7650692940d4923.pdf c5593e20271f4524de5868b963e7fa7f PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project James Porter (00:39:20) Childhood, Schooling, Manhattan Project Helper, Enlistment In The Navy • (00:23) Porter was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, on the south side, in 1926 • (00:36) his father died when he was a baby; he was thirty-three years old when he died of tuberculosis • (00:47) his mother's boyfriend from before she married his father "showed up at the wake," and they married two months later he was an automobile mechanic, a union member, a millwright—Porter himself was a member of the same union, as a carpenter • • • (01:27) Porter had five siblings: there were three boys "by" his father; by his stepfather, there was another boy, a girl, then another boy there were six kids in his family, and six in his mother's family • (02:00) Porter went to Chicago Vocational High School, from which he graduated in 1944; it is a trade school, "all boys"; they had "ammunition, maintenance school, automobile school, machinist" [Porter was "taking machinist" at the time] • (03:00) in his fourth year of high school, he attended school for half a day because he worked: "sooner or later" he was put into a machine shop • (03:14) in his fourth year, seven or eight of those in the machine shop ended up working for the US government at the University of Chicago they did not know what they were doing until after the war—"helpin’ the Manhattan Project" the “young guys” usually got the "dirty" jobs: cutting the different diameters and lengths of graphite rods the men that worked there, the journeymen, with twelve years of drawing, "they didn't know why they were making it" • • • • (04:30) Porter worked at U of C in 1944, during his third and fourth years in high school; he go paid a dollar an hour—his stepfather was "only getting $1.25" • ***he probably worked at U of C in both 1943 and 1944, because he stated earlier that he graduated in ‘44*** • (05:09) [when asked by the interviewer] Porter did not remember anything specifically about Pearl Harbor day—"but I can remember when it was over" �• 0:05:40 [when they were seventeen or eighteen years old] they all thought they would be drafted and "that's why I went in the navy"; he enlisted on October 10, 1944 Basic Training • (06:03) Porter went to Great Lakes Naval Station [the Naval Training Station in Great Lakes, IL]; he picked the navy so he "wouldn't have to go in the mud" o he had fireman, engineering training • (06:42) Porter was at Great Lakes for eight weeks, ten weeks, or perhaps fifteen weeks; he went through basic and then interim training, and he was a fireman first class when he came out In The Navy, Japan And The Philippines • (06:56) he was sent to the Pacific; at Ulithi [Federated States of Micronesia, Caroline Islands] he “picked up” the ship he had been assigned to • (07:16) he departed from Shoemaker, California; he was “awful sick” during the first few days; the trip took perhaps “a couple of weeks”; the ship was about 450 feet long; they had a “small complement” of 150 people; he “took care of,” operated the boilers • (08:32) they had just left Iwo Jima when he picked up his ship • (09:10) “the crew was me against the whole East Coast”; he was the only one from the Midwest, and it was hard to get along with them—he never got out of his hold • (10:23) they “pulled up” at a small island where they planned to have a “beer party”; it was empty, the Japanese had gone, but there were caves walking around, they noticed ammunition and big “no smoking” signs they entered the caves and saw General Electric motors: “the Japs had all kinds of our stuff”—stolen or bought • • • • (11:15) everywhere Porter went, he met someone he knew from Chicago in San Francisco, they took a Liberty ship to Shoemaker; walking around, he encountered a paratroop in an army uniform whom he knew • (11:50) out in the Marianas [Northern Mariana Islands] they were going to refuel from one of their tankers—he did “the operations” when they were about to “take off on a tanker” his position was outside on the first deck, only eight feet above the water he heard someone calling his name—he looked down onto the main deck [of the tanker], and “taking care of the oil” was a guy he went to high school with • • • (13:04) but the people on Porters ship were “all from the East”; the “closest” �Porter thought was from Philadelphia, lots from Rhode Island • • (13:26) Porter forgot the names of islands “we didn’t fight at” but they went to the Philippines Manila was secure, but it “stunk”—“everybody was cookin” lots of guys went ashore on liberty, drank whisky, and they got “awful sick”— they were piled up on the dock; it was whisky made “over there,” they were unused to it, it was “different” • (14:43) he thinks they went to Okinawa, the only battle he was in, but in the “fireroom” he never got to see who was shooting what • (15:05) one of the guys yelled that the “old man” [the skipper] did not want anyone to fire the big gun [5”38] on the back end of the ship [Porter displays a picture] -the skipper said “I don’t want anybody firing that gun” • • • (15:44) Porter left his “watch” to see what was going on; he lights were all out inside and outside of the ship and the Japanese were making Kamikaze raids • 0:15:59 he opened the hatch and peeked out and saw an AP [auxiliary passenger] ship whereupon they had fired their 5/38 off the stern, alerting the Japanese just then a Kamikaze came down, into the fantail on that other ship, and it went poof • • • • • (16:43) they went down to the Philippines again, this time to Mindanao, in August of 1945 they were out in a canoe in the dark and “all of the sudden all kinds of shooting starts”; but it was “our ship”—it [the war] was over they got back and everybody was drunk, the skipper was probably drunk” Porter knows who dropped the bombs—“one of them anyhow”—someone in his extended family • (18:23) from the Philippines they retuned to Okinawa, and then went on to Japan; in Tokyo Bay they pulled up to the dock at Yokohama • • • (18:59) the ship next to Porter’s was his uncle’s the uncle “said he was comin’ over” but they did not let him go the engineering officer on Porter’s ship offered to “see if the old man” would let Porter go ashore—this was not accomplished until they were ready to leave the dock • (19:47) Porter got his pass, and the “old man” [skipper] told him if he did not get back [in time], he would be stuck there and considered AWOL; Porter took a small boat to shore and got off to see his uncle �• • • • • • • • • • (20:07) “they had just come back from fixing the only building standing”—a convent—they [the Americans] put the electricity back in for them there were no other buildings left in Yokohama: it was flat as a table top and burned out (20:31) Porter and his uncle chatted for a couple of hours, and Porter went back to his ship; then a typhoon hit aboard ship anchored in a bay, “you’re supposed to have an anchor watch”; apparently nobody watched, and they “were gettin’ blown dragging anchor all over” (21:05) their orders in the “fireroom” were to not answer bells; someone “up there” was ringing and wanted to get moving finally the skipper came down and told them “do what you’re told”: they built up the fire and the engines were started; they got power back they “chopped off” some other ship’s anchor chain, however, when their screws started turning (21:47) among the other ships anchored there was an LST; an LST has inner and outer doors—Porter’s ship tore off one of its outer doors in passing it—“our guys were watching” one of their chiefs climbed out on “this half a door,” put a chain around the outer half of the door and managed to close it “they were safe after that, we didn’t even hurt out ship” • (22:33) after a couple more days they were gone; they ended up going back to the United States a couple of months afterward; this was when the treaties were signed with Japan [the Japanese] • (22:52) that LST, when they came back to the US three months later—Porter’s ship was pulling up, and the guys that had been on deck and had seen what had happened [the door accident], recognized the number on the other ship they were docking next to it, and the guys on Porter’s ship said “those guys are gonna kill us” as they pulled in “the whole crew of that LST was cheering for us”; they went “straight home after that” [the accident], and it took them eight weeks to get to the US—an LST “does only about ten knots,” and that LST may have done only about five, from the Philippines • • • • • (23:44) Porter came straight to the US from Japan—it took them three weeks, but they did not go much faster [than the other LST]—fourteen knots his ship did twenty knots on a “shake-down” when it was newly built, “three weeks later it could only get fourteen, fifteen knots” (24:15) Porter went out in the Pacific in January and came back in September—so he was in the Pacific the better part of a year �• • • (24:31) he was “hot to trot” to get home to his girlfriend; when he got back home, he had a thirty-day leave, then was reassigned to a new ship and spent another year overseas when he enlisted, it was for the duration of the war plus one year, and he almost reached that extra one year, nine months of it, when he got discharged (25:30) there was an “all different” crew on the new ship; he was again a fireman; he forgot the places they went because he was, as he explained, “just biding my time”; there was no combat Family And Relatives In The Military • (25:58) his wife’s brother was killed in North Africa—he went to college and then enlisted; “he was “first generation in this country, and he got killed in a tank” • (26:27) every male in Porter’s family has been in the service • (26:32) he had a brother a year older than himself who was in the Air Force, the Seventh Air Force in Italy—twice he was shot down, but did not get “scratched” • (26:48) Porter’s Uncle Jack had two younger brothers, one in the Marines and one in the air corps [US Army Air Corps, which became the Air Force] the one in the Marines was in “every battle in the Pacific” his brother Ray was in the Air Force; he was not a pilot but he was “on the Boxcar,” the plane [B-29 bomber] that carried the bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki • • ***“Ray” was probably Staff Sergeant Ray Gallagher, gunner and assistant flight engineer on the Boxcar during that flight.” • (27:40) Porter’s next brother passed away while he was a young man; he was in the Air Force during the Korean War, assigned to headquarters and he spent three and a half years “over there” ***it could be assumed that this brother was one of the three sons of Porter’s mother’s first husband, as is the one who got shot down over Italy who was older than Porter*** •  (27:58) he had a “crazy” brother, a younger half-brother who joined the army, a “twenty-year-man”; he had five children, four boys and a girl and he served in Vietnam this guys younger brother, Porter’s “other youngest brother,” also went to Vietnam, but he was in the navy Back To Civilian Life: Mr. Porter’s Career At Commonwealth Edison, His Family • (28:42) Porter left the service in 1946 and came home; there were no jobs left at the university—“that was all washed up �• (28:56) “years later,” Porter read in the newspaper about a guy talking about lithium; he got tricked once: there was a big block that looked like iron on a bench; Porter thought he could lift it even if it weighed two hundred pounds, so he tried to pick it up and almost fell on his back—it actually weighed “only about two pounds” and he had braced himself for much more—it was beryllium; after he saw this in the paper, he thought that “this could be me,” but he also read in the paper that you had to be machining or grinding it and the dust was poisonous, so he “never did that” • (30:20) he waited a year, and then he and his wife got married, but he did not have a job the day before they married; he was a carpenter, and it was “off season” when they came back from the honeymoon, he did not tell his wife he did not have a job; he went down to the union hall, and he “went right back to work” six months later, at Christmas time, he got laid off again—there was “no way I could avoid telling her”; he was talked into working for Commonwealth Edison— forty-one years later, he quit   (31:19) what he did at Commonwealth Edison: he started out in the storage division of the purchasing department; he then moved into the “power plant”, the power generating station (31:46) he married in 1947 and started at Commonwealth Edison in 1948; in 1955, they bought their first house (31:58) they did not have their first girl until 1951, and three years later, they had a son; three years later, they had another girl; “somewhere in between,” maybe it was five years later—he had four girls and two boys  now he has four granddaughters and four grandsons (32:37) in 1989 Porter retired; he ended up in a nuclear plant; he transferred into quality assurance in 1975, and the family moved to Rockford, Illinois—they [he and his wife] were “done having children then”  quality assurance “got to be too much for me”—he enjoyed it at first but it got to be “a pain in the neck” Vacation And Travel, Summers In Wisconsin • (33:54) “what have I been doing with my time?” when his wife was “still around,” he was not retired yet—[Porter showed the interviewer a picture of President Truman’s home in Missouri] “bet you never guess whose house that is”—“his name’s Harry” • (34:31) the Porter’s had a summer home in northwestern Wisconsin: they still go there in the summers, but not to their place—they sold it because “it costs too much money now” [to maintain, it could be assumed, or to live there on a more �limited income—pensions and social security] • (34:47) Porter and his wife traveled in Europe, after he retired they went to Europe “a couple of times, went to Ireland”; the only place they did not like was France, or parts of it—the people were “lousy,” in Porter’s opinion, “worse than rude” • (35:09) they were in Monaco, and a certain gambling casino was not “open” to gamblers at the moment, but “open” to tourists; the uniformed guards knocked womens’ hats off and took their purses, telling them they had to “check in” the purses first Porter’s Stepfather And The French • (35:39) the “first experience” Porter had with the French was his stepfather, who told them that his family [meaning French] “was here” [the US] before theirs [Porter’s], since1772 • Porter told him “you were supposed to help us with that war against the English, but all you ever did was desert your own army”; his stepfather was both French and Irish • (36:15) Porter “never realized” that his stepfather had “quite a temper” until a cousin of his told him about it: the man hated Porter’s father because he had been his mother’s boyfriend before she married Porter’s father, and he beat up his dad before their wedding No Navy Reunions • (36:57) Porter has never gone to any navy reunions, but has belonged to the American Legion for fifty-five years or fifty-four [as of the time of the interview]: Commonwealth Edison Post 118 Retired And Moving Again • (37:19) "I'm not gonna be here [Michigan] much longer either; my son's leavin', he's gotta move." Porter does not have anybody, there is nobody up here for him—"my family's pretty much spread around"  he used to have a relative in California, but that relative died  grandson in Atlanta, Georgia  his youngest brother is in Wythe, White, Georgia, "out in the country"  his other daughter is in Memphis; she has had "a lot of practice" moving: she has moved seven times because of her husband's job • (38:33) “so I’ve gotta move again”; "I'm not gonna stay up here alone" • (38:39) [Porter, in response to a comment by the interviewer] “no this isn’t cold here”; “it's cold in Chicago, but it's colder where I lived, out in the middle of Illinois up by Wisconsin" ��NOTICE OF SEPARATION FROM U. S. NAVAL SERVICE NAVPERS-SS3 t. (REV.8-4S) ­ ~-- SERiAL OR FI:"'C; 1-00. I. RANK AND CLASSIP"ICATION NAME t. PERMANENT ADORES. FOR MAIL.ING PURPOSES 10 CHARACTER 0,. aEPAIIll:ATlON ... 7. ADORE• • FROM Yt'UCH EMPLOYMENT WILL S':: 110. -------" ~ 111. ....,.""=== 1140 REGISTERED ~Q II. \I.l U n o ~ ;.l n YEI NO MEANS OF ENTRY (INDICATE D ENLISTED DATI! en I'" II. U.S. CITIZEN (VES OR NO) OATE AND PLACE OP BIRTH -:-__ =..,-==c-==-.-,-===-~=-=====.,==~t,================== SELECTIVE SERVICE OOARD 0,. REGISTRATION ';;-CH~C-;-IN APPROPRIATE D INDUCTED DATE -'- .J I MARITAL STATUS BOX) , l5. --------:1-"-.-----'-·----------....::...,---------....,.-­ COMMISSIONED I II. PLACE 0" Em-ltV ,m-o ACTIVE SERV'CE DATE '""'-'- 1_ _ ._----.....,---­ -=-=--~:..::....::L__'_=~_':._c:c.. II. QUAUFICATIONS. CERTIFICATES HELD, ETC. U. FOREIGN ANOloft aKA &Iii:RvtCE WOlltLO WAR II ~ -< :z oLL. Q 1 --:---,-,-u. aoug.u:r: ......--:=:-=-1 SERVICE SCHOOLS COMP'LETED u. SERVICE (VESSEL. AND STATION. a&.. VI:D ON) WEEKS ~ 8 \I.l ce: = ... REMARKS r 37. OATES OF LAST EMPL'MT. II. NAME AND ADDRESS OF LAST EMPLOYER II, MAIN CIVILIAN OCCUPATION AND D. O. T. NO. FROM TO to. E. LOCALITY. AND GENEftAL ARI:A) It. JO PREFERENCE FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING (TYP. OF TRAININO) 44. VOCATIONAL OR Y"ADI: COURSES (HATU .... AND LENGTH OF COUR.e) .,. NO....SERVICE EOU. (YRS. aUCCESs.FULLY COMPLETED) I , . , . DEGREES IoU. MAJOR COURSE OR IFIELD H. S., oil'. DATE OF aEPA"ATION I'" .'GNATURE OF PERaoN BEIN:> SEPARATED B TO: SELECTIVE SERVICE � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PorterJ Title A name given to the resource Porter, James (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Porter, James Description An account of the resource James Porter served in the US Navy during the final year of WWII, and then spent forty-one years working for Commonwealth Edison, in Illinois. While still in high school, he worked at the University of Chicago, cutting graphite used in the Manhattan Project. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource McCauslin, Kelly (Interviewer) Spring Lake District Library (Spring Lake, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Navy World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Video recordings Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text 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 2008-02-16 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> 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/1acb81bcdcfdf91f718907881a5d51ac.m4v 71257d01d7bfbf3ea5bed438e50bdcfd https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4750a6248d51c01b1470aa1d28b09025.pdf 573116a66dee80520da38dc7747b9bf2 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Charles Pope Length: 33:06 (00:30) Background Information     Charles was born on October 15, 1956 in the upper peninsula of Michigan He had a good childhood and often went hunting and built things with his father His father worked for a Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury dealership and his mother was a nurse Charles went to school in the Upper Peninsula, played baseball and basketball (6:10) Army Enlistment  Charles left school when he was 17 years old in 1973 to enlist in the Army  He wanted to get away from home and his parents signed a waiver for him because he was too young  He went through boot camp at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and had a blast  Most of the people there were about 17-22 years old and he got picked on often because he was so young  Charles then trained for combat radio surveillance at a radar school in Arizona, but did not enjoy that and then transferred to mechanic school at Fort Knox in Kentucky (12:15) Germany  Charles went sent to Germany instead of going to Vietnam because he was too young to fight in combat  They had a very long flight across the Atlantic; about 16 hours  There were only about 300 people working on his post and his sister was actually there working as a secretary at the HQ office  Charles was able to travel to 11 different countries while he was in Europe  They usually traveled by train because the roads were terrible, except in Germany  Charles lived with his sister off base; they rented rooms from a couple that owned a large house  Altogether Charles spent 10 months in Germany and was in the Army for 2 years (17:45) Back in US  Charles flew out from Germany, stopped in London, and was finally back in Michigan  He was charged with involuntary manslaughter in 1978 and spent 30 years in prison  He got out in 2008 and then began living at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans  Charles worked as a custodian in prison and received many trade certificates � 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 PopeC Title A name given to the resource Pope, Charles (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pope, Charles Description An account of the resource Charles Pope was born on October 15, 1956 in the upper peninsula of Michigan. He enlisted in the Army when he was only 17 years and his parents had to sign a waiver because he was so young. Charles went though basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, then radar school in Arizona, and finally mechanic school at Fort Knox in Kentucky. Once he was finished with training Charles was still 17 and too young to go through combat. Instead of going to Vietnam he was sent to a post in Germany where he spent 10 months. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Collins Sr., Charles E. (Interviewer) Collins, Carol (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text 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 2008-03-24 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> 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/0ea0e66c345207b9ebf2b298443f23e3.mp4 7a6d63958ab91dcd7eb8fa9a2f62c3bb https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6b0145e193345e72d58cf10ef351063e.pdf c0cefcb4e77f8ffa17e3c809b0d0ad73 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview James Pond Length: 45:31 (00:00) Background Information • James was born in 1925 in California and enlisted in the Navy in 1943 • James went to high school in Santa Ana and had wanted to join the Navy when he was 16 years old, but his parents would not let him • They were reluctant for him to join because he already had two older brothers in the war, but allowed him to join when he was 17 • James had lost interest in school and dropped out during his senior year (2:15) Navy • After enlisting James had taken a train to Idaho for training at a base in the mountains • During boot camp everyone had to take turns with boiler room watch at night to make sure heat stayed on • While on duty they also had to watch out for grizzly bears • James decided that he wanted to be a signal man and would like to go through signal school after boot camp • He was sent to Chicago for signal school after training in Idaho for 3 months (5:30) Signal School • Signal school was held in a large stadium at Stagg Field at the University of Chicago • They had very nice living quarters and ate in a fancy dining area �• They were working on the field near men who were training for signal school in the Army • The men in the Navy had to take turns on guarding the perimeter of the field, but were only given wooden rifles to practice with • The men in the Army school did not work much and the men in the Navy thought they were lazy • They later found out that they had been working on an atom bomb at the university and the Army was actually there guarding a nuclear reactor • James also trained on a destroyer called the USS Van Valkenburgh with 300 other men • He was then transferred to the Brooklyn Navy Yard where he boarded the USS Davidson, another destroyer (9:15) Overseas • The trips were top secret and James never knew where he was going until the last minute • He did not know any of the other men he was working with on the destroyer • James was assigned on KP and became very ill the first 3 days of the trip • They were escorting a convoy of ships to Belfast, Ireland and passed Greenland and Iceland on the way • The convoy consisted of 40 ships and they traveled at 10 knots • They once detected an enemy submarine and began their depth charge runs • They did not have time to remain in the area and confirm their hit, but did see lots of black material emerging on the surface • The government was building up US troops in Ireland for the invasion of Normandy • James took a second trip to Ireland and it had gotten much colder; the men had to work on deck and chip off ice with hammers • He had some time off on liberty in Ireland �(15:20) Ship Signaling • After the second trip to Ireland the ship was put in dry dock for repairs • They then found that the ship had been hit by an enemy submarine missile dud • James had worked on ship signaling while on the trips • Sometimes he would be reading a certain signal on deck for a half hour at a time and staring into the arctic sun • The arctic sun eventually burned his retinas and he could no longer see well enough for signaling • He was allowed to go to another Class A school for training in a different field (17:30) Hospital Corps School • James was sent to the Bainbridge Naval Base in Maryland in 1944 • He enjoyed his classes very much and became a hospital corps man • James had duties that normally a nurse would have, but he worked under the supervision of nurses • He wanted to be an operating room technician and worked in surgery for a while • James was sent to Fort Eustis in Virginia • There was a WWI Army base that had not been used in about 20 years • It was a one story vintage-looking hospital that they had to restore because it had just been re-commissioned (20:05) Hospital Work • James helped to clean up the grounds and restore the hospital • Trains were then arriving and bringing in wounded marines from the West Coast �• Most of the wounded were from Guadalcanal and they had all different types of injuries • James worked for a while in the psych ward at night and there were no lights • He volunteered to work in the Fleet Marine Forces, which was part of the Marines, but did not have their own medics • James was sent to a debarkation point in California 3 weeks later (21:35) Okinawa • James boarded the USS Bingham, a troop transport ship headed to Okinawa during the invasion • He had been traveling in the Pacific on the ship for 3 weeks when they heard the news that the bombs were dropped and the war was over • James was sent to Fleet Hospital 116, which was a 1500 bed tent hospital in Okinawa • When he arrived in Okinawa, it was in the middle of a terrible hurricane and he had to take shelter in a cave • The hurricane destroyed the base, all the Quonset huts, and the entire hospital (29:30) Transferred • James was transferred to work on a ship that had no doctors to work in its pharmacy • They felt that he was qualified to be the doctor of a 56 man ship with his training and experience • The ship traveled to Sasebo, Japan, which had been occupied by US troops • James worked on the ship while it remained at a dock for months • They ship then moved on to Nagasaki and James continued working, but also helped Japanese locals and made a few friends �• It is possible that he may have come into contact with radiation from the bomb and has since had 25 cancerous areas removed from his skin • James learned that he had enough points to be discharged, but was made to remain working on the ship for another 9 months (35:15) Samar Island, Philippines • James had received a half dingo puppy while in Okinawa and brought it with him to the Philippines • He had the dog tied up outside the barracks at night and was not allowed to bring it inside • The day before he left to go back to the US, the dog’s leash had been cut and it was missing • He was very sad to not take the dog home with him and especially disturbed by the fact that Filipinos eat dogs • James left the Philippines on a troop ship and arrived in San Francisco • The Red Cross was there and actually charging the returning troops money for donuts (38:05) After Service • James had been discharged from the Navy on April 26, 1946 • After leaving the base and traveling home, James stopped in an ice cream shop where he spotted a very pretty girl • James and the girl from the ice cream shop got married 5 weeks later • He was able to get his old job back in a butcher shop and worked there for 6 months • He then got a job as an officer for the police force, where he worked for about 5 years • In 1952 James was transferred to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and he worked there until 1958 �• James became the Deputy Coroner of Orange County • He moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1964, which was where his wife was from and then began working in real estate � 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 PondJ Title A name given to the resource Pond, James (Interview outline and video), 2009 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pond, James Description An account of the resource James Pond was born in Santa Ana, California in 1925. He became very bored with school during the war and dropped out when he was 17 to enlist in the Navy. James went through boot camp in Idaho and then went to signal school in Chicago. After signaling on destroyers in the Arctic, James retinas became burned and he could no longer work as a signal man. He went back to school to become a hospital corps man and was sent to work in a hospital in Okinawa after the invasion. James also worked as a doctor aboard a ship stationed outside of Sasebo and Nagasaki, Japan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource McCauslin, Kelly (Interviewer) Spring Lake District Library (Spring Lake, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Navy World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text 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 2009-02-07 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> 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/9a1ad86fcb75254c192aa4b0cc0605c5.mp4 57cd55028ee7364f3f8a653341e0af25 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f4604fc1d2be01e1f57bd0529221a963.pdf 04955a0dec85aaf2f374676a8754090b PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Name of War: World War II Interviewee’s Name: Arthur Polmanteer Length of Interview: 28 minutes Pre-Enlistment (00:11)  Childhood (00:15) o  Family (00:41) o  Polmanteer was born in Trout Lake, Upper Michigan on March 3, 1921. (00:26) His father was a lumberman while his mother was a housewife. Grew up with two brothers and two sisters. (00:47) His Job (01:12) o Before being drafted, he worked at a metal office furniture factory. His younger brother Lloyd had already joined up as a paratrooper. (01:22) Enlistment and Basic Training (02:09)  Why he joined up (02:16) o  Was already married, when he was drafted in January, 1944. (02:28) Where he went (02:36) o Was sent to Fort McClellan, AL where he underwent basic training for 6 weeks. Spent 10 days home afterwards and was then sent home. (02:45) o Served as a replacement in a heavy weapons company while attached to the 78th Division upon being deployed to Schmidt Germany. (02:58) Active Duty (03:12)  Battle of the Bulge (03:27) o Mentions that he was a gunner in the 78th Division when they captured the Remagen Bridge over the Rhine River. (04:08) Completed his term of active duty in March, 1946. (04:30) o Briefly describes how tough basic was and what sorts food they received in the military. (04:46) � Belgium / Germany (06:16) o Backs up and mentions that once out of basic that his unit was sent overseas to Schmidt, Germany where he met up with his unit in March and then continued to move through Central Germany. (06:23) o Describes in some detail, what combat for him felt like emotionally. (07:22)  The weather in Germany during the winter of 1944 was very cold. Spent much of his time cooped up in his foxhole. (07:54)  2nd battalion, a different unit within the 78th Division was in the thick of the fighting at the Battle of the Bulge. His heavy weapons company meanwhile was sitting tight behind the Ruhr River Valley for about a month. (09:04)  Once they received orders to move, they marched through the Hurtgen Forest. As they did so, they faced exploding artillery shells and shrapnel. He felt as though his training was adequate in preparing him for what he faced over there. (09:36)  Briefly mentions what friendships he developed while in the military. (10:48)  In terms of memories the one that stands out the most was having an exploding artillery shell come within four feet of his position while shrapnel exploded over his head. This happened while the 78th Division was securing the Remagen Bridge over the Rhine. Mentions that they drove eight to nine hours to get there. Also mentions that a few of his buddies died in the process of this deployment action. (11:40)  Stayed in touch with his family by letter writing his wife. They exchanged a daily correspondence. (13:38)  In terms of leave, he did not take any until after the war. When he did he went to London, England. (14:38) o Sachsenhausen Germany (15:50)  When they liberated the concentration camp here Polmanteer describes what they encountered here in some detail. (16:03)  On VE Day, his unit was in Germany celebrating like many others the end of the war. (16:38)  Stayed on in Europe for another three months after the war receiving jungle training in preparation of the invasion of Japan. Before being deployed to the Pacific the war ended there. (17:45) �o Going Home (18:45)  Served briefly in Berlin where he was a part of the occupational forces’ efforts there. Was then shipped by train to Antwerp where he boarded a olive ship: the Queen Mary for the U.S. (18:54)  Backs up and mentions that when he first journeyed overseas aboard a troop ship that landed first in Glasgow, Scotland; went by train down to London and then by ship to France where they received their weapons at various replacement centers. (19:58) o Home in the States (20:43)  Upon receiving a warm reception in New York City, he went by train to Camp Elderberry where he was discharged. (20:53) After the Service (21:11)  Readjusting to Home (21:42) o Upon being discharged he describes what the reception was like with his family. The transition between military and civilian life was difficult and was spent getting reacquainted with his family and not working. (21:56) o Briefly mentions what the year-to-year military reunions were like down in Nashville, TN. (22:17)  Reflection (23:35) o Describes how and what affected the most about his service time. Mentions how the experience affected him personally and how he lived his life afterwards. (23:55) o Further mentions his impressions about the attitude the German government took towards their treatment of the Jews in the concentration camps. (26:40) Interview Ends (28:27) � 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 PolmanteerA0660V Title A name given to the resource Polmanteer, Arthur (Interview outline and video), 2009 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Polmanteer, Arthur Description An account of the resource Arthur Polmanteer is a World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Army's 78th Division from January, 1944 to 1946. In this account, Polmanteer discusses his pre-enlistment, enlistment and basic training. His unit saw action in the Hurtgen Forest, in the Battle of the Bulge, at the Remagen Bridge and into Germany, where they participated in the liberation of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Doran, Casie (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text 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 2009-11-03 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> 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/3cd8aa4f9d25ed3914d0c884ac6d0efc.mp4 9e6b275a9ba8e9511cd754526c323c9a https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0329c6908733e6fe6b85c428ee76ff61.pdf c1355f7061318504ae22fec07d200995 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Francis Poll (01:12:37) (00:15) Background Information • • • • • Francis was born in Manton, Michigan and lived on a farm He graduated from high school in 1938 and began looking for work, but there were not many jobs available at that time He had an interview with GM, but they would not hire him because they thought he was too young He finally got work working with casting of auto parts He was 21 years old when he was drafted into the Army in August of 1941 (5:45) Training • • • • • • • • • Francis was sent to Allegan for induction and then boarded a troop train to Texas He began training on October of 1941, but they did not have enough rifles for everyone so some men had to train with a wooden stick They got lots of exercise hiking and marching When Pearl Harbor was attacked MPs came to tell all the military personnel to get back to camp Training had always been “if we go to war,” and it was then “when we go to war” Francis was training in Texas for 16 weeks and then took a train to Fort Dix in New Jersey to a debarkation port They continued training and were immunized They began gathering equipment for overseas for about a month Everyone thought they were going to the Pacific, but they ended up going to Europe (11:20) Overseas • • • • • They boarded a large English ship that was sister to the Lusitania They traveled in a convoy with troop ships, container vessels, and were escorted by the Navy and zig zagging to avoid submarines They left in April of 1942 and Francis was so sick he was coughing up blood The convoy landed in Northern Ireland in May and the men set up camp It rained a lot and they were living in tents, but Francis still thought that Ireland was very nice �• They continued training in Ireland for about 7 months and no one knew where they might be going next (17:20) Algiers • • • • Francis traveled to Algiers on an English cruiser called the Sheffield with a convoy through the Straights of Gibraltar They were working in the French part of the city, which had great food and champagne They left in January 1942 and were ordered to report to the front They boarded 6 by 6 trucks and headed to Tunisia to relieve French troops (26:30) Fighting in Africa • • • • They were doing well in Africa, fighting for about five days and then taking a couple off They went on a wolf mission in February and joined another force in the town on Fondouk in March They were fighting over one hill after another and sometimes had to retreat from the Germans who had a lot of fire power and were very accurate Francis was fighting in Fondouk for two months before he was promoted to sergeant (34:20) Ending of Africa Campaign • • • The Germans were starting to fall back and things seemed to going better for US troops Resistance continued to decrease and they began taking in many POWs The war continued to die down with the invasion of Italy (40:10) Landing D-Day +2 • • • • • Frances landed in Salerno with the 9th Division and the area was heavily defended They were surrounded by Germans for about 16 hours and completely outnumbered Their company commander had been looking for them and thought they were all MIA They finally realized that Americans were nearby and that most of the Germans had left They were eventually taken off the front lines and given replacements so they could rest (44:35) Cassino • • • Francis was working in Italy and many people were dying from mines They were ordered to go to the line of departure and attack in Cassino They took a terrible beating in Cassino and their company commander was killed �• They then went back to Salerno and took a troop ship to Algiers and eventually made it back to the states (50:25) Time on Furlough • • • • Francis had enough points to go home and had earned a silver star while in Africa He arrived in march and had 6 weeks off; he got married on his time off on April 9, 1944 It was great to be back home, but hard to get used to civilian life Francis received orders to report to Fort Meade in Maryland; he was expecting to be sent back to Italy (55:45) Hand Grenade Training • • • • • Francis was told that he was not going back to Italy, but would help train others He was a staff sergeant and training others with weapons, mostly grenades In July of 1944 he was promoted to a superior instructor and brought his wife to Maryland to live off base They rented a room from a nice, elderly lady and lived near a horse track In July of 1945 Francis found out his wife was pregnant and he was going to be discharged (1:04:40) The End of the War • • • • Francis went back home to Michigan and it took some time to get back to civilian life He began working again at his old job, but could not stand working inside all day Francis checked into working at Michigan Bell, for the railroad, and the police He ended up working for the Grand Rapids Fire Department for 35 years � 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 PollF Title A name given to the resource Poll, Francis (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Poll, Francis Description An account of the resource Francis Poll grew up in Michigan and was drafted into the Army in August 1941. He trained as an infantryman in Texas, and his unit was sent to Northern Ireland for additional training, and went to North Africa in early 1943. He participated in fighting in Tunisia and Italy, including the battles at Salerno and Cassino, before being transferred home in 1944, where he served in a training command for the rest of the war. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Byron Area Historic Museum (Byron Center, Mich.) BCTV Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Army World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Video recordings Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text 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 2008-02-12 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> 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/632efdf4b6005fc297ae1f2125c84105.mp4 af00cf8d8ed5c8e9063a7eb4a720901c https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b8582873dd2bfa1fd679135f99c1ddf4.pdf 57029ade67ae188f5fd8d8fe1b3e1941 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Howard Plattner (43:24) Background Information (00:30)             Born in Sabetha, Kansas (approx. 1950). A small town. There were approx. 13 students in his high school class. (00:33) He has three brothers. (00:50) His family worked as dairy farmers. The boys in the family had chores and jobs to do on the farm such as feed chickens. (1:03) He was involved in sports and athletics during his high school career. (1:25) He attended Bern High School in Kansas. (1:37) Because he didn’t have any sisters the boys were often made to do work in the garden or wash dishes. (1:48) He wasn’t a very good student due to the belief that he would never leave Sabetha. (2:05) The family was fairly poor but they had plenty of food. (2:20) He graduated from Bern High School in May 1968. (2:40) In October of 1969 he was drafted into the U.S. Army. (3:18) He was then sent to Fort Jackson in South Carolina. (3:50) He attended Fort Sam Houston for his basic training. (3:55) Basic training (4:00)      While in service he was an operating room technician. This meant that he would clean and prepare doctors tools before and during surgeries. (4:06) He enjoyed this opportunity and the fact that he could be so close to surgeries and observe. (4:24) He was sent to Fort Ord, California for 6 months to receive further training. (4:32) From California he was sent to Vietnam in August of 1970. (4:35) His only memory of his instructors was the yelling and how they tried to intimidated the young men. (5:00) Service in Vietnam (5:32)     He was sent to Chu Lai in northern South Vietnam. (5:35) Chu Lai was a fishing village with some farming. The people there were very poor. (5:58) The locals didn’t really want the war, so they preferred to stay out of the way and simply farm their land. (6:19) While stationed here he stayed in small steel huts with no air conditioning. The weather was typically 100-105 degrees and very humid. (7:18) �          The windows remained closed at all times in the work rooms because they did not want any sort of partials coming in to affect surgery. (7:30) He also noticed that the country had a very odd smell. (7:35) He worked in an Evacuation Hospital at Chu Lai. This consisted of four hospital operating rooms and a helipad. (8:42) While there the men did neurosurgery, general surgery, orthopedic surgery. He believes everything short of delivering a baby. (9:10) His job consisted of putting the men under anesthesia when they were going to be operated on as well as cleaning the wound before the surgeon would begin the operation. Often times after this surgery, the men were medevaced to Japan or the U.S. (9:40) He recalls having to operate on men who have been burned by napalm or had napalm still on them. (11:05) While in service he was never injured. (11:56) He appreciated the people who he worked with, particularly the surgeons. The surgeons had twelve years of medical training only to end up in Vietnam and were bitter about it but were still dedicated. (12:06) He kept in touch with his family by mail. (12:54) He made friends with locals as well as the men he served with however he has not remained in touch with them. (13:10) End of Service in Vietnam Approx. (1971) (13:45)        He brought a calendar with him to track his time in Vietnam. (13:45) When he got back the army offered the men whatever the men wanted to eat. (14:20) He used the G.I. Bill to attended Kansas City University and Wichita State University for his undergraduate work. He studied anesthesia. (14:50) He has worked in Hastings, Saginaw, and Lansing Michigan doing mostly freelance work in anesthesia. (16:02) He met his wife at a friend’s house while in college. (16:17) He has three children (2 boys and 1 girl.) (16:30) He came to Michigan due to the connection he had with a job and his brother-in-law. He loved the weather in Michigan as well. (17:00) Thoughts on the war (18:23)       While in Vietnam, the soldiers were not informed to the degree of unpopularity of the conflict in Vietnam in the States. (18:40) There was an underground network of soldiers who feed more accurate details than what the U.S. Army provided from the U.S. to the soldiers. (19:00) He returned from Vietnam in 1971. When he returned people were not supportive of the soldiers. (19:35) He doesn’t feel bitter about not being recognized for his service while soldiers today are. (20:15) He finds it interesting to hear people’s opinions about war that haven’t experienced it. (20:15) While in Vietnam, he recalls becoming accustomed to mortars detonating and machine gun fire. When he returned home he recalled if feeling very quiet. (20:30) �     He recalls the first time he saw a dead person (one the same age as him) and how he was frightened by it. (22:11) He also recalls witnessing the operations of men who have lost limbs and how shocked he was by this. (22:50) The Military learned a lot about medical care as a result of the speed that surgeon needed to work at and experiences as a result of the war. (23:32) It was not uncommon to lose light or electricity during surgery. To compensate one man would hold a flash light to shine light on the operating areas. (26:00) It was not uncommon during the rain season to have the operating room flood. (26:46) Encounters with the Locals (27:00)               Many locals rode bikes. (27:27) He was sympathetic to the Vietnamese people who he believed did not want the war. (28:42) The natives were also eager to sell and trade to obtain tin to put on their roof. (this was a sign of prestige) (29:30) There was not a lot for the soldiers to do when there was no one at the hospital. He spent much of his free time playing basketball. (30:40) The Vietnamese loved watches, flip flops, and sun glasses and were eager to obtain them from Americans. (31:24) Natives were offered American Payment Certificates to work at the base. (32:24) He had all of his money sent to America because there wasn’t anything he could do with into in Vietnam. (33:10) The man made fairly good money as a result of their service in Vietnam. (33:26) One evening he was invited to dinner and was fed a delicacy, squid over rice. But he decided not to eat it. (33:51) He recalls that the market had a high number of flies attracted by the raw meat and fish. (35:07) The vendors at the market were very eager to sell goods to Americans. (35:45) He recalls that drugs were very easy to obtain as was alcohol. There was a large problem with heroin. (36:06) He tried his best to stay away from drinking and drugs. (37:50) If he ever smells marijuana he thinks back to Vietnam because he smelled it there every day. (38:10) Final Thoughts on Military Service (39:29)     For a young person, he believes the military is not that bad of a career. But it is important for those interested to learn discipline. (39:40) In spite thinking he would stay in contact with the men he met in the service, he no longer is in contact with them. (40:25)] Most of the surgeons he worked with in Vietnam have since retired. (40:43) He believes the way the military was run is better now than it was when he served. (41:05) �   If he wasn’t drafted he thinks he would have enlisted for the Vietnam War because he wanted to go to a place aside from his home town and see the world as well as experience combat. (41:25) He was undecided on career choice when he got out of high school. (42:20) He thinks the military is immensely improved as a result of the requirement that members are required to have a high school diploma. (42:42) � 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 PlattnerH1312V Title A name given to the resource Plattner, Howard (Interview outline and video), 2007 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Plattner, Howard Description An account of the resource Howard Plattner was born in Sabetha Kansas in 1950 and served in the U.S. army during the Vietnam conflict. He was drafted into the Army in 1969 and sent to Fort Sam Houston to train as a medic. He was sent to Vietnam in 1970 and returned to the U.S. in 1971. During this time he served as an operating room technician in an Evacuation Hospital at Chu Lai. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Slatten, Katie (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text 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 2007-06-06 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> 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